As the Harrisburg Gymnastics Team prepared for the State Meet, they had many goals and expectations. When the season kicked off, the athletes and coaches didn’t let Covid set them back, even though it changed many competition and social aspects of the season. Emma Maeschen, a sophomore on the gymnastics team, talked on the topic of recent changes: “We are, for the most part, always separated from the other teams competing, limited people are allowed to come, and once the meet is over, everyone has to leave immediately.” These adjustments are quite different from last year, in which Kiah Boetel, a sophomore, expressed, “One of the main things that I miss is being able to talk and cheer on the other teams we would normally compete with.”
Although these differences were hard on the team, they did not show during competitions. The athletes headed into ESD as a top-four contender. Stephanie Kroger, the head gymnastics coach, described her greatest team goal by saying, “Top 3 in State!” On top of team goals, there are personal goals for every gymnast, too. Maeschen said her main goal was to place in the top 15 on bars. Kiah Boetel described her personal goal as getting into State for every event. These goals were only made possible with hard work and dedication, which both competitors certainly exhibited. Altogether, COVID-19 may have taken away parts of the competition, but the team still strived for excellence to see their hard work pay off.
After competing at State on February 12th and 13th, the Harrisburg Gymnastics Team ended with an overall score of 143.125 points, placing 3rd and achieving the goal they set for themselves at the beginning of the season. Also, Izzy Driscoll, another Harrisburg gymnast, placed first on bars, fourth on beams, and sixth in the vault, earning an All-Around second-place finish and making the All-Tournament team. The HHS gymnastics coaches are extremely proud of the hard work and progress their athletes put forth this season.