Bloomington North's Dede Eberle in the fast lane to IHSAA gymnastics state finals
It's been a year full of leaps and bounds for Dede Eberle.
The Bloomington North senior was a member of the Cougars' gymnastics teams as a freshman and sophomore and then decided to go back and give track and field another try after quitting as a sixth grader.
She had a strong return but really exploded last spring after skipping gymnastics to focus on off-season training and getting a full run of indoor track meets under her belt. It paid off in four races at state, qualifying in the 100 and 300 hurdles and medaling in the long jump (18-¼) and 400 relay, anchoring the team to ninth in a school record 48.27.
But she wanted one last chance to compete in gymnastics and this week, she preparing to perform in the IHSAA state finals for the first time on Saturday as the Cougars took for a top-four team finish.
"Senior year, I felt like I really missed doing it," Eberle said. "You can't do gymnastics outside of high school. Once you graduate, you're done, so I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
"And I just really like the team this year. The girls are great, the coaches are great. I just missed the atmosphere."
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Getting back into the routines
After a year off from gymnastics, Eberle had to get back in the swing of things.
"It was rough at the beginning," she said. "I was sore, tired. But now I can do my routines, it's a breeze."
Track is still her main thing, but she's been a big help to the gymnastics squad this season, using the strength she gained to up her bars routine, the event she'll do at state. She'll also be ready on floor.
"I'm way stronger than I was my sophomore year, from weights and track," Eberle said. "My vault is way better than it was and I think that's really helped me get through the routines and making sure they're clean."
Her upgraded bars routine has taken her scores from two years ago, 7s and low 8s, to high 8s and low 9s.
"I just surprised myself with the difficulty levels," Eberle said.
Double duty for Dede Eberle
Track coach Justin Helmer and gymnastics coach Andrea Smith have had to work together to share their special athlete the past three weeks, making sure she was as strong as possible on Fridays for the sectional and regional meets.
When indoor track season kicked in, she began splitting time between the sports, getting in a few routines at gymnastics, then, with the mild weather permitting outdoor practices, scooting to the track to work on hurdles and relay handoffs.
"It's been crazy," Eberle said. "I do what I can in gymnastics, I do one or two routines, then I come over here and run. It's tiring but it is what it is."
She was dealing with an injury, but at last Wednesday's meet at IU, hopped into a 60-meter hurdles race at the last second and turned in a 9.25.
"I was happy with what I ran with not being warmed up or anything," Eberle said.
It was an opportunity she decided not to miss. Getting back with the gymnastics team was another that also paid off.
"I can't wait for state," she said. "It's a special time together. And as a senior, I won't have that opportunity ever again."
Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on X @JimGordillo.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Gymnastics, indoor track keep Bloomington North's Dede Eberle busy
