Greater Columbus high school gymnastics teams trying to match success of Berlin, Jerome
Unless you’re a competitor for Olentangy Berlin or Dublin Jerome, the postseason results from the past few years don’t paint a rosy picture for central Ohio high school gymnastics teams.
Berlin and Jerome are the only Columbus-area programs to reach the team portion of the state meet in the past four seasons. Before last season, the Central District advanced three teams to state each year, but the third team in 2020, 2021 and 2022 was Thornville Sheridan, from Perry County southeast of Columbus.
But hope is not lost, and athletes and coaches can look to Berlin and Jerome as proof that there’s a formula for success.
At Berlin, sixth-year coach Jen Hedrick believes her program’s success is the result of a commitment from athletes, coaches, school administrators, boosters, area gymnastics clubs and the community. Gymnastics camps at the elementary and middle school levels also can play a role in building strong programs, she said.
Berlin failed to reach state in its first season in 2018-19 – the school opened in August 2018 – but has made it every season since. The Bears have become the standard bearer in central Ohio, having won three consecutive district titles, and they earned their best state finish last season by placing second as Brecksville-Broadview Heights won its 20th consecutive title.
District is Feb. 24 at Worthington Kilbourne. The top two teams and top eight individuals in each event and the all-around qualify for state March 1 and 2 at Hilliard Bradley.
“(We try) to build a positive, inclusive culture and put in the time and effort to fix the culture if it’s broken,” Hedrick said.
At Upper Arlington, third-year coach Heather Curtis hopes her team can improve on last season’s 10th-place district finish and move closer to its first state appearance since 2015. Curtis, who was a club gymnast in New Mexico and competed at Eastern Michigan, also relies on assistants Meredith Piccin and Jen Boothby.
“We definitely pull knowledge from other programs and mine, Meredith’s and Jen’s knowledge from experience coaching and being gymnasts ourselves,” Curtis said.
Like Berlin, Curtis said she’s seeing athletes, parents and administrators buy in.
“We are very fortunate to have our gym set up in the high school the entire gymnastics season so the athletes can practice right after school,” she said. “The rest is up to the girls and the hard work they put in the gym, day in and day out.”
Junior Paige Schneider has been a key contributor for UA, returning to the sport for the first time since seventh grade when she attended Universal Gymnastics in Hilliard. She said reaching state is the Golden Bears’ goal.
“We just have to work hard in practice, develop more as a team and keep getting new skills,” Schneider said.
Seventh-year Olentangy Liberty coach Tara Mays said a focus on team unity has been a key for her program. Last season, the Patriots just missed qualifying for state for the first time as a team, finishing third (140.05) at district behind Berlin (meet-record 148.85) and Jerome (140.8).
“We have a good work ethic,” Mays said. “(Our gymnasts) really care about not just the skills and perfecting and getting better, but also they care about each other and they care about representing their school, and they’re really good kids. They get girls to join (from club) that they’ve been competing with since they were very young.”
With no seniors in the program, junior Gretchen Goldhardt has served as a leader and has been one of the team’s top performers.
“I like trying to bring everybody together,” said Goldhardt, who previously attended Gym X-Treme Gymnastics in Lewis Center. “(Mays) is always really positive at practice. Even when people are having bad days, she’s always able to bring the mood back up and cheer everybody up.”
The gymnasts and coaches also have spent time “building the culture in the program” and “building trust in one another,” Mays said.
”Everyone on our team can count on one another in and outside of the gym,” she said.
In her third season coaching Grove City, Brittany Fitzgerald is looking to reestablish a program that was once a district power but last reached state in 2012. Fitzgerald graduated from Grove City in 2009 and competed for the program.
“Gymnastics is a very niche sport to begin with, so it definitely comes with its commitment,” Fitzgerald said. “To be at that elite status, you have to put the work in.”
Grove City senior Ava Renicker has enjoyed her four years with the program and relishes the relationships she has built. She hopes Fitzgerald can continue to reenergize the Greyhounds.
“We don’t focus on other schools,” said Renicker, who previously trained and competed at Fliptastic! Gymnastics in Columbus. “We like to make sure that we’re doing the best that we can do. We have some great underclassmen, so I think that they can get there in future years.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How does a central Ohio gymnastics team build a state meet contender?
