Wadsworth High School’s Girls Gymnastics team held their annual “Senior Night” on January 8, honoring two senior gymnasts, Bri Perkins and Katie Dallas, along with their families before the beginning of the meet.
The seniors were escorted by their parents while their dedication to the team and plans for after high school were announced to the crowd of Wadsworth fans who attended in support of the senior competitors.
“I am thoroughly impressed that anyone can physically do that,” said Garrett Preusser, junior at WHS and Wadsworth Gymnastics supporter. “It really takes a lot of dedication so it was really cool to be able to come out and watch.”
While Perkins was able to compete in all four events at the meet against Cloverleaf and Sandy Valley, Dallas was unable to participate due to an ongoing injury she suffered at the beginning of the season.
“I feel like [the seniors] have done great. Unfortunately, Katie was only able to compete once because she had an injury and it doesn’t look like she will be able to compete this year,” said head coach, Kelly Murphy.
However, Dallas has not been the only one affected by injuries as many members of the team have had to step down throughout the season.
“We have had a lot of injuries which we haven’t had in the past,” Murphy said. “We’ve been maintaining and trying to keep people from hurting so a lot of people have had to kind of step up.”
Despite this hardship, the girls have continued to improve as a team throughout the season, with many learning new skills to compete with. These efforts, as well as the large size of the team, have helped them to score a 6-0 record, with an overall victory on senior night of 133.25 (Wadsworth) – 106.85 (Cloverleaf) – 53.8 (Sandy Valley).
As well as the team victory, Perkins stood out with her individual scores, placing first on bars, beam, and floor, and second to Wadsworth junior, Stephanie Novak on vault, finishing with an all-around score of 35.25.
Beyond their work in the gym, the team has also participated in many team bonding activities since the start of the season, which has helped them to work together towards their common goal of maintaining their perfect record.
“I think they’ve really gelled as a team and I’m really looking forward to the end of the season,” said Murphy.
