On Feb. 17, the gymnastics team attended the Pa State Classic State championship at Moon Area High School.
The team brought home a first-place award in the Gold Division with a final score of 146.567, beating Moon High School with a final score of 145.874.
Senior Claire Piper placed first in floor, beam and vault events earning a second-place Diamond award, which resulted in falling behind first place by .199 in the All Around.
“I love floor with all my heart,” Piper said. “I just love that you can show individuality on the floor and express yourself, and I love to perform.”
“If you don’t have a team, there is no chance at winning. There’s no way you can be state champions if you don’t work together,” Piper said.
Piper’s love of performing led her to participate in drama club productions such as Newsies, 42nd Street, and most recently, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In both productions and meets, Piper has learned to work as a part of a larger whole.
Gymnastics have also allowed Piper to grow as an individual.
“It’s taught me to be a leader and how to inspire others and be that person other people can look up to,” Piper said.
Piper has been a gymnast for 13 years and will be attending Duquesne University to continue her career in the sport.
Piper’s teammate, senior Emma Bechtel, has been doing gymnastics for 14 years.
“My cousin did gymnastics and I would always go to her competitions and she would teach me different skills on her trampoline,” Bechtel said. “She was my biggest inspiration in starting and I just fell in love with the sport after that.”
According to Bechtel, the team was shocked when they won first place.
“This is the first time in Altoona history that our team has been State champions in the Gold Division and it’s a huge accomplishment,” Bechtel said.
Bechtel couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap up senior year.
“I am super happy with how this season went, not just in regards to my personal performance, but the team’s as well,” Bechtel said. “We stuck together all season and we have worked so hard in the gym and at meets to do our best.”
Although gymnastics has been a part of Bechtel’s life for years, it is not a plan for after high school.
“While college gymnastics has been a dream of mine since I was little, I have committed to Penn State University under an NROTC scholarship for nursing and my schedule doesn’t allow for many extracurriculars,” Bechtel said.
Bechtel’s teammate, junior Emma Bettwy wishes to remain physically fit after high school.
“I want to continue high school gymnastics next year,” Bettwy said. “After that, I’d probably be done, but I want to maintain physical activity like ROTC.”
According to Bettwy, the physical demands of being a gymnast are arduous.
“It’s not easy at all. You have to ice and use heat every night and stretch as much as you can, and you just try to stay in good enough shape,” Bettwy said.
For junior Isabella Bush, she has taken part in the sport for 12 years.
“My mom registered me for classes when I was really young and I immediately fell in love with the sport,” Bush said.
Bush connects with her teammates by setting goals, especially during States.
“I was completely shocked, but beyond proud of the team for fighting hard and finishing strong,” Bush said. “My strongest event is the vault and exceeding my goals helps the team in a positive way.”
The team succeeded in the season by finishing undefeated.
“The team worked well together and everyone did their part,” Bush said. “The future is bright for the underclassmen and I cannot wait to compete as a senior next year.”
