As the winter months arrive and fall sports start coming to an end, it’s finally time for the South gymnastics team to start preparing for their competition season. Last year the team placed 5th out of 12 teams at sectionals, with current junior, Maddie Kawanishi, placing fourth out of 43 on beam and current senior, Mia Langley, placing fifth out of 43 on floor. 

       This will be the second year in a row South gymnastics has only one senior on the team. This year, it’s Mia Langley. Right now, the girls are choreographing their routines. Langley explains that she “gets to help the other girls choreograph their routines since [she’s] the only senior on the team.” Each floor routine has elements such as tumbling, dancing, turning, and jumping. Every girl gets to choose their floor routine music and create their routines, which allows them to make their routine unique and creative. 

      Tryouts took place on Nov. 14, and the girls have been practicing hard ever since. The team’s first meet is on Jan. 9 at Bloomington North. According to Langley, “It’s going to be hard to beat North since almost all of their girls have come from Rising Star and BUGS, but I will say that our Varsity team has made some upgrades this year.” Junior Larissa Witkewitz, claimed that “everybody is getting along well and [she is] optimistic that [they] will do great.” The girls are excited for this year and hopeful that the season will go well. This is also head coach, Michelle Stroud’s, last year coaching the team. Langley explains that “Michelle is excited for this last season and wants to make it count.”