On Friday, February 28, the varsity girls gymnastics team won their fourth state title in four years, finally completing the last piece of the four-peat that the program has been searching for all year. Led by head coach Micheal Cooper, who has now won his 9th state title, gymnastics has cemented themselves in the history books once again. With this win, we have become the third-ever school in VHSL history to win four gymnastics state championships in a row, and the only school to complete the feat twice. 

“I’m really happy, but it’s also bittersweet because it was my last year,” senior Julia Arnold said. Arnold, along with her teammates Madison Bell and co-captains Maggie Suson and Sofia Orphanos, have just completed a perfect high school postseason record, having never lost a district, regional, or state competition. 

Gymnastics kicked off the competition strong, with their first event being the floor exercise. “[Floor] is one of our best events, and it really set the tone for the rest of the meet,” Arnold said. Following a strong performance on floor, gymnastics kept their momentum going into the other three events of the day (bars, beam, vault).

So how did they do it?

Cooper often shows his team motivational quotes and quotes from famous athletes to get his athletes mentally prepared for the upcoming competition they will face. He knows that the pressure to compete only grows with each championship won in years prior, and does his best to compose his team. “Before each event, I get the girls around and have them think about what we’re saying so they’re not nervous,” Cooper said.

Coach Cooper could not be more proud of his team. “[Legacy], that’s what I’ve preached to my team,” Cooper said. “30 years from now or 4 years from now, you can walk in this gym and always see what you’ve accomplished.”

Cooper and this graduating class have set the bar for what excellence looks like in athletics these past four years. For four years, they did not lose a single competition in the postseason, winning not only team championships, but multiple individual state championships as well. 

After her last competition, Arnold has a message for any future gymnasts who want to join the program. “Love each other and have fun, that is literally all we do.”