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The Purbalite

The student news site of Baldwin High School

The Purbalite

The student news site of Baldwin High School

The Purbalite

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Gymnasts eye trip to states

BY NATALIE BROWN
Staff Writer

With the loss of leading seniors from last year, the gymnastics team is left with nine members, and only three upperclassmen. But the girls aren’t letting the loss of leadership hold them back from another winning season.

“All our girls are really strong, and we’ll do well with or without the (former) seniors this season,” junior Josie Karabinos said.

The girls held a record of 9-1 last year. This year, the girls sound as confident as ever, and are hoping for an undefeated season.

Leadership this season falls to the juniors, Josie Karabinos, Ashley Rebel, and Cassidy Fischer. All of them are three year competitors.

With the season beginning in December, some of the girls began practicing in August at Premier gym.

“Everyone works as hard as they can at practice, and puts everything they have into the work,” Karabinos said. Karabinos was the state champion her freshman year at Baldwin.

Continuing that theme of change, the team has a new head coach. This year long-time assistant Jodi Cummings will take over as head coach for the girls gymnastics team.

“Because Jodi’s coached most of us since we started gymnastics, we are definitely used to how tough she is on us and pushes us, but I couldn’t ask for a better coach to work with this season,” Rebel said.

Cummings was a high school athlete, competing on her gymnastics team for four years, and also competing as a part of a state championship team.

“I have a good bond with my gymnasts; they know they can come to me about anything,” Cummings said. “As long as the girls keep working hard, anything is possible, and this year I have a good feeling.”

Cummings has coached on the Baldwin gymnastics staff for 13 years, and is excited to start as head coach. With this tight relationship and ready team, Cummings hopes to bring home a WPIAL title or even a state win.

“She definitely inspires us, pushes us, and helps us a lot with new tricks; she gives us a lot of our motivation to do well at each meet,” Karabinos said.

The girls have a long-lasting friendship with each other, most of them training with one another since they first began. With WPIALs and states as their goals, remaining close is a necessity for success.

“We’re all so close, and it’s so great to be on such a talented team,” Rebel said.

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