In her fourth season as one of the region’s top gymnasts, senior Abby Rexrode was named all-around champion in the diamond division at states this year. It was the third time in her career that Rexrode won states.
Because of those achievements, Rexrode has been named Purbalite Female Athlete of the Year. She is the first person to win the award for four straight years.
“This gymnastics season went really well overall. I was injured at the beginning of the season, but I ended up placing first all-around at states, and my team placed second overall. So it was definitely a great way to end the season,” Rexrode said.
That injury was to her thumb, and it caused her to miss some competitions.
“I was out for six weeks and it was very tough. I was discouraged and scared that I was not going to come back to my full potential,” Rexrode said. “But it ended up coming back easier than I thought, and it was really exciting to go to my first competition.”
Throughout her years in high school, Rexrode was able to grow as a gymnast.
“I feel like each year I have definitely improved a lot,” she said. “I’ve added a lot more difficulty to my routine and I’ve noticed an increase in my scores, so I feel like I perfected my scores and have had great improvement.”
Senior teammate Sophia Rossa praised Rexrode’s positive attitude and determined mindset.
“She’s gotten so many new skills, and she’s really been able to help and motivate everyone on the team. Also, she always brought an uplifting attitude towards the team,” Rossa said.
It has made for an impressive career.
“She’s been an amazing teammate over the past four years. Her skills and motivation set her apart from the rest of the team,” Rossa said.
Junior Ella Scurry agreed.
“I was proud of her and we were all really proud of her because she worked really hard,” Scurry said.
Scurry also complimented Rexrode’s overall mood, saying that her positivity “puts us all in a good mood.”
After such a successful career in high school gymnastics, Rexrode has elected to compete at the club level at Penn State.
“I am going to Penn State University and I am choosing to do club gymnastics down there,” Rexrode said. “It’s not like the official team, but I will still be a part of the club, and I will still be able to participate in competitions for the club.”
