Gymnastics starts their season with 18 girls, welcoming six new members.
Eight seniors lead the team: Tatum Heckstein, Lily Lipsky, Juliana Morris, Katie Wilkinson, Sierra Edney, Ari O’Brien, Maggie Sokalzuk and Samantha Grimes.
“This season, I’m most looking forward to getting close with our new members and spending time with my teammates before meets,” Tatum said.
Tryouts began on Nov. 12, 2024, and cuts were made on Nov. 13. Practices take place each day from 2:15 – 4:30 p.m., in the gymnastics room.
“Tryouts were great,” head coach Jennifer Ramey said. “I am very excited to have quite a few new gymnasts this season. We have [large] potential for continued success in the upcoming years.”
The girls recently switched to Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 5 Region A last season, and currently hold a record of 10-0 in the region.
The Dolphins stood neck and neck with the Kellam Knights last season, and they are working hard to beat them this year, according to Ari.
The first Beach District meet took place on Dec. 5, 2024 at Bayside High School. Ocean Lakes competed against Landstown and Bayside High School, receiving an overall score of 141.125, which exceeded their initial goal of 138 set by Ramey.
The regular season consists of five district meets at different high schools. After the regular season, they look forward to competing in regionals and hopefully advancing to states, according to junior Charley Snellinger.
“Our strongest qualities as a team are that we are all pretty close,” Charley said. “[The team] is very welcoming, and we all get along really well.”
The team has a specific workout regimen to prepare for each meet. In practice, the girls focus on skills required to perfect each routine.
“The harder we work, the better the outcome,” Ramey said. “Our goal is to make it back to the state tournament this season as a team.”
