Three North Oconee gymnastics athletes were sent to compete at the state championships at Buford Stadium on April 24. And they made the campaign an eventful one as all three finished inside the top ten.

Ella Hawkins finished in fourth place on bars, while Mia Albert earned a top 10 spot in the same category. Allie Ferguson also finished in the top 10 on floor. The Titans did not qualify for the state meet as a full team this year. It was the first time since 2018 that North Oconee missed the state as a team. 

North Oconee reached the Elite 8 and advanced to prelims after earning the No. 6 ranking in GHSA. The team held that same sixth-place spot in the April 22 prelim competition. But it fell just short of sending the full team to the state championships.

Even so, the Titans had strong individual results on the state stage. Hawkins, Albert, and Ferguson's performances gave North Oconee a strong showing despite the team’s difficult season.

Titans Coach reveals why the whole team could not make state together

Head coach Hillary Sanders said injuries played a major role in the team’s season. She said many gymnasts dealt with physical problems but continued to compete and support one another.

“This year was the season of injuries, I would say. All of the girls were battling through some sort of ailment,” Sanders said.

She said the team kept fighting through those setbacks and stayed focused on helping each other.

“Even with the injuries, they all kept showing up and fighting for each other. That was kind of the theme of the season. When someone was struggling, the rest of the team stepped up in their place and tried to work toward the common goal of the team,” Sanders said.

Sanders also said the team was younger and less experienced this season. Some gymnasts from last year’s successful team did not return, and others had graduated.

“We had some girls from that winning team last year that took this season off... [and] we graduated some. A lot of the girls we competed in the prelims, that was their first time, going to state. We had that layer of nerves and excitement in our performance,” Sanders said.

“Nothing came easy for us this year, and the fact that they still showed up with passion — I’m just so proud of them.”

So, what do you think will be next for the Titans?

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Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Souvik Roy