As the girls gymnastics season came to a wrap, two notable stars end on a positive note.

Sophomore Ava Axelrood and senior Jamie Otwell both advanced to Sectionals this season. Although they didn’t qualify for the state meet, they are both happy with what they have accomplished.

“This year I qualified for sectionals in every event, which I don’t think I’ve ever done in the past. It was definitely a step forward for me,” Otwell said. “I was really excited and it always feels good to see how all the work throughout the season has paid off in the end.”

Unfortunately, sectionals was where Otwell felt she performed her worst beam and bar routine of the season. On the other hand, she believes that her vault and floor routine were the strongest they’ve been this season.

With failure, comes growth. As a freshman, Axelrood also finished her season at Sectionals. This year, competing in this meet with a cold, she was able to feel proud of her accomplishments. With the increased level of difficulty, Axelrood’s scores were immensely higher than freshman year.

“I was able to know what I’m doing coming in as a sophomore, and I think that I exceeded my expectations for Sectionals,” Axelrood explained. “I just went out there and gave it my all, and I think it rewarded me a lot in the end.”

As a sophomore, she has two more seasons to continue to compete. But for Otwell, a four year varsity star, there’s love and appreciation for the program and the team that will last a longtime.

“I really like the sport, competing, the practices and the team bonding activities that we do,” Otwell said. “Overall it was everything that I had hoped for.”