Nicole Elmore was a gymnast in Seymour throughout elementary and middle school and enjoyed the competition.
After sitting out for a few years, she decided to join the Owls’ varsity team her junior year.
“I missed gymnastics a lot. I missed the team aspect and the family, and the close friends that I had,” Elmore said. “I quit gymnastics when I was 12, and then I did all-star cheer. I kept my tumbling up, but I lost some of my beam and vault skills, so I wanted to get those back.”
She cheered for the Owls her sophomore year, then joined the gymnastics team last winter. The Owls advanced to the state meet that season.
The senior plans to do the floor exercise, vault and beam at sectional Friday night at Columbus East.
“I’ve always loved floor,” Elmore said. “I like tumbling. It’s my favorite. We do three passes in our floor routine. We do elite passes and spinning jumps. We all have our own, special music that we get to pick out, and our own choreography.”
She said her best score in floor has been 9.35, and that she has added a more difficult pass during the past week.
“I put in a new pass which was two back handsprings to a full. I got that last week at a practice, actually,” Elmore said. “So I’m going to put that in and then just hit on my bonus, and hopefully it will be a new personal best.
“I like vault. I do a half-half, and hopefully I’ll get a full off which is a higher start value. My beam is pretty solid. I just have to work on not letting my nerves get the best of me, and to stick every skill. My highest score on vault has been an 8.65 and on beam my highest is 8.9, which is pretty good for high school.”
Elmore said she has enjoyed the practices, and home meets at Gymnastics Lane. She enjoys her teammates and visiting with opponents.
“I like the fact that whenever we have dual meets, where there is just us and one other team, we’ve gotten to know the East girls, and the Franklin Central girls pretty well, and we got to know the Owen Valley girls,” Elmore said.
Elmore said she likes to be the first competitor in an event.
“I would rather go first because you’re warmed up,” she said. “Normally you warm up and then you sit for a rotation, you warm up and then you sit for a rotation. Going first is easier because you’re already warmed up.
“If I’m not competing bars I like to get beam out of the way because it is most nerve-wracking. I like the fact that if you do really well, and you place top five it’s a bigger deal because there were more people competing.
Elmore has enjoyed attending SHS.
“I love getting to know all the teachers and stuff,” Elmore said. “In all our AP (advanced placement) courses we do tons of AP exam preparation. That helps a lot. I’ll remember all the teachers. I’ve loved every single math teacher I’ve ever had.”