For the first time in decades, Beaver Area will have an official gymnastics team!

Gymnastics itself isn’t new to the Bobcats. For several years Beaver Area high schoolers have been able to compete under the school name. Last year, four individuals competed under the Beaver Area name and all qualified to the postseason.

However, four gymnasts was not enough to qualify for an official team status in the WPIAL.

This year, two returning juniors and multiple newcomers have made this status possible. The gymnastics team will be an official Beaver Area sports team, allowing gymnasts to compete both individually and for a team title.

There are two returning gymnasts to the team this year: juniors Rylie Teapole and Avery Cutshall. The last two seasons, both girls found success individually. Last season, Teapole qualified to both the WPIAL gymnastics championship and the state gymnastics championship, also known as the PA Classic. Cutshall also qualified to the PA Classic.

This year, the gymnasts will be able to compete for a team title in addition to individual titles in the section, WPIAL, and state.

About such changes, Cutshall explained, “The main things that will change is that now at meets we will be rotating as a team and our scores will total together for a total team score.”

So in addition to the individual scores for events being totaled individually for athletes to compete in the all-around, the highest event scores will also be added up to create a total team score. This means that the Bobcats will be facing some local powerhouse teams like Central Valley, West Allegheny, and Moon.

With the official season starting in November and meets starting in December, Beaver Area gymnasts will have plenty of time to train and build up that team spirit. The girls will practice at Monaca Turners, a local gym where many other neighboring schools and gymnasts train.

“I’m looking forward to having a bond as a team and being able to help each other improve throughout the year,” said Cutshall.

The first competitions don’t start for the Beaver Area gymnastics team until December, so be on the lookout for the official schedule and locations to be released in the next month or so. Good luck to our Bobcats in their inaugural season!