Patriots open season Thursday

One look and it’s easy to spot what the Patriots don’t have.
They are without the first medalist in six years, and another girl who could have reached state if not for a handful of injuries.
But the Jay County High School gymnasts, who open the season Thursday at Marion, don’t feel like those absences are going to hold them back.
“With the girls that are in the gym every day, they surprise me every practice,” said Miranda Hibbard, the five-member squad’s only senior. Juniors Jocelyn Huey and Maddie Strausburg are the other two returning gymnasts, and freshmen Riley Leavell and Karlie Bullard round out the team. “We have two freshmen that come in and get new skills basically every practice. They work their hardest and same with our two juniors.
“It is just amazing to see how far everyone has come and how much they have changed as a gymnast.”
The Patriots are ready too, after having spent the last two months practicing in the gym while the other winter sports athletes are well into their seasons.
“The girls are eager to get this first meet out of the way,” said Lana Kahlig, who is entering her second season as coach of the Patriots.
Kahlig said Hibbard is a “fierce competitor,” and the coach expects the team’s oldest member to become more consistent with her routines across the board.
Hibbard wants to break the 9.0 mark on vault and add more skills on the floor exercise. She also expects to set new career bests on all four events — balance beam, uneven bars, vault and floor — and in the all-around.
“Which is very likely,” she said. “For my senior year I don’t want to hold anything back.”
Hibbard has also taken on the added responsibility of being the leader.
“With it being a small team, it’s sometimes hard to get motivated,” she said. “But with every practice I get the girls up and going with warm-ups … and make sure to encourage them during practices.
“With me being the only senior I have to make sure I’m always ready to go and motivated to be a good role model for the rest of the team because they look up to me.”
Strausburg has also embraced the role as one of the more experienced competitors on the team, and she is trying to create a positive atmosphere for the small squad.
“I make sure to get involved with the underclassmen and make sure they feel welcomed,” the junior said. “Also, I try to set a good example during practice — showing up dressed, with my hair up ready to practice and taking the sport seriously.”
Huey has put in a lot of offseason time on the bars, and Kahlig is hopeful for a strong showing on the other events too.
Kahlig has high expectations for both freshmen, noting that Leavell is developing new skills almost daily, and Bullard is sharp with her movements.
After the season opener Thursday, the Patriots have two weeks off because of canceled meets. Instead, they will be hosting a mock meet at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 to give the public another chance to see the squad.
Jay County only has one home meet this season — Feb. 8 against Muncie Central and Richmond — with the other seven on the road.
“They are disappointed they only have one home meet,” Kahlig said. “(Hibbard) is disappointed because she has an opener and closer all at once.
“I think it is going to put a lot of pressure on them because everyone is going to come out for that one meet.”
Jay County returns to the Fort Wayne Concordia sectional on Feb. 27, with the Huntington North regional slated for the following week.
Two years removed from the program’s first team state berth, Kahlig isn’t ruling out anyone from her squad advancing to the state finals quite yet.
“State is always kind of the luck of the draw,” she said. “You never know going into state who is going to be good that day (and) who is going to be off.”