Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus North senior Emily Moore is The Republic Gymnast of the Year. She is pictured in the studio at The Republic in Columbus, Ind., Friday, March 18, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Most of Emily Moore’s senior gymnastics season had come and gone, and she was still struggling to stay on the balance beam.
Moore, who had won the state championship on the beam as a junior, had fallen on her beam routine five meets in a row going into the regional. So Columbus North co-coaches Kaitlyn Rediker and Bob Arthur decided to switch Moore from the routine she had been doing this season back to the one she did last year.
“I can’t take credit,” Arthur said. “Assistant coach (Sandy) Freshour and Kaitlyn came to the conclusion that she was more comfortable with the old beam routine.”
The move paid off. Moore and the Bull Dogs started the state meet on the beam, and she ended up winning the title with a school-record 9.85 — a tenth-of-a-point higher than her winning score last year — and that catapulted her to the all-around championship.
“That was definitely difficult,” said Moore, The Republic Gymnast of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. “It was very nerve-racking going into state, like ‘Am I going to make this routine?’ because I’ve fallen so many times this season. At every practice, I would go to the beam, and I’d just tons and tons of routines to stay on.”
Moore’s success didn’t stop with the beam. North rotated to the floor for its second event, and Moore captured the title on that event, as well.
“It was really exciting,” Moore said. “I actually thought I would win floor because the past couple meets, I had gotten the highest scores that I’ve ever gotten.”
Vault was Moore’s weakest of her four events throughout her career at North. Still, she was able to manage a tie for fifth at state.
Moore had hopes of adding a bars title to her medal haul, but those hopes fell by the wayside when her hands slipped off the high bar on her mount. The half-point deduction prevented her from winning that event, but she was able to maintain her lead and victory in the all-around.
“It was last bar routine that I’m ever going to be competing, and falling on something that I should have fallen on was just a little disappointing,” Moore said.
Her coaches certainly weren’t disappointed.
“Definitely, she’s had a fantastic career at Columbus North,” Arthur said. “She’s been the anchor to our team for pretty much all four years, this year being no exception. Emily is one of those phenoms that comes around once every decade and maybe longer than that. She’s a very gifted individual and had everything she needed to be a champion.”
As a freshman, Moore had finished third in the all-around, .175-point out of first. Last year, she was second in the all-around, just .125-point out of first.
This year, Moore won the all-around by six-tenths of a point.
“I think she dug in maybe a little harder this year,” Arthur said. “She was really hungry. She knew she could become an all-around state champion and had come to close in prior years. She put a whole lot of effort this year into getting prepared. She was solid on all four events.”
“I just realized how important it was now because it was the last time I’ll ever be doing it,” Moore added. “I just had to get through all of that to get to state.”
Moore does not plan to continue her gymnastics career in college. She had considered competing at Illinois State, but instead, will attend Indiana State, which does not have a gymnastics program.
“I think I’m just kind of done with it after doing it for so long,” said Moore, who estimated she had been putting in 15-to-20-hour weeks for much of the past 15 years. “I’m going to have so much free time that I’m not going to know what to do.”
Finishing with one of the best meets of her career — and her best state meet — has allowed Moore to move on from gymnastics with no regrets.
“I’m really happy with myself,” Moore said. “Having worked for that (state title) four years really paid off. It’s kind of sad to go now, but looking back at it all, it’s super accomplishing, and it makes me happy.”
The Republic All-Area Gymnastics team:
Emily Moore, Columbus North:The senior won state titles on the beam, floor and all-around and tied for fifth at state on the vault.
Reese Euler, Columbus North:The freshman finished fifth on the bars, tied for fifth on the team and took sixth in the all-around at state.
Alli Chambers, Columbus North: The sophomore finished 25th at state in the all-around.
Lindsey Mullis, Columbus North: The junior finished second in the sectional, fifth in the regional and 28th at state on the bars.
Cami Warren, Columbus East: The junior tied for 15th in the all-around in the sectional.
Reagan Mount, Columbus East: The senior finished 18th in the all-around in the sectional.
Honorable mention
Columbus East: Carlie Menefee, Winter Shaver. Columbus North: Laney Acton, Marieme Niang.
