Columbus North senior Ellie McIntier has been a solid gymnast for Columbus North.
The Bull Dogs will need a huge performance from McIntier and the rest of the team if they all want a shot at a podium finish when they compete in today’s Gymnastics State Finals at Ball State.
McIntier started gymnastics when she was a toddler, then began competing with the Victory Gymnastics Academy program in second grade. She took a break from gymnastics for two years in seventh and eighth grade, switching to competitive cheer.
McIntier didn’t know if she wanted to switch back to gymnastics, but her gymnastics teammate of three years, Reese Euler, helped convince her to come back to the sport. Euler was a top gymnast in the state for the Bull Dogs for four years and now is a freshman cheerleader at Kentucky.
Ellie McIntier
McIntier was glad she came back to compete in gymnastics.
“I just kind of stuck with it after that,” McIntier said. “I took a little break and went to competitive cheer, but then (Euler) got me back into joining the high school team from cheerleading because she also did it, as well, and I just stuck with it since.”
There’s also a decision when gymnasts begin as a freshman to either continue with club gymnastics or switch over to the high school competition. McIntier chose to compete for the high school team.
“I preferred to go to the high school route because it was a new environment and a fresh start,” she explained. “You have a lot more freedom with the skills you get to do, so it is more personalized. The team environment is also pretty fun.”
Even though McIntier has been a Columbus native her entire life, her parents originally are from New Mexico and made the move about 20 years ago before McIntier was born.
Being with North, McIntier has been able to make a lot of friends over the years in gymnastics, in particular, her upperclass teammates that helped guide her through classes at school and helped her practice, improve her skills and give her advice on her gymnastics routines.
“They helped us figure out what in our routines could be done better and give us new skill ideas,” McIntier said. “I started coming in here in middle school and eighth grade, which Reese showed me how to get to the gym and everything, which was helpful because it wasn’t as scary the first day since I knew people here already.”
McIntier has paved the way forward this year to give back to the younger gymnasts, remembering all the times she sought advice from her teammates for many years.
“I’ve been able to know people from all grade levels, which is nice. My freshman year, we had seniors talk to for good advice for classes in the future,” McIntier said. “In the team aspect, they were able to tell us how the meets would go. I’ve gotten to know a lot of new people through this sport and even made friends with other school’s teams, which is pretty fun. Passing on the legacy to our new freshmen just being able to be a leaders for them and do the same thing as the seniors did for us our freshman year.”
North won the Franklin Central Sectional Feb. 27, but was second to New Palestine in the March 6 regional by three-tenths of a point. McIntier finished 11th in the all-around with a 34.625.
“What we’re relying on for those third and fourth girls is just to hit very, very clean, and that’s where Ellie really a good asset to our team the past few years,” North coach Bob Arthur said. “Her execution is always very well done, and I pretty much know what I’m going to get from her at every meet.”
McIntier and the rest of the Bull Dogs are hoping for a top-four finish, which would them on the podium, but they know they’ll have to put up the best scores of the season in order to do so.
“I think us all having a real good meet because we’re capable of getting a 110 if we all do our best,” said McIntier. “At regional, I did have a couple falls on beam, so I’d like to just get all the events to my best so that I can get a good all-around score, but really just to end the career of gymnastics with a bang.”
Ben Kriesant
