Gymnastics is a sport I could never do in a million years. I do not have the courage or muscles to attempt to complete even half of a full routine on the balance beam, bar, vault or floor.

The women on the team are dedicated individuals whose team mentality, even though they compete individually, is astonishing. There are high-fives for every single person after each routine, along with group hugs and cheering.

After watching these women compete for a season, interviewing them after the meets and interrupting their pit stops at Dairy Queen on the bus ride home, I realize just how much athleticism it takes to be a gymnast and how long they have been doing it.

I started dancing when I was 3 years old, switched to showing horses in fourth grade and have now moved on to running half-marathons. I could not imagine doing the same sport from when I was 3 until now, but that’s exactly what you have to do in gymnastics.

Every skill builds off of one another, and without years of training there is no hope in trying to compete as a Division I gymnast.

I’d “tip my hat” to the women of the gymnastic team if I wore one, but I don’t. So instead I’m giving a written “high five” to a team I have the utmost respect for.

Like many Kent State teams, they might not get the coverage they want, but with winning the Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament championship, they deserve a bit more recognition from the student body of Kent State.

Everyone should go to a gymnastics meet at least once to see the amazing skills these Kent State athletes have.

Contact sports reporter Pamela Crimbchin at [email protected].