Columbus East High School

As the Columbus East Olympians gymnastics team prepares for the upcoming season, Coaches Katie Menefee and Melissa Dishinger are concentrating on building skills and improving routines. The main goal for the 2025 season is steady progress and aiming for higher team scores. The Olympians open there season against their cross-town rivals, Columbus North, on Monday, January 13th at Columbus North High School. Meet time: 6 p.m. **THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED - MAKE-UP DATE TBD** Expectations for Team and Individual Performances: “We are expecting to build on current skills and add new ones throughout the season,” the coaches said. “As a team, we hope to increase our team score and expect everyone to show improvement.” Key Returning Gymnasts: Sophomore Bethany Lewis returns this season and is expected to be a key scorer with her more advanced routines. “We anticipate Bethany to lead our team in scoring,” the coaches noted, adding that they hope she advances in the tournament series. New and Developing Talent: Freshman Gracie Coullier may make an impact this season, and several returning junior varsity gymnasts are working toward varsity-level performances. The team will rely on a group effort as gymnasts develop their skills. Event Strengths: While it’s too early to determine the strongest events, vault and beam currently show promise. “We like what we are seeing on vault and beam, but there is always room for improvement,” the coaches said. Key Meets: The team looks forward to the Franklin Central meet and the Bloomington South Invitational, two meets that traditionally offer challenging competition. Offseason Preparation: During the offseason, the gymnasts focused on maintaining skills and working on new ones to incorporate into routines. The coaches are looking for continued progress as the season gets underway. Postseason Goals: The primary goal remains advancing individuals to the state competition. With effort and persistence, the team aims to maximize its postseason opportunities.