Southington Boys Volleyball Build Towards Second Half Breakout

The Southington High School Boys Volleyball team MAX PREPS PHOTO, COURTESY OF LOU GIANACOPOULOS

For Southington High School boys volleyball head coach Lou Gianacopoulos, the key to success is managing the big and little rocks. The big rocks are your long-term overarching goals. The little rocks are the steps it takes to get there. Early in the season, the Blue Knights are focused on the latter.

Gianacopoulos knows he’ll have to be patient and that Southington’s growth will be a process. But if this year’s team can master their fundamentals - little rocks - success will follow.

“There are small rocks and there are big rocks,” Gianacopoulos said. “Big rocks are your season focal points of we’d really love to make the playoffs. These guys have to focus on so many small rocks right now that I don’t want them to get clouded with the big rocks.”

“Their small rocks are learning how to pass, arm swings for those guys that are big up at the net. Every day we focus on all those little rocks,” he continued. “I’m hoping by midseason, we can start peaking at the big rocks. Looking forward to something. Right now, it’s all about the small rocks.”

As the Blue Knights entered their regular season, Gianacopoulos was prepared to learn a lot about this year’s team. At the same time, he was planning to watch the seeds being planted for a strong Southington campaign.

“The beginning of the season is going to be our learning curve for a lot of these guys,” Gianacopoulos said. “But I am very optimistic for the second half of the season and into the playoffs. Because these guys will be developing.”

Southington’s 2026 Season Begins

Southington opened their year with a 3-0 victory over Platt, 25-13, 25-14, 25-20. But after that the Blue Knights had many of their athletes away on class trips. The boys volleyball roster featured just seven available players for their next two games.

Southington fell to Farmington 3-0, 25-11, 25-12, 25-13 and Enfield 3-0, 25-15, 25-21, 25-21. With their lack of depth – there are six players on the court at a time – the Blue Knights couldn’t play their desired brand of volleyball. 

“I’m sure it was fun for the seven that were there. Because they’re like ‘I’m playing this. Whatever we do we do,’” Gianacopoulos said. “We just fell a little bit short because we didn’t have the ability to control the ball.”

Once the players returned from their school trips, Southington split their next two games. They lost to Maloney 3-1, 23-25, 25-22, 24-26, 9-25 before defeating Xavier 3-0 and falling to Hall 3-0. Now 2-4 on the season, the Blue Knights will next face Windsor (April 22) at home before traveling to face New Britain (April 24).

Southington will be looking to improve their volleyball skills every game they play. But Gianacopoulos is looking for this year’s squad to grow mentally as well.

“We’ve got to develop our chemistry,” Gianacopoulos said. “The skill will come once the chemistry is there.”

Blue Knights Build Through Basketball Players

Gianacopoulos had a smaller returning group than usual for the 2026 season with only three seniors back. He also saw an increase in the number of basketball players joining the team. For all their athleticism, the head coach knew getting this team where they needed to be was going to take maximum effort from all parties. 

“You have to be very patient,” Gianacopoulos said. “These guys who come in as juniors only have the option to make the varsity team. They can’t develop at the JV level. You’ve got to change your coaching philosophy and plans for the season based upon your athletes. With these athletes, they need a lot of one-on-one training and going through the simple aspects of the skills as opposed to jumping right in and being dominant.”

Junior James Percival helped lead the charge for basketball players joining the volleyball team. After playing the previous season, and seeing how much the sport helped his vertical and dunking ability, he was keen to keep playing volleyball. He wasn’t alone in that pursuit.

Sophomore Ben Richards was on the team with Percival a year prior while juniors Mason Lombardo and Lukas Narbutaitis are new additions. Gianacopoulos is expecting all of the basketball players to make an impact.

“The basketball boys have a very strong mindset. It’s different than your typical boys volleyball mindset,” Gianacopoulos said. “They’re used to being constantly drilled and being told what they’re doing wrong. We’ll find out whether I need to incorporate more of their strong mindset coaching or positive reinforcement. I’m learning with the new guys too.”

Alongside the basketball transplants, Gianacopoulos is expecting senior outside hitter Jeremy Parent and junior libero O’Connor Furey to play pivotal roles for the Blue Knights, as will junior setter Brian Bordiere. After their starting setter transferred to Maloney, Southington turned to Bordiere. While he was thrown in the fire, Gianacopoulos believes he is ready. The Blue Knights are counting on him to be just that.

“That was a big hurdle for us,” the head coach said of losing their starting setter. “You take a quarterback off of a football team and have to learn timing and offense and defense, we had to start over. So we started all over last year. This year we’re pretty confident. We feel we had our next setter in line. You don’t have that developing year, you’re going to jump right in. Everyone has to learn his style, timing and tempo.”

Gianacopoulos has yet to name captains for the 2026 season. He wanted everyone to be together as a team first since the first week came with multiple absences. Furthermore, he wants to make the right decision, with numerous players capable of leading. Once that decision is made, Gianacopoulos is hoping those captains can develop what he would like to be a stout defense.

“We’ve got some big guys who can hit the ball high,” Gianacopoulos said. “With boys volleyball, you’re never lacking the will to hit the ball. That’s what boys really want to do. I don’t have to teach that. What will be a highlight this season is if I can get the boys to buy into defense. A great defense builds on a stronger offense. Our goals are going to be having a more defensive mindset than offensive mindset.”

The 2026 Southington High School boys volleyball roster features seniors: Evan Lebo, Jeremy Parent and Garrett Thompson; juniors: O’Connor Furey, James Percival, Brian Bordiere, Mason Lombardo, Lukas Narbutaitis, Teo Jacome and Chase Smyecko; alongside sophomores: Hunter Strileckis, Carter Smith and Ben Richards. Gianacopoulos is joined by assistant coaches Timothy Casey and Adam Hunter.

Bracing For a Second Half Breakout

Early in the season, the Blue Knights are still setting the foundation of their 2026 campaign. The focus remains on simply learning everything about the sport of volleyball that they can. After each practice and game, Gianacopoulos is hopeful to see his team’s confidence level rise as well.

“First, they’re focusing so much on the skill. They’re learning, they’ve never played this before,” Gianacopoulos said. “Any elite athlete who has been playing basketball or baseball or any of the major sports their entire lives, when they come to this sport, their interest gets triggered. They really feel like they’re learning and they’re starting over. They know they’re struggling, but they’re elite enough to understand that once they get through the process, they’re going to be able to produce and participate when the postseason comes.”

“Right now, we’re just waiting for these new guys to feel the confidence going into the second half of the season,” he continued. “They won’t have it now, because they’re just so behind. But they’re growing and learning each day.”

He acknowledges that there are going to be hurdles along the way. Southington plays in the vaunted Central Connecticut Conference. Furthermore, many athletes aren’t competing year round like some of their competitors.

But Gianacopoulos, and the Blue Knights, are used to that hardship. He says that his teams always find themselves in a tricky situation at some point throughout the season. To get out of their predicament, Southington must be prepared to outwork any opponent in front of them.

“I’m always the team that’s going to struggle,” Gianacopoulos said, “whether I have the best players in the world or not. It’s hard for me to say we’re going to dominate on offense or defense. We’ve got to work harder, we’re not as good as everyone else. The kids know they have to work harder and harder.”

For this year’s team and the Blue Knights of the future, the head coach doesn’t want that hard work to be a deterrent. Especially at the beginning, everyone is on the same level when it comes to their volleyball skill. Trying something new can be an intimidating task. The Southington High School boys volleyball team is trying to prove why it’s worth a shot.

“We’re unlike anything else in this school,” the head coach said. “You should expect to be excited about learning something new. As a freshman, you should know that no one else has any experience playing the sport of volleyball in high school. Don’t be intimidated in regards to not knowing anything – everything is coached and taught. Don’t deter yourself from trying out because you think you may not know the sport or haven’t tried the sport before.”

Selflessness, Grit Define Southington Girls Tennis in 2026 Campaign

Senior Madalyn Zakrzewski PHOTO COURTESY OF MAREK ZARKZEWSKI

The Southington girls tennis team entered the season needing to replace half of the varsity roster that had just graduated. Head coach Robin Thompson also decided to make some changes to the lineup. So far, the Blue Knights have adapted well, beginning their 2026 campaign with a 3-1 record.

Thompson, who is now in her 16th year as head coach, admits that it was a challenge rebuilding the roster. The Blue Knights had to figure out what their best lineup would be. On the court, Southington’s newest varsity members had to learn quickly what competing at the highest level is like.

“We had some rebuilding to do,” Thompson said. “But we’re starting to come together and figure out the right lineup.”

“You’ve got opportunities for kids that weren’t playing to make the varsity lineup. Once they did that, it’s getting them accustomed to actually competing at a higher level,” she continued. “It was trying to put them into different situations to make them more competitive, to make the transition to competition easier.”

If everything comes together as planned, Thompson is hoping that Southington finds themselves in the Class LL Tournament once again while putting up a fight in the Central Connecticut Conference Tournament. She knows it will be a difficult task based on the level of competition across the state. Nonetheless, the Blue Knights will always strive to reach the greatest heights possible.

To accomplish their postseason goals, everyone on Southington must be united. Every varsity player must be ready when their name is called, as every match will be crucial.

“Sometimes we’re going to need winning matches from different people,” Thompson said. “Historically, we rely on all our doubles teams. I try to help all the singles players as much as possible to try and make them more successful, so there isn’t as much pressure on doubles to have to win match in and match out.”

Southington Begins 2026 Campaign

Southington opened their 2026 season with a CCC matchup against Avon, falling 5-2. Despite the loss, Thompson and the Blue Knights learned some valuable information about this year’s team.

“To start off the season with Avon is a tough ask,” Thompson said. “They’re a strong team. The good thing with the loss is it identified some things we needed to fix. We made a couple of lineup adjustments, and it has panned out over the last two matches. Tough to lose, but they’ve rebounded well.”

In their second match against RHAM, Southington’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Madalyn Zakrzewski and junior Allison Ludden fought off an 0-4 deficit in their second set and won six straight games to win the match 7-6(4), 6-4. It helped spearhead a Blue Knights’ 5-2 victory.

Game three saw Southington in a precarious position against Bristol Central. The No. 2 doubles team of senior Kathryn (Kei) Warner and junior Alexia Latham found themselves in a super tiebreaker as the overall match was on the line. With their backs against the wall, the Blue Knights duo didn’t flinch and won 6-2, 2-6, 10-7. Taking victory in that match was the deciding factor in Southington’s 4-3 win.

While the moment may have been nerve-wracking, the Blue Knights were well prepared for the super tiebreaker. Thompson has the team go through that exact scenario in practice. She knows the more reps they get, the more confident they’ll be during any tense moments.

“There are times in practice where we’ll actually put them in that situation,” Thompson said, “We try to recreate it, but nothing is like being in the actual moment. That’s about the best we can do.”

“The more the kids play, the more prepared they are,” she continued. “Inevitably throughout the season, they’re going to play one, two, maybe more tiebreakers. The anxiety of being in a tiebreaker goes away a little bit the more accustomed they are to realize this happens, they’re okay.”

Southington’s most recent match saw them earn a 6-1 victory over E.O. Smith. They’ll be away for their next two games against Berlin (April 20) and South Windsor (April 22) before returning home on April 23 to face Glastonbury.

As they compete in these matches, and throughout their season, Thompson has clear areas of growth she wants both the singles and doubles players to focus on. Southington must be strong in their fundamentals and strategic in their gameplay.

“It’s just more strategy. There’s a concept in tennis called constructing a point. Not just hitting the ball over,” Thompson said. “Tennis is a game of keep away. How do you do that? If you get an easy ball, hit in the corner, hit an angle. You’re forcing them to move around more than they’re forcing you to do that.”

“We’re working a lot on effective volleying at the net,” she said of the doubles teams. “Many times when you get a volley at the net, you can be the hero. You’ve got a great opportunity to put the ball away and win the point. We’re good, we’re hopefully working our way towards being great.”

New Captains Bring Plenty of Change

What would you do if your best friend and teammate had a bad attitude that was bringing down the rest of the team? That’s one of the many questions this year’s captains had to answer. Thompson has each prospective captain go through an interview, asking questions that show their leadership skills and looking for their ideas on what they would change about the team.

Once those interviews were completed, three juniors rose to the top. Ava Coppola, Alexia Latham and Allison Ludden were named the Blue Knights’ 2026 captains. Each came with plans for how they wanted to move Southington forward.

“They impressed me in their interviews about the new things they wanted to do for our team,” Thompson said. “How to ramp up our preseason fitness. We do footwork training; they wanted to meet with the guy who does the training and talk about things they thought would help improve it. They want to work out more than we have. They try to run more at practice.”

“Trying to mentor the younger players on the team,” she continued. “They remember being new to the team and just feeling a little awkward and not comfortable engaging with the older kid.”

Thompson also recognized senior Madalyn Zakrzewski, who has been the team’s top overall player the past three years. Entering her senior season, the head coach decided to move Zakrzewski from singles to the Blue Knights’ top doubles team, pairing with Ludden. While the move shocked many of Thompson’s coaching friends, it has paid off as the pairing remains undefeated through their four matches. The No. 2 doubles team of Latham and Kei Warner are also undefeated on the year.

Zakrzewski’s move put Coppola into the top singles role. Junior Teagan Murphy is in the No. 2 spot. Both players will consistently be facing the opposing team’s top options, making each match extremely difficult. However, their placement at the top of the lineup is strategic.

While tennis is an individual sport, Southington knows that to be their best, they must compete as a unit. Whatever their role may be, the Blue Knights must perform in it to their fullest.

“All of our varsity players are good. Everybody’s role is important,” Thompson said. “By the end of the year, I’m hoping they see the improvements they need to make. Because they’re filling those roles, it allows us to be competitive in the other five matches that are playing.”

The 2026 Southington girls tennis varsity roster features seniors: Mikayla Baum, Kathryn Warner and Madalyn Zakrzewski; juniors: Ava Coppola, Jenna Giuffrida, Elizabeth Johnson, Daria Kryzanski, Alexia Latham, Allison Ludden, Teagan Murphy and Makenzie Zimmer; and sophomores: Mya McDonald and Colleen Perez. Thompson is joined by assistant coaches Kate Hardy and Katie Rioux.

Junior Elizabeth Johnson PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN JOHNSON

Blue Knights Ready For Coming Contests

The Blue Knights’ ability to be selfless and put the team first is a mantra that has been preached by both Thompson and athletic director Bob McKee. It’s a mentality that Southington will use to lead them through the 2026 season and beyond.

“It’s ‘we’ over ‘me’,” Thompson said. “You can say what you’d prefer to play, singles or doubles. But it’s actually what’s best for the team.”

This year’s junior class is well aware of the expectations surrounding the Southington girls tennis program. They helped lay the foundation. As Thompson looks at this year’s team, she can’t help but notice the core that has been growing since their freshman season. She even sees a bit of that same spark in this year’s freshman class.

“We have a very large junior class. They have been a strong, deep class almost since their freshman year,” Thompson said. “Some took a little longer, but they’re all there. It goes in cycles, it’s a little thin for a couple of years. But when these kids were freshman, it was one of those classes you get every so often. There was more talent, more commitment. This year’s freshman class I’m hoping will be the same way.”

The Blue Knights are now prepared to put in the work and march towards their postseason goals. But when they’re on the court, Thompson also wants them to enjoy the experience. She fully believes tennis is, “the sport of a lifetime.” After honing their skills with Southington, Thompson is hopeful no one on the squad puts down a racket anytime soon.

“Tennis teaches you a lot of things,” Thompson said. “Some of our older kids have become best friends with another teammate. They learn a lot of life skills. If they like it or love it, they can play from now until they’re older like me.”

Taylor Cooley Doesn’t Let Injuries Stop Gymnastics Dream

Senior Taylor Cooley on the uneven bars. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CASSIDY CHAMBERLAND

First it was a stress fracture in her back. Then, a torn UCL in her elbow. Each injury forced Southington senior Taylor Cooley to be away from the mat, and at times not involved in gymnastics at all. But for all the time she lost due to injuries, Cooley never lost her resilience.

During her time with the Southington High School gymnastics team, Cooley has become a champion and captain while making her mark on the Blue Knights program. There was no hurdle that could have stopped the senior’s drive.

“I don’t want to let myself down,” Cooley said. “I will do anything to prove that doesn’t happen – I will come into practice early, I will stay after. I’ll work out at home, I go to the gym after practice. I want to get everything before I’m done, I want to get everything I hoped I would.”

Long before she was a Blue Knight, Cooley was a three-year-old enrolled in Mom & Tot gymnastics with her mother Deborah. She had watched her sister Hannah compete in the sport, and her mom wanted to ensure that she stayed active.

When she was six-years-old, Cooley began taking gymnastics more seriously. She enrolled in her first competition program at the Southington YMCA. Cooley moved to American Gymnastics in fourth grade before joining John’s Academy Gymnastics in seventh grade.

Always a hyper kid, it didn’t take long for the sport to click for Cooley. Along the way, she began to watch girls older than herself competing in gymnastics. Cooley committed to being just like them, pushing herself as far as she could at the competition level.

“Moving up to a different level takes lots of time, many, many hours of practice,” Cooley said. “It was a stressful time in my life, jumping from gym to gym, trying to move up levels.”

“It was really important to try and become like the girls I grew up with,” she continues. “There are level nines and tens. I was just this little level five. I wanted to get there as fast as I could. I decided to put everything I had into it. I did no other sports, I dedicated all my time to trying to be like my older sister and other friends who were older than me.”

Cooley competes at the Junior Olympic level, which works on a leveling scale. Gymnasts will begin on pre-team, before advancing through levels two through 10. Each level up comes with set requirements, and coaches aren’t keen to promote a gymnast without merit.

It has been a grind, but the senior has now become a level nine gymnast. It’s an accomplishment she treasures. Cooley is also well aware of what it took to earn the title.

“It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life,” Cooley said. “I’ve had to quit multiple times due to injuries or mental health reasons. Jumping back from those setbacks and working up to the high level I am at now was a really difficult experience for me. Once I was able to realize it was something I really wanted, I was able to achieve that.”

Blue Knights Debut Changes Cooley’s Course

At the end of seventh grade, Cooley was forced to leave gymnastics after suffering a stress fracture in her back. She kept trying to come back, but the injury had other plans. Furthermore, Cooley couldn’t stomach watching her friends continue to progress with her off the mat.

“It’s not a very good feeling to see all your friends progressing when you’re just sitting here not able to do anything,” Cooley said. “When you finally think that you’re healing, you go out and try stuff, you’re so excited to come back. But then you realize you’re not fully healed. That’s what happened in my case.”

Having to take a full year away from gymnastics, Cooley originally thought she would never return to the sport. But high school was approaching. She still remembered how much gymnastics truly meant to her. Ultimately, Cooley made her return to competition as a freshman with the Blue Knights.

“I never anticipated coming back to gymnastics after seventh grade. I thought I was done,” Cooley said, “until I realized high school gymnastics might be something I want to do. I just went to the gym for fun, to see if I could still do my skills and see if it was something I wanted to try.”

High school gymnastics was exactly what Cooley needed to get her spark back. She loved being with her Blue Knights teammates and everyone working together. Her freshman experience even convinced her to get back into club gymnastics with American.

At the end of her first year with Southington, Cooley helped the Blue Knights win the Class L State Tournament. It’s a moment she still carries fondly in her memory and won’t soon forget. Cooley also loved being alongside Ella Silverman, who was the only other freshman on the competition team.

“It was a really great experience,” Cooley said. “We all came together, we were one unified group. We worked so hard the entire season. It felt great that my first year on the team we had such a great experience.”

It isn’t often that a freshman competes at the state tournament – especially one who hadn’t participated in the sport a year prior. But the gymnastics bone never left Cooley’s body, even if it was broken at one point. Gymnastics has always been a part of her.

“There’s a lot of muscle memory in gymnastics. It’s not as difficult as it would seem to get back into it,” Cooley said. “I was very determined. I have been noted as a very determined and resilient person. When I went into the gym, I knew that I had to work hard to get where I wanted to be.”

Cooley on the beam.

Cooley Gets Back Up

Just as Cooley was getting settled back into gymnastics, she suffered a UCL tear at the beginning of his sophomore high school season. She had to undergo a full reconstruction surgery and take another full year off from the sport. Those feelings of despair from the past crept up again.

“It was a really bad feeling, seeing all of my friends competing without me again,” Cooley said. “I started to dislike gymnastics at that point. It’s just something you don’t want to experience.”

In her time off, Cooley had gotten a job and begun thinking about life without gymnastics. But her work on the mat wasn’t finished yet. She may have missed her junior season, but senior year offered a new opportunity. Cooley knew she had to take it.

“I needed to finish out the school year,” Cooley said. “I hadn’t done gymnastics the entire junior year. I just wanted to finish it out and start clean over the summer.”

Southington head coach Cassidy Chamberland watched intently as the senior returned from her second serious injury. As she welcomed her back, she saw a gymnast determined to prove herself. Furthermore, Chamberland watched Cooley get everything she wanted from the program.

“Taylor carries a steady confidence and leads the team by example,” Chamberland said. “She is extremely hard working and her skills and success on the events proved that this season. I am proud of the way she was resilient through injury to lead her team to a successful season. She will be irreplaceable next year.”

Senior Send Off

It was a difficult return to action for the now senior – especially on the bars, where you’re mostly using your arms. Cooley may have had muscle memory, but she still had to get those muscles working together again.

In her final year with Southington, she wanted to take on an even greater challenge. Cooley’s main goal was competing as an all-around gymnast, in all four events – vault, bar, beam and floor. Cooley understands the privilege that would entail, as only six people can be put up for an event per team. On a squad of 13-14 girls, not everyone will get the chance to compete.

But like every challenge in her gymnastics career, Cooley wasn’t backing down. This time around, it was personal. Cooley had overcome obstacle after obstacle in order to get one last shot at gymnastics. She was determined to spend her final year doing things the way she wanted.

“It means a lot,” Cooley said of competing all-around. “It helped prove to myself that I can do what I said I’m going to do. I had a lot of doubts going into it that I wasn’t going enough or that I wasn’t going to be able to get back. But it has proven to me that I am as good as I think I am. It feels really nice to achieve my goals.”

Southington went on to win the 2026 Central Connecticut Conference Tournament, even though it wasn’t her best meet, since she fell on her vault. Still, everyone on the Blue Knights rallied and found a way to grab the title. As they competed in the postseason, the senior wanted Southington to finish strong. Individually, she was hoping her time with the Blue Knights ended at the New England Championships.

“We just want to end the season as best as we can, as clean as we can with no falls,” Cooley said. “Really show everyone that has doubted us and our team that we can do this.”

Southington placed runner-up at the Class L State Championship. Cooley’s work qualified her for the State Open in all four individual events and the all-around. There, she tied for first in the balance beam and fifth in all-around. Cooley’s wish came true, as she qualified for the New England Championships, finishing tied for 16th in beam and tied for 19th in all-around. The senior was also named First-team All-State.

"State Open was insane," Cooley said. "The majority of the team was sick leading up to the meet. It was rough, but I ended up having one of the best meets of my high school career. What made it even better was that we ended up qualifying as a team for New Englands. I'm not even sure the last time that happened. I have great teammate and coaches and cannot imagine having any better of a senior season." 

For her prowess at each event, Cooley spent her senior season as one of Southington’s captains. She was joined by Silverman, who had been competing with her from the jump, and junior Kacie Riddle. Cooley grew up always looking up to her upperclassmen captains. Now, she finally had an opportunity to be in their shoes.

“When I was an underclassmen, I always looked up to the captains,” Cooley said. “I had a good relationship with the captains. To be one of those captains that I once admired now feels really good.”

While injuries may have upset her continuity, Cooley has watched the Blue Knights grow tremendously over her four years. There may have been some turnover, but every squad and every athlete that she called a teammate made the journey memorable.

“We have grown so much since I was a freshman,” the senior said. “We have lost people, we have gained really good new people. The team is constantly changing. You go into the next season not knowing what to expect. I’m really proud of everyone who has been on the team, it has been a wonderful experience.”

Cooley’s Final Competition

Cooley doesn’t regret coming back for one last gymnastics run. The team’s success was wonderful, and she managed to make what she now calls lifelong friends. Whether it be club or for the high school, Cooley always competed for Southington. She appreciated the differences each venue offered her.

“It has been really great being a part of two different teams,” Cooley said. “Club and high school gymnastics are completely different in almost every way you can think of. After being a part of a smaller team in club, it has been really great to experience a bigger team and more competitions.”

Once she graduates, Cooley plans on stepping away from gymnastics for good. She is hoping to go to Central Connecticut State University and pursue a degree in nursing. She wants to focus on staying active in other ways and “starting a new chapter” in her life.

Still, gymnastics will always be a part of Cooley’s DNA. No matter how fierce of a blow the sport might’ve thrown, the senior had an answer. For that, Cooley is grateful. Without gymnastics, she wouldn’t be the person she has become today.

“It has shaped me in every single way,” Cooley said. “My entire personality has been shaped by gymnastics. Competing has made me very dedicated. You go into a gymnastics competition not knowing what’s going to happen. Every single turn you take is different. You just have to hope you can pull through for yourself. It has made me who I am, I know I have to be the best version of myself.”