The Eye of the Gale student spotlight features Lancaster High School senior gymnast Lexie Lape who finished on the podium at the Ohio Capital Conference and was named All Around. In four meets, she won first place in two competitions and won both 2nd and 3rd in two other competitions. Lape is also the Columbus Dispatch Gymnast of the Year. She and her teammates on the LHS gymnastics team placed 3rd overall at Ohio Capital Conference.
Lape described the highlights of her final high school season.
“Every competition I have competed in I have placed in the all-around. I won two meets so far this year in the all-around as well as some individual event titles. More than anything a highlight for me this season is being co-team captain of this team and being able to help not only myself but my teammates at practices and meets,” said Lape.
Despite that, her senior year in gymnastics has not been perfect due to some challenges both in and out of her control.
“This year has been so crazy with meet cancellations due to weather and injuries mid season that have definitely changed my season. However, I am so glad to be able to be back in the gym again competing with my team,” she said.
“I had a skiing accident in the middle of the season and it has been by far the hardest challenge I have had to face in the four years I have been a part of this program. It has definitely made me realize what a gift it is to be able to compete at the level I do and I will never take that for granted again,” said Lape.
LHS gymnastics head coach Jennie Lape, who is also Lexie Lape’s mother, said that it has been bittersweet coaching her daughter.
¨She has done gymnastics since she was eight years old but these last four years of high school gymnastics have definitely been special. It has been fun to watch her lead the team through her attitude skills and scoring ability. Her ultimate goal has been helping the team be as successful as they can be from her first meet as a freshman, she has been Lancaster’s scoring leader on every event at almost every meet. An area that I feel Lexie has had the most growth in is her ability to balance multiple sports and activities,¨ said Coach Lape.
She went on to say that her dual role of being a coach and parent can be frustrating at times.
“It is definitely a bit of a balancing act when coaching Lexie. I have coached her in gymnastics since she has been young and I know at times I have probably been unfairly hard on her. With this being her senior year, I have tried to embrace my role as both Mom and coach and take in all the moments while still trying to get the best out of her. She is probably the best gamer I’ve ever coached and when it’s time to compete she has the ability to find the performance when it’s needed,” she said.
Beyond the competitions and the routines Lape knows what she’ll miss the most about LHS gymnastics.
“More than anything I will miss the girls that are a part of this program so many of my old club teammates have come back to be a part of the high school program and I will miss getting the chance to see them every week like when we were kids,” she said.
