The wide world of Enloe sports offers many opportunities for students to pursue their athletic passions, with football, soccer, volleyball, swim, and track at the forefront. Several sports such as football take the spotlight, while many other sports are less popular. But perhaps the problem was never with Enloe’s (certain) sports at all, but rather, their level of recognition. Perhaps the most underappreciated sport, you might be shocked to hear that Enloe Gymnastics is not only a team, but one of Enloe’s best. With a third place at their 2021 conference under their belt, the gymnasts are setting the standard for Enloe sports. 

Comprised of five people, the gymnastics team is a tight-knit group– made up of Enloe’s very own Julia Murawski, Kylie Oliver, Amaya Crowder, Mackenzie Millwood, Karla Ferreira and Heaven Mitchell. The girls practice twice a week at Raleigh School of Gymnastics, or RSG, a club gym located in North Raleigh. You might be wondering – how long has this been a thing? Enloe’s gymnastics team isn’t new at all. High school gymnastics in North Carolina has been around for several decades – and Enloe won the state championship in 1989, 2004, and 2007. However, high school gymnastics is vastly different from club gymnastics, where most, if not all, competitive gymnasts train. 

The sport of gymnastics is incredibly difficult, both physically and mentally, and anyone familiar with the experience of a club team knows that the experience can be grueling and in some cases toxic. High school gymnastics encompasses the best parts of the sport: camaraderie, competing, and training. Differing from most high school sports, Enloe gymnasts train with two other schools – Millbrook and Broughton. In years past, the schools have varied, but several high schools around the triangle train at RSG. This unique situation leads to a sense of connection and support between schools – creating an overall more positive atmosphere and environment both in practice and competition. Junior, Kylie Oliver, relates: “I enjoy it because it helps you build a lot of life skills in ways that you wouldn’t expect… high school gymnastics helps you to build relationships with people your age from other schools. So there are people here from Millbrook and Broughton that I’ve made friends with that I wouldn’t have made friends with outside of this.”Sophomore, Kenzie Millwood, agrees. “Everyone gets to know everyone in a supportive environment.”

However, competition and practice is not all fun and games. Taking third at conference last year, the gymnasts have been working hard since last season, and have only gotten better. Their conference meet, which takes place at SGA Gymnastics in Morrisville, is this Saturday, October 22nd. In terms of support from the Enloe student body, their message is clear: they simply want recognition. Sophomore, Amaya Crowder, relates that every time they mention the gymnastics team, not everybody has to say “Oh, we have a gymnastics team?” a common phrase known by all statewide high school gymnasts. The reality is, yes, there is a gymnastics team, and yes, they are great! Kylie agrees: “like nobody even knows we exist, and we don’t need them to come to our meets and stuff, but just to know we exist, and that we like, win stuff! Like, nobody has any clue!”

If you are interested in supporting the team throughout the rest of their season, you can find more information about their competitions here. However, the team simply asks for recognition and support – so make sure to help cheer them on when you can!