Kiski Area’s Ellie Arnold caps freshman season with WPIAL gymnastics gold

By: Ray Fisher
Monday, February 24, 2025 | 10:46 AM

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Kiski Area’s Ellie Arnold recently wrapped up an unforgettable freshman season in gymnastics.

The 14-year-old won the WPIAL all-around championship in the Intermediate II Division on Feb. 8 at Moon.

Arnold, who also is a leading athlete in the Kiski Area girls soccer program, finished first on the vault with a mark of 9.15, second on the balance beam (8.8) and wound up with a 34.0 point total.

“I feel so blessed and thankful,” Arnold said. “I am so proud to represent Kiski Area in a sport that has been so big in my life. I really owe it to my coach, Renee Ruggeri, for making gymnastics possible with my crazy soccer schedule. She has always supported me and also worked very hard to keep the sport of gymnastics in high school for all of the girls.

“This is my first high school gymnastics season and first WPIAL win. I couldn’t be more excited to end my high school season with a vault and all-around win.”

Arnold said a positive attitude helped in her achieving her all-around championship.

“I really wanted to go into WPIALs with a positive mindset and just do my best,” she said. “I was hoping to place on vault and just bring something home for myself and for Kiski. My season went well. High school gymnastics is so different than USA Gymnastics. You really have to earn your score. I work better with set, fluid routines I can execute, so I really worked each meet to fine-tune my routines to maximize my score.

“We have some family friends whose dads were a part of a really successful men’s gymnastics team at Kiski many years ago. I really hope I made them proud.”

The all-around title didn’t surprise Ruggeri, who coaches Arnold at Ultimate Gymnastics in Delmont.

“Ellie is a fantastic performer,” Ruggeri said. “Her execution is beautiful. She had a great freshman year and a fantastic performance at WPIALs. She was able to put together some terrific routines and pull it all together.

“Ellie is a talented athlete. Ellie’s strength and elegance are her strong points. She has the ability to make the hardest things look easy and effortless. She works hard to perfect her skills and enjoys meeting new teammates and competitors. She is a leader, and she is able to be confident in herself to perform when needed.”

The 5-foot-8 Arnold is a freshman at Kiski Area but isn’t new to the tough grind of gymnastics. She started in the sport at age 4 and began participating competitively at age 6.

“A family friend had asked if I wanted to sign up for rec classes,” she said, “and my dad was all for it because he said it would give me the flexibility and agility I needed to become a great soccer player. He was right. I moved to Ultimate Gymnastics in kindergarten and found my home.”

Along with high school gymnastics, Arnold is a USAG “xcel diamond” competitor, similar to Level 8/9 but allows for gymnasts to train for fewer hours but still be competitive at a highest level.

She has a lengthy list of USAG achievements: She was a Level 3 floor and bar state champion in 2018, a Level 6 vault state titlist in 2021, and a platinum floor state champion, regional platinum bar, all-around champion in 2022.

“Renee and Sophia Ruggeri as well as Andy Cox are my coaches,” Arnold said. “I have been really trying to perfect my beam skills this year. I have been working on completing my connections and sticking my jumps.

“I also feel I have been becoming more consistent at vault and my landings.”

Along with her gymnastics feats, Arnold is a top-flight soccer player at Kiski and with the 2010 Olympic Development team.

In fact, she missed participating in the Pennsylvania Classic held Feb. 14-15 to instead compete with her Olympic Development soccer team in Maryland.

“Ellie is an elite level soccer player,” Renee Ruggeri said. “She devotes a lot of time to training and conditioning which benefits her in both sports. She can excel in any sport she does, and I expect her to continue improving in the gym.

“Ellie is always improving and stays consistent even when focusing on multiple sports. I hope that she can continue to excel in the gym while maintaining her excellent soccer career and education.”

Arnold was named all-section after finishing with five goals and four assists as a winger/outside forward/midfielder on the Kiski Area girls soccer team.

She also is a member of the Beadling 2010 Girls Academy club team as well as the Olympic Development Team.

“I was recently in Florida where I was selected to play on a Inter-regional team,” Arnold said. “I was one of a roster of 18 selected from 15 states to represent the Eastern Region with attempts to make the U.S. National Team.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected for the national team, but I am going to keep trying my best.”

Arnold’s best at the WPIAL gymnastics championships was more than good enough. Along with her stellar efforts on the vault and beam, she also secured ninth place on the uneven bars and ended up 25th on the floor.

There was a total of 48 competitors from 27 schools in this year’s WPIAL Intermediate II Division. Freeport’s Allie Turk and Burrell’s Kendel Fenner placed second and third all-around with scores of 33.55 and 33.25.

Three other individual winners were Chartiers Valley’s Brooke Bittner (bars), Beaver’s Rylie Teapole (beam) and Central Valley’s Jenna Zurynski (floor).

“I really want to thank my parents for everything they have done to support my gymnastic journey,” Arnold said. “I also want to thank my principal Matt Smith, our athletic director Jacob Nulph, and John Peterman and the Kiski Area School Board for all of the support to represent and compete as a Kiski independent.

“Also, a shout out to my teammates at the gym who are super talented, always positive and a huge support system.”

Mt. Pleasant junior Olivia Kovach dethroned three-time champion Abby Rexrode of Baldwin in the Advanced Division all-around at the WPIAL gymnastics championships.

Kovach, the runner-up last year, used a first-place finish with a 9.8 score on the beam to claim the title. She finished second on bars (9.3), fifth on vault (9.65) and sixth on floor (9.45).

Rexrode won the bars (9.4) event, placed second on vault (9.75) and beam (9.2) and third on floor (9.55).

The final margin of victory was three-tenths of a point: 38.2 for Kovach to 37.9 for Rexrode.

Montour’s Eliana Knause finished first on vault (9.775) and took third all-around (37.475). North Allegheny’s Sarah Patterson won the floor (9.7) and took fifth in the all-around (36.65). Freeport’s Andie Ehalt was fourth in the all-around (36.8).

Thomas Jefferson (141.975) edged out North Allegheny (141.425) for the WPIAL team title. Central Valley was third, followed by Baldwin, Beaver and West Allegheny.

TJ’s Riley Barna won the all-around championship in the Intermediate I Division. She won the vault competition and finished second in the bars and beam.

Cam Noderer of TJ finished first on floor; North Catholic’s Abby Getch won bars and beam.

Tags: Kiski Area