Thomas Jefferson gymnasts celebrate 3rd WPIAL team title

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, February 23, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The girls on the Thomas Jefferson gymnastics team were all smiles, beaming perhaps, following the WPIAL championships held Feb. 13 at Moon.

The Jaguars edged North Allegheny for the team title, winning by a 141.975-141.425 score.

The final team standings were TJ, North Allegheny, Central Valley (140.425), Baldwin (139.35), Beaver (136.65), West Allegheny (136.35).

“The team had a great meet. We nailed every event, even balance beam,” TJ coach Jodi Cummings said. “We put up five gymnasts and all five stuck their beam routines. I always tell them that big meets usually come down to who can stay on the beam, and we did just that.

“This team has worked so hard to get where they’re at. I’m so proud of them for working hard and believing in each other. We look forward to what the future holds.”

The WPIAL team championship is the third in gymnastics for TJ, placing it in a group of five schools with at least three titles — NA (18), Moon (8), Pine-Richland (4) and Baldwin (3). The Jaguars were previously champions in 2019 and 2020.

In this year’s team scoring, TJ claimed its lone shared win on the balance beam with a score of 34.875, but added second-place finishes on the vault (37.45) and uneven bars (34.15). The Jaguars also placed third in the floor exercise (35.5).

Riley Barna, a junior, was the team’s top performer in the bars with an 8.65 mark, and freshman Cam Noderer led TJ on the floor with a 9.1.

“My team works extremely hard, so I had high expectations for us to win,” Barna said. “As great as winning feels though, I just enjoy being out there with my team, doing our best and cheering each other on. I’m so proud of my teammates and how hard every single one of them work. Even on difficult days, we are able to lift each other up.

“My expectations for myself weren’t completely gymnastics related. I was more focused on my mindset. I wanted to be able to continue to have a positive attitude and bounce back even after a fall or bad routine.”

Junior Nicole Parsons led the Jaguars’ beam performances with a 9.2 score, while freshman Adam Wilson posted a match-best 9.6 in the vault.

The Jaguars won the Section 1 championship with a 7-0 record this season and racked up a 9-0 overall mark.

“The TJ team is a younger team. We added four freshmen to the team this year,” Cummings said. “We started off the season strong, winning the New Year Invitational at Kiski High School. From that point on, the team had the WPIAL meet on its mind.

“It seemed like every week we would add more difficulty and upgrades to their routines, making them stronger. We finished undefeated and winning the section. This team has learned this season to become mentally strong. In gymnastics, you can have all the difficulty and tricks in routines, but if you’re not mentally strong it will not come together. This is what we worked on to help them become successful at the WPIAL meet.”

Barna captured the WPIAL all-around individual title in the Intermediate I Division, winning the vault and placing second on both the bars and beam.

“Riley is a great gymnast,” Cummings said. “She is well-rounded and solid on all four events. Her best event is bars. She has a beautiful swing that makes her bar routine fun to watch.

“She has worked hard on the floor exercise this year, adding more difficulty and a new trick to help her all-around score. Riley’s gymnastics is fun to watch, and her energy is contagious. There is never a dull moment with Riley around.”

Barna registered a 9.4 on vault, 9.0 on bars, 8.9 on beam and 8.75 on floor. She tied for 15th in the floor event.

“I’m so excited to have won all-around,” Barna said. “My highest scoring event is probably vault, but my best or strongest event is probably bars because I continuously try to upgrade things in my routine.

“I’m so grateful to my coaches, my teammates and my family, especially my mom who has been to almost every meet of mine since I was little.”

Noderer finished first in the floor event at WPIALs.

Senior Karlie Enick and freshmen Sarafay Phiri and Victoria Coughenour rounded out the TJ squad.

Tags: Thomas Jefferson