Reagan Johnson / Winonan

After entering a year filled with uncertainty, sophomore Eboni Jackson ended her gymnastics season on the podium, recording the best All-Around score in program history, a 38.800, and became a national champion in the All-Around on March 19.

In July of last year, Jackson said she underwent ankle surgery and did not think she would be able to compete in all four events in the upcoming season.

“I just had it in my head that I would do vault, bars and beam and not do floor,” Jackson said. “I did not think my ankle would be able to hold up.”

Jackson said that one day in practice head coach Becki Rolbiecki had her try floor and from there they decided Jackson would be able to compete All- Around on the days her ankle felt better.

Jackson competed All-Around in five of the team meets this season and broke the Division III All-Around record as well as tying the school vault record with a score of 9.725 earlier in the season.

“I did that is because apparently you need four All-Around qualifying scores to be able to compete at nationals in the All-Around individually,” Jackson said. “So during the season that was something me and Becki we talked about and kind of was my goal to at least compete four-plus meets.”

The Warriors qualified for nationals as a team and Jackson qualified individually to compete in the All-Around competition.

When the team arrived at nationals Jackson said she was told she wouldn’t be competing in All-Around individually.

“To keep the pressure off them we told them that they wouldn’t be able to place in the All-Around because they hadn’t qualified,” Rolbiecki said.

Jackson said she was bothered by the fact she wasn’t told about All-Around but understood for the sake of the team.

“At first I was upset, but then I was like it doesn’t really matter because it’s more of team sport and I just really wanted to help my team place and do really well,” Jackson said. “Through the whole meet I was thinking I’m doing this for the team”.

Rolbiecki said having that mindset was exactly what she wanted.

“That’s the mentality that we wanted them to have because then we knew that then they wouldn’t put pressure on themselves individually,” Rolbiecki said. “That girl was giving her all for the team”.

Jackson said she was shocked when she heard her name called for fourth place in the All-Around.

After the awards ceremony, Rolbiecki confronted the judges because she believed Jackson was given the wrong All-Around score and awarded the wrong place. After looking through the score sheets, it was discovered that some of the sheets had been mixed up and Jackson was in fact the national All-Around champion.

When Rolbiecki told her the news Jackson said, “I was still in shock, I didn’t even think I would be competing in the All-Around individually.”

“It was an accomplishment because during season I didn’t really set a goal for myself, my goal was to help my team make it to nationals. I’m happy that I won, I’m really grateful but I’m happy that our team did good as well,” Jackson said. “I’m more of team person so I’m just happy that I helped my team”.

Jackson said the doing mental routines have helped her to do well all season. She said talking to her teammates during competition is another

important thing that keeps her calm and focused.

Thinking forward to next season, Jackson said

she is looking to improve her bars routine, which she described as her hardest event. Additionally, she wants to added new skills to her floor routine if she is able to rehab her ankle properly.

Jackson said her biggest goals for next year are to be consistent on all four events and to help her team do as well as they did this year.

“It would be nice to win All-Around again, but I think the team is more important to me. I like helping my team accomplish goals,” Jackson said. She hopes that the team will qualify for the national meet again next year.”