All-Region Gymnastics: Nicole Moss, Heritage

There were risks involved.

She could have stumbled, affecting her score.

She could have fallen, and tumbled to last place.

This was Nicole Moss’ senior season, though. She was ready to gamble.

Megan Beatty, fr., Hudson’s Bay

Sarah Ellis, fr., Columbia River

Miranda Lea, sr., Skyview

Kenzie Moxley, jr., Columbia River

Kylee Tjensvold, so., Ridgefield

Kylie Weaver, jr., Union

Moss, a gymnast from Heritage, stuck the toughest skill she ever attempted on the floor exercise in a high school meet and finished second at the Class 4A state championships last month.

“It was my last meet of my entire life. It was the time,” Moss said. “State is where you want to try your biggest skills.”

She landed her double-full on her first run of the routine.

“I could hear everyone cheering for me. I knew it was going to be so much fun to finish my season with that,” Moss said.

She still had more than half of that routine left, but Moss had no fear.

“I knew I had the rest of the routine solid. After that, I enjoyed it.”

She scored a 9.65, just missing the winning score of 9.70. The placing did not matter as much as the score, as much as the fact that she accomplished what she set out to do.

“I’d never even made it to finals on floor before. Then I got second this year out of the blue,” Moss said.

About the only thing that did not go her way this season was the regional meet. She said she did not have a bad performance, but she was just a little off. And with the extra competition, just a little bit off meant she did not qualify for state in the all-around. (She won the all-around title at the district meet.)

She quickly shook that off and focused on her two events.

“I was the only one from my team who made it to state, so I was lonely at practice,” she said with a grin. “Still, I had a great week preparing for state.”

Moss, who had earlier been named the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League’s gymnast of the year, then became the top finisher of all the Clark County gymnasts at state this year. (She also finished sixth on the uneven bars.) With that, she has been named The Columbian’s All-Region gymnast of the year for the second season in a row.

She cannot get it a third time. Graduation nears.

“I’m so sad,” Moss said. “Gymnastics has been my entire life. Now it’s done. I’m moving on to bigger and better things, I guess.”

Moss said she plans on attending Central Washington University or the University of Washington, but her competitive gymnastics career is done. Perhaps coaching one day, she said, but for now she is saying goodbye.

With great memories.

“High school gymnastics is the most fun I’ve had in my entire gymnastics career,” she said. “It’s the most fun part of high school.”