State champ earns perfect 10.0

Madelynn Crow and the Pike County High School gymnastics team made school history recently as she became the first athlete to earn three state championship wins. She earned First Place All Around, First Place on Uneven Bars and First Place on Floor competition. ’I knew after having a fall on beam that I had to pull it together. I knew I needed a high score on floor to keep myself in for the All-Around competition,’ she said. And she did just that, earning an incredible 10.0 score for her floor routine and setting another record for the PCHS team. Her mom said she started in gymnastics at age 7 and she has worked hard over the years. Getting a 10.0 is unusual but Madelynn has done it several times, once in 2019 on floor and two times this year, one during a high school gymnastics meet and once in the state championship. ’Some of her goals were to win a State Championship in high school and to compete at the college level. She currently trains at GA Elite in Athens for 20 hours per week,’ she said. ‘She’s an extremely determined and persistent athlete. Over the last two years she has had to overcome a fractured elbow and foot as well as a knee injury to be ready for recent state and regional meets for her club team and the GHSA State Championship. She’s done well to maintain a 4.3 GPA while being dual enrolled in high school and at Gordon College and working part time on the weekends when not competing.’Â Gymnastics coach Shannon Turner started the PCHS Gymnastics Team in 2009 and has been the coach ever since. The team includes Madelynn, Claire Osbolt, Madisyn Oskey and Sidney Trawick.’For our division (1A-5A), we ended up ranking 11th out of 29 teams. I feel like this is excellent since we have such a small team. We out-ranked teams who are much larger than us and have more depth in their line-ups. Everyone on the team gave their personal best at each meet by adding to our team scores,’ she said. ’Most of my expectations this season were met ‘“ the one not met would be the team not making it to the Prelim and State Meets,’ said coach Turner. ‘Number one, the girls added new skills to their routines to improve personal scores from their previous meets and number two, Madelynn brought home the state championship title for PCHS Gymnastics!’Coach Turner said Madelynn juggles school, a job and gymnastics with poise, grace and determination.’Whatever she chooses to do in life, whether it be gymnastics or not, she will be successful! Gymnastics is both an individual and a team sport. Although Madelynn was competing in the preliminary and state meets as an individual competitor, she was, as well as all of the other gymnasts, constantly cheering on and encouraging others even though she was competing against these same girls,’ she said. Madelynn’s brother – Coleman Crow – also made school history as a member of the state championship Pirates baseball team. He was honored as AAA Player of the Year for the state of Georgia and was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in Round 28 of the draft.