Dakota Sicurella, a freshman at Bethel-Tate High School, performs at one of her gymnastics competitions.
Bethel-Tate High School is at the forefront of what may become the rejuvenation of varsity girls gymnastics among Clermont County high schools.

The county has not seen many girls or boys who have competed in the sport since the early and mid 1970s when Greg Price coached the Amelia High School teams to the state championship meets.

Dakota Sicurella, a Bethel-Tate freshman, makes up the entire Tigers’ program. She is coached by the Anderson High School’s mentor, Stacy Bailey, who just so happens to be a resident of Bethel. They work together at the American Eagle Gym in Eastgate

“We sponsored gymnastics so Dakota could train and compete,” said Wayne Stacy, Bethel-Tate athletic director.

Dakota competes with the Anderson High School Gymskins as an independent representing Bethel-Tate High School.

“The girls are a very welcoming group and are so glad to help you in any way,” she says. “We’re all like one team working together to help each other.”

She was 8-years of age when she began in the sport and was trained at Gymnastics Central that is located today in Batavia. Her coach was Jim Bartley who had been a member of the Ohio State University men’s gymnastic squad.

In Club Gymnastics, she last competed in January 2009 in a meet in Knoxville, Tn., versus athletes from Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama and other areas.

Sicurella finished first in the All-Around Competition category. This competition consists of four events – floor, uneven bars, balance beam, and vault.