By Kai-Lou Yue
Staff Writer

Ashley Craig, a junior on the Westford Academy gymnastics team is one of the best on the team as well as the team captain, and has been winning many competitions. She has been on the school team since she was a freshman, and this is now her third year competing.

Throughout the years Craig has won many competitions, and she has placed well in the all-around as well as individual events at the high school competitions.

According to the WA gymnastics coach, Stephanie Anderson, Craig has really shined this season, competing all-around multiple times.

Of all of her personal accolades, Craig is most proud of her team’s newfound success in recent seasons, breaking the norm for WA gymnastics.

“Last year our team made it to states for the first time in 19 years,” said Craig.

Her favorite gymnastic events are floor and vault.

“On vault I’ve been doing a tsukahara for a while, which is a roundoff onto the vault and you push off and flip off of it.  On floor I’ve been working my double full, which is a back layout (a flip with a straight body) with two full twists,” said Craig.

Craig has been doing gymnastics since she was two, and started competitive year-round gymnastics when she was in second grade. She continued the competitive gymnastics with a club team until eighth grade, and once she went into high school, she joined the school team.

According to Craig, there was no real tryout process to get onto the gymnastics team. Instead, everyone is allowed onto the team, but they are only allowed to compete for the meets that their skill level allows them to.

“Based on skill and effort, the coach makes different line-ups for each meet,” said Craig.

However, Craig says that her schedule is quite full because of the time that her gymnastics practice takes up, work, as well as her schoolwork. For a job, Craig works every Saturday, teaching gymnastics to preschool kids.

“With the exception of a day off here and there…We have at least one meet every week for almost the whole season and we have practice every day for about an hour and a half after school,” Craig said.

Although she is dedicated and a good gymnast, Craig is unsure as to if she will want to do gymnastics in college.  She says that in gymnastics it is easy to get injured, but if she is healthy, then it might be a possibility.

“Gymnastics is one of those sports that you can’t do forever. It’s really tough on your body and most gymnasts get injured a lot […] I am also looking towards doing pole vault in college, so my decision is still up in the air,” she said.

Through all of the difficulties, Craig still loves the sport and her passion and leadership has shown through to her  coach and teammates.

“She is always happy, outgoing, and a great team leader. She works her hardest and fights hard to keep up with her gymnastics and learn new skills,” said Anderson.