Gabby Blackford: Forever a Champion

One (is [Not] the Loneliest Number)

Gabby Blackford gives a thank you speech at the MHS
reception where she was recognized by Superintendent
Angela Smith and Principal Bill Fisher.

Numbers matter.  On the floor of Hilliard Bradley High School, the first number to matter to Madison gymnast, Gabby Blackford, was 9.7.  It was the score to beat and the final obstacle standing in the way of her first-ever state championship.  Last year, in a similar position, Blackford claimed 6th place with a score of 9.35 on her vault performance.  Undoubtedly, it was a memorable night, but not good enough to realize the goals she had set since starting her gymnastics career fourteen years ago.

The next number to matter was 9.6: her first attempt on the vault.  It was a score that matched her personal best and cleared her 2016 state score by a large margin.  Although short of the leading number, her strong first attempt played a large role in what would come next.

"I knew I'd already gotten a good score," Blackford reflected.  "That really let me go all out on my second attempt."

The number to follow her last vault would forever be written into Madison history.  After a minute, or an eternity depending on who is asked, of held breath and cautious hope, 9.725 flashed on the scoreboard and unleashed a roar of celebration from every Lake County resident in attendance.  The last number to matter on March 4th, 2017 was the number 1.  Blackford has always been Madison's sole gymnast and now stood alone atop a mountain of competition that fell short of her personal best.

Blackford's ascent to the top was no accident.  Ever since she was three years old, she trained at the Lake Erie Gymnastics school (LEGS) located in Mentor, OH.  The school offers a broad range of classes to continue an athlete's development through every age group.  Blackford readily acknowledges this could not have been a reality without her coaches; "Jas, Maria and Joe."

"I could not be where I am as a gymnast without their experience, wisdom, good attitudes, and overall love for gymnastics," Blackford said.

Gabby Blackford claims 1st place at
the OHSAA State Tournament

Her coach, and founder of LEGS, Joe Corrigan was quick to put the success solely on Gabby's shoulders.  Her work ethic and commitment to the sport is second to none.

"She is her hardest coach," Coach Corrigan stated. "She will holler at herself.  She will get mad with herself.  And the madder Gabby gets, the better she vaults."

Her support certainly does not end with her coaches.  Gabby's parents, Lisa and Keith, Uncle Scott and sister, Halle, have also played a crucial role in giving her the support she needs to continue down the path to her dreams.  They can always be spotted among the gymnastics faithfuls and are acknowledged to be her "biggest fans."  Outside of family, Blackford is also thankful for other area gymnasts who she counts as her own teammates.

"I feel like part of a big team of some of my closest friends," she stated appreciatively.

Blackford does not sit alone in the history books of Madison's state champions.  The last to accomplish the feat was Rickee Wirtzberger who claimed the 1999 vault title with a 9.425 final score.  Though the two have never met, they share an exclusively elite status in the halls of Madison High School earned seventeen years apart.

"I am so excited for her!" Wirtzberger said. "[I] know the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful in gymnastics!  I am glad someone could join the State Champ status at Madison!"

The Madison community wasted no time in proclaiming its adoration of the newest state champion.  Social media immediately exploded with excitement and congratulations as news broke of her incredible score.  A video of Gabby's title winning attempt, tweeted from her personal account, currently carries over sixty retweets and 263 likes.  Aside from the phenomenal vault performance, the video also captures the completely uninhibited exclamations of the gathered crowd.

https://twitter.com/GabbyBlackfordd/status/838151688242479106

When asked what surprised her most about the support from back home, Blackford stated "I didn't cry when I found out I won.  When I looked at my phone on the ride home and saw all the support [on social media], I cried."

Principal Bill Fisher presents State Champion Gabby Blackford
with a personalized shirt to commemorate her achievement

Principal Bill Fisher, one of Gabby's biggest supporters at MHS, was overcome with excitement when he heard of the news.

"As amazing as her accomplishment is to be a State Champion in the vault," Principal Fisher acknowledged, "she's even more of a champion as a quality person!"

A post-championship meal at BJ's Brewhouse in Mentor is the closest thing Blackford had to a break.  Two days later, she was pitching at softball practice; the third sport she plays throughout the school year.  The taste of gold is sweet and a taste she wants to experience again.  Blackford was asked how this championship will affect her expectations for the softball season.

Drawing a quick fist bump from teammate Jordan Pasalqua, Gabby, smiling, confidently responded, "Well, now I want to be a State Champion twice in one year."