Raising the bar

Gymnastics has been the one constant in Pine View School senior Jessica Stich’s life that she could always fall back on. 

But in February 2014, Stich suffered a stress fracture in her back, which kept her out of the gym for three months. She wasn’t allowed to set foot in the gym for fear the temptation would be too great. 

Stich suddenly found herself with newfound freedom. 

Rather than spending 16 hours at Lakewood Ranch Gymnastics, as had become routine, the Level 10 gymnast spent time in the pool alongside her twin sister, Amber, who swims for the Sarasota Sharks and will swim for New York University next year. 

As her sister swam lap after lap with her teammates, Jessica Stich hung out in a lane by herself and looked on, hoping to gain an appreciation for the sport. 

Instead, she found herself yearning to get back in the gym and away from the water. Swimming wasn’t her thing. She simply couldn’t keep up and her stroke was described as nothing short of weird by her sister’s friends. 

It wasn’t until Stich returned to the gym in May 2015 that she realized just how vital a part of her life gymnastics had become. 

 “In the long run, it was a good thing because it showed me what I love about the sport a lot more," Stich said. "It gave me a different perspective and allowed me to live in the moment more and not take anything for granted.” 

Next year, Stich will shed Lakewood Ranch Gymnastics’ black and teal for Ohio State’s scarlet and gray, fulfilling a childhood dream of being a college gymnast. 

Stich, who has family in Ohio, attended an OSU athletic training summer camp last summer at the urging of her cousin, Cassie Bernard, Ohio State’s assistant director for camps and clinics. 

From the moment she set foot on campus, Stich, who was seriously considering the University of Pennsylvania at the time, knew she had found her home for the next four years. Stich, who has a 4.7 grade-point average, landed an academic scholarship as well as a spot on the Buckeyes’ women’s gymnastics team. 

Stich will be an event specialist, focusing primarily on the uneven bars, her signature event, and possibly the balance beam as well. 

“I’ve always admired the team aspect and just how great it would be to be a part of a college team,” Stich said. In club gymnastics, there’s a lot of individual aspects as well as the team; but in college, it’s all about the team, and I want to be part of that team.” 

Stich has been dreaming about the possibility of competing collegiately since she first started taking gymnastics at the Sarasota YMCA when she was 7. 

After trying out all of the other YMCA sports, including soccer and T-ball, Stich opted to focus solely on gymnastics and joined the YMCA’s competitive team. 

Four years later, Stich joined LaFleur’s Gymnastics in Largo under the guidance of coaches David and Laura Parraga. 

During one of her first practices, Stich attempted a layout half twist, leaving Laura Parraga practically dumbfounded. 

“She told me it looked like a half on crack,” Stich said. “That’s probably my favorite thing she’s ever told me. I’ve never been a natural gymnast. I’ve always had to work hard. That’s just who I am. I’m willing to work hard.” 

Stich stayed at LaFleur’s until May 2012 when the Parragas opened Lakewood Ranch Gymnastics. Since then, Stich has climbed the gymnastics ranks, finishing second in the all-around at the Level 9 state championships in 2012 and qualifying for regionals as a Level 10 gymnast three of the past four years. 

“She reminded me as a coach, you don’t have to be super talented if you work hard,” Laura Parraga said. “Hard work beats that, and Jessica’s a pure example of hard work." 

On March 18 through March 20, Stich competed in her final state meet, posting a sixth-place all-around finish in her group session. This weekend, Stich will compete in her final Level 9/10 regional meet, in Kissimmee, with the top seven girls advancing to the JO National meet May 6 through May 8, in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Although the state meet was one of Stich’s better competitions this season, it was what happened afterward at Senior Night that Stich will always remember. Parraga and teammate Brooke Johnson made Team Jess shirts with pictures of Ohio and Florida on the back and the words “Close at Heart. Never Far Apart.”