In a season defined by resilience and a looming deadline, the Walter Johnson High School girls’ gymnastics team has secured a place in history. The Wildcats finished their 2026 campaign undefeated, culminating in a victory to capture the Montgomery County gymnastics title on Tuesday night.
While the victory is a testament to the team’s athletic prowess, it carries a heavy emotional weight: it is the final championship of its kind. Earlier this year, the Maryland jurisdiction announced that it would no longer offer gymnastics as an interscholastic sport, turning a standard athletic achievement into a definitive end of an era for the region.
For the athletes and coaching staff in North Bethesda, the season was not merely about scores and medals, but about proving the value of a sport they were told was no longer sustainable. The Wildcats bested six other teams to claim the crown, ensuring that the final name etched into the county’s gymnastics record books belongs to Walter Johnson.
The Walter Johnson girls’ gymnastics team was undefeated in the 2026 season. (Courtesy Ana Lorenzo)
A Philosophy of Productive Failure
The path to an undefeated season began with a deliberate shift in mindset. Entering the 2026 season, 30-year-old coach Ana Lorenzo challenged her gymnasts to move beyond their comfort zones. Rather than focusing solely on perfection, Lorenzo implemented a coaching style that prioritized growth through risk.
Lorenzo encouraged her athletes to provide honest feedback to one another and to embrace the possibility of mistakes during practice. According to Lorenzo, she instilled the belief in her team that failure is acceptable when it is the result of maximum effort. This environment of psychological safety allowed the gymnasts to attempt more demanding routines and moves without the fear of penalty.
This approach fostered a deep sense of camaraderie. Team captain Shoshana Berger noted that the season was characterized by an unprecedented level of team effort, with athletes actively working together to elevate each individual’s performance.
The Policy Shift: From Gymnastics to STUNT
The victory occurred against a backdrop of institutional change. The Montgomery County Board of Education decided to phase out gymnastics to make room for STUNT, a newer sport derived from traditional cheerleading. This decision sparked significant pushback from the student-athlete community.
The transition was not met with universal acceptance. Sophomore Siena Schaner took her grievances directly to the Board of Education, where she testified that the decision to replace gymnastics with STUNT was entirely inadequate. For many of the gymnasts, the administrative decision became a primary motivator.
Captain Shoshana Berger admitted that the team felt a drive to perform at their peak specifically to highlight the loss of the program. The goal, according to Berger, was to make the county feel the weight of their decision and demonstrate exactly what was being removed from the interscholastic landscape.
The Turning Point and the Road to the Championship
The Wildcats’ confidence was forged in a critical mid-season encounter against Walt Whitman. At the time, the Whitman program had maintained a winning streak lasting over three years. Defeating such a dominant force served as a “switching point” for the Walter Johnson squad, signaling that an undefeated season was a tangible possibility.
After winning their remaining four meets, the team entered the county championships with a momentum that translated into a dominant performance. The tone for the evening was set by senior Lina Su. Su’s performance was particularly poignant; she had missed the previous season due to a torn ACL. During the first event, Su landed a back handspring on the beam, earning a score of 9.55.
The moment was a culmination of a grueling recovery process. Coach Lorenzo recalled the emotional impact of seeing Su succeed after a year of struggle, noting that Su had fallen during previous attempts of the move. That single landed routine set a high standard for the rest of the team, leading to the best scores of the season across the board.
A Bittersweet Legacy
For the seniors, the championship is a final chapter. Shoshana Berger, who plans to retire from competitive gymnastics after high school, described the victory as bittersweet. While she is proud to end her career as a champion, she expressed a deep longing for the community and the daily rituals of the sport, including the simple act of moving mats during practice.
The team also drew inspiration from the legacy of those who came before them. Lorenzo credited the sportsmanship of Walter Johnson alumna Kimmi Shiau, who competed for Rutgers against Maryland, as a model for how the team should conduct themselves on the floor.
As the curtains close on interscholastic gymnastics in Montgomery County, the Walter Johnson Wildcats leave behind a legacy of defiance and excellence. They did not just win a title; they ensured that the sport’s final chapter in the county was written by a team that refused to be defined by its expiration date.
With the conclusion of the championships, the focus now shifts to the implementation of the new sports curriculum by the school system for the upcoming academic year. Those seeking updates on the transition to STUNT or other interscholastic changes can monitor official announcements from the Montgomery County Public Schools athletic department.
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