When Maggie Losch (11) came into high school, she knew she would continue her lifelong love of gymnastics. The Kenosha team combined all athletes from all three high schools around the city, and Losch brought 12 years of experience to the table.

“My experience has been great coaching Maggie,” Coach Melissa Vidas said. “She came to us from club gymnastics, and it was unexpected but very exciting. Maggie has a lot of talent and has shown that through her performances.”

Losch never meant to join gymnastics, but once she was in, she was hooked. Combining her natural talents with her work ethic, Losch decided to continue to pursue the sport. “It was actually a bring-a-friend day, and I was the friend,” Losch said. “My friend brought me, and they told me I had talent, so then they just kept me in it.”

Her favorite event was the floor because she liked to utilize and show off her personality through her routines, which was how she ended up qualifying for the state competition in the 2019-20 season.

“Last year she qualified for state on floor,” Vidas said. “The interesting thing about gymnastics is you have one opportunity to qualify for state. It doesn’t matter what your record is or how many meets you have won before. It all depends on how well you do at one meet: sectionals. The pressure is definitely on these girls, and Maggie handles that pressure extremely well.”

Losch wanted to continue gymnastics into the collegiate level. Schools already contacted her in her junior year, including four different University of Wisconsin schools as well as Winona State University in Minnesota. As she thought about her future, Losch kept her roots in mind.

“The little girls at the gym always look up to me, and they always say hi to me and know my name,” Losch said. “I also have an Instagram account for gymnastics, and they’ll comment and tell me how I’m their inspiration. That’s really what motivates me and keeps me working.”