Crawfordsville’s Lily Hummel may have been a team of one, but she was never alone and she found success in her senior season.
Hummel’s accomplishments have earned her the Journal Review Gymnast of the Year award.
Hummel, who has participated in gymnastics for 16 years, was not deterred when she learned she would be the only girl representing CHS. It did not stop her from wanting to finish her career in the sport she loves.
“I told our A.D. (Bryce Barton) that I was going to participate by myself since no other girls wanted to be on the team,” Hummel said. “He said OK and I did it.”
Hummel was the individual Montgomery County champion in bars and floor and tied for first in vault. She was on her way to a sweep of the four events but admitted she had a bad outing on the beam which prevented her from winning the county crown.
Bars became Hummel’s favorite event. She said her upper body strength helped her in the event.
Hummel did not advance from the Harrison Sectional, but she set personal bests on bars, floor and vault.
“I felt really good about having personal bests in three of my events,” Hummel said.
She admits at the start of the season she was nervous about not having a team to rally with and to gain support from. However, it wasn’t long before a lone gymnast from North Putnam and all the girls from Southmont and North Montgomery were there to cheer her on at every meet.
“All the county gymnasts know each other well,” Hummel said. “We have all grown up together and even started the sport together at Lisa’s Gym. We are all friends and we all cheer for each other.”
Hummel was able to practice with county teams. She would practice at Southmont one day a week and at Lisa’s Gym which was located in southern Montgomery County on other days.
The Crawfordsville coaches Brooke and Ellie Hutchison were a big help to Hummel and were important to her success.
Hummel also credits her grandmother Jeri Overman and grandparents Rick and Deb Schavietello as instrumental in her gymnastics career.
“My grandparents were my biggest cheerleaders and were always there for me, “Hummel said.
During her high school career, Hummel also played volleyball and ran track and field at CHS.
Hummel’s grit and determination will come in handy as she embarks on her next chapter. She enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 2024 and will leave Monday for basic training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
Her future plans includes finishing her training and enrolling at Purdue University in January as part of the ROTC program. She intends to study law and society.
Hummel said the Army offered her a way to get her education and also will keep her busy.
“I do not see myself at a sit-down job,” Hummel said. “I am a three-sport athlete, I want to stay busy.”
After graduation from Purdue, Hummel expects to be active in the Army with a commission earned during her time in ROTC.
