North Montgomery gymnastics was able to win the county title this past winter. A large reason for that would be because of senior Dericka Jeffers. Jeffers tied for second with an all-around score of 29.2 as she tied for first on vault (8.2), got third on beam (7.2), and tied for second with a 7.55 with her floor routine. That success for Jeffers translated over into the post-season where she was the highest placing Charger with an all-around score of 30.800.
What made this season extra special for Jeffers was that she got to spend it with her younger sister Brooklyn who was also an important piece for the Charger gymnastics team this season.
“This year I was lucky enough to be able to compete with my sister my senior year,” Dericka said. “It was definitely a little weird at first to be on the same high school team but it made it better for us because we pushed the best out of each other when we would compete against one another.”
Gymnastics has been a life long sport for both Jeffers sisters as Dericka has been involved with the sport for the last 12 years. She has been able to hone her craft in high school by doing club gymnastics the last four years.
Dericka was able to have her final year of high school gymnastics end on a high note in many different ways and the Charger senior has earned the title of the 2024 Journal Review Gymnast of the Year.
Coming into her senior season, Dericka knew that not only her but her teammates were going to have to step up if they all wanted to achieve their goal of county. When the scores were announced and Chargers took home the title, it was a feeling that all of their hard work had finally paid off.
“I knew that this year we were gonna really need to step it up a lot because this year our team goal was to win county,” Dericka said. “ I was so ecstatic that I was able to accomplish this goal my senior year with some of my best friends.”
With gymnastics having multiple events that the athletes have to participate and excel in, it came to Dericka constantly being in the gym whether it was with her club team or the Chargers and training to get better. The hours that she put in to perfecting each of her skills was something that stood out when the lights were on the brightest.
“I think what makes me a well rounded gymnast is that I was also a club gymnast too so being in the gym year around I was able to focus on each event,” she said. Also really being able to focus on my technique and form at every practice because I was in the gym up 10 hours a week during the school year and during the summer I was going 12-14 hours every week.”
Now Dericka will get to watch Brooklyn follow in her footsteps as the Chargers look to defend their county title next winter.
