Raegan Ernst brings home gymnastics state title, now turns attention to track
DUBLIN, Ohio (BVM) 鈥� Raegan Ernst is one of the rare athletes that is at the top of her game in two sports. A record-setting track star and future collegiate track athlete at Dayton, Ernst has also made history at Dublin Jerome High School in gymnastics.
Gymnastics was in fact the first love for Ernst, which she began doing at just 5 years old. Through the years, she competed with Integrity Gymnastics in Plain City, Ohio, leading her to the success she has had today.
鈥淚 basically grew up there,鈥� Ernst said about Integrity. 鈥淭he girls there were my best friends, the coaches there were my best friends. Obviously not as much as my parents, but in a way, they raised me. The coaches always saw something in me.鈥�
However, by eighth grade, Ernst had become tired of gymnastics. She didn鈥檛 want to compete anymore, and was considering giving up the sport. But as she entered Dublin Jerome High School, she figured she would give it one more try.
鈥淚 kind of hit a really hard wall in gymnastics,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚 switched over to high school gymnastics and that鈥檚 when I really fell in love with it again.鈥�
During her freshman year, Ernst set out to have fun. Admittedly, she wasn鈥檛 trying quite as hard in practice as she may have been capable of while still regaining her passion for the sport. However, a 12th place finish in the all-around competition at state changed her perspective a bit.
鈥淎fter states my freshman year when I got 12th, I realized that I could actually place high in this in the next few years,鈥� Ernst said.
The Dublin Jerome gymnast began putting more work in during the offseason. As a sophomore, she would improve her finish at state to ninth.
鈥淎t states sophomore year, I had a fine meet,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚 fell on bars which put a dent on my all-around score, but I was moving up which is all that matters.鈥�
However, Ernst would take a step back once again during her junior year, a season which she claims was the worst of her high school career. It ended in another ninth-place finish in all-around at state, but the gymnast was looking for more.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I was almost getting mad at myself because I was like, 鈥業鈥檓 better than this, I can place higher than this,鈥欌�� Ernst said.
During her offseason prior to senior year, Ernst did more strength training for track. As a result, it served as a bit of cross-training for her gymnastics career as well.
鈥淓ndurance in the floor routine in gymnastics is a big thing, and I discovered after I did track, my gymnastics endurance became so much better,鈥� Ernst noted.
With one final chance to improve, Ernst came into her senior year very determined. A strong season led her to state once again, and this time the 18-year-old was destined for a better finish.
鈥淢y main goal was to win,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚 knew I could, I just had to basically hit everything.鈥�
The senior did just that, finishing first on uneven bars with a score of 9.475, third on floor exercise with the same score, fourth on balance beam with a 9.325 mark, and scoring the same in the pole vault to tie for eighth. As a result, Ernst finished first in all-around, becoming the first gymnast from Dublin Jerome to win an individual all-around title, and the first in the Dublin school district to do so since 1978.
鈥淲hen they announced my name as first place, I could not believe it,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚 actually started crying and it was a little bit embarrassing. But I was just so happy and it felt so surreal.鈥�
Ernst leaves the Dublin Jerome gymnastics program as its record holder in all-around, bars, beam, floor and vault. It鈥檚 a tremendous career that came full circle with the state championship.
鈥淭here was no better way for me to end my gymnastics career,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 still crazy. I just hope that future girls who go into high school gymnastics don鈥檛 just think they won鈥檛 get better. You can, I did it, and I think I was a really good example of that to other people and other teams, now and in the future.鈥�
Not only did Ernst鈥檚 high school career come full circle, but so did her time with Integrity. Once things began to open back up after the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ernst returned to Integrity as an employee, coaching the next generation of young gymnasts.
鈥淭he kids really inspired me because they kind of just reminded me of why I started gymnastics,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淭hey just have fun with it. They don鈥檛 have a care in the world but they still work hard.鈥�
Ernst may have a future in coaching gymnastics someday. However, her athletic career is not over yet. Since she was 13, the gymnast has also starred on the track, taking up the sport after her youth soccer coach recommended she do so because of her speed.聽
She began with the 100-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles and high jump. However, realizing those may not be her best events, Ernst started to shine in the 400-meter. In eighth grade, Ernst earned a state title with her 4 x 400-meter relay team.
Also taking up 300-meter hurdles as she entered high school, Ernst鈥檚 track career has only gotten better. As a freshman, she got her first taste of state action in the 4 x 400. Although her team finished eighth in the event, during the prelims at state, the squad broke a program record with a time of 3 minutes, 55.46 seconds.
鈥淭hat was pretty cool and we still haven’t broken that record since,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good, but we鈥檇 like to break it again.鈥�
After her sophomore season was canceled, Ernst came back strong as a junior, making it to state in 300-meter hurdles, finishing fifth. She also set the Dublin Jerome program record in that event in 2021 with a time of 44.64, as well as the 2 x 400-meter relay, with her team setting a mark of 1:45.87.
Now, Ernst enters her senior track season with plenty of expectations and goals to accomplish.
鈥淢y main goal is to make it to state,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚 just want to improve on all the events in the heptathlon.鈥�
The heptathlon is indeed Ernst鈥檚 future, as that is what she will compete in when she becomes a college athlete next fall. Despite some interest elsewhere, Ernst committed to become a track athlete at the University of Dayton.
鈥淕oing into my junior year, I did not want to do it in college,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淎bout halfway through junior season was when I realized I could and it would kind of be a waste if I didn鈥檛 because I do have a talent in this sport.
鈥淚 visited two other colleges, Grand Valley State University and then West Virginia University. I visited Grand Valley first, but something just didn鈥檛 feel right. Then I visited Dayton, which I loved everything about it. I loved the campus, I loved how the school felt, I loved the team and the coaches and all the girls that I met.鈥�
As a college athlete, Ernst will soon follow in the path of one of her biggest role models: her older brother.聽
鈥淭he main person I look up to is probably my brother,鈥� Ernst said. 鈥淚 kind of wanted to be like him, just be good at a sport and really excel at it.鈥�
Marcus Ernst is a senior baseball player at Ohio State who has worked hard to get to where he is today. Inspired by his work ethic, Raegan has emulated his style by holding herself accountable as an athlete, and staying mentally strong to succeed.
鈥淭he main thing that I鈥檝e taken away from him being a college athlete is that he always kind of seemed to be the next guy up,鈥� Raegan said. 鈥淏ut he worked his butt off over the past three years and now he鈥檚 having a really good season. He really just trusted the process and worked hard, and that鈥檚 what I plan to do in college.鈥澛�
That strong work ethic led Raegan to record-setting gymnastics and track careers at Dublin Jerome. The success she had is likely to follow her to Dayton, and she just hopes to keep the momentum going as a Flyer.
鈥淥verall, it鈥檚 hard to say because college is so different than high school,鈥� Ernst said about her future. 鈥淚 hope I just enjoy my time there not only in track but in school too 鈥� I just hope to improve in track, have fun with my teammates and hopefully get a conference win.鈥�
