Girls gymnastics team in purple jackets posing with medals and a championship trophy on a podium in a school gym.After years of coming close, the Battlefield High School gymnastics team finally reached the top of the podium, winning the Virginia High School League’s (VHSL) Class 6 State Championship by a score of 147.950-147.650 for the program’s first state crown.

This is the first gymnastics state title locally since Osbourn Park High School in 2009, as Battlefield High overcame three consecutive years of runner‑up finishes.

Senior Marissa Perilla, who has worked hard to get over the hump of missing out on the elusive state championship, said that falling short in the past only continued to light a fire in the team.

“It's been a long journey, and we know what it's like to be so close to a championship and not make it,” Perilla said. “Each year we came up short, it lit a fire that had become bigger and bigger to accomplish this goal. The fire took over this year and we did it. All the hard work was definitely worth it."

Battlefield’s head coach Mary Henry noted how proud she was of her senior class for their leadership.

“For four years, this group built towards this moment,” Henry said. “They set the standard at every practice, led with consistency and heart, and demonstrated what true commitment to a team looks like. Their focus was never on individual accolades, even though they had an amazing show in the individual final as well, it was on a team championship.”

For the seniors who endured near misses and setbacks, the championship was more than a trophy—it was validation.