Section VII high school athletics kicked off its fall championship season, crowning its top gymnasts in the North Country. The 2025 Section VII gymnastics sectionals pitted Peru High School, Plattsburgh High School and Beekmantown High School against each other inside Peru’s middle school gym to earn the right as the top gymnasts in the section. The best individual gymnast was Peru senior Ella LaBarge, who earned the best score in the all-around category. LaBarge benefited from earning the best in the bars event, surrounding a solid performance from the other events. LaBarge was thrilled to finally earn the honor as top all-around gymnast at Sectionals her senior year, a goal she had been working towards ever since her first year on the varsity team. “I’m very proud of myself,” she said. “I’ve been on varsity since eighth grade and I think just year after year, putting the dedication and putting the work in time after time, it’s gotten me here, and I couldn’t be happier.” Plattsburgh High School is continuing to build on its dynasty in Section VII gymnastics, earning its third straight sectional banner as the overall team champions. This year’s group of Hornets believes this third straight banner was a bit more special, considering they only had the minimum number of required gymnasts to compete with five and no alternates to work with on their squad all season long. “It was the smallest group we’ve had in years,” said one of the Hornet gymnasts, Oona Hall. “You can only have five gymnasts to contribute their scores and usually there’s alternates, but this year was only five. Every single score counted and had to count.” “Having five people, it just made us so much closer together,” said another Hornet gymnast, Caleigh Latour. “We grew so much together as a team. It was a great way to end out my senior year.” Hall, who placed first in two different individual events, earned her first-ever team title in Section VII gymnastics. Hall, who attends Seton Catholic High School, competed as a solo gymnast for her entire high school career, but was given permission to join Plattsburgh High School’s team for the first time her senior season. Her teammates, like Latour, say they were lucky to have her on their squad. “I’m so happy that you were a part of our team,” she said to Hall when speaking with NBC5. “We’ve been fighting for it for so long, and it’s paid off for our senior year. I just couldn’t be happier to have you on our team this year.” Eight other gymnasts will join Latour, Hall and LaBarge to represent Section VII in the New York state gymnastics championships. Those will take place in Utica, New York, at Whitesboro High School on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. —

Section VII high school athletics kicked off its fall championship season, crowning its top gymnasts in the North Country.

The 2025 Section VII gymnastics sectionals pitted Peru High School, Plattsburgh High School and Beekmantown High School against each other inside Peru’s middle school gym to earn the right as the top gymnasts in the section.

The best individual gymnast was Peru senior Ella LaBarge, who earned the best score in the all-around category. LaBarge benefited from earning the best in the bars event, surrounding a solid performance from the other events.

LaBarge was thrilled to finally earn the honor as top all-around gymnast at Sectionals her senior year, a goal she had been working towards ever since her first year on the varsity team.

“I’m very proud of myself,” she said. “I’ve been on varsity since eighth grade and I think just year after year, putting the dedication and putting the work in time after time, it’s gotten me here, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Plattsburgh High School is continuing to build on its dynasty in Section VII gymnastics, earning its third straight sectional banner as the overall team champions.

This year’s group of Hornets believes this third straight banner was a bit more special, considering they only had the minimum number of required gymnasts to compete with five and no alternates to work with on their squad all season long.

“It was the smallest group we’ve had in years,” said one of the Hornet gymnasts, Oona Hall. “You can only have five gymnasts to contribute their scores and usually there’s alternates, but this year was only five. Every single score counted and had to count.”

“Having five people, it just made us so much closer together,” said another Hornet gymnast, Caleigh Latour. “We grew so much together as a team. It was a great way to end out my senior year.”

Hall, who placed first in two different individual events, earned her first-ever team title in Section VII gymnastics. Hall, who attends Seton Catholic High School, competed as a solo gymnast for her entire high school career, but was given permission to join Plattsburgh High School’s team for the first time her senior season. Her teammates, like Latour, say they were lucky to have her on their squad.

“I’m so happy that you were a part of our team,” she said to Hall when speaking with NBC5. “We’ve been fighting for it for so long, and it’s paid off for our senior year. I just couldn’t be happier to have you on our team this year.”

Eight other gymnasts will join Latour, Hall and LaBarge to represent Section VII in the New York state gymnastics championships. Those will take place in Utica, New York, at Whitesboro High School on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.