College Gymnastics

College Gymnastics

The first Men’s National College Athletes Association gymnastics championship was held by the University of Chicago in 1938. The University of Chicago won the same championship. College gymnastics became popular in the early 1960s and it was then that the National College Athletes Association began to conduct qualifying meets. NCAA women’s college gymnastics was one of the first nine sports to be added to the NCAA women’s championships in 1981. The University of Utah won the first championship. The University of Utah remains a strong contender in gymnastics championships. Individual gymnasts and gymnastics teams qualify by participating in preliminary competitions in five regions. The regional winners move on and then seven teams are selected as at-large entries. The top twelve gymnasts who are not on winning teams also advance to the finals.

Springfield College Gymnastics

Springfield College is a leader in college gymnastics. SC was the 1996 winner of the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Division III Championship. SC hosted the 2000 national championship and also took third place in 1997 and 2000. SC won fifth place in 1998 and sixth place in 1999 and 2002. Under Coach Cheryl Raymond, SC gymnasts have achieved regional and national success. Gymnasts under Coach Raymond have won 15 All-American honors. Four of Raymond’s gymnasts have won national championships, including two National College Gymnastics Association Division III vault championships. Springfield College gymnastics sophomore Audrey Lastra won All-American recognition three times for the all-around, uneven parallel bars, and balance beam, Lastra also broke the Springfield College all-around record four times. Springfield College gymnastics junior Jackie Mazzola won All-American recognition for vaulting, and junior Kristin Fairburn won All-American recognition on the uneven parallel bars.

College Gymnastics Programs

Coaches and recruiters recommend that high school players make a list of college gymnastics programs that fit their needs during their junior and senior years of high school. One of the most popular college gymnastics programs is Ithaca College’s. Ithaca’s gymnastics team, the Bombers, took three state titles, twelve ECAC crowns and the 1998 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) championship in thirty-six seasons. Coach Harriet Marranca led her team to the 1969 Division II Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship and won third-place. One year after that Ithaca won the state title in 1970. Ithaca defeated Penn State and Pitt in 1971, becoming runner-up. The Bombers successfully achieved 10 winning records in the seasons that followed. In 1981 the Bombers won another state championship. In 1982, Ithaca won fifth place at the AIAW Eastern Regionals.