Ball State University Athletics
Gymnastics Team Inks Two Recruits
November 18, 2009 | Gymnastics
Kayla Hani (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty H.S./Orlando Metro Gymnastics Club) and Leah Wilson (Eustis, Fla./Eustis H.S./Orlando Metro Gymnastics Club) have signed national letters of intent to attend Ball State University and compete on the women's gymnastics team, according to head coach Nadalie Walsh.
"We are extremely excited to announce the commitments of Kayla Hani and Leah Wilson as our freshman class for 2010-11," Walsh says. "They are both excellent students and are a talented and accomplished pair of student-athletes. We are looking forward to them making an immediate impact on our team. They are teammates at Orlando Metro Gymnastics, one of the finest clubs in the country. Great team chemistry is an extremely important part of the foundation of the gymnastics program here at Ball State. Since these two have already competed with each other, we are eagerly anticipating that they will continue to push and encourage each other. The passion these two student-athletes and their families have for Ball State gymnastics became very evident in the recruiting process, and we are looking forward to partner with them as we continue to build our program.
"Kayla is an extremely powerful gymnast with long lines and solid gymnastics skills. She can perform some very difficult and unique beam skills, which will set her apart from some other college gymnasts. She has many explosive and highly difficult combinations on each event, and displays a lot of confidence.
"Leah is a beautiful gymnast all the way down to her absolute perfect toe point. She has the flawless, tight gymnastics we are looking for and is seasoned and experienced. Leah has qualified for Junior Olympic Nationals two years in a row and her strengths are the bars, beam and floor."
Hani is a sixth year Level 10 gymnast who was the 2009 USA Gymnastics Florida State Beam Champion. She is a two-time Junior Olympic Nationals Qualifier and was the 2008 USA Gymnastics Regional Beam Champion. In 2004, Hani was the USA Gymnastics Level 9 Regional Beam Champion. A U.S. Challenge Gymnastics Qualifier, Hani is a five time Level 10 Regional Qualifier and is a two time USA Gymnastics National TOPs Team Member. She owns a 3.6 grade-point average on the 4.0 scale at Paul Hagerty High School and has been a member of the Dean's List Honor Roll in each of her first three years at Hagerty. The daughter of Ernest and Melynda Hani, she is planning on becoming a physician's assistant after college.
Wilson owns a 3.9 grade-point average on the 4.0 scale at Eustis High School, and was the 2009 Region 8 Balance Beam Champion. She was a member of the Junior Olympic National Team the last two seasons and placed 33rd in the all-around last season. Wilson finished second in the bars, third on the beam and seventh in the all-around at the 2008 Region 8 Championships. In addition, she placed third in the all-around at the Region 5 Championships in 2008. She was a state and regional qualifier in 2007 and was a member of the second place team at the 2006 Level 9 State Meet. The daughter of John and Kathleen Wilson, she is undecided on a college major.
Ball State's 2009-10 gymnastics team will open the regular season Jan. 10, at Western Michigan. Ball State will host its own Cardinal Classic Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. in Worthen Arena.
