Gilley, Sumner Officially Gym Cards

Indiana natives Ariana Gilley and Grace Sumner have signed to join the Ball State gymnastics program. Gilley and Sumner will begin in the fall of 2021.

"I couldn't be more excited to welcome these two young women to our family," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "I am thrilled to have both of these highly talented Indiana natives join our program."

Gilley, from Greenwood, Indiana and a student at Roncalli, was in the top five in vault, floor and all-around at the 2020 Midwest Showdown. Her all-around score was 38.025 at that event. She was state runner-up on beam and all-around in 2019, and floor runner-up at the 2017 Eastern National. She competed at JPAC, one of the top clubs in Indiana, where her Level 10 team set a scoring record with a 116.225 mark.

"Ariana is an exceptionally bright and talented student-athlete who does not shy away from challenge and high standards. We look to see Ari make an impressive mark on all four events during her time here at Ball State," Saleem said. "She will be a fan favorite on floor with her dynamic presentation and artistry. She has a deceptive level of power and explosiveness that tricks you into thinking that high-level vaulting is easy. I love her personality and work ethic and she will be an asset to our program with her optimistic character and leadership skills."

"I chose Ball State because it was close to home," Gilley said. "I fell in love with the beautiful campus. Ball State offers me an opportunity to grow not only in the classroom, but also beyond classroom knowledge."

Below is a recent routine from Gilley, who says she plans to study to be a nurse.

Sumner, also a JPAC gymnast, is from Indianapolis and attends Franklin Central where she is an honor roll student with a 4.0 GPA. Her top scores are on bars (9.65) and beam (9.60).

"Grace is an excellent competitor and is an elegant athlete who excels on beam and bars. Her beautiful lines and presentation and will make an immediate positive impact on those events,." Saleem said. "Grace has a really fun personality that will fit in perfectly with our team. She combines laidback and easygoing with a fierce determination for growth. Grace has incredible potential to grow and succeed at Ball State and she is going to be a very successful collegiate student-athlete, both in the classroom and on the competition floor."

"I chose Ball State because I love the atmosphere and the campus and I like that it's close to home for me," Sumner said.

Below is a recent routine by Sumner, who plans to study mathematics at BSU.

Gilley and Sumner are joining a program that enjoyed one of its best seasons ever in 2020. The Cardinals set numerous team scoring records, had 11 head-to-head meet wins and boasted the conference's specialist of the year on floor.

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