Szymanski Wows on Bars To Close Gymnastics' 2024 Season

Thursday, April 4

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7 p.m.

Ball State University

NCAA Regionals - Second Round

Photo by: Jack Eads - Ball State Gymnastics

Szymanski Wows on Bars To Close Gymnastics' 2024 Season

April 04, 2024 | Gymnastics

Complete Results

MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State gymnastics team closed the 2024 season Thursday night with several solid individual performances in the second round of the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional hosted by Michigan at the Crisler Center.

"I feel like all our individuals came in and did the gymnastics they have been doing all season," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "To do that as an individual when you don't have your team with you is challenging. Tonight was fun and exciting. It shows how competitive and consistent they have been."

Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Ashley Szymanski who closed her stellar debut season with another strong bars performance, earning a 9.900. It was the team's highest score of the day and tied for seventh overall in the regional's second round.

"It's wonderful to see Ashley be able to come in and perform at this stage and do it like she has all season," Saleem added.

In her NCAA individual debut, sophomore Zoe Middleton shined in the all-around, including scoring a 9.850 on bars and 9.800s on both floor and vault.

Overall, the Cardinals registered seven scores of 9.800-or-higher, including a pair of 9.825s on vault and floor from senior Suki Pfister in what could be her final collegiate meet.

Also closing out her collegiate career with a 9.825 was graduate Megan Teter on bars. It was her ninth score if 9.800-or-higher this season in her extra year of eligibility.

And in perhaps her final collegiate vault, senior Victoria Henry closed her season with a 9.725.

"In some ways, you wish there was more as those young women have contributed so much to our program," Saleem said about the team's seniors. "You could see the emotion on Megan's face when she landed. For her to have such a solid bars routine is huge for us, but also for her. She's put so much into our team over her five years and has left an amazing legacy of character, hard work and determination."

ROTATION 1
Middleton started her all-around night with a 9.850 on bars, tying her second-best score of the season on the apparatus.

ROTATION 2
In her second rotation, Middleton scored a 9.575 on beam to raise her all-around total to 19.425.

In her first of two events on the day, Pfister was credited with a 9.825 on floor.

Henry closed her senior season with a 9.725 on vault.

ROTATION 3
In her third event of the afternoon, Middleton turned in another solid performance on floor, earning a 9.800 to raise her all-around total to 29.225.

In her final vault of the season, Pfister closed her illustrious career with a 9.825.

Teter finished her collegiate career in style, earning a 9.825 in her final bars routine.

ROTATION 4
Middleton closed her day with a 9.800 on vault, giving her an all-around total of 39.025.

In her NCAA Regional individual debut, Szymanski saved BSU's best routine for last, landing a 9.900 on bars. It was her seventh bars performance of 9.900-or-higher this season.

UP NEXT
Thursday's effort closed another record-setting season for the Ball State gymnastics program which turned in three of the top four team scores in the program's record book, including breaking the program record with a 198.025 and adding the second-best score with a 197.425.

In all, the Cardinals recorded five of the top eight team scores in program history, while also accounting for 12 of the top 33. The team also established new event records on bars (49.775), floor (49.625) and vault (49.375) this season.