Gymnastics Sending Five to NCAA Lexington Regional

Friday, April 3

Lexington, KY

TBA

Ball State University

NCAA Lexington Regional

Delaney McMahon and Joanna Saleem get set for beam

March 23, 2026 | Gymnastics

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Thanks to their strong performances throughout the season, five members of the Ball State gymnastics programs earned individual bids into the NCAA Lexington Regional and will compete on Friday, April 3.

Representing the Cardinals on bars will be senior Mary Rose Bellan and junior Ashley Szymanski. Junior Delaney McMahon and Szymanski will both compete on beam. Junior Ava Molina earned a spot on floor, while senior Zoe Middleton will compete in the all-around.

The five individual qualifiers tie as the most in program history, with Ball State also sending five gymnasts in 2016, 2023 and 2024.

More About Each Ball State Gymnast:
Mary Rose Bellan locked up her first NCAA Regional berth on bars after winning the individual title at last Saturday's MAC Championships with her second 9.900 of the season. The effort helped raise her bars NQS to 9.850 which is sixth in the MAC and 119th nationally.

Overall, Bellan scored 9.800-or-higher in six bars routines, while earning three individual event titles. She also competed on vault for the first time in her collegiate career this season, including a career-high tying 9.800 to tie for 12th at the MAC Championships.

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Ashley Szymanski will compete in a pair of events at the NCAA Lexington Regional, earning her third straight regional berth on bars along with her first bid on beam. Named the MAC Specialist of the Year for the second straight season last Saturday, Szymanski earned First Team All-MAC honors after leading the league and ranking 72nd nationally on beam with an NQS of 9.870. Over on bars, she ranked second in the MAC and 47th nationally with a NQS of 9.895.

A four-time MAC Specialist of the Week this season, she captured 13 individual event titles with seven coming on beam and six on bars. Szymanski tied the program's individual beam record with a 9.925 at Western Michigan (Feb. 22) and earned at least 9.800 in 11 beam routines. On bars, she earned a season-best 9.950 twice, while recording eight scores of at least 9.800.

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Delaney McMahon earns her first NCAA Regional berth on beam after ranking second in the league and 79th nationally with a NQS of 9.865. A four-time event winner of the course of the season, the Second Team All-MAC honoree registered eight scores of 9.800-or-higher, including tying the program record for the second time in her career with a 9.925 at Western Michigan (Feb. 22).

Along with her solid performance on beam, McMahon competed on bars for the first time in her career this season. She earned a career-best score of 9.800 in the event at the second Ball State Tri (Feb. 8).

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Ava Molina earns her first individual berth into NCAA Regionals after ranking second in the MAC and 109th nationally with a floor NQS of 9.870. A 2026 First Team All-MAC honoree, Molina scored 9.800-or-better in nine floor routines this season, including a pair of 9.900s.

Along with her solid effort on floor, Molina was a staple on bars and beam for the Cardinals this season and finished the year with 11 total scores of 9.800-or-higher, including a career-best 9.825 on beam.

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Zoe Middleton earns her third straight NCAA Regional individual all-around berth after finishing the regular season ranked 43rd nationally with an NQS of 39.210. She is the only Mid-American Conference gymnast to score 9.900-or-higher in all four individual events this season, including a league-best 9.925 on vault.

A 2026 Second Team All-MAC honoree, Middleton placed second in both the all-around (39.250) and on bars (9.875) at last Saturday's MAC Championships. A six-time all-around champion this season, she earned three individual wins on vault and one each on bars, beam and floor. In addition, Middleton earned MAC Specialist and MAC Gymnast of the Week honors once each this season.