Ava Thurston

Position:
All Around
Class:
Freshman
High School:
Archbishop Williams
Hometown:
Pembroke, MA

SALEEM ON THURSTON: “Ava is an extraordinary gymnast who excels on all four events; vault, bars, beam, and floor. Her technical skills are outstanding, and she has the ability to perform under pressure, making her a valuable asset to our program. Beyond her athletic abilities, Ava is a strong academic student and a true team player. Her positive, bubbly personality will bring great energy to the gym and competition floor. We are excited to see the impact she will make as a part of our team.”

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: A three-time Level 10 National Qualifier (2023, 2024 & 2025), placing seventh in her session of the all-around in 2023 with a score of 35.575 … Two-time Level 10 Regional Champion in the all-around (2024 & 2025) and on vault (2024 & 2025), while capturing the 2024 individual title on bars ... captured individual titles in the all-around (38.075), on vault (9.825), on floor (9.575) and on beam (9.450), while placing second on bars (9.225) at the 2025 Massachusetts State Championships ... was also the 2023 Massachusetts State Beam Champion … swept all four individual events and the all-around title at the 2024 Starlight Invitational … owns career-best Level 10 marks of 38.150 in the all-around, 9.900 on vault, 9.725 on floor, 9.650 on bars and 9.625 on beam ... her 9.900 on vault at the 2025 Mardi Gras Invitational tied as the 47th-best score nationally, while her 9.875 at the 2025 Region 6 Championships tied for 97th.

WHY BALL STATE: “I like the atmosphere and cohesiveness of the girls on the team, and the coaching staff. The facilities and support offered is great!”