For some gymnasts, the once end-all-be-all of collegiate vaulting, the Yurchenko, just doesn’t pan out. Whether it stems from an aversion to backward skills, or attempting to raise one’s recruiting stock value, Tsukahara and front handspring vaults have re-emerged on the collegiate vault scene. Few have garnered similar scores and attention as Ball State’s Suki Pfister, who currently holds a share of the highest vault ranking for non-Power Five gymnasts at 16th. Her front handspring pike half has become a staple at the back end of the Cardinals’ lineup, going over 9.900 more times than not this season.
Pfister’s journey with front handspring vaults began in level 9 where she competed a front handspring tuck for three years. In level 10 she began to twist it and would occasionally pike one of two competition vaults at club meets. The pike half post-flight wasn’t her go-to vault until competing for Ball State, but since then, it has become a staple. Put simply by Pfister, “I guess Yurchenkos weren’t really my thing.”
While not a true “forward gymnast” with multiple signature forward skills, her front handspring entry translated smoothly from the Tsukaharas she competed in level 8. The largest factor—the run and board approach—remained the same between both forward entries. Rotating the post flight is where the difference lies: a forward post-flight needs to rotate a true 720 degrees to land, while backward elements can be landed with 450 degrees and a low chest. Recalling the first time she attempted flipping the post-flight, Pfister adds she “winged it, threw her hands forward, and tucked into a pit. But once you get the hang of it, it’s not too difficult.” Once the twist was added in, the potential for any team scouting her to add a 10.0 start value to its lineup played a big factor in her recruiting.
Now a junior, her vault approach in training needs to be strategic. Blocking has caused her back pain, which ultimately decides how she budgets reps to contribute on all four events. Two days of the week include vault in practice, with one focusing on timers onto stacked mats and the other flipping three at most. This plan has two main goals: preserving her vault for the entire season and minimizing overuse so she can contribute up to three other events as well.
Her quality over quantity approach has preserved energy for major accomplishments so far this season, including doing the all-around for the first time since club at the Tennessee Collegiate Classic. Though bars and beam were in exhibition, doing four routines for a cheering crowd of kids and beating three school records was a meet for the Cardinals’—and Pfister’s—record books. Her competitive vault highlight didn’t come from that storybook meet, though, instead being from a dual at Central Michigan in 2022. She registered a 9.950, which still stands as her career high. “I didn’t think I would ever get that high of a vault score, and when [I] did, we were all just so excited and screaming,” she said. “That was probably the most memorable”.
Her standout vault has made waves across the MAC, catching the eye of competitors and coaches alike. Longtime rival Western Michigan head coach Penny Jernigan enjoys unique vaults, noting Pfister’s as a standout in the conference. Jernigan notes, “Suki has this absolutely gorgeous front pike half, and Ball State is the team that’s ahead of us on vault. That’s fantastic—the variety is really nice to see.”
Northern Illinois’ head coach Sam Morreale recognizes the work that goes into forward vaulting, acknowledging that Yurchenkos have been programmed into gymnasts at the club level. In his words, “You’re now convincing kids to go against the grain of what they see everybody doing. It takes those special individuals that are OK being different.”
Where does Pfister aim after garnering frequent 9.9-plus scores and plenty of attention from inside and outside of the conference? One of her major goals is to make the top six in all four lineups, as a gymnast who started her collegiate career thinking she would never compete bars or set a school floor record. Team goals of hers include winning MACs in a few weeks’ time and qualifying as a team to regionals. Her final goal to check off eludes many but is well within her reach. “I’ve always wanted to get a 10. That’s always the goal.”
Five meets have yet to happen in the Cardinals’ regular season, finishing with senior night and the MAC championship. Though the conference garners a very “it ain’t over ‘til it’s over” reputation, one thing is for sure: Pfister will do everything in her power to hit her vaults when they count and contribute wherever is needed to ensure Ball State finds success.
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Article by Peri Goodman
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