When Kelise Woolford’s recruiting process began on June 15th, she didn’t know much about college gymnastics. Her priority for the past two years had been her elite career, leaving little time for anything else.
Woolford qualified elite at the end of a successful level 10 season in 2022—her first year training at Buckeye Gymnastics. Her L10 season culminated in a gold medal performance on bars at nationals, where she also posted career highs on three events and in the all around. In her first summer as an elite, she competed at the junior U.S. classic, where she finished fifth in the all around, second on floor, and qualified to compete at the national championships.
One year later she was back, competing for the first time as a senior alongside her club mate Shilese Jones. Competing with Jones was one of the “most rewarding experiences” of Woolford’s young career. “She has been the reason I was even able to start my elite journey and my motivation as well,” she said of Jones. “Without her guidance and support, I would not have achieved what I have today, and I am forever grateful for that.”
For level 10 gymnasts, the recruiting process begins at the end of their competitive season. As an elite, Woolford’s phone began to ring in the midst of her preparation for competition season.
Since she had watched limited college gymnastics up to that point and didn’t have a No. 1 school in mind, she was open to any opportunity she was given. “I wanted to give every school that reached out to me a fair chance and see what they had to offer,” she explained. “I wanted to visit schools where I felt very comfortable with the staff, and where I could see myself fitting in and growing as a person and as a gymnast. I also considered the academics and the availability of my desired major.”
She initially scheduled eight official visits, including Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Kent State, Kentucky, Iowa State, Michigan State and Ohio State. During this initial stage, she was also one of the few gymnasts to post online about her scholarship offers, which she saw as an opportunity for the Gymternet to get a rare inside look at the recruiting process. “I was inspired by the football players who posted their offers, and I thought it would be cool to do the same in gymnastics,” she explained. “I think it’s important to celebrate our achievements and show that gymnastics is a sport that can open many opportunities for us.”
After taking her first five official visits to Ohio State, Michigan State, Clemson, Auburn, and Kentucky, she decided to cancel the final three. Things were becoming clearer in her mind. “After the first few visits, I started to get a clearer idea of what I was looking for in a school,” Woolford said. “I realized that some of the schools on my list may not have matched my preferences. I did not want to waste their time or mine by going to a place that I felt wasn’t right for me. So I decided to focus on the schools that I felt a bit more drawn to. That’s how I found the one that felt like home to me.”
It was immediately after her fifth visit to Kentucky that Woolford understood that Clemson was the school she wanted to call home. “I felt a strong connection with Clemson because, after my visit, it continued to be the school that popped into the back of my head when I thought about colleges,” she said. “It was not easy to choose one school over the others because I did not want to disappoint the other programs that recruited me. But I realized that I had earned the right to make the best choice for myself, and that was Clemson.”
Clemson, Woolford realized, had all the elements she was looking for in a school: her intended major in communications, “a supportive and positive culture, [a] family-like support system, a good balance between academics and athletics,” and a location that suited her.
Additionally, she felt at ease with the team. Her future teammates, she said, are “talented and very motivated,” and made her feel at home from the start. And her future coaches—Amy Smith and Erik Lewis—“are very supportive and hardworking, and they have a clear vision for the team.”
Woolford also wishes to continue training elite while in college, and the Clemson coaching staff was supportive of her decision. “I talked to [the Clemson coaches] about this possibility, and they were very supportive and excited for me,” she said. “They encouraged me to pursue my elite dreams while also enjoying the college experience.”
“My main goal as an elite gymnast is to qualify for worlds yearly and to qualify for the 2028 Olympic team, but I also want to stay healthy and happy,” she added. “I want to be the best version of myself as both an elite and a college gymnast.”
While Clemson is a new program that will debut in the NCAA for the 2024 season, Woolford’s never thought of it as a disadvantage. On the contrary, she’s excited at the prospect of being a part of the team’s history from the start. She hopes to have a great freshman season and to be named the ACC Freshman of the Year. She wants to be “a reliable and supportive teammate” and, most importantly, she wishes to contribute to her team in any way she can.
“I was not concerned about Clemson being a new team during the recruiting process,” she said. “I thought of it as a great opportunity to be part of something new and exciting. I want to help create the team’s legacy and culture from the beginning.”
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Article by Talitha Ilacqua
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