In just a few short days, for the first time in school history, West Chester is set to host the USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate National Championships.
The competition will take place from April 12 to 14 in the Hollinger Field House, hosting the top six teams and a plethora of individuals whose performances throughout the year have earned them a spot at nationals.
With an event this large, there is a great deal that goes into planning and carrying out this competition. “There’s a lot of preparation that goes into it, that’s for sure,” West Chester head coach Barbara Cordova said. “Luckily, we have a big staff that has been so helpful in making this possible.”
The meet is USAG sanctioned event, so while the governing body has financially supported WCU as well as handled judging assignments, most of the other logistic responsibilities have fallen to the host. These championships encompass a lot; from the actual days of competition, training days, and the banquet, among so many other factors.
This year, Virtius will be live streaming the competition and providing scores, which is something West Chester is grateful to have the opportunity to utilize. However, it’s not a cheap platform but has been paid for in part from the support of the community, with sponsors for the event like Chester Country Brandywine Tourism. Plus, aside from simple monetary benefits, it’s also been a great opportunity to get these sponsors involved in gymnastics, Cordova said.
Aside from all the logistics that go into hosting the meet, it’s an opportunity that comes at the perfect time for the gymnasts themselves. Along with Cordova, seniors Kiley Fred and Madison Whitaker expressed how much having one last meet at home means to them.
“We get to end our careers here in our home,” Whitaker said. “To be surrounded by our friends and family in our last meet is going to be so special.” The occasion is even more significant after the duo’s freshman year was canceled due to COVID. That fact has manifested into the mentality “all to gain, nothing to lose” in 2024.
Fred, speaking on the journey of the senior class, shared, “After losing our first year, and with all the uncertainty our sophomore year…all we want to do is put it all out there and have fun. After this weekend, we won’t remember the scores or the placements; we will just walk away with the memories.”
But the meet won’t be like any other home competition for West Chester, as the team will have the privilege of competing in the university’s larger arena—something Fred said she’d dreamed about since her sophomore year.
“It’s definitely not the same, but we are looking at [it as] this is our home, our turf,” Whitaker said. “What a special way to be able to end your career in the same place it began.”
While most college gymnastics fans know what to expect when it comes to a big NCAA postseason matchup, they may be surprised to find that USAG nationals is often one of the most high energy, exciting meets in the country all season.
“It is definitely a loud, energetic environment,” Whitaker said. “[The team] has such a great relationship with the other student-athletes. There will be a lot of people there [to watch].”
Having a big attendance at home meets is always a goal, not just to have the crowd to feed off of during the competition but to be able to convince fans why the team and the sport as a whole are worth following.
“I hope it shows people this is what college gymnastics is; the high intensity, big skills, and that it’s fun,” Whitaker said. “I hope they see how much fun we have but also how serious of a sport we are.”
The entire season has been building to this moment for the qualified teams and individuals. The work’s been done, everyone has put in the numbers, and now it’s time to leave it all out on the floor, especially for those whose meet will be the last.
“These last four years, I can honestly say I know what pure joy feels like,” Fred said.
When reflecting on what she would tell her younger self, Whitaker added, “You’re going to have so much fun, you’re going to make so many memories, and it’s OK that you aren’t going to be perfect every time.”
West Chester has been on the rise all season, breaking records in an effort to put itself in the best position possible for the meet.
“We just want to get a little better every year; this has been able to happen with intentionality,” Cordova said. “We aren’t trying to jump huge steps in one year, but taking little steps has been really beneficial. The success of this year leads to the success of next year.”
With how successful West Chester has been in recent years, it’s hard to believe the Golden Rams only first qualified a team to nationals in 2017. Regardless of the way the competition goes, though, Fred expresses the love she has had for this program over her past four years, the excitement she has going into this weekend.
“The things that seemed like the end of the world, I’m not ever going to remember. Going into this weekend, I can already say I’ve won.”
For more details on the competition, including how to watch and ticket information, visit the event website.
READ THIS NEXT: Kathy Johnson Clarke’s Love of Gymnastics Guides a Storied Career
Article by Julianna Roland
3 comments