In most NCAA sports, nationals participants are restricted to competing in their respective “divisions’” championship meet, with gymnastics an outlier having just a sole NCAA Championship inclusive of all divisions. So, when a Division II athlete qualifies to compete in the postseason against Division I talent, it’s a big deal. This year, Southern Connecticut’s Abby Royer did just that in qualifying as a floor specialist to the Kentucky Regional.
“People need to understand that just because it says Division II, it doesn’t really mean anything. We’re competing against Division I teams every week, so if we’re going to be on the floor with them, we need to represent,” explained Southern Connecticut head coach Corrinne Tarver. “We’re not going to take the excuse of being D-II.”
That’s a precedent that Tarver, in her first year at Southern Connecticut, is instilling in the program, with Royer’s immediate success an early sign of promise. After a delayed start due to injury, she opened her year with back-to-back 9.95s on her signature event, not only setting a new personal best but also breaking the Owl’s program record. From then, Royer didn’t score lower than a 9.80 throughout the rest of the season, culminating in her 9.85 at regionals—good for ninth in her session.
“This season, in my senior year, I focused on bringing out my love for the sport,” exclaimed Royer after her performance at regionals. “I decided to put everything aside, go out there in my last year, and just have fun.”
Tarver also credits Royer’s rise to the Division I postseason to her ability to stick to the plan following an early-season setback.
“We had to manage her injury, so we sat down, laid out a plan, and said this is what you’re going to do from the first competition to the last one. She followed it to a T, and she’s here.”
Further etching her name into Southern Connecticut’s record books, Royer’s floor routine—featuring precise front tumbling—marked the first time an Owl competed at regionals since 1997. The moment was not lost on Royer, who says that competing at this level meant the “absolute world” and that the experience was “not what we’re used to.” Changing that unfamiliarity with competing at the highest collegiate level is a main focus of Tarver moving forward, with this regional a step in the right direction.
“Our first year coming in, what it’s showing is that we are changing the culture and we’re changing the mindset about Southern Connecticut so that people can understand we are serious about our gymnastics,” Tarver said. “We are going to start moving up in the rankings, moving up in placements, and we’re going to have a good time.”
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Article by Brandis Heffner
