SAINT PETER, Minn. — The Gustavus gymnastics team kicks off its 2023 season at 6 p.m. on Friday, heading to Minneapolis for the Best of Minnesota meet between Hamline, Winona State, and host Minnesota.
This year’s roster is complete with 22 members, highlighted by four seniors, seven juniors, eight sophomores, and three first-years.
Head Coach Aryn DeGrood, in her ninth season, looks to her four seniors to set the tone. “I’m expecting them to step up this season,” said DeGrood about her upperclassmen. Seniors Annie Corbett (Brookfield, Wis.) and Ashley Goeltl (White Bear Lake) will look to recover from recent injuries, while Emma Esteb (Woodbury) will contribute in vault, beam, and floor. After posting career-high scores last season, Jenna Griffith (Brooklyn Center) will return to floor and look to add another event before the end of the season.
Three newcomers join the Gusties this season — Maddox Lee (Fy., Hugo), Ella Nash (Fy., Jackson, Wyo.), and Alyssa Sciulli (Fy., Norton, Ohio). Coach DeGrood expects Lee to make a major impact on the team, having previously been named to College Gym News’ “10 Must-See DIII Routines this Season” for her bar routine.
“All three are really solid athletes. They need a chance to acclimate to college gymnastics, and our group of returners is stepping up and allowing us to develop our freshmen into who we want them to be instead of throwing them in too soon.”
The team will miss the likes of Brooke Merila (St. Michael) and Sophia Redding (St. Paul), who both finished their Gustavus careers earning All-American honors last March, but Coach DeGrood is hopeful that her team’s depth will give them consistent performances, especially on beam and floor.
“Beam is looking to be our strongest event this year, and historically it hasn’t been. Right now we have 10 athletes capable of contributing solid scores on beam. They’ve been consistently practicing well and have been fighting for spots. It’s a tough lineup to make which is an exciting spot to be in — it shows our depth.
“We will be steady and strong in floor. We have fun floor routines that our team is always supportive of, and we’re able to build an environment for the competitor that gives them an extra push in the performance.”
Following an eighth-place WIAC finish last season, the Gusties look to improve their standings this year. The team will face national notables UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh in its opening two weekends of WIAC competition.