Gymnastics Unleashed: A Dazzling Journey Through the American Gold Classic

OCEANSIDE, Calif. –  Rutgers gymnastics commences the 2025 campaign at the American Gold Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Classic at Frontwave Arena on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT). The Scarlet Knights will compete in the second session of the Classic against Arizona, Southern Utah, and Wilberforce in a quad meet.

Four Key Facts to Consider…

 

Rutgers finished the 2024 regular season impressively on Sunday at the George Washington quad meet, achieving a score of 196.825, marking its second-highest score in the history of the program in a high-scoring and tightly-contested event. This collective team effort resulted in an extensive array of records, milestones, and personal bests by the conclusion of the competition in the nation’s capital. This score set a new school record for road competitions, while the team’s 49.300 on bars is second all-time at RU, and the 49.225 on vault ranks third in the program’s history.

Freshman Delaney Adrian and junior Gabrielle Dildy from Rutgers gymnastics have been recognized as 2025 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch. Adrian embarks on her first collegiate season with this Big Ten honor gained from six years of experience as a Level 10 gymnast. Originating from Columbia, Missouri, she trained with Show Me Gymnastics and qualified for five National Championship competitions. Adrian clinched the 2023 beam title at the Regional Championship and secured seventh place in the all-around at the 2023 National Championships. In the previous season, she achieved third on floor and sixth in the all-around at the 2024 Regional Championships.

Dildy was awarded the Most Valuable Gymnast for the Scarlet Knights in 2024. Her breakout season peaked at the home finale at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Dildy kicked off her evening with her first collegiate 9.9, executing her Yurchenko full flawlessly in front of the home audience and claimed victory in the event during the tri-meet. She concluded the night with a 9.8 on beam and her second 9.9 of the evening on floor, contributing to Rutgers’ season-high score of 49.395, which ranks as the fifth-highest score in team history, while she tied for the event’s highest score. Dildy followed up with a score of 9.9 on vault during the regular season’s final meet at George Washington and wrapped up a remarkable Big Ten Championships with scores of 9.85 on vault, 9.825 on beam, and 9.9 on floor, earning seventh place among 60 competitors at the conference championship.

Graduate student Emily Leese is back for one final season “On the Banks.” She received recognition on the All-Big Ten Second Team for her performances throughout the 2024 season. This award represents Leese’s first All-Conference honor, making her the program’s fifth All-Conference recipient since joining the league in 2014. The native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, capped off the regular season by tying her own program record on vault with a score of 9.925 executing the 10.0-start value Yurchenko 1.5, marking the second occasion she achieved 9.925 on this apparatus. Additionally, she scored a 9.9 on floor in that same meet. Throughout this season, Leese executed 38 routines without a single fall across vault, beam, and floor. She recorded three scores of 9.9 or greater on vault and four on floor, including tying her career-best twice with 9.925’s. These impressive numbers culminated in 11 event victories across those three apparatuses in dual, tri, and quad meets in 2024.

Graduate student Avery Balser also returns for her final season at RU after earning a place in her first NCAA Regional Championships in 2024. Balser recorded a score of 9.850 at the Regionals, tying for the program’s best bars score in NCAA history. This postseason performance capped off a consistently outstanding 2024 campaign, during which the senior from Carroll, Ohio, achieved the 9.850 mark on nine occasions, including at the regional championships in Florida. She concluded the season with 15 successful routines without a fall.

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