Gymnastics Kicks Off New Season with a Dazzling Performance at Beauty and the Beast Event

COLUMBIA, MO – – The Ball State gymnastics squad matched its all-time best opening meet total with a 194.925 on Friday evening, kicking off the 2025 season with a second-place result during Beauty and the Beast night at Mizzou Arena.
 
The hosting team, Missouri, clinched first place with a score of 196.700, while the Cardinals (2-1) secured head-to-head wins against both Illinois State (194.775) and Southeast Missouri (190.475).
 
“It was a strong beginning to the season,” head coach Joanna Saleem commented. “With it being Beauty and the Beast, the gym was energetic, and the audience was fantastic. Beginning our season in front of such a crowd is an experience we can build on. Overall, we showcased some solid gymnastics. There are aspects we recognize we can enhance, but I didn’t observe anything too alarming. We aimed to deliver solid, confident routines and I am pleased with how we approached it.”
 
Headlining the performance was graduate student Hannah Ruthberg, who commenced her fifth season with the team by securing second place in the all-around with a score of 39.075. Ruthberg led the Cardinals on beam (9.800), floor (9.775), and vault (9.750), while also scoring 9.750 on bars.
 
The top score of the evening for Ball State came from the squad’s last competitor, as sophomore Ashley Szymanski picked up where she left off on bars, achieving a score of 9.875. Szymanski was recognized as the 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year and co-champion on bars at MAC, in addition to tying for seventh in the second round of the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional.
 
Although Ball State saw commendable performances from its experienced members, six different student-athletes made their debuts in the competitive lineup for the Cardinals on Friday.
 
“We were able to witness many new faces in the lineup tonight, who really have not had ample opportunity to compete,” Saleem noted. “They rose to the occasion today and provided some stabilization. Observing all of them settle in and perform the gymnastics in their assigned slots is thrilling. It’s exciting to see the new faces and the team’s depth starting to manifest.”  
 
Below is a recap of tonight’s events.
 
ROTATION 1: Beam (48.625)
– Sophomore Ava Molina made her collegiate beam debut, marking the season opener for Ball State with a score of 9.650
– Graduate student Hannah Ruthberg began her fifth and final season with a team-high of 9.800.
– In her first competitive outing, sophomore Delaney McMahon tied for second on the team with a score of 9.775
– Completing Ball State’s countable scores were a 9.775 from sophomore Ashley Szymanski and a 9.625 from junior Zoe Middleton.
 
 
ROTATION 2: Floor (48.725)
– In her initial competitive appearance, senior Cai Afalla tied for the team lead on floor with a score of 9.775.
– The other 9.775 score came from graduate student Hannah Ruthberg to complete BSU’s floor competitors.
– Junior Alauna Simms and sophomore Lindsay Girard also made their competitive debuts on floor, achieving scores of 9.700 and 9.550, respectively.
– The Cardinals additionally counted a 9.750 from senior Carissa Martinez and a 9.725 from sophomore Ava Molina.
 
 
ROTATION 3: Vault (48.525)
– The third rotation featured graduate student Hannah Ruthberg once more delivering Ball State’s highest score, concluding the vault rotation with a 9.750.
– Freshman Karli Mercer garnered a 9.725 in her collegiate debut, tying senior Cai Afalla who also achieved 9.725 in her inaugural vault in the competitive lineup.
– BSU also recorded a 9.700 from junior Zoe Middleton and a 9.625 from sophomore Lindsey Girard’s first vault.
 
 
ROTATION 4: Bars (49.050)
– Ball State saved its best performance for the concluding rotation, as its 49.050 on bars tied for the 24th-best bars score in program history.
– Leading the performance was sophomore Ashley Szymanski with the Cardinals’ highest individual score of the event at 9.875.
– BSU also received scores of 9.850 from both senior Grace Sumner and junior Mary Rose Bellan in her competitive debut.
– Completing Ball State’s countable scores were a 9.750 from graduate student Hannah Ruthberg and a 9.725 from junior Zoe Middleton.
 
 
ALL-AROUND:
– Graduate student Hannah Ruthberg was Ball State’s sole all-around competitor, achieving second place overall with a score of 39.075… The contribution included a 9.800 on beam, a 9.775 on floor, and 9.750s on both vault and bars.
 
UP NEXT:
The Ball State gymnastics team will begin the home part of its 2025 season next Sunday (Jan. 12) when it competes against Illinois, SEMO, and Wisconsin-Eau Claire for the Ball State Quad. Action is slated to commence at 1 p.m. in Worthen Arena.
 
Fans can secure season tickets to witness the Cardinals in all four home meets during the 2025 campaign for just $32 for adults and $16 for youth (ages 3-18) at BallStateSports.com/GymTickets