NCGA All-America in Academics Squad
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Four members of the Ursinus College gymnastics team received All-America in Academics honors from the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA).
Taylor Cusick, Kaylin Knapsack, Gabrielle Pitt, and Abigail Schwerdt all garnered the All-America in Academics Award, which is presented to gymnasts who maintain a 3.0 overall grade-point average and whose name appears on the team's NCGA squad list for the current year. Each nominee must qualify as a senior academically and be in her last year of athletic eligibility. There was a total of 54 gymnasts that earned the accolade this year.
A Health and Exercise Physiology major, Cusick appeared and started on the vault in all but one meet in the regular season. She led the team on the vault in every meet this season and posted a score of 9.6 against Penn that matched her career best. Cusick also routinely competed in the floor exercise this season and posted a season-high of 9.525 in the Bears quad meet season opener.
Knapsack, a Health and Exercise Physiology major, spent all season as a starter on the balance beam and floor exercise. The reigning All-American on the floor was masterful again as she recorded at least a 9.7 in five of the seven meets sheet competed in. Knapsack set a new career best score of 9.8 on the floor in the Bears season-opening quad meet and matched her career best on the beam at Penn with a 9.750. She has also made five appearances on the vault and posted a career-best score of 9.350 on two separate occasions.
A Health and Exercise Physiology major, Pitt came back from missing the 2020 season and has competed in seven meets in 2022. She was a starter on the balance beam for six meets and five meets for the vault. She notched a career best on the beam at 9.275 last weekend at the Cortland Quad Meet and posted a season-high of 9.350 on the vault at Towson back on February 19th.
Schwerdt, a biology major, has hit her stride in the past month for the Bears by posting new career bests on the bars and the beam in the last two meets of the regular season. She recorded a 9.625 on the beam to lead the Bears in their home meet against West Chester before registering a 9.775 on the beam last Sunday at Cortland. Her score in the Cortland Quad meet easily shattered her previous best of 9.625.
The Bears return to action this Saturday, March 12th as they will compete at the NCGA East Regionals at Springfield for a 1:00 p.m. start.