Ten Gymnasts Named Scholastic All-Americans

Top left to right: Delia Ardoin, Jenny Jackson, Navia Jordan, Dorothy Mims and Kaitlyn Mussio. Bottom left to right: Mackenzie Packer, Elizabeth Sander, Natalie Scates, Tavia Smith, and Ashley White.
Top left to right: Delia Ardoin, Jenny Jackson, Navia Jordan, Dorothy Mims and Kaitlyn Mussio. Bottom left to right: Mackenzie Packer, Elizabeth Sander, Natalie Scates, Tavia Smith, and Ashley White.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Ten members of the Centenary Ladies Gymnastics team received the Scholastic All-America Award by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA).

The 3.4625 team GPA for the Ladies also ranked in the top half of gymnastics teams in the country.

To receive Scholastic All-American honors, a gymnastic student-athlete either had to have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or complete the 2017-18 school year with a GPA of 3.50 - one of the toughest standards for academic awards for student-athletes in the country.

"I love being able to say that I am 'again' so proud of our student-athletes and their dedication to being students first and foremost," said head coach Jackie Fain. "Having a team culture of academics first was one of my main goals when I started here at Centenary, and I believe we have achieved that. I am really pleased to be able to say this team truly does understand the importance of their education while still pursuing their passion of being the best athletes and teammates they can be."

Receiving this accolade were seniors Kaitlyn Mussio and Ashley White, juniors Navia Jordan, Mackenzie Packer, Elizabeth Sander, Natalie Scates, and Tavia Smith, sophomore Delia Ardoin, and freshmen Jenny Jackson and Dorothy Mims.

Smith and Jordan also claimed First Team All-America honors athletically at the USA Gymnastics Championships. Smith claimed First Team All-American honors in the all-round with three individual events and an all-around career high. Her 38.750 all-around total easily eclipsed her best by 0.35 in the 2018 season. Smith also received career bests on bars (9.725), beam (9.8), and floor (9.725).

In both the team semifinals and event finals, Jordan received a season high 9.875 on to receive All-American recognition. She finished fourth in the event finals, just 0.025 from a national championship.

The WGCA reported that a record high 760 (55 percent) of gymnastic student-athletes received the Scholastic All-America Award for the 2017-2018 school year.