ITHACA, N.Y. – Brooke Merila (Sr., St. Michael) and Sophia Redding (Sr., Saint Paul) will represent the Gustavus gymnastics team in the NCGA National Championship on Saturday. Merila has been selected as a competitor in the all-around, while Redding will compete on the bars.
After coming back from an ankle injury and making a debut back on vault this season, Redding has a season-high score of 9.70 on the bars, which she recorded on Jan. 22 at UW-Whitewater to break the program record. This is Redding’s first appearance in the National Championship and she is ranked sixth regionally, and qualified based on her season average score while being ranked twelfth overall going into the meet.
Merila enters with a season-high in the all-around at the WIAC/NCGA West Regional with a score of 36.750. Additionally, Merila was selected recipient of the 2022 WIAC Judy Kruckman Women’s Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete Award. The senior bookends her career with a trip to nationals where after securing All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in the all-around at the 2019 NCGA Championship. She was chosen to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team this year and has served as a team captain the last four seasons.
Congratulations Sophie. What an amazing ride you have earned – many many hours of work and dedication. So proud to know you. What an inspiration you are. Patty and Al