MUNCIE, Ind. — In her first two seasons as a Ball State Cardinal, Ashley Szymanski has become a key contributor for the Ball State Gymnastics program. The Sophomore has racked up numerous accolades, including back-to-back Mid-American Conference uneven bar titles and a punched ticket to the NCAA regionals each of her two seasons.
Adding to her resume, this season Szymanski was named First-Team all-MAC and 2025 MAC Specialist of the Year for her efforts on the uneven bars.
Szymanski explained what her success has meant to the program.
“I think it just speaks to the consistency of the program, and the coaches, and everybody else,” Szymanski said.
Although the rest of the Cardinal squad won’t be on the floor this time around, Szymanski believes that last year’s regional appearance can instill confidence.
“It’s easy to kind of look back on it and be like ‘Okay, in your first time that you did it, this is what you did,’ and it’s definitely inspiring to be like ‘Okay, I did it once, I can do it again,’” said Szymanski.
The Cardinal standout’s success has not only given her several accolades, but also several teammates who are beginning to look up to her.
“I’m hoping that she’s gonna be able to bring that perspective back to help encourage everyone to say ‘Hey we really can be there as a team, on the competition floor, and this is how you do it, you just stay consistent and focused on what we’re trying to do,’” voiced Head Coach Joanna Saleem, who led last season’s squad to a MAC conference title.
Szymanski, who fell five hundredths of a point short of advancing through regionals last season, will compete in the NCAA’s Alabama Regional Friday Afternoon.
Contact Jayden Collins with comments at jayden.collins@bsu.edu.
