PISCATAWAY, N.J. - There's a storm brewing “On the Banks.”

Rutgers gymnastics vaults into 2024 with sticky feet, renewed goals, and its patented family-oriented culture of togetherness. With these values in tow, the Scarlet Knights have committed to attacking the new season with the ferocity and energy of a coming storm.

And this storm has plenty of momentum.

Rutgers concluded the 2023 regular season in spectacular fashion, winning a tri-meet against UPenn and No. 35 West Virginia with a new program-record score of 196.875, powered by a school-record 49.400 on beam and a school-record-tying 49.275 on vault. The Scarlet Knights notched multiple 196+ scores for the first time in program history and posted four of the top five team scores in school history during the 2023 season. The team also recorded 11 top-10 apparatus scores in 2023, including school-record marks on vault, beam, and floor. 

RU sent three gymnasts (Hannah Joyner, Emily Leese, and Stephanie Zannella) to the NCAA Regional Championships for the third straight year, extending the Rutgers regional representation steak to 13 consecutive years dating back to 2011. Leese led the vault effort during that team record-setting 196.875 with a career-high and school-record-tying 9.925. The senior Scarlet Knight is focusing her effort on bringing many more of her teammates to regionals in March.

THE KNIGHTS YOU KNOW

Returning and proven experience is always a commodity, but especially during a season following the graduation of all-time great Hannah Joyner - a four-time All-Big Ten First Team selection and school record holder on beam and all-around. While Joyner isn't going too far (she'll be in the gym this season as an assistant coach), the Scarlet Knights will be ready to replace those points.

The senior class is packed with battle-tested veterans, including Leese (a Big Ten Gymnast to Watch), Avery Balser, Emily Wood, and Stephanie Zannella. All four of these Scarlet Knights reached 9.9 and higher last season throughout the gym. Also returning is 2023 captain Calah Newman, who missed last year with an injury. Myra Daniels has been named a team captain for the season opening meet at UNC and Jaidyn Raby brings senior leadership and a renewed skillset after working her way back from injuries. Gianna Ortiz's veteran presence and leadership will be felt in 2024 despite being out for the year with an injury.

Elia Aird leads the junior class as a Big Ten Gymnast to Watch, fully recovered from a 2023 injury that kept her from competing in the all-around. Jacqueline Manifold and Anna Pagliaro are back after significant starting spots as sophomores. Brayden Battavio, Isabella Hughes, Maya Jones, and Mya Pringle round out a tenacious and deep junior class.

A 2023 Big Ten Gymnast to Watch, sophomore Rachael Riley was not able to make her collegiate debut last season due to an injury. The Ontario, Canada native is healthy and ready to give her anticipated debut another shot. Last year's rookie class earned plenty of experience, with Nailah Adams, Gabrielle Dildy, Valentina Lorente-Garcia, and Harmony Webster all competing and scoring in 2023. Renee Figueroa, Lainey Link, and Innocent Mensah also return for their sophomore seasons with a year of high-level collegiate training under their belts.

BRAND NEW KNIGHTS

Rutgers gymnastics head coach Umme Salim-Beasley welcomes eight newcomers for the 2024 season - freshmen Scarlette Ayakawa, Olivia DiNovi, Campbell Earley, Elliot Goldsmith, Isabella Nelli, Matis Rains, and Ginger Richards, along with LIU graduate transfer Katy Koopman.

The group includes multiple Junior Olympic National Qualifiers (Ayakawa, Campbell, Goldsmith, Koopman, Rains, and Richards) and a Level 10 All-Star National Qualifier on bars (DiNovi).

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Salim-Beasley has set Rutgers up with a 2024 schedule that is meant to challenge and prepare the Scarlet Knights for the level of competition at the NCAA Regional Championships. RU will take on 13 meets before Championship Season begins in late-March.

Rutgers opens 2024 at UNC, the final team admitted to the NCAA Regional Championships last winter as the No. 36 seed.

The Scarlet Knights host their home opener at Jersey Mike's Arena on Jan. 13 against Southern Connecticut State, No. 12 Oregon State, and Utica. Rutgers will also host a quad on March 2 against Cornell, West Chester, and Ursinus, then a tri-meet with UPenn and Yale on March 15. RU welcomes Penn State and Iowa to Jersey Mike's Arena as part of Big Ten Conference play.

Rutgers' road dates include the Fisk Invitational (Jan. 15), Maryland (Jan. 19), Illinois (Feb. 4), West Virginia (March 10), and the Texas Woman's quad with Centenary and Michigan State.

The Scarlet Knights will take on 2023 Big Ten champion Michigan at the Elevate the Stage Meet at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio on Feb. 16, followed by the annual Big Five Meet on Feb. 23 at Penn State.

The 2024 Big Ten Championships are set for March 23 at Michigan State, followed by the NCAA Regional Championships at sites to be announced from March 29-31 and the NCAA National Championships from April 15-16 in Fort Worth, Texas.