ROSEMONT, Ill. – Senior
Emily Leese of Rutgers gymnastics has been named to the All-Big Ten Second Team for her performance throughout the 2024 season.
This marks the first All-Conference award for Leese, who becomes the program's fifth All-Conference winner since joining the league in 2014. Those five Scarlet Knights have now combined for 10 All-Big Ten awards over that span.
Leese's senior season was another step up in a meteoric rise in Rutgers gymnastics history. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania native capped the regular season by tying her own program record on vault with a score of 9.925 performing the 10.0-start value Yurchenko 1.5. It was the second time Leese reached 9.925 on the apparatus. She added a 9.9 on floor in that same meet to help Rutgers score a 196.825, the team's second-highest score in program history.
Leese completed 38 routines this season without a single fall across vault, beam, and floor. She reached three scores of 9.9 or higher on vault and four on floor, including tying her career-high twice with 9.925's. The big numbers added up to 11 event wins scattered across those three events in dual, tri, and quad meets in 2024.
The standout senior heads into the Big Ten Championships with 14 career scores of 9.9 or higher. The regular season finale at George Washington marked the third time in her career Leese hit 9.9 or higher on both vault and floor in the same event.
Leese and the Scarlet Knights take on the Big Ten Championships on Sat., March 23 at 12 p.m. in Session I at Michigan State and live on Big Ten Network.
2024 Gymnastics All-Big Ten
First team:
Sierra Brooks, MICH
Gabby Wilson, MICH
Skyla Shulte, MSU
Mya Hooten, MINN
Payton Harris, OSU
Nikki Smith, MSU
Tory Vetter, OSU
Ava Piedrahita, PSU
Mia Takekawa, ILL
Gianna Gerdes, MINN
Carly Baumam, MICH
Karina Munoz, IOWA
Emma Spence, NEB
Gabrielle Stephen, MSU
Sage Kellerman, MSU
Second team:
Delanie Harkness, MSU
Baleigh Garcia, MSU
Reyna Guggino, MICH
Ella Hodges, OSU
Kinsey Davis, NEB
Nicole Riccardi, OSU
Maddie Komoroski, MD
Ilka Juk, IOWA
MaKayla Tucker, MSU
Lyden Saltness, ILL
Emily Leese, RU
Lauren Pearl, MINN
Alexa Rothenbuescher, MD
Arielle Ward, ILL
Natalie Martin, MD
Ella Sirjord, MINN
Sophia McClelland, NEB
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