The Liberty University Club Sports Women’s Gymnastics team is keeping the momentum going after claiming its first national championship in the 2025 season.
Head Coach Jessie Lowe is optimistic that the team will see another victory after its hard-fought battle last year.
“It was a goal we chased for the last four years,” Lowe said. “We had all the right pieces … we have those pieces again this year. We brought in a lot of new talent with our freshman class.”
The team has begun training for the new season and will continue with workouts until they begin competing in January. This season, however, brings a new challenge.
“The league has changed the level we compete in,” Lowe said. “We’ve been working on understanding the new rules. But these girls are really adaptable, and I think the new level will play to their skills.”
The team members have formed a tight-knit community, according to Lowe. In times of challenge and injuries, they encourage each other to thrive both physically and spiritually.
“The girls meet with each other before practice to pray,” Lowe said. “Our primary goal is to keep the Lord in the center of what we’re doing and remember that the sport is a gift to us.”
At the end of last season, the team took a mission trip to Clarkston, Georgia. While there, they offered a free gymnastics clinic for the children of Clarkston’s refugee community.
“It brought a huge population of kids to the area who were really excited to do gymnastics for the very first time,” Lowe said. “We got to use that as a hook to present the gospel to them.”
Senior Marah Robinson said the team culture has had a positive impact on her walk with the Lord.
“We’re very driven by what the Lord has done on this team,” Robinson said. “It makes us close like sisters. We see each other at our best and at our worst.”
The gymnastic team looks forward to showcasing its talent to the fans at their home meet and competitions in the upcoming season.
“These girls have a lot of new skills to show,” said Lowe. “I’m excited for people to continue to see the joy that these girls have in the sport that they do.”
Combs is a feature editor for The Liberty Champion.