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The Navy Co-Ed Gymnastics team truly embodies the spirit of the sport, with as many pivots throughout their USNA history as you might see on a floor routine. What started as a group of midshipmen who were passionate about the sport has evolved into a premier ECA program featuring remarkable talent and drive. The tight-knit group has gone through a variety of iterations across the years, and are currently looking to expand once again and become sanctioned as a USNA club or varsity team.

A Historic Start

It all started in 1977, when the first women came to USNA. Navy gymnastics was officially recognized as an extracurricular club activity (ECA) a couple of years later during the 1979-1980 academic year. By 1985-86 it was named a varsity sport. This lasted through 1993, when it was changed to a USNA club team. The group remained a club through 2001, when the club ceased to exist.

Then on April 15, 2014, 3/C Michaela Connally submitted an ECA Request to the Commandant of Midshipmen. She was hoping to bring gymnastics back to the Yard. In her request, Connally described the sport as four events which “emphasize power, grace, balance, flexibility, precision, as well as mental and physical rigor.” It was all of these things — and also much more than that. The group included dedicated midshipmen who had practiced gymnastics for over ten years before coming to the Academy, many times for upwards of 20-25 hours a week. They were devoted to the sport and its future at USNA. The request was approved.

Navy Women’s Gymnastics Begins Again

That year, the team held tryouts, and a women’s gymnastic team was started in the fall of 2014 (the men already had a varsity team). Connally served as team captain for two years before she graduated and was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps in 2016. It was a challenge she readily accepted. She recalls, “We had to get back into shape after most of us had spent several years without gymnastics.” The team progressed quickly. By the following year, they had six female mids on the team. They also had a complete meet season, including four competitions followed by Nationals in Sacramento. Connally competed in the vault event and represented Navy in the finals. The team was a success, and they began building a base that continues to this day.

Related: A Day in the Life of a Navy Women’s Lacrosse Player.

Exceptional Leadership

Not long after Connally graduated, private gymnastics club owner Jeff Barlow came onboard at USNA as a coach in 2017. His club was in Annapolis and he was a level 10 coach as well as a former professional member of USA Gymnastics. Coach Barlow has a wealth of experience, having coached both men’s and women’s gymnastics at a Junior Olympic level for more than 30 years. Under his tutelage, the team continued to grow. By 2018, they had expanded and also included a few men; they became known as the Navy Co-Ed Gymnastics team.  

Fortuitously, now Marine Captain Connally joined Coach Barlow as a coach and Officer Representative. Captain Connally is thrilled to be part of the gymnastics team at Navy again.

Related: NABSD Club Spotlight: Men’s and Women’s Fencing.

The Team Today

The team now includes gymnasts (eleven women and three men ) and participates in the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC), which is the highest possible level for female gymnasts at the Academy. Last year, they competed in the 2023 NAIGC Nationals, placing an incredible 12th out of 40 teams. The team also garnered individual gymnast placements in the “All Around” and “Individual” events.

This year’s team started better than any team Jeff Barlow has seen in seven years of coaching here at Navy. We began in the fall with four plebes, all coming from private gymnastics schools and 3 of the 4 with deep gymnastics training and skills. The talent in the gym and the team spirit was outstanding, at Penn State, in the George Washington Spring Invitational, and at home in the Blue and Gold Home Meet. Seven women qualified for and traveled to the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Nationals from April 10 -13th. We sent seven team members this year to compete as individuals and in team competition. As a team, the girls placed 19th out of 45 teams. Injuries had a serious impact on performance as a team and individual accomplishments. With injuries slowing us down, the team placed two members into finals. 3c Mariam Abudchalita qualified 12th in prelims and 13th out of 20 in finals. 2c Lana Schmidt qualified 19th in prelims and finished 6th out of 20 in finals.

Sticking the Landing

Want to support the Navy Co-Ed Gymnastics team? When you take a USNA tour, dine on the Yard, or make a purchase here, you’re supporting the midshipmen that support our freedoms; all funds go to their extracurricular activities like cultural arts, music, theater, club sports, and more. Be a part of USNA history and visit today!