RIC Gymnastics Team Vie for National Championship

As a member of Spain’s national team that placed fifth in the 2004 Summer Olympics, Rhode Island College Head Gymnastics Coach Monica Mesalles Nassi knows about the pressure of high-stakes competition.  

That’s why Nassi says she will stress calm as the 27-member RIC gymnastics team battles against five other college teams in the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) National Championship at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota on Saturday, March 22. RIC qualified for the national championship as an at-large selection after ranking in the top five Division III nationally with a season average score of 191.9.

“With each competition, I tell these young women to keep the focus on what we do every day in the gym,” says Nassi, who was named the NCGA East Region Coach of the Year for the third time in her seven years leading the group. “If we’re able to just show that to people, that’s all that matters.”

The team’s chances may rest on the shoulders of two seasoned fifth-year seniors Olivia Keyes and Emma Tucker and freshman sensation Aaliyah Krause.

Keyes, 23, who has earned the title of NCGA East Region Gymnast of the Year in two consecutive seasons, says she’s looking forward to the national championship.

“We’ve been working so hard to get to this point,” she says. “Over the last two seasons, we’ve been so close – by less than a tenth of a point – to qualifying for the national championship. This is a dream come true.”

A native of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Keyes’ journey in gymnastics began at age 6.

“Gymnastics has always been something fun for me. I think that’s why I’ve stayed in it for so long,” she says. “There’s nothing like it. I can’t explain the feeling. It can be difficult and demanding, but when you succeed, it’s rewarding.”

Aside from being named the NCGA East Region Gymnast of the Year, she captured the East Region’s all-around title for the fourth straight season and All-Region honors on floor and in the all-around.

For Tucker, 22, balancing her life between gymnastics and academics has been challenging.

“It’s tough on a day-to-day basis to keep your body healthy and your mind calm, especially as you’re trying to learn new skills,” she says. “With my team behind me, I’m able to stay grounded.”

A native of Pompton Plains, New Jersey, gymnastics is in Tucker’s bloodline.

“My mom was a gymnast when she was in high school and then became a coach,” Tucker says. “She put me in classes at age two and I joined my first gymnastics team as a five-year-old. I think my biggest strength as a gymnast is my ability to remain calm during routines and to know I’m going to hit the mark and be successful.”

During the 2023-24 season, Tucker earned her first All-American honor with a seventh-place finish in the individual round of the vault competition at the NCGA national championship.

Krause, 18, represents the emerging new talent on the squad. Krause was named the NCGA East Region Rookie of the Year.

“That was an honor I didn’t think was possible, but I am grateful,” she says.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Krause has been practicing gymnastics since age three. She admits she’s nervous as the team heads into the nationals but not as anxious as she was during the team’s regional performance.

“This is different because there was a lot of pressure on us at regionals,” Krause says. “But now that we’ve made it this far, I’m so happy to be here. We can kind of relax and have fun. We spend every moment together having dinner, throwing pasta parties and watching gymnastics meets of other colleges on TV.”

Such unity is the team’s secret weapon, according to their head coach.

“The fact that they’re close helps a lot when one teammate falls behind,” Nassi says. “The whole team picks that teammate up.” 
 

Photo credit: Victoria Costello ’18