Gymnastics | 5/23/2023 3:25:00 PM

DENTON, Texas (May 23, 2023) – Soaring to new heights in competition and in the classroom stand as excellent identifying pillars of Texas Woman's gymnastics.

While having an incredible season of competition with a second place finish at the USA Gymnastics (USAG) Collegiate National Championships, the Pioneers also excelled in the classroom.

Five Pioneers were named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team: Maddie Griffith, Madeline Gose, Alix Pierce, Kyla Podges and Daisy Woodring.

"I continue to be impressed and amazed by all that our student-athletes accomplish, not only in the gym, but also in the classroom," TWU Head Gymnastics Coach Lisa Bowerman said. "I love seeing them receive well-deserved recognition for their hard work and dedication." 

The five TWU gymnasts were honored on the CSC Women's At-Large Team, which "recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom."

As there is not a designated academic honor program for gymnastics, the At-Large program recognizes student-athletes from eligible sports within the NCAA, NAIA and other institutions not included in the other academic programs. The full list of At-Large sports can be viewed here.

The All-District honorees will advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. The first-, second-, and third-team All-America honorees will be announced on June 22. They are voted on by CSC members.

All five Pioneer selections earned a 3.8 grade point average (GPA) or higher.

Maddie Griffith graduated this spring with a Bachelor's Degree in Finance. During her senior year, Griffith was a mainstay in the Pioneers' bars and vault lineup. She was named a Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Regular Season First Team All-American on bars, as she posted the highest national qualifying score (NQS) in Division II on bars. At the Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) Championships, Griffith earned Second Team All-MIC honors on vault. Griffith additionally scored her vault career-high during her senior year of 9.850. For her excellence in the classroom, Griffith was named a 2023 MIC Scholar Athlete and a USAG Scholar Athlete.

A 2024 senior, Madeline Gose is majoring in Kinesiology. In her junior year at TWU, Gose competed on floor, vault and beam. With the second highest NQS on vault in Division II, Gose was named a WCGA Regular Season All-American. At the MIC Championships on beam, she tied for third and earned First-Team All-MIC honors. Gose also closed out the season strong, advancing to the USAG Individual Event finals on vault and floor and earning USAG First Team All-America honors in both events. She also earned honors for her academic success, being named a 2023 MIC Scholar Athlete and a USAG Scholar Athlete.

This May, Alix Pierce became the first TWU graduate with a Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies degree. During their senior year, Pierce set career-highs on bars (9.825), beam (9.850), and floor (9.900). Decorated with accolades, Pierce was a 2023 AAI Award nominee and the 2023 MIC Senior Athlete of the Year. During the regular season, Pierce recorded the highest NQS in Division II on beam and was named a WCGA Regular Season First Team All-American. Additionally, Pierce earned WCGA Regular Season Second Team All-America honors on floor with the second highest NQS in Division II. At the USAG Collegiate National Championships, Pierce advanced to the individual event finals on floor and beam and earned USAG First Team All-America honors on both events. For her outstanding efforts in the classroom, Pierce was named a 2023 MIC Scholar Athlete and USAG Scholar Athlete.

Also a 2023 graduate, Kyla Podges walked the stage in May with her Bachelor's Degree in biology. In her senior season with the Pioneers, Podges competed on beam, bars and floor, setting career-highs on beam (9.825) and floor (9.775). At the USAG Collegiate National Championships, Podges earned USAG First Team All-America honors on beam and USAG Second Team All-America honors on floor. She also received TWU's top honor for dedication- the Kitty Magee Award for the 2022-23 season. For her commitment to excellence in the classroom, Podges was named a 2023 MIC Scholar Athlete and USAG Scholar Athlete.

Daisy Woodring, an upcoming graduate student-athlete is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Chemistry. During the 2023 season, Woodring competed for the Pioneers on beam, floor and vault. She set a career-high on floor in 2023, scoring a 9.850 at the Rose City Classic. Woodring excelled throughout the 2023 season, earning WCGA Regular Season First Team All-America honors on vault with the highest Division II NQS and WCGA Regular Season Second Team All-America honors on floor with the second highest Division II NQS. At the MIC Championships, Woodring tied for second on floor and third on vault, earning First Team All-MIC honors on both events. Then, at the USAG Collegiate National Championships, Woodring claimed the Individual Vault National Champion Title, scoring a 9.825. She was also named a USAG First Team All-American on vault and beam. Also committed to excellence in the classroom, Woodring was named a 2023 MIC Scholar Athlete and USAG Scholar Athlete.

The All-District honors represent the first honor for all five gymnasts in their careers.

The full list of 2023 honorees can be viewed here.