By Lizette Diaz-Axomulco – Spear Reporter | The Spartan gymnastics 2026 team preparing for “Meet the Spartans” event. (Photo by Lizette Diaz-Axomulco – Spear Photographer)
San Jose State women’s gymnastics held its first intrasquad meet of the season Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Spartan Complex.
SJSU hosted its “Meet the Spartans” event, introducing fans to the 2026 team, including returning gymnasts and incoming freshmen.
The team also recognized its seniors, who shared encouraging words with their teammates and captains before the Spartans took the floor.
Gymnasts performed new skills and routines throughout the event, allowing the team to compete in front of a crowd and gain experience ahead of the regular season.
“This year we actually had a change in the code, so a lot of us are doing brand-new skills and/or routines,” sophomore gymnast Victoria Kisch said.
The intrasquad meet also allowed fans to interact with the gymnasts and get an early look at the team’s routines.
“This is early in the year; it was great to see everybody be able to do all their new stuff, even if there was a bit of nerves and falls here and there,” Kisch said.
For the Spartans, the event served as the first opportunity to perform routines in a meet setting after weeks of preseason preparation.
“Looking back at how we did this time, reflecting and seeing what we can improve on and taking what we did well too,” graduate student Olivia Reardon, a vault, bars and beam gymnast, said. “As well as looking at team atmosphere, team culture, seeing where we were, and being able to put that into the future.”
The Spartans worked through their routines while building confidence and gaining valuable experience before the start of the competitive season.
The meet gave the Spartans a chance to identify areas for growth while gaining confidence in their routines before competing against other teams.
The team will continue to prepare for the upcoming season as it works to refine routines, develop new skills, and continue to show resilience.
“At the end of the day, it’s just a sport, and I am here to perform and show what I’ve been showing off,” junior Ava Johnson, an all-around gymnast, said. “And what I do isn’t a reflection of me but what I’ve been trying and practicing.”
With the first intrasquad meet complete, SJSU women’s gymnastics will continue preparing for its next meet at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the SJSU Spartan Complex in San Jose, California.
