For most gymnastics teams, early December is an exciting time of year. It’s when teams host intrasquads and the excitement of competition season starts to feel real. But for Lindenwood, that exciting buzz quickly turned into heartbreak. Just days before its annual Black versus Gold preview, the team got the news that it would be cut following the 2024 season.
Head coach Catelyn Branson described the news as getting “the rug swept out from under you.” Before they were able to compete, Branson and her team had to stop and sit with all of the emotions that came with the abrupt news. “We actually took a second to reflect on it,” sophomore Nya Kraus said. “We want to compete in this Hyland Arena a few more times. Let’s go do it.”
Every time the Lions competed, they focused on this year, not what’s going to happen a year from now. “We just really worked on us and being present in the competition,” Kraus said. “And we just took it skill by skill and routine by routine. We had a lot of fun during every competition.”
Having that type of positive outlook was crucial for Lindenwood this season, and for that to happen, there needs to be someone to facilitate that optimism. For Lindenwood, it was Kraus.
“It’s not just her…
