Hello from Nashville and the inaugural MLK Day Invitational! This is a unique cross-section of teams competing at Vanderbilt University tonight.
However, first and foremost, we need to acknowledge and appreciate the significance of this meet: Head coach Corrinne Tarver and the Bulldogs are hosting the only other five teams in NCAA gymnastics led by Black women in what they’ve collectively termed a “[celebration of] African American inclusion in this beloved sport.” To be clear, that’s six teams out of 87—which is two more than last season and four more than in 2021—nearly thirty-five years after Tarver (née Wright) became the first Black woman to win the NCAA all-around title.
In fact, all six coaches are also former collegiate gymnasts with dozens of accolades to their names: Tarver (Georgia ‘90), Brown’s Brittany Harris (Oregon State ‘16), Iowa State’s Ashley Grieg (Alabama ‘06), Rutgers’ Umme Salim-Beasley (West Virginia ‘98), Talladega’s Aja Sims-Fletcher (Alabama ‘17), and William & Mary’s Kelsey Hinton (N.C. State ‘08).
Cass Teague of Pride Publishing sums it up far better than I possibly could:
“This competition embodies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of progress and perseverance. It…
