Women's Gymnastics | November 23, 2016

KALAMZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan gymnastics team announced the signing of Ashley Beatty, Alliah Harrison, Stacie Harrison, Alexis Olivier, Sarah Shirley and Morgan Spence for the 2017-18 academic year. The Broncos are coming off a record-breaking year in 2015-16 and believe these six athletes will help raise the standard even higher in the future.
 
"This recruiting class has the potential to be a game changer for us," head coach Penny Jernigan said. "All six are dedicated students and talented gymnasts. They are very well-trained by their private club coaches and each possesses the commitment level we believe is necessary to help elevate our program to the next level."
 
Beatty is an all-around competitor who placed second in all-around at her state meet after finishing first on vault and bars in that same meet. She also won the 2015 Region 5 All-Around Championship with a score of 37.950. Beatty is from Macomb, Michigan and has competed for Team Olympia for her club competitions.
 
"Ashley is an explosive athlete," Jernigan said. "We expect to see her make an immediate impact on our vault and floor line ups and give us depth on the other two events."
 
Alliah Harrison is a 2015 Junior Olympic National qualifier who also competes all-around. She won the uneven bars in the 2015 North Carolina State Championship. Alliah is from Holly Springs, North Carolina.
 
"Alliah is a strong all-around gymnast," Jernigan said. "She's got the leg power necessary for vault and tumbling combined with a natural finesse on bars. She swings big, high releases making them look effortless. She's also got a very polished style on beam. Bronco fans are really going to enjoy watching her compete."
 
Stacie Harrison is from Little River, South Carolina. She was also a 2016 Junior Olympic National qualifier, where she placed seventh on floor. At her state championship, Stacie won the all-around title after also capturing each of the individual titles in bars, beam and floor.
 
"We expect Stacie to be a strong all-around gymnast for us too," Jernigan said. "She's got talent paired with a commitment level that is unmatched. She just keeps getting better and better on every event"
 
Olivier is expected to come in and compete right away on uneven bars. She is from Huntersville, North Carolina and finished seventh on bars in the 2016 Level 10 Regionals and was a qualifier for her state championship.
 
"Alexis caught our eye because of her exquisite technique on uneven bars," Jernigan said. "Her line is impeccable and the amplitude she gets on her skills is impressive."
 
Shirley is another strong competitor on bars who has experience in all events. She won the vault in the 2016 Arizona State meet and placed first in all-around and beam in the 2016 Classic Rock Invitational. Shirley is from Chandler, Arizona.
 
"Sarah is a mentally tough competitor who shines on bars with her unique stalder combinations and release work," Jernigan said. "We expect her to play a big role there and she'll be in the mix on vault, beam and floor too."
 
Spence comes to Kalamazoo from Raleigh, North Carolina. She has won the North Carolina all-around and bars state championship while also qualifiying for the Eastern Nationals during her prep career.
 
"Morgan has a unique combination of both athleticism and grace," Jernigan said. "She's very talented and we expect to see her really hit her stride at the collegiate level."
 
These six athletes will be watching closely when the 2016-17 Bronco squad opens its season on Jan. 8 in DeKalb, Illinois against Iowa, Lindenwood and Northern Illinois.