Gannon acrobatics & tumbling standouts Sammy Gouge (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) and Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) have worked closely all season as a base and top.

Now, the two are All-Americans together.

The NCATA announced on Monday that Gouge and Price both claimed spots on the 16-athlete National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association All-America Team.

Price, a junior, made the team for the second year in a row, while Gouge, a senior, is a first-time All-American. The Golden Knights received word of the All-America athletes as they prepared to travel to West Liberty University in West Virginia this week for the NCATA Championships. Gannon, the No. 5 seed, will meet No. 4 Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Seven-time defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Baylor led the NCATA All-America team with four honorees. Gannon tied Quinnipiac, Oregon, and Azusa Pacific with the second-most All-Americans.

Gouge and Price are constants on the Gannon competitive roster on meet days. In fact, Gouge bases for Price in the Compulsory Toss, a heat where Gannon has twice had a perfect 10 this season. In 2022, both were key members of the lineup on the way to a national runner-up team finish, and both competed in Gannon's three national championship events.

Gouge (pronounced Gooj) frequently participates in the maximum of 14 heats in a meet.

The super senior, who is in her fifth season, has had to overcome injuries from earlier in her career to reach this point. She is a powerfully built base who has used her muscular arms, shoulders, and legs to become a key athlete in pyramids and tosses.

In addition, she is a talented tumbler who has performed both solo tumbling passes and synchronized passes this season.

Her contributions to the team were summed up on Sunday when she received the MVP award among the 49 GU team members at the Gannon End of the Year Celebration.

"Sammy is very strong, not only physically but mentally," Gannon coach Brandy Duren said. "She also has a very strong will. One of her goals coming into her fifth year was to be an All-American.

"She spent two years redshirting because of medical reasons throughout her career. Because of that, having a goal of becoming an All-American was a kind of a reach, but she worked her butt off every single day at practice to get there. Within her senior year, she got a 10.0 standing tumbling pass and a 10.0 running tumbling pass. For her to do it coming off two season-ending injuries … was just phenomenal."

Price has been one of the premier tops in the nation because of her strength, attention to detail, and precise technical skills – whether performing a handstand or participating in a toss.

"She's so calm, cool, and collected. She's very precise," Duren said. "She's not only one of those naturally talented but still super humble athlete. Everybody loves her. They love working with her at practice because she's so good and she's so very easy to work with. She makes other people better."

Price is also a premier tumbler who has performed in both solo and synchronized passes. She regularly records 9.75 or better on her passes even though they have a 10 start value, NCATA's term for a high degree of difficulty.

"Her tumbling is just perfect," Duren said. "She never has a bad day at practice. She's just awesome. She's unshakeable."
 
2023 NCATA All-America Team

Abbie Baker, Frostburg State (Junior – Top/Tumbler – Berlin, Md.)
Ravenna Bala, Hawai'i Pacific (Senior – Top/Tumbler – Wickliffe, Ohio)
Makena Carrion, Oregon (Junior – Top – Rossmoor, Calif.)
**Riley Chimwala, Baylor (Junior – Base – Plano, Texas)
Sammy Gouge (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek), Gannon (Senior – Base/Tumbler – Midland, Mich.)
*Bayley Humphrey, Baylor (Junior – Base – Chandler, Ariz.)
Cameron King, Limestone (Sophomore – Base/Tumbler – Peletier, N.C.)
***Kamryn Kitchens, Baylor (Senior – Top/Tumbler – Kennesaw, Ga.)
Katey Koehl, Fairmont State (Junior – Top/Tumbler – Hartville, Ohio)
Bri Marks, Quinnipiac (Senior – Base – Woodbridge, Va.)
Madiha Morris, Azusa Pacific (Senior – Base – Chicago Heights, Ill.)
Karly Nowak, Oregon (Senior – Base/Top/Tumbler – Howell, N.J.)
*Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge), Gannon (Junior – Top/Tumbler – New Paris, Pa.)
Lyndsey Rudolph, Quinnipiac (Junior – Top – Egg Harbor Township, N.J.)
**Emily Tobin, Baylor (Senior – Top/Tumbler – Templeton, Calif.)
**Jacie Van de Zilver, Azusa Pacific (Senior – Top – Jackson, N.J.)

*also a 2022 NCATA All-American
**also a NCATA All-America selection in 2021 and 2022
***also a 2021 NCATA All-American