Acrobatics and Tumbling | 4/26/2026 4:30:00 PM
AZUSA, Calif. – The Gannon University Acrobatics & Tumbling team was well represented on the 2026 NCATA Division II awards list, highlighted by freshman
Adyson Rothermel (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser High) being named NCATA Division II Freshman of the Year.
Rothermel becomes just the third Golden Knight in program history to earn the honor, joining Lisa Wagaman (2016) and teammate
Alex DeAngelis (Audubon, N.J./Camden Catholic High School) (2024). A back/base from Wernersville, Pa., Rothermel turned in an outstanding debut season, earning NCATA Freshman of the Week honors five times while competing in eight heats and the team event throughout the year.
At the Division II level, Taryn Laurence (Fairmont State) was named Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year, while teammate Alexis Wilkinson earned Specialist of the Year honors. Danielle Cutri (Fairmont State) was named Coach of the Year.
Gannon also placed two student-athletes on the NCATA All-America teams. Junior
Paytyn Neal (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior High) earned First Team All-America honors, while senior
Peyton Oliver (Vallejo, Calif./Jesse M. Bethel) was named to the Second Team All-America squad.
The duo becomes the eighth and ninth All-Americans in Gannon's 12-year program history.
Off the mat, graduate student
Lillie Fritz (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler) was named to the NCATA All-Academic Team, becoming one of 16 student-athletes nationally to earn the distinction. A base/back from Chandler, Ariz., Fritz posted a perfect 4.0 GPA as a Pre-Law and Accounting major and became the fifth Golden Knight in program history to receive the honor.
Gannon also had 20 student-athletes named to the NCATA Academic Honor Roll, awarded to those maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher.
Division II Major Awards
- Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year: Taryn Laurence – Fairmont
- Specialist of the Year: Alexis Wilkinson – Fairmont
- Freshman of the Year: Adyson Rothermel (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser High) – Gannon
- Coach of the Year: Danielle Cutri – Fairmont
NCATA All-America Teams
First Team
- Paytyn Neal (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior High) – Gannon
- Mckenna Trowbridge – Augustana
- Payton Washington – Baylor
- Taryn Laurence – Fairmont
- Mo Arthur – Baylor
- Leavy McDonald – Baylor
- Ty Upton (South Amboy, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) – Iona
- Ashlyn Parlett – Oregon
- Ashleigh Dugan – Quinnipiac
- Alia Ellis – Duquesne
- Blessyn McMorris – Oregon
- Gabriella Pierce – Quinnipiac
- Cameron King – Iona
- Carly Garcia – Oregon
- Emily Bott – Baylor
- Alexa Wilson – Fairmont
Second Team
- Peyton Oliver (Vallejo, Calif./Jesse M. Bethel) – Gannon
- Abby McDermott – Duquesne
- Paige Simon – Augustana
- Natalie Podsednik – UMHB
- Savannah Duckworth – Glenville State
- Giselle Hovey – Hawaii Pacific
- Paige Delman – Iona
- Angelica Martin – Oregon
- Elaina Matuszewski – Augustana
- Madysen Bradley – Quinnipiac
- Carolyn Jackson – Saint Leo
- Alexis Wilkinson – Fairmont
- Bella Crapis – Wingate
- Jenna Hall – UMHB
- Alicia Mansaray – Frostburg State
- Aizlin Westcott – Saint Leo
NCATA All-Academic Team
- Lillie Fritz (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler) – Gannon
- Anna Warring – Missouri State
- Gabriella Pierce – Quinnipiac
- Gigi Rendino – Baylor
- Carly Longenecker – Duquesne
- Cameron King – Iona
- Portia Dryden – Iona
- Ashleigh Dugan – Quinnipiac
- Natalie Homerding – Augustana
- Kaylee Rehak – Fairmont State
- Kaitlyn Green – Frostburg State
- Ashlyn Shively – Lander
- Ainslee Taylor – Concordia
- Maddie Lozano – ETBU
- Lucy Ingro – Buffalo State
- Eva Dicken – ETBU
NCATA Academic Honor Roll – Gannon (20)
- Layna Bergeron (Johnston, R.I./La Salle Academy)
- Lindsey Bolvin (Lorton, Va./James W Robinson Jr Secondary)
- Julia Bruno (Glocester, RI/Ponaganset)
- Julia Bukowski (Lake Zurich, Ill./Carmel Catholic)
- Marissa Burge (Fairview, Pa./Fairview)
- Lillie Fritz (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler)
- Amelia Gauvin (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Bishop Carroll High)
- Bailey Hebert (Fishers, Ind./Fishers)
- Sydney Jarvis (McKees Rocks/Montour)
- Mikayla Kis (Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada/Silverthorn Collegiate Institute)
- Makayla Lynard (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill High East)
- Reagan McMahon (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic)
- Paytyn Neal (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior High)
- Ally Ross (Gladstone, N.J./Gill St. Bernard's School)
- Adyson Rothermel (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser High)
- Tori Soper (Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Ohio Connections Academy)
- Ivy Strait (Frederick. MD./Urbana High)
- Alejandra Tosado (Sparks, Nev./Edward C. Reed)
- Avery Tumler (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings High School)
- Makayla White (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional)
