Fisk University is the first HBCU to launch a gymnastics program.
Earlier this year Fisk announced its new Intercollegiate Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team and they have now officially started practicing for the 2023 season.
In a new TikTok video posted by @zyiaalexys, the new recruits can be seen practicing their flips and flexing their skills in the gymnastics gym. The video has over three hundred thousand views and has received many supportive comments.
@zyiaalexys first hbcu gymnastics team!! lets get it!💙💛. #trending #viral #fypシ #gymnastics #fiskuniversity
♬ Let’s Go – Key Glock
One user said, “As a retired gymnast who always wanted her hbcu to have a gymnastics team I almost shed a tear cause seeing this is beautiful.” Another user showed their support for the new team saying, “Oh it’s over for these other universities.”
Although the roster for the new team has yet to be updated on Fisk’s Athletics website, 15 recruits have been confirmed on the Fisk gymnastics Instagram page.
Leading the new team to victory is the newly appointed Athletic Director and new Gymnastics Coach Corinne Tarver. Tarver is the first Black gymnast to win an NCAA all-around title in 1989 and was named a U.S. National Team member during the 1985-1986 season. She also has a national floor title and two team titles with Georgia, in 1987 and 1989, to her name.
The future of gymnastics at Fisk is bright according to President Dr. Vann Newkirk. “Fisk University has always been an educational leader and this women’s gymnastics program will embody all the qualities that define the Fisk experience: excellence, determination, and a commitment to a better tommorrow” Newkirk said in a statement.
