Fisk University gymnastics team gathers in a circle for a cheer during practice at the Nashville Gymnastics Training Center on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. On Friday afternoon, Jan. 6, 2023, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Fisk University will make history when they become the first HBCU to participate in an NCAA women's gymnastics meet. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Fisk University’s gymnastics team are history makers.
On Friday (January 6), the team became the first from a historically Black college or university to appear in an NCAA meet, traveling to Las Vegas for the Super 16 event against other D1 schools such as North Carolina, Southern Utah and Washington. The appearance for Fisk comes less than fourteen months after the school announced its inaugural gymnastics team.
If the squad had nerves, none of it showed during the meet. Naimah Muhammad, the leadoff gymnast for the team, wowed the crowd with her tumbling skills. Five-star recruit Morgan Price, who transferred from Arkansas to Fisk, proved her mettle as the team’s best athlete, competing in four events and earning the meet’s highest marks on the vault with a 9.9.
“It’s humbling,” coach Corrine Tarver told ESPN ahead of the meet. “Something that’s a long time coming and so I’m so proud to be able to bring the team to the floor that is a historically Black college and university. It’s the first time ever so we’re ready to go.”
Despite the early success, Fisk finished in fourth at the meet with a score of 186.700. Southern Utah (195.800) narrowly held off Washington by 0.325 to win. The next appearance for the Fisk team will be next Friday (January 13) versus 2021 national champion Michigan.
