San Jose, Calif.—Natasha Forrand, Jaudai Lopes and Lauren Macpherson have signed National Letters-of-Intent to compete for the San José State University women's gymnastics team beginning with the 2021 season, as announced by Spartan head coach Joanne Bowers.
Natasha Forrand
Forrand, the daughter of Gina and Ted Forrand from Porter, Texas, competes for AIM Athletics and is coached by Deana Parish, Debbie Kaitschuck and Julian Gomez. She finished fifth on beam and eighth on floor at the 2019 Region 3 championship. At the 2018 Texas State Championships, she was third on beam and eighth on vault and the all-around. In the classroom, she is ranked ninth in her class and competes DECA & Debate and is considering computer science engineering as her major.
Why Natasha chose San José State
"As soon as I toured the campus, I fell in love. The school is constantly upgrading and helping their students become successful by providing numerous opportunities to help students find their career path. The SJSU gymnastics team atmosphere is contagious, and their determination to succeed is another reason why SJSU is the college for me."
Coach Bowers on Natasha
"Natasha is a very strong student and more of a late bloomer in our sport which we consider a positive. She has enhanced her difficulty level on all events and has shown she is ready to make a big impact at the collegiate level. The team embraced her enthusiasm for life, and we know she will add a great dynamic to our program."
Jaudai Lopes
Lopes, the daughter of Jamilla Scott from Vacaville, Calif., competes for Dream Xtreme Gymnastics and is coached by Annie (Snellgrove) Baker, Jennifer Pero and David Seiler. She tied for fifth on vault and was eighth on bars at the 2019 Region 1 Championships. At the 2019 state meet, Lopes finished fourth on floor, fifth on vault and sixth in the all-around. Last year, she won the vault title at the California Dreamin' Invitational and all-around championship at the Lady Luck Invitational. Lopes intends to major in justice studies at San José State.
Why Jaudai chose San José State
"I chose San José State because I love the campus environment and am excited to work with the coaching staff. I can't wait to be teammates with the hard working, fun, and supportive Spartan gymnasts. I look forward to being an SJSU gymnast."
Coach Bowers on Jaudai
"Jaudai is trained by former Spartan Annie Snellgrove Baker and has been verbally committed to us since we first got here a year ago. She is a great leader, hard worker and will be a great addition to our team. She already bleeds Blue and Gold!"
Lauren Macpherson
Macpherson, the daughter of Theresa Valenzuela Cardinal and Todd Macpherson from Gilbert, Ariz., competes for USA Illusions and is coached by Hollie Vise Naddour, Alex Naddour and Charles Payne. She is the 2019 Arizona vault champion and placed second on beam and third on the bars and in the all-around at the 2019 Arizona state championships. Macpherson competed at the 2019 JO National Championships where she was 13th on the bars, beam and in the all-around. At the 2019 Region 1 championships, she was fourth on beam, tied for sixth on bars and eighth in the all-around.
In the classroom, Macpherson is in the top-10 percent of her class and has received an academic excellence award for achieving a 4.0 or higher grade point average in her first three years. She is not sure of her major but is considering something in the medical field.
Why Lauren Chose San José State
"I really loved the culture the gymnasts and coaches create as a team. I also felt like I could fit in with the team really well and help the program grow!"
Coach Bowers on Lauren
"Lauren is a very strong all-around gymnast and a great student. She has both the power and the artistry we need to add to our team. She fit in so well on her visit with the team culture we are building here, and we are excited about her becoming part of our Spartan family."
Coach Bowers on the signing class
"This class will definitely help us move forward with upgrading difficulty and performance quality to our program. Besides the gymnastics though, we are thrilled to say we are adding great PEOPLE! Their priorities and goals are in line with ours, and their positivity and openness to keep learning will really help us. We highly respect their current club coaches and know they will show up ready for NCAA Gymnastics. Welcome to the family ladies!"
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