SAN JOSE, Calif.—Five gymnasts from California, Georgia, Washington and Ontario, Canada, have signed National Letters-of-Intent to compete for the San José State women's gymnastics program beginning with the 2024 season, as announced by Spartan head coach Joanne Bowers.
Marissa Ashton, Buford, Ga., Buford HS, BIO Gymnastics
Marissa is the daughter of Eric and Caroline Ashton of Buford, Ga. She comes from a family of athletes as her dad played college hockey at Canisius College, and her brother, Logan, wrestled at Stanford and is currently at Tennessee at Chattanooga. Marissa trains at BIO Gymnastics for Coach Brad McLaren. She finished second on the bars and third in the all-around at the 2022 Georgia State Championships. She was a Region 8 Level 10 qualifier for four years. Her high school team won the 2022 state championship. Ashton won the Georgia State Championship in the all-around, bars and vault and broke the high school state record by getting two perfect "10s" in a single meet.
Why Marissa chose San José State
"I chose San José State because the moment I stepped on campus, it felt like home. I loved the coaching staff and team. I feel like it is the best place for me to excel academically and athletically."
Coach Bowers on Marissa
"Marissa is a very good all-around gymnast and loves to compete! She has had a lot of success and is primed to have a great college career."
Ella Christjanson Power, Burlington, Ontario, Assumption Catholic Secondary School, Manjak's Gymnastics
Ella, the daughter of Lisa Christjanson and Shaun Power, competes for Manjak's Gymnastics and coaches Kelly Manjak, Susan Manjak and Jordyn Pedersen. She is a four-time Team Ontario team member and finished seventh in the all-around at the 2022 Canadian National Championship.
Why Ella chose San José State
"I chose San Jose because of the incredible atmosphere. From the city, to the campus, to the people, I knew this was where I wanted to be. SJSU has both great academic opportunities and an accomplished gymnastics program. I look forward to improving myself as an athlete and student by being a part of this amazing team."
Coach Bowers on Ella
"Ella came on the scene to us recently and has that "IT" factor in her performance quality and also will provide depth in the all-around for us"
Mia Nelson, Seal Beach, Calif., Los Alamitos HS, American Gymnastics Academy
Mia, the daughter of Kris and the late Richard Nelson, trains at the American Gymnastics Academy for Coaches Shane and Carol McIntyre, Peter Flores and JD MacDonald. She finished second on the floor at and third on the vault at the 2022 Level 10 Regional Championship. Nelson won the floor at the 2022 state championship and was second on vault and tied for fifth in the all-around.
Why Mia chose San José State
"When I first visited San José State, I was immediately drawn to the healthy and fun atmosphere. The gymnastics coaching staff never fails to give their full support to the athletes, and the girls have such great determination to maintain the success of the team. I knew this was going to be a perfect fit for me after seeing the beautiful campus and such a strong coach-athlete connection like I always had at home."
Coach Bowers on Mia
"We have followed Mia for a long time and are thrilled to get a California gymnast with such a high ceiling on three events. Mia's artistry on beam and floor are beautiful, and she is a dynamic vaulter. We trust her coaching staff as we also have one of their former gymnasts, Cameron Kelperis, and this always helps with the transition from club to college."
Olivia Reardon, University Place, Wash., Curtis HS, Ascend Gymnastics Center
Reardon, the daughter of John and Rene Reardon, trains at Ascend Gymnastics Center in Auburn, Wash., and Coaches Sarah Korngold and Brett Wargo. She was a three-time national qualifier and won the 2022 Region 2 vault, beam and all-around championships. She placed second on the beam and tied for second on the floor at the 2022 Washington state meet.
Why Olivia chose San José State
I chose San Jose State because of the amazing team culture. From the moment I visited I felt welcomed by the girls and coaches, plus I loved the amazing atmosphere. I am excited to join an already successful group of girls!
Coach Bowers on Olivia
"Olivia comes to us from a very good gym in Washington. She has beautiful lines and artistry and is a strong all-around gymnast. She had a very good end to her season last year at Nationals after dealing with an injury for most of the season. We believe she will continue to improve and really make an impact in college"
Devyn Valuch, Rohnert Park, Calif., Casa Grande HS, Dream Xtreme
Devyn, the daughter of Owen and Danielle (Wasko) Valuch from Rohnert Park, trains and competes for Dream Xtreme and Coach Annie (Snellgrove) Baker. She competed at the 2022 Level 10 National Championships where she finished fifth in the all-around, fourth on the floor, eighth on the vault and ninth on bars. At the 2022 Level 10 State Championships, she was fourth in the all-around. Valuch was a three-time national qualifier (2019, 2021, 2022) and was invited to the 2022 Developmental National Team Camp.
Why Devyn chose San José State
"I chose San José State because I fell in love with the team feel and the campus. I love how close the team and coaches are, and this made my decision really easy because it felt like home."
Coach Bowers on Devyn
"Devyn took a huge jump in her difficulty last year and competed great at some very big meets to show she is a true competitor. She hails from the same gym as current gymnast, Jaudai Lopes, and her coach was a team captain at SJSU back in her day. There is a great deal of trust with us and her gym. She is very powerful on vault and floor and competes well on bars and beam as well."
Coach Bowers on the signing class
"This class will give us our first real depth on each event since I started here in the summer of 2018. These student-athletes are great people from very good gymnastics clubs and are going to continue the tradition of excellence in the classroom and in the competition arena. The culture of our team is very strong, and we want to keep making it better. We realize the type of people we recruit plays a HUGE factor in our overall success, and this class will definitely help us advance as a program."
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