Washington Signs Brenna Brooks, Amara Cunningham
July 23, 2018 | Gymnastics
SEATTLE - The Washington GymDawgs announced two new additions to the 2019 roster today, officially signing freshmen Brenna Brooks and Amara Cunningham. That duo will join a GymDawgs team that will be looking to make it three years in a row reaching NCAA Nationals and returns eight gymnasts from a team that finished a program-best eighth in the nation after the regular season.
Brooks recently competed at JO Nationals, finishing in the top ten on beam and taking 12th on vault. She was a top-five finisher on vault, beam, and all-around in the Region 3 Championships in April, earning her way to Nationals for the third time. In 2017, Brooks took third on vault at JO Nationals.
Brooks competed with WOGA Gymnastics. The Allen, Texas native won a Texas state championship on beam, floor, and all-around in 2017 and took home another all-around state championship in 2015.
"Brenna has decided to join the GymDawg family one year early and we couldn't be more excited," said head coach Elise Ray-Statz. "She has a vibrant, mature personality and her clean, beautiful gymnastics are college ready. She will be a big contributor towards this season's line ups. I cannot wait to see what she adds to our program both in her gymnastics and her character."
Cunningham also competed at JO Nationals this year and came home with a fourth-place finish on vault and sixth-place finish on floor. She was the New York and Region Six champion on vault and floor in 2018 as well, taking second on all-around at each competition.
In 2017, Cunningham earned her way to JO Nationals with Region Six championships on vault, floor, and all-around, as well as a second-place finish on bars. She finished in the top ten on vault and floor at the 2016 JO Nationals.
Ray-Statz was just as excited about Cunningham's potential, saying that "Amara was a later recruit for us because of some recruiting changes in the spring and we feel like we hit the jackpot. She is a powerful, dynamic gymnast whose strengths lie on floor and vault. She will contribute in a big way immediately on those events. She's a confident, hard-working young woman who will not only add to our line ups but our program's culture as well."
Make sure to follow the GymDawgs on Twitter with the username @UWGymnastics and on Instagram at uwgymnastics.
Brooks recently competed at JO Nationals, finishing in the top ten on beam and taking 12th on vault. She was a top-five finisher on vault, beam, and all-around in the Region 3 Championships in April, earning her way to Nationals for the third time. In 2017, Brooks took third on vault at JO Nationals.
Brooks competed with WOGA Gymnastics. The Allen, Texas native won a Texas state championship on beam, floor, and all-around in 2017 and took home another all-around state championship in 2015.
"Brenna has decided to join the GymDawg family one year early and we couldn't be more excited," said head coach Elise Ray-Statz. "She has a vibrant, mature personality and her clean, beautiful gymnastics are college ready. She will be a big contributor towards this season's line ups. I cannot wait to see what she adds to our program both in her gymnastics and her character."
Cunningham also competed at JO Nationals this year and came home with a fourth-place finish on vault and sixth-place finish on floor. She was the New York and Region Six champion on vault and floor in 2018 as well, taking second on all-around at each competition.
In 2017, Cunningham earned her way to JO Nationals with Region Six championships on vault, floor, and all-around, as well as a second-place finish on bars. She finished in the top ten on vault and floor at the 2016 JO Nationals.
Ray-Statz was just as excited about Cunningham's potential, saying that "Amara was a later recruit for us because of some recruiting changes in the spring and we feel like we hit the jackpot. She is a powerful, dynamic gymnast whose strengths lie on floor and vault. She will contribute in a big way immediately on those events. She's a confident, hard-working young woman who will not only add to our line ups but our program's culture as well."
Make sure to follow the GymDawgs on Twitter with the username @UWGymnastics and on Instagram at uwgymnastics.
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