SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – With the inaugural season set to take place this spring, the Augustana acrobatics & tumbling team has its second-ever recruiting class announced by head coach Kaelyn Cowan. The Vikings will welcome 12 more competitors to the program beginning in the 2023-24 academic year.
 
For the second-straight recruiting class, Cowan has brought in a mixture of local, regional and nationwide talent. In all, eight states are represented in the class with two from South Dakota, four from Texas, and one each from Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska and Nevada. 
 
"We are excited to announce our initial signees for the 2023-24 academic year," Cowan said. "This group adds variety and new skill sets to our current roster. Each athlete brings their strengths while also adding variety to our current team.
 
"They are a great addition to our developing culture here at Augustana. We cannot wait to get our newest Vikings on campus in Fall of 2023!"
 
Lucy Atkinson | Lino Lakes, Minnesota | Centennial High School
Atkinson earned a Minnesota Level Six State Gymnastics Championship and will complete her senior year of high school at Centennial High School. She plans to earn her degree in accounting with plans to become a corporate accountant.
 
Blair Corcoran | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Lincoln High School
Corcoran competes in gymnastics for Lincoln High School where she helped the Patriots finish sixth in the state last season. She plans to earn her degree in nursing for Augustana.
 
Erin Eldridge | San Antonio, Texas
Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, Eldridge will join the Vikings in the Fall of 2023. She plans to earn her degree in sport management at Augustana with hopes of owning her own gymnastics-based training facility someday.
 
Greenlee Gowin | Jacksonville, Texas | Cumberland Academy High School
Gowin is a fourth-place finisher at the Texas State Meet while competing as a Level 10 gymnast. She qualified for regionals as a junior. During her sophomore campaign, she placed second in both the vault and bars at regionals and qualified for the Level 9 Western Championships.
 
Jade Griffin | Prosper, Texas | Prosper High School
Griffin will complete her high school career at Prosper High School and join the Vikings in the Fall of 2023. While at Augustana, she plans to earn her degree in exercise science and sign language interpreting before moving on to earn a degree in physical therapy with the hopes of becoming a pediatric physical therapist.
 
Kailyn Knox | Mesa, Arizona | Chandler High School
After graduating from Chandler High School, Knox will join the Vikings team in the Fall of 2023. While at Augustana, she plans to earn a degree in biology with hopes to become a pediatric occupational therapist. Competing for CHS, Knox made varsity her first year competing as a back spot and tumbler.
 
Hadley Loomis | Lorena, Texas | Lorena High School
Loomis will join Augustana after graduating from Lorena High School. She is a back-to-back National Champion as part of the Zero Gravity Gymnastics Academy, having won a pair of team Level 4 National Championships. At Augustana, Loomis will earn her degree in kinesiology.
 
Emma Maeschen | Harrisburg, South Dakota | Harrisburg High School
Another local product, the Harrisburg High School graduate will join Augustana in the Fall of 2023. She plans to earn her degree in nursing from Augustana.
 
Kate Mathers | Fishers, Indiana | Hamilton Southeastern High School
Mathers competes for the DeVeaus School of Gymnastics where she is a state qualifier while competing at Level 10. She plans to earn her degree in exercise science and sign language interpreting. She hopes to serve in the mission field upon graduating from Augustana.
 
Elaina Matuszewski | Bellevue, Nebraska | Bellevue East High School
Matuszewski will graduate from Bellevue East High School. She has competed at The Summit three times, competing at the D2 Summit as a freshman and sophomore, then earning an at-large bid to The Summit as a junior. She plans to earn her degree in exercise science from Augustana.
 
Kalena Suquet | Moscow, Idaho | Moscow High School
Suquet competes for the club team Palouse Empire Gymnastics. As a Level 9 gymnast, she owns personal bests of 8.950 on the vault, 8.475 on the bars, 6.750 on the beam, 8.450 on the floor with a personal-best All-Around of 32.625. She plans to earn her degree in exercise science where she will then become a trainer for a professional team.
 
Lauren Ventresco | Henderson, Nevada | Odyssey Charter School
Ventresco competed in the Nevada State Championship this past March where she earned a fourth-place finish on the vault with a 9.1 And fourth place on the floor with a 9.3. After graduating from Odyssey Charter School, Ventresco will join the Vikings looking to earn degrees in business administration and psychology.