Liberty's gymnastics team, including Head Coach Jessie Lowe and Assistant Coach AJ Kenniv (back left) will be joined by Club Sports Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Senior Women's Administrator Angie Witt (back right) for the Push the Rock outreach near Atlanta from Jan. 8-15.
Gymnasts to start spring on mission near Atlanta, with eye toward nationals in Alabama
12/12/2025 4:23:00 PM | Gymnastics
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The Lady Flames have a dynamic roster of 16 student-athletes, including four promising freshmen, prepared to shine in the spring semester.
A fall semester spent working out of its gym in the Club Sports Training Complex and preparing for its Jan. 8-15 outreach with Push the Rock ministries to refugees in Clarkston, Ga., has Liberty University's gymnastics team in the right frame of mind as Christmas — and the spring competition schedule — rapidly approach.
"We're looking forward to bringing some gymnastics clinics to the refugee community in Clarkston and to connect with kids in that area," fourth-year Head Coach Jessie Lowe said, noting the Atlanta suburb is one of the largest designated refugee-welcoming cities in the United States. "That is the most diverse square mile in the nation. We want to be able to explain the Gospel and what Jesus has done in our lives, and we are extremely excited that we get to use our gifts (in gymnastics) for that purpose."
She said the Push the Rock ministry has not used gymnastics as a platform for sharing the Gospel before, so this will be a unique opportunity to introduce youth from various countries to the sport.
"They typically do disc golf, soccer, and other, more accessible sports, so we are excited to see if the kids are interested in it," Lowe said. "Little kids love rolling around on mats, and it will be a really fun way to connect with these kids."
Liberty's gymnastics team did not travel to competitions during the fall semester, saving money for this mission trip and for the team to compete in the April 8-11 NAIGC National Championships in Birmingham, Ala. The Lady Flames raised $13,637 on Giving Day.
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Senior Annabella James, who enters her second season as the team's head captain, has sharpened her skills and routines for this spring.
Lowe is excited to see the team compete in the spring semester, including in the third annual Flippin' Flames Invitational on March 28, to see if it can match the strength of past seasons. The Lady Flames placed second at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastic Championships in 2023 in Memphis, Tenn., and third in 2024 in Albuquerque, N.M, before finishing runner-up to Penn State University out of 22 Level 9 programs last spring in Pittsburgh. Â
"We have 16 girls this year, four more than have carried these past several seasons, and the four new girls we brought in are awesome," she said. "They have a ton of talent and are definitely raising the foundation of the skills we have on our team. For our five seniors, they are excited for their final season. Overall, the energy is awesome. It's fun to coach when the girls want to be there and to train. I am really happy with where they are, and excited to see their progress so far."
She said the larger roster has brought logistical challenges but will give the Lady Flames the depth to excel at every event in the spring.
"Our fall practices have been extremely productive," Lowe said. "It is definitely a different dynamic having 16 girls instead of 12, and we have had to budget our time to get enough girls on all of the equipment."
"We have a lot of good leaders in every class," Lowe said. "That's encouraging."
Lowe is complemented by fellow former Lady Flames gymnast Abigail "AJ" Kenniv as her assistant coach and another volunteer assistant, Laura Aasen, who formerly competed at Virginia Tech and is now a student at the Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
On the mat — and beam, bars, and vault — she said James and sophomore Malaika Campbell, the Club Sports Choice Awards Female Rookie of the Year last spring, are two of Liberty's brightest stars.
"Mali (Campbell) is awesome," Lowe said, noting she qualified for all five individual finals at nationals, including the All-Around, and finished in the top five in every event except for the floor exercise, finishing fifth All-Around. "She is definitely one of the best athletes in the NAIGC, and she really pushes our whole team. She is definitely more motivated to come back strongly this season and is pushing harder skills."
She said James, who qualified for the All-Around final and landed on the podium on the beam, is among the most improved.
"Annabella has added a handful of new skills since she first came on our team her freshman year, and it has been fun to see her grow," Lowe said.
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Freshman Charis Ng is a Level 10 gymnast from Cincinnati who excels in all four events.
Among the newcomers, she is most excited about freshmen Charis Ng, a Level 10 gymnast from Cincinnati, and Grace Caldwell, a Level 10 competitor from Philadelphia.
"We will greatly benefit from the skills (Ng) is bringing," Lowe said. "She is fantastic on all four events and is an incredibly hard worker. Grace Caldwell brings a unique skillset and positive personality to our team, and that will give us an advantage."
Lowe said the freshmen bring a wealth of experience on the high bars, which has historically been the Lady Flames' weakest event.
"We are looking forward to having a more complete team, as far as four really solid scorers in each event," she said. "We have strong hitters and will see what our best event is on meet day."
