By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

Heading to the NCAA Championships this weekend, William & Mary has two gymnasts among the top 10 competitors in the all-around: senior Aidan Cuy and freshman Mark Fu.

Which, as Tribe director of gymnastics Mike Powell sees it, couldn't be more symbolic.

"That's been a fun senior-to-freshman mentorship," he said.

Of the Tribe's 11 NCAA qualifiers, three (Malcolm Baytop, Christian Marsh and Cuy) are seniors or grad students. Four (Trenton Peazant, Ricky Pizem, Evan Sikra and Fu) are freshmen, and another three (Will Harrington, Zachary Patrick and Samuel Smith) are sophomores.

Alek Kuzmenchuk is the only junior.

"Some of our seniors and graduates especially, like Christian Marsh and Aidan Cuy, are leading the way," Powell said. "But what also stands out to me is what a young team it is.

"If anything, the roster is weighted on the younger side. That shows the growth and maturity the team has undergone with the leadership of the upperclassmen developing the younger guys."

The youth has come along quickly, even if there were some early bumps in the road.

"In our first virtual meet of the year, Evan Sikra threw his steps off and just sort of ended up flying over the table," Powell said. "But the last four meets in a row, he's stuck his vault. It's an unbelievable streak and turnaround, and I think he's our top qualifier for the vault.

"Trenton Peazant kind of did the same thing. His first vault in college, he totally fell. But he ended up sticking his vault also at the ECAC Championships and ended up second in the conference."

Eleven qualifiers are one short of the program record, which was set in 2018, '19 and '22.

Cuy, in his second season as a team captain, comes into nationals with the ninth-highest national qualifying average at 75.800. Fu's NQA of 74.400 is No. 10.

Marsh, who is enrolled in the William & Mary School of Law, is set to compete in pommel horse, rings and parallel bars. He advanced to the finals on the parallel bars in last year's national championship meet. The previous year, he made the finals in the rings.

"Christian is a potential standout," Powell said. "He's already a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, and that will highlight the university at the banquet Thursday night. He'll be one of eight finalists to be highlighted. That'll be a big deal."

The Tribe left for University Park, Pa., Wednesday. Competition will begin Friday and conclude Saturday.