WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – With the season opener just two weeks away, three William & Mary men's gymnastics standouts were selected to the
Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Preseason Gymnasts to Watch List. Senior
Ricky Pizem, junior
Evan Wilkins and sophomore
Luke Tully garnered the distinction.
The league's preseason poll was also announced, and the Tribe is predicted to finish third by a vote of the conference's six head coaches. Army and Navy tied for the top spot and were followed by W&M, Greenville, Springfield and Simpson.
One of the nation's top gymnasts, Pizem earned the ECAC high bar title last season and is a two-time USA Gymnastics Collegiate All-American in the event, placing second at the national championship last season. In addition to helping W&M secure a team berth at last year's NCAA Championships, he was an individual qualifier on vault and high bar during both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Wilkins enters his junior campaign as one of the Tribe's top performers in multiple events. In addition to earning all-conference distinction on floor last season after tying for third in the event, he also competed in the finals in multiple events at the NCAA Championships, tying for 19th on floor and tying for 27th on parallel bars. Additionally, he was honored as the ECAC Gymnast of the Week three times last season and competed in the finals at the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championship, placing seventh on floor and tying for eighth on parallel bars.
Tully made an immediate impact during his rookie campaign at W&M last season and established himself as one of the country's elite freshmen. In addition to being selected as the ECAC Rookie of the Year, he earned College Gymnastics Association regular season All-America honors in all-around after ranking fifth nationally with a four-score average of 75.117. Additionally, the Lebanon, Tenn., native earned All-ECAC and USA Gymnastics College All-America accolades on high bar and all-around, while he placed 20th on high bar in the finals at the NCAA Championships.
W&M will open its season at the West Point Open on Jan. 16-17.
