Tally vaults into NCGA Championships with top-four national ranking

INDIANOLA, Iowa – Junior Kaelyn Tally has officially qualified for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships on vault, securing her spot among the nation's best for the March 22 competition in Saint Peter, Minn.

Tally becomes just the second national qualifier in program history, following in the footsteps of Emma Charles, who earned a vault qualification last season. She punched her ticket to nationals with a Season Average Score (SAS) of 9.7625, ranking fourth in the country.

Tally delivered a standout season on vault and floor, winning vault in six of eight meets, including all five in February. On floor, she earned two titles as well as two second place finishes. She matched her career-high 9.75 on floor twice and became the first Simpson gymnast to score a 9.8 on vault, setting a new school record. Tally was named WIAC Specialist of the Week on Feb. 11 and finished the regular season ranked third in Division III on vault and top 25 on floor.

The NCGA Championships showcase the top gymnasts from 18 Division III programs on the national stage. From each regional (west and east), the top three teams automatically qualify along with the top three all-around competitors not on a qualifying team. The final six individual spots go to the highest-scoring event winner from a non-qualifying team in each region, the top SAS gymnast from a non-qualifying team in each region, and two at-large selections.

A gymnast's Season Average Score (SAS) is calculated from four scores, with at least one from an away meet and no more than one from a Division I or II competition.