TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona gymnastics grew stronger when Heather Swanson, Courtney Cowles, and Christina Berg signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Wildcats in the fall of 2016.
“We are thrilled to welcome Heather (Swanson), Courtney (Cowles), and Christina (Berg) to the GymCat family,” said Arizona head coach, Tabitha Yim. “It has been exciting to watch them grow and mature as gymnasts, students and people, and we know they have the skills, artistry and character to make an immediate impact. We cannot wait for them to begin their college careers here in Wildcat country.”
Heather Swanson hails from Parkland, Fla., and trains at American Twisters under coaches Gary Anderson and Christy Ramirez. Swanson is the 2015 state vault, bars, and all-around runner-up. She participated in the National Invite Tournament in 2012 and 2015, and competed at J.O. Nationals in 2013.
“I’m excited to start the next chapter of my life as a GymCat,” said Swanson. “I can’t wait to make memories with all of my teammates and look forward to being a college student while doing the sport I love.”
A native from Minneola, Fla., Courtney Cowles is coached by Brandy Johnson-Scharpf, Kelly Pitzen and Sophia Royce Tracey at Brandy Johnson’s Gymnastics. Cowles is a four-time J.O. National qualifier and a two-time vault, beam, floor and all-around state champion.
“I fell in love with the beautiful campus immediately,” said Cowles. “I was amazed by the amount of support and care from everyone in both the gymnastics and academic programs.”
Christina Berg comes to the Wildcats from Tinley Park, Ill. Berg is a six-time J.O. National qualifier. She placed second on bars, vault and all-around at the state championships and capped off her 2015 season with a third place finish on bars at J.O. Nationals. Berg trains under Jiani Wu and Yuejiu Li at Legacy Elite Gymnastics.
“I am very excited to be a part of the Yim era at Arizona,” said Berg. “She brings a young positive vibe to Arizona gymnastics and I believe she will help achieve great things with the team. I am also very excited to experience the college atmosphere in practice and in competitions. Going from an individual to team atmosphere is something I look forward to!”
For continued coverage of Arizona Gymnastics, follow the team at arizonawildcats.com/gymnastics, on Facebook atfacebook.com/ArizonaGymnastics and on Twitter @AZGymnastics.
