(Photo credit: Janes Reyes/WCSN)
From the moment Sarah Clark stepped into a gym, she fell in love with gymnastics. Her competitive nature and focused demeanor were noticed by coaches and parents from the start. By the age of six, Clark joined her first competition team in California and her journey to college gymnastics began.
“When she won her first meet at a very young age and got that blue ribbon, she was hooked,” Sarah’s mom Susan Clark said.
This year marks Sarah’s fifth and final year competing for Arizona State Gymnastics. Gymnastics has been a major part of Clark’s life since she was young, and giving it up at the end of this season will be difficult to digest.
Gymnastics is a sport very different from the rest, especially in college. Most sports like hockey, basketball and football allow college athletes to participate professionally after graduation. Aside from the occasional gymnast who returns to elite competition after college, there are no post-graduate professional gymnastics opportunities. Because of this, when college gymnasts graduate, their time in the sport suddenly comes to an end.
Competing at the collegiate level is something many gymnasts strive for, but something very few accomplish. Young gymnasts aspire to compete in the NCAA just like their role models. When and if that dream finally comes true, it’s hard for athletes to let the sport go once their athletic career comes to an end.
“Not many people get to experience being on a D1 gymnastics program,” Clark said. “And it is something that no one should take for granted.”
Finishing her NCAA career alongside Clark is fifth-year Jada Mangahas. She was just one and a half years old when her mom Krista Mangahas joined a ‘Mommy and Me’ gymnastics class at their local gym. This was something fun for Krista, a stay-at-home mother, to do with her young daughter. As time went on, Mangahas became more involved in the program, and by the time she turned six years old, she joined her first competition team and started to focus on gymnastics more than the other sports she participated in. Krista had no intentions of gymnastics becoming a serious sport for Jada, but now twenty years later, Mangahas is one of ASU’s top gymnasts and team leaders.
Very similar to Mangahas, Emily White began gymnastics at one and a half years old in a ‘Mommy and Me’ class. Out of all the sports she tried at a young age — soccer, figure skating and dance — gymnastics was the one that really clicked. From there, White joined her first competition team at the age of eight, but still participated in dance and was passionate about piano playing.
Due to the intensity of elite gymnastics, White had to sacrifice some of these other activities in order to free up more time for gymnastics. It wasn’t until she was in ninth grade that White had to choose between gymnastics and dance. Although she chose gymnastics as her main path, with piano on the side, White’s parents knew she’d be successful in whatever she decided to pursue.
“I feel like Emily is one hundred percent passionate about everything she does,” Emily’s mom Terese White said.
This passion progressed as White continued into her college career with the Gym Devils. ASU’s gymnastics program was appealing for all three gymnasts, especially White who never expected to participate in gymnastics after high school. As she continued to learn more about ASU gymnastics, she realized it was the perfect fit.
“I went from not even thinking I would continue gymnastics after high school, to just absolutely love competing on a college team and just really finding my place and my home and my family,” White said.
During their senior year, ASU head coach Jay Santos asked the three gymnasts if they wanted to use their extra year of eligibility and compete for a fifth year. This was a pretty tough offer for them to pass up, as gymnastics had been part of their lives since the beginning, and they considered the gym to be their second home. Not only that, but the positive and welcoming environment ASU brought made it even easier for them to stay.
“It really wasn’t a question when Jay asked me if I wanted to take a fifth year because I just love it so much,” White said.
Now that their fifth year on the team is coming to a close, the girls are cherishing every last moment they have and reflecting on the memories they’ve made.
One notable memory was the 2024 NCAA Regional Championships in Berkley, California. The Gym Devils weren’t projected to qualify for the final round and compete on the second day of the competition. Despite these predictions, they advanced to the regional finals and were granted the opportunity to compete one last time with the 2024 senior class.
“To show everybody that just because we were the underdogs [didn’t] mean we couldn’t make it was such a good feeling,” Mangahas said.
The Gym Devils’ positive mindsets and determination drove them through the regional competition. This meet was one of their favorite memories because no matter the outcome, the Gym Devils knew they worked so hard to get to the point they were at. Making it to that final round was just the icing on the cake.
Senior Night in 2024 against Southern Connecticut was another notable memory. Not only did the Gym Devils get a season-high score, but even more significant was that the program celebrated four seniors and two fifth-years competing in Desert Financial Arena for the last time. Although Clark, White, and Mangahas knew they would get another year, this night meant they had to say goodbye to some of their closest teammates and friends.
They’ve reflected on this night, as it was a relief to know they would get another year to compete. But now that 2025 Senior Night against West Virginia on Feb. 21 is right around the corner, the gymnasts are beginning to realize that their own gymnastics careers are nearing the end.
“This year is gonna hit a little different,” Clark said while fighting back tears. “Because I’m actually saying goodbye to the sport itself.”
It’s a hard pill for Clark to swallow, knowing that something so meaningful in her life is coming to an end. She is known by her family and friends as a very level-headed person who brings a calm demeanor into whatever situation comes her way, so it’s very obvious when something upsets her.
“If Sarah gets emotional about something, you know it’s a big deal,” Susan said. “We’re gearing up for the senior meet this coming weekend. There’s gonna be some tears from the whole family.”
The choice to take an extra year helped Clark, White, and Mangahas cope with the knowledge that their gymnastics careers would eventually come to an end. Although they will be sad once the season is over, they’re also ready to move on to bigger and better things.
“I’ll definitely be really upset … and I’ll have to mourn being done with gymnastics,” Mangahas said. “(But) I’m prepared for that other side of my life now.”
Although gymnastics has helped these women stay physically active their entire lives, it’s a unique form of exercise that seldom be found anywhere else. Physical activity is something that’s been ingrained into these gymnasts’ heads since the first day they stepped onto a mat. Gymnastics is a physically draining sport on its own that hardly needs other forms of exercise, therefore it’s what these women know best.
“Being a gymnast is so tiring on its own,” White said. “So you don’t really have any energy to do other kinds of workouts, and you don’t really need to.”
They’ve all spoken with their strength trainer and weightlifting coach about how to stay active after graduation. White expressed her excitement to try new forms of exercise like bodyweight workouts and sprints like they do for gymnastics training. One thing she’s eager to continue is weightlifting, something she never did in high school, but has grown to love in college.
Another aspect of NCAA gymnastics that the fifth-years will miss is the high-level competitiveness. Mangahas expects her strong ambitious personality to carry on throughout the rest of her life, whether she’s participating in a sport or not. She hopes to incorporate different kinds of physical activity into her daily life after graduation to embrace her competitive personality.
On the other hand, it takes much more than physical talent to be a successful gymnast. The mental and emotional strength the sport requires has built up the mental fortitude of gymnasts as talented as Clark, White, and Mangahas. Valuable life lessons like teamwork, along with time management and communication skills are all qualities they’ve developed throughout their gymnastics careers. As they move forward into their professional lives, where all three plan to tackle the medical field, these gymnasts will carry on the lessons they’ve learned from the sport throughout the years.
“I think [gymnastics has] really made me into the person I am today,” White said. “My strongest qualities and the things I pride myself on have stemmed from gymnastics.”
White plans to continue her gymnastics legacy by sharing her wisdom with young aspiring gymnasts like she once was. She enjoys working with other gymnasts, whether it be coaching or choreographing routines, and her ongoing passion for the sport is what encourages her to help the rest of the gymnastics community.
“I would love to go back to my club gym and just give back a little bit,” White said. “I definitely do love the sport and wanna stay in touch with it.”
Clark, White, and Mangahas hope to stay involved in gymnastics by keeping up with the Gym Devils after graduation. Their leadership and support for ASU gymnastics throughout the years has not gone unnoticed, and they plan to follow the program as alumni in the near future.
“This team is always gonna hold a special place in my heart,” White said. “I’ll always support ASU gymnastics and be their biggest fan.”
The Gym Devils have a memorable history behind them that sometimes goes unnoticed amongst other successful college gymnastics programs. Throughout her five-year journey, Clark has taken note of how grateful she is to have found a program like ASU.
After participating in NCAA gymnastics for almost five years, Clark has realized that not many college gymnasts get to experience the wholesome and welcoming environment that is Sun Devil Gymnastics.
“ASU is a program that probably people think is underrated,” Clark said. “The coaches and athletes involved are some of the most inclusive and comforting groups of people to be around. You don’t get that with a lot of programs.”
After years of training, hours of homework, and several unforgettable memories, Clark, White, and Mangahas couldn’t imagine where they’d be if it weren’t for Arizona State gymnastics. As they carry on with their lives post-graduation, their commitment and dedication to ASU and its athletic program for the past five years will not be forgotten.
“My experience at ASU has been nothing but amazing,” Clark said. “I love our coaches, I love my teammates and I love just the atmosphere that ASU brings. I think anyone would be lucky to be a gymnast or athlete at ASU.”
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