Gymnast Wahl takes next step, chooses Georgia
ZANESVILLE — Ady Wahl's talent was noticed by numerous college gymnastics teams throughout the country.
The Zanesville junior was contacted by 17 universities when recruiting began last June, and Wahl trimmed her list to five schools to visit: Ohio State, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama and Florida.
Wahl, a Level 10 gymnast and 4-star recruit, opted to not visit those schools and committed to Georgia last summer.
She made her official announcement last week to join the Bulldogs, who have the top-ranked recruiting class for 2023, and celebrated her scholarship with family and friends with signing ceremonies on Monday at Zanesville High School and Zanesville Gymnastics.
Georgia's pursuit was among the reasons Wahl chose the school. She will graduate high school a year early so she can join the program for the upcoming season.
"There's a sense of relief. I've been working for this for a long time so it's exciting that I've achieved a couple of my goals," she said after receiving a Division I scholarship. "When I stepped on campus, I knew it was where I wanted to be. The coaches showed they wanted me and pursued me by staying in contact. They wanted me to start a year early, which shocked me at first. But, the more I thought about it, it felt right like it should be the next step."
Wahl is a two-time regional champion (2022, '23) and a three-time national qualifier ('21-23). She also achieved another goal this year by qualifying for the prestigious Nastia Liukin Cup and made the 2023 Region 5 All-Star Team, which led to a trip to Puerto Rico. Inside Gymnastics also named Wahl as, "One to Watch."
Wahl, who will consider a major in digital marketing, thanked many for their support, especially her parents, Aaron and Jenny Wahl. She was also grateful to her coaches and credited her faith in God in reaching her decision.
"Gymnastics is challenging, and many don't see behind the scenes. It is as challenging mentally as it is physically," Wahl remarked. "My coaches have done so much, and they pushed me to get here. God has been with me. He helped me through some tough nights, and my faith is a big part in getting this opportunity.
"I'm also very thankful to my parents," she said. "They took me to all the camps, workouts and tournaments. They did so much for me, and they never gave up on me chasing my dream."
With this decision, Wahl can focus on competing in the national meet next week at Oklahoma City. She was was named the Regional Vault, Floor and Bar Champion and is ranked 20th nationally.
The top seven girls with the highest scores in the region advanced to nationals, Wahl noted. She is also looking for sponsors to help with her expenses for the trip.
There are three sponsorship levels, $500 for Gold, which features the business name appearing on a sponsorship banner in the parent viewing area at Zanesville Gymnastics where hundreds of local families gather weekly during classes. Your business will have a shout out on Zanesville Gymnastics Facebook page and will be promoted via a yard sign in front of Zanesville Gymnastics facing Richards Road.
The $250 Silver package includes the business name appearing on sponsorship banner in our parent viewing area and a shout out on Zanesville Gymnastics Facebook page, while the $100 Bronze package is the business name appearing on sponsorship banner in our parent viewing area.
Other donations are welcome, and anyone interested in helping can contact Jenny Wahl at jenwahl1220@gmail.com or calling 740-868-7157 or Zanesville Gymnastics.
All the support is appreciated, as Wahl looks to make the most of her final national tournament.
"It really encourages me to have people willing to help," Wahl said. "I've grown up with a lot of these girls in Region 5, and we've become like a family. It's really special to compete with them one final time."
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Gymnast Wahl takes next step, chooses Georgia
