(Ames, IA) – The Iowa State University Athletics Department will discontinue its women’s gymnastics program and replace it with another sport that provides equal or additional participation opportunities for women, ISU Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced today.
The gymnastics team competed in four events but the rest of the season was not played. “The decision to suspend the season resulted from a series of complex internal conflicts between individual teammates, coaching staff members, and parents.” says Pollard. “These conflicts created unreconcilable differences that not only prevented our team from competing, but they also prevented team members from carrying on their daily activities, including practice. In the end, suspending the remainder of the season was the only viable alternative after in-depth conversations with the student-athletes, coaching and support staff members.”
Head Coach Ashley Miles Greig and her three assistants have been fired pending the completion of their contracts.
The last time that Iowa St. has discontinued a sport was 2001 when it canceled baseball and men’s swimming and diving.
Scholarship commitments will be honored for any women’s gymnast who elects to remain at ISU to complete their degree and they will be allowed to use Iowa St. facilities.
Complete statement from Cyclones AD Jamie Pollard, Click HERE
