When Fisk University announced it was starting gymnastics back in the fall of 2022, the general feeling was great in terms of symbolic importance, but beyond that, what would be the impact? As the first HBCU to venture into this athletic area, there was no precedent, nothing to make a comparison with or to beyond simply wanting to do well. That first team in 2023 was profiled everywhere from CNN to CBS and on the NCAA’s website. Their first major recruit was Morgan Price, a high school phenom and five-star recruit who was initially headed to Arkansas before coming to Fisk. When asked why she’d choose a fledgling HBCU program over an established SEC powerhouse, her response at the time was a simple one. “To be honest, I don’t have the answer,” Price said back then. “I’m just blessed that God paved the way for me to graduate (high school) early and to start off this program with my teammates. It’s amazing that now HBCU gymnastics is starting and it’s starting to grow very quickly. In my heart, I knew the reasons why and how important it was to go to Fisk,” she said.
Price was a building block. She earned a 9.9 in her first collegiate meet and was consistently one of the team’s top scorers that season. The program was launched with a group of freshmen and half-a-dozen transfers brought in by head coach Corrinne Tarver, who at that time was just getting her career going. She’d previously been the assistant gymnastics coach at Penn. Before that, she was at Georgia and was the first Black gymnast to win an NCAA all-around title in 1989, winning her second of two NCAA team titles at Georgia (1987 and 1989). She also was named a U.S. National Team member during the 1985-1986 season. Tarver wanted to be a combination inspiration, mentor, and example to aspiring Black gymnasts while also showing that an HBCU could be competitive in a sport largely white-dominated.
“I’ve never had an African American coach, so just to know that she was also a big-time college gymnast as well really helps and motivates me,” Price said in 2023. “I know she went through the same struggles that I as a college gymnast now go through. She really cares about her athletes.” That first team had 15 women of color on its roster, the total number of Black women gymnasts on all the top five teams in the NCAA rankings. Fisk’s early success, coupled with the national publicity they attained, convinced other institutions like Talladega College to follow in their footsteps and also create a gymnastics program.
Flash forward to the last day of Black History Month 2025. Fisk once again made history, this time in a competitive fashion. They defeated host Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) and the University of Bridgeport in a meet, becoming the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) gymnastics team to triumph over both an NCAA Division I and Division II team in the same meet. Leading the way was no less than who you would have expected, Morgan Price. She had multiple victories, winning the All-Around with a score of 39.35, the Vault with a 9.75, and the Bars with a 9.85. Price also tied for first place on the Floor with a 9.875. “We pushed through all four events,” an excited Price said afterwards. “We kept the energy high; we did what we know, and we came away with the W so I’m super excited.”
But she was not the only big winner. Teammate Aliyah Reed-Hammon took first place on the Beam with a score of 9.85, thus securing a first-place sweep for Fisk. The Bulldogs led after each rotation, and their combined score of 194.600 was the highest in team history. But this is the second time this season that Fisk surpassed this formidable mark. The team has won five straight meets, despite dealing with a major change.
Pioneering coach Tarver left the program last month, indeed a few days before the historic meet. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce my departure from my role as head coach of the Fisk University women’s gymnastics program,” Tarver said in a Facebook post. “This experience has been one of the most remarkable of my life, and I will always cherish it… While my time here was shorter than I had envisioned, I trust in God’s plan. So, with a heavy heart, I bid you all farewell. Thank you for everything.” She didn’t explain her departure. Fisk issued a press release announcing assistant coach and social media coordinator Nuriya Mack as the interim head coach. “I am thrilled to lead Fisk’s gymnastics team and continue building upon the team’s success,” Mack said. “It is an honor to guide these student-athletes and contribute to the program’s growth.”
It was under Mack’s guidance that the team had its historic victory. Fisk Athletic Director Valencia Jordan added, “Fisk has built a strong gymnastics program that has become a beacon of light for the university and young ladies nationwide. The future of Fisk University’s gymnastics program remains bright and dynamic. The university is poised to embrace new leadership and will continue to fervently support our young women who give their all in every competition.”
Mack was credited with helping a key team member, Liberty Mora, achieve a personal best on her floor routine. “We have been challenging Lib all year,” Mack noted, “and today, she showed up.” Mora’s commitment to improvement and her dedication to the team were evident in her floor routine, where she achieved her personal high. The Fisk team has compiled an impressive five wins in a row. They have two more regular season matches scheduled before the championships in April. But regardless of the record in those upcoming matches, the Fisk gymnastics team has already emerged as huge winners on the athletic scene and trailblazers for HBCUs.
