NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Before there was proof, there was belief.
Before packed meets, national attention, and scores that demanded respect, there was a single question surrounding Fisk University’s gymnastics program:
Could this actually work?
Morgan Price answered that question the moment she stepped onto the mat.
She didn’t just compete. She set a standard.
Every routine, every landing, every score made it harder to ignore what was happening inside Fisk’s gym. She gave the program credibility before it had history. She gave it visibility before it had stability.
And in doing so, she helped turn an idea into something real.
Building Something That Didn’t Exist
But Morgan Price was not alone in building that reality.
From the beginning, Fisk’s first head coach, Corrinne Tarver, brought something just as critical as talent—knowledge of the pipeline.
Tarver understood the landscape because she had lived i
t.
A former NCAA champion at the University of Georgia, Tarver was part of the 1980 national championship team and became the first Black gymnast to win an NCAA all-around title. She had competed—and succeeded—at the highest level of the sport. She knew where the talent was, even when the system did not fully see it.
She understood what had been missing.
And more importantly, she understood how to connect the two.
There had always been Black gymnasts with the ability to compete at the highest level. What Fisk created—under Tarver’s leadership—was a place for that talent to land. A place that was intentional, visible, and unapologetic in its purpose.
This wasn’t accidental.
It was designed.
Recruit by recruit, routine by routine, the program took shape. Not as an experiment, but as a statement—that HBCUs could exist, and compete, in spaces where they had long been absent.
And it started with someone who already knew what excellence in that space looked like.
A Program in Transition
The program’s rise was not without disruption.
About February 19, 2025, founding head coach Corrinne Tarver stepped down, closing the first chapter of Fisk gymnastics just as it was still finding its footing. Her impact was already clear—she had built the roster, established the standard, and connected a pipeline that had long existed without a home.
But her departure created an immediate question:
What happens to a historic program when its foundation is suddenly without its architect?
That answer would not come easily.
In the weeks that followed, Nuriya Mack stepped forward as interim head coach, moving from supporting role to the front of a program that carried national attention and cultural significance. It was not a gradual transition. It was immediate.And it came with pressure.
Mack was not just managing lineups or practice schedules. She was being asked to stabilize something that meant more than wins and losses. Fisk gymnastics had become a symbol—of opportunity, of visibility, of what HBCUs could build when given the chance.
Now, in real time, she had to prove that the program could withstand change.
Interim roles are, by nature, uncertain. They test leadership in compressed time. They demand clarity without guarantees.
Mack met that moment.
She brought consistency where there could have been disruption. She maintained structure where momentum could have slipped. And most importantly, she kept the athletes focused—not on what had changed, but on what still needed to be done.
By the time her role transitioned from interim to permanent leadership, the program had already answered its biggest question:
It could endure.
A Final Season Defined by Growth and Resolve
The foundation had held through transition. The leadership had been established. And the focus had shifted from survival to growth.
That responsibility now fully belonged to head coach Nuriya Mack.
And in 2025–26, her team responded—with performances that reflected everything they had endured to get there.
This season was not easy.
It was shaped by weather disruptions, injuries, and constant adjustment. But through it all, Fisk never fractured. It regrouped. It refocused. And it continued to improve.
That resilience showed clearly in the team’s final regular season meet on March 15, 2026, at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where Fisk posted a 189.250 to close the regular season.
But more than the score, it was how they competed.
From the opening rotation on uneven bars, the tone was set.
- Aiyana Thomas opened with a 9.15
- Ciniah Rosby followed with a strong 9.675
- Hadassah Diggs delivered a season-high 9.25
- Kennedi Johnson closed the rotation
Bars—once a developing event—had become a symbol of the team’s growth.
On vault, the momentum carried.
- Makia Rosado led with a 9.075
- Hadassah Diggs powered through for a season-high 9.65
- Ciniah Rosby added a steady 9.7
- Aliyah Reed-Hammon contributed a 9.65
- Aiyana Thomas closed with a season-high 9.5
By the time Fisk reached floor, the confidence was visible.
- Liberty Mora brought energy and scored a 9.275
- Aliyah Reed-Hammon added a 9.75
- Allie Berkley contributed a 9.525
- And Ciniah Rosby elevated the moment with a season-high 9.85
Then came beam—the final test of focus.
- Aliyah Reed-Hammon opened with a 9.825
- Sophia Pratt delivered a season-high 9.65
- Allie Berkley followed with a 9.7
- Ciniah Rosby remained steady at 9.725
- Hadassah Diggs added a standout 9.825
- Liberty Mora closed with a clean 9.325
It was Fisk’s highest-scoring event of the meet.
That performance wasn’t just execution.
It was maturity.
“This was a great experience for them to go against Air Force,” Mack said. “The team went through a lot this season. This was a good way to cap off the regular season.”
And it set the stage for what came next.
Six Athletes. Eleven Events. One Final Stage
A few days later, Fisk’s postseason reality came into focus.
Six gymnasts qualified for the 2026 WCGNIC in West Chester, Pennsylvania, competing across 11 events—a significant achievement for a roster of just 11 athletes.
“With only 11 on the roster, it is quite an accomplishment,” Mack said. “It truly shows the dedication, talent, and determination of all the athletes.”
Those six now carry the final chapter:
-
Ciniah Rosby (Junior) – All-Around qualifier for the third consecutive year
- Season highs: 38.95 AA | 9.85 Floor | 9.75 Bars
- Finished 4th All-Around and 5th on Beam at nationals last year
-
Aliyah Reed-Hammon (Senior) – Fourth consecutive nationals appearance
- Competing on Vault, Beam, and Floor
- Chasing a third straight All-American honor
-
Allie Berkley (Senior) – Fourth nationals appearance
- Battled through injury to return
-
Liberty Mora (Senior) – Returning from surgery
- Former All-American, competing on Floor
- Zyia Coleman (Senior) – Back at nationals for the first time since her freshman year
-
Hadassah Diggs (Freshman) – First season, first nationals appearance
- A breakthrough performer in multiple events
This group reflects the full weight of the moment—experience, resilience, and unfinished goals.
Now, the Final Stage
At the 2026 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championship (WCGNIC), March 27–29, Fisk steps onto the national stage one last time—no longer as a program proving it belongs, but as one that has already left its mark.
They arrive tested.
They arrive prepared.
They arrive together.
Six gymnasts will take that stage—each routine representing a season defined by resilience, growth, and resolve. From veterans making their final run to a freshman stepping into her first national spotlight, this moment reflects the full arc of the program.
For the seniors, it is the last time wearing Fisk across their chest.
For the younger athletes, it is the responsibility to carry forward what has been built.
For head coach Nuriya Mack, it is the task of guiding it all to a proper and meaningful close.
The routines are still ahead.
But the meaning is already clear.
This is not just an ending.
It is a final statement—from the athletes who stayed, who competed through adversity, and who carried Fisk gymnastics all the way to the finish.
This program was built on the legacy of generations of Fiskites, and these student-athletes now stand among them—legendary for what they achieved and what they overcame.
Their names, their routines, and their impact are now part of Fisk University’s story—forever etched into an institution that has carried its mission for more than 160 years and will carry theirs forward for generations to come.
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