KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan gymnastics team and head coach Penny Jernigan announced the signing of three future Broncos for the 2018-19 academic year in Sterlyn Austin, Carissa Ludwig and Carleigh Stillwagon.

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"Our gymnastics program has a long tradition of excelling academically and all three of these young women are dedicated students as well as talented gymnasts," commented Jernigan. "We believe they will fit in beautifully in our team's culture and will help us as we strive to win championships both in the classroom and in athletics." 

Sterlyn Austin – Thomasville, Ga. – North Oconee High School
Austin brings a wealth of experience to the Broncos roster. At the 2017 Georgia State Championships she placed fourth in the all-around competition and was crowned floor champion with a 9.625 score. The Thomasville, Ga. native also competed at the 2017 Region 8 Championships scoring a 9.525 in her floor routine, good for third overall. During 2015, Austin placed second in two events at the Georgia State Championships including the beam and the all-around. She also ran track at North Oconee High School in 2016 and plans to study biology at WMU.
 
Jernigan on Austin: "Sterlyn is an explosive athlete. Although she came on the scene late in the recruiting process, she's a phenomenal talent. Bronco fans will love watching her perform at the collegiate level, especially on floor."


 
Carissa Ludwig – Pontiac, Mich. – Clarkston High School
Ludwig is a 2016 Junior Olympic National qualifier who competes all-around. She won the all-around in the 2016 Michigan State Championship with a 37.6 score. She also competed in the 2016 Region 5 Championships were she was crowned the vault champion and took third in the bars. Ludwig is a member of the National Honor Society and is on the honor roll at Clarkston High School. As of now, she is undecided on her major.
 
Jernigan on Ludwig: "Carissa is a strong all-around gymnast. Her stand out events are vault and floor. We expect to see her make an impact in both those line ups and provide some depth for the team on bars and beam."


 
Carleigh Stillwagon – Red Bank N.J. – Monroe Township High School
Stillwagon is another strong competitor who placed first at the 2017 New Jersey State meet on the floor. She has qualified for level 10 regionals since 2011. Stillwagon has been a member of the National Honor Society since 2016 and plans to major in sports management, minoring in business.
 
Jernigan on Stillwagon: "Carleigh is an all-arounder. She has very strong fundamentals on every event and her technique shines through in training and competition. We expect to see her vying for line ups on all four events next season."


 
The three athletes will be watching closely when the 2017-18 Bronco squad opens their season at home on Sunday, Jan. 14 against Illinois-Chicago.