KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan gymnastics program and head coach Penny Jernigan announced the signing of Makenna King (Valparaiso, Ind./South Central) in a National Letter of Intent last Wednesday.

"Coach Scharns and I believe Makenna will make an immediate impact on our lineups next season," said Jernigan. "She is a great all-around athlete who continues to surprise us with the improvements she's making in the gym right now. She's got incredible technique on bars and her tumbling has that 'wow-factor.' Bronco fans are going to love watching her. She's also a strong student which makes her a great fit for our program's culture."

King was a Level 9 IHSAA All-Around Regional Champion and State Runner-Up in 2019. She was furthermore a Level 10 Illinois State Meet Champion on the beam with a score of 9.3 in 2021. She has competed on the club level for Phenom Gymnastics under coaches Marco Bravo and Jessica Holtz.

As a student, King has been on the academic honor roll as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She is also a member of the softball team at South Central High School.