With half of the athletes on Western Michigan University's gymnastics team being newbies this season, it could have taken awhile for them to get into the routine of campus life on and off the practice area.

Head coach Penny Jernigan didn't have to worry about that…her three captains, senior Sidnei Heubach and juniors Brooke Gelesko and Julie Korfhage, had things covered.

The Broncos open the 2026 season on Sunday with a 1 p.m. home meet against Wilberforce University.

''The three captains are the reason everyone has bonded very well,'' Jernigan said. ''They got into it right away, reaching out to the newcomers during the summer, planning team activities.

''The maturity and positivity they bring has been huge for the team.''

Many of the returning gymnasts are battle tested. Gelesko, Korfhage, senior Hannah King, juniors Reese Samuelson and Hannah Milton and sophomore Reilan Garvey, the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year last season, all competed in the MAC meet where the Broncos tied for third, just four-tenths of a point from first place.

''It was like one fall away from first place,'' Korfhage said.

''It was two or three more stuck landings and we would have been there,'' Heubach said.

''It's a new slate now and we're really looking forward to the new season,'' Gelesko said.

Besides the freshman class of Isabella Ciolfi, Casey Mooney, Breanna Ford, Amy Robins, Molly Sabin, Olivia Sabin, Peyton Stanos and Linda Uro, Jernigan dipped into the transfer portal for the first time for junior Kate Parks (Ohio State) and sophomore Aliyah Kelly (Northern Illinois).

''We had recruited Kate and Aliyah previously, so we already knew them and they knew us,'' the coach said. ''It was easy for them to come in and fold into our system.''

The freshmen stretch from coast to coast as Ciolfi is from Boston and Mooney is from Washington.

''They are two opposites who both did very well at the Level 10 nationals last year,'' Jernigan said. ''Casey will do all-around on Sunday and Bella finished 10th at nationals and will do vault, beam and floor for us, ultimately being an all-arounder.

''You put the returners with these new athletes, and we have a fantastic group.''

The entire team has already shown the coaching staff what a hard-working group they are.

''We couldn't have team practices during exam week, but we opened the practice area from 8 a.m.-to-11 a.m. in case they wanted to continue working out,'' Jernigan said. ''Every one of them came in at 8, and they could have come in anytime between 8 and 11.

''I didn't say a word about coming in. The leadership from the captains set an example and the rest of the team followed that example.''

The three set examples on different apparatus.

''I love bars and I was injured a lot in club gymnastics so I spent a lot of time on bars,'' Heubach said. "I have bad ankles.''

''My best is probably the vault (9.75 in the MAC meet),'' Gelesko said. ''It was pretty cool because when I came to Western Michigan, I didn't do vault and they completely taught me. Within two weeks, I was in an intersquad meet, then I was competing in a meet.''

''Beam is my favorite (9.825 in the MAC meet, tied for third),'' Korfhage said. ''In club, I wasn't very good at it and I didn't have the confidence. I didn't do well right off the bat when I got here, but I had so many reps and coaching and it helped me prepare for meets.''

Jernigan wanted to get her team off on the right foot, so she scheduled the home meet for Sunday.

''We are one of only a handful of teams competing this weekend and I wanted to do that because we are young and I wanted their first meet to be at home,'' the coach said. ''I'm excited for everyone to see this new team and what they are capable of.''