'Black girl magic' in Las Vegas: Fisk University gymnastics schedules national debut

Fisk University's gymnastics team is taking its "Black girl magic" to the national stage, opening its inagural season among collegiate powerhouse programs next month in Las Vegas.

"They're honored. They're ready to get started. It's been a long preseason," head coach Corrinne Tarver said Monday.

"They know the impact of being the first HBCU program. They understand the importance of it. They understand the significance of it, how they'll be making history as they step on the floor."

The team of 16, largely freshman, will compete Friday, January 6, at the inaugural Super 16 invitational at Orleans Arena to kick off the collegiate gymnastics season. The team will compete between 4 and 10 p.m.

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Fisk will compete against teams from the University of North Carolina, University of Washington and Southern Utah University. Teams from the University of Georgia, Oregon State, Rutgers and Stanford will also compete Friday. Arizona State, Auburn, BYU, University of California — Berkeley, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma and UCLA will compete Saturday.

"We were super, super honored that Fisk agreed to open their season in Las Vegas at this event," Mike Burg, an event promoter, said Monday. "I think it's an incredibly fantastic opportunity for us and I know I'm going over the moon, but it's really an honor to be working with Fisk to be able to kick off the vision, the season."

The invitational is an opportunity for Fisk's teams to be counted among the elite. Three Olympians — Auburn's Suni Lee, Oregon State's Jade Carey, and UCLA's Jordan Chiles — are all expected to compete at the event with their respective teams.

"This is an opportunity to be on podium, on TV, and have really great competition," Tarver said. "I guess I could have started them off with a much easier meet, ease them into the season, but if you look at our first three meets I'm basically pushing them off the deep end. I also want them to have that opportunity to compete on the same stages as the already established programs."

Fisk University Gymnastics Team Schedule:

• Friday, January 13: at University of Michigan

• Monday, January 16: at University of Georgia

• Friday, January 20: USA Classic Invitational in Lebanon, TN

• Sunday, January 29: at Ball State University

• Friday, February 3: at Rutgers University

• Friday, February 10: at Southeast Missouri State University

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Fisk University gymnastics team to make debut at Super 16 invitational