On Nov. 9, local gymnasts Janiya “JJ” Coleman and Ruramai “Rue” Chibanda put ink to paper, and signed their letter of intents to compete collegiately next fall.

Both currently train at G-Force Gymnastics Academy, and both are level 10 gymnasts.

It was a packed house as family, friends, coaches and fellow gymnasts gathered to celebrate Coleman’s and Chibanda’s hard work and dedication.

Family, friends, coaches, and fellow gymnasts gathered to celebrate Coleman’s and Chibanda’s hard work and dedication. Photo by Daniel Zuniga

“I am honestly so grateful because without them I couldn’t be where I am today, and … I feel like I am going to cry. They supported me, motivated me, kept me going when I felt like I wanted to quit,” Coleman said.

Coleman will be competing for Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and joins a program that was 13th in the nation this past year.

“I am looking forward to something new, honestly, just hoping to be the best me that I can, maybe get a ring, take them to a championship, get top-10 rankings,” Coleman said.

Chibanda will be competing for Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and joins the school’s newly created acrobatic and tumbling team in their inaugural season.

“I felt a lot of support over here, and growing with this team has been awesome,” Chibanda said. “Thank you for all the support, and I love you all so much!”