2024-2025

Bottom Row: Roame Hildebrand, Derrick Priester, Ashley Redman, Linnea Spear, Ian Yowell, Jacob Royle, Emily Kubinak, Nick Schellberg, Luke Montfort, Johnny Manzari, Zephyriah Spaar, Bridget Evinger, Saul Weatherholtz, Ronith Abbu, Sandeep Poloju

Second Row: Tyler Ostrowski, Samuel Capati, Carlota Zabala, Alvaro Serrano Jiminez, Javon Lecky, Tomas Harris, Olive Beverly, Jacob Barsam, Artina Zarpak, Jake Amster, Victor Quacoe, Max Burkes, Ryan Magnani, Emma Arenstein

Third Row: Todd Supple, Faith Kung, Aggie Baum, Sophia Marchionini, Javier Lorenzo, Fiona Rioux, Bihan Shen, Daria (Dasha) Didenko, Alison Layton, Matt Panayos (Historian), Elena Fox-Bland (Vice President), Ali Clingan (President), Joey Murray (Secretary), Bryant Rivera Cortez (Treasurer), Michael Kwan, Edan Miller, Tatiana Hogston, Vernon Smith, Teaghan Doran, Angie Prescott, Ben Prescott, Megan Miller, Emma Oroxom

Fourth Row: Josh Montfort, Kevin Merrick

Director & Head Coach: Josh Montfort

Assistant Director: Ben Prescott

Assistant Head Coach: Angie Prescott

Assistant Coaches: Todd Supple, Faith Kung, Kevin Merrick, Emma Oroxom, Megan Miller

Officer Body

  • President: Ali Clingan

  • Vice President: Elena Fox-Bland

  • Secretary: Joey Murray

  • Treasurer: Bryant Rivera Cortez

  • Historian: Matt Panayos

Award Recipients

  • Best Act: Teeter — Jake Amster, Jacob Barsam, Ali Clingan, Elena Fox-Bland, Tomas Harris, Javon Lecky, Javier Lorenzo

  • Best Female Trouper: Elena Fox-Bland

  • Best Male Troupers: Javier Lorenzo

Regaining traction

With each new season comes changes, and one of those changes arose in the coaching staff this year. Previously Assistant Coach Angie Prescott was promoted to Assistant Head Coach. She has been a part of the program since 2001 and coaching since 2006. During her time on the troupe, she was the first woman to perform on the big Pyramid pole, the first female Chairs act coordinator, and she has been the longest serving female coach in the program’s history.

Finally, it seemed as though the team was rising to a size and skill level closer to where it had been before the pandemic. The season’s shows began quickly, with two shows added in the fall: a UMD women’s basketball halftime performance, and a road show for an event at the Maryland Air National Guard. When added to the pre-existing Flip-a-thon, College Park Day, and Mock Show, these shows made for an unusually busy fall semester for troupers. 

The Maryland Air National Guard show in particular was a special one for the team. Although performing for military morale is not foreign to Gymkana, this was the first military-related show since 1989’s performance at Fort George G. Meade— a rich part of Gymkana’s history revived. 

The troupe also gained a second third-generation trouper this year, Johnny Manzari IV, son of Christine (Redding) Manzari and Johnny Manzari III, and the grandson of John Manzari Jr. He joined Joey Murray, son of Bryan Murray and grandson of Dr. Joseph Murray, along with Head Coach Josh Montfort’s own son Luke, in a legacy troupers Men’s Triples balancing act.

As usual, the spring semester brought difficulties. Spirits sank when newly-appointed Assistant Head Coach Angie Prescott announced an unexpected leave for the rest of the semester less than two weeks before the first show in the spring. Then, the rehearsal before the first road show was cancelled due to a snow storm, leaving the team feeling unprepared for the performance ahead. As always, the team pulled through and put on an amazing show.

Home Show also had its fair share of mishaps. The troupe was scheduled to set up in the Xfinity Center on Tuesday so they could rehearse on Wednesday. Troupers loaded the trucks on Tuesday afternoon and headed over the Xfinity Center. However, Maryland Men’s Basketball hired a new head coach that week following the Terps’ loss during the Sweet Sixteen, and the university decided to hold a press conference on the floor of the Xfinity Center with his arrival. The team had already begun setting up when the details were announced, and had to tear down the equipment and leave it in the hallway of the Xfinity Center for the night. Despite not adjusting call time for Wednesday’s rehearsal, the team was able to both set up and rehearse on Wednesday night without a hitch— they were even dismissed well before 11 p.m.

During the first act of the first night of Home Show, one of the senior members of the troupe, Javier Lorenzo, took a bad bounce on the mini trampoline, knocked over the entire stack of six people, and sliced his shin open on the corner of the tramp on the way down. He was treated by coaches and paramedics and was taken to the hospital quickly, but the team was anxious and worried for the rest of the night. As one of the most active troupers on the team, many acts had to be quickly reworked to operate as seamlessly as possible without him. Javier was supposed to perform the handstand on the big pyramid pole that night, and instead of replacing him, the pole was raised and remained empty to honor him. Thankfully, he returned for the second night and performed Rings, Chairs, and Pyramids with a heavily bandaged leg. 

With a successful season behind them, the troupe had high spirits heading into the 80th year.


Itinerary
10/5/2024 — College Park Day

11/9/2024 — Flip-a-thon

11/10/2024 — Women’s Basketball Halftime Show vs. Duke

12/6/2024 — Mock Show 

12/8/2024 — Maryland Air National Guard

2/14/2025 — Hagerstown Community College

2/21/2025 — University Park Elementary School

2/26/2025 — Men’s Basketball Halftime Show vs. Michigan State

2/28/2025 — Grasonville Elementary School

3/7/25 — Deer Crossing Elementary School

3/14/25 — UMD Center for Young Children (in-gym)

3/28/25 — Parr’s Ridge Elementary School

4/4-4/5/2025 — Home Show

4/26/2025 — Maryland Day