Rutgers Gymnast Named Big Ten Co-Specialist of the Week After Career Performance
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The Rutgers gymnastics program reached a new pinnacle this week. The team centered around a performance that was as much about historic numbers as it was about personal perseverance. On Tuesday, the Big Ten Conference officially announced that Rutgers graduate student Emily Leese has been named the Big Ten Co-Specialist of the Week.
Emily Leese Sets Rutgers Scarlet Knights Vault Record at Pink Invitational
The honor follows Leese’s extraordinary showing at the Pink Invitational this past Saturday. Her contributions were the driving force behind the Scarlet Knights’ team victory in the quad meet.
THE 🐐
— Rutgers Gymnastics (@RUGymnastics) March 10, 2026
Emily Leese is your Big Ten Co-Specialist of the Week!! 🌟
🔗 https://t.co/cOAI6eqDlP pic.twitter.com/kc2CIHfRKZ
Every routine seemed to carry extra energy, and when the scores flashed across the board, it was clear something memorable had just happened. By the end of the meet, Leese had delivered the kind of performance that becomes part of program history.
The centerpiece of Leese’s award-winning weekend was a historic rotation on the vault. Performing with precision and power, Leese stuck her landing to earn a 9.950, setting a new Rutgers program record.
The moment was the highlight of the Pink Invitational and quickly became the talk of the meet. Judges rewarded the routine with one of the highest scores seen in Rutgers gymnastics history. And with that, the crowd inside the arena responded with a roar that reflected just how significant the moment was.
The score eclipsed the previous school record of 9.925, a mark that Leese herself had previously shared with other Rutgers gymnasts. She had last hit that 9.925 mark in March 2024, shortly before an injury forced her out of competition.
By pushing the record to 9.950, Leese has now established the highest vault score ever recorded in the history of Rutgers gymnastics. Leese’s impact at the Pink Invitational did not stop with vault. Her routine earned a 9.925, tying her career high on the event.
Together, her vault and floor scores represented the best marks recorded by a Rutgers gymnast this season in those events. The team's victory in the quad meet was fueled by strong routines across the lineup, but Leese’s contributions stood out as the driving force behind the win.
A Remarkable Comeback Defines Emily Leese’s Final Season
What makes Leese’s current success even more meaningful is the journey she took to reach this point. The graduate student is competing in her final collegiate season after an incredibly difficult recovery from an Achilles injury.
The injury was severe enough to keep her completely out of competition during the entire 2025 season. Instead of performing during what should have been her senior year, Leese spent that time watching from the sidelines and focusing on rehabilitation. Rather than ending her career that way, she chose to return for a graduate season. That decision has now produced one of the most inspiring comeback stories in Rutgers athletics.
Throughout the 2026 season, Leese has consistently delivered strong performances. Earlier in the year she helped Rutgers earn a major Big Ten road victory at No. 24 Maryland on February 7, recording a 9.800 on vault and a 9.900 on floor.
Her floor routine also shined at the Ball State Tri on January 11, where she posted a 9.900. The season opened with another strong performance at the Rutgers Tri on January 4, where she captured the vault title with a 9.900 and added a 9.825 on floor.
The conference had already recognized her potential earlier this year when she was named a 2026 Big Ten Gymnast to Watch. She is a multiple-time NCAA regional individual qualifier on vault and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors in 2024.
In 2023, she helped Rutgers achieve a program-record team score of 196.875. The following season, she collected 11 event titles before her injury, including a standout victory at the George Washington quad meet, where she finished ahead of 23 other vaulters.
Beyond the gym, Leese has built an equally strong record academically. She has been named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. She is currently preparing for a future career as a physical therapist.
Before arriving at Rutgers, Leese was already a standout athlete, earning recognition as a three-time State All-Around Champion during her high school career. The Scarlet Knights will host the Rutgers March Quad this Friday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena. The meet will feature Western Michigan, New Hampshire, and LIU, creating a competitive environment for the final regular-season tune-up.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.