The Simpson College men’s gymnastics team hosted the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Greeneville University for Senior Day on March 7, 2026 in Fiterman Training Center, where the Storm came in second in the tri-meet.
Seniors Alex Catchpole, Christopher Duane, Connor Jenkins, Sterling Pariza, Ethan Sipos, Milo Staley and Jake Sweeten were recognized at the conclusion of this meet. This senior class was the inaugural class for the Storm.
Junior Brian Rollison and sophomore Braxton Jones were event champions to help the Storm reach a score of 300.000. Rollison earned a 13.400 on the still rings while Jones scored a season high of 14.400 on vault.
“It was truly awesome to know that I can compete with some of the best in the country, and I have aspirations to be an All-American on rings, so this win really boosted my confidence,” Rollison said.
For Rollison, becoming an All-American would mean finishing within the top eight in the country.
Rollison said this meet was special for the team, and winning over their rival, Greeneville, made it more special.
“Getting the win on senior day was the best way to cap it off, especially since we had every senior compete in at least one event,” Rollison said.
Alex Catchpole, a senior for the Storm, had to sit out for most of the season due to medical reasons. However, he was able to compete for the first time this season on senior day.
“It was very surreal to be back in the gym, especially because it was my first time training and competing in the new facility; it just felt like a dream that I didn’t want to wake up from, and I loved being back with all of the guys,” Catchpole said.
Catchpole said being with his teammates on this special day meant a lot to him.
“For me, it was a tremendous experience returning from brain surgery earlier this year, and it showed my hard work and perseverance through the last few months [while] recovering at home paid off and were worth it to get to this moment,” Catchpole said.
Other notable performances at this meet included Staley, first-year Noah Doiron and Alex Campbell. Staley tied for third on vault, while Doiron got second for all-around and Campbell placed fourth on rings.
The Storm will return to the competition floor on Saturday, March 14 against the College of William & Mary and the United States Naval Academy in Williamsburg, Virginia.
