Erie, Pa., — After a tragic season-ending Achilles injury last season, Brianna Arre, base, and tumbler, has successfully returned to the mat with high hopes for her and the team. The senior carries the 4th-ranked Golden Knights in 6 heats. In the most recent home meet against Fairmont State, Arre delivered a near-perfect 9.95 performance in the 5-element acro heat with fellow seniors Courtney Solensky and Ali Price.
“I hope to make the most of this season & enjoy my time with the team. Because I didn’t get to compete last year due to injury, I don’t want to take this year for granted. A season can be taken from you in the blink of an eye, so you have toenjoy every minute of it while you can. I hope to continue to live in the moment the rest of the season and come out on top these next few meets leading up to nationals” (Arre).
The Virginia native was a competitive gymnast before transitioning to acrobatics and tumbling, reaching level 9 before her recruitment process with Gannon. She credits her success and inspiration to her mom.
“Losing my dad at a young age was tough on the whole family, but she managed to continue to work as an ICU nurse and take care of three children. On top of that, she went back to school and has completed a master’s degree in nursing. Seeing my mother not only overcome such a tough personal setback but persevere and push herself to achieve more despite loss has been so inspiring for me. Seeing my mom in action and the things one can accomplish pushes me and drives me every day to be the best I can be” (Arre).
Arre proves her best to her teammates and her academic peers. She is in her 4th year in the Gannon Physician’s Assistant program, maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout her time here as a student-athlete.
“Bri not only excels on the mat but also in the classroom. She is a successful Physician Assistant student and outperforming the competition across the mat. She is extremely passionate about being a student-athlete for Gannon University. She takes a lot of pride in helping the acrobatics and tumbling team continuously achieve nationally ranked status. Her dedication and hard work as a student-athlete sets the standard for future acrobatics and tumbling athletes” (Alivia Fink MS, LAT, ATC, GUAT Athletic Trainer).
“Bri exemplifies being the perfect student-athlete. She is in a rigorous academic program as a PA student as well as being a crucial member of our high-caliber acrobatics and tumbling team. She prioritizes her health, relationships, academics, and athletics so well and through this, she is the perfect role model for the other members of our team. Having such a successful and dominant senior is so crucial because she leads by such a great example that the rest of us can be inspired by and want to be just like her” (Courtney Solensky, Senior GUAT).
The Golden Knights are currently 6-0 this season, with a season-high 278.605 against Fairmont State at their final home contest of the 2024 season. The Golden Knights are off to Waco, Texas to battle the 8-time reigning NCATA national champions on Saturday, March 16.
The Knights held their own against the bears but fell 278.715-275.555 at the Ferrell Center. The arena was electric, with 1,617 fans in attendance as the 2022 NCATA national championship rematch took place on Baylor’s senior night. By halftime, the Knights trailed by just 0.15, 96.05-95.90. Gannon hit their first team event of the season and scored an outstanding 95.83.
“We knew going into it that it would be a close meet. We knew we could be up or down by a few points, maybe even tenths.”
“-Team event ultimately would be the deciding factor at the end of the day. We fought hard and competed even harder. Our performance in team event was the best this season. We’re walking with our heads held high knowing we did our best at this meet- yes it was a loss, but we walk away winners because of how proud we are of how we did” (Arre).
This meet concludes four straight meets, all against top ten teams. The Knights will face off against Quinnipiac, currently ranked third, on April 6, at the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Connecticut. The acro team continues their regular season now 6-1, hoping to climb the NCATA rankings come late April for the 2024 NCATA National Championship.
“What’s next for me after acro is finding something else that I am super passionate about and can devote my time and energy to. For so long part of my identity was tied to athletics. Falling in love with being an athlete and falling in love with the sport of acrobatics and tumbling. Some people may struggle with that kind of transition, but I’m looking forward to finding something to continue to keep my love alive for athletics. Although it’s coming to an end doesn’t mean I have to lose passion for something else in life” (Arre).
“Something we have always exaggerated as a team is being ‘relentless’ and Bri is the epitome of this. She has carried numerous rounds of play in many different positions throughout our time here and when she was down with an Achilles tear last season, she carried the role of being our vocal leader. Whether it is in the classroom, on the mat, or just in life in general you will not meet a better human being than Bri Arre. I could talk about all the reasons that make her a fantastic person all day long” (Solensky).
