Gracie Reeves, an all-arounder from Phoenix, was a rock for her teammates while she competed at ASU gymnastics from 2020 to 2024.
Collecting event titles and leaving a lasting impression on her teammates, Reeves was an undeniably valuable member of the Gym Devils.
Now, two seasons later, Reeves returns to her alma mater as an assistant coach, contributing to an ASU gymnastics team that she once competed for, and building on the vision that first sold her on the program in 2020.
Current ASU all-arounders Lilia Purler and Halle Gregoire both had the opportunity to compete alongside Reeves during their freshman seasons, taking note of the steadying presence she brought to the chaos of life as a student athlete.
"She was very influential for me and helped guide me a lot when I first got to school," Purler said.
Not only was Reeves an invaluable leader for the Gym Devils, but she proved to be an incredible teammate as well, providing a competitive spirit and a genuine passion whenever it was needed.
READ MORE: Gym Devil escapes permanent dismount with a fifth year
"Gracie was a really, really fun athlete to coach," head coach Jay Santos said. "She brings really positive energy."
Reeves felt like she and her fellow gymnasts were "on fire to be successful" during her tenure as a Sun Devil.
This shared sense of purpose and perseverance was a result of the work the team put into building their competitive nature alongside their positive culture — a labor of love that Reeves did not shy away from.
"I knew that we were striving for something bigger than us and growing that legacy at ASU gymnastics," Reeves said. "That was something that was really important to me, that I could contribute to a growing program."
This belief in the future of Sun Devil gymnastics, combined with that same fire Reeves brought as a competitor, has been a hallmark of her first trial runs coaching her former team.
While the team is only running voluntary practices at this point in the season, Purler shared that Reeves has been a regular in the gym and brings an intimate knowledge of what it takes to be an elite gymnast at ASU — a trait that sets her apart from non-alumni coaches.
"She just knows what it takes throughout preseason, where we need to be at certain times of the year that some other coaches that came from other programs wouldn't know as well," Purler said.
Santos did not hire Reeves solely based on her close ties to ASU gymnastics. The passion, intelligence and profound knowledge of gymnastics that she brings to the table were the driving forces behind his decision to bring her onto the coaching staff.
However, he cannot deny the impact that having a former Gym Devil as an assistant coach brings to the team.
"The added bonus is she's an alumni," Santos said. "She is super passionate about ASU. She loves it. She bled it her entire time here."
That "something bigger" that Reeves felt the team reaching for when she joined is not an intangible goal that ended with her time competing as a Gym Devil.
READ MORE: Bigger than themselves: how the Gym Devils are honoring their 50th anniversary
Alongside Santos, the other coaching staff and Sun Devil gymnasts, Reeves deeply believes in the need for the team to fight for a top-ranked spot and "continue this legacy and continue the name" of ASU gymnastics.
An all-arounder in the gym and an all-around teammate, athlete and coach, it is clear that Reeves is ready to vault into the world of coaching and elevate her former team to the greatness she knows it can achieve through her love and devotion for Sun Devil gymnastics.
"This place is home to me," Reeves said. "I wouldn't want to coach anywhere else."
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Natalia Jarrett and Claire Bixby
Reach the reporter at bcsmit41@asu.edu.
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Brooklyn Smith is a sports reporter for The State Press and an English Literature and Economics student at ASU. She is in her 2nd semester with The State Press.Â
