It could have unraveled before it even began. Just two weeks into the 2025 season — and mere days before the Scarlet Knights were scheduled to head to Happy Valley to face Penn State — Rutgers gymnastics was rocked. The head coach Umme Salim-Beasley was placed on paid leave, an unexpected move that often spells disaster in the world of college athletics. Remember when Michigan State head coach Kathie Klages stepped down midseason in 2017? Yeah, the Spartans finished the season with the lowest rankings in 18 years. That’s what happens. Momentum disappears. Trust fractures. Seasons slip away. But Rutgers had other plans. Instead of collapsing under the weight of uncertainty, the Scarlet Knights rose and authored a season for the ages.
In 2025, Rutgers Gymnastics enjoyed its most historic campaign in more than a decade. The Scarlet Knights earned the program’s first NCAA Regionals Championships berth since 2014, a moment nearly 11 years in the making. Their ticket was punched with a 196.225 at the Big Ten Championships — the highest team score Rutgers has ever posted at the conference meet since joining the league in 2015. It was the culmination of a season built not just on skill, but on resilience, belief, and something even deeper: family.
The gymnasts deserve their share of the spotlight, no doubt. So do the staff and countless hands that supported the team through the turbulence. But when the story of this season is told, one name must rise prominently: Anastasia Candia. Candia — a former Scarlet Knight herself — stepped into the interim head coach role in January, just as the ground beneath the program seemed to shift. However, Rutgers Interim Athletic Director Ryan Pisarri didn’t mince words when he removed the “interim” tag and named Candia the program’s head coach, calling her someone who “cares deeply for this program.” And under her tutelage, the program shone this year. How so?
According to standout gymnast Rachael Riley, it all came down to the environment that Anastasia Candia fostered. Speaking with Gymnastics Now, Riley described Candia as “really supportive and such a strong person,” adding that her leadership helped the Scarlet Knights build “a lot of trust in ourselves and everyone else.” Yet, true to her character, Candia wasn’t interested in taking the spotlight. Calling the experience of stepping into the role a “full circle moment,” the four-year letter winner credited the program’s support system and the strong foundation of trust within the team for their success.
Also, Anastasia Candia couldn’t hide her pride. “I don’t think there is another coaching staff in gymnastics in this country that has so many alumni on staff,” she said with a smile. “That is something to be proud of in itself.” And she’s right. The foundation of her success as interim head coach wasn’t just in her leadership but in the unique family dynamic she cultivated. She remarked, “It’s so nice to be able to be on the same page with the people that you’re working with. It makes coming to work not seem like work.”
Her staff wasn’t just a group of coaches — it was a team built on shared history and mutual respect. Well, Candia’s college teammate, Danielle DeMarco, who competed alongside her at Rutgers in 2012 and 2013, was by her side. And so was Stephanie Zannella, a gymnast Candia had mentored, who competed for the Scarlet Knights from 2021 to 2024.
With this kind of support system in place, Candia felt a renewed sense of hope. And if the 2025 season was any indication, it was just the beginning. The program had given a glimpse of what was possible — a trailer of the championship-level future that could be theirs.
A phenomenal gymnastics season for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The 2025 season? Yeah, pretty historic for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights didn’t just break records — they redefined what was possible. The team posted three of the program’s top eight all-time scores, with two of the highest uneven bars scores and two of the best balance beam scores ever seen at Rutgers. On top of that, they earned a spot as the No. 22 team in the nation on beam — a remarkable feat for a program on the rise. But the success didn’t stop there.
With 16 victories this season — the most since 2014, when Candia herself was competing as a student-athlete — Rutgers showed they were ready to make their mark once again. And the recognition wasn’t just for the gymnasts. Anastasia Candia was named the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Region 3 Head Coach of the Year, a well-deserved honor for the leader who steered the program to new heights.
Not to be outdone, Danielle DeMarco and Michael Rosso were named WCGA Region 3 Assistant Coaches of the Year, further highlighting the strength of Candia’s coaching staff. In every way, 2025 was a season to remember — a true testament to hard work, unity, and the unstoppable drive of the Scarlet Knights.
The post Rutgers Gymnastics Begins to Heal as Head Coach Stays Positive for Future After Historic NCAA Season appeared first on EssentiallySports.