With the end of the gymnastics season here, it is time to say goodbye to another successful Hamline athlete. After spending four seasons competing for the Pipers, Senior Briana Bridgeford must say farewell to the bars and beams she holds so closely to her heart.

“I absolutely love this school! I am so glad that I chose to come to Hamline. I wouldn’t have it any other way. My friends and teammates have become like family, so of course it saddens me to be leaving,” Bridgeford said.

While Bridgeford has called Hamline’s campus her home for the last four years, it was not that long ago that she herself was a first-year, stepping into the new atmosphere that is college academics and athletics. Bridgeford is very thankful for the opportunity to have competed at Hamline and to be a part of Hamline’s gymnastic program during her time spent here.

“The world of gymnastics is pretty small. Thankfully, my club coaches knew Hamline’s head coach Doug Byrnes, so they put me in contact with him. So, Doug came to a couple of my meets and I came and visited, and it just fit. I really liked the school and the area, and of course I liked the team and the coach, so that kind of solidified my decision,” Bridgeford said.

Bridgeford was voted one of the gymnastics captains this year. Over the past four years, Bridgeford has become an instrumental piece to Hamline gymnastics program. The key role she has played can be seen in many meets since she has been a Piper, including her most recent and final home meet against Gustavus Adolphus, where she scored 9.175 to win the Uneven Parallel Bars event.

“My time here at Hamline has gone really well. I have definitely improved over the last four years. Coming in as a Freshman you don’t really know what to expect. It is definitely more of a team based sport in college rather than individual, so that was a bit of an adjustment, but like I said feel like I have improved a lot,” Bridgeford said.

This improvement has definitely not gone unnoticed, as Bridgeford has assembled a fairly impressive resumé over the course of her time here. Her accolades range from small awards such as being voted most improved by her teammates to conference-wide honors such as MIAC Athlete of the Week as well as being named an Academic All-American this season.

Although Bridgeford knows that Hamline was the right choice for her, the rigor involved with college athletics is often too much for some athletes. It unquestionably takes a certain kind of person to withstand the bumpy ride to the finish that comes with a college athletic career. This diligence is one thing that Bridgeford is most proud of.

“Well, my Freshman class came in with seven new recruits and we ended with only two, so that kind of shows the dropout rate I guess. I’m just glad that I stuck through it,” Bridgeford said.

Now that her collegiate career is nearly over, the big question is what the future has in store for Bridgeford. Athletics play a large role in Briana’s life, which is partly why she is presently studying Exercise Science here at Hamline, but she also has larger life plans.

“I am currently majoring in Exercise Science and I am planning on going to graduate school for physical therapy,” Bridgeford said.

Along with her hopeful future in physical therapy, Bridgeford also made it clear that she looks forward to keeping gymnastics on her radar and making sure that it continues to be an ongoing part of her life in some way.

“Maybe on the side I might do some coaching for some young kids. I really enjoy doing that. We will see how everything goes, but I will definitely keep it a major consideration,”said Bridgeford.