ISU gymnastics coach Jay Ronayne announced that Ashley Kent and Jasmine Thompson will serve as captains for the 2008 season.

“I selected Ashley and Jasmine to lead their team for obvious reasons – they are both leaders,” Ronayne said. “They understand the big picture of our mission here at ISU and have the respect of their peers to back them up.”

Kent, a junior from Calgary, Alberta, was a regular on bars and beam in a freshman season that earned her the ISU Most Improved Gymnast Award. She missed most of the 2007 season after suffering a knee injury in the third meet of the year. Kent has twice made the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Thompson, a junior from McDonald, Ohio, was a key contributor in all-around competition last year after redshirting her initial collegiate season. She earned the Mari-Rae Sopper Award Jan. 19, against Nebraska, signifying the most outstanding and inspiring performance of the night. She has also been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice.

“Their motivation for success in competition and in the classroom has helped the team achieve a lot over the past couple of years, and now their leadership is recognized formally by giving them the title they deserve,” Ronayne said. “I couldn’t ask for two better captains for my team.”

– ISU media relations