The crowd at Littlejohn Coliseum erupted as NCAA Star sprinted down the runway, launched into the air, and made history. In one electrifying moment, the redshirt junior nailed a move so difficult, so iconic, that only a handful of gymnasts in the world have ever dared attempt it. With her move, she has secured her place in one of the best spots in the collegiate history books. The audience knew they had witnessed something special. But what came next? That was even bigger.

Clemson’s Brie Clark didn’t just deliver a jaw-dropping performance—she became the first NCAA gymnast to successfully land the legendary ‘The Biles I’. A move named after the greatest gymnast of all time. And when Simone Biles herself took notice, offering praise to the rising star, it was a moment of validation unlike any other, it was like life had come full circle. With this feat in her pocket, she has joined the elites, she is one among the only five to have pulled it off. Simone Biles herself, Hillary Heron, London Phillips, Trinity Thomas and of course, Gabrielle ‘Brie’ Clark.

It was none other than her coach, Amy Smith, who put Clark’s achievement into perspective. As the first-ever head coach of Clemson women’s gymnastics, Smith has been at the forefront of the program’s rapid rise. In an interview with FOX Carolina News, Smith couldn’t hide her excitement. “That was history tonight—she was the very first collegiate gymnast to successfully compete and land and execute uh the Biles I,” That is quite a feat, and it becomes all the more admirable that the Alabama native, in an attempt to prove her mettle, went far beyond her comfort zone to execute the move.

Usually Clark performs a double layout which represents a demanding move including two straight-body flips without twists. But that night instead of her habitual double layout routine she chose a dangerous combination. ‘The Biles I’ displays doubled the challenge due to its two straight flips, which include a specific half-twisted completion of the second flip. The move is considered difficult for its precarious blind landing. But the Clemson senior wasn’t looking to play safe, she was looking to create history!

What’s more, with the backing and support of the legendary Simone Biles, Brie Clark is all set on her path to achieve greatness.

Brie Clark’s historic feat earns Simone Biles’ praise

Teenage Biles kickstarted her mission to revolutionize gymnastics when she introduced ‘The Biles I’ skill as her display at the 2013 World Championships. The Biles I move was initially designed as a leg injury prevention technique, but has now evolved into a highly difficult athletic maneuver. For most gymnasts, the move is a test of how far they have come and when it comes to Brie Clark, she has passed the test with flying colors.

The 11x Olympic medalist was absolutely floored. She shared Clark’s routine on her Instagram Story and made no attempt to hide her excitement, “I KNOW THAT’S RIGHT 👏.” But she didn’t stop there. Flooding the Clemson Gymnastics Instagram page with praise, Biles dropped another comment—“Congrats 👏👏”—before adding a final celebratory note: “& closing out Black History Month! YES MA’AM 👏 iktr!!!!!!” For Clark, the moment was surreal. Biles bestowed a heartfelt endorsement on Clark, which served to validate her historic achievement on such a prominent stage of gymnastics. But let’s be honest, she has always been terrific.

Even not considering her recent exploit, the Alabama native remains a standout for Clemson, consistently scoring 9.90+ in recent meets. While at Utah State, Clark established records as a WCGA All-American by surpassing the NQS standard with 9.940 points. She showed her dominance as a vital team member, adding value to Clemson University’s improving gymnastics program, and now with Simone Biles’ validation, her drive to better herself just received a boost like none other!