What could have been a worse-case scenario for ASU Sun Devil Gymnastics than the current one? The program has already been facing a question mark on making it perfect in the ongoing gymnastics season. The overall 5-4 result speaks volumes about that. Furthermore, this season, the program lost its home opening match. But hold on! As there’s another bad news waiting for the program. 

While the season is moving toward the middle part, ASU Sun Devil Gymnastics had to hear a terrible update. The program will have to continue on the mat without a senior’s service. Notably, the senior had once made it big at the Junior Olympic Nationals. Also, she had phenomenal results at the Region 1 Championships. Apart from those, this season, she took a prominent role in helping the Sun Devil claim a respectable position in the Lone Star Collegiate Invite. But now the situation has taken a 360-degree turn!

The senior, Alexandra (Alex) Theodorou, had to bid goodbye to her senior year in the gymnastics program. On February 6, the 23-year-old wrote a detailed Instagram post to reveal the update. In the post, she blamed her continuous injuries for forcing her to take such a decision at the fag end of her college gymnastics career. But what were her injuries? 

Well, the post read, “This summer I had ankle reconstruction surgery following a dislocation at the end of last season. Sadly at the beginning of this season, I have re-torn one of the ligaments in my ankle and have to undergo another reconstructive surgery in the coming weeks. “ While battling with the fangs of such injuries, the comeback option became MIA for her. It’s almost mid-gymnastics season, and she’s dealing with another injury. And the process might take months to help her gain full fitness.

Therefore, Alex Theodorou had no option left except to retire in her senior year. But in the post, she expressed her elation for a different reason. What was that? In the post, the Phoenix native added, “I can’t wait to step into a new role and cheer on the team for the rest of this season and enjoy every moment with them❤️.” Will she remain with the squad and attend the matches from the sidelines? It could be the case. And if it does, the ASU Sun Devil Gymnastics program will promote a bright picture of team bonding. But what about her performance throughout these years? 

Well, Alex Theodorou’s supremacy has been in the vault event. Last year she touched the 9.800 mark six times in her nine appearances. In 2023 as well, she kept her performance line intact with nine 9.80 and above and four 9.90 and above in 10 meets in the vault. Against the table-topper Oklahoma, she stamped her career high on the vault event (9.925) and helped her program reach the season high in the event (49.400). Now, in her absence on the mat, who will lead the Sun Devil Gymnastics in the vault event? An evident question to enter the picture! But with the whole roster consisting of all-around gymnasts, it shouldn’t be much of an issue. The gymnasts, such as freshman Halle Braaflat, have already scored 9.750 on vault against Iowa State as her season high on January 31st, 2025.

But now the question is, what about Alex Theodorou’s further goal? Apart from the gymnastics duty, does she have any unfinished jobs at Arizona State University? 

The all-round star has another goal away from the gymnastics mat 

The 2023 Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll, the 2024 Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll, and the WCGA Academic All-American (2022, 2023, and 2024)—a few accolades for Alex Theodorou achieved in her collegiate gymnastics career. But the talented individual didn’t keep herself limited to sports only. She has left a few marks in her academic career at ASU. She is a medicinal chemistry major and mathematical minor with a 4.0 GPA in the 2024 fall semester and aspires to be a doctor. Yes! Someone who has been juggling sports and an academic career has a dream to make her presence felt in a prominent field. Wouldn’t that be a tough job?

Well, Alex has been maintaining her balance while walking through the tightrope. Even once she confessed, “To get high school homework done, I’d have to do it in the car. That’s how the schedule demanded it.” Yet she stood firm, and now she is in her senior year, far away from her gymnastics commitment because of her injuries. Will she be completely focused on her studies in the days ahead? No statement has come on that. But in the past, Alex said, “I don’t regret taking a harder major or choosing to study what I want to study. And I would never let the fact I’m an athlete change that,” as reported by ‘ASU News.’ So, will this determination mark a positive ending to her college stint at ASU? What do you think?