BVA grad Gaul won鈥檛 use extra year of NCAA eligibility
It was announced Monday night that the NCAA voted to grant an extra year of eligibility to all student-athletes in spring sports whose seasons were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One student-athlete who will not accept the extra year of eligibility is University of Louisville senior Gianna Gaul.
A 2015 graduate of Belle Vernon Area, Gaul has made the decision to not return for the 2020-21 season as a discuss thrower on the track & field team at Louisville.
鈥淚 have accepted a full-time position at Newport News Shipbuilding after graduation,鈥� said Gaul, who will be a Mechanical Engineer 1 in the Nuclear Engineering Department for the company. 鈥淚t is an opportunity that I am very excited about.鈥�
With all of the talk the last few weeks about the NCAA possibly granting another season of eligibility, Gaul said the thought crossed her mind.
鈥淚 would be lying if I said I haven鈥檛 thought about the possibility of coming back,鈥� said Gaul, who will finish all of her degree requirements at the end of this month with the graduation ceremony being postponed until December. 鈥淏ut I accepted the position (in Newport News) in July, 2019 when I was still interning there.鈥�
Gaul was on spring break with some teammates at her aunt鈥檚 beach house in Corolla, N.C. when they found out on March 17 that all spring sports were canceled.
鈥淲e were prepared that it was a possibility, but we were remaining hopefully that it wouldn鈥檛 be completely canceled,鈥� she said.
Louisville鈥檚 first meet was scheduled for March 20 at Georgia Tech.
鈥淎t first, it was very unreal but it鈥檚 starting to sink in that I won鈥檛 be competing this season,鈥� Gaul said. 鈥淲hen I found out, I was honestly very disappointed.鈥�
However, it did not take long for Gaul to look at the bigger picture.
鈥淚t was heartbreaking, but the situation that is currently going on in the world is very scary, so I definitely understand why the season was canceled.
鈥淚 think it was a good call to try and keep everyone safe.鈥�
After graduating from BVA, Gaul started her collegiate career at Seton Hill for one year before transferring to Louisville, where she is on a partial academic scholarship and was a preferred walk-on.
As a freshman, Gaul took fifth place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and she said that was her biggest Seton Hill highlight.
Two accomplishments that she mentioned as standing out at Louisville were hitting a personal best of 48.75 meters during the 2019 season and making it to the 2019 ACC championship meet.
What will Gaul take with her from her days at Louisville?
鈥淚 have learned so many lessons on and off the track at UofL,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have learned to always put 100% effort into everything and pay attention to details.
鈥淎lso, I have learned to always be committed, accountable, respectful and determined, which is our CARDS motto.鈥�
With her career cut short prematurely, what will Gaul miss about this season?
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely going to miss competing as I had some big goals for this year that I was excited to try to achieve,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am also going to miss my coaches and teammates as we are a family and it鈥檚 already different not seeing them every day.
鈥淚 am eternally thankful and grateful for the opportunity to compete at the University of Louisville.鈥�
Gaul continued.
鈥淭rack has allowed me to have some opportunities that I never thought were possible and has allowed me to meet some really amazing people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t ha=s become such a huge part of my life and I am going to miss it so much.
鈥淚t truly has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.鈥�
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