Nicole Harris’s unexpected departure shakes up ASU

Nicole Harris has resigned her scholarship and left the Arizona State University gymnastics team, one of ASU’s student publications reported this morning.

…Harris resigned her scholarship as of Wednesday. She notified the coaching staff last week of her decision to part ways with the program.

“I knew what was best for me, and that was to stop torturing my body,” Harris said in a phone message Thursday. “It was just painful to sleep at night, and that’s when I knew. Unfortunately, the timing sucks, and yes, I’m letting a lot of people down, but I have to listen to what my intuition is telling me.”

ASU coach John Spini said the team was “shocked” when Harris announced her departure from the team.

Spini goes on to say that Harris has been facing some “personal issues” and added that he believes she is done with gymnastics entirely.

ASU is currently ranked no. 20. Harris, who came from the Parkettes gym in Allentown, Pa., was considered a sleeper candidate for the 2004 Olympic team. Her former Parkettes teammate Tia Orlando, whose difficult tumbling also made her a viable 2004 team candidate, is also at ASU and is a team leader on balance beam.

In 2003, Harris’s story was featured in the CNN documentary on the Parkettes, which portrayed the gym in a mostly negative light.

Tags: John Spini, Nicole Harris, Tia Orlando