Soccer was supposed to be Andie Marshall's calling.
Both of her parents, Brady and Annie, played soccer at BYU, and they figured their daughter would eventually follow in their footsteps.
Only things didn't quite go as planned.
While the other kids chased soccer balls up and down the field, Andie, now a junior at Ripon High, was more interested in doing cartwheels.
“Do not tell anybody that we played Division I soccer because this is so embarrassing,” Annie recalled joking to Brady.
Little did they know, those cartwheels would lead to a five-star gymnastics rating from College Gym News and a commitment to the University of Utah.
“Trust your gut, trust your muscle memory and just go for it,” Annie said. “You can do it. I've struggled with my mental
health throughout gymnastics, and it's something I still deal with today. But through it all, the best thing you can do is trust yourself.”
So far, it's taken her a long way.
Along with Utah, she received offers from Oklahoma, Auburn, Clemson, Michigan, Missouri, Florida, and UCLA.
“We always dreamed of having our kids compete in college athletics, but we knew it was a long shot,” Annie said. “You're talking about the 0.1%. Oklahoma, which is No. 1 year after year. Auburn, which my husband loves so much he even got to see a football game. UCLA, an academic powerhouse. And then Utah, BYU's rival, but we'll let that slide. We never imagined any of this would be possible. She's a dream of a teenage daughter to have.”
And it has served her just as well in competition.
Andie has twice competed at the USA Gymnastics Development Program National Championships, the highest national event for top-tier junior competitive gymnasts in the United States.
In 2025, she took second in the Junior B all-around, which combines scores from vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. A year later, she returned to finish third in the Junior D all-around, first on uneven bars and third on vault.
Every podium finish came at Level 10, the program's highest competitive level.
“There's always going to be hard times,” Andie said. “Don't quit when things get hard, but don't stay comfortable, either. Keep pushing yourself and find joy in the little things. There will be moments when you want to throw in the towel, but those are the moments when you have to keep working. Trust me, I'm a testament to it.”
'Never quit on a bad day'
Twice, Andie thought about walking away from gymnastics.
Twice, those moments ended up changing the course of her career.
The first came before eighth grade. Competing at Level 9, she watched her scores slip as the struggles continued to mount.
“I didn't think I was going to make it,” Andie said. “I was just having a lot of mental blocks and mental issues.”
In response, she joined Royal Gymnastics, a training facility and competitive team in Tracy, a move she credits with helping shape the gymnast she's become.
“She was a very athletic gymnast,” Royal Gymnastics coach Melia O’Quinn said. “But she didn't have the foundational elements she needed to reach her goals. We had to take a few steps back before we could take steps forward.”
Those steps backward, though, brought her to another crossroads.
Heading into high school, Andie was moving up to Level 10 while juggling 28 hours of gymnastics practice each week, classes and homework.
For the second time, she found herself considering whether to continue.
"Our philosophy as a family is you're never going to quit on a bad day," Annie said. "If you want to quit, make it after, like, the best day."
What followed was a Northern California state championship for Royal Gymnastics in March 2025, with Andie leading the way.
She posted a career-best all-around score of 38.9, good for first place.
“Andie is one of just six five-star recruits nationwide in the class of 2028,” O’Quinn said. “She's extremely special in what she does, and that's why she was so sought after as a recruit.”
Andie added, “It's never just sunshine and rainbows, but it's all worth it.”
'Trust yourself'
Two months after winning the state championship, Andie was in Salt Lake City, UT, warming up for the USA Gymnastics Development Program National Championships.
There was just one problem.
The move that helped her win state wasn't working. Not once during warmups could she land it.
“It was a very unique combination on beam,” Andie said. “It was called the gainer layout step-out, layout step-out series.”
O’Quinn didn't give her an ultimatum. Instead, she gave her one option.
Go out and compete it.
“I trust you,” Andie recalled O’Quinn telling her. “You just have to trust yourself.”
With that, playing it safe was no longer an option for Andie.
She went on to finish second in the all-around, posting a 38.425 and earning a place on the DP national team.
“Andie is just a fantastic competitor,” O’Quinn said. “She truly exhibits nothing but joy on the competition floor. She absolutely loves being out there, and it's so fun to watch. She definitely gets nervous, but she's at her best when she's competing. She really thrives under pressure.”
Annie added, “Melia turned around and looked at me and said, ‘Do you realize what she just did?’ I'm thinking, ‘We played soccer. We're still learning this whole gymnastics thing.’ Then she said, ‘She pretty much just earned herself a scholarship to any college she wants to go to.’”
The following year brought more success at nationals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she won uneven bars (9.85), placed third on vault (9.8) and finished third in the all-around (38.6), securing another spot on the DP national team.
“The USA Gymnastics Development Program is the top program in the country for gymnastics,” O’Quinn said. “It's where the NCAA draws its college gymnasts from, and many never even make it to nationals, let alone place. With more than 60 athletes in each age group, finishing in the top three and making a DP national team means you're among the best of the best.”
Even with her college future secured at Utah, Andie isn't finished chasing bigger goals.
Next on her list is the Nastia Liukin Cup, an annual competition featuring some of the country's top junior and senior female gymnasts, founded by USA Gymnastics and Olympic champion Nastia Liukin.
Qualifying means winning either the Next Era meet in Seattle in January 2027 or the Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2027.
It's a steep challenge, but if there's one thing Andie has shown, it's that she isn't afraid to take a chance.
“Don't play it safe,” Andie said. “Put in the work, and the results will eventually show. Just trust yourself.”
This article originally appeared on The Record: Ripon gymnast Andie Marshall's journey to becoming a five-star Utah commit
