The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
Even in the final year of the sport, it wouldn’t have been a true Millikan gymnastics season if the Rams hadn’t come out on top.
That was the case during the Rams’ final gymnastics meet ever on Friday night at Millikan, where they took down St. Joseph 145.3–142.2 to finish with an eighth consecutive Moore League championship. Millikan’s Eva Esqueda was named the Moore League Gymnast of the Year with an all-around score of 36.150.
“All of us on this team have worked so hard for this so it’s just so rewarding knowing that the hard word paid off in the end,” said Esqueda.
“I’m just so proud of the girls,” added Millikan coach Ashleigh Ferguson. “I think that they just really shined out there today and they came for it. We just thought, ‘Let’s have a good time together and let’s love each other. It’s our last meet ever.’ There were tears after every single event but in the end it was all them. Their talent spoke for itself. I will admit, it felt nice.”
The win marks the Rams’ 16th title in the last 17 years, dating back to when Ferguson first started coaching at Millikan in 2009. The Rams had been without a championship for 22 years prior to Ferguson’s arrival.
Ferguson’s final season may have also been her most challenging, as she had to overcome a rare cancer called liposarcoma at the start of the season. Millikan hosted a tribute for Ferguson before the final meet in honor of the final season of her gymnastics program, which was attended by former gymnasts from throughout her tenure at Millikan, including one from the beginning of her career.
Esqueda made the podium in three of the four events and narrowly edged St. Joseph’s Katie Bell in the all-around scoring by just five-hundredths of a point. Millikan’s Milan Blanco placed third overall and made two podium appearances. Sofia Barba finished fourth and was top five in every event.
