NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut State University gymnastics standout Abby Royer was selected to compete as a Floor Exercise specialist in the 2026 NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championships, as announced by the NCAA on Monday, March 23, 2026. Royer will compete in the Lexington, Ky. Region on Apr. 2-4, 2026.  

Royer will compete in the second round of the regional and will qualify for the NCAA National Championship Semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas by finishing as the top individual, not on an advancing team, at the regional competition. Royer's selection makes her the first SCSU gymnast to be selected to a NCAA Regional since Gina Accabo competed in 1997. She is the 11th SCSU gymnast selected all-time, dating back to 1983.  

Royer, also named a GEC Floor First Team selection and a GEC Scholar-Athlete, qualified with one of the top 16 National Qualifying Scores of event specialists. Among all NCAA gymnasts, Royer posted a NQS of 9.905. She currently averages 9.894 through nine competitions this year.  

At the 2026 GEC Championships, Royer captured the Floor Exercise title with a 9.925 for first place. Royer became the second Owl to win a GEC Championship after Angel Lee won the 2023 GEC Balance Beam Championship.  

Her top performance came in her first meet of the season on Jan. 17 when she landed a program-record 9.95. She replicated that feat the following week. Her mark of 9.925 at the GEC Championships was her second-best mark while she also posted a 9.90 in a trimeet against Bridgeport, Brown and LIU on Mar. 8.