In a stunning decision, March 2026 saw Iowa State announce that it had discontinued its gymnastics program. Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard made the statement that confirmed the end of the 50-plus-year-old program. In it, he revealed that they did so because of “unresolvable” issues between parents, players, and coaches. That decision arrived less than a month after the school abruptly canceled the remainder of the 2026 season.

Now, on the back of that, a current Iowa State gymnast has responded to Pollard’s statement and touched upon what happened behind the scenes. In a letter shared with Gymnastics Now, the anonymous Iowa gymnast believes that the school and “its athletic administration” failed the athletes. They were given “empty promises” and a program that didn’t help or protect their rights.

The athlete revealed that the team eventually decided to go to the administration with their concerns. They submitted their issues to Senior Associate Athletics Director Shamaree Brown.

“We came forward through emails and forms submitted to Brown on November 11, 2025,” the athlete wrote, as per Gymnastics Now. “We wrote pages and pages about everything that had been going on in the gymnastics program.

“We spoke up about not feeling safe, that we hadn’t been prepared well to be able to successfully and safely compete in our first meet in 3 weeks, that we are not listened to by our head coach, Ashley [Miles Greig]; and that Ashley’s interactions with our team and assistant coaches was often incredibly hostile and unprofessional.”

However, as per the letter, it didn’t help. That is despite bringing up situations and quotes of what the head coach, Ashley Miles Greig, said to them. Instead, despite assurances that the officials would look into it, they took no action. To make matters worse, the athlete revealed that the administration had ignored their concerns from the day they filed the complaint until the program’s discontinuation.

They went on to talk about how they had a lack of support from the get-go and were hamstrung by a body that had left them heartbroken. The athlete revealed that Pollard has been “absent from this program” and hasn’t protected their “safety as gymnasts.”

Ex-Iowa State head coach K.J. Kindler hits out at Iowa State Gymnastics

That does come as a little surprise, as former coach K.J. Kindler’s 2006 departure hinted at problems behind the scenes. A former star with the school, Kindler returned as head coach and led the program to championship heights. During her six-season tenure, she coached seven NCAA individual qualifiers, nine regional event champions, and 13 Big 12 Champions.

They ended the 2006 season with their best-ever national ranking and the Big 12 Championship. But then months later, Kindler departed the program, and Pollard claimed that it stemmed from disagreements over investment. Reports around the time indicated that the head-coach wanted the school to upgrade the practice facility, among other things.

However, as per Forbes, upon her decision to leave in 2025, Haylee Young had something similar to say. A former member of the coaching staff and a decorated Iowa gymnast, she pointed out that the gymnasts were competing in “inadequate” training facilities. It mirrored what Kindler said, albeit nearly twenty years later.

However, now, the current Oklahoma head coach took a swipe at Iowa State Gymnastics after the announcement. In a statement to the Des Moines Register, Kindler talked about her profound disappointment to “eliminate” the program. However, she wasn’t done.

“This outcome follows a troubling pattern of chronic underinvestment, unsafe and inadequate facilities, and a failure to provide the consistent oversight and care that student-athletes deserve,” Kindler wrote as per the Des Moines Register. “What is most disturbing is the attempt to place blame on the sport of gymnastics itself. That narrative is not just inaccurate, it is unjust.”

She went on to touch upon the fact that college gymnastics is thriving across the country, as one of the “fastest-growing women’s sports in the NCAA”. Kindler also echoed the letter, where the athlete wrote that they hoped the administration would “treat the new women’s collegiate team” better than the administration treated them. What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments below.