Two Parkettes Gymnasts Sign With Division I Programs
Kirsten Santana and Keira Gontkosky will compete at the University of Maryland and San Jose State, respectively.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Gymnastics
Two members of the Allentown-based Parkettes gymnastics program have signed to compete at the Division I level. Kirsten Santana signed to participate at the University of Maryland, and Keira Gontkosky signed with San Jose State.
Why it matters
The signings mark a step up to college-level gymnastics for two athletes from the Parkettes program in Allentown. The athletes credit the program's coaching and family culture with shaping their confidence and their choice of college.
Two athletes from one Allentown gymnastics program signed to Division I gymnastics programs on November 11, 2026, according to the signing announcements. The source does not report scholarship amounts, competition schedules, or when either athlete will begin competing.
The players
Parkettes
A gymnastics program based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, whose members have signed to Division I programs.
University of Maryland
A public university in College Park, Maryland, and the destination of Kirsten Santana's signing.
San Jose State University
A public university in San Jose, California, and the destination of Keira Gontkosky's signing.
The details
Kirsten Santana signed to participate at the University of Maryland, and Keira Gontkosky signed with San Jose State. Santana credits the Parkettes coaching with rebuilding her confidence in competition, while Gontkosky said she sought a college with the family culture she found in the Parkettes program.
Timeline
November 11, 2026: Two Parkettes gymnasts signed Division I programs.
Season Trajectory
The signings add two athletes from a single Allentown club to NCAA Division I gymnastics rosters, extending a pipeline that moves club-level gymnasts into college programs. The source does not describe how the signings affect either college team's competitive standing.
Fans following Division I gymnastics can track Kirsten Santana at Maryland and Keira Gontkosky at San Jose State as they enter their college programs. The source does not give start dates or competition schedules for either athlete.
The takeaway
Club programs like the Parkettes can serve as a direct route to college gymnastics, and athletes often choose schools based on the team environment as much as on athletic fit. Readers interested in youth gymnastics pathways can use these signings as an example of how that route works.
Further reading
For more on how local club athletes move into college programs, see Gymnastics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WFMZ.
