Old Bridge Gymnast Laurie Hernandez Passes Up College Scholarship to Turn Pro

Old Bridge, NJ - Laurie Hernandez, the 16-year-old New Brunswick-born pride of Old Bridge, will be passing up a college scholarship to turn pro after she competes in the 2016 Rio Olympics, USA Gymnastics announced Thursday.

Hernandez, who lives in Old Bridge and is a student at Abeka Academy High School, has decided to forego her collegiate eligibility and has officially signed with Sheryl Shade of Shade Global, a sports marketing firm. With that decision to turn pro, she passes up a full gymnastics scholarship to the University of Florida, NJ.com reports. The decision will, however, allow her to earn endorsement and advertising money as a professional gymnast. Hernandez met fans in the area after Old Bridge High School gave her a public send-off earlier in July.

“I am excited about what it means to compete at the highest level of this sport and really want to focus on elite gymnastics for the next four years,” said Hernandez. “This was not an easy decision to make, but by making the decision now, it allows me to focus entirely on gymnastics and how I can enjoy this sport that I love.”

“Right now, I am focusing on how I can contribute to the success of this team here in Rio, and prefer this does not become a distraction to me or my teammates," she added.

Hernandez currently trains at MG Elite (Monmouth Gymnastics Academy) in Morganville and her coaches are Maggie Haney and Victoria Levine. Here's the full list of the 35 New Jersey athletes who will be competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Laurie Hernandez, Team USA photo