One of Montana's rising sports stars is headed to a perennial national championship contender.
Reese Esponda, a Helena native, announced her verbal commitment to LSU's gymnastics program Monday evening via social media.
Related: Learning alongside world's best has Montana gymnast Reese Esponda ready to fly
"I am beyond grateful and incredibly excited to officially announce that I have verbally committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) on a full-ride athletic scholarship!" Esponda posted to Instagram, adding thanks to family and coaches. "This moment is truly a dream come true."
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Esponda, a current junior in high school who also held an offer from Alabama, is part of LSU's 2027 recruiting class that reeled in commitments from a number of other highly-sought after commits on Monday as well.
Esponda grew up in Helena before moving to Missoula in 2020 to continue her gymnastics training. As her talents continued to rise, in 2024 she relocated to The Woodlands, Texas, in the Houston area, where she began training at the elite World Champions Centre alongside the likes of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles.
MTN Sports caught up with Esponda last summer to talk about her growth in the sport, hailing from Montana and training alongside the sport's most decorated athletes. Her rise included making the U.S. Junior National Team in 2023 as well as jumping up to international competition. In 2025, Esponda has competed at the XFinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships as well as the 2025 U.S. Classic.
LSU is one of the most decorated gymnastics programs in the country. The Tigers won the national championship in 2024 and finished fifth in 2025 and carried a No. 1 ranking during the season.
