University of Minnesota Athletics
Alexandra Balakirev - 2026-27 Women's Rowing Roster
Alexandra Balakirev
- Class:
- Freshman
- Position:
- Novice
- Height:
- 5-4
- High School:
- Lakeville South HS
- Hometown:
- Lakeville, Minn.
HIGH SCHOOL
• Graduated from Lakeville South High School in 2026 with a 4.0+ grade point average
• Earned the STEM Academy Award upon graduation
• Competed with the Elite Gymnastics Academy
• Was a four-time Minnesota state gymnastics champion and a three-time Region 4 winner
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Vadim and Oksana Balakirev, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine and Kazakhstan more than 20 years ago
• Parents own Elite Gymnastics Academy in Burnsville, Minn., where she was trained since she was 18 months old
• Has a younger brother, Eli, and a younger sister, Viktoria
• Loves gardening, being outdoors, and posting all about it on her gardening Instagram page
• Enjoys traveling, especially going to national parks across the United States, and has visited 43 parks so far with plans to complete the full list
• Also loves painting, singing, and coaching gymnastics at her parent's gym
• Chose the University of Minnesota because " I could get a top engineering education in the College of Science and Engineering while staying close to my family and the community that raised me. I fell in love with the campus and the people here right away, and being nearby means I can still work for my family business, be there for my family, and see my gymnastics family while I'm in school. I've been going to Gopher gymnastics meets for as long as I can remember, and becoming a Gopher was always my dream as a gymnast before college. I didn't come into college knowing I would be an athlete, so finding rowing and having it unexpectedly make that dream come true has been the biggest bonus of all."
• Graduated from Lakeville South High School in 2026 with a 4.0+ grade point average
• Earned the STEM Academy Award upon graduation
• Competed with the Elite Gymnastics Academy
• Was a four-time Minnesota state gymnastics champion and a three-time Region 4 winner
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Vadim and Oksana Balakirev, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine and Kazakhstan more than 20 years ago
• Parents own Elite Gymnastics Academy in Burnsville, Minn., where she was trained since she was 18 months old
• Has a younger brother, Eli, and a younger sister, Viktoria
• Loves gardening, being outdoors, and posting all about it on her gardening Instagram page
• Enjoys traveling, especially going to national parks across the United States, and has visited 43 parks so far with plans to complete the full list
• Also loves painting, singing, and coaching gymnastics at her parent's gym
• Chose the University of Minnesota because " I could get a top engineering education in the College of Science and Engineering while staying close to my family and the community that raised me. I fell in love with the campus and the people here right away, and being nearby means I can still work for my family business, be there for my family, and see my gymnastics family while I'm in school. I've been going to Gopher gymnastics meets for as long as I can remember, and becoming a Gopher was always my dream as a gymnast before college. I didn't come into college knowing I would be an athlete, so finding rowing and having it unexpectedly make that dream come true has been the biggest bonus of all."
Monday, September 28
Friday, May 08
Wednesday, October 08
Monday, April 21
