By Nate Salsman
Coming off a rollercoaster 2024 that noticed one of the vital spectacular NCAA seasons so far, the 2025 NCAA gymnastics season can have no scarcity of drama, intense match-ups and unbelievable, highflying gymnastics. Listed below are 5 key storylines to search for within the upcoming season!
Plus! Keep tuned for our interviews with Georgia’s Lily Smith and Arkansas’ Joscelyn Roberson!
Oklahoma’s Comeback
SEC Loading! Final season, Oklahoma was the definition of domination. They earned a rating of over 198 twelve instances and completed the season ranked first on each occasion apart from flooring, the place they ranked second. The Sooners entered the Nationwide Championships anticipating to defend their nationwide title for the third consecutive time, however after a number of falls on vault and beam, they had been eradicated within the semi-final. On paper, the workforce ought to simply have the chance to return to the highest, together with the return of fifth-year Audrey Davis, and seniors Jordan Bowers and Religion Torrez. They’ll even be introducing 2020 Olympic Trials qualifier Addison Fatta and 5 star recruit in accordance with CGN Elle Mueller.
The Sooners must also as soon as once more have the ability to produce a few of the highest scores of the season, however will they have the ability to put behind the frustration of final 12 months’s Nationwide Championships? We are saying an enormous “sure” to that and count on they’ll be again higher than ever.
Their schedule is stacked because the six-time Nationwide Champs compete within the Southeastern Convention (SEC) for the primary time in 2025 and they”ll be featured seven instances on the ESPN household of networks through the 2025 common season. The slate contains the extremely anticipated Sprouts Farmer’s Market Collegiate Quad which takes place in Oklahoma Metropolis in 2025.
LSU’S Rise
Bought there! LSU is coming off a historical past making 2024 season. After coming shut so many instances, the Tigers received their first Nationwide title. With the Sooners out, the door was open within the Nationwide ultimate, and LSU bounced proper via. Targeted on their season theme “Get There” the LSU turned solely the eighth program ever to win the NCAA Girls’s Gymnastics Nationwide Championship. Having positioned second 4 instances and a prime contender and favourite for the win for years, great vitality and pleasure lit up the whole area because the Tigers entered the historical past books on prime.
LSU enters the 2025 season with most of their roster returning. Fifth-year Haleigh Bryant, senior Aleah Finnegan, sophomores Konnor McClain and Amari Drayton will all return. Additionally they achieve a star-studded freshman class together with World Champion Lexi Zeiss, Olympic alternate Kaliya Lincoln and 5 star recruit in accordance with CGN Kailin Chio. These gymnasts will assist LSU keep sturdy lineups throughout all 4 occasions. With a loaded roster, LSU’s greatest problem could also be sustaining their standing with the added strain of being nationwide champions. They’ve confirmed again and again their capability to rise beneath each adversity, and we count on they’ll be proper there to make one other run for the title.
LSU and Oklahoma can have the chance to compete towards one another twice within the common season. On Jan. 11 on the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad and in a twin meet on Feb. 14.
Fabulous Freshman
If there may be one factor NCAA gymnastics has change into accustomed to, it’s having extremely proficient freshmen getting into the ranks the 12 months after the Olympics. This is because of the truth that many gymnasts defer their freshman 12 months of school to coach for the Olympics. The sturdy freshman class has been unfold throughout many various groups. World medalist for Nice Britain Ondine Achampong will be a part of California, two-time World Champion Skye Blakely joins Florida, World Champion Lexi Zeiss and Olympic alternate Kaliya Lincoln will compete for LSU, Olivia Kelly of Barbados and Kaia Tanskanen of Finland change into Missouri Tigers, 2020 Olympic Trials qualifier Addison Fatta will compete for Oklahoma, and Olympic alternate and World Champion Joscelyn Roberson will compete for Arkansas.
These athletes have each potential to have a right away impression on every of those groups and are positive to wow the nation with their spectacular gymnastics and distinctive ability units. This unbelievable class has the potential to vary the tone of NCAA gymnastics and we will’t wait to see the joy they carry to an already star-studded area!
SEC Underdogs
Many followers are specializing in Florida, LSU and Oklahoma when sizing up the SEC and who would be the 2025 champ. Nonetheless, there are lots of SEC groups that shouldn’t be underestimated!
The Georgia GymDogs might be a workforce on the rise this season. After the conclusion of the 2024 season, the GymDogs fully reworked their picture. They employed Simone Biles’s coach Cecile Landi as their new co-head coach, together with Ryan Roberts. If the 2’s joint recruiting recreation has given any indication on how the upcoming season will go, then it needs to be a profitable one. Celebrity sophomore Lily Smith will return to the roster. and within the offseason, the workforce additionally picked up former Utah gymnast and Olympic alternate, Kara Eaker, in addition to Olympian Csenge Bácskay. These components might assist Georgia enhance their standing and rise again to the highest.
Regardless of qualifying to the Nationwide Championship final 12 months, the Arkansas Razorbacks nonetheless enter the season with one thing to show. Their up and down season ended with a magical regional efficiency at house to qualify for the Nationwide Championship. The introduction of World Champion Joscelyn Roberson will simply enhance their lineups, particularly on vault and flooring. Veterans Frankie Value and Lauren Williams may also be key within the Razorbacks sustaining their standing and getting them again to Texas.
The Missouri Tigers may also be seeking to enhance within the 2025 season. The Tigers accomplished their season ranked eleventh, however weren’t glad with sitting at house throughout Nationals. The introduction of recent Missouri gymnasts is vital of their potential success this 12 months. Within the offseason they picked up 4 transfers, San Diego State’s Lauren Macpherson, Oklahoma’s Amy Wier, Towson’s Elise Tisler and Illinois’ Abby Mueller. They are going to introduce sturdy freshmen together with World Championship opponents Kaia Tanskanen and Olivia Kelly, and 5 star recruit in accordance with CGN’S recruit rankings Railey Jackson. The mixture of recent athletes and veterans, Amari Celestine, Jocelyn Moore and Hannah Horton will definitely make a distinction in Mizzou’s efficiency this 12 months. And with Helen Hu, a two-time NCAA All-American and three-time All-Southeastern Convention gymnast, returning to make use of her ultimate 12 months of eligibility, the Tigers might be a pressure.
Search for the complete schedule coming quickly to InsideGym.com!
If there may be one factor to know is that this 12 months’s school gymnastics shouldn’t be one to overlook. From freshman to fifth years these gymnasts might be placing on fairly a present. The 2025 season kicks off on Jan. 3.
See the complete schedule coming quickly to InsideGym.com!
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Images by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics
