There’s a lot that happens on the gymternet each week. So much so that it can be hard to keep track of it all. From training updates and COVID year announcements to recruiting rumors and coaching news, we don’t blame you for missing some important points here and there.
That’s where we come in. Last Week in College Gym is your one-stop shop for all the important headlines from the previous week in college gymnastics. No matter if you’re taking a social media break, went on vacation or just don’t have the capacity to follow every single gymnast, team and fan, we have you covered.
Top Storylines
Seven Gymnasts Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
The NCAA announced the school nominees for Woman of the Year. NCAA member schools are encouraged to nominate their top graduating female athlete for this honor. Seven gymnasts were nominated: Kyndall Baze (Lindenwood), Lynnzee Brown (Denver), Gabriela Cavinta (Boise State), Kyana George (California), Belle Huang (Rutgers), Megan Skaggs (Florida) and Anastasia Webb (Oklahoma).
Jeffrey Langenstein and Cody Llewellyn Named Washington’s New Assistant Coaches
Washington Head Coach Jen Llewellyn filled out her coaching staff last week as Washington announced Cody Llewellyn and Jeffrey Langenstein as its new assistant coaches. Cody Llewellyn is the husband of head coach Jen Llewellyn and was previously an assistant coach under her at Lindenwood. Langenstein heads to Washington after spending the last three years as an assistant coach at San Jose State.
What Our Editors Are Saying
“Two expected but smart hires to complete the Washington coaching staff. Before Langenstein was at San Jose State ,he was an assistant at Lindenwood under Llewellyn as well, so this coaching staff already has quite a bit of chemistry and should help with the transition from the complete overhaul” – Pac-12 Senior Editor Brandis Heffner
Other Newsworthy Items
- Some NCAA gym recruits changed their commitments over the July 11 weekend. British elite Amelie Morgan is now committed to Utah (previously committed to Cal) per her Instagram bio, Josie Bergstrom is now committed to Iowa State (previously committed to Iowa) and Skyelar Kerico will now be attending Penn (previously committed to Georgia.)
- Washington’s Geneva Thompson will be returning for a fifth year of competition.
- Former Auburn gymnast Abby Milliet is joining Utah State’s staff as a volunteer assistant coach. She will primarily assist on floor.
- Minnesota’s Hannah Willmarth will be returning for another year.
NIL Brand Deals
- Utah’s Maile O’Keefe has partnered with Blue Linen Boutique.
- Sarah Edwards of LSU has partnered with Blu Spero Boutiques.
Training Updates
- Lexy Ramler of Minnesota was seen training a triple twist on floor, a beat jump to ring jump combo on beam and a side aerial to full twist beam dismount connection on her Instagram story.
- Michigan rising junior Sierra Brooks has been training a double double on floor and posted herself doing one onto a mat in the pit on her Instagram story.
- Ohio State posted some floor training updates to their Instagram story. Jenna Hlavach trained a piked full-in, Lexi Edwards showed an almost-open double pike, JoJo Warga did a front double, Claire Gagliardi was seen doing full-in and birthday girl Nicole Riccardi showed a double pike.
- Mya Hooten from Minnesota posted a training clip of her doing a RO 1.5 to front full to her Instagram story.
- Several Towson gymnasts are working on E passes on floor—Camille Vitoff, Paige Casper and Jenna Weitz are all training double layouts.
- Temple rising senior Julianna Roland is working on an upgraded back handspring + back handspring + layout step-out series on beam.
- Michigan rising sophomore Jenna Mulligan was seen training a Yurchenko 1.5 vault into the pit on her Instagram story.
- Oklahoma senior Carly Woodard is training a switch leap to gainer back handspring beam combination, via her Instagram story. Teammate Olivia Trautman also posted a full-twisting double layout tumbling run onto a mat in the pit.
- Rising Illinois sophomore Mia Townes is training a RO 1.5 to Rudi on floor. Townes is very familiar to the 1.5 as she became the first gymnast for Illinois to perform it on vault since its start value change in 2016.
- Incoming Iowa freshman Alexa Ebeling was seen training a Lothrop and a switch leap to ring jump to back tuck combo, both on beam.
- Ohio State posted many training updates to its Instagram story which included Sarah Rowland training a Popa, Emma Pritchard training a blind half to straddled jaeger connection, Nicole Riccardi performing a BHS to 1.5 dismount combo, Sydney Jennings trying a Yurchenko 1.5 vault, Stephanie Berger making a comeback with a Maloney on bars, and Hannah Oliveros doing a bail that was RIGHT to handstand.
- TWU rising junior Kyla Podges was seen training a BHS BHS LOSO beam series on her Instagram story.
- UW-Lacrosse’s New Skill Saturday featured sophomore Kaitlyn Farley’s Tkatchev, sophomore Marisa Zepeda’s switch leap to switch half beam combination, and super senior Molly Lyngaas’s Tkatchev.
- Kentucky junior Shealyn Luksik is training a full twisting double layout dismount on bars. Luksik has been a bar specialist for Kentucky in her first two years.
- Ariana Patterson, Kentucky, shared a video of her completing a full-in tumbling pass into the pit. Patterson captioned the video saying it was her first time since her injury. The rising senior did not compete on floor in 2021.
- Raina Albores is training a Y1.5 on vault for Kentucky.
READ THIS NEXT: Last Week in College Gym: July 19
Article by the editors of College Gym News
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