Name: Alyssa Vulaj
Club: Wildfire Gymnastics
High School Graduation Year: 2021
NCAA Team: Boise State
Commitment Announcement: Instagram
Social Handles: Twitter | Instagram
Personal Bests
| Vault | Uneven Bars | Balance Beam | Floor Exercise |
| 9.750 | 9.375 | 9.675 | 9.650 |
Videos
| Vault | Uneven Bars | Balance Beam | Floor Exercise |
| 2020 Carol Galletta | 2019 J.O. Nationals | 2020 Long Beach Open | 2020 Long Beach Open |
About Alyssa
Vulaj is a 2019 J.O. nationals qualifier. There, she tied for 13th place on beam (Junior F). Vulaj tied for third on beam at the 2018 SoCal state meet and was second also on beam at 2018 Region 1 regionals.
What She Brings to Boise State
Vault
- Skill: Yurchenko half on, tuck half off
- Results: first place at the 2020 Spiral Beach Classic
- Margin of Improvement: Vulaj could improve her height off the table and point her toes on the tuck half. She is training a half on, pike half off.
- Impact on the Team: Boise State will be delighted to add a 10.0 start value to its lineup.
Uneven Bars
- Skills: blind half to bail to handstand, toe shoot/Gienger to shoot over, full-in/double layout dismount
- Results: tied eighth place at the 2019 SoCal state meet
- Margin of Improvement: Vulaj’s form could be tighter, but recently she has been working hard on increasing her difficulty. An additional year of club gymnastics will help her improve her execution. She is also training a double layout.
- Impact on the Team: Boise State will need to replace its two best bar workers in 2021, Emily Muhlenhaupt and Maddi Nilson. Vulaj may not be able to score as high, but improving her form will put her in contention for a lineup spot.
Balance Beam
- Skills: BHS + LOSO, switch leap + switch leap + LOSO, front toss, 1.5 twist dismount
- Results: second place at the 2018 Region 1 regionals
- Margin of Improvement: Vulaj’s routine is difficult, but she has a significant knee bend on her acrobatic elements and her splits are shy of 180 degrees.
- Impact on the Team: Two thirds of Boise State’s current beam lineup will have graduated by the time Vulaj gets to college. She will be expected to contribute from the start.
Floor Exercise
- Skills: double pike, double tuck, 1.5 twist to front pike
- Results: tied sixth place at Region 1 regionals
- Margin of Improvement: She could improve her splits’ extension but her tumbling passes are strong.
- Impact on the Team: Boise State’s best floor workers will have graduated by the time Vulaj arrives at Boise. She will make a difference here.
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Article by Talitha Ilacqua
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