Recruit Files: Cally Swaney, Arkansas

Name: Cally Swaney
Club: First In Flight
High School Graduation Year: 2022

NCAA Team: Arkansas
Commitment Announcement: Instagram
Social Handles: Twitter | Instagram 

Personal Bests 

Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Floor Exercise
9.875 9.800 9.625 9.675

Videos 

Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Floor Exercise
2020 GGI 2020 Everest Classic Unknown 2020 Competition Unknown 2020 Competition

About Cally

Swaney is a 2019 level 10 nationals qualifier. There, she was seventh on bars (Junior C). Earlier that year she won gold on bars, silver in the all around and bronze on vault at the North Carolina state meet. In 2020 she scored career highs on vault, bars and floor. Swaney qualified elite in 2017 and competed at the 2018 GK U.S. Classic. 

What She Brings to Arkansas

Vault

  • Skill: Yurchenko 1.5
  • Results: third place at the 2019 North Carolina state meet
  • Margin of Improvement: This is a new vault for Swaney. Her form in the air is very good, but she could improve her amplitude. Her Yurchenko half is also excellent.
  • Impact on the Team: Arkansas had some trouble on vault in 2020, and it is one of those apparatuses head coach Jordyn Wieber will want to see improvement in the years to come. She will hope that Swaney’s Yurchenko 1.5 will be ready to go once she arrives in Fayetteville. 

Uneven Bars

  • Skills: Ray, Pak salto, double layout dismount
  • Results: first place at the 2019 North Carolina state meet
  • Margin of Improvement: Swaney could work on the amplitude of her Ray and on the laid-out body position of her dismount. Her execution is overall good, though.
  • Impact on the Team: Bars is the other apparatus on which Wieber will hope to see better results in the next few years. Swaney will be expected to be a strong contributor to the lineup.

Balance Beam

  • Skills: switch leap to cat leap to side aerial, switch ring, BHS + LOSO + LOSO, switch leap half, full turn, BHS + BH + 1.5 twist dismount
  • Results: first place at the 2019 Greensboro Gymnastics Invitational
  • Margin of Improvement: Swaney has some minor toe point issues throughout her routine but otherwise her form and difficulty are very good. She will want to work on consistency, though.
  • Impact on the Team: If Swaney can keep her nerves at bay, she will challenge for a lineup spot. Hopefully, she will get to show off her switch ring in college.

Floor Exercise

  • Skills: front double twist, front full twist to front layout, double pike
  • Results: first place at 2020 GGI (career high)
  • Margin of Improvement: Swaney could work on her landing a bit more, but her form is overall good. Her leaps are impressive.
  • Impact on the Team: Arkansas is growing into a strong floor team. Swaney will challenge for a lineup spot.

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Article by Talitha Ilacqua

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