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Last Week in College Gym: July 26

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

TWU Alumni Laura Servidone Dies at 47

Laura Servidone was a member of the TWU gymnastics team during the 1992-95 seasons. She was an eight-time All-American, four-time academic All-American and three-time DII national champion. 

Quest Hayden Joins Iowa Staff

Iowa added Hayden as an assistant coach. He was previously a volunteer assistant at Michigan and Penn State, and spent one year as an assistant at North Carolina. He is a Penn State men’s gymnastics alum and former U.S. junior national team member.

Other Newsworthy Items

  • Centenary rising junior Taylor Ann Wilson was named a top four finalist for the outstanding female amateur athlete award at the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Corbett Awards. This award honors the top amateur athlete in the state of Louisiana. 
  • Sierra Brooks was named president of Michigan’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
  • Oklahoma alumna Natalie Brown released her master’s thesis, a documentary called “Walking On: A Lifelong Journey.” The film explores the NCAA’s tiered scholarship system and features interviews with KJ Kindler and OU football coach Lincoln Riley. You can watch it on YouTube.
  • Former elite and five-star recruit Olivia Greaves committed to Auburn on a full-ride athletic scholarship. She was previously committed to Florida.
  • Rising senior Madison Latzke is transferring from UW-Stout to Hamline. 
  • Rising sophomore Lara Burhans announced her transfer from Utah State to Arizona. Burhans did not see any competition action in her freshman year. 

NIL Brand Deals

  • Ohio State’s Ella Hodges has partnered with Fusian, an Ohio sushi chain.
  • Denver senior Mia Sundstrom has partnered with Layout Leos, a Georgia-based leotard company run by gym moms.
  • Pitt senior Caitlyn Kline partnered with Girlfriend Collective, a line of “sustainable, ethically made activewear.”
  • Alabama gymnasts Sania Mitchell and Audrey Evans have partnered with Nation Sports for NIL representation.
  • Oklahoma senior Carly Woodard has partnered with Quest Nutrition Bars.

Training Updates

  • TWU incoming freshman Emerson Adams was seen training a Yurchenko full on her Instagram story. 
  • Nebraska’s Makayla Curtis, who is returning for a fifth year, is training a triple series on beam.
  • Allie Stern, an Oklahoma rising senior, was seen training a Pak on her Instagram story.
  • Madison Lieurance, a Hamline rising junior, is training a Higgins to Rudi bar dismount combination per her Hamline Instagram takeover. 
  • Minnesota’s Mallory Leneave was seen training a Tkatchev and bail on her Instagram story.
  • Incoming Ohio State freshman Tory Vetter is training a Yurchenko 1.5. She was also seen training a full-in dismount on bars.
  • Michigan posted this skills video on their Instagram showing off its gymnasts’ summer progress.
  • Ohio State posted a new skills montage to its Instagram story, which featured Alexis Hankins training a double layout off bars, Stephanie Berger training a Maloney, Raina Malas training a blind half to straddled Jaeger, Jojo Warga training a 2.5 twist, Hannah Oliveros training a blind half to jaeger and Lexi Edwards training a blind full to double tuck bars dismount. 
  • Some Minnesota gymnasts showed upgrades on Minnesota’s Instagram story. Haley Tyson was seen training a Ray, Marissa Jencks is training a full-twisting double layout off bars, Mya Hooten connected a blind half to piked Jaeger to overshoot and Ella Sirjord was seen training a candlestick mount again after her season-ending injury this past season.
  • Rising Arkansas sophomore Emma Kelley completed a stuck full-twisting double tuck bar dismount. Kelley was dealing with a wrist injury and did not make a lineup appearance in her freshman year. 
  • Illinois’ Amelia Knight is working a full-twisting double tuck bar dismount.
  • UW-La Crosse’s Instagram featured freshman Rachel Chesley’s double layout on bars and a Liukin on beam, sophomore Ellie Scherwinski’s BHS + BHS + LOSO on beam and junior Madison Vanderpool’s Yurchenko tucked 1.5.
  • TWU rising sophomore Alexia Leake was seen training a double layout on bars.
  • Illinois gymnast Abby Mueller is training a double layout on floor.
  • Incoming freshmen Makenzie Sedlacek, Maddie Jones and Leah Smith were all seen training bar dismounts on Arkansas’ Instagram story. Sedlacek did a full-in, and both Jones and Smith showed double layouts. 

READ THIS NEXT: Desire for Competitive Action Key to Ariel Posen’s Switch from UCLA to Georgia


Article by the editors of College Gym News

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