The most anticipated series is back! We looked at the data and videos for each incoming elite freshman on each event to see which gymnasts are at the top of their class across the apparatuses and in the all around. This week we’re looking at the top elite all arounders for 2022. Without as much data to work with as the level 10 rankings, and since many of the difficult routines will be downgraded once the gymnast gets to college, we focused on the factors that are typically the source of most deductions in NCAA: acrobatic form, flexibility, height, distance and rhythm. We also took into account the potential impact the gymnast could make to their school’s lineups.
Leanne Wong, Florida
Of the three incoming elites at Florida, Wong is the only one not dealing with an injury and is the most balanced across all four events. The Gators have enough depth not to need her on every event immediately, but it’s difficult to imagine her not making all four lineups anyway.
Jade Carey, Oregon State
Out of everyone on this list, Carey is the gymnast most needed in the all around on her team and therefore the most likely to compete all around every meet of her freshman year. She will especially be needed on bars, but her consistency and clean form will stand out on the other three events as well.
Kara Eaker, Utah
Eaker’s elite career was a successful one but full of distractions related to her routine construction. That should no longer be a problem in college: With reduced difficulty, smart Utah coaching and a style that was made for college gymnastics, Eaker has the potential to be one of the all-time NCAA greats.
Sunisa Lee, Auburn
While we may not see Lee on the leg events right away, especially after her upcoming Dancing With the Stars run this fall, she will no doubt turn into a weekly all arounder for Auburn later in her career. She’s a top contender to anchor bars and beam right away, and she should find herself in the mix with the Tigers’ established stars on vault and floor once she’s ready to compete those events.
Morgan Hurd, Florida
While Hurd is recovering from multiple elbow surgeries that kept her off of vault and bars for all of 2021, we are still hopeful to see her compete all around sooner rather than later in Gainesville. When healthy, her vault is slightly more of a question mark than the other events, but we are optimistic she will be a strong vaulter with collegiate difficulty.
Emma Malabuyo, UCLA
Malabuyo’s 2021 comeback from multiple years of injury was surprising to most of the gymnastics world, and it bodes well for her future as a college athlete. Like Hurd, her biggest question mark is likely vault, but she competed a solid Yurchenko full at Winter Cup that gives us a glimpse of what she might bring to the Bruins’ lineup on the event.
Jordan Chiles, UCLA
Chiles was the United State’s most consistent elite gymnast in domestic competition in 2021, and her strong hit rate will be welcome at UCLA, which struggled with consistency last season, particularly on beam. While she isn’t joining the Bruins until January in order to participate in the Gold Over America tour, she will still be a strong contender to compete all four events in her freshman season.
Grace McCallum, Utah
McCallum was an incredibly well-balanced elite gymnast with no true standout event, which served her well on the Olympic team and will again make her stand out in college. She will find herself deep in every lineup, likely even in her first season with the Utes.
Aleah Finnegan, LSU
Finnegan was already a favorite among elite gymnastics fans, but she’s about to become even more of a star as an all arounder at one of the nation’s most popular teams. She brings personality and unique skills on every event.
Riley McCusker, Florida
McCusker has struggled with several injuries over the course of her elite career, but at her peak she is one of the best all arounders in the world. Given Florida’s depth, she will have plenty of time to rehab her recent ankle injury and join lineups when she is ready. She should immediately contribute on at least bars and hopefully beam, but we can’t wait to see what she does as an all arounder later in her career.
Ana Padurariu, UCLA
Padurariu’s strongest and most college-ready events are beam and floor, but don’t be surprised if we see her make vault and bars lineups early on in her UCLA career as well.
Amelie Morgan, Utah
With Utah’s depth, we likely won’t see Morgan compete every event right away, but as she adjusts to the collegiate gymnastics world, expect to see her emerge as a steady all arounder later in her career.
Elina Vihrova, Penn State
Vihrova brings impressive execution, beautiful leaps and a ton of international competitive experience to Penn State. She should immediately contribute on vault and beam, but the other two events won’t be far behind.
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Article by Jenna King
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