Transfers have always helped shape the landscape of college sports, and with the approval of the one-time transfer rule and introduction of the transfer portal to further benefit athletes seeking to change schools, that is only going to continue. With rosters and scholarship counts for next season returning to normal numbers despite the senior class’s bonus-year potential, some are predicting an offseason with more transfers than ever before.
While transfers are currently less common in gymnastics compared to other sports, those gymnasts who do choose to find a new home seem to have quite an impact with their new programs. A few prolific gymnasts have already had transfer rumors swirling around their names in just the first few days of the offseason. So, before new names in the transfer portal start hogging the headlines, let’s take a look back at some of the transfers who had a huge impact on the season that just finished.
Alisa Sheremeta, Missouri
Ultimately getting to compete for the Tigers for four years after announcing she’ll be returning for a super senior season in 2023, Alisa Sheremeta got her career started at UIC back in 2019. With the Flames’ program being cut after Sheremeta’s freshman season, she was forced to transfer in order to continue her gymnastics career and found a great landing spot at Missouri. Sheremeta was a major factor for the Tigers’ historic season, posting three scores of 9.9 or better in the regional final to help get them to nationals and posting nothing lower than 9.8375 at NCAAs to aid in their fifth place finish. She’s already having an impact on the 2023 season as well, with her return also ensuring Missouri loses no routines from its championship appearance.
Kennedi Davis, Washington
Sitting out her traditional junior season following two productive seasons at Arizona, three-eventer Kennedi Davis made a move to Washington where she was a mainstay in the vault and beam lineups in 2022. Davis excelled on her best event, beam, scoring below 9.825 just once and hitting her career-high of 9.900 on three occasions. She was also, unexpectedly, able to up her floor career-high to 9.900 as well, hitting just her fifth floor set of the season in the Huskies’ impressive regionals performance. Expect that floor routine to be a regular next year in Davis’ final season.
Linda Zivat, Iowa
After sitting out two seasons at Michigan State with injury, Linda Zivat and her 10.0 start value Tsuk full became a valuable asset for Iowa this season. Zivat scored no lower than 9.825 throughout February and March as a mainstay in the vault lineup, including a crucial 9.875 to help the Hawkeyes make the regional final where she capped off her season with a 9.900. Her 9.850-plus average on floor, where she filled in regularly at the beginning of the season, indicates she’ll likely be a two-event star in 2023.
Maggie O’Hara, Arkansas
A bars and beam contributor at Michigan in her senior year, after a season-ending injury as a junior, Maggie O’Hara became a bars lineup fixture in her graduate student career at Arkansas. In her sixth and final season, O’Hara was able to match her career-high 9.950 on bars just two meets into the year and didn’t have a miss from March through the postseason, ending her career with a 9.900 in the regional final. In that final she also filled in on beam for the Razorbacks after being a stalwart on the event in 2021, posting an ever-important hit in only her third competitive set of the season.
Isabelle Fox, Illinois State
A former team MVP at Alaska, Isabelle Fox spent her senior and bonus year at Illinois State while the Seawolves’ program was put on the chopping block. Fox was a heavy contributor on three events for the Redbirds, posting a pair of 9.825s on floor in 2022 while also hitting 9.800 on vault and beam. Spending most of the season as a backup on bars, Fox also stepped in for a crucial routine on the event for Illinois State during the MIC championship to preserve a podium finish and an appearance in the all-around in the final meet of her career.
Other Notable Transfers: Emma Brown (Denver from LIU), Erin Hutchison (Pittsburgh from Oklahoma), Katie McNamara (UCLA from Washington), Allison Zuhlke (Iowa from Towson)
READ THIS NEXT: Washington’s Katie McNamara Announces Transfer to UCLA
Article by Brandis Heffner
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