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
Utah State Completes Coaching Staff
Robert Ladanyi was named assistant coach at Utah State, after stops at Florida, Utah and Nebraska. He joins Rachel Slocum in rounding out new head coach Kristin White’s staff.
Other Newsworthy Items
- Taylor Colwell was named SEMO’s volunteer assistant coach. She has been a volunteer assistant at Lindenwood the past two seasons.
- Three of college gymnastics’ most popular stars—Auburn’s Sunisa Lee, LSU’s Livvy Dunne and UCLA’s Jordan Chiles—attended the 2022 ESPY Awards alongside some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment.
- Clemson released a first glimpse of the newly approved plans for its women’s gymnastics training center.
- Recent graduate and California standout Kyana George has been added to the Alabama coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach while Sania Mitchell—who tore her Achilles at this year’s SEC championship—announced that she will be returning for a fifth year.
- Michigan State assistant coach Whitney Snowden has been named assistant coach at Missouri, and future Tiger Kaia Tanskanen from Finland has qualified to the European championships.
- In other SEC news, Temple alumna Jackie Terpak will be joining the Arkansas staff as a volunteer assistant coach and choreographer.
- Oklahoma announced fundraising efforts to build an expansion for the Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center. The $12 million raised would add 11,700 gross square feet to the facility and provide multiple upgrades to team space, sports medicine and sports performance suites.
- Rising Iowa State sophomore Marina Gonzalez competed beam at the Spanish National Championships, her first competition since a foot injury.
- Rising junior Jenna Eagles and rising sophomore Payton Gatzlaff from Lindenwood are transferring to Utah State.
NIL Brand Deals
- Oklahoma’s Ragan Smith, Utah’s Abby Paulson and Auburn’s Gabby McLaughlin all appeared in an advertisement for Plum Practicewear.
- Georgia’s Soraya Hawthorne has joined the Fans Meet Idols family, along with Georgia teammates Katie Finnegan and former teammate Emily Schild. She has merchandise posted on her storefront that you can purchase here
- LSU’s Alyona Shchennikova has joined the Fans Meet Idols family. She has merchandise posted on her storefront that you can purchase here.
Training Updates
- George Washington rising sophomore Rachel Katz posted a training video to her Instagram story of a Yurchenko one and a half onto mats in the pit. Katz has trained this vault previously but competed a Yurchenko layout half last season.
- Rising Iowa State sophomore Emma Ricks is swinging bars and working double layout dismounts nine months after an Achilles tear, per her Instagram story.
- Oklahoma fifth year Olivia Trautman is training a full-twisting double layout bars dismount, per her Instagram story.
- Gabby Perea, a rising junior at California, was seen on an Instagram story training a side somi to tucked one and a half dismount combination on beam.
- Emily Lopez, a rising junior at Boise State, was seen training a Yurchenko one and a half on her Instagram story.
- Rising Boise State senior Adriana Popp is training a double layout on floor.
READ THIS NEXT: Last Week in College Gym: July 18
Article by the editors of College Gym News
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