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.
Newsworthy Items
- Kristen Harold was promoted to associate head coach at Texas Woman’s. Harold has been an assistant coach for the Pioneers for the past seven years.
- Centenary alumna Meg Crowley was named Centenary’s newest head coach. Crowley was a member of the Ladies’ program from 2009-13, securing the team a third-place finish at USAG nationals in her senior season.
- Laurie Hernandez was the keynote speaker at North Carolina’s Latinx Heritage Month event.
NIL Brand Deals
- Rutgers junior Emily Leese is working with Crocs.
- Gayla Griswold, Lindenwood senior, is working with SIC cups.
Training Updates
- Denver senior Victoria Fitts is training a Yurchenko full on vault. Fitts has not competed for the Pioneers since 2020. Highlights from Denver beam include freshman Kiley Rorich training a punch front + beat jump and freshmen Ava Mabanta and Mila Brusch training a back handspring + layout step-out. Junior Bella Mabanta is training a gainer pike dismount off the end of the beam, and junior Rosie Casali is training a back handspring + layout step-out + layout step-out series. Casali has not yet competed beam for the Pioneers.
- Oklahoma sophomore Danae Fletcher is working a piked Jaeger release on bars. Fifth-year Allie Stern has been teasing her beam training for weeks and continued by showing a dismount, a roundoff back handspring one and a half twist. Junior Bell Johnson is working another series on beam, a front toss + back tuck, and freshman Faith Torrez appears to be making a run for the beam lineup, training a side aerial + layout step-out.
- West Virginia showed off some training updates on bars, beam and floor. Freshman Emma Wehry is working a straddle back to handstand transition on bars after a brief stint in a boot. Sophomore Brynn Freehling is working a back handspring layout step-out series on beam and classmate Anna Leigh is working a front aerial to back handspring series. Freshman Carlee Nelson is working a double pike and sophomore Heidi Hartje is working a double tuck.
- Iowa State sophomore Emma Ricks posted a new leap series on beam, a switch leap + switch leap and a back handspring layout step-out series. Ricks missed her freshman season due to an Achilles tear. Junior Maya Ford, who has never competed on beam for the Cyclones, was also spotted working the same series. Fifth-year Natalie Horowitz has a new series, a front toss to back handspring, and senior Alonda Maldonado is working a back handspring + layout step-out + back handspring series.
- Centenary senior Leilani Johnson and sophomore Emma Lavelle were both seen training front tuck beam mounts on the Instagram Story.
- J’Chelle Heard, Illinois state junior, is training a Rudi + layout step-out. Teammate Angelica Labat is training a double layout bar dismount. In past seasons she competed a full-twisting double tuck.
- Winona State freshman Jaci Fothergill is training a full-twisting Yurchenko.
- Utah sophomore Grace McCallum is training a Yurchenko one and a half on vault. The Olympic silver medalist vaulted a Yurchenko half-on front tuck half last season.
READ THIS NEXT: Last Week in College Gym: October 3
Article by the editors of College Gym News
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