We’re in the home stretch of the 2023 preseason which means teams are starting to reveal their final contenders for competition lineups. While most gym fans are familiar with the bigger names like Selena Harris and Nikki Smith, there are plenty of others who have flown under the radar or are overshadowed within their freshman classes. Along with the usual suspects and highly anticipated newcomers, there’ve been more than a few freshmen to surprise us (in a good way). Here are some of the ones we’ll be keeping an eye on this season.
Luciana Alvarado Reid, Central Michigan
We’ve been singing the Costa Rican Olympian’s praises for a while now, and it’s easy to understand why after her stellar performance at the recent Michigan exhibition quad. While it’s hard to consider any Olympian underrated, she has flown under the radar compared to the elites who signed to top 10 teams.
Liberty Mora, Fisk
After unexpectedly sitting out last season, Mora hasn’t missed a beat after switching commitments from Towson to Fisk. She looked better than ever anchoring the Bulldogs’ beam lineup at the team’s latest intrasquad.
Courtney Woods, Missouri
There’s a strong argument to be made for any of the Tigers’ six freshmen belonging on this list, but 2021 Missouri state beam champion Woods has one of the most unique college beam routines in the game. If she can hit week to week, she has the skills and technique to score with the likes of Alisa Sheremeta, Sienna Scheiber and Helen Hu.
Marissa Lassiter, Penn
Lassiter’s dynamic Yurchenko one and a half would be a welcome addition to just about any vault lineup in the country, but she’s also a legitimate all-around threat poised to help the Quakers build on last season’s momentum.
Nirel Bart-Williams, Illinois State
Not only does the WOGA alumna boast impressive difficulty on all four events—including a Yurchenko one and a half and a triple series on beam—she also choreographed her own floor routine.
Kaya Forbes, North Carolina
We expected to see Forbes’ high-flying Yurchenko one and a half to feature prominently in the Tar Heels’ vault lineup, but she’s looked outstanding on all four events in preseason footage and competed on three events at the team’s recent Blue/White Intrasquad.
Kyrie Lowe, Eastern Michigan
Much of the attention at the recent Michigan exhibition quad meet was on the host team, but Lowe led EMU on all events but vault and will surely make an instant impact for the Eagles.
Olivia Zsarmani, Michigan State
Zsarmani was unrated as a recruit but had one of the biggest senior year glow-ups we’ve ever seen, increasing her previous career high by over a point and finishing as the national runner-up on bars, beam and in the all-around.
Amani Herring, Penn State
Herring may be a PSU legacy, but she’s already making a name for herself thanks to her combination of power, drama and elegance (seriously, her split leaps are pristine). But you don’t have to take our word for it: Herring was recently named One to Watch in 2023 by the Big Ten.
Maddie Anyimi, UCLA
The walk-on freshman bypassed the usual recruiting process in favor of an academic scholarship, but if her star-making performance at Meet the Bruins is any indication, UCLA gymnastics is getting one hell of a gymnast for “free.”
READ THIS NEXT: 10 Past Recruiting Commitment Changes That May Surprise You
Article by Claire Billman and Jenna King
Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year!
4 comments