It’s not just the top 10 teams that make the Pac-12 one of the nation’s premier gymnastics conferences. It’s the depth that the entire league brings. Not only did every program qualify for regionals in 2023, all eight schools finished ranked 21st or higher—the best of any conference. While just one program from the bottom half of the Pac-12 in 2022 jumped to the top half in 2023, the upswing of the entire conference means the gap between the best and worst teams is only shrinking and more exciting gymnastics is in store.
The preseason is starting and 2024 will be here before we know it. That means it’s time for our annual potential lineups analysis! As gymnasts get back into the gym with new goals for the new season, we’re breaking their prospects down and taking a look at what each team’s lineups may look like come January—from who’s expected to contribute, holes that need to be filled, and exciting upgrades fans should look out for.
No. 15 Arizona State
Arizona State had many impressive moments during the 2023 season. For the third time ever it ended the regular season with an NQS over 197, had a major upset against Utah, and scored its ninth-highest team score ever against Oregon State. A promising new freshmen class will give the Sun Devils hope to continue on this upward trajectory.
| Losses: | Juliette Boyer (transfer to Utah State), Jordyn Jaslow, Izzy Redmond | |||
| Gains: | Halle Gregoire, Lilia Purler, Chloe Seaga, Chavala Shepard | |||
| Returning From Injury: | Cassi Barbanente | |||
Vault
Potential Contributors: Anaya Smith (NQS 9.890), Alex Theodorou (9.875), Hannah Scharf (9.870), Jada Mangahas (9.835), Emily White (9.810), Gracie Reeves (9.780), Cassi Barbanente, Halle Gregoire, Lilia Purler, Chloe Seaga, Lilia Purler
How It Looked Before: Vault is a consistently fine event for Arizona State. The Sun Devils struggled a little with difficulty as their lineup mostly consisted of 9.7 to 9.8-tier Yurchenko fulls and were dependent upon Ananya Smith and Alex Theodorou for their 10.0 start values.
How It Looks Now: The Sun Devils will be looking to reduce some of their dependency upon Smith and Theodorou with their new freshman class. Halle Gregoire and Lilia Purler have shown promising 10.0 SV vaults in level 10 that could be useful for upping Arizona State’s vault game.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. A talented group of incoming freshmen should be able to break into the lineup and offer a few more 10.0 SV options.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Hannah Scharf (9.895), Sarah Clark (9.895), Emily White (9.885), Cienna Samiley (9.865), Jade Mangahas (9.860), Gracie Reeves (9.840), Halle Gregoire, Lilia Purler, Chloe Seaga, Chavala Shepard, Alex Theodorou
How It Looked Before: Bars was Arizona State’s highest ranked event with the 14th highest NQS in 2023. It consistently put up low to mid 49s and had the ability to bring in great scores from Hannah Scharf and Sarah Clark, who went as high as 9.975 during the 2023 season.
How It Looks Now: Bars is still expected to look like a strong event for this team. Arizona State’s ability to field a lineup of 9.9-plus scores is significant to its successful upsets last season against Utah and Oregon State. Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell. Arizona State’s current lineup should put it in a comfortable place heading into the season, and with added depth from the freshman class, there are opportunities to rest gymnasts each week to keep them fresh for the postseason.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Emily White (9.915), Sarah Clark (9.885), Hannah Scharf (9.875), Skye Harper (9.840), Gracie Reeves (9.815), Kayla Lee (9.810), Kimberly Smith, Halle Gregoire, Lilia Purler, Chloe Seaga, Chavala Shepard
How It Looked Before: Beam was a little bit of a roller coaster for Arizona State. Sometimes its scores went mid-49 while other times it landed in the low 48s. It was its weakest NQS ranking among all events at No. 19.
How It Looks Now: Beam is a make-or-break event for the Sun Devils, and Arizona State still has some room for improvement.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell. Luckily key scores from Emily White and Scharf will still be readily available for the lineup. However, if the team wants to see improvements, some of the newcomers will need to step up too.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Hannah Scharf (9.930), Emily White (9.895), Jada Mangahas (9.880), Sarah Clark (9.860), Kayla Lee (9.810), Halle Gregoire, Lilia Purler, Gracie Reeves, Chloe Seaga, Chavala Shepard, Alex Theodorou
How It Looked Before: Like beam, floor can be hit or miss for the Sun Devils. They started the season with a 48.950 but were able to improve that to a 49.575 by March.
How It Looks Now: Arizona State will be tested in 2023, as it will look to replace Jordyn Jaslow. There are freshmen options, but it may take them a few weeks to settle in.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell. In order to keep up with the team’s stronger events, the Sun Devils need to build a deeper lineup that consistently goes over 9.8 on every routine. Last season they were able to field a lineup of four 9.850-plus scores, but then it would count a 9.500 for the final number.
Three Big Questions
Is there a potential for perfection?
Last season Scharf, White, and Smith flirted with a perfect score but fell short and had to settle with a string of 9.950s and 9.975s. The last time a gymnast from Arizona State scored a 10.0 was April Boone in 2007, so if one of the experienced Sun Devils could get one this season, it would end Arizona State’s 17-year drought and put the team well on its way to even more success.
How will Arizona State improve beam and floor consistency?
The team showed moments of greatness on its weaker events throughout the season, like the 49.475 on beam at regionals and the 49.570 on floor against Oregon State. The Sun Devils need to find a way to consistently get those scores, hopefully easier now with a year or more of experience under their belts.
How will the freshmen contribute?
The incoming class of Gregoire, Shepard, Purler, and Seaga show lots of potential, particularly on vault where there’s the potential to increase the team’s number of 10.0 start values. The newcomers also have potential of breaking into the lineups on beam and floor, especially if they prove to be more consistent than some of the returning gymnasts.
No. 16 Washington
After spending the season ranked in the mid-20s, the Huskies put things together at the right time in the postseason to secure an upset into the regional final and finish an impressive 16th. Washington is set to lose some multi-year lineup stalwarts that have been key in the program’s rise the last few seasons, but a large and highly rated freshman class brings a lot of promise to the roster.
| Losses: | Morgan Bowles, Brenna Brooks, Amara Cunningham, Kennedi Davis, Hadley Roberts, Isa Weiss | |||
| Gains: | Kira Bolden, McKenna Carnesi, Chelsea Hallinan, Kristin Lin, Mary McDonough | |||
Vault
Potential Contributors: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (9.860 NQS), Lana Navarro (9.825), Emily Innes (9.795), Ashley Blum, Kira Bolden, McKenna Carnesi, Kristin Lin, Mary McDonough, Emma Schrady
How It Looked Before: With a lineup lacking any 10.0 start values, vault was an average scoring yet consistent event for the Huskies. They teetered around the 49 mark all season to rank 28th.
How It Looks Now: Washington did graduate half of its lineup regulars but is gaining more than it lost with a strong freshman class. Kira Bolden wields a Yurchenko one and a half that should contend for the anchor spot immediately, McKenna Carnesi scored a 10.0 with her full in her level 10 career, and Kristin Lin and Mary McDonough have fulls that are lineup-ready.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. The Huskies have the opportunity for a statement vault with Bolden, and have key returners like Skylar Killough-Wilhelm to provide stability. The pieces are in place for improvement here.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (9.910 NQS), Lilly Tubbs (9.865), Taylor Russon (9.845), Deiah Moody (9.835), Olivia Oppegard (9.730), McKenna Carnesi, Kristin Lin, Mary McDonough
How It Looked Before: Bars was consistent for Washington, typically hitting above the 49 mark and ranking just outside the top 25 in NQS.
How It Looks Now: This should be the Huskies’ best event in 2024, returning most of the lineup and its best routine from Killough-Wilhelm. Plus, the former four- and five-star recruits will be options to give Washington a fair amount of depth to play with.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. Experience and depth are an ideal combination, and that’s what Washington is working with on bars.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (9.875 NQS), Lana Navarro (9.865), Deiah Moody (9.845), McKenna Carnesi, Chelsea Hallinan, Kristin Lin, Mary McDonough, Taylor Russon
How It Looked Before: A hit-or-miss event for the Huskies, where inconsistency failed a lineup with potential. While they fell below 49 as many times as they surpassed it, it was their highest NQS ranking at 24th.
How It Looks Now: A trio of regulars return, but half of the lineup is turning over. A few of the freshmen will be relied upon to fill the holes, with Lin, Carnesi, and McDonough looking like early favorites to do so.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending down. Washington lost its top two routines, will be relying on newcomers, and won’t have much depth, making improving an already iffy event a tough task.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (9.880 NQS), Lana Navarro (9.865), Emily Innes (9.835), Thu Nguyen (9.820), Ashley Blum, Kira Bolden, McKenna Carnesi, Kristin Lin, Mary McDonough, Taylor Russon
How It Looked Before: Despite it having Washington’s lowest NQS ranking at 34th, floor was a good event in 2023. It was a stabilizing force, staying consistent throughout the year after being its standout event in the first half of the season.
How It Looks Now: Floor should continue to be strong for Washington, as it brings back a full lineup of athletes with experience as well as gain a handful of useable routines from newcomers. Lin and her triple full E pass should find a home late in the Huskies’ lineup from the get-go,
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. Things should only get better as floor is a strength of both the returners and rookies.
Three Big Questions
Is it Skylar Killough-Wilhelm or bust?
For the most part, yes. Returning the Huskies’ top NQS on every event and entering her fourth season as a regular all-arounder, she should be looked upon as a leader. Former five-star recruit Lin has immediate all-around potential and can help lighten the load, but it will be Killough-Wilhelm’s burden to carry Washington in 2024.
Which four-star freshman will stand out?
Both Carnesi and McDonough look promising to fill a few lineup holes each. Carnesi gets the edge, though, as the Huskies are thinner on her better events. Her vault is a huge addition despite the 9.95 start value, while her floor is on par with many of the returnees.
What is Washington’s ceiling in 2024?
It’s tricky to predict a team with heavy roster turnover, but the strength of the incoming class gives the Huskies legitimate hopes of repeating a top-20 finish while also sitting there during the regular season. However, with the strength of the conference, a top-half finish in the Pac-12 may be out of reach. It all hinges on how well the rookies transition to NCAA gymnastics, but the overall outlook is positive.
No. 19 Stanford
The Cardinal couldn’t replicate its 14th-place finish from 2022 to reach the top half of the Pac-12 in 2023 (rising from its 29th-place regular season ranking). Nonetheless, it enjoyed a significantly improved season overall. Anna Roberts had a standout rookie year to lead Stanford alongside Chloe Widner, who had a breakout season that culminated in an appearance at nationals and a podium finish on beam. Both are returning to provide the Cardinal with considerable potential, supported by a former top-rated recruiting class recently added to the roster.
| Losses: | Madison Brunette, Jade Chrobok, Isabela Onyshko, Addie Stonecipher | |||
| Gains: | Victoria Cluck, Temple Landry, Sydney Razeghi, Sienna Robinson | |||
| Returning From Injury: | Porsche Trinidad | |||
Vault
Potential Contributors: Anna Roberts (9.900 NQS), Chloe Widner (9.845), Taralyn Nguyen (9.840), Brenna Neault (9.830), Victoria Cluck, Claire Dean, Anapaula Gutierrez, Temple Landry, Sydney Razeghi, Amanda Zeng
How It Looked Before: Vault wasn’t a strong event for the Cardinal, ranking 30th in NQS. However, it maintained relative consistency in a season where such consistency was hard to come by. Only fielding two or three 10.0 start values, which included Brenna Neault’s Yurchenko full-on pike, often resulted in scores maxing out in the 9.8s, placing them in a difficulty deficit.
How It Looks Now: Although Stanford doesn’t add any more difficulty, it does bring in a few Yurchenko fulls to enhance the depth of the core lineups comprised of returners. Anna Roberts is expected to shine in the anchor spot, now armed with a year of experience.
Trending up, down, or too early to tell? Too early to tell. The Cardinal are introducing more and higher-quality vaults compared to those they’re losing. With a lineup filled with returning athletes, they should improve upon last season’s consistency. However, there’s still no standout second vault to complement Roberts and generate the high scores they need.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Chloe Widner (9.930 NQS), Brenna Neault (9.895), Ira Alexeeva (9.870), Claire Dean (9.860), Anna Roberts (9.855), Anapaula Gutierrez, Temple Landry, Sydney Razeghi, Sienna Robinson
How It Looked Before: Stanford could excel on bars, finishing the season 13th in NQS, but encountered difficulty hitting consistently during the first two months of the year. The team also maintained the same six athletes in the lineup throughout the season.
How It Looks Now: Although depth remains a concern, most of the lineup and its scoring potential return, with the Cardinal only losing its lowest NQS from the previous season. Former four-star recruit Sienna Robinson, a national bars champion in her level 10 career, is the top contender to fill Stanford’s lineup vacancy.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. The addition of options from freshmen, coupled with presumed experience translating to consistency, equips the Cardinal with the tools to succeed in this event.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Chloe Widner (9.925 NQS), Brenna Neault (9.900), Ira Alexeeva (9.890), Claire Dean (9.865), Anna Roberts (9.820), Victoria Cluck, Anapaula Gutierrez, Temple Landry, Taralyn Nguyen, Sydney Razeghi, Sienna Robinson
How It Looked Before: Similar to bars, beam was inconsistent for Stanford in 2023. Despite a 14th-place NQS finish, beam occasionally held the Cardinal back from achieving standout team scores.
How It Looks Now: Mirroring the bars situation, much of last year’s promising lineup returns, benefiting from another offseason of training. Inclusion of a few rookie routines from a top-rated class provides the Cardinal with depth and potential.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Anna Roberts (9.900 NQS), Brenna Neault (9.890), Claire Dean (9.870), Taralyn Nguyen (9.865), Chloe Widner (9.800), Victoria Cluck, Anapaula Gutierrez, Temple Landry, Sydney Razeghi, Sienna Robinson, Katya Sander, Amanda Zeng
How It Looked Before: Floor wasn’t a signature event for Stanford, as indicated by its 26th place NQS finish, yet it was the most consistent event all season long. While the Cardinal usually didn’t post their best event total on floor, they only dipped below 49 once.
How It Looks Now: Stanford’s top three NQS scores are back to anchor the lineup, with plenty of additional returnees and freshman options to provide depth. Nevertheless, the Cardinal are still searching for a stellar anchor set to secure a guaranteed 9.9-plus score.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. With a solid foundation to build on and depth to supplement, the Cardinal’s outlook on floor looks promising.
Three Big Questions
What should we expect from Sydney Razeghi?
The former five-star recruit has been somewhat enigmatic, not competing at all in 2023 and only participating in beam and floor since 2021. When healthy, she’s a dynamic and powerful gymnast who excels on bars and can add multiple routines to the Cardinal’s lineup. However, her status remains relatively unknown.
What will be Stanford’s best and worst events?
Difficulty is an issue on vault, so unless there are six consistently stuck landings, the Cardinal will concede ground to most of the conference every weekend, as it lacks more than a pair of 10.0 start values. It’ll need to compensate for this on bars, where depth is a concern, but its athletes appear to hit and score well under pressure.
Can the Cardinal finish in the top half of the Pac-12?
It’s a formidable challenge given the conference’s depth from top to bottom. Nevertheless, Stanford possesses the experience needed among these four programs. However, considering it didn’t put up much of a challenge in duals to last year’s top-half finishers, it’s doubtful that this year’s rookie class will be sufficient to close the gap in 2024.
No. 21 Arizona
Following a significant portion of the season teetering on the regionals bubble, the Wildcats, in typical Pac-12 fashion, exceeded expectations during the postseason to secure a top-25 finish. Malia Hargrove emerged as a breakout star and returns for an additional year due to COVID, poised to lead an Arizona squad with ample experience, poised to create a stir within the conference.
| Losses: | Zaza Brovedani, Sirena Linton (transfer to Arkansas), Danielle Nosek, Libby Orman | |||
| Gains: | Sophie Derr, Ainsley Greever, Haley Havenor, Sophia Maisel, Abigayle Martin, Tirzah Wise | |||
Vault
Potential Contributors: Malia Hargrove (9.920 NQS), Elizabeth Larusso (9.855), Jessica Castles (9.840), Emily Mueller (9.790), Caroline Herry (9.785), Sophie Derr, Ainsley Greever, Sophia Maisel, Abigayle Martin, Emma Strom, Tirzah Wise
How It Looked Before: Despite relying primarily on Malia Hargrove’s vault with a 10.0 start value, this proved to be a strong event for the Wildcats. They executed landings effectively, culminating in a 23rd place ranking in NQS.
How It Looks Now: There’s no change in the difficulty department, but nearly the entire Arizona lineup, consisting of clean Yurchenko fulls and Hargrove’s one and a half, is set to return.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? It’s still too early to tell. With an experienced lineup and freshmen capable of contributing to the vault lineup, it’s challenging to anticipate a significant regression for the Wildcats in this event. However, there are no clear indicators of substantial improvement either.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Alysen Fears (9.895 NQS), Bailey McCabe (9.875), Emily Mueller (9.785), Malia Hargrove (9.755), Elizabeth Larusso (9.755), Taylor Raskin (9.735), Elena Deets, Sophie Derr, Ainsley Greever, Sophia Maisel, Abigayle Martin, Tirzah Wise
How It Looked Before: This was the Wildcats’ weakest event, where they struggled to hit and reach a score of 49 when they did. Arizona managed to surpass this threshold only six times, resulting in a 37th-place finish on bars.
How It Looks Now: An entire group of six regulars from the previous season returns to complete the lineup, and former four-star recruit Sophie Derr is ready to take one of their places with her polished routine. However, there are still no definitive standouts to anchor the lineup and secure high scores from the judges.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? It’s still too early to tell. There should be at least a minor improvement with the added experience, but the source of competitive scores remains uncertain.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Malia Hargrove (9.900 NQS), Jessica Castles (9.885), Caroline Herry (9.865), Emily Mueller (9.865), Alysen Fears (9.845), Lara Burhans, Elena Deets, Sophie Derr, Ainsley Greever, Haley Havenor, Sophia Maisel, Abigayle Martin, Tirzah Wise
How It Looked Before: In 2023, beam stood out as Arizona’s top event, ranking in the top 15 for NQS. While there were a few uncertain moments, the Wildcats consistently scored in the 49s on beam, usually achieving their highest event total here.
How It Looks Now: Similar to other events, most of the lineup returns to form a strong core. Almost all of the newcomers can contribute a usable routine, but former three-star recruit Abigayle Martin has an edge over her peers to potentially secure a spot in the top six.
Trending up, down, or too early to tell? Trending up. A strong event is expected to improve further, as the Wildcats’ experienced routines will benefit from significant depth.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Malia Hargrove (9.905 NQS), Emily Mueller (9.885), Caroline Herry (9.865), Elena Deets (9.855), Elizabeth Larusso (9.845), Emma Strom (9.740), Jessica Castles, Sophie Derr, Alysen Fears, Ainsley Greever, Haley Havenor, Sophia Maisel, Abigayle Martin, Jordan Shultz, Tirzah Wise
How It Looked Before: Despite the 38th place NQS ranking, Arizona didn’t face difficulties on the floor in 2023. It was an average but consistently solid event where Hargrove shone.
How It Looks Now: The situation remains largely unchanged, with a full lineup of NQS returnees set to lead the Wildcats on the floor. While none of the freshmen excel on the event, they can provide usable routines in case of emergencies—although such situations are not anticipated.
Trending up, down, or too early to tell? Trending up. Much like on beam, the necessary elements are in place with returning athletes and depth to provide support.
Three Big Questions
Who has the potential to step into a leading role alongside Hargrove?
Several candidates are vying for the breakout star position on this squad. Emily Mueller, Alysen Fears, and Elizabeth Larusso all bring a pair of 9.8-plus NQS scores to the table. They are transitioning into upperclassmen this season, with one of them expected to carry the torch when Hargrove eventually passes it on.
What will it take to move up from last in the Pac-12?
Arizona will need to rely on its experience to navigate the ever-competitive Pac-12. The Wildcats didn’t finish last at the conference meet or in the regular season standings. Consistency throughout the season is the key to surpassing another conference foe.
Can Arizona break into the top 20?
The Wildcats finished 28th in the regular season before surging in the postseason to end just short of the top 20. Achieving a top-20 status this season is unlikely despite the positive momentum. However, should the freshmen class exceed expectations and another star emerge to complement Hargrove, challenging for that status is not out of the question.
READ THIS NEXT: Potential Lineups: Pac-12 Part I
Article by Brandis Heffner and Daniel Rothwell
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