Every season we look forward to the return of gymnasts who missed most or all of a season with an injury. We rounded up 9 comeback kids who should be pivotal to their teams in 2024.
Kiya Johnson, LSU
Among a slew of injuries to the Tigers in 2023, Johnson’s was perhaps the most heartbreaking since we watched it happen live. Johnson is undeniably a superstar, and although LSU managed to put together an extremely successful season without her, her presence back in lineups could be a gamechanger in 2024.
Mallory Gregory, Ohio State
Ohio State’s Gregory missed all of her 2023 season with injury. Though she’s been spotted in a preseason boot, if she can regain full health by January she could play a big role in the Buckeyes’ lineups. With some big names having graduated, her presence could be very important.
Rachael Riley, Rutgers
Riley was Rutgers’ most touted freshman in 2023, for good reason. The Canadian elite was set to be a headlining all arounder on the Banks. A torn Achilles kept her out for the season. Assuming her health holds, she’ll be a significant piece of Rutgers’ lineups, especially after Hannah Joyner’s graduation.
Amari Evans, Utah State
Though she competed 3 events, floor is where Amari Evans shined for Utah State before an Achilles tear in February ended her season. Floor was one of the Aggies weakest events last season, but with Evans back in full force, she should continue her dominance on floor and continue to contribute on vault and bars.
Ella Barrington, LIU
Barrington was a key contributor on floor for the Sharks before her injury at the end of February. She consistently scored above 9.800, and the loss of that routine caused a big dip in LIU’s floor scores for the rest of the season. Barrington’s return to the lineup should bring the consistency back, and that’s exactly what LIU needs after all of its outgoing transfers this offseason.
Cory Shinohara, North Carolina
Shinohara’s injury took away one of the Tar Heels’ consistent vault and floor contributors fairly early on in the season. Yes, North Carolina was still able to put up some big scores without her, but Shinohara’s absence marked the start of the floor inconsistency that would haunt the Tar Heels all the way into the postseason. With a veteran like Shinohara returning, the floor lineup could start putting up those big scores more often than not.
Kaylen Morgan, Michigan
Morgan spent the beginning of her freshman campaign injured, and then joined the vault lineup midseason with a Yurchenko full so stellar it beat out 10.0 start values to land in the lineup. At full health, Morgan should be a game changer for the Wolverines with her big, very clean gymnastics.
Savannah Schoenherr and Cammy Hall, LSU
The Tigers have a pair of transfers who spent 2023 injured and who could transform lineups in Baton Rouge. Schoenherr missed her 5th year at Florida, while Hall was injured after transferring from Utah. Hall will almost certainly play a big role in the vault lineup, while Schoenherr should factor into both vault and bars.
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Article by Savanna Whitten, Mary Collier, Emily Lockard, and Emily Minehart
