In late 2020, the NCAA announced all winter sport athletes would be granted an extra year of eligibility no matter how much of the 2020-21 season they were able to complete. Now that another season is coming to a close and seniors are announcing their intention to return or retire, we decided to put all the announcements in one place.
Returning for a fifth year in 2022 did not count against the institutions’ scholarship count. However, like 2023 and 2024, in 2025, any athlete on scholarship who decides to take a COVID year will potentially count against their school’s scholarship count.
The following information has been curated from gymnasts, teams, and other journalists and will continue to be updated as more announcements are made.
Note: Ivy League gymnasts may not take a fifth year at an Ivy League school. Therefore, we will only be adding those that announce their intention to transfer.
| Team | Gymnast | Decision | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Shania Adams | Definitely | |
| Cam Machado | Definitely | ||
| Isabella Martin | Definitely not | ||
| Mati Waligora | Definitely | Transferring to Arkansas | |
| Alaska | Marcela Bonifasi | Definitely | |
| Montana Fairbairn | Definitely | ||
| Silje Hildebrand | Definitely not | ||
| Jessica Johnson | Definitely not | ||
| Alyssa Manley | Definitely | ||
| Arizona | Lara Burhans | Definitely not | |
| Elena Deets | Definitely | ||
| Caroline Herry | Definitely not | ||
| Bailey McCabe | Definitely not | ||
| Taylor Raskin | Definitely not | ||
| Arizona State | Cassi Barbanente | Definitely | Transferring to Penn State |
| Sarah Clark | Definitely | Announced at senior meet | |
| Skye Harper | Definitely not | ||
| Jada Mangahas | Definitely | Announced at senior meet | |
| Cienna Samiley | Definitely not | ||
| Anaya Smith | Definitely | Transferring to Georgia | |
| Emily White | Definitely | Announced at senior meet | |
| Arkansas | Emma Kelley | Definitely not | Starting job |
| Jensen Scalzo | Definitely not | ||
| Auburn | Olivia Hollingsworth | Definitely | Med school elsewhere |
| Gabby McLaughlin | Definitely | ||
| Sydney Schumaker | Definitely | ||
| Ball State | Suki Pfister | Definitely not | Not on 2025 roster |
| Hannah Ruthberg | Definitely | ||
| Megan Teter | Definitely not | PA school elsewhere | |
| Boise State | Emily Lopez | Definitely | |
| Julia Melchert | Definitely | ||
| Dani Nakayama | Definitely | ||
| Bowling Green | Lauren Bannister | Definitely not | PT school elsewhere |
| Megan Decious | Definitely not | ||
| Bridgeport | Hannah Barry | Definitely | |
| Kieran Ross | Definitely | ||
| Brown | Asta Farrell | Definitely | Transferring to Michigan, per Instagram |
| BYU | Sydney Benson | Definitely | |
| Anna Bramblett | Definitely | ||
| Lauren Ono | Definitely not | ||
| California | Elise Byun | Definitely not | |
| Andi Li | Definitely not | ||
| Gabby Perea | Definitely not | ||
| Centenary | Rylie Molina | Definitely not | |
| Central Michigan | Elizabeth Cesarone | Definitely | Transferring to Pitt |
| Amber Mueller | Definitely not | OT school elsewhere | |
| Clemson | Eve Jackson | Definitely | |
| Rebecca Wells | Definitely | ||
| Denver | Rosie Casali | Definitely | |
| Jessica Hutchinson | Definitely not | Nursing school elsewhere | |
| Bella Mabanta | Definitely | ||
| Rylie Mundell | Definitely | ||
| Abbie Thompson | Definitely | ||
| Eastern Michigan | Raisa Boris | Definitely | |
| Trinity Macy | Definitely | Transferring to West Virginia | |
| Anna Grace McCollough | Definitely not | ||
| Fisk | Naimah Muhammad | Definitely | |
| Florida | Chloi Clark | Likely not | Instagram bio says UF gymnastics alum |
| Ellie Lazzari | Definitely | ||
| Victoria Nguyen | Definitely | ||
| George Washington | Payton Lynch | Definitely not | |
| Anneliese Silverman | Definitely not | ||
| Kendall Whitman | Definitely | ||
| Georgia | Haley de Jong | Likely not | |
| Vanessa Deniz | Definitely not | ||
| Katie Finnegan | Definitely not | ||
| Hamline | Brianna Weikel | Definitely | |
| Illinois | Amelia Knight | Definitely | |
| Allie Morgan | Definitely not | ||
| Illinois State | Kaitlyn Donovan | Definitely | |
| Iowa | Ella Castellanos | Definitely not | |
| Adeline Kenlin | Definitely | ||
| Kendall Laplante | Definitely not | ||
| Aubrey Nick | Definitely not | ||
| Allison Zuhlke | Definitely not | ||
| Iowa State | Emilie Hong | Definitely not | |
| Kaia Parker | Definitely not | ||
| Lauren Thomas | Definitely | ||
| Kent State | Izzy Geig | Definitely not | |
| Kyndall Gilbert | Definitely not | ||
| Kentucky | Bailey Bunn | Definitely not | |
| Carissa Clay | Definitely | Transferring to UCLA | |
| Hailey Davis | Definitely | ||
| Isabella Magnelli | Definitely | ||
| Lindenwood | Reagan Jones | Definitely not | |
| Hannah Moon | Definitely not | ||
| Savannah Newsome | Definitely not | ||
| Madison Rush | Likely not | ||
| Nicole Wojcik | Definitely not | ||
| LIU | Ella Barrington | Definitely | |
| Cael Bixler | Possibly not | ||
| Taylor Doten | Definitely not | ||
| Lauren Miller | Definitely not | ||
| Alana Ricketts | Definitely | ||
| LSU | Elena Arenas | Definitely not | |
| Sierra Ballard | Definitely | ||
| Chase Brock | Definitely | ||
| Haleigh Bryant | Definitely | ||
| Olivia Dunne | Definitely | ||
| Jillian Hoffman | Definitely not | ||
| Kiya Johnson | Definitely not | No sixth year | |
| Alyona Shchennikova | Definitely | ||
| Maryland | Alexa Rothenbuescher | Definitely | |
| Michigan | Carly Bauman | Definitely | |
| Reyna Guggino | Definitely | ||
| Naomi Morrison | Definitely not | ||
| Jenna Mulligan | Definitely | ||
| Michigan State | Baleigh Garcia | Likely not | |
| Naomi German | Definitely not | ||
| Delanie Harkness | Definitely | ||
| Sydney Hayashi | Possibly not | ||
| Giana Kalefe | Definitely | ||
| Tara Walsh | Definitely | Transferring to Clemson | |
| Minnesota | Mya Hooten | Definitely | |
| Katie Horak | Definitely not | ||
| Emily Koch | Definitely | ||
| Missouri | Kyra Burns | Definitely | |
| Kalise Newson | Definitely not | ||
| Amaya Marshall | Definitely not | ||
| Mara Titarsolej | Definitely | ||
| N.C. State | Krista Zultevicz | Definitely | |
| Nebraska | Martina Comin | Likely not | |
| Kinsey Davis | Definitely not | ||
| Sophia McClelland | Definitely | ||
| Lucy Stanhope | Definitely | ||
| New Hampshire | Jenna DeVincenzo | Definitely not | |
| N.C. State | Chloe Negrete | Definitely | Sixth year |
| North Carolina | Kate Greene | Definitely not | |
| Allison LaNasa | Definitely not | ||
| Jamie Shearer | Definitely not | ||
| Hallie Thompson | Definitely not | No sixth year | |
| Northern Illinois | Alyssa Al-Ashari | Definitely not | |
| Ohio State | Savannah Gonzalez | Definitely not | |
| Nicole Riccardi | Definitey not | ||
| Jojo Warga | Definitely | On 2025 roster | |
| Oklahoma | Audrey Davis | Definitely | |
| Bell Johnson | Definitely not | ||
| Katherine LeVasseur | Definitely not | ||
| Sheridan Ramsey | Definitely. not | ||
| Meilin Sullivan | Definitely not | ||
| Oregon State | Sydney Gonzales | Definitely | On 2025 roster |
| Ariana Young | Definitely not | ||
| Penn | Ana Kenefick | Definitely | Transferring to Towson |
| Penn State | Gabbie Gallentine | Definitely | |
| Maddie Johnston | Definitely | ||
| Maggie Mace | Definitely not | ||
| Pittsburgh | Jah’Liyah Bedminster | Definitely | |
| Faith Lerro | Definitely | On 2025 roster | |
| Rhode Island College | Jolie Carpino | Definitely | |
| Olivia Keyes | Definitely | ||
| Emma Tucker | Definitely | On 2025 roster | |
| Rutgers | Avery Balser | Definitely | On 2025 roster |
| Emily Leese | Definitely | ||
| Marisa Laird | Definitely not | ||
| Gianna Ortiz | Definitely | ||
| Jaidyn Raby | Definitely not | PT school elsewhere | |
| Emily Wood | Definitely not | ||
| Sacramento State | Simone Dumas-Guzman | Definitely | On 2025 roster |
| San Jose State | Natasha Forrand | Definitely not | |
| Madison Kirsch | Definitely | ||
| Jaudai Lopes | Definitely | ||
| Lauren Macpherson | Definitely | Transferring to Missouri | |
| SEMO | Anna Speller | Definitely not | |
| Lydia Webb | Definitely not | ||
| Southern Connecticut | Emiley Kahl | Definitely | |
| Hanna Zebdi | Definitely | ||
| Southern Utah | Aly Coutu | Definitely not | |
| Anna Hartley | Definitely not | ||
| Aubri Schwartze | Definitely not | ||
| Springfield | Jenna DiPalo | Definitely | Transferring to Utica |
| Stanford | Amanda Zeng | Definitely not | |
| Talladega | Mackenzie Butler | Definitely | Transferring to Wilberforce |
| Temple | Mackenzie Aresta | Definitely not | |
| Brooke Donabedian | Definitely | ||
| Renee Schugman | Definitely | ||
| Cyrena Whalen | Definitely not | ||
| Texas Woman’s | Madeline Gose | Definitely not | Grad school elsewhere |
| Kaitlyn Hoiland | Definitely | ||
| Steelie King | Definitely | ||
| Towson | Sarah Girot | Definitely not | |
| Amanda Pedicelli | Definitely not | ||
| Cassidy Stuart | Definitely not | ||
| Grace Vaillancourt | Definitely not | ||
| UC Davis | Isabella Fitz-Gerald | Definitely | |
| Anna Holtan | Definitely not | ||
| UCLA | Chae Campbell | Definitely | |
| Frida Esparza | Definitely | ||
| Katie McNamara | Definitely not | ||
| Utah | Jaylene Gilstrap | Definitely | |
| Jaedyn Rucker | Definitely | Sixth year | |
| Alani Sabado | Definitely not | ||
| Utah State | Brianna Brooks | Definitely | |
| Jenna Eagles | Definitely | ||
| Angel Stuart | Definitely | ||
| UW-Eau Claire | Kelsey Donovan | Definitely | On 2025 roster |
| UW-La Crosse | Jordan Halcom | Definitely | |
| UW-Whitewater | Kelsey Kollhoff | Likely | |
| Washington | Skylar Killough-Wilhelm | Definitely | Transferring to Kentucky |
| Taylor Russon | Definitely | ||
| West Chester | Caroline Cascadden | Definitely | |
| Kiley Fred | Definitely not | Grad school elsewhere | |
| Lily McFarland | Definitely | ||
| Madison Whitaker | Definitely not | Starting job | |
| West Virginia | Ellen Collins | Definitely not | |
| Kiana Lewis | Definitely not | ||
| Western Michigan | Sarah Moravansky | Definitely | |
| Dani Petrousek | Definitely not | ||
| Breckin Quoss | Definitely not | ||
| William & Mary | Sarah Brownstein | Definitely | Not on 2024 roster, transferring to Springfield |
| Grace Costello | Possibly | Transferring to Alaska | |
| Winona State | Kennedy O’Connor | Definitely | On 2025 roster |
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry
Article by the editors of College Gym News
I have no issue with fifth years – in fact, I think what should have happened is that all the athletes that were seniors in the year that COVID shut down the season should have been allowed to come back, so we could have seen Kyla Ross and Maddie Kocian and so many others finish their college careers in a deserving way.
And since gymnasts can’t go pro and continue their careers if they wish (not yet, anyway, but there has been talk), I’d extend a fifth year beyond this season to anyone who wants to take it. I think most fans are happy to enjoy watching their favorites for as long as possible.