2024 Level 10 Nationals: By the Numbers

This year’s level 10 nationals is going to be an exciting competition. With plenty of gymnasts with the potential to score over 39 points, expect every division to be spectacular. What should you expect from each session? Who should you watch? Who has a good chance to win? Who are the future NCAA stars? We answer all these questions and more below.

Top Qualifiers

An exceptional total of 11 gymnasts qualified to nationals with scores of 39.000 points or higher. Four-star recruit Olivia Kelly, a Missouri signee, is coming into nationals with the highest qualifying score, a career high 39.425. Five-star Kailin Chio (LSU) posted the second highest score, a 39.375, and the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024, Utah signee Avery Neff, scored a 39.325. Behind them, four-star Elyse Wenner (LSU) continued her impressive season with a 39.175, while four gymnasts posted a 39.150: four-star Rylee Guevara (Ohio State) has had a breakthrough year; Sophie Schriever (Washington), a three-star who’s improved last year’s career high by nearly a point; five-stars Allison Cucci (Arkansas) and Jocelyn Sasson (Florida). Both gymnasts are coming off exceptional seasons. Finally, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, Oklahoma commit Kamila Pawlak, is entering nationals with a 39.075, Ava Cash (Penn State), a four-star, and three-star Bailey Stroud (Utah) boast qualifying scores of 39.000.

Five gymnasts posted perfect 10.0s at regionals: Chio and signee Allie Kaempfer (Penn State) on vault; and Pawlak, Quincy Walters (California) and 2026 recruit Kendall Torrens on floor.

Senior F

Regional champions: Kelsey Slade (Region 1); Jaime Dugan (Region 2); Haylee Hardin (Region 3); Elle Mueller (Region 4); Cady Duplissis (Region 5); Rachel Beaulieu and Reese Toland (Region 6); Rylee Guevara (Region 7); Zoe Johnson (Region 8)

Highest qualifiers: Rylee Guevara (39.150); Zoe Johnson (38.975); Olivia Ahern and Elle Mueller (38.950)

Who will win?

Two gymnasts may have an edge in this session: Oklahoma signee Elle Mueller and Ohio State signee Rylee Guevara. Mueller is the reigning Nastia Liukin Cup champion and has yet to put a foot wrong this season, scoring over 39 points more times than not. Her 38.950 at regionals was “just fine” for her standards, which tells you all you need to know about her potential. Guevara’s proven repeatedly this season that she belongs with the best gymnasts in the class of 2024. With three 39+ scores this year and career highs of 9.950 on both vault and floor, she’s one to watch… and to beat. 

If the last time you saw Utah signee Zoe Johnson competing was at the Nastia Liukin Cup, forget about that bad performance—it was a fluke. Although some inconsistencies on bars and beam remain, she’s proven to be an exceptional all arounder. Vault in particular is her strength: her three most recent scores have been a 10.0, a 9.950, and a 9.975. Oklahoma signee Kelsey Slade’s Yurchenko full is no match for the more difficult vaults, but she’s one of the most consistent gymnasts in this session. Only time will tell if it will be enough to medal.

Auburn signee Olivia Ahern (38.950), Kentucky signee Anna Flynn Cashion (38.875), and Rutgers signee Donna Uhlenberg (38.750) had exceptional regional performances and will be ones to watch at nationals. Watch out for Ahern’s floor routine, which scored a 10.0 a couple of years ago.

Senior E

Regional champions: Macy McGowan (Region 1); Sadie Smith (Region 2); Teryn Crump (Region 3); Lily Pederson (Region 4); Ellie Monahan (Region 5); Maggie Murphy (Region 6); Kennedy Brown (Region 7); Allie Kaempfer (Region 8)

Highest qualifiers: Lily Pederson (38.950); Teryn Crump (38.925); Macy McGowan (38.725)

Who will win?

This feels like Lily Pederson’s title to lose. The Oklahoma signee is capable of perfect 10.0s on both vault and bars, as well as a 9.900 on beam. Floor has been a bit of a struggle this year, but if she hits, she should have no problem winning her second national all-around title. It’s no accident that she’s the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2024.

Teryn Crump (Minnesota) has recently impressed with her new-found poise, posting a 39.175 at the Texas state meet and a 38.925 at regionals. She’s been inconsistent in the past but if she hits one more time, she could make the run for the title very exciting. She boasts multiple scores in the 9.9s on bars, so she will also have the chance to be crowned bar champion. CJ Keuneke (California) has shown sparks of greatness this year and could be one of the favorites to win the floor title. Allie Kaempfer (Penn State) scored her first perfect 10.0 on vault at regionals for her Yurchenko one and a half; she will battle for the title with Pederson and Macy McGowan (UCLA), whose flared Yurchenko one and a half scored a 9.900 at regionals and is arguably the most beautiful of the competition.

For fans of the Shchennikova sisters, this is your last chance to see Kristina Shchennikova competing in club before she heads to Boise State this summer. She’s capable of a 9.900 on bars, so she could be in contention for a medal there.

Senior D

Regional champions: Kailin Chio (Region 1); Meika Lee (Region 2); Bradley Burton (Region 3); Sophia Bell (Region 4); Layla Bobek (Region 5); Sophia Kaloudis (Region 6); Olivia Kelly (Region 7); Chesney Bennett (Region 8)

Highest qualifiers: Olivia Kelly (39.425); Kailin Chio (39.375); Avery Neff (39.325)

Who will win?

This will be one of the strongest sessions of this national championship, with Avery Neff (Utah), Kailin Chio (LSU), and Olivia Kelly (Missouri) all capable of winning gold. This would be Chio’s and Kelly’s first national all-around title and Neff’s third.

The fact that Neff, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024, comes into this session with “only” the third highest qualifying score speaks to the strength of her opponents. Chio missed the beginning of the season due to injury but is back strong. She posted a perfect 10.0 on bars a few weeks ago and another 10.0 on vault at regionals. Last year, she tied with Neff for a share of the Nastia Liukin Cup title. Kelly’s impressive 39.425 is no fluke either. She’s shown impressive poise and consistency this season, and posted scores over 39 points twice before scoring a career high at regionals. Impressively, Kelly, who is also a Barbados national team member, doesn’t hold back on difficulty. She competes a double Arabian as both her first tumbling pass on floor and her bars dismount, as well as an illusion turn on beam.

Meika Lee (Pitt) and Sophia Kaloudis (Oregon State) impressed at regionals with career highs of 38.750 and 38.725, respectively. Hopefully, they can repeat similar performances at nationals to finish their club careers with a bang.

Senior C

Regional champions: Kimarra Echols and Sophie Stuart (Region 1); Kylee Kvamme (Region 2); Maggie Ball (Region 3); Sydney Holtz (Region 4); Lisa Szeibert (Region 5); Addy Whiteside (Region 6); Sophia Diaz (Region 7); Madelyn Dorbin (Region 8)

Highest qualifiers: Sophia Diaz (38.900); Kimarra Echols and Sophie Stuart (38.800) 

Who will win?

The two favorite gymnasts in this session are Sophia Diaz (Michigan) and Nina Ballou (LSU). Diaz is last year’s national champion in the Junior E division and has had a great year, posting career highs of 9.950 on vault and floor and a 9.900 on bars. She’s been a bit inconsistent on beam but she’s recently recovered her confidence. Ballou has also struggled on beam this season, including at regionals, and has had some minor issues on the other events, too. However, when she’s on, her gymnastics is spectacular.

Kimarra Echols (Missouri) is having an amazing end of season. She posted a career high 39.025 in the all around a few weeks ago, two 9.900s on floor in a row, and a 9.975 on vault at regionals. Sophie Stuart (California), Addy Bare (Arkansas), and Madelyn Dorbin (Florida) have also risen to the occasion in recent weeks, with Dorbin posting a career high 38.900 at the Georgia state meet.

Senior B

Regional champions: Sophie Schriever (Region 1); Tianmei Dwyer (Region 2); Kamila Pawlak (Region 3); Aubrey Gilliland (Region 4); Bailey Stroud (Region 5); Ava Thurston (Region 6); Elyse Wenner (Region 7); Ava Cash (Region 8)

Highest qualifiers: Elyse Wenner (39.175); Sophie Schriever (39.150); Kamila Pawlak (39.075)

Who will win?

If you can watch only one session of the national championship, this is probably the one. A record number five gymnasts qualified with scores of 39 points or higher: Bailey Stroud (Utah) and Ava Cash (Penn State) scored two 39.000 and joined Elyse Wenner (LSU), Sophie Schriever (Washington), and Kamila Pawlak (Oklahoma) in the 39+ club. Plus, Scarlett Sonnenberg (BYU) posted a 38.825, Ella Murphy (Oklahoma) a 38.850, and Autumn Reingold (Georgia) a 38.800. Just wow!

Pawlak, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, comes in as the favorite. She’s had a superb season so far, which has included posting career highs in the all around (39.225), on bars (9.975), beam (9.800), and floor (10.0). Her first perfect 10.0 on floor came at regionals. Although she’s won a lot in her career, including the junior Nastia Liukin Cup title and a second place in the all around at nationals in 2022, she’s yet to be crowned national all-around champion.

Wenner is having a spectacular season and is coming off two 39+ meets at states and regionals. Her Yurchenko full on vault is beautiful but can’t score as high as Pawlak’s Yurchenko one and a half, so she may be at a slight disadvantage there. Schriever’s 39.150 regional score improved her previous career high by four tenths, but she’s shown glimpses of greatness all season. She also scored a perfect 10.0 on vault earlier this year for her Yurchenko full on pike off. Stroud, Cash, Reingold, and Murphy are not only solid all arounders but are also exceptional bar workers, with Stroud scoring a 10.0 back in 2021. Any of them could clinch the title, though Murphy’s lines and Komova II could give her an edge.

Also in this session, you don’t want to miss Gabby Van Freyen (Kentucky), a former elite who’s always exciting to watch, and Quincy Walters (California) who scored a 10.0 on floor at regionals.

Senior A

Regional champions: Avalon Campbell (Region 1); Jordyn Castillo (Region 2); Shea Orlando (Region 3); Allison Cucci (Region 4); Maggie Waterstreet (Region 5); Taylor Beers (Region 6); Shyla Bhatia (Region 7); Jocelyn Sasson (Region 8)

Highest qualifiers: Allison Cucci and Jocelyn Sasson (39.150); Emerson Fisk (38.850)

Who will win?

This session could be a showdown between Allison Cucci (Arkansas) and Jocelyn Sasson (Florida). Cucci finally (and deservingly) broke the 39 barrier at states and did it again at regionals. Plus, she scored a 10.0 on vault this season, as well as a 9.950 on beam. At the beginning of the year, she struggled a bit with her floor landings, but she seems to have put the problem behind her. Sasson has scored in the 39s twice this season, including a career high at regionals. She also scored a career high 9.900 on vault at states and a 9.975 on floor at regionals. Her year started slowly on beam and she hasn’t scored above 9.600 all season. However, she’s won the national title before, so she has what it takes to deliver under pressure. 

Haley Mustari (LSU) has had trouble on beam most of the season, including at regionals, but earlier this year she posted three consecutive perfect 10.0s on bars, as well as a 9.975 on floor. Although her Yurchenko full may keep her out of contention for the all-around title, her seven (yes, seven) perfect scores on bars make her the favorite to win that event.

Emerson Fisk (N.C.State) is having a fantastic end of season, flirting with that elusive 39 in her three most recent meets. If she repeats the feat one more time, she could be in contention for the title. Jasmine Cawley (Alabama) is also having a strong second half of the year, posting a career high 9.925 on floor at regionals; and Avalon Campbell (Arkansas) has also been performing her best gymnastics in recent meets.

Junior F

Regional champions: Keira Libovitz (Region 1); Reese Nichols (Region 2); Presley Duke (Region 3); Miraya Nero (Region 4); Ella Kate Parker (Region 5); McKenna Mullins (Region 6); Leigh Anne Elliott (Region 7); Daelin Diaz-Luong (Region 8)

Highest qualifiers: Presley Duke (38.925); Leigh Anne Elliott (38.775); Addison Megill (38.700)

Who will win?

2026 recruit Presley Duke is the favorite to win this session. She’s a talented athlete who caught fans’ attention in 2022 when she scored 39 points twice and finished second at the junior Nastia Liukin Cup. She’s yet to win a national all-around title. After being limited by an injury late last season, this could be her year—earlier this season she posted a career high 39.325 in the all around and a perfect 10.0 on bars.

Former elite Ella Kate Parker, another 2026 recruit, is yet to post exceptional scores in the all around, but she’s capable of hitting when it counts, as she did earlier this year to win the junior Nastia Liukin Cup title. Addie Megill, in the class of 2026, is coming off two exceptional meets at the Pennsylvania state and Region 7 championships and could be in contention for a medal if she hits once again. Leigh Anne Elliott, yet another 2026 recruit, posted a career high 38.775 in the all around at regionals, but her average is much lower. She will have to prove that her career-high range is her new normal and not a one-time occurrence.

Younger Juniors

A number of gymnasts in the class of 2026 have shown amazing potential at regionals and will hope to replicate the same kind of performance at nationals. A good show in front of NCAA coaches will be especially important for them, as they will start their recruiting process on June 15th. 

In Junior E, three-time Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier Imani White has flirted with that magic 39 in her three most recent meets. With scores of 9.9+ on vault, bars, and beam, the sky’s the limit for this athlete if she can keep her nerves at bay. Two-time Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier Jordyn Johnson scored a 38.750 at regionals, less than a tenth away from her career high. Like White, she’s not the most consistent gymnast yet but has shown glimpses of greatness, including 9.950 on floor earlier this year. Similarly, Lindsay Pseja has scored twice in the high 38s this year, including at regionals. Minor issues on all events have prevented her from posting high all-around scores consistently, but she’s impressive when she hits. Bars is her pet event—her 9.925 career high puts her in position for a national title on this event.

In Junior D, Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier Sutton Strasser is the favorite to win the title after scoring in the high 38s at both states and regionals. She’s capable of a 9.950 on floor. Avery Schlichting and Kendall Torrens obliterated their previous career-highs at regionals and will have to prove that they can repeat the same performance quality at nationals. Torrens scored her first perfect 10.0 on floor at regionals, so she’s one to watch on this event.

Among the even younger juniors, 2027 recruit Jada Oliver has had a fantastic year, scoring in the high 38s both at states and at regionals and posting a big 9.950 on vault for a Yurchenko one and a half earlier this year. Madeline Simpson, also a 2027 recruit, scored a big 37.775 at regionals but consistency remains a question mark. Both Oliver and Simpson will compete in Junior C. Similarly to Simpson, 2027 recruit Ruthie Wehrung, who will compete in Junior B, had an outstanding meet at regionals (38.725) but needs to prove she can repeat the same kind of performance on the bigger stage. Finally, Amia Pugh-Banks, a 2029 recruit competing in Junior A, is the real deal. As you would expect from such a young gymnast (she’s only 12!), nerves often get the best of her but she’s shown time and again that she has immense potential. She’s flirted with a 39 multiple times, including at regionals, and has scored a 9.900 twice on vault for her Yurchenko one and a half.

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Article by Talitha Ilacqua