With our newest recruit ratings out–including graduating seniors for the first time–it’s easy to focus on the five- and four-star athletes who are in contention to be the next all–around stars at their future college programs. However, since our ratings are based on totals across all four events, those athletes who excel on one or two events may fly under the radar. Coaches will often recruit these gymnasts to fill important holes in event lineups, so we want to take the time to highlight them as well. Note that only three-star and unrated gymnasts are considered for these lists. Today, we’re starting the series by looking at the top underrated vaulters.
Class of 2024
Aine Reade
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: New Hampshire
High Score: 9.825
Why She Stands Out: Reade, a former Lindenwood commit, competes a very powerful and college-ready Yurchenko one and a half that would have the potential to make almost any vault lineup in the country. She became the 2024 Region 6 champion on the event with a personal best of 9.825.
Patricia Mills
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Western Michigan
High Score: 9.850
Why She Stands Out: Mills’ Yurchenko full has that floaty quality that scores very well in collegiate competition, with a laid-out body position and clean form throughout. She capped off her level 10 career with a national championship on the event (as well as beam!) at the 2024 All-Star session.
Jayda Lewter
Rating: NR
College: Minnesota
High Score: 9.800
Why She Stands Out: Like Mills, Lewter competes a Yurchenko full with excellent form. She is also training a potential upgrade to the one-and-a-half twisting version.
Drake White
Rating: NR
College: Northern Illinois
High Score: 9.850
Why She Stands Out: A two-time Indiana state champion on vault, White closed out her club career with a personal best of 9.850 at nationals in 2024, which was a top-10 finish in the extremely competitive Senior F session.
Ja’Leigh Lang
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Arkansas
High Score: 9.850
Why She Stands Out: Lang’s stuck Yurchenko full at the 2023 All-Star session scored a 9.850 and won her a national title on the event.
Kyleigh Ghanbari
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Texas Woman’s
High Score: 9.850
Why She Stands Out: TWU has had several standout vaulters in recent years, and Ghanbari is poised to join them. Her Yurchenko half is stickable, perfectly laid out, and smooth throughout the twisting motion.
Class of 2025
Korynne Marquart
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Michigan State
High Score: 9.950
Why She Stands Out: Marquart’s gorgeous (and often stuck) Yurchenko one and a half has now earned back-to-back Region 3 titles on vault as well as two top-four finishes at nationals.
Summer Gronski
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Stanford
High Score: 9.850
Why She Stands Out: Gronski has competed both a Yurchenko full and a Yurchenko one and a half during her club career, winning three straight Region 1 titles in the process. She capped off her 2024 season by sticking the one and a half at nationals.
Sage Curtis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Utah
High Score: 10.000
Why She Stands Out: Curtis has scored the rare perfect 10 on vault, though her 9.700 to win the All-Star session at nationals was arguably just as impressive. Her difficulty combined with the ability to hit when the pressure’s on is just what Utah needs.
Raquel Simmons
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.975
Why She Stands Out: Simmons competes an Omelianchik, which is always a fan-favorite vault when it’s executed well. She was able to stick it to earn a 9.975 and a regional title in 2024.
Lexi Caffall
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.900
Why She Stands Out: Caffall has scored as high as 9.900 with her Yurchenko half and is the reigning Region 1 champion on the event, but she is also training an upgraded one and a half.
Hannah McDaniel
Rating: NR
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.850
Why She Stands Out: McDaniel competes a Yurchenko full with plenty of amplitude and a fully laid-out body position. While there are some minor form issues to focus on, she has a tendency to stick the landing that will be well rewarded in college.
Class of 2026
Taylor Maye
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.975
Why She Stands Out: Maye alternates between the full twist and the one-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko but has topped out at a 9.975 when competing the more difficult version, including with a national title in 2024 with a 9.800. While she has some minor form issues in her execution, she has plenty of time to clean that up before college.
Sydney Williams
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.750
Why She Stands Out: While Williams may not compete as difficult of a vault as most of the others that made this list, she is extremely consistent: She has not scored below a 9.500 on vault since March 2022.
Kylee McQueen
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.883 (Canadian Level 10 system)
Why She Stands Out: Ontario’s McQueen boasts a rock-solid Podkopayeva with a likely-looking Lopez in the works. The secret to her success is in the textbook roundoff, half on block that gives her amplitude and distance to spare.
McKinley James
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.900
Why She Stands Out: James has a big enough block to complete either a Yurchenko full or one and a half and shows textbook execution on both. It’s no mystery why James has qualified to level 10 nationals on vault two years running—when she hits the landings, there’s not much else for the judges to take.
Skylar Dixon
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.825
Why She Stands Out: It’s hard to bring artistry to vault, but Dixon does just that. She makes up for the 9.900 start value on her front handspring pike with picture-perfect form in the air. Though she’s already proven capable of cracking 9.650 on a regular basis, she’s training an extra half twist.
Reese Nichols
Rating: NR
College: Uncommitted
High Score: 9.700
Why She Stands Out: Reese competed a floaty full for the majority of the 2024 season but debuted her Yurchenko one and a half at regionals. That boldness paid off: She earned a berth to level 10 championships where she tied for fifth on the event.
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Article by Jenna King and Claire Billman
