The transition into college gymnastics is not easy for every gymnast. Whether due to injuries, or stacked lineups in front of them, some of this season’s sophomores were not able to contribute as much as they may have liked. With a whole season and offseason under their belts, many sophomores are now set to shine in year two.
Danie Ferris (Florida)
Ferris was the second highest rated recruit in the class of 2023 and was highly anticipated for her contributions on vault and floor. Unfortunately, Ferris was injured during the preseason last year which led to a slow start to her career. She was able to get healthy enough to compete on vault to start the season, but it took about a month for her to start landing her Yurchenko one and a half consistently and another month to add floor to her program. Ferris may have only had five floor routines in 2024, but due to her slow ramp-up, we can expect to see her compete the event more in 2025. She could also potentially add in bars where she scored as high as a 9.9 in level 10.
Ashley Szymanski (Ball State)
Szymanski saw lineup time each week on bars for the Cardinals in 2024, quickly emerging as a standout specialist freshman in traditionally upperclassmen all-arounder lineups. Her consistent 9.9+ bar routines placed her in the mix to advance to nationals – and while ultimately placing hundredths of a point away from advancing out of Regionals, her individual MAC championship on the event is a sign of more strong routines on the way in 2025.
Gabi Ortiz (Michigan State)
Ortiz appeared in both the vault and beam lineups for the Spartans in 2024 but didn’t make the postseason lineup on either event. With another offseason to work on her upgraded vault and E passes on floor, Ortiz has the potential to make the vault, beam, and floor lineups regularly in the absence of the graduating seniors. Her career high of 9.9 on beam is a strong indicator of her potential to replace Baleigh Garcia.
Jessica Naranjo (North Carolina)
Naranjo was a highly anticipated recruit for the Tar Heels and had a slow start to her career in Chapel Hill. She appeared in both the bars and beam lineups in 2024, but one of her main events in level 10 was floor. Floor was a weak spot for the Tar Heels in 2024, so a lineup spot will be there for her as soon as she is ready for it. Her best beam routines of the season were also her last three routines which may be a sign of a strong year in 2025.
Alex Irvine (Auburn)
Irvine competed for UCLA in 2024 but had a difficult time breaking into lineups. While at UCLA she competed on vault four times, bars three times, and once on floor. Her career high of 9.9 on bars is something the coaches at Auburn will be eyeing when building lineups in 2025. Auburn is losing key routines from Cassie Stevens and Aria Brusch and will be looking to upgrade on some of the lower-scoring routines in last year’s lineups. Even though Auburn does have a strong freshmen class coming in, Irvine will be pushing for a lineup spot on multiple events.
Sydney Barros (UCLA)
The Bruins have infamously kept their fans on edge over the last handful of offseasons, between Olympic deferrals, transfers, and injury returns.Barros happens to fit into all three of these, going into a season without big names like Selena Harris, Margzetta Frazier, and Nya Reed remaining with the team. Barros joined the UCLA roster last winter to redshirt after an ankle injury and has since been seen training multiple events. She has the lion’s share of bars and beam skills to build routines from and is positioned to start her college career at a time when the Bruins are in serious need for her high-flying yet calm gymnastics.
Mary McDonough (Washington)
McDonough was the second highest rated recruit for Washington in 2024 with the potential to contribute in the all-around, but mainly on vault, bars, and floor. Due to an injury, McDonough only competed vault last season and appeared in that lineup on eight occasions. McDonough did exhibition on bars, but she did not crack into the lineup. Her best two vaults of the season were her last two vaults setting her up for a strong start to 2025.
Kyrstin Johnson (Temple)
Johnson made herself known in Talladega’s short gymnastics tenure, forever holding program records in the all-around, as well as on vault, bars, and floor. She begins her sophomore season at Temple as the reigning USAG national vault champion, and will likely see immediate lineup time on the event in the Owl’s effort to push past their high 48.000 average. Her Yurchenko 1.5 has scored 9.925 in the 2024 postseason – which for fans on record watch, sits even with the Owls’ current individual vault program record set by current CGN editor Julianna Roland.
Addy Rothstein (Cornell)
Rothstein made an immediate impact in her freshman year at Cornell, competing in all but one meet on at least two events. Her vault and floor scores were integral to the team’s program record 195.025 this past March, in lineups that were reliant on upperclassmen. She holds highs of 9.750 (VT), 9.725 (UB), and 9.800 (FX), and is poised to improve all three in 2025 as the team looks to replace five postseason routines. Fingers crossed we’ll be seeing Rothstein’s floor more often this year, which has one of the most effortless front tuck through to double tuck passes in the GEC.
Hannah Scheible (Oklahoma)
Vault-standout Scheible made a name for herself during her freshman season with her near-identical front pike half vault each week, going as high as 9.975. Sooner fans were eager to see her compete on more than one event though, as she began her career as one of the highest-ranked recruits in the 2023 class (and at the time, the eighth-highest ever). She holds event high scores all above 9.900 from level ten and can likely slot into the Sooners’ make-or-break beam lineup.
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Article by Alyssa Van Auker and Peri Goodman
