The most anticipated series is back! We looked at data and videos for incoming freshmen on each event to see which gymnasts are at the top of their class across the apparatuses and in the all-around. Today we’re looking at the top floor workers from the class of 2024.
We ranked the top 10 level 10 and top five elite gymnasts on each event by considering past scores and performances, but also potential to shine at the NCAA level. In an effort to balance the names across all NCAA programs, we limited each list to two gymnasts per school.
The Level 10s
Kailin Chio, LSU
Despite being the only event Chio did not win at Nationals, floor is not considered her weak event. The 2023 Nastia Liukin Cup floor champion competes a spectacular routine that starts with an open full-twisting double tuck and ends with a double pike. Her control and precision will be instrumental in filling the voids left by Kiya Johnson and Konnor McClain in Jay Clark’s floor lineup.
Taylor Clark, Florida
Clark gets excellent amplitude on her tumbling passes, including on her opening double layout. Despite being unable to compete most of the 2024 season, Clark proved her potential in 2023. If she’s able to return to the level she was in late 2023 when she earned a 9.95 to clinch the Florida state floor title, she could immediately contribute to the Gators’ floor lineup.
Sophia Diaz, Michigan
Michigan’s freshman class includes many talented floor workers, but Diaz will likely still find herself in the second half of the lineup. Diaz competes a front double twist and an open double, two passes that helped lead her to a regional floor title in 2024. Floor is an event where Michigan will look to replace Sierra Brooks, Naomi Morrison, and Gabby Wilson and Diaz could factor into this lineup from the beginning of season.
Rylee Guevara, Ohio State
Earning a massive 9.90 to win the national title, Guevara competes floor with a level of charisma and energy that could make her a fan-favorite in the Covelli Center. She opens her routine with a front double twist directly connected to a punch front, and competes difficult dance elements such as a Y-turn. With her unique skills, she could be Ella Hodges’s replacement as the Buckeyes’ floor anchor. Guevara didn’t score below 9.70 on floor in the entire 2024 season, which shows a level of consistency that will be very appreciated by head coach Meredith Paulicivic.
Haylee Hardin, Iowa State
One of only five gymnasts to notch perfection on floor in 2024, Hardin’s potential impact on Iowa State’s floor lineup is gigantic. The 2023 national champion did not compete floor at 2024 nationals, but at full strength Hardin competes a powerful routine that includes a sky-high double layout that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
CJ Keuneke, California
Keuneke is a true standout on floor. Despite the Golden Bears keeping nearly all of the routines from their 2024 lineup, the national floor champion is sure to fight for a spot. As a three-time Nastia Liukin Cup competitor, she has experience competing in front of big crowds, a quality that could help a team with high hopes for national success.
Macy McGowan, UCLA
McGowan, who scored a career-high 9.875 to tie for the national floor title with Keuneke, will be a welcome addition to the renowned UCLA floor lineup. With UCLA’s exquisite choreography, McGowan is sure to shine in Pauley Pavilion. Her powerful yet controlled routine could hold its own in a lineup alongside the likes of Chae Campbell, Jordan Chiles, and Brooklyn Moors.
Elle Mueller, Oklahoma
Mueller, whose seven most recent floor scores fall in the 9.775-9.850 range, takes consistency to a new level. The Nastia Liukin Cup floor runner-up competes a full-twisting double tuck that, if she competes it in college, could bring exciting difficulty to Oklahoma’s floor lineup. While lineup spots are difficult to predict given Oklahoma’s talent, Mueller is a fantastic option to fill the vacancies left by Katherine LeVasseur and Ragan Smith.
Avery Neff, Utah
Neff competes with a confidence, precision, and joy that won her eight floor titles in 2024, including wins at both the Nastia Liukin Cup and nationals. Her 9.925 from the latter competition was the highest floor score of any age group, and her assortment of twisting skills will likely see her feature in the second half of yet another Utah lineup.
Jahzara Ranger, Michigan
One of the aforementioned talented floor workers in the Wolverines’ freshman class, Ranger’s power will be very welcome in Ann Arbor. Her comfort with choreography is evident, and she has the ability to compete a gorgeous double layout that could make Wolverine fans in the Crisler Center go wild.
The Elites
Addison Fatta, Oklahoma
Fatta’s dynamic routine has the potential to develop into a lineup option after a few months training with KJ Kindler, whose emphasis on polish and execution is well-known in the NCAA. Her elite routine included a double layout which could make its way to college. She will likely benefit from the controlled step in NCAA, which will help her minimize the landing deductions she struggled with in elite.
Katelyn Jong, Auburn
Jong is an athlete who specifically put effort into improving her artistry during this quad – a skillset that will carry over to college. As an elite she competed difficult skills such as a Silivas, which will likely be taken out of her routine in college. While she is known for big tumbling at the elite level, the NCAA’s lack of emphasis on difficulty could serve to improve her execution, which will combine well with her excellent control.
Kaliya Lincoln, LSU
Throughout various points of the year, Lincoln was on the highest-scoring American Olympic team solely for floor. Her passes include both a Moors and a Chusovitina, and the 2024 Olympic alternate should be expected to have a sensational college routine with high levels of difficulty and excellent execution. Her power and grace will serve her well in the electric atmosphere of the PMAC.
Joscelyn Roberson, Arkansas
Roberson’s elite routine was energetic, powerful, and difficult, and her college routine will likely showcase similar strengths. She has been diligent in her efforts to improve her form in her elite routines, and should this emphasis continue, she is likely to find success at Arkansas.
Ui Soma, Stanford
After competing a four-pass routine in elite that mounted with a double layout, Soma will likely be glad for the opportunity to worry less about endurance in favor of execution. Her elite landings were quite controlled which should convert well to college, and her leaps only add to her routine’s quality.
Honorable Mentions
- Sophia Bell, Auburn – Watch her routine
- Chloe Cho, Illinois – Watch her routine
- Peyton Davis, Michigan – Watch her routine
- Riley Jenkins, UCLA – Watch her routine
- Zoe Johnson, Utah – Watch her routine
- Olivia Kelly, Missouri – Watch her routine
- Marissa Neal, Auburn – Watch her routine
- Ava Stewart, Minnesota – Watch her routine
- Harley Tomlin, Georgia – Watch her routine
- Donna Uhlenberg, Rutgers – Watch her routine
READ THIS NEXT: Most Anticipated Freshman on Beam
Article by Gemma Selby, with additional reporting from Aaron Doyle and Brynn Robbins
