Injuries are part of sports, but that doesn’t make missing significant competition time any easier. As the 2025 season approaches, the return of many gymnasts who missed all or most of last season is imminent. While it’s impossible to list every athlete making a comeback, we compiled some of the top names poised to make an impact on their teams upon their return.
Riley McCusker (Florida)
After an elite career with its own share of injuries, McCusker’s clean gymnastics was right at home with Florida in her freshman and sophomore campaigns. She was sidelined in 2024 after suffering a preseason ankle injury that required surgery. She will especially be an asset on bars and beam; she competed bars in nine of 15 meets in 2023 and holds a career-high 9.950 on beam.
Alyona Shchennikova (LSU)
Throughout her collegiate career, Shchennikova has been a staple in LSU’s lineups and relied upon for high scores. While she hasn’t always competed all-around, she consistently performed on at least two events throughout her career and on all four for most of 2023. Shchennikova’s senior season ended before it started, as she tore her Achilles right before the first meet.
Adeline Kenlin (Iowa)
A staple in Hawkeye lineups throughout her college career, Kenlin competed in just three meets in 2024, notching a career-high 39.575 in the all-around before an ACL tear brought her senior season to a halt. The fifth-year looks to come back on top for the Hawkeyes.
Sydney Gonzales (Oregon State)
Gonzales was one of the Beavers’ most consistent competitors in terms of both scores and lineup frequency in her first three seasons. She was a staple on vault, beam, and floor each year before a torn Achilles prematurely ended her senior campaign. Her Yurchenko full-on pike brings another 10.0 start value to the Beaver lineup, and she notched a career-high 9.975 on beam in 2023.
Brooklyn Rowray (Minnesota)
Rowray has dealt with her fair share of injuries during her time at Minnesota, but she has already shown the ability to highlight a beam lineup. In addition to appearances on the event in 2023, Rowray’s only routine before sustaining a right foot injury in 2024 was a near-perfect 9.975.
Lia Kmieciak (Central Michigan)
With consistent bars and an upgrade to a Yurchenko one and a half, Kmieciak was well on her way to a great sophomore season when she tore her ACL and Meniscus at the beginning of February. She set a career-high 9.900 on vault in the meet prior and never scored below a 9.800 on bars in 2024.
Neve King (North Carolina)
Unfortunately for the depth-depleted Tar Heels, King’s collegiate debut was put on hold, as a lower leg injury held her out of competition. A former four-star recruit, King especially shines on bars but could see lineup time on all four events.
Elizabeth LaRusso (Arizona)
LaRusso came into her own in 2023, consistently competing bars, beam, and floor. She notched a career-high 9.900 on floor and held an NQS of at least 9.845 on vault and floor. She’ll look to build on that after being sidelined in 2024 due to a torn UCL, forcing repair via Tommy John surgery.
Lindsay Ockler (SEMO)
Ockler suffered an ankle injury halfway through the season, ending her otherwise stellar 2024. She scored 9.8-plus on bars in four of the five meets she competed in, one of which being a 10 earned at the infamous Tennessee Collegiate Classic.
Alyssa Manley (Alaska)
Manley was a staple on three events in her sophomore campaign and consistently led the way for the Seawolves, including holding the team’s highest NQS on bars and floor. After tearing her ACL in preseason, she missed the 2024 season. Returning her scores to lineups will be a boost for Alaska in 2025.
Kira Bolden (Washington)
A former four-star recruit, Bolden suffered a torn ACL near the end of her final level 10 season and was unable to compete during her freshman year. She stands out on vault and floor, including boasting a Yurchenko one and a half that would be appreciated in Washington’s lineup.
Katrina Mendez Abolnik (Bowling Green)
Mendez Abolnik was a mainstay in Bowling Green’s vault and floor lineups as a sophomore in 2023 before hip surgery sidelined her in 2024. In the past, she has qualified to NCAA regionals as an individual competitor on vault and set a career-high 9.900 on the event with her Yurchenko one and a half.
Sydney Barros (UCLA)
Barros suffered an injury just before the 2023 World Championships, resulting in the former five-star recruit to redshirt her freshman season. A healthy Barros looks to be a powerful addition to the Bruins’ vault and floor lineups in particular.
Cadence Gormley (Kentucky)
As a freshman, Gormley was a constant in the Wildcats’ bars and beam lineups for the first three meets of 2024 before suffering an ACL tear. While she didn’t have time to post flashy scores pre-injury, the potential for big numbers was evident.
Danae Fletcher (Oklahoma)
Fletcher had a stellar 2023 campaign, consistently competing two events. Her ability to produce high scores while coming in and out of the lineups has given her the opportunity to compete on vault, bars, and floor in her two seasons as a Sooner. A torn ACL held her out of competition in 2024, but a healthy Fletcher is a lineup option on multiple events.
Honorable Mention: Danielle Sievers (Oklahoma)
OK, hear us out. While Sievers competed bars in every meet last season, she was recovering from a lower leg injury that limited her on the other events. She was a staple in the Sooner vault and floor lineups pre-injury and came back to compete floor at nationals. A healthy Sievers is another powerful weapon for the Sooners on any of the four events.
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Article by Tara Graeve and Jessica Brock
Gotta edit and add in Helen Hu who announced today she was returning from retirement and rejoining Missouri Tigers for her final year of eligibility!!
This article is for injury returners! But don’t worry, Helen Hu will get plenty of mentions from us in the coming months.