We know a new season will bring fresh faces, but it also means saying goodbye to some of our favorites due to graduations, transfers, or coaching changes. All the changes mean some of your favorite teams might look a little different than you remember. Here are seven teams that might make you do a double take when the 2025 season kicks off.
Alabama
It’s hard to imagine a Crimson Tide team without names like Luisa Blanco and Makarri Doggette. Both brought big scores on multiple events for their team, along with Ella Burgess and Mati Waligora, the latter of which transferred to Arkansas for her sixth year. While the Tide have reloaded with head coach Ashley Johnston’s largest recruiting class since her arrival in Tuscaloosa, fans of the Tide will miss the almost-guaranteed 9.900 plus scores Blanco, Burgess, Doggette, and Waligora brought weekly.
Boise State
Courtney Blackson and Adriana Popp have been the faces of Bronco gymnastics and were responsible for several records during their four and five years respectively. Now that they have moved on, Boise State will be looking to fill that void. It has several returners that should help, but fans will be missing Blackson and Popp in 2025.
Georgia
Names like Haley de Jong and Katie Finnegan have been synonymous with Georgia gymnastics for the last few years, but the team will likely look completely different under co-head coaches Cécile Canqueteau-Landi and Ryan Roberts. The team will be watched very closely to see how they gel with a roster of seven freshmen, three transfers, and 12 returners under an almost completely new coaching staff. No pressure, right?
Kentucky
We knew there would come a day when we’d have to say farewell to Raena Worley as a gymnast, but it still feels like it came too soon. Either way, the Wildcats are ready for a revenge tour in 2025 with six freshmen and two transfers in Isabella Rivelli and Skylar Killough-Wilhelm. While we will miss Worley’s gymnastics, the Wildcats are ready to add to the legacy she leaves behind.
Michigan
The Wolverines have yet to recapture the glory that was their first and only national championship in 2021, and last season ended shockingly early when Michigan was upset in the second round of its home regional. Michigan loses three more pieces from that championship team in Sierra Brooks, Naomi Morrison, and Gabby Wilson, so it will have to rely on a lot of inexperienced youngsters to find the scores that this trio brought. Luckily, the Wolverines bring in seven freshmen, headlined by the early arrival of former five-star Sophia Diaz.
Missouri
Missouri will look extremely different in 2025, and we mean that in the best way possible! An already strong team is looking even stronger with the additions of Abby Mueller, Lauren Macpherson, Amy Wier, and Elise Tisler. All but one of these gymnasts have extensive experience being big contributors, and they should make an immediate impact for the Tigers. Plus, watching Missouri without also watching Sienna Schreiber will certainly be an adjustment. But this stacked Tigers roster should be able to fill her big shoes!
West Virginia
Despite the down season in 2024, West Virginia had their own star gymnasts in Kiana Lewis and Abbie Pierson. Both had 9.900-plus scores on multiple events during their time as Mountaineers and brought leadership to a team that struggled to put up six healthy gymnasts on some events. While West Virginia should be in a better place health-wise in 2025, it will truly miss the senior leadership from Lewis and Pierson.
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Article by Emily Lockard and Savanna Wellman
Bama and Mizzou should be interesting.
I’m surprised UCLA is not on the list. They have a really interesting freshman class and the return of Chiles.
I’m surprised UGA is on the list (gymnast wise.) DeJong was out all year with an injury and Finnegan much of it with illness. UGA only loses 4 routines from the Regionals team that almost knocked up Missouri and had three late mid 197 scores.