Moving to the Big 12 is an exciting prospect for Arizona. Its quiet improvement over the last few years has gone relatively unremarked, and a new and competitive conference is an opportunity to make a splash. Even with the departure of a star in Malia Hargrove, the Wildcats look equipped to have a good year in 2025.
2024 Rewind
No. 31 overall | No. 7 at Pac-12s | No. 24 in regular season | Regional semi-finals
Like many teams in this area of the rankings, Arizona had a great 2024 capped by a mildly disappointing regionals. No. 31 is a significant drop from 2023, but its NQS improved by more than three tenths year-over-year.
Losses & Gains
| Returning | In |
| Fifth-Years Elena Deets Seniors Alysen Fears Elizabeth LaRusso Emily Mueller Juniors Gianna Lenczner Sophia Stephens Emma Strom Sophomores Sophie Derr Ainsley Greever Haley Havenor Sophia Maisel Abigayle Martin Tirzah Wise | Freshmen Olivia Childs Jessa Janicke Aubrey Krohnfeldt Amelia Rock Jillian Silvers Teagan White |
| Out | |
| Graduated Lara Burhans Jessica Castles (VT, BB) Madison Courney Malia Hargrove (AA) Caroline Herry (VT, BB, FX) Bailey McCabe (UB) Taylor Raskin Retired Jordan Schultz | |
| Injury Update | |
| Ainsley Greever is expected to miss significant time following Tommy John surgery. Senior Elizabeth LaRusso is on the comeback trail after her own UCL injury a year ago. Sophia Maisel looks promising in training after missing her freshman season due to injury. | |
Apparatus Deep Dive
Vault
2024 Event Ranking: No. 32 | NQS: 49.150 | Average: 49.044
| Event Overview: Arizona isn’t historically a vault team, and the Wildcats won’t be able to rely on Malia Hargrove to bail out the lineup anymore when the Yurchenko fulls aren’t landing. Luckily, there are plenty of fulls to choose from, some of which are quite pretty. In the absence of additional difficulty, this event might continue to hover around 49.000. | ||
| Locks: Alysen Fears, Abigayle Martin, Emma Strom | ||
| Contenders: Tirzah Wise | ||
| Wildcards: Sophie Derr, Jessa Janicke, Elizabeth LaRusso, Emily Mueller, Amelia Rock |
Bars
2024 Event Ranking: No. 32 | NQS: 49.220 | Average: 49.052
| Event Overview: Arizona can still be a little inconsistent on bars, but this is an event that has made great technical strides in recent years and looks strong in preseason training. Look out for a totally reworked routine for Abigayle Martin’s sophomore season, as well as some talented freshmen. | ||
| Locks: Sophie Derr, Alysen Fears, Abigayle Martin, Emily Mueller | ||
| Contenders: Elena Deets, Jessa Janicke, Aubrey Krohnfeldt, Tirzah Wise | ||
| Wildcards: Olivia Childs, Haley Havenor, Sophia Maisel |
Beam
2024 Event Ranking: No. 19 | NQS: 49.305 | Average: 49.213
| Event Overview: Under the guidance of associate head coach Taylor Spears, beam has become a real weapon for Arizona. Two postseason routines graduate, but competition for those spots will be fierce. This will still be a great event in 2025. | ||
| Locks: Elena Deets, Alysen Fears, Abigayle Martin, Emily Mueller | ||
| Contenders: Elizabeth LaRusso, Emma Strom | ||
| Wildcards: Olivia Childs, Jessa Janicke, Aubrey Krohnfeldt, Gianna Lenczner, Amelia Rock, Sophia Stephens |
Floor
2024 Event Ranking: No. 21 | NQS: 49.400 | Average: 49.310
| Event Overview: Floor never dipped below 49.000 for the 2024 Wildcats, but it did trail off a little toward the end of the season. We might see Arizona using depth here to manage fatigue through the year. Even with some great routines graduated, expect floor to remain a strength. | ||
| Locks: Elena Deets, Alysen Fears, Emily Mueller, Emma Strom | ||
| Contenders: Aubrey Krohnfeldt, Elizabeth LaRusso, Abigayle Martin | ||
| Wildcards: Sophie Derr, Jessica Janicke, Amelia Rock, Teagan White |
Records Watch
Team: 197.375 | AA: 39.775 | VT: 49.550/10.000 | UB: 49.475/10.000 | BB: 49.625/10.000 | FX: 49.575/10.000
That team program record looks pretty tantalizing. Very few remotely achievable overall program records have survived the last few years of rising scores nationwide, but Arizona’s, dating back to 2003, is a very reasonable goal. The team beam record fell last year, and this year’s beam lineup should at least be comparable in quality.
The Big Picture
Arizona is in a good place right now, and that won’t change in 2025. There are routines to replace, some of which are important, but between freshmen, injury returners and depth routines, the only event that might feel tight this year is vault. Expect individual success, too; Alysen Fears is likely to be one of the best all-arounders in the new Big 12.
READ THIS NEXT: 15 Impactful Injury Returners for 2025
Article by Rebecca Scally
