The last few years have seen the Revolutionaries plateau in a good way, as the program’s season-ending ranking had been on a steady decline since its heyday in the late 2010s. Much of regrouping the troops has fallen on the hands of Kendall Whitman over the last few years, and she and the NCAA’s most difficult floor routine are back for a fifth season to lead the team in the task of getting George Washington to regionals.
2024 Rewind
No. 38 overall | No. 3 at EAGLs | No. 38 in regular season
Almuma Stephanie Stoicovy Worrell will be commanding the squad this season after the retirement of longtime head coach Margie Foster-Cunningham. The Revolutionaries will have enough talent on the roster to compete again for a spot at regionals that has eluded George Washington since 2019. Towson will be tough to top in the EAGL race, but the Revolutionaries should expect to be within striking distance.
Losses & Gains
| Returning | In |
| Fifth-Years Kendall Whitman Seniors Rachel Katz Nancy Kiner Madi McMullen Marlee York Juniors Kasey Burke Kylie Kazmierski Catherine O’Rourke Deana Sheremeta Sophomores Delaney DeHaan Brooke Izzo Maya Peters Sophia Tyeryar | Freshmen Lola Montevago Zoe Safran Haley Suzuki Natalie Thomas Transfers Alexa Chuy (Talladega) |
| Out | |
| Graduated Payton Lynch (FX) Anneliese Silverman (AA) Transferred Sarah Zois (VT, BB) Retired Jayda Freeman |
Apparatus Deep Dive
2024 Event Ranking: No. 20 | NQS: 49.225 | Average: 49.112
| Event Overview: The Revolutionaries’ best event by ranking last season is expected to take a bit of a hit as it lost its best vault to transfer. Whitman and her eponymous 10.0 start value do return to boost the lineup, and former four-star recruit Zoe Safran should see some lineup time with her solid Yurchenko full. But, after George Washington only competed six vaulters last year, depth has to be a concern with two spots to replace. | ||
| Locks: Kasey Burke, Rachel Katz, Kendall Whitman, Marlee York | ||
| Contenders: Alexa Chuy, Natalie Thomas, Lola Montevago, Zoe Safran | ||
| Wildcards: Haley Suzuki |
Bars
2024 Event Ranking: No. 60 | NQS: 48.680 | Average: 48.223
| Event Overview: Just by glancing at George Washington’s 2024 event rankings, one can discern exactly why it didn’t qualify for regionals. While all but one bar routine returns from a season ago, this is a situation where experience won’t outweigh built-in deductions. So while improvement is possible, it likely won’t be drastic. However, freshman Lola Montevago is a near lock on this event with the lines and handstands to make a run for the back half of the top six. | ||
| Locks: Delaney DeHaan, Rachel Katz, Kendall Whitman | ||
| Contenders: Alexa Chuy, Madi McMullen, Lola Montevago, Maya Peters, Zoe Safran, Sophia Tyeryar | ||
| Wildcards: Natalie Thomas, Marlee York |
Beam
2024 Event Ranking: No. 28 | NQS: 49.215 | Average: 48.988
| Event Overview: The Revolutionaries will have two routines to replace from a solid lineup in 2024, but they should have enough options to maintain the status quo. Talladega transfer Alexa Chuy should be in contention for one of the open spots, as should freshmen Montevago and Safran—the latter of which has frequently appeared in George Washington’s training updates on social media this fall. | ||
| Locks: Brooke Izzo, Nancy Kiner, Maya Peters, Kendall Whitman | ||
| Contenders: Alexa Chuy, Lola Montevago, Zoe Safran, Marlee York | ||
| Wildcards: Delanee DeHaan, Deana Sheremeta, Haley Suzuki, Natalie Thomas |
Floor
2024 Event Ranking: No. 29 | NQS: 49.350 | Average: 49.173
| Event Overview: While George Washington did lose its second-best floor routine from last season, it does return four 9.8-plus NQS numbers from its highest-scoring event. Whitman—with her three E-pass routine—can challenge the nation’s best on the event, as this projects to be the Revolutionaries’ strongest piece in 2025. However, they will rely on the newcomers for routines without much depth from a year ago. | ||
| Locks: Kasey Burke, Deana Sheremeta, Kendall Whitman, Marlee York | ||
| Contenders: Alexa Chuy, Lola Montevago, Zoe Safran, Natalie Thomas |
Records Watch
Team: 197.200 | AA: 39.675 | VT: 49.500/9.950 | UB: 49.200/9.950 | BB: 49.500/10.000 | FX: 49.500/9.975
The most likely record to be broken would be the individual floor mark, where Whitman would up her career-high and current school record to a perfect 10. With her stellar tumbling and the current state of judging, it’s surprising she hasn’t hit it yet.
The Big Picture
Despite the head coaching change, much of George Washington’s identity will remain the same in 2025 as it puts itself in contention to return to regionals. Whitman will lead the way with the Revolutionaries projecting to be a top 30 team on three events but with little room for error on them as bars will once again limit their potential.
READ THIS NEXT: E is for Elegance: Kendall Whitman and George Washington’s Rise
Article by Brandis Heffner
