The big recruiting story of the week is an international one. Romanian gymnastics star Ana Bărbosu has announced her commitment to Stanford University as part of the class of 2025. Widely regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting rising talents, Bărbosu brings an impressive résumé to the Cardinal program.
News
- Raphaëlle Perreault, a commit in the class of ‘25, will join the team at LIU in January.
- Simone Brown (five-star ‘26) is graduating a year early and will join Clemson for the 2026 season.
- After announcing her commitment on signing day, Ly Bui kept the surprises coming and has joined Florida for this season.
Meet Previews
There are three meets this weekend that serve as qualifiers for the Nastia Liukin cup. See below for the gymnasts we think are likely to be in contention for the senior spot:
Lady Luck Invitational
- Scarlett Sonnenberg (BYU, ’25)
- Kimarra Echols (Missouri, ’25)
- Bailey Stroud (Utah, ’25)
Atlanta Crown
- Jocelyn Sasson (Florida, ’25)
- Jasmine Cawley (Alabama, ’25)
- Nina Ballou (LSU, ’25)
- Emerson Fisk (NC State, ’25)
- Imani White (California, ’26)
Wisconsin Dells Safari
- Kamila Pawlak (Oklahoma, ’25)
- Avery King (Arkansas, ’25)
- Allison Cucci (Arkansas, ’25)
Meet Results
Christmas on the Chesapeake 2024
- Raeya Linton (Stanford ‘26, four-star) won the all-around and all four apparatuses in her session, setting three personal best scores: all-around (39.025), beam (9.900), and bars (9.400).
- Shyla Bhatia (Denver ‘25, four-star) improved her beam personal best (9.775) and won the all-around in her session (38.910).
- Madison Bell (Pittsburgh ‘25) hit 38.000 all-around for the first time (38.225), also improving her career best scores on bars and floor.
Christmas City Classic 2024
- Kayla Bender (Penn State ‘25) won the senior all-around with a personal best score of 38.075. Additionally she improved her high vault score by over four tenths to 9.875.
- Siena Commodari (‘26) had a successful meet, improving her all-around top score by over a point and a half to 37.475.
New Commitments
For a full list of recruits and where they are committed for each of the active classes, check out our complete database. To learn more about the gymnasts, click their name to visit their CGN profile where you’ll find high scores, links to their score page(s), their social media accounts, and more.
Class of 2025
- Natasha Lopez has committed to Bowling Green. Lopez is a Canadian level 10 who has achieved regional success in Ontario. Her front tuck step out to double pike is an impressive tumbling pass on floor. She also competes a Yurchenko full on vault and has a very clean bars routine which already looks ready for the second half of a college lineup.
- Lexi Bregande of CNY Gym Centre becomes the second gymnast in her class to commit to Utica.
- Ananya Patanakul will continue her academic and athletic career at Penn following her commitment to the program. Patanakul has an all-around high of 37.700 and is also a student of ballet and tap dancing.
- Canadian level 10 Geneva Watson will continue her athletic and academic career in the United States at Ursinus. She has been working on upgrades during the off season, showing improvements in her bar routine and has learning a Yurchenko Pike vault.
- Georgia Reed has committed to Bridgeport. Reed is a 2024 national qualifier and has been working on further upgrades to her clean gymnastics.
- Julia Rhoades, from Legacy Gymnastics AL, has committed to UW-Stout for her college career.
- Nicoletta Giogas, who is competing her debut season in level 10 this year, will sign with Springfield.
- Emili Horike will join the team at Ithaca to continue her academic and athletic career next season.
- Three-star Miriam Harris has announced her commitment to Michigan State on a full ride. The sister of current Florida Gator Selina Harris-Miranda, Harris competes a beautiful Onodi on beam, where she boasts her highest event score of a 9.800.
- Twin City Twisters athlete and current level 9 Jaida Fredrich has committed to UW-Eau Claire.
- Simpson adds one more to the class with the commitment of Amelia Milano.
- 2024 national qualifier Hadassah Diggs will become a Bulldog when she joins the team at Fisk. She brings an all-around high of 37.700 to Nashville.
- Lillian Gullickson will become a Gopher following her commitment to Minnesota. A current level nine, Gullickson was a top 100 gymnast on bars in 2024.
- Ana Bărbosu, a Romanian elite and Olympic bronze medallist on floor, will join the team at Stanford following her surprise commitment announcement this week.
Class of 2026
- Three-star Leighton Didier becomes the second gymnast in her class to commit to Utah State. The state and national champion will join the Aggies on a full ride.
- Sirine Abouelhoda, an Egyptian national team member and three-star recruit, has committed to Illinois. Abouelhoda has competed for Egypt as both a junior, where she was the African champion on floor, and as a senior.
- Tali Flanigan has announced her intention to sign with Temple to continue her athletic and academic career on a full ride.
- Faith Brueck becomes the first in her class to announce that she will join the team at Air Force.
- Zinnia Hopkinson has verbally committed to Texas Woman’s on an athletic scholarship. Her floor routine, where she has a high of 9.800, looks set to slot right into a college lineup.
Training Updates
- Kira Keller, an uncommitted three-star in the class of 2026, is training a gainer on beam. Yes you read that correctly; ON the beam! According to her coach at Olympus, Jessie Duke McDonough, “the ‘Keller’ is on its way.”
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Article by Katie Couldrey
