Every season sees athletes sidelined by injury—but the comebacks can be even more exciting. In this roundtable, CGN editors highlight the returners who could make a major impact in 2026 and what their presence could mean for their teams.
Which injury returner are you most excited to see back?
Elizabeth: We saw glimpses of what Kaliya Lincoln could be in her freshman season at LSU, but nagging injuries ultimately sidelined her during the most important time of the year. I’m really looking forward to seeing what she can do for the Tigers with a full offseason to recover and prepare. It’s giving “superstar season loading.” I’m ready for the redemption arc, the stuck landings, and the slow-mo double layouts that make the Gymternet lose its mind.
Peri: Cléante Théorêt never quite got into her groove of competing, only in lineups for three weeks before spending the rest of the 2025 season with a sling. Her artistic presence across beam and floor is one of Ontario (and New Hampshire)’s best-kept secrets, and I’m excited to watch her find her stride.
Emma: Katelyn Jong was such a delight to watch in her freshman season. Auburn just wasn’t the same team without her. Now that she has some experience under her belt, I’m excited to see how she will improve from an already outstanding freshman campaign. Her vault is SO stickable and I can’t wait to see it anchor the Auburn lineup next season.
Sara: I echo Katelyn Jong, but I would also go with Brooke Izzo. She’s hit a career high 9.9 on beam, and on vault, she has good height on her Yurchenko Full. It would be great to see her come back and do even just one leg event.
Sophie: I also have to say Katelyn Jong. She had a brilliant freshman debut and showed so much promise as an all-arounder. A healthy Jong could be a game-changer for Auburn, and I can’t wait to see more of her clean vaults and precise bar work.
Tara: I’m excited for Hannah Scheible to be back! Her front handspring pike half is one of the best, and she has potential on other events should Oklahoma choose to use her elsewhere.
Who has the potential to be an all-around contributor post-injury?
Elizabeth: Technically, she’s already made her comeback from injury, but even at the end of the 2025 season, Konnor McClain wasn’t 100%. However, after a fully healthy offseason, she’ll be primed to come out with all guns blazing in 2026. She’s got elite-level skills, gorgeous form, and the kind of presence that can anchor any event. LSU doesn’t need her in the all-around… but if she is, that could be the edge that pushes it back to the top.
Peri: Clara Wallace put up routine after routine, going as high as 39.100 all-around for the Falcons in 2024, but was only able to contribute one score in her sophomore campaign in 2025. Air Force definitely put itself on the map thanks to all-arounders this past spring, but it will need more reliable hits to pull the team out of the dangerous 9.500 to 9.700 quicksand range. Enter Wallace, who can contribute wherever needed, but is a force to be reckoned with on bars and beam.
Emma: Lauren Macpherson excels on all four events and will surely be an all-around option for Missouri. The Tigers are losing their two star all-arounders and typically don’t use their freshmen on more than a few events until later in the season. Macpherson isn’t as strong on vault as her other events, but does have a reliable Yurchenko full that could provide some consistency. She scored at least a 9.925 on every other event in 2024 while competing for San Jose State. She can certainly replace the scoring potential lost with Jocelyn Moore’s and Amari Celestine’s graduation. I expect to see her in the all-around at least a few times in 2026.
Sara: Zoe Miller. She wasn’t able to compete in the 2025 season due to a torn labrum, but I think if she’s healthy enough, we could see her doing all-around later on in the 2026 season and could even challenge for an event title or two.
Sophie: Cal is going to look like a very different team this season, but a fully healthy Ondine Achampong could switch things up in the best way. She competed on beam last season while recovering from a knee injury, scoring as high as 9.925, and has been training on all events. She has everything it takes to be an all-around star, and I hope we get to see her fulfill her potential and become Cal’s new it-girl.
Tara: Kaliya Lincoln was limited due to injuries last season, but she has massive potential to be an all-around star for LSU. We saw glimpses of what she’s capable of, but there’s another level to her gymnastics we weren’t able to see due to injury.
What returner could flip a team’s trajectory?
Elizabeth: Auburn couldn’t catch a break last season, and Katelyn Jong’s Achilles tear felt like the final nail in the injury coffin. But fast forward to 2026, and the vibes are shifting. The Tigers have some exciting newcomers and key transfers, and if Jong is able to get back to her all-around form—even by midseason—it could be a total game-changer. They’ll be fine if she needs more time or can only consistently do bars and beam, but her return would add major depth and firepower to a team looking to reestablish itself as a top contender.
Peri: Washington needs Lana Navarro back, very, very badly. The Huskies recruited to fill some bars and beam vacancies, but will need veteran presence on the leg events to help right the course of 2025’s ship.
Emma: Arkansas just wasn’t itself last season, partly due to injuries that took Frankie Price and Lauren Williams out of lineups. Vault was especially weak without Price’s consistent full and William’s clean one-and-a-half. We all know that you need a strong vault lineup to compete in the SEC, and finishing ninth again just isn’t an option for such a talented team. Adding those two vaults back will make a world of difference. Arkansas will also benefit from having Williams back on beam, where consistency issues frequently plagued their 2025 lineup. Having experienced gymnasts like Price and Williams in those lineups will be a breath of fresh air for the 2026 Razorbacks.
Sara: Rutgers could really benefit from having Emily Leese back. Her Yurchenko one and a half has been a game-changer in the vault lineup, and she holds the school record on the event as well. With her many 9.9+ scores across both vault and floor, it would be amazing to see her back in action anchoring like she did before her injury.
Sophie: Ohio State struggled with injuries last season, and Payton Harris’s absence was especially felt. She’s posted all-around scores up to 39.625, and I think she has the potential to go even higher. Having a consistent, experienced all-arounder like Harris will be a massive help to the Buckeyes’ already promising lineups.
Tara: California could really use a fully healthy Ondine Achampong. While she came back to contribute on beam later in the season, she’s capable of much more. With the coaching staff changes, graduation, and recruiting class shakeups, she has the potential to be a game-changer.
Which comeback are you rooting hardest for?
Elizabeth: Frankie Price’s late-season injury left us all in tears or close to it—not just because of what it meant for Arkansas’ postseason hopes but because she’s the heart and soul of that team. She’s a fan favorite for a reason: powerful, charismatic, and the kind of leader who sets the tone the moment she steps on the floor. We don’t know yet when (or if) she’ll be back in 2026, but even one routine from her would be a huge win—not just for the Gymbacks, but for everyone who loves a good comeback moment. I also have to shout out Danae Fletcher. She’s a sentimental favorite who’s been through a lot. If she can compete even just one event for Oklahoma in her sixth season, I would call it a win.
Peri: Courtney McCann’s debut 9.975 on beam is still fresh in my head after more than a year and a half, and I spent the first month of 2025 not-so-patiently waiting to see her grow into a Big Ten beam star. As a junior for 2026, I’m hoping she can find consistency on the event and lead the Buckeyes’ contingent of newcomers.
Emma: I am really excited to see what Kaliya Lincoln can do when she is fully healthy. She has all of the pieces required to become a star, but she just needs more experience to bring it all together. It was easy to notice the flashes of greatness in her vault and floor routines last year, but I’m so excited to see her back in competition so she can fine-tune her landings. It would be delightful to see her make the beam lineup as well, so she can showcase her fluidity, oversplit, and floaty LOSO layout in the PMAC.
Sara: Paige Thaxton. Although the Wolverines did well without her, I know she really would love to help on vault again, and it would be so good to see her finish out her career on a high note.
Sophie: I’m really looking forward to seeing what Sasha Fujisaka can do for UCLA. We didn’t get to see her at all in her freshman season due to a torn ACL, but her stellar bar work as a Level 10 caught everyone’s attention. I’m hoping she can be a standout on her pet event for the Bruins and work her way into the back half of that lineup.
Tara: I was bummed when Lauren Macpherson went down with a torn Achilles before having a chance to compete for Missouri. She was such a star at San Jose State, and I’m glad she’s coming back so we can witness her gymnastics again—her beam in particular.
Who could be a dark horse standout post-recovery?
Elizabeth: Missouri’s Lauren Macpherson was on track to be a major contributor for Missouri, especially on beam. If she’s back to her old standards, I’m not saying she’s the next Helen Hu, but she’ll certainly help fill that hole well.
Peri: Arizona State’s rising senior Isabella Kowan has been waiting a LONG time for a full season, and has beyond lineup-ready gymnastics when she’s healthy. Her front pike half vault and calm demeanor on beam are assets the Sun Devils will need in a season with significant turnover.
Emma: We haven’t seen LSU’s Zoe Miller on bars yet, as injuries kept her sidelined during her freshman and sophomore seasons. Her elite bars routine boasted NCAA-ready form and rhythm, and I’m sure that Jay Clark is chomping at the bit to have her floaty Jaeger in his 2026 bars lineup. Her name can often get lost in the buzz with such talented teammates around her, but I can see her in the back half of that lineup and scoring big week in and week out.
Sara: Courtney McCann. In her freshman year, her roundoff layout series on beam was a hit among the gymnastics community and in her debut, scored a 9.975. If McCann can get healthy, she will be a solid anchor competitor and has the potential to score a perfect 10.
Sophie: I’m looking forward to seeing what Lauren Macpherson can do at Missouri. She was such a strong all-arounder for San Jose State before her transfer, and I think she could make an impact in multiple Missouri lineups – but I’m especially keeping an eye out for her on bars and beam.
Tara: Mia Nelson had a strong freshman season for San Jose State in 2024. The makeup of the 2026 Spartan roster is vastly different from the one she entered as a freshman, and she could very well be in line to be a standout contributor.
What’s one team that really needs its injured star back?
Elizabeth: Utah State has been knocking on the door the past few seasons, and a healthy Nyla Morabito would certainly help kick it open. Before her Achilles tear, she was a major contributor—big vault, clutch floor, and the kind of consistency that makes a dream of a postseason run a little more real. With the Aggies trending up and aiming to finally break through to that second round, having Morabito back in the mix could be the final push they need.
Peri: Utah State coming within a half-tenth of the Mountain West title at home was a tough pill to swallow, especially following Morabito’s Achilles tear. With the back-and-forth nature of Utah State, San Jose State, and Boise State all neck and neck for the conference lead, it’s hard to not play a game of what if with Morabito’s routines that day.
Emma: Washington has been decimated by injuries and transfers. It could use Lana Navarro’s experience and consistency to bring some stability to its lineups. Navarro is exceptionally consistent on vault and floor. Washington has many talented underclassmen with the potential to excel on the leg events, and Navarro’s leadership should help provide some stability as those underclassmen gain more competitive experience.
Sara: Kent State would love to have Nene Alvine back. She holds a career high 9.925 on vault, 9.9 on beam, and a 39.325 in the all-around. Now a rising junior, her experience can help lead the underclassmen and take the Golden Flashes to new heights.
Tara: Ohio State had rough injury luck last season. A healthy Payton Harris will go a long way for the Buckeyes, as she’s been an excellent all-arounder throughout her collegiate career.
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Article by the editors of College Gym News
