In its first year without standout Raena Worley, Kentucky nabbed its fourth straight top-10 finish with a stellar senior class, including fifth-year transfer Skylar Killough-Wilhelm. With 12 routines graduating, including a national qualifier in Isabella Magnelli, the Wildcats will be looking to rebuild and reload with a handful of new faces.
2025 Rewind
No. 10 overall | No. 6 at SEC | No. 9 in regular season | Regional final
Kentucky quietly cruised throughout the regular season and qualified to its 36th NCAA postseason as a team. A low total on vault, its best event, alongside a surging LSU and Michigan saw the Wildcats’ season end in the regional finals, with Magnelli and Creslyn Brose qualifying to nationals as individuals.
Losses & Gains
| RETURNING |
| Seniors: Isabella Rivelli |
| Juniors: Creslyn Brose, Cadence Gormley, Sharon Lee, Cecily Rizo, Delaynee Rodriguez |
| Sophomores: Chesney Bennett, Carly Busch, Anna Flynn Cashion, Ryan Noonan, Alyssa Orgen |
| IN |
| Freshmen: Talia Cotter, Isabella Edralin, Addisyn Hofseth, Sabrina Nemcek, Lily Thaxton, Ellie Topchishvili, Gabby Van Frayen |
| Transfers: Callie Gardner (Towson) |
| OUT |
| Graduated: Hailey Davis (UB/FX), Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (AA), Isabella Magnelli (VT/BB/FX), Jillian Procasky (VT/UB/FX), Annie Riegert (UB), Makenzie Wilson (VT) |
| Transferred: Abby Bednar (MSU) |
| Retired: Kaila Lawrence |
| INJURY UPDATE |
| Cadence Gormley and Alyssa Orgen missed 2024 with leg and knee injuries, respectively. Their status for 2026 is unknown as they haven’t been seen in much training footage. Freshman Isabella Edralin looks to have undergone knee surgery and could be out long-term. |
Fresh Faces
Kentucky continued its tradition of using the transfer portal by snagging Callie Gardner from Towson. Gardner was primarily a vaulter, but has trained on all four events and adds depth to the Wildcats. Kentucky’s seven-member freshman class is headlined by former five-star Gabby van Frayen, who just won a national title on balance beam and a silver medal in the all-around.
Apparatus Deep Dive
Vault
2025 Event Ranking: No. 5 | NQS: 49.345 | Average: 49.271 | High: 49.425
| Event Overview: Despite it being its lowest-scoring event in regional finals, vault was a powerful event for Kentucky most of the season. It will be looking to rebuild after losing some 10.0 start value vaults, but Kentucky has been known to have a diverse set of vaults, and we look for that to continue in 2026. | ||
| Locks: Cecily Rizo, Delaynee Rodriguez Rizo and Rodriguez competed vault in every meet for the Wildcats in 2025 with their Yurchenko fulls. Deductions were kept to a minimum, so it’s likely these two will be back in this lineup for 2026. | ||
| Contenders: Anna Flynn Cashion, Callie Gardner, Ryan Noonan, Lily Thaxton, Gabby Van Frayen Cashion, Gardner, and Noonan have competitive experience in NCAA on vault, while Thaxton brings a nice Yurchenko one and a half that could see her in the lineup early on. Van Frayen’s Yurchenko full is stickable with very little room for deductions, making her a candidate for this lineup as well. | ||
| Wildcards: Isabella Edralin, Addisyn Hofseth, Sabrina Nemcek, Ellie Topchishvili Edralin and Topchishvilli were late additions to the freshman class, but both have unique vaults that could sneak into the lineup. Hofseth has a Yurchenko full that is competition-ready, but some form adjustments could cause her to become an alternate routine. |
Bars
2025 Event Ranking: No. 15 | NQS: 49.270 | Average: 49.238 | High: 49.450
| Event Overview: Bars was the only event that Kentucky didn’t finish in the top 10 on in 2025, despite consistently scoring in the 49.300 range. Some new bar swingers can help revitalize this lineup and hopefully put it back into the top 10. | ||
| Locks: Isabella Rivelli, Delaynee Rodriguez The lone senior on this roster, Rivelli will likely lead off this lineup again this year, while Rodriguez should maintain her spot in the back half as the highest returning NQS score from 2025. | ||
| Contenders: Talia Cotter, Addisyn Hofseth, Ryan Noonan, Cecily Rizo, Gabby Van Frayen Cotter, Hofseth, and Van Frayen are likely to get looks early on for this lineup with their skills and scoring potential. Noonan and Rizo have competition experience, but will likely have to battle for their spots if the freshmen are on their A-game. | ||
| Wildcards: Creslyn Brose, Anna Flynn Cashion, Callie Gardner, Cadence Gormley, Alyssa Orgen, Sabrina Nemcek Brose is a true wild card here, but early training footage shows that she is at least training bars. Cashion didn’t compete bars in 2025, but she’s been featured several times on social media, indicating she could sneak in and get an opportunity in her sophomore season. |
Beam
2025 Event Ranking: No. 9 | NQS: 49.385 | Average: 49.314 | High: 49.575
| Event Overview: After a rough opening week one, the Wildcats became one of the most consistent beam teams in the country, never dipping below a 49.000 for the remainder of the season. The team only gets stronger with national champion Van Frayen’s arrival, meaning Kentucky’s beam should be trending up for 2026 – even without graduated senior Magnelli. | ||
| Locks: Creslyn Brose, Sharon Lee, Delaynee Rodriguez, Gabby Van Frayen It’s rare for a freshman to be an automatic lock for a lineup, but with two perfect 10s and an impressive Onodi in her skill set, it will be a shock to many if Van Frayen doesn’t make this lineup immediately. Lee became an impressive routine in her sophomore season and will likely earn her spot back as the highest returning NQS score. | ||
| Contenders: Chesney Bennett, Carly Busch, Lily Thaxton A state champion on beam in her senior season, Thaxton will likely emerge as a solid routine option. Bennett had a rough start last season, but became a solid routine option by season’s end and should be able to keep that going heading into 2026. | ||
| Wildcards: Talia Cotter, Isabella Edralin, Callie Gardner, Cadence Gormley, Addisyn Hofseth With this amount of options, any of these athletes could see time in the lineup. It’s a testament to the depth Kentucky has heading into this year, and with a team that’s losing several senior routines, depth is an important luxury to have. |
Floor
| Event Overview: While Kentucky was remarkably consistent all across the board, floor is where its scoring potential skyrocketed, going 49.400 plus for eight straight meets to end 2025. As more E-passes make their way to Lexington, floor stands to be another strong event for Kentucky in 2026. | ||
| Locks: Creslyn Brose, Delaynee Rodriguez Brose has become the floor queen in her time at Kentucky, and 2026 should be no different. A national qualifier on this event and the highest returning NQS, Brose will likely be the anchor of this event with her musicality, and she even ends with a front double full E pass. | ||
| Contenders: Anna Flynn Cashion, Callie Gardner, Addisyn Hofseth, Lily Thaxton, Gabby Van Frayen Gardner didn’t compete floor at Towson, but has an E-pass that will be helpful here. Van Frayen’s triple twist will very likely be a crowd pleaser at home meets, while Thaxton’s sky-high double layout should get her lineup time early on in the season. | ||
| Wildcards: Talia Cotter, Isabella Edralin, Cecily Rizo Rizo impressed in her five appearances on floor in 2025, tallying four scores above a 9.800. She could sneak in as a contender for this event. Cotter and Edralin have clean routines, but lack the difficulty of some of their freshmen counterparts in composition. |
Records Watch
Team: 198.100 | AA: 39.875 (Jenny Hansen) | VT: 49.550/10.000 (Makenzie Wilson) | UB: 49.600/10.000 (Raena Worley) | BB: 49.575/10.000 (Jenny Hansen) | FX: 49.750/10.000 (Creslyn Brose)
With two perfect 10s to her name as a Level 10, Van Frayen should immediately be on 10 watch for the Wildcats’ first 10 on beam since 1995, when Wildcat legend Jenny Hansen reached that mark. Brose scored her first perfect 10 on her career on floor last season and is in a great position to repeat the feat again this year.
The Big Picture
Kentucky has become an SEC powerhouse in the last few years and 2025 was no different. Looking to 2026, without some of its big name competitors like Magnelli and Hailey Davis, this team will look different than what fans might be used to seeing. However, with new freshmen like Van Frayen and Thaxton ready to take the reins, there’s no reason that Kentucky should not make another appearance at the regional final — and potentially sneak in as a contender for nationals.
Likely 2026 finish: Regional final
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Article by Savanna Wellman
