LIVE BLOG: Georgia GymDog Debut

’Tis the season for college gymnasts to step out of the practice gym and into the arena to show off the skills they’ve been working hard on. Today we’re getting our first glimpse of the Georgia GymDogs in Stegman Coliseum, performing in front of what’s sure to be an enthusiastic and appreciative audience.

The GymDogs are entering their second season under co-head coaches Cécile Canqueteau-Landi and Ryan Roberts, who were hired to turn the team around and return it to its glory days of perennially contending for the national title. In 2025, the team competed well during the regular season and earned a top 10 ranking, but was unable to carry this momentum into the postseason, finishing seventh at the SEC championship and No. 19 at regionals. It’ll be hungry to climb up the standings in 2026.

Vault will be an interesting event to watch. Georgia lost a significant routine with the graduation of Anaya Smith, its top-ranked vaulter. However, if each athlete who has competed a Yurchenko one and a half in the past brings back this skill, Georgia has the potential to produce a lineup of six 10.0 vaults. Come competition season, expect Lily Smith with a Yurchenko full in the lineup due to her excellent form and all-around aspirations.

On bars, Ja’Free Scott’s huge Ray is always a highlight, and I’m curious to see if beam queen Kara Eaker, a strong all-arounder in her elite career, will be adding back any events or focusing solely on her signature apparatus during her senior season.

Georgia’s freshman squad includes three former elites in Avery Moll, Brooke Pierson, Kelise Woolford, and early joiner CaMarah Williams, a former five-star recruit from the class of 2026. It can be difficult to make the transition from a scoring system that values difficulty to one that prizes execution, so we’ll see which of these gymnasts has been able to clean up her form the most.

The preview will be streamed on SECN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Rotation 1

King (VT) Yurchenko full with a good straight body position in the air but a huge hop back.

Tomlin (UB) Shaposhnikova, Pak, hip form on HS half turn on low bar. Late finishing half piroutette on high bar. Front giant with small leg separation to double front dismount, large step forward.

Peirson (VT) Yurchenko 1.5 with slight leg bend but good landing.

Moll (UB) Ray, Pak, Van Leuven, good form throughout until a hop on double tuck dismount.

Scott (VT) Yurchenko full  a little flat in the air with a big hop back.

Snyder (UB) Church release move to overshoot. Small arm bend in giant prior to dismount. High double tuck dismount with a hop back.

Battle (VT) Returning from injury with Yurchenko 1.5. Slightly loose leg form and a huge lunge forward.

Williams (UB) Ray, Pak, van Leeuwen all with loose leg form, double layout dismount with a small hop but close to a stick.

Wahl (VT) Yurchenko 1.5 could get a better block off the horse. Also has a big hop forward, but not as big as her teammates’.

Smith (UB) Beautifal form on Pak and bail, full twisting double tuck dismount. Leans forward and bends at the waist, but keeps her feet from moving on the dismount. She laughs as she high fives her teammates

Reingold (UB) Nice handstand on high bar and piked Yeager. She has really good hip extension and pointed toes. Small hop on landing double layout dismount. Good debut for the freshman. This will be a usable routine.

AFTER ONE: 

Vault was the lowest ranked event for the GymDogs last year and controlling those landings needs to be a big focus on improving on that event. While most gymnasts had good form in the air, none of the vaults were even close to being stuck. Drilling the landings usually comes later in the season and that needs to happen for this group. Bars is closer to being competition ready with all the freshman acquitting themselves admirably in their debut routines. There were no falls or misses in this rotation, so the team is already at the point where they can work on refinement.

Rotation 2

Smith (VT) Yurchenko full is short and she steps forward.

O’Driscoll (UB) Short handstand on low bar, and when she transitions to the high. Steps back on her stalder 1/2 back dismount.

Reingold (VT) Yurchenko full goes longer than it does high. Bends and waist and hops forward.

Bacskay (UB) A bit of loose back in Pac salto, but good handstand positions. Double tuck dismount with hop back.

Snyder (VT) Yurchenko full with a slight lack of amplitude and a short landing with hop forward.

Pierson (UB) Shaposh to Pak. Falls on van Leeuwen. First fall we’ve seen today. She doesn’t finish the routine.

Williams (VT) Yurchenko 1.5. Lands in a squat with a medium hop forward and slight leg stagger. Good twisting technique, though.

Woolford (UB) Strong Chow, flies on her van Leuuwen, pops forward on her double tuck dismount.

Moll (VT) Yurchenko 1.5. Not much distance, but best landing so far with just a hop in place.

Wahl (UB) Loose back in handstand positions, lack of backswing after Shapshnikova. Sticks double layout dismount with a lean bag.

Aquino (VT) Tsuk full with a lot of distance and a hop back. Good to see a bit of variety in vault.

Scott (UB) The Ray is back this season, a little close but high. Hip bend in giants before dismount. Double layout rises onto her toes but brings heels back down and doesn’t move her feet.

Pierson (UB) She’s starting again after having some time to recover. Makes the Shaposh to Pak to van Leeuwen. Double tuck dismount with flexed feet and a hop back. She looks relieved to have that out of the way.

AFTER TWO:

Similar vaulting faults in the second group as the first. The stronger bar routines debuted earlier, so maybe the intrasquad teams are divided by those more likely to make lineups going on the first event.

Rotation 3

Battle (BB) Puts the crown on her head as part of choreography. Gets through the full turn and straddle half crossways without problem. Front toss to beat jump, BHS LOSO is very solid. BHS gainer full off the side with a bend at the waist.

Reingold (FX) Front double full, does a crossover step. Back 1.5 to front full, again with a step on the landing. Swich half, Popa – not fully split. A hit routine with just some landing control issues.

Pierson (BB) BHS LOSO LOSO, no problem on the triple series. Side aerial with bend at waist. Gainer back pike. 

Snyder (FX) Piked full in with a bit of knee bend. Front HS rudi LOSO. She could use some more extension and expression in her dance choreography. Another two pass routine without major errors.

Wahl (BB) BHS BHS LOSO is right on without a wobble. Beat jump to straight jump 3/4. RO back 1.5 dismount with a jump forward.

Gleichowski (FX) Double pike with a spot. She looks like she likes to dance and perform. Full involvement of body parts and while smiling. Back 1.5 to front full with a controlled step on the landing. Switch half to wolf full, could get those legs higher and tighter to her body.

Eaker (BB) Lovely low beam choreography to begin reminiscent of Swan Lake. Aerial layout, one of the most difficult combinations being done. 180 degree split on her leaps. Side aerial split jump, continues solidly. The only error is a hop forward on gainer pike dismount.

Morgan (FX) Double arabian to stag jump is well done. Switch half to Popa barely shy of full split. Front layout to double tuck. Coaches is there but she doesn’t need a spot.

Woolford (BB) Middle splits mount to begin followd by a risky wolf turn, but she gets it, as she does with her BHS LOSO. Switch leap to split jump hits the required position. RO double full with a small hop for her dismount.

Aquino (FX) She has a sassy look on her face to begin. Double layout a bit whippy but not a major deduction. Feet slide back on double tuck. Really high wolf full in her leap combo. She is definitely a powerful gymnast.

Scott (BB) Full turn goes well. Front handspring, hesitates before BHS LOSO. Front aerial to split jump to BHS. She’s going for those combos here. Switch leap to split jump. Does the moonwalk to a big roar from the crowd. Front HS 1.5 dismount, lands short.

Smith (FX) She begins with slow piano music to show of her grace. Front double full to front tuck is well executed. Does cartwheel into layouts to get her back tumbling credit. Rudi to straddle jump. Keeps the soft quality of her dance throughout the routine. 

Mason (BB) Exhibition – Full turn is perfect. Front handspring keeps leg elevated and goes into side somi. Really unusual combination. Back 1.5 dismount is stuck.

C. Williams (FX) Exhibition – Get ready for some big tumbling. Double layout with a controlled step. Not as high as she’s capable of but good straight body position. Front tuck to layout a a placeholder tumbling pass. 

O’Driscoll (BB) Exhibition – She looks a little tentative on her opening choreography. BHS BHS LOSO without an adjusment. Looks stiff on her full turn. RO 1.5 dismount is stuck.

AFTER THREE:

Georgia goes with 2 tumbling pass routines and everyone’s able to make their skills. As noted with bars, just refinement of landings and body positions are needed. Beam was Georgia’s top-ranked event last year and beginning the season with no falls and all hit routines is impressive.

Rotation 4

Morgan (BB) Switch leap to split jump could get a bit more extension on the second skill. BHS BHS LOSO with a turn of the hips to the side. Hop forward on the RO back 1.5 dismount.

E. Williams (FX) Double pike is landing with a good upright chest position. Front layout to front full with an arched back position. She could use a some more energy in her dance to go with the peppy, comedic music. Double tuck also landed upright. Another hit routine.

Reingold (BB) Candle mount, full turn, BHS LOSO, moving well so far. Side aerial to beat jump connected without hesitation. Bend a waist on gainer full off the side dismount, but a solid debut.

Eaker (FX) Front layout to rudi to straddle jump goes fine, but she falls on her second pass which is a back 1.5. Also hops landing her leap pass. The first miss on floor

Moll (UB) BHS LOSO LOSO is done without noticeable deduction. Beat jump to straddle half is short of split and has a wobble. Gainer back pike with a hop back, so a couple of areas for improvement next time.

Bacskay (FX) She looks confident, as a college senior and former elite should. Good full in, but might have stepped out of bounds. Spotter was ready but she didn’t need an assist on that skill. Back double twist. High switch side but legs asymmetrical. 

Gleichowski (BB) BHS BHS LOSO is nailed. Switch half to beat jump. Trailing leg is low as is usually the case on the switch half. Hops forward on her back 1.5 dismount. Another routine with just a few little things to clean up.

Pierson (FX) Whip to fouble tuck. Has legs apart on double tuck and is a tiny bit short but minimizes landing deduction by keeping feet still. Back 1.5 to front full with controlled step. Flexed feet on switch half. Double wolf turn with arms slightly out of control, but overall a strong debut.

Turner (BB) BHS LOSO LOSO – almost doesn’t put her back foot down, but solidifies the landing after all. Low leg on split jump. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount – best one we’ve seen today.

Wahl (FX) Full in with an open body position. Punch front to double tuck with no noticeable deductions. Wolf jump full slightly off axis.

Smith (BB) Front aerial to BHS is perfect. Cat leap to switch leap. Front toss piked slides forward slightly. Front aerial to split jump was hips turned to her right in between skills. Sticks her gainer full dismount off the side.

O’Driscoll (FX) Double pike lands short and she has to hop forward. Her choreography has a lot of posing in it rather than moving or flowing. Wolf double – puts her hand down. Back 1.5 to front full ends up piked with a slide to the side. A routine that needs work.

C. Williams (BB) Exhibition – Middle splits to mount. BHS two foot layout. Piked, as this skill often is. Side somi with a forward lean and a wobble. Pretty full turn on high releve. Gainer back pike stuck with a couple of arm waves.

Woolford (FX) Exhibition – Punch front to double tuck with flexed feet. Wolf turn with her hips lifting up instead of maintaining the squat position. Back 2.5 twist well done.

Snyder (BB) Exhibition – BHS LOSO LOSO – layouts are archy but right on line. Beat jump to switch half with low back leg. Leans forward and takes a step on her back 1.5 dismount.

Scott (FX) Exhibition – Runs through her first tumbling pass. Perfect switch leap and really precise positions in her dance. Runs through second tumbling pass also. She’s another gymnast who’s comfortable with the performance element of floor exercise.

Morgan (BB) Exhibition – BHS BHS LOSO. She has really good posture, keeping her head and chest up. Side aerial and falls. I think it’s the first fall we’ve seen today. RO back 1.5 with a hop forward. Her teammates console her as she finishes.

Aquino (BB) Switch leap, switch leap, pike jump. Legs not at horizontal on pike jump. BHS LOSO and she falls. Overturns the full turn. Front toss and falls again. BHS back 1.5 with a hop. Good for her for trying to add another event, as she only competed floor and vault last year.

FINAL:

This team should be pleased with its performance today. The GymDogs have depth, as shown by putting up 12 or more athletes on each event, and even getting usuable routines out of some of the exhibitioners. All the foundational skills and difficulty value parts are there. Now they need to work on the details which separate the top teams from second tier teams. This highly-rated freshman class looks ready to contribute come January.

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Live blog by Jessica Needle