The postseason is upon us! Exciting as this time is, it also introduces new factors that individual gymnasts and teams have to navigate in their hunt for a national title, such as an increase in the number of judges, the move to podium, two-meet weekends, and the pressure of elimination. In this data deep dive, we highlight gymnasts who have taken these changes in stride in the past, delivering some of their best performances in the postseason.
Vault
Courtney Blackson (LSU)
A strong vaulter even during the regular season, Blackson has achieved particular success on the event in the postseason, most notably in 2023. Inconsistency early in the year meant her regular-season average of just 9.785 underestimated her true potential, which was realized when she delivered strong Yurchenko 1.5s in all three of her postseason appearances. In fact, her stuck vault in the second round of the Los Angeles regional earned her her first perfect 10 and a berth to the national championships. As she was limited to bars in the 2024 postseason and missed all of 2025 due to injury, it will be interesting to see if she can once again end her season with a bang on vault this year, this time as an LSU Tiger.
Cami Weaver (Arkansas)
A mainstay of the Arkansas vault lineup, Weaver has been a reliable contributor on the event, with no score below a 9.700 in 40 routines across the last three seasons. But her consistency has been even better in the postseason, with a low of 9.850 across her six postseason vaults. With a regular season average of 9.815 and a markedly higher postseason average of 9.881 coming into the 2026 season, Weaver could be one to watch for the Razorbacks on vault heading into the postseason.
Bars
Olivia Zsarmani (Michigan State)
Michigan State had a banner year in 2025, reaching the national championships for only the second time in program history, and for the first time in over 30 years. Competing on both vault and bars in all but one meet last season, Zsarmani was a noteworthy contributor to this feat. On bars in particular, Zsarmani’s rising scores over the course of the season–with three of her top six scores, including her top two scores of the year coming in the postseason–helped lift the Spartans; her 9.900 in the regional final counted towards the team’s event total of 49.575, which tied for second in program history. Though Zsarmani’s performances on bars have been limited this season, she could be a great weapon for the Spartans to have in their back pocket in their quest for a second consecutive nationals berth.
Beam
Ashley Gallen (Denver)
Making her collegiate debut in February of her sophomore year, Gallen came into the 2025 postseason with just four beam routines under her belt. Even so, the Pioneer had a solid showing in her first regionals performance, matching her then career high of 9.850, which she improved upon two days later by notching a 9.925 in the regional final. As she enters this year’s regionals with more competitive experience, it remains to be seen if she can once again put her best foot forward in the postseason.
Ciena Alipio (UCLA)
Despite her strong reputation on beam as a recruit, Alipio has occasionally needed time to find her footing on the event, with a handful of sub-9.8 scores in each of the past three regular seasons, and a regular-season average of 9.797 over her career. But her regular-season adjustments have generally paid off in the postseason, with an average of 9.886 across eight outings, boosted by six 9.9+ scores. Since she came roaring out of the gate this year with a string of 9.9+ performances, it will be interesting to see if she can keep up the pace or even take a step up as the Bruins strive for their eighth national championship.
Floor
Avery Neff (Utah)
It might seem odd to call a former No. 1 recruit who has reached and surpassed the 9.900 mark on floor in both club and college gymnastics a “sleeper agent”, but Neff makes the list for her ability to shine under pressure. After suffering what could have been a season-ending injury on the event last January, Neff made an impressively fast recovery and was back to performing on floor by March. From there, her scores grew steadily, setting her up for a stellar first postseason run on the event–of her four postseason routines, three went 9.9+ and were her three highest scores of the year, while the fourth was still a strong 9.875. Looking ahead to the coming weeks, time will tell if she can once again top her regular-season performances in the postseason, but if her string of 9.9+ scores mid-season to recover from a few slip-ups in January is any indication, Neff looks to be gearing up for another strong postseason on floor.
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Article by Dara Tan
