In its second season under the WCGNIC name, not only will six teams be vying to take home the win, but several individuals are slated to make a statement for their own titles.
In the final span of this three-day competition, these individuals will compete for an all-around or event title in the hopes of ending their season as a national champion.
All-Around
Taylor Ingle, SEMO
Relevant Stats: 39.105 NQS | 38.996 AVG | 39.275 high
Why She’ll Win: Ingle has shown improvement throughout the season as an all-arounder and has been consistent in her performances, competing every weekend on all four events. She’s also already snagged the title of MIC co-athlete of the year in her final year coming off a season-best 39.275 and all-around conference win. All of Ingle’s all-around performances have been better than a 38.500, with eight scores over a 39.000. She has made major strides in the back half of the season, especially on beam, where she has a season best of a 9.800. If Ingle can have a repeat of her best performances and add another 39+ all-around score to her repertoire, she is certainly a contender for the title.
Why She Won’t Win: With consistent scores over 9.850 on both vault and floor, if Ingle runs into any issues, it would more likely be on bars and beam. Although she has shown improvement on beam, these two events have been her lower-scoring ones.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Ingle is a senior who has been instrumental to the success of the Red Hawks for the past four years. In 2025, she came in second to Morgan Price, who won back-to-back titles, so this could certainly be Ingle’s year. Ending her amazing career at SEMO with an all-around championships win would be the perfect way to cap off her time as a Red Hawk.
Abigail Kenney, Bridgeport
Relevant Stats: 38.970 NQS | 38.702 AVG | 39.150 high
Why She’ll Win: Kenney has high scoring potential across the board, especially on vault and floor, which have been her two strongest events throughout her career. She has already surpassed the 39+ all-around mark three times, with her season best being a 39.150 in January. Kenney has gotten some of her biggest scores on floor and vault, with season bests of a 9.875 and 9.850 respectively. She is also coming off a conference all-around win at the GEC championship, and a repeat of the same big scores here could certainly put her in a good position to win it.
Why She Won’t Win: Kenney has shown great consistency in event scoring, but not yet in hitting four-for-four week in and out. With a few good scores over a 38.500, there have also been a handful of scores under that mark and into the 37s as well. By no means a bad all-around total, in order for her to take the win over the other all-around competitors, Kenney needs to have a repeat of her season best and tap into the strength across the board she has proven to have.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: The third of three senior all-arounders that could absolutely win this title, Kenney has had success over the years as a Purple Knight, but is really peaking in her senior season. To end her career and best year with this would be extraordinary for her, and for the Purple Knights to have a national champion.
Amara Nelson, Greenville
Relevant Stats: 38.280 NQS | 38.125 AVG | 38.725 high
Why She’ll Win: Nelson has been a consistent staple in the all-around all season for Greenville, putting up a season high of a 38.725 in her most recent competition. She has been strong on beam and floor this year with season bests of a 9.825 on each event. Most recently, Nelson won the all-around title at division III nationals, as well as the beam and floor titles, so she should be coming into this competition with confidence.
Why She Won’t Win: Nelson can certainly hold her own against her all-around competitors, but needs to have her best day to really give herself a chance at this title. Her lowest scoring event throughout the year has been bars, and although she has largely improved since January, this has been where the majority of her mistakes happen. Nelson needs to hit this event, and with her consistency on the others, she could come out on top in this category.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Greenville has only been in the mix as a collegiate team for a handful of years, so bringing home a national title would be huge for Nelson and the Panthers to really make a statement.
Honorable Mention: Ciniah Rosby, Fisk
Vault
Sophia Isbell, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.845 NQS | 9.825 AVG | 9.850 high
Why She’ll Win: Isbell’s consistency will be the reason she takes this title. With only one score under a 9.800 all season, she has proven she can hit this vault week after week. Competing a Yurchenko one and a half, Isbell has the advantage of a 10.0 start value, but has also proven she can control this big skill and minimize deductions. If she can hit this vault like she has been all season, it is going to be hard to argue with.
Why She Won’t Win: Although Isbell has shown she can perform this vault exceptionally well, she needs to not let the adrenaline of the competition get to her and either overdo it or go too hard for the stick and underdo it.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Isbell scored in the 9.700-9.775 range at semis, finals, and event finals on this event at the WCGNIC 2025 competition. Now, having only scores above that range all season, it would not only show her growth on this event, but cap off a great season for her with a national title.
Taylor Ingle, SEMO
Relevant Stats: 9.835 NQS | 9.798 AVG | 9.875 high
Why She’ll Win: Vault is a strong event for Ingle, who has competed a clean Yurchenko full consistently throughout the season. With a season best of a 9.850 scored twice, if she can hone in on this landing, this could be a potential second title for her at these championships.
Why She Won’t Win: With the Yurchenko full starting at a 9.950, Ingle needs to really focus on her shape in the air. Breaking the layout in the air and piking down a gorgeous vault, resulting in over rotation, has given her a few lower scores throughout the season. If she can minimize these deductions and lock in on the landing, Ingle can certainly go up against the other 10.0 start value vaulters.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: The favorite to win the all-around title here, adding a potential second title on top of that would be huge for her.
Nova Staruk, Bridgeport
Relevant Stats: 9.835 NQS | 9.798 AVG | 9.850 high
Why She’ll Win: Staruk has the advantage of competing a 10.0 start value vault in her unique Tsuk layout full. With a season high of 9.850 recorded four times and a recent GEC vault title to her name, if she can repeat these performances, Staruk will definitely be competitive with the others vying for this title.
Why She Won’t Win: Too much power is never a bad thing, but really focusing on her landing is going to be crucial to putting up a big number. Staruk has great power to even be able to do the full from a Tsuk entry, but ensuring she doesn’t over rotate the landing, which has been where her lower scores come in, is definitely where she needs to place the most emphasis.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Winning this event would not only be a huge deal for Staruk herself, but an equally big deal for the Purple Knights to have an athlete with a national title.
Honorable Mention: Kyleigh Ghanbari, Texas Woman’s
Bars
Brooke Ferrari, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.820 NQS | 9.733 AVG | 9.900 high
Why She’ll Win: Ferrari holds the top score for the Pioneers this season with a 9.900 on the event her first meet out. Although she has only reached this mark one time this season, she has a handful of high 9.8s throughout the year. If Ferrari can end her season on this event the way she began it, this will be a huge win for her and for the Pioneers.
Why She Won’t Win: Ferrari competes a unique bar-to-bar release after her major release of a blind to straddle back. Sometimes her form on this release and in her double layout dismount is where she is deducted the most, so placing an emphasis on this is essential for her to walk away with this title.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Ferrari placed second last year at these championships with a tie between her, former teammate Kaitlyn Hoiland, and former Fisk gymnast Morgan Price, so this could be her year to take the title in the last competition of her career.
Caroline Bowns, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.840 NQS | 9.646 AVG | 9.875 high
Why She’ll Win: Bowns has a season-best 9.875 on this event, which she has recorded twice thus far this season. With a solid bar routine consisting of a Maloney to shoot over combo that is typically very fluid, if she can make it through this with minimal form deductions and nail the dismount, this will be a big routine for her and the Pioneers.
Why She Won’t Win: Bowns has had a few slip-ups this season with three scores counting a fall. Some of her other scores have been around the 9.700 mark, usually just stemming from some form breaks in her routine, which would most likely be the only reason, barring a major mistake, that she doesn’t win this title given her high scoring potential.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Bowns is coming off a win at MICs on this event and is certainly a contender for this national title. Last season at the WCGNICs, she scored a huge 9.900, a mark she has not yet reached this season but is absolutely capable of, and notching a season best here and winning a title would be a great way to enter her senior season.
Bailey Bourgeois, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.765 NQS | 9.625 AVG | 9.875 high
Why She’ll Win: Bourgeois has a high scoring potential of a 9.875, which she has reached once so far this season, but has come close to a handful of other times. With only a few mistakes on bars, Bourgeois has shown her consistency throughout the year, becoming a staple in this lineup for the Pioneers.
Why She Won’t Win: Although Bourgeois has shown she can score above this 9.800 mark with a handful of 9.825-9.850s, the majority of her scores have been in the 9.700 range, and in order to be competitive for this title, she needs a repeat of her best performance or a season best.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Bourgeois was voted ‘most improved’ by her teammates at the conclusion of the 2025 season, and her performances this season have shown why she earned that title. With a great junior season under her belt, this would be a great way to cap off the year for Bourgeois.
Honorable Mention: Abigail Kenney, Bridgeport
Beam
Sophia Isbell, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.820 NQS | 9.740 AVG | 9.90 high
Why She’ll Win: Isbell has been a staple in the beam lineup for the Pioneers and has shown the capability to score big, earning a season-best 9.900 in February. With a handful of other scores over the 9.800 mark, Isbell has proven she can hit when it counts, and if she can do it again here, this beam title could be hers.
Why She Won’t Win: Isbell started the season strong on beam, but her last few competitions have resulted in a few lower scores in March especially. With no major mistakes on this event, just a few hiccups throughout the routine, Isbell needs to hit a routine without connection breaks and minor adjustments taking away from what could be a title-winning score.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Isbell could be in the running for several other individual titles, so adding another title to her final competition of the season would be huge for her and the Pioneers.
Jaidan Kossuth, SEMO
Relevant Stats: 9.830 NQS | 9.729 AVG | 9.875 high
Why She’ll Win: Kossuth has been outstanding on this event for the Red Hawks this year, with all scores but one over the 9.700 mark. Several of her performances have been in the high 9.8s, showing she has great consistency and can perform in any environment. Going into this competition, if she does what she has proven to be her normal, it is going to be hard to argue with.
Why She Won’t Win: With Kossuth’s consistency and ability to score big, there isn’t really a reason she shouldn’t win, barring getting outscored. Individually, if she can put up a repeat performance of her season-best 9.850, she has a great chance of winning this title.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: SEMO has not had a national champion since 2022 in Anna Kaziska, so Kossuth bringing home a win for the Red Hawks would be big for both the team and herself as she heads into her senior year.
Nyah Reader, SEMO
Relevant Stats: 9.810 NQS | 9.765 AVG | 9.850 high
Why She’ll Win: Reader has been extremely consistent this season, recording no low scores to her name on this event thus far. With her lowest score being a 9.650, Reader has a strong chance of winning this event if she can repeat what she has been doing all season.
Why She Won’t Win: Although consistent, Reader needs a big score to stay competitive with her toughest competition, who have put up big 9.8s and 9.9s. Reader has reached a 9.800 mark a handful of times this season, but the majority of her scores have been in the high 9.7s. If she can do her best routine here to hit big when it counts, she certainly has the potential to get back to this high mark.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: SEMO taking home a national win and Reader being in her final season as a graduate student would be a wonderful way to end a great career as a Red Hawk.
Honorable Mention: Leah Parton, SEMO
Floor
Kyleigh Ghanbari, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.885 NQS | 9.712 AVG | 9.900 high
Why She’ll Win: Ghanbari’s huge skills on floor in addition to her performance quality both make her one to watch for this title. Ghanbari has been a staple for the Pioneers on floor, with only one low score this season and a trio of 9.9s to her name. If she performs the way she is capable of, this title could certainly be hers to take.
Why She Won’t Win: Taking out the other competitors here and the possibility of getting outscored, there is no reason Ghanbari shouldn’t win this. She has proven week after week to be able to put up a big score for the Pioneers, and with more adrenaline and this title on the line, Ghanbari has all the makings to be a national champion on this event.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: With Texas Woman’s attempting to go for back-to-back wins, another national championship title would be a major way to end an already great 2026 season for both Ghanbari herself and the Pioneers.
Sophie Hernandez, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.870 NQS | 9.823 AVG | 9.875 high
Why She’ll Win: Hernandez is another strong athlete that could contend for this spot. With an upbeat, high-energy routine and an entertaining performance each time out, Hernandez matches that with big tumbling. With a season best of 9.875 on floor earned twice, Hernandez could absolutely be another athlete to win this title.
Why She Won’t Win: Although she is capable of it, Hernandez has not crossed that 9.900 mark quite yet. She needs to place emphasis on controlling the power she has when she has extra adrenaline in this competition while keeping the same high energy and performance quality she has had all year.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Hernandez advanced to the WCGNIC event finals last season for this event, but didn’t come away with the title. If she could get it this season, it would be a great way to end her junior year.
Sophia Isbell, Texas Woman’s
Relevant Stats: 9.860 NQS | 9.848 AVG | 9.875 high
Why She’ll Win: With all scores over a 9.800 this season, Isbell is maybe the most consistent athlete vying for this title. A season high of a 9.875 scored three times thus far proves she can hit under any circumstances. Anchoring the floor lineup for the Pioneers, she has seen pressure situations before, and with sky-high tumbling and excellent performance quality, Isbell could be a major contender for this title.
Why She Won’t Win: Isbell is another athlete for the Pioneers with big power, so controlling this when the adrenaline and pressure are high is going to be crucial to minimize any potential deductions.
Why It Would Be Cool if She Won: Without a qualification to the final on this event last season, Isbell has shown major improvement here already. Being in contention for a national title and having all the makings to do so would be a big way to show how much she has grown in just a year going into her senior season.
Honorable Mention: Taylor Ingle, SEMO
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Article by Julianna Roland and Frances Leadman
