Each season brings about new trends, and the 2026 season brought about a new way to celebrate the coveted stuck landing. Stick celebrations, also known as stick cellies, are fun dance moves, acrobatic moves, or some combination of the two that add a memorable touch to the ending of a great routine. With gymnastics being so difficult and demanding, stick celebrations are a way to make the joy of the sport more visible. Here, we highlight eight of the best stick celebrations of 2026.
1. Addison Lawrence, Missouri
With her precision and poise on beam, Lawrence is no stranger to sticks. After nailing her roundoff one and a half dismount at the Missouri vs LSU meet, Lawrence celebrated the stick by pretending her feet were literally stuck to the mat, an iconic way to commemorate her fourth 9.950 on beam in just five weeks. Later in the season at the Missouri vs. Florida matchup, she even added to the fun by having teammate Kennedy Griffin try to unstick her. Aside from her sticky feet, Lawrence has also performed a breakdance celly.
2. Katelyn Rosen, UCLA
UCLA’s Rosen is known for her performance quality, so it’s no surprise that she would embrace the stick celly. Among her most memorable celebrations are those that were a nod to other incredible female athletes at UCLA. On Feb. 22, the day of the 2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, Rosen celebrated her stuck beam routine with a skating-inspired jump in honor of fellow Bruin and Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu. Later in the season, the UCLA women’s basketball team won its first-ever national title. Competing in the Corvallis regional final that same day, Rosen led off the beam rotation with a stick followed by a basketball celly, a tribute to the basketball team’s historic achievement.
3. Sophie Schriever, Iowa
Just a freshman this season, Schriever has already made a name for herself on the college stage as a dependable all-arounder. At semifinal two of the Corvallis regional, she delivered a beautiful performance on bars, nailing her sky-high front pike half dismount for a stuck landing. She celebrated with a back dive into a pose, pointing at the camera with a smile. Schriever earned a 9.900 for that routine and set Iowa up for a 49.575 event total that gave it the lead after the first rotation.
4. Nikki Smith, Michigan State
Inspired by football player Amon-Ra St. Brown, Smith’s no-handed headstand celly is a fan favorite. Competing one of the hardest beam dismounts in the NCAA—a double tuck—is impressive enough, but it’s even more impressive that she can stick it. With her elite-level difficulty and proven consistency, Smith’s gymnastics is definitely something worth celebrating.
5. Lauren Macpherson, Missouri
With multiple 9.9+ scores on beam, Macpherson established herself as an important part of Missouri’s beam lineup this season, her first competitive season with the Tigers after spending four years at San Jose State. At the 2026 SEC championship, she delivered a 9.850 beam routine punctuated by a stuck roundoff one and a half dismount, which she celebrated with a switch leap half landing in a split on the mat.
6. Nyla Aquino, Georgia
If there was an award for the most spirited stick celly, Aquino would win it. After sticking a dynamic Tsuk layout full, she did a 360-degree jump and high fived the mat before jumping again into a split. She has also performed a similar jump to split after her floor routine. No one celebrates quite like Aquino, and she can be counted on to boost the energy for the GymDogs every time.
7. MaKayla Tucker, Michigan State
Already a strong and dependable competitor for the Spartans, Tucker really came into her own as an all-arounder this season. Achieving scores of 9.900 or above on all four events, she showed why she belongs in Michigan State’s lineups. After sticking her full-twisting layout gainer off beam at the Michigan State vs. UCLA meet, Tucker mimicked shooting an arrow, a testament to her fortitude after an earlier mistake on bars.
8. Ashley Cowan, LSU
An impactful member of LSU’s bars lineup since her freshman year, Cowan proved her excellence on the event once again during her senior season. With well-timed releases, hit handstands, and a floaty, stuck double layout, she earned a 9.925 to contribute to LSU’s win over Alabama. Similar to Schriever, Cowan celebrated her stuck landing with a jump into a sidelying pose on the mat, and was also crowned with the LSU stick tiara.
Bonus mention: It’s not just the women having all the fun—MAG NCAA gymnasts love to celebrate a great stick too. At the men’s 2026 NCAA nationals, Dylan Shepard of Illinois stuck his Yurchenko double full and did a golf putt stick celly, possibly inspired by the Masters Tournament, which concluded earlier that week.
READ THIS NEXT: Ranking Some of the Most Iconic Stick Objects in College Gym
Article by Lilly Chan
