Gymnast Kamila Pawlak performs on floor exercise with arms extended outward in a graceful pose, wearing a black leotard with pink accents. In the background, another gymnast is captured mid-flip above the vault table.

Most Anticipated Freshmen on Vault

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With no NCAA track record, incoming freshmen always add an element of mystery when predicting future stars. Some will emerge as unexpected standouts. However, some athletes show fantastic potential on their events that make them highly anticipated by their team’s fanbase and are listed below.

We included ten level 10s and five elite gymnasts on each event by considering past scores and performances, as well as their potential to shine at the NCAA level. In an effort to balance the names across all NCAA programs, we limited each list to two gymnasts per school. Today, we’re starting with vault.

Level 10s

Molly Brinkman, LSU

One of only five people at nationals to score 9.95 or higher on vault, national champion Brinkman was a late switch from Clemson to LSU. A big gain for LSU, she aims to regularly compete in the vault lineup with her Yurchenko one and a half. At nationals, her landing was undeniably stuck, and LSU fans will hope she can replicate that consistently.

Jasmine Cawley, Alabama

One of the more well-known incoming freshmen, Cawley excels in the all-around, but is also one of the best vaulters in this class. Her Yurchenko one and a half landed her in the top five on the event at the Nastia Liukin Cup earlier this year due to its strong dynamics and form. Alabama is losing its top vault scorer in Lilly Hudson, but Cawley has the potential to be just as strong of a contributor to that lineup.

Allison Cucci, Arkansas

A strong gymnast on all events and 2024 vault national champion after scoring a 10.0, Cucci should join a vault lineup that is already set to benefit from the return of Lauren Williams and the transfer of Morgan Price. Her amplitude and landing control stand out, but it is perhaps her consistency that is most impressive. In the eight meets where she competed vault this season, Cucci only scored below 9.825 once. While Arkansas has some exceptional Yurchenko fulls, it will also look forward to the addition of another Yurchenko one and a half.

Mackenzie Estep, Oklahoma

The top-rated recruit in her year, Estep will be joining one of the best vault lineups in the country but should still contend for a lineup spot. While losing Jordan Bowers is assuredly a significant loss, the return of Hannah Scheible from injury and the addition of Mackenzie Estep may leave Oklahoma in an even better position. With her Yurchenko one and a half, Estep was national champion on the event this year by scoring a 10.0, and that clean form could allow her to slot in extremely well.

Lillian Jennejohn, Ohio State

Wrapping up her senior season with three scores 9.9+ on this event, state/regional champion and national runner-up Lillian Jennejohn joins a strong incoming class for the Buckeyes and will likely be looking to make her biggest impact on vault. With Rylee Guevara hopefully back at full strength after being injured and the transfer of Natalie Martin, this lineup is already trending up, but Jennejohn’s Yurchenko one and a half with its clean landings will hopefully shine in its own right.

Arianna Ostrum, Minnesota

Flying under the radar most of her level 10 career, Ostrum made a big splash at nationals when she scored her very first 10.0 with a beautiful, stuck Yurchenko one and a half. Minnesota is another team that is losing one of its top gymnasts from the vault lineup with Mya Hooten, so Golden Gopher fans are certainly hoping Ostrum can limit the impact of that loss. While Ostrum may be seen in the all-around, expect her to shine on vault..

Kamila Pawlak, Oklahoma

Another incoming Oklahoma gymnast who has scored a 10.0 on this event, Pawlak was unfortunately sidelined with injury for most of the 2025 season, but if healthy, could see time in the lineup. She keeps exceptional form throughout her Yurchenko one and a half, and as the top two recruits in the country, she and Estep could be quite the incoming dynamic duo on this event.

Sophie Schriever, Iowa

Iowa is bringing in an exceptionally talented freshman class, headlined by Sophie Schriever. After Jen Llewellyn left her position as Washington head coach, Schriever made the same switch in a move that excited Hawkeye fans. Schriever competes a full-on pike off, which adds some excitement to the lineup by being quite unique and also has a 10.0 start value. Additionally, she gets good height and has a nice landing position on a vault where that’s difficult, so expect some great scores.

Bailey Stroud, Utah

When Stroud first committed to the Red Rocks, she was thought of as a bars specialist, but steady improvements on all events allowed her to become a five-star recruit, and vault played a big role in that. Utah already had a strong vault lineup last year, with six gymnasts reaching at least 9.925, but if Stroud performs her Yurchenko one and a half the way she did at nationals, she could still be a lineup regular. Her nationals vault boasted clean form and an extremely well-controlled landing.

Brynn Torry, Auburn

Someone who has competed both elite and level ten this season, Torry has also recently competed two different 10.0 vaults, a rarity. At Winter Cup, she competed a powerful double-twisting Yurchenko, but difficulties controlling the landing mean that it is probably more likely that she will primarily compete her Yurchenko one and a half as a Tiger. This vault allowed her to tie for third place at DP nationals with a much better-controlled landing. 

Elites

Amelia Disidore, Florida

The question of which vault elites will end up competing in college is a recurring one and definitely applies to Disidore. She competed only once this year, but scored high on vault with her well-controlled double-twisting Yurchenko. While this could certainly be an option for her, she has posted videos training a front pike half and a Yurchenko one and a half, so she is keeping her options open. While this adds a layer of uncertainty, her strong elite history on the event bodes well for her, and other Gators such as Kayla DiCello have done extremely well in competing a Yurchenko one and a half after previously competing a double.

Brooke Pierson, Georgia

Another late commitment switch away from Clemson, Pierson opted to join her previous coach’s team at Georgia. She competed her Yurchenko one and a half with excellent consistency this year, supporting her case for the Georgia lineup. Georgia has numerous athletes who have the potential to compete vaults with a 10.0 start value, but it lost Anaya Smith, who was a staple in that lineup, and has athletes such as Csenge Bácskay and Jaydah Battle coming back from injury. Pierson’s consistency this season could be especially valuable considering this aspect of uncertainty.

Azaraya Ra-Akbar, Alabama

Conversely, an athlete whose injury uncertainty has only added to the anticipation surrounding her is Azaraya Ra-Akbar. Ra-Akbar switched from being an American elite to a Canadian one and has unfortunately struggled with injury quite frequently since the switch. While this has left fans with very little idea of what to expect, her potential is exceptional. At Elite Canada 2023, her Yurchenko one and a half had fantastic dynamics and a good landing. Fans of the Crimson Tide will have to wait for season to see if she will be able to showcase that in the lineup.

Ashlee Sullivan, UCLA

After almost deciding to compete level ten for the 2025 season, Sullivan ended up opting to continue at the elite level and has gone from success to success. Another athlete who switched commitments late, Bruin fans were ecstatic when she decided to attend UCLA rather than Michigan. While she competed a double-twisting Yurchenko at nationals, she is expected to compete her Yurchenko one and a half for UCLA, which served her well for the majority of the elite season. She performs it well and gets great distance.

Tiana Sumanasekera, UCLA

Another athlete whose college vault is uncertain, Sumanasekera is one who may actually keep her double-twisting Yurchenko. While it is a vault that is often downgraded due to its difficulty, Sumanasekera controls it well, and UCLA has a history of athletes competing the vault, such as Jordan Chiles recently. Whether she does opt to keep it or decides to change it, her form and power speak to her potential on the event that could see her in the lineup.

Honorable Mentions

READ THIS NEXT: CGN Roundtable: NCAA Newcomers We’re Most Excited For

Article by Gemma Selby, with additional reporting from Brynn Robbins

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