Gymnast Gabby van Frayen performs a split leap in midair during a floor routine, arms extended and toes pointed, wearing a black leotard with pink and silver accents.

Most Anticipated Freshmen on Beam

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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 looking at beam.

Level 10s

Megan Aamold, Denver

After a spectacular 2024 season, Aamold was unfortunately sidelined with injury for 2025. In 2024, however, she hit at least 9.825 three times in a row, helping her win state and regional titles. Keeping only Cecilia Cooley of its top five beam workers last year, Denver has a lot of demand for strong beam workers, and it will hope for Aamold to be a significant contributor if she is fully recovered. Luckily, her fantastic leaps and beautiful, difficult series of a side aerial to layout stepout should help her score well.

Maggie Ball, Iowa

While Ball may be primarily known as being Oklahoma head coach KJ Kindler’s daughter, her talent for beam should be equally well-known. After barely competing in 2021, 2022, and 2023 (her first seasons as a level 10), she had a fantastic 2024 season, taking the regional and national beam titles, a feat which she replicated in 2025. Ball’s confidence and presence match her strong execution, making her a very strong contender for the Hawkeye lineup.

Allison Cucci, Arkansas

Cucci’s name is a recurring one through these articles, but beam was actually her one national title this season. Losing strong lineup contributors in Mati Waligora and Kalyxta Gamiao, Arkansas will welcome Cucci’s strong routine. She competed her nationals routine with confidence and a lovely, stuck back one and a half dismount that Arkansas surely hopes she can consistently replicate for it.

Maddy Dorbin, Florida

The Gators beam lineup was already strong, but Selena Harris-Miranda will now likely be joined by Kayla DiCello, as she returns from injury, and transfer eMjae Frazier. Despite this tough competition, however, national champion Maddy Dorbin will be a strong contender for the lineup. Competing a clean triple series with the utmost confidence, her poise could help her succeed in this star-studded lineup.

Ella Murphy, Oklahoma

Despite only competing at three meets in 2025, Murphy won the beam title at all of them, including the Nastia Liukin Cup. This was a continuation of her success in 2024, when she won state and regional titles on the event. Oklahoma is losing two lineup mainstays in Audrey Davis and Jordan Bowers, but Murphy’s strong triple series and ability to stick her double twist dismount could allow her to shine in her own right.

Arianna Ostrum, Minnesota

Initially perhaps thought of as a beam recruit when she first committed to Minnesota, Ostrum proved her strength on other events, but has not lost her skill for beam. Minnesota’s beam lineup will likely be itsmost difficult lineup to crack as it only loses one routine, and it was a strong event for Gianna Gerdes, who is returning after a year away. Despite this, national champion Ostrum is still likely to be in strong contention with her dynamic double twist dismount and her unique two-footed side aerial.

Kamila Pawlak, Oklahoma

Unfortunately, Pawlak did not get to compete to her fullest extent in 2025, but she had a lot of success on beam in 2024. In fact, she did not finish outside the top four the entire season and was the Nastia Liukin Cup champion. While Oklahoma has several strong contenders for its lineup, if Pawlak can maintain the consistency she’s had on the event in her recent level 10 seasons, that could be a strong asset. Additionally, the precision of her hand positions aligns well with Oklahoma’s reputation for attention to detail.

Hillary Puleo, Arizona

Puleo had a tremendous start to her season on beam, scoring a 10.0 at the Arizona Grand Invitational in only her second meet. From Arizona herself, Puleo will likely find herself automatically endeared to fans as a local athlete, but her strong beam routine should cement that. She has fantastic dynamics and execution, especially on her switch side, and can stick her back one and a half twist dismount.

Gabby van Frayen, Kentucky

The other elite turned level 10 on this list, van Frayen achieved a 10.0 score on beam twice this season, a feat not accomplished by anyone else. She was also both Nastia Liukin Cup champion and national champion, which demonstrates her ability to hit under pressure. These incredible accolades put her in a good position to find herself in the latter half of the Wildcat lineup, where she’d showcase her calm presence and unique back handspring to Onodi combination.

Elyse Wenner, LSU

Wenner is another athlete who was unfortunately limited by injury her senior season, but as the 2024 regional and national beam champion, she is likely hoping to contribute to the LSU lineup. The Tigers are losing two of their top three beam scorers in Aleah Finnegan and Haleigh Bryant, but if Wenner is back to her 2024 strength, she would be a strong option to help replace them. Her gorgeous execution and ability to stick her dismount would certainly be advantageous.

Elites

Ana Bărbosu, Stanford

European championships beam runner-up Bărbosu surely hopes to be a strong contributor on the event for the Cardinal. Her elite routine contained substantial difficulty, including a front tuck mount and a front handspring to front tuck series, so the composition of her collegiate routine is unknown. However, considering her skill on the event as an elite, Stanford fans likely have high hopes for her impact.

Jordis Eichman, UCLA

Eichman had several unfortunate injuries that restricted her from competitions for years, but she made a strong comeback this season. On beam, she demonstrated several difficult skills, including a layout stepout mount and a triple series. While her execution scores have been limited by her difficulty, the college structure could allow her to shine in this lineup.

Myli Lew, Michigan

Interestingly, Lew’s beam routine contains similar skills to Bărbosu’s, including both the front tuck mount and the front handspring to front tuck series. This leaves similar questions surrounding her routine construction, but she likely has several potential compositions she could choose from. At the American Classic this year, she was runner-up on the event with some standout elements such as her mount and leap series. 

Tonya Paulsson, California

World University Games beam runner-up, the one individual event where she reached the podium, Paulsson could be a much-needed strong beam worker for the Golden Bears. Losing lineup regulars eMjae Frazier and Ella Cesario to other schools, as well as the late commitment switches from Sophie Stuart and Quincy Walters, who may have contended for the lineup, Cal fans have likely been ecstatic over Paulsson’s recent success and surely eagerly anticipate her debut. Some standout skills from her elite routine include her three-element mixed series and her well-executed switch half.

Tiana Sumanasekera, UCLA

2023 Pan American beam champion Sumanasekera had a very strong performance on beam at nationals recently as well. UCLA has lost half its beam lineup, but that only increases the anticipation surrounding Sumanasekera’s arrival. If she were to keep her candle mount and layout to two feet, those would likely be highlights for fans in Pauley Pavilion, and her confidence always makes her a joy to watch.

Honorable Mentions

READ THIS NEXT: Most Anticipated Freshmen on Bars

Article by Gemma Selby, with additional reporting from Brynn Robbins

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