While recruits often build up quite a name for themselves, some have family members who have found similar fame. For many, gymnastics runs in the family, but some have connections outside the sport too! Here are a few you may not know about:
1. Kennedy Cochran (Alabama, ‘26)
Cochran has many tremendous accomplishments of her own, including competing at the 2022 Nastia Liukin Cup and tying for the floor title at nationals the year after. However, she is not the first in her family to find success in the sport. Her mother, Amanda Borden, was captain of the 1996 American Olympic gymnastics team that won gold and has since been inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
2. Jurzie Blu Cromartie (Clemson, ‘27)
Cromartie will be no stranger to the attention she may get as a member of Clemson’s team. As a child, she was featured on the show “The Cromarties”, which centred on her family. This started from her dad’s fame as an NFL football player for several teams.
3. Elizaveta Grebenkova (Alabama, ‘26)
Once the top recruit in the class of ‘27, Grebenkova has undoubtedly made a mark in level 10 gymnastics and will hopefully continue to do so at Alabama. However, similar to fellow incoming Alabama freshman Cochran, Grebenkova’s mother was also an Olympic gymnast. Her mother, Ludmila Ezhova Grebenkova, was a bronze medallist in the 2004 Olympics.
4. Jayla Hang (Florida, ‘26)
One of the top recruits in the class of 2026, Hang has had tremendous success in the sport, including being the 2025 Pan American Championships all-around champion and the 2024 Pacific Rim Championships all-around champion. However, depending on how sport is defined, her father, Tommy Hang, could be considered a famous athlete in his own right. Poker is considered a mind sport, and Tommy Hang is a very successful poker player.
5. Amaya Umphrey (‘28)
Umphrey will be an exciting recruit to watch throughout the recruiting season as she is especially strong on vault, beam, and floor. Like Cochran, she has a parent who was both a 1996 American Olympic gymnast and a USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame inductee: Chainey Umphrey.
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Article by Gemma Selby
