Our third round of ratings was released a couple weeks ago with updates to the class of 2023 and first-time ratings for the class of 2024. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, head on over to the landing page for a look.
However, because our rating system was based on scores and video review for all four events, gymnasts with only one standout apparatus were often rated lower overall. Of course, teams that are weaker on one event or those that are looking to fill a hole will turn to event specialists to solidify those lineups. Recruits who excel on a single event may not have ratings that reflect how valuable they can be to their teams, so we wanted to highlight them here.
Let’s take a look here at underrated vaulters in the classes of 2023 and 2024.
Class of 2023
Kira Bolden
College: Washington
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.875, 9.925 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Bolden’s massive Yurchenko one and a half was one of the country’s best-scoring vaults all season, which is why she’s the top-ranked vaulter in the class of 2023. She picked up second place at nationals on the event this year and will be an instant game changer at Washington.
Keira Wells
College: Oklahoma
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.825 (2022), 10.000 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Injuries interrupted Wells’ 2022 season—she only competed at regionals and nationals—but that wasn’t enough to stop her from picking up her third consecutive national title on vault. And don’t forget that there was no national championship in 2020, so the last time she wasn’t standing at the top of the podium at nationals for the event was…when she was in seventh grade. She’s that good.
Victoria Cluck
College: Stanford
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.850 (2022), 9.900 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Cluck became a regional champion and a national runner-up last year with her dynamic Yurchenko one and a half.
Shima True
College: Uncommitted
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 10.000 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Seattle’s Shima True does one of the country’s best Yurchenko fulls, and she does it with incredible consistency. She’s scored below 9.700 on vault only twice in her entire level 10 career.
Gabriella Ortiz
College: Pittsburgh
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 10.000, 9.925 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Ortiz is a rockstar on vault, with landing sensibilities that most gymnasts don’t find until college, carrying her to three career 9.9-plus scores.
Heather Parker
College: Georgia
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.900 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Parker nabbed the individual event specialist title at nationals this year with this impressive 9.825 vault.
Ashley Knight
College: North Carolina
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.950 (2022). 9.900 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Knight’s front pike half is the first non-Yurchenko vault on the list, and it’s a good one. She features twice in the top 100 vault scores of 2022.
Halle Gregoire
College: Arizona State
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.725 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: This future Sun Devil is a firecracker on vault, with a Yurchenko one and a half that should fall late in Arizona State’s lineup.
Noelle Adams
College: Iowa State
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.875 (2022), 9.950 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Adams qualified to nationals this year as an event specialist, capping off an incredibly consistent vault season where she scored below 9.600 only once.
Marisa Fisher
College: Minnesota
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.900 (2022), 9.850 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Fisher’s tidy Yurchenko full won her three vault titles in the 2022 season.
Madison Vitolo
College: Illinois
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.850 (2022), 9.775 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Vitolo has a pretty solid Yurchenko one and a half in training, but it’s her body position and landing ability on her full that’s brought her such huge scores over the last two seasons.
Genae Daniel
College: Uncommitted
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.700 (2022), 9.800 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Consistency is the name of the game for Daniel. She hasn’t scored below 9.500 on vault since January of 2020.
Ainsley Greever
College: Arizona
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.800 (2022), 9.800 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Vault has been a tough event for Arizona in recent years, and Greever’s tidy and consistent full will be a valued asset for the Wildcats.
Kennedy Griffin
College: Missouri
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.750 (2022), 9.650 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: This future Missouri gymnast has been ultra-consistent in the all-around in 2022, and her steady Yurchenko full is a strong prospect, even for an SEC team.
Mareli Muller
College: Uncommitted
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.675 (2022), 9.575 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: All but one of Muller’s vault scores in 2022 fell within a two-tenth range, making her consistency a valuable prospect for a future college team.
Chloe Seaga
College: Uncommitted
CGN Rating: Not Rated
Vault High Scores: 9.775 (2022), 9.575 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Seaga’s pretty front pike half pulled second at Florida’s state meet this year, tying Gabriella Ortiz and falling short only of Florida commit Kaylee Bluffstone.
Dawsyn Sallee
College: Uncommitted
CGN Rating: Not Rated
Vault High Scores: 9.700 (2022), 9.600 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: Kentucky prospect Sallee has scored as high as 9.700 for her Yurchenko full.
Class of 2024
Cameron Smith
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.925 (2021), 9.875 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: The 2021 national vault champion has an impressive Yurchenko one and a half with a powerful block and clean lines in the air. If she can hone in on the landing, she’s a legitimate 10 threat.
JJ Coleman
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.850 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: The definitively open hip position helps elevate Coleman’s Yurchenko full.
Grace Drexler
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.875 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Twin City Twisters has a long history of developing top NCAA vaulters, and this year’s Junior F national champion boasts a 10.1 SV that scored as high as 9.875 in 2022.
Taylor Clark
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.825 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Clark boasts a powerful front pike half vault that provides variety in a field dominated by Yurchenkos.
Ady Wahl
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.950 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Wahl’s consistent Yurchenko one and a half set her apart from the field all year. It’s guaranteed to catch the attention of college coaches.
Alana Walker
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.850 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: New Jersey level 10 (and Jamaican elite!) Alana Walker brings power to all four of her events, but her vault is particularly eye-catching.
Alexia Mouyenga
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 10.000 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Surprise, it’s another Twin City Twisters gymnast! With a 10.0 already on her resume, Mouyenga is poised to follow in the footsteps of other great TCT vaulters like Maggie Nichols.
Camryn Richardson
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.850 (L10), 14.250 (elite)
Why She Stands Out: Richardson, who competes both elite and level 10, has competed a convincing double twisting Yurchenko.
Jahzara Swaby-Ranger
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.875 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Ranger has power to spare, but it’s her technique that really shines in her Yurchenko full.
Mya Wiley
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.875 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Wiley’s aggressive Yurchenko one and a half won her state, regional and national titles in the 2022 season.
Syniya Thomas
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.725 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Thomas picked up second place on vault as an individual event specialist at nationals in 2022.
Jaime Dugan
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.700 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Dugan’s Yurchenko full-on, tuck starts from a 10.0 SV in NCAA and will fit nicely into one of the biggest trends in college gymnastics.
Sarah Saville
CGN Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Vault High Scores: 9.800 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Saville was ultra-consistent on vault in 2022, picking up four titles and scoring between 9.575 and 9.800 in every meet.
Eden King
CGN Rating: Not Rated
Vault High Scores: 9.6725 (2022), 9.700 (2021)
Why She Stands Out: King competes a Yurchenko full, but she has a pretty serious one and a half that she likes to show off in training.
Kennedy Brown
CGN Rating: Not Rated
Vault High Scores: 9.675 (2022)
Why She Stands Out: Brown won four consecutive vault titles this year with her dynamic Yurchenko full.
READ THIS NEXT: Glowups in the Class of 2023 Recruit Ratings
Article by Rebecca Scally and Jenna King
Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year! [wpedon id=”13158″]
One comment