Our team is committed to delivering the latest news, in-depth analysis, and insightful commentary on collegiate gymnastics. Here, you can get to know the faces behind the articles, connect with our editors, and find the best points of contact for any inquiries or collaborations. Whether you’re a fan, an athlete, or a member of the gymnastics community, we are here to inform, engage, and celebrate the sport we all love. Explore our team and feel free to reach out—we’d love to hear from you!

For general comments, questions or inquiries, email us at [email protected]. To contact a specific editor, click ’email’ under their name below.

Meet the Team

Leadership Team

Elizabeth Grimsley | Editor-in-Chief
Instagram | Email

First season with CGN: 2016

Elizabeth is a former gymnast turned gym nerd who lives in Texas but calls Georgia home. She loves the Colorado Avalanche, running, and (well-performed) sheep jumps. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in Journalism, an emphasis in magazines, a certificate in sports media, and a minor in sociology. She founded College Gym News in the fall of 2015.

Read Elizabeth’s articles.

Brandis Heffner | Co-Managing Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Threads | Email

First season with CGN: 2019

Brandis is a gym nerd and avid sports fan who was raised in Central Illinois and now resides in Chicago. Despite a very short gymnastics career as a kid, he maintained his love for the sport. Brandis is a former diver, having dove for Iowa where he also earned degrees in journalism and sports studies. When not watching gymnastics, he can be found watching literally any other sport he can find on TV or afford to go to in person. As managing editor, Brandis helps with the day-to-day operations of the site, as well as manages CGN’s partnerships.

Read Brandis’ articles.

Coverage Team

Savanna Wellman | Senior Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Threads | Email

First season with CGN: 2023
Current beat: SEC

Savanna is Louisiana born and bred with absolutely zero gymnastics background from her childhood. She discovered gymnastics from the first time in 2008 watching Shawn and Nastia duke it out in Beijing, then grew to love it after London 2012. Her discovery of NCAA gymnastics came after watching the Super Six in 2016, and it has been an obsession ever since. In the real world, she has a B.S. in Elementary Education and a minor in Liberal Arts from Northwestern State University, as well as an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction from Mississippi College. She can usually be found in the classroom educating young minds, traveling and relaxing as often as possible or trying to convert her family, friends and husband into gymnastics fans (it’s still a work in progress).

Read Savanna’s articles.

Jessica Brock | Editor
Threads | Email

First season with CGN: 2024
Current beat: ACC

Jessica is a former level 8 gymnast turned Division I diver. Her inspiration came from watching Carly Patterson in 2004. She has a B.S in psychology, with minors in journalism and chemistry, and is working on her M.S in athletic leadership. She loves all things sports, especially gymnastics. When she’s not working out or watching sports, she likes to cook and read romance novels. On the weekends, you can find her watching Friday Night Heights, elite competitions, and whatever other sporting event is on TV. And if there’s a meet nearby, you’re likely to find her there in the stands.

Read Jessica’s articles.

Allison Freeman | Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Threads | Email

First season with CGN: 2022
Current beat: NCGA-East

Allison fell in love with gymnastics at 6 years old and never looked back, competing until she graduated from high school. She was lucky enough to live during the peak era of ShanFan but also the dark ages of having to search long and hard for any gymnastics coverage. She grew up in Rochester, New York, and after graduating from Ithaca College, she made the move to Boston and eventually to New Hampshire. Outside of her gymnastics life, she works as a project coordinator, supports the Buffalo Bills, and has dirt somewhere on her at all times from working in the garden.

Read Allison’s articles.

Peri Goodman | Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Email

First season with CGN: 2023
Current beat: MAC

Peri has been involved in gymnastics for her whole life between artistic, power tumbling, coaching, and judging. She has a B.A. in Studio Art from Brock University and holds two world championship titles with Brock Cheer. When she’s not drawing or in the gym, you can find her watching Montreal Canadiens games from home in Toronto.

Read Peri’s articles.

Julianna Roland | Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Email

First season with CGN: 2024
Current beat: GEC

Julianna is a recently retired fifth-year graduate gymnast from Temple University but has been doing gymnastics since the age of two. Outside of being a gymnast, Julianna has a Master’s of Science in Secondary Education, a Bachelor of Arts in History, and is a (newly) certified teacher. As a New Jersey native, she has a love for all things surrounding the shore (and WaWa). Having gone through the collegiate gymnastics experience herself, Julianna is excited to take on a new role while still keeping these roots close to heart.

Read Julianna’s articles.

Alyssa Van Auker | Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Threads | Email

First season with CGN: 2023
Current beat: Big Ten

Alyssa is a former dancer from Upstate New York. While getting her business and digital marketing degree at Nazareth College, she discovered gym Twitter and has been a devoted gym nerd since. Alyssa finished her graduate degree from the University of Florida and is currently working as a financial planning recruiter. When she is not working or browsing the gymternet, you can find her reading, traveling, or ranting about the Buffalo Sabres.

Read Alyssa’s articles.

Sophie Poirier | Editor
Email | Instagram

First season with CGN: 2025
Current beat: Big Ten

Sophie is a grammar nerd, horse girl, and gymnastics fan from Maine. She was never a gymnast herself but fell in love with the sport while watching the 2012 Olympics. She recently graduated from Royal Holloway University of London. When she’s not watching gymnastics, she enjoys reading, traveling, and horseback riding.

Read Sophie’s articles.

Jenna Garcia | Junior Editor

First season with CGN: 2026

Jenna is a graduate from CU-Boulder with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and plans on continuing her education in Sports Management. She was a gymnast for 8 years, and after retiring, she couldn’t stay away from the sport, so she became a coach. She got hooked on watching collegiate gymnastics in 2020 when her teammate and best friend was recruited to a DI university.

Read Jenna’s articles.

Frances Leadman | Junior Editor

First season with CGN: 2026

Frances is a former level 10 gymnast and current obsessed fan of all things college gymnastics. Born and raised in Maryland, she completed her B.A. in Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont, where she also participated in the school’s club gymnastics team. In her free time, you can find her spending time outdoors, visiting local art museums, or falling down the occasional Wikipedia rabbit hole.

Read Frances’ articles.

Jessica Needle | Junior Editor

First season with CGN: 2026

Jessica was a club and high school gymnast so long ago that competitors were divided by classes instead of levels (the 1980s, folks), but she still retains the ability to do splits (yoga helps). She was raised in Davis, California, back when UC Davis was a Division II school, and she’s happy to see the recent strides her hometown university has made in women’s gymnastics. Jessica works as a naturopathic doctor and lives and dies with the fortunes of the New York Mets.

Read Jessica’s articles.

Diana Scroggins | Junior Editor

First season with CGN: 2026

Diana is a lifelong gymnastics fan who’s never managed to successfully complete a cartwheel. A licensed social worker with over a decade of experience supporting children, adolescents, and families, she lives in Houston, where she devotes her free time—and spare money—to books and her dog.

Read Diana’s articles.

Sarah Smith | Junior Editor

First season with CGN: 2026

Sarah is a senior at Fordham University, majoring in Film & Television and International Studies. She had a very brief career as a recreational gymnast, but quickly realized she was much better suited as a fan. Outside of school and watching as much gymnastics as possible, she loves performing and watching live comedy, exploring New York City, and making the most of her AMC membership.

Read Sarah’s articles.

Sofia Boddy | Contributor

First season with CGN: 2027

Sofia is a gymnastics fan from Michigan currently attending the University of Illinois. Her passion began in the elite world for Team China in 2018 after living in Shanghai for three years, but now includes every decade and team. Currently dual-degreeing in Journalism and Recreation, Sport, and Tourism, she’s enthusiastic about bringing people’s journeys to life on paper (or online) for others to indulge in and learn from.

Read Sofia’s articles.

Chloi Clark | Contributor

First season with CGN: 2027

Chloi is a long time college gymnastics fan and a former gymnast at Florida. She is a “Double Gator,” having both a Bachelor’s in Sport Management and a Master’s in Mass Communication. Her passion for college gymnastics grew by watching meets on YouTube, and she knew the sport would be an important part of her life. Currently living in her hometown of Denver, Chloi spends her time coaching the next generation of gymnasts. Outside of the gymnastics world, you can find Chloi training for Hyrox, listening to music (especially Tate McRae), and spending time in the Rocky Mountains.

Read Chloi’s articles.

Logan Driedger | Contributor

First season with CGN: 2027

Logan is a graduate student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C., where he
is working toward a Master of Journalism. He competed T&T as a wee lad, but nowadays
enjoys watching gymnastics from the safety of his couch (at the ripe age of 23, his hips can’t take
it anymore). In his free time, you may catch him taking dramatic sunset walks along the beach,
doting on his pets—one dog, one bird, one snake—or entertaining his very convincing sweet
tooth.

Read Logan’s articles.

Josh Polk | Contributor

First season with CGN: 2027

Josh is a performing arts educator based in Virginia. He first fell in love with elite gymnastics during the 2012 Olympics and found college gymnastics through Sophina DeJesus’ viral floor routine. Josh recently began his adult gymnastics journey and has loved the incredibly rewarding and humbling experience. When not in the gym, Josh enjoys learning new card games, hiking, and playing pickleball.

Read Josh’s articles.

Ava Staudt | Contributor

First season with CGN: 2027

Ava is a graduate of Ohio State where she majored in strategic communication. During her time there, she worked in the SID office and was a student manager for the women’s gymnastics team. When not obsessing over gymnastics, she likes to travel, go to concerts, and work on her junk journal.

Read Ava’s articles.

Recruiting Team

If you have a query, question, or story idea for our recruiting team, contact them here.

Rebecca Scally | Senior Editor
Twitter | Instagram

First season with CGN: 2018

Rebecca is a UK-born, Maryland-based gym fan. She’s a University of Washington alumna who has tried gymnastics both as a child and as an adult, only to lose enthusiasm as soon as she remembered that backward rolls are scary. (She had better luck with ballet, which she did for 14 years.) In her real life, she’s in grad school studying to be a nurse and loves cooking, reading, watching tennis, and spending time with her dog, Archie.

Read Rebecca’s articles.

KT Couldrey | Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Threads

First season with CGN: 2024

Katie is a former gymnast who was raised in Northern Ireland and now lives in England. She is a fan of all things British gymnastics. She graduated from Queens University Belfast with a BA in English and Drama and completed her postgraduate studies in Education. Katie currently teaches in high school, and when she isn’t staying up until way past her bedtime to watch NCAA meets live, she is reading, walking her whippet, or traveling.

Read KT’s articles.

Gemma Selby | Editor

First season with CGN: 2025

Gemma is from Vancouver and is in her final year of college at City, University of London, where she studies psychology. She came across the UCLA 2020 senior video on YouTube, which inspired her to start watching college gymnastics. She loves living in Europe, especially as she enjoys traveling, even though it often means braving 3 a.m. gymnastics meets.

Read Gemma’s articles.

Maddy Kees | Contributor

First season with CGN: 2027

Maddy is a former gymnast from the western suburbs of Chicago who competed at Northern Illinois for two seasons after an 18-year gymnastics career. She is currently pursuing a degree in Health Sciences with plans to become a sports physical therapist while staying connected to her gymnastics roots through media and writing. A longtime college gymnastics fan, Maddy is passionate about sharing her love for the sport and bringing an athlete’s insight to college gymnastics coverage. When she’s not in school, she enjoys coffee runs, reading a good book, going on walks, and practicing yoga.

Read Maddy’s articles.

Courtney Varrichio | Contributor

First season with CGN: 2027

Courtney is a former gymnast, originally from Texas, who fell in love with the sport at 5 years old and competed until she graduated from high school. She has been following college gymnastics for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Management and a minor in Marketing, and is currently attending the University of Arkansas, pursuing an M.S. in Recreation and Sports Management while also being a Graduate Assistant in the athletic department. When she’s not watching gymnastics, you can find her working out, reading, or watching whatever other sports are on TV.

Read Courtney’s articles.

Data Team

If you have a query, question, or story idea for our data team, contact them here.

Claire Harmon | Senior Editor

First season with CGN: 2024

Claire is a data scientist by day and a dancer and gym nerd by night. She received an M.S. in Chemistry from Northwestern University before realizing life in a lab wasn’t for her. Now she works as a data science manager for Spotify (no, she doesn’t create your Wrapped) and loves to analyze data related to her passions. Catch her dancing with DanceworksNYC and watching all the gymnastics meets in her free time.

Read Claire’s articles.

Jenna King | Senior Editor
Twitter | Instagram | Threads | Email

First season with CGN: 2020

Jenna became hooked on gymnastics after watching the 1996 Olympics. She is a graduate of Florida State with a B.S. in meteorology and currently works in web development. She spends her free time doing coding projects and making lots and lots of spreadsheets.

Read Jenna’s articles.

Brynn Robbins | Recruiting Editor

First season with CGN: 2025

Brynn recently earned her B.S. in Information Systems and is now pursing an M.S. in Business Analytics, both at the University of Florida. She did gymnastics throughout her childhood and has found the sport to be much more enjoyable to watch than to actually do. Outside of gymnastics, she spends most of her free time reading or indulging in reality TV.

Read Brynn’s articles.

Dara Tan | Editor

First season with CGN: 2023

Dara became a gym nerd after watching the Rio Olympics and fell in love with college gymnastics the following year. She graduated from UCLA, where she pursued a major in statistics and a minor in digital humanities. A data enthusiast, she enjoys building datasets and telling stories through visualizations.

Read Dara’s articles.

Emma Hammerstrom | Editor
Twitter

First season with CGN: 2023

Emma is a biology major at the University of Minnesota. She fell in love with gymnastics after watching Laurie Hernandez’s floor at the 2016 Olympic Trials, and she has enjoyed a good NCAA floor 10 ever since. She is fond of her black cat, the Minnesota Twins, playing the flute, her research in biology education, and the Dos Santos I.

Read Emma’s articles.

Jill Walsh | Editor

First season with CGN: 2024

Jill is a city planner and data analyst based in NYC. She has a B.A. in International Political Economy from Fordham University and a master’s in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. When the run-up to Tokyo paused in 2020, she filled the void with old college meets on Youtube and has been hooked ever since.

Read Jill’s articles.

Mariah Dawson | Editor

First season with CGN: 2023

Mariah briefly dabbled in recreational gymnastics growing up. After struggling to do pullovers on bars, she found that she was much better suited for the life of a gym nerd. She has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in molecular pathology, both from Texas Tech University, and currently works as a medical lab scientist in her hometown of Dallas, Texas. When she’s not obsessing over gymnastics, Mariah can be found rooting for the Dallas Cowboys or the Texas Tech Red Raiders and listening to country music.

Read Mariah’s articles.

Shina Hall | Web Developer

First season with CGN: 2026

Shina is a Colorado native, former gymnast, and former gymnastics parent who’s been hooked on the sport since she could walk across a balance beam. She’s a proud graduate of the University of Colorado with a B.A. in Marketing and currently works in website optimization. Shina brings both sideline experience and deep fandom to CGN. When she’s not rewatching iconic routines or building fantasy teams, she’s probably judging leotard colors—or judging websites.

Copy Editors

Lilly Chan

First season with CGN: 2026

Lilly is a senior at Bryn Mawr College studying Linguistics. She has been doing gymnastics for over 10 years and currently competes on her college’s club team. She is especially passionate about bars and beam, and her favorite skills are back giants and candle mounts. Aside from being a gymnast, she is a pasta lover, trivia enthusiast, and backyard beekeeper.

Rebekah Frank

First season with CGN: 2024

Rebekah has been passionate about gymnastics since she started doing it (poorly) as a young child. She fell in love with elite gymnastics thanks in large part to Vanessa Atler’s stunning performances. She began watching NCAA gymnastics in the 2013 season when Bridget Sloan started competing for the Gators. Rebekah has a B.A. from Trinity College and an M.A. from The New School, both in International Affairs. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her two cats, one dog, and 35 plants.

Tori Meador

First season with CGN: 2024

Tori started following gymnastics after the Rio Olympics and never looked back. She has a B.A. in English from Missouri and an M.A. in English from the University of New Orleans and works in the marketing and communications field in Nashville. When she’s not arguing about the Oxford comma, she enjoys reading, language learning, and a good fantasy gymnastics spreadsheet.

Creative Team

Hope Barkley | Designer

First season with CGN: 2023

Hope is a former gymnast who lives in New York City. She received a B.A. in Digital Media Studies from the University of Rochester and now works as a Product Designer. When she isn’t bullying friends into participating in her fantasy gymnastics league, she is likely listening to Taylor Swift.

Austin Tanner | Photographer
Instagram

First season with CGN: 2022

Austin Tanner is a sports photographer based in the Northwoods. Austin studied multiple IT fields while in college. When he is not taking photos, he enjoys spending time with his dog and cat, his family, and the great outdoors of his hometown.

Hope Maier | Photographer
Instagram

First season with CGN: 2024

A gymnast from kindergarten to her senior year in college (and known to still throw the occasional handstand), Hope is a mom of two and freelance sports photographer based out of Clemson, South Carolina. Through her photography, she amplifies the achievements of women in sports with a special bias toward women’s gymnastics and CrossFit competitions. When she’s not on the competition floor with her camera, she’s working out or on the couch editing with her Goldendoodle, Barker, at her feet.

Kelcey Chan | Photographer

Kelcey is a sports photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He studied computer science in college, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He has been following gymnastics since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Outside of photography, he enjoys 3D modeling, discovering new food spots, and hanging out with his cats.

Ron Swarts | Photographer

First season with CGN: 2026

Raised in a Cincinnati suburb during the Big Red Machine era, Ron grew up playing a variety of sports before attending Wright State University, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. A lifelong sports fan, he found his way to gymnastics through his kids’ early involvement in the sport. A longtime photographer with a passion for capturing athletics, he now focuses on sports photography in retirement. When he’s not behind the camera, he can be found in the shop, riding his bike, hiking, or playing hockey.

Sarah Catania | Photographer

First season with CGN: 2025

Sarah is a sports and dance photographer based in Los Angeles. After a career as a
dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, she moved west and started a family. Her interest in
gymnastics started when her daughter joined a competitive team, and now she loves it just as
much as dance! She also loves to photograph high school sports, hang out with her dogs,
and read.

Tara Graeve | Photographer
Twitter | Instagram | Threads | Email

First season with CGN: 2018

Tara is a former gymnast turned cheerleader and gym nerd hailing from Colorado. She loves all things gymnastics, and you can often find her doing handstands and leaps around the house. She is a graduate of the University of Denver with a BSBA in business information & analytics and marketing, and is now working as a technology consultant.

Feature Writers

Rhiannon Franck
Email

First season with CGN: 2023

Rhiannon is a former nationally rated NAWGJ women’s gymnastics judge with over 15 years of USAG judging experience and nine seasons judging NCAA gymnastics.

Read Rhiannon’s articles.

Katherine Weaver
Twitter | Email

First season with CGN: 2019

Katherine became interested in gymnastics after the 2016 Olympics and has been hooked ever since. Though not a gymnast herself, she loves working out and running, and she’s also an avid reader and writer.

Read Katherine’s articles.

Other Contributors

Jackie Craig | Administrative Assistant
Twitter | Instagram

First season with CGN: 2024

Jackie is a gymnastics fan who fell in love with the sport watching the ’92 Olympics. She began following college gymnastics in 2016 and quickly became obsessed. She has a B.A. in Labor Studies and History and a Master’s in Labor & Employment Relations, both from Rutgers University. She currently works in human resources. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, two dogs, and two cats. Outside of gymnastics, she loves coffee, walking her dogs, and getting lost in a good book.

Mary Emma Brambila
Twitter | Instagram

First season with CGN: 2020

Mary Emma first became interested in gymnastics after watching the 2004 Olympics, but it wasn’t until 2016 that she started following NCAA gymnastics and never looked back. She lives in the greater Pittsburgh area and was formerly the SID for the EAGL.

Read Mary Emma’s articles.

Tavia Smith
Twitter | Instagram | Email

First season with CGN: 2022

Tavia is a former college gymnast for Centenary College of Louisiana. She recently earned her doctorate of physical therapy degree from Texas Woman’s University-Dallas and is a practicing orthopedic physical therapist in the DFW area. She is a Texan born and raised, but she believes that “home” is wherever she’s with her best friends and family. In between patients and watching the latest gymnastics competition, Tavia can be found catching up on the latest TV dramas, reading a book poolside, or cuddling with her dog, Parker. She loves traveling, both cross country and internationally, and her favorite destination so far is Naxos, Greece.

Read Tavia’s articles.