CollegeGymFans.com Top 10 Women's Recruiting Classes for

2007-2008

As we embark into the new season, we're taking our fourth annual look at the recruiting classes for each school.  This season, we are publishing the list a little later than normal, in order to consider some of the incoming frosh who are expected to join their teams in January.  As in the past, in this analysis, we have made a conscious decision to exclude transfers, redshirts, and unexpected injuries that may have occurred during the preseason.  We did consider, however, whether athletes left or joined the program in the preseason.  The addition of several new athletes in January and the loss of certain incoming frosh has impacted our overall rankings.  The rankings are necessarily based on past performance, which is, as they say in the financial world, no guarantee of future success.  For instance, last season, we dubbed Utah the top incoming class based on its size and potential.  However, the class lost an athlete by end of the preseason and several others saw little or not action during the season.  

As with the past two rankings, we re-evaluated the methods used to develop the rankings.  For the first time, we've started the process by putting all the incoming athletes in rank order.  This was a rather subjective process, but it was based on past performance in major meets, skill level, video analysis, and what was known about the athlete's health or injury status.  Points were assigned to each athlete and the totals compiled after truncating the list to the top 60 athletes.  This gave us a baseline ranking.  However, as in gymnastics, the numbers do not tell the full story.  As we anticipated, this method proved to be biased towards large recruiting classes.  Therefore the point totals assigned to each team were weighted by the average score of the athletes, to provide balance in the rankings.  Thus, a smaller class of two scholarship athletes would not automatically fall behind a class of five.  This approach produced some interesting, but inconclusive, results. So we took one more step and assigned star ratings clusters of athletes so that the distribution of the athletes became more apparent.

In comparing athletes, we considered health, injury history, and the athlete's status during the season before she entered college.  History has shown time and again than a top L10 or "elite drop-down" can have as much impact in the NCAA as an elite National Team member.  It has also been demonstrated that many elites who take time off during their senior years or are recovering from repetitive use injuries have a harder time making the adjustment to college. Trend is also important, for both elites and L10s.  A fast rising L10, making rapid progress throughout her junior and senior year, shows an intangible attribute that bear some consideration.  Therefore, US and international elites were not always favored over top L10s in this analysis.

In the process of developing the rankings, a top cluster of six teams emerged.  In additional, several teams challenged for the remaining four spots in our rankings, but fell just outside this year's ranking.  Therefore, without any further excuse-making, here is our 2008 assessment of Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Recruiting Classes.    
 

1.  Utah:  When starting the process for determining this year's ranking, we were not expecting the Utes to be on top again.  In fact, we were wary of our experience from last season, and wanted to apply any lessons learned to the new ranking.  However, the late addition of Canadian Olympian Gael Mackie has once again propelled the Utes to the top of the 2008 rankings.  The combination of Mackie, former USA National Team member Jacquelyn Johnson and top L10 and former junior international elite Kyndal Robarts simply outmatched the other classes.

Mackie missed out on this year's World Championships with a stress fracture, which was factored into the rankings.  She was 5th at the Canadian Championships after placing 2nd last season.  Although she has had some history of injuries, this Canadian is well known for her outstanding form and a skill level that should translate well to the NCAA.  

Johnson is a former senior international elite who dropped backed down to L10 for her senior season.  Although plagued by some ankle problems this fall, at her peak this CGA trained athlete was an alternate to the US World Championship Team in 2006.  A two-time USA National Team member, she placed 14th AA at the 2007 L10 Nationals.     

Robarts is a former junior international elite who trained at USA Aerial Athletics.  One of the top L10 competitors of the last few years, she competes top skills in every event, including a double arabian and a triple full on FX.  She tied for 1st place at the 2007 L10 Nationals on FX, and also tied for 2nd on VT (Omelianchik).  She was fifth AA this past season, after finishing 2nd AA (1st on FX, 3rd(t) on BB) in 2006 and 2nd(t) in 2005.    

2.  Michigan:  Michigan lands in the second spot on the strength of three solid recruits whose names may be unfamiliar outside of the Junior Olympic circuit.  This might surprise some people, but the skill level of these three L10s pushes the entire class ahead of the pack.  Headlining the class is Trish Wilson, a two-time L10 National Champion (2003, 2004) who qualified to the US Classic as a senior in 2005.  She's captured a total of seven L10 National titles in her career.  This past season, she placed 1st on the UB, 1st(t) on the FX, 2nd on the BB and 2nd (t) on the VT at the L10 Nationals en route to a close 2nd place AA finish.  She hails from Arena Gymnastics.

Two powerful athletes complement the Michigan class:  Kylee Botterman and Kari Pearce.  Botterman is a L10 from the United Gymnastics Club.  She tied for 6th AA at the 2007 L10 Nationals, with a 2nd place tie on FX, where she opens with a full in, and a 4th(t) on VT.  She was also 8th AA in 2006, including a 2nd place finish on VT.  She also won the National L10 title on vault in 2004.  Kari Pearce is another top L10 from the Twistars USA.  She's a two-time L10 National Vault champion and two-time JO National Team member.  At the 2007 L10 Nationals, she was 2nd AA, 1st(t) on VT, 9th on UB and 10th(t) on BB.  She was also 4th AA and 3rd(t) on VT in 2006.  

3. UCLA:  UCLA's large and potential high impact class lands a close 3rd in our ranking.  The class includes Marci Bernholtz, Shavahn Church, Talia Kuchynski, Mizuki Sato, Allison Taylor, and Niki Tom.  Bernholtz is a Canadian National Team member and a two-time member of their World Championship squad.  The 2007 Canadian Champion on the UB, she placed 3rd AA at the 2007 Canadian Nationals.  Although hampered in the past by some injuries, she appears to have come back strong in 2007.  Two more elites highlight the UCLA class, Church and Taylor.  Church is joining the squad early but has experienced numerous knee problems and may not compete this season.  This has been factored into the rankings.  Otherwise, the graceful Church is a top UB worker who placed 20th AA in the 2005 World Championships while competing for Great Britain.  She was also fifth AA and 2nd on UB at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.  

Like Church, Taylor has been hampered by a series of injuries and may be restricted on some events this season.  The former junior international elite trained at the famed WOGA club in Texas, but suffered from a vertebrae fracture in 2006 and a foot fracture in 2007.  A trio of L10s completes the class.  Sato is a in-state L10 from Technique.  She placed 3rd AA, 5th on FX and 6th on BB at the 2007 L10 Nationals.  Known for her clean execution, she also placed 7th AA and 4th on FX at the 2006 L10 Nationals.  Tom, another in-state L10 from JAG, placed a career-best 5th AA and 4th on UB at the 2007 L10 Nationals.  Finally, Kuchynski, a four-time L10 Regional qualifier, comes to the Bruin's from Waller's GymJam.         

4. LSU:  LSU edges just ahead of its SEC rivals, based on the strength and size of its five member recruiting class:  Paige Cipolloni, Samantha Engle, Kristin Fiorello, Nicole Lyons, and Staci Schwitkis.  Engle headlines the class, and was the L10 National Champ in the AA and on BB in 2005.  After sitting out 2006 with a wrist injury, the L10 from Metroplex came back to place 1st on the FX (arabian double) and 4th (t) on the BB at the 2007 L10 Nationals.  Lyons is a L10 and former elite qualifier (2005 US Classic, senior international elite) who trained at Northeast.  She placed 13th AA in 2007 and tied for 10th AA in 2006.  She also tied for 5th on VT and placed 6th on UB in 2006.  Like Engle, she tumbles an arabian double front on FX and has solid skills on all four events.  

Schwitkis is a L10 who hails from SCEGA in California.  She tied for 6th AA and placed 6th on UB at the 2007 L10 Nationals.  In 2006, she was 2nd on UB, 5th(t) on VT and 16th(t) in the AA.  Another powerful athlete with big skills, she was also 2nd AA, 1st(t) UB, 3rd(t) on VT and 6th(t) on FX at the 2005 L10 Nationals.  Another L10 with a history in the pre-elite program, former Parkette Cipolloni placed 13th AA and 9th(t) on BB at the 2006 L10 Nationals.  Finally, Fiorello is a L10 Regional qualifier from Northshore in Louisiana.     

5 (tie). Alabama and Georgia:  Either of these teams could challenge to be listed among the top four classes, and its only fitting to keep them tied for 5th, after careful consideration.  Each team boasts a top recruit who could be claimed among the top recruits in the nation.  For Bama, Kayla Hoffman is senior international elite and former National Team member who placed 11th AA at the 2006 VISA (US) Championships.  She also finished 8th AA in 2005.  With great skills on every event, she'll be a major determining factor in Bama's drive to return to the Super Six this season.  Bama also signed Jennifer Iovino, a L10 and former elite from Hill's.  She competed as a junior international at the US Championships in 2003 and 2004.  In 2006, she placed 3rd AA and 1st on FX and 5th on BB at the 2006 L10 Nationals.  Unfortunately for the Tide, Iovino reportedly may be unable to compete this season due to illness.  Bama also adds Megan Mashburn, a L10 from Hayden's in South Carolina.  She placed 47th AA at the 2007 L10 Nationals and was 33rd AA and 7th(t) on VT in 2006.   

Georgia's class is lead by Hilary Mauro, a senior international elite and National Team member from the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy.  Mauro was also an alternate to the 2006 World Championships team after a strong showing at the VISA (US) Championships.  She skipped the Championships this past summer to report to school, after a good series of performances internationally this past year.  The Gymdogs also add a strong Level 10, Cassidy McComb from the Gymcats in Nevada.  A former US Classic qualifier in the senior international division, McComb tied for 12th AA and 4th on VT while placing 8th on BB at the 2007 L10 Nationals.  She also tied for 5th AA, 5th on VT, 7th on BB and FX, and 9th on UB at the 2006 L10 Nationals.  She was also 7th in 2005.      

7.  Nebraska:  Nebraska welcomes Erin Davis, Britnee Habbib, and Stephanie Seich this season.  A potentially strong trio, this class could have ranked even higher in the overall rankings if not for the injury history and recent competitive history of the class.  Habbib is a five-time member of the Canadian National Team, and a member of the 2006 Canadian World Championships squad.  She tied for 5th AA at the 2006 Canadian Championships despite competing through an injury and most recently placed 13th AA in the preliminaries of the 2007 Canadian Championships.

Seich is a former international elite from Rebound in New Jersey.  She last qualified to the US Classic in 2005, in the senior international division, but did not compete due to injury.  In 2004, she placed 18th AA at the VISA (US) Championships, in the junior international division.  Davis is a L10 from Capital known for her strength on vault and floor.  She placed 10th AA, with a 1st on VT and 2nd on FX at the 2007 Region III L10 Regionals.  At the 2006 L10 Nationals, she was a standout on three events, placing 2nd(t) on FX, 3rd(t) on VT and 6th on BB.

8.  Florida:  Florida originally signed three athletes heading into the fall, but as of this writing, two appear on the roster:  Lynn Denblyden and Alicia Goodwin.  Denblyden (who also competed under the name Silcock) is a former member of the Australian National Team who placed 12th AA at the 2007 Australian Championships.  The vault champion at the 2005 Australian Championships, she missed most of the 2006 season with an injury.  Goodwin is a L10 who trained at Texas Dreams.  She tied for 34th AA and 10th on FX at the 2006 L10 Nationals.  A gymnast known for her good lines, she excels on the UB and BB.  She was also the AA National Champ as a L9 at the Western Nationals in 2003.    

9.  Boise State:  Boise State is a newcomer to our rankings, on the strength of a large recruiting class that ranks among their best ever, and is among the largest (11) in the country.  It includes signees Mallory Dziawura, Amy Glass, Kelsey Lang, and Hannah Redmon.  Redmon is a L10 from Co-Head Coach Neil Resnick's former Flips USA club in Reno.  Redmon placed 17th AA, 3rd(t) on UB and 9th(t) on FX (full-in mount) at the 2007 L10 Nationals.  In 2005, she was 6th AA, 2nd(t) on UB, and 5th on FX at the L10 Nationals.  Joining Redmon is Glass, a L10 from International in California.  She tied for the FX title at the 2007 L10 Nationals, while placing 9th AA and 4th(t) on VT.  She also placed 19th AA and 7th(t) on FX at the 2006 L10 Nationals.

Dziawura is a L10 from the Arizona Sunrays.  In 2006, she placed 27th AA and 5th on UB at the L10 Nationals.  She also qualified to the L10 Nationals in 2005.  Lang is a Canadian National Open athlete who trains at the Calgary Gymnastics Centre.  She placed 8th AA and tied for 3rd on VT at the 2007 Canadian Championships, Senior 16+ National Open division.  She also placed 11th AA and 4th on BB at the 2006 Championships.

Boise State also welcomes Chelsee Apple, Amanda Burnett, Heather Hitch, Morgan LaRoque, Sarah Smith, Cassie Tycast, and Kayla Waldram.  Both LaRoque and Tycast qualified to the L10 Nationals in 2005.    

10.  Oregon State:  It's always difficult to assess classes with only a single signee relative to the larger classes.  Oregon State landed two-time L10 National AA champ Jennifer Kesler.  Few recruits have a more impressive resume of accomplishments. Known for her consistency and ability to hit at the big meets, Kesler has won (or tied for) the vault title at Nationals the past two seasons with her strong Yurchenko layout full.  The AA champ in 2006 and 2007, she also added an UB title this past season.  She was also 3rd AA in 2005 and 4th(t) in 2004, making her a four-time JO National Team member.  Oregon State also welcomes L10 Jereme Bigelow, who is working her way back from injury.  In 2006 she tied for 39th AA at the L10 Nationals, after a 26th place tie in 2005.  In-state product Becky Colvin, a L10 from Eugene's NAAG also joins the squad.  She was 38th AA at the 2007 L10 Nationals and 34th(t) at the 2005 L10 Nationals.