Friday, 24 October 2025 09:10

World Championships: Event Finals, Day 1

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Arkansas' Joscelyn Roberson won the bronze medal on VT, behind Angelina Melinikova (gold) and Canada's Lia Monica Fontaine.  Floida's Skye Blakely finished 3rd on UB, and event won by Algeria's Kaylia Nemour with a huge 15.566.     

On the Men's side, Donnell Whittenburg became the first American man to win the gold on rings.  Air Force grad Patrick Hoopes placed third on PH, just a heartbreaking 0.004 out of the gold medal position taken by China's Yanming Hong, in a tiebreaker.  Cal's Aidan Li, representing Canada, placed 8th.  Ohio State grad Kameron Nelson placed 4th on FX.  Jake Jarman of the UK won the Gold.       

Men's Results:  FX  
Women's Results:  VT UB  

Sunday, 19 October 2025 12:08

Men's: R. Mandava to Navy

Rahul Mandava, who trains at Cypress, has committed to Navy, starting in 2026-2027.  This past season, he placed 5th on R and 7th on PH at the 2025 XFinity US Championships (Jr. 17).  He was also 4th on PB, 5th on PH and 6th AA at the 2024 XFinity US Championships (Jr 16).  

Link:  Insta

Wednesday, 01 October 2025 17:51

2027-2028: Occhipinti to Georgia

Adelia Occhipinti, a L10 at the Mastery of Sport, has committed to a full athletic scholarship at Georgia, starting in 2027-2028.  She also visited Mizzou.  This past season, she tied for 8th in the AA and AA plus 9th on VT at the 2025 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals.  She also tied for 7th on VT and placed 33rd AA at the 2024 WDP L10 Nationals.    

Link:  Insta

Wednesday, 01 October 2025 17:23

2027-2028: Tart to SUU

Chloe Tart, a L10 from, has committed to a full-ride scholarship offer at SUU, starting in 2027-2028.  She had also taken a visit to UNH.  This past season, she placed 9th AA at the Region 8 L10 Regionals.  She was also 16th AA at the Region 8 Regionals in 2024.  

Link:  Insta

Saturday, 27 September 2025 12:10

2026-2027: E. Johnson to SEMO

Emily Grace Johnson, a L10 from Champion, has committed to a full-ride scholarship at SEMO, starting in 2026-2027.  This past season, she placed 4th on FX and 10th AA at the Region 5 Level 10 Regionals.  She also qualified as an individual event specialist on VT to the 2024 Women's Development Program L10 Nationals, after placing 2nd on VT at Regionals.  

Link:  Insta

Sunday, 21 September 2025 19:01

2027-2028: Stellato to Rutgers

Sophia Stellato, a L10 from Yellow Jackets, has committed to a full scholarship offer at Rutgers, starting in 2027-2028.  Stellato returned to competition this season, after placing 42nd AA at the 2023 Women's Development Program L10 Nationals.  

Link:  Insta

Saturday, 20 September 2025 14:05

2026-2028: Eichorn to Penn

Jordan Eichorn, a L10 from Cascade Elite, has committed to continue her academic and athletic career at Penn, starting in 2026-2027.  She's a two-time Women's Development Program (WDP) Level 10 National Qualifier who placed 26th AA at the 2024 WDP L10 Nationals.  (Year has been corrected)

Link:  Insta

Friday, 19 September 2025 19:57

2027-2028: Parma to Michigan

Olivia Parma, L10 from Stars (TX), has committed to a full athletic scholarship at Michigan, starting in 2027-2028.  In 2024, she tied for 6th on FX and 7th on VT while placing 17th AA at the 2024 Women's Development Program L10 Nationals.  She missed the post season in 2025 due to some hairline leg fractures suffered just before her State meet, but is back to full training.

Link:  Insta

Friday, 19 September 2025 19:49

2026-2027: Cassese to Iowa

Sophia Cassese, a L10 from Arena (NJ), has committed to continue her academic and athletic career at Iowa, starting in 2026-2027.   This past season, she placed 5th on VT, 6th on FX and 14th AA at the Region 7 L10 Regionals.  She was also 4th on VT and 14th AA at the 2024 Region 7 L10 Regionals.    

Link:  Insta 

Wednesday, 17 September 2025 17:00

2027-2028: Oliver to LSU

Jada Oliver, a L10 at Brandy Johnson's Global Gymnastics, has committed to a full scholarship offer at LSU, starting in 2027-2028.  This past season, she won the AA title in the Jr. E division at the 2025 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals.  She also won VT, tied for 2nd on UB and tied for 6th on FX.  She was also the AA runnerup in the Junior C division at the 2024 WDP L10 Nationals, where she also won the FX title and placed erd(t) on BB, 4th on VT and 9th on UB.  

Link:  Insta

Saturday, 13 September 2025 10:00

2027-2028: C. Shepard to Arkansas

Camryn Shepard, a L10 at Prime (TX) (and formerly at Mavericks),  has committed to a full ride scholarship offer at Arkansas, starting in 2027-2028.  Last season, she placed 3rd on VT and 31st AA at the Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals.  She also tied for 2nd on VT and placed 18th AA at the 2024 WDP L10 Nationals.  

Link:  Insta

Friday, 12 September 2025 16:21

2026-2027: Tobias to Kent State

Libby Tobias, a L10 from Aspire, has committed to a full athletic scholarship at Kent State, starting in 2026-2027.  This past season she placed 18th AA at the 2025 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals.  She also placed 25th AA at the 2024 WDP L10 Nationals.  

Link:  Insta

Thursday, 11 September 2025 19:08

In Memoriam: Mari-Rae Sopper 9/11/2001

On September 11th, 2001, Mari-Rae Sopper was on her way to California, ready to start her job as Head Coach of the women's team at UC Santa Barbara.  Sopper, a former standout at Iowa State, was known as "ISUFan" on the fromer College Gymnastics Board.  She had given up her job as a Navy JAG Corp lawyer to pursue her dream, and to help save the cancelled program at UCSB.  She lost her life during the events of that fateful day, as the plane she was on was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon.  We pause to remember her spirit and dedication to the sport, and her inspiring effort to pursue her dreams, as well as the others who lost their lives that fateful day.

Wednesday, 10 September 2025 17:02

NCAA Rules Modifications (W) for 2025-2026

The NCAA has released the 2025-2026 Rules Modifications for NCAA women's gymnastics, and the resulting changes are perhaps the most inconsequential in the decades.  As the result, absent something like the SCORE board initiative, scoring records could be in danger again this season.  


Sometimes, there are changes to the underlying code from the Women's Development Program Code of Points.  However, this season, those changes are minor as well, as this is the last year of the four year cycle of changes to the Code.  There are some clarifications and changes on the NCAA side, but they are mostly new procedures and clarifications, with no changes on the events.

The most major change is the fact that a Panel Judge can call for a judging conference when an "impossible" score is identified.  This is due an obvious flat execution deduction that was not applied (like a fall or grab of the apparatus or extra swing) or a composition deduction was not applied, and yet the counting scores are within range and/or the Start Values are the same.  

There were no notable changes on vault.

On UB, they clarified situations in which a combination leading to a fall is repeated.  

On BB, a clarification was added to show movement/choreography in all directions, and that movements at any level (low, semi-low, standing). 

On FX, the definition of a salto was clarified to include elements that take off from two feet and land on one or both feet, or lower in control to the knee.  Aerials nor saltos that land in a sitting, prone is sit-split qualify as an Acro pass.  As per the prior regulation, at least one salto must be a C value salto.  The NCAA also further clarified that the routine must include two acro passes performed on two different diagonals.        

The document also provides changes on injury assessments, video reviews and various aspects of meet operations, including the rotation and placement of judges. 

On the underlying Women's Development Program (WDP) Optional Code of Points, the changes are also minor and are moving closer to the NCAA guidance.   Here are some of the changes for this season:  

  • Several skill values have been raised to align with the NCAA values.  
  • The deduction for small or medium steps on landing are 0.1 or 0.15.  
  • The hips must below knee level to get up to a 0.3 deduction on landing (level with knees has been stricken out).
  • The deduction for failure to dismount of 0.3 has been deleted.
  • On Vault, deductions of up to 0.3 can be taken when a lateral axis turn is taken too early.  
  • Certain leaps and jumps will no longer be downgraded for severe undersplit (e.g., 134 degrees or less) but execution will be taken.  Similarly, wolf and tuck jumps will be awarded value part credit if the position is greater than 130 degrees at the hips and 90 degrees at the knee.     

Clarifications are in bold font, changes are highlighted in blue.

Link:  2025-2026 Women's NCAA Rules Modifications (PDF)

Link:  2022-2026 Women's WDP Optional Code of Points Update (PDF)

 

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