This year's recruiting class is the first to enter college following the imposition of new recruiting rules. Prior to this class, gymnasts could commit at an incredibly early age, as early as 13. In this class, the gymnasts were not supposed to have received offers until the summer preceding their junior year. This rule partially levels the playing field and also means that we are not seeing as many recruits getting offers rescinded (a problem in the past). The aftereffects of the extra COVID years are still impacting the size of the classes and the opening of the transfer market means that some programs may be holding back offers to lower priority recruits in lieu of landing a transfer or fifth year athlete. And we may be seeing the new opportunities with Name Image and Likeness (NIL) and newly approved "academic bonuses" starting to influence recruiting choices, including walkons. Let's see how all the top teams stack up in the 2023-2024 edition of our annual look at the Top 10 Recruiting Classes.
This season we helped narrow the candidate teams for our rankings using our CollegeGymFans.com Class of 2023 ratings for each gymnast, which are based on a set of measures selected to maximize objectivity. However, these ratings don't fully capture how classes can blend together strengths and weaknesses to create a class whose full impact might otherwise be overlooked. They also can't fully assess an athlete's potential after editing and modifying existing sets to maximize scoring potential and consistency at the NCAA level. Ultimately, we are looking for classes that have gymnasts that can make a big impact on their teams and become the future superstars in their conference and at the NCAA level. This means a single superstar with a clear path to 9.95+ potential across four events could have more impact than two or three other gymnasts that help a team's depth, but in the end don't help lift the team score into the magic 198 territory.
If you are interested in how we have developed our rankings, it is explained in detail in the section following the rankings. It has been updated to explain the overall criteria versus other alternatives we have considered.
This Year's Rankings
So, how did the teams stack up? Here's the CollegeGymFans.com Top Recruiting Classes for 2023-2024 (be sure to click on the highlighted links to see video clips, where available):
#1. Florida
Alyssa Arana, Leyva, former jr. elite/L10
Kaylee Bluffstone, LaFleur's, L10
Gabby Disidore, GAGE, sr. elite
Skylar Draser, Infiniti Elite, former sr. elite/L10
Danie Ferris, Florida Elite, L10
Anya Pilgrim, Hill's L10/elite for Barbados
Gauging large classes versus small classes and factoring in potential future impact does bring a level of subjectivity to the rankings. While our Top Three teams stood out from the rest, in the end Florida edged Bama and UGA for the top spot. This was primarily due to the depth of the class: while the top gymnasts in this class measured up well with the other contenders, it was the strength of the other members of the class that made the Gators stand out. The class features six talented frosh, all with a chance to make the final Florida lineups this year.
Arana, who trained junior elite at Leyva, placed 3rd on BB and tied for 26th AA at the 2022 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She also won the Individual Event Specialist titles on UB and BB at the 2023 Nationals, showing beautiful form and execution that should translate well to the NCAA.
Bluffstone had a strong club season in 2023, placing 3rd on VT (Yurchenko 1 1/2), 4th on FX (full-in mount), 7th(t) BB and 9th AA at the WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 4th on VT and FX while placing 12th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She's a high energy dancer with super clean and high tumbling and could really draw in top marks for the Gators.
Disidore trained as an elite at GAGE and won the Vegas Cup elite qualifier in 2023. She was also 2nd AA and 5th AA at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals. She is working her way back from the injury and has been training mainly on UB this fall, with a Ray to Pak combo and a double layout dismount. She will only get stronger as she returns back to form and adds the other events.
Draser is a former senior elite who dropped down to L10 in 2023. She placed 3rd on UB and tied for 15th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She vaults a Yurchenko 1 1/2 and can tumble a double layout on FX (but has switched to a front to double pike mount). She's also a strong gymnast across all four events, showing strong sets at the recent public Gator intrasquad.
Ferris is a two-time L10 National Champ on VT (2021, 2022), winning in 2022 with a 10.0 on her Yurchenko 1 1/2. She also won the UB, tied for 1st on FX (full-in) and placed 4th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She was also 4th AA at the 2021 Nationals but did not compete in 2023 (she has been training well this fall). She has been a major force in the Level 10 ranks and has all the makings of a future impact gymnast in the NCAA.
Pilgrim has been competing as an elite this summer for Barbados at the World Championships and the Pan American Games. As a L10 at Hill's this season, she placed 2nd AA, 4th on VT, 4th on UB and tied for 7th on BB at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for the VT title, placed 2nd on FX and tied for 3rd on BB on her way to a 7th place AA finish at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. With another Yurchenko 1 1/2 and great execution, extension and flexibility, she's another potential impact AAer as a frosh.
#2. Alabama
Chloe LaCoursiere, Coastal, L10
Gabriella Ladanyi, WCC, L10
Jamison Sears, World Class, former senior elite/L10
Alabama’s class this season only features three athletes, but they stand out for their achievement and high level of gymnastics. They all have the execution, form, amplitude and big skills to really earn scores of 9.9+ during their careers. It is always challenging to compare large classes versus smaller classes. Sheer numbers can influence the ranking of a class, even if some of the gymnasts will eventually become specialists. But in this case, this trio is so strong and could have such a high potential impact that they slot right in the number two position in this ranking.
LaCoursiere tied for the UB title and placed 2nd on FX and 2nd AA at the 2023 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She also won the VT, UB and AA titles at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. A three-time L10 National champ on UB, she sports a world-class elite skill set and exceptional swing, extension and execution. She has already posted five 10.0s during her club career. She is also deceptively powerful, with a huge and well controlled Yurchenko 1 1/2 and an amazing array of skills on FX in her arsenal.
Sears is a former senior elite who won the AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals with a huge 39.275. She also won the VT (Yurchenko 1 1/2), FX (double layout) and tied for the UB title (Chow to Pak) while placing 3rd on BB. In 2022, she won L10 National titles on BB, FX and tied for 6th on VT and 10th AA. She also won the 2022 Nastia Liukin Cup. A former senior elite (she was 12th AA at the 2021 GK Classic), she performs with exceptional amplitude and has strong execution.
Ladanyi tied for 7th on BB and placed 10th on UB to drive her to a 15th(t) AA finish at the 2023 WDP Nationals. She also tied for the UB title and 4th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. Her gymnastics features clean execution and form, with balance across all four events and an AA high of 38.925.
#3. Georgia
Jaydah Battle, World Class, L10
Kelsey Lee, Lakewood Ranch, L10
Zora Morgan, Orlando Metro, L10
Heather Parker, ETC, L10
Lily Smith, Silvia's, L10
Holly Snyder, Docksider's, L10
Anya Turner, CGI, L10
Ady Wahl, Zanesville, L10
Georgia welcomes a huge class of newcomers that will be asked upon to make a big impact in 2024. It includes 8 frosh, more than any other squad in the Top Ten, which makes it difficult to compare across the top three.
Snyder is a L10 from Docksider's who placed 2nd AA at UGA's First Look meet in early December. She placed 4th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals, including 5th on UB and tying for 5th on FX (pike full-in). She also placed 3rd on UB, 5th on FX, 8th on VT (Yurchenko Full) and tied for 5th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She'll be in contention for an AA spot but may need to battle for a spot in the new UGA VT lineup.
Battle is a L10 from World Class. In 2023, she won the L10 National Title on VT (Sr. D, Yurchenko 1 1/2) at the Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She also was runner-up on BB, tied for 7th on FX and placed 5th AA. In 2022, she also was a runner-up on BB, placed 3rd on VT, 5th on FX and 6th AA at the WDP L10 Nationals. She also won the BB title at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals. Like Snyder, she'll battle for an AA spot, once she improves her consistency on UB.
Lily Smith, who originally committed to Bama, is a two-time L10 National Team member from Silvia's. Known for her grace, flexibility and extension, she tied for 2nd on UB, 3rd on FX (front double full) and placed 7th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. In 2022, she won National Titles on UB, FX and the AA at the WDP L10 Nationals. She also placed 4th on BB and tied for 8th on VT (Yurchenko Full).
Parker a L10 from ETC in Tennessee who excels on VT (Yurchenko 1 1/2) and FX (full-in). She tied for 9th on VT and 23rd AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also won VT in her session at the 2022 L10 Nationals, competing as an individual event specialist. In 2021, she tied for 5th on VT and 15th AA at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals.
Wahl, a L10 from Zanesville, brings the third much-needed 10.0 Start Value (SV) vault to the UGA class with a Yurchenko 1 1/2. She was runner-up on VT in the Sr. E division at the WDP L10 Nationals in 2023. She also tied for 8th on UB (Maloney to Pak) and placed 16th AA. She tied for 5th AA in 2022, tying for 2nd on VT and placing 9th on UB and 10th on FX (full-in).
Lee is a three-time L10 Regional qualifier from Lakewood Ranch. She won UB and was runner-up on VT at the 2023 Florida L10 state meet.
Morgan, a L10 from Orlando Metro, had an exceptional year in 2023, winning the National title on BB in the Sr. E division at the WDP L10 Nationals. She also qualified as an event specialist on UB to the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals and won the state title on BB.
Turner placed 3rd on FX (front double full) and tied for 13th AA at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals. She also placed 3rd on FX and 37th AA at the 2019 WDP L10 Nationals. She won the state FX title in 2023 but missed the rest of the season.
#4. LSU
Kylie Coen, Empire, L10
Amari Drayton, WCC, sr. international elite
Konnor McClain, Gymcats, sr. international elite
Leah Miller, Arizona Dynamics, L10
LSU lands in the fourth spot in the ranking, on the strength of top elite recruits and a pair of L10s. They potentially could have risen even higher in our rankings, but our rankings do factor in a history of injuries prior to entry into college.
McClain was the 2022 US National AA and BB Champion who has been through a number of injuries and gym changes in the past few years. In 2021, she also qualified to the 2021 World Championships, where she placed 8th on BB in the preliminaries (but did not advance to the finals due to the two per country rule). Following back surgery and hand surgery she focused on training in 2023 before deciding to head to LSU for 2024. She looks strong across all four events, and could make a huge impact in her frosh campaign. She has a wide array of skills in her arsenal, including two back handsprings to a true back layout on BB, a double twisting Yurchenko and is preparing to compete a clean double layout on FX.
Drayton is a former US National Team member and Olympic Trials qualifier Amari Drayton. She returned to action in 2023, competing in the Winter Cup, finishing 24th AA, and at the City of Lights Invitational. At the 2021 US Championships, she finished 14th AA and then advanced to the Olympic Trials, where she finished 13th. She did not compete in 2022. She too has a variety of big skills and is planning to compete a Yurchenko 1 1/2 on VT and a double layout on FX and has a strong UB routine.
Coen is a top L10 who has unfortunately missed almost all of the last two club seasons due to injury. In 2021, she won the National AA title at the Women's Development Program L10 Nationals. She also won the FX and tied for the UB title, while finishing as the runner-up on BB. She also tied for 2nd on UB, placed 4th on VT and tied for 15th AA at the 2019 WDP L10 Nationals. However, she has returned to training and did BB at the recent LSU Gym 101 Intrasquad.
#5. Utah
Elizabeth Gantner, KPAC, former jr. elite/L10
Olivia Kennedy, Georgia Elite, L10
Camie Winger, Bold, L10
Ella Zirbes, Flips, former jr elite/L10
The Utes slot into #5 in the rankings ahead of some larger classes, based on the strength of CGF 5* rated recruits Camie Winger and Ella Zirbes.
Zirbes leads the frosh, as was touted as a Pac-12 "Newcomer to Watch". In 2023, she won the AA title at the Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She also was runner-up on FX, 4th on BB and tied for 2nd on VT and UB. She missed the post-season in 2022 but came back strongly in 2023. A former junior elite and a two-time L10 National AA champ (2023, 2019), she has the form and execution to make an immediate impact.
Winger is another top L10, a three-time L10 National Team member with some big skills. She was 4th AA, 5th(t) UB, 7th VT (Yurchenko 1 1/2) and 9th(t) on FX at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 4th AA, 2nd on FX, placed 5th on BB and tied for 6th on UB at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She was also 5th AA in 2021, demonstrating a strong history of consistent performance at top level meets at the L10 level, a high indicator for future NCAA success.
Gantner is another former junior elite who placed 2nd AA, 1st on BB and tied for the UB title at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 4th on VT and FX. After missing 2022, she came back on two events during the 2023 L10 season. She qualified to the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals as an event specialist on UB, placing 2nd.
Kennedy is a L10 from Georgia Elite who placed 29th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals but who missed the post-season in 2023.
#6. OU
Aspen Lenczner, Salto, L10
Hannah Scheible, All American Flames, L10
Keira Wells, 316 Gymnastics, L10
It is always challenging to compare small classes versus much larger classes, but we've put Oklahoma, with only three frosh, in 6th in this year's ranking. The class was ranked even higher before Addison Fatta's decision to defer.
Scheible was a standout L10 and one of the top recruits in the nation, winning National Titles last season in the AA, VT and BB. She's a three-time L10 National Champ on BB (2021-2023), a two-time AA Champ (2021, 2023, runner-up in 2022) and a champ on FX (2021). She's got the big skills (full-in on FX, pike front 1/2 on VT, bhs-bhs-layout on BB), execution and consistency to become a future Sooner standout.
Wells placed 6th AA, 5th(t) on BB and 6th on VT at the 2023 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She shines brightest on VT, where she won National titles in 2019, 2021 and 2022 and has posted multiple 10s for her dynamic and clean Yurchenko 1 1/2. A five-time L10 National qualifier, she also tied for 9th on FX and placed 6th AA at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals.
Lenczner, who originally committed to Minnesota, tied 8th BB and placed 10th on FX at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. In 2023, she qualified to the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals as a west All-Star in the All-Around, placing 4th. She's a three-time L10 National qualifier.
#7. Kentucky
Creslyn Brose, Bull City, L10
Cadence Gromley, Virginia International Gymnastics, L10
Kaila Lawrence, Rose's, L10
Sharon Lee, Capital, L10
Cecily Rizo, Texas Dreams, L10
Delaynee Rodriguez, Gymcats, L10
Kentucky welcomes perhaps their strongest incoming classes in years, with six frosh in total. It is a class that has also continued to strengthen over the last year and half.
Brose is coming off a standout L10 club season, having placed 3rd AA, 3rd on FX and having tied for 8th on VT and UB and 10th on BB at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 4th on FX and placed 19th AA at the 2022 WDP Nationals, but really broke through in 2023, hitting 38.825 in the AA at Regionals. Her best event is FX, where she ends with a front double twist, has clean and expressive dance and has scored a 9.975.
Gormley, a L10 from VIGS, placed 3rd on UB and 10th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 5th on UB, 6th on VT and placed 8th AA at the 2022 WDP Nationals. She's known for her expressive dance and choreography on FX.
Rizo, a L10 from Texas Dreams who previously trained elite, placed 4th AA, 2nd(t) on UB and 3rd on VT at the 2023 Region 3 L10 Regionals. However, she did not compete at Nationals due to an injury. She also won the UB title and placed 8th AA at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals. She brings some elite level skills to the mix, including a Yurchenko 1 1/2 and a double layout on FX.
Rodriguez is a three-time L10 National Team member (2021, 2022, 2023) from Gymcats. She won the BB and FX (front double full) and placed 2nd AA at the 2023 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She also placed 8th on UB. In 2022, she placed 3rd on BB, and tied for 4th AA, 5th on VT and 6th on FX at the WDP L10 Nationals. She is consistent, with clean execution across all four events, but stands out on BB (triple flight, kickover pike front).
Lee tied for 8th on UB and placed 12th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She was 5th on VT (Yurchenko Full) and 10th AA at the 2022 Region 3 L10 Regionals.
Lawrence is a two-time L10 Regional qualifier who did not compete the full year in 2023. She was the North Carolina UB state champ in 2022.
#8. Oregon State
Olivia Buckner, Olympus, L10
Taylor DeVries, Legacy Elite, L10
Sophia Esposito, New Image, L10
Mia Heather, San Mateo, L10
Oregon State climbs to #8 in our rankings on the strength of some newcomers with some big skills and clean execution that could help bolster the Beaver lineups immediately.
Esposito has been tagged as a Newcomer to Watch in the Pac 12. A two-time L10 National Team member from New Image, she was the Sr. F AA Champ at the 2023 Women's Development Program L10 Nationals. She also won BB, placed 3rd on VT and 6th on FX. In 2022, she tied for 8th on BB and FX while tying for 11th AA at the WDP L10 Nationals. She was also a L10 National Champ on VT, an event where she has competed a Yurchenko double twist in the past and has posted a 10 on her Yurchenko Full.
Buckner, a L10 from Olympus. She tied for 5th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 3rd on FX and placed 8th on VT (Yurchenko 1 1/2 at Regionals). In 2022, she placed 4th on VT at the WDP L10 Nationals and won Region 1 Regional titles in the AA, VT, UB and FX.
DeVries, is a L10 from Legacy Elite. She tied for 9th on UB and FX (triple full) and 11th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 6th on UB and placed 10th AA at the 2022 L10 Nationals.
Heather is a L10 and former junior elite from San Mateo who has been limited by injuries the past several seasons, including a wrist injury in 2023. She competes with excellent toe point and extension, in particular on BB.
#9. UCLA
Katelyn Rosen, Mavericks, sr. international elite
Paige Anastasi, Brestyan's, L10
Alex Irvine, Byer's, L10
Sydney Barros, Texas Dreams, elite/Puerto Rico
UCLA slots in #9 in our ranking, bolstered by some late additions. Consistent with our prior practice, we are including Barros in this incoming class. She has enrolled in the January quarter but is recovering from a knee injury.
Rosen is a five-time US Championships qualifier and former National Team member. In 2022, she placed 12th AA at the OOFOS US Championships. She also tied for 10th AA at the 2023 Winter Cup. A balanced AAer, she also brings a double layout on FX and another Yurchenko 1 1/2 to the VT lineup.
Barros is a former senior international elite and US junior National Team member. She placed 18th AA at the 2021 US Championships. In 2022, after placing 9th AA at the Winter Cup, she switched to competing for Puerto Rico. Returning to competition in 2023, she won the Puerto Rico National Championships and placed 8th AA at the Pan American Championships.
Anastasi, a L10 from Brestyan's, placed 40th AA at the 2023 Women's Development Program L10 Nationals. She brings a potential Yurchenko 1 1/2 to the mix. She also placed 3rd on FX at the 2022 Region 6 L10 Regionals, advancing to the WDP L10 Nationals as an event specialist on FX. She was 20th AA at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals.
Irvine is an in-state L10 from Byers who qualified to the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals as an event specialist on VT and FX. She brings a piked Luconi (10.0 SV) on VT and a strong sense of musicality on FX.
#10. Cal
Brandi Kikuno, Mission Valley YMCA, L10
Kyen Mayhew, Desert Devils, L10
Annalise Newman-Achee, Arena, L10/elite for Trinidad & Tobago
Cal started the fall training season with two strong frosh, Kyen Mayhew and Annalise Newman-Achee. While the Bears have a small class, they have the ability to make a considerable impact.
Newman-Achee is coming off a strong L10 season, placing 7th AA and tying for 4th on UB and 9th on FX at the 2023 Women's Development Program L10 Nationals. She also placed 12th AA and 4th on UB at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She's a former US junior elite but has switched to competing for Trinidad-Tobago. She represented the country at the 2022 World Championships and 2023 Pan American Championships.
Mayhew, a L10 from Desert Devils, placed 12th AA, 2nd on VT and 2nd(t) on FX at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also placed 2nd on VT and 8th AA at the 2022 WDP Nationals. She brings another strong Yurchenko 1 1/2 to the Bear vault lineup and is also a strong tumbler (front double full to punch pike).
Kikuno, a L10 from the Mission Valley YMCA program, graduate early in time to join Cal for the 2024 season. She qualified to Regionals in her first year as a L10, where she tied for 6th on BB. She is training a Yurchenko 1 1/2.
Other Teams of Note
Two teams fell just outside of our Top Ten, with only very slight differences compared to teams that made the Top Ten. The Top Ten teams shifted a lot over the past 18 months, with major injuries unfortunately coming into play. Even gymnasts of equivalent ratings may vary in strengths and areas of improvement, and these are compared relative to their ability to post top scores at the NCAA level. The two below are listed in no particular order:
Michigan State
Kendal Abney, Michigan Elite, L10
Emma Misenheimer, Bull City, L10
Gabi Ortiz, LaFleur's, L10
Isabel Trostel, Buckeye, L10
MaKayla Tucker, DeVeau's, L10
MSU just misses our Top Ten but still features five excellent recruits, led by Kayla Tucker and late signee Gabi Ortiz.
Tucker, a L10 from DeVeau's, won the VT title (Yurchenko 1 1/2 for a 9.95) and tied for the FX title at the Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals in 2023. She also tied for 5th on UB and placed 10th AA. She also tied for 5th on UB, 6th on VT, 7th on BB and 8th on FX on her way to a 6th place AA finish at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She shows clean work across all four events with career highs of 9.775 or higher on all four events.
Trostel is a L10 from Buckeye. In 2023, she tied for 7th on BB and placed 11th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She was also 2nd on her best event, BB, and placed 14th AA in 2022. She shows excellent form and grace, and has a wide assortment of skills on BB, including a rare Onodi.
Ortiz, who was originally committed to Pitt, had a strong final club season. She won the Region 8 L10 AA title with a 38.85 and then went on to tie for 5th on VT and 14th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also qualified to Nationals in 2022, tying for 4th on VT (Yurchenko 1 1/2). She posted a 10 on VT in 2022 and a 10 on FX in 2023.
Misenheimer trained as a L10 at Sonshine and tied for 15th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 7th on VT and placed 22nd AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. Her best event is FX, where she combines strong dance and expression with two double backs.
Abney, is an in-state L10 from Michigan Elite. She tied for 7th on BB and placed 34th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 21st AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals.
Washington
Kira Bolden, Gymnastics Olympica, L10
McKenna Carnesi, CGI, L10
Chelsea Hallinan, Olympic Gymnastics Center, L10
Kristin Lin, Airborne (CA), L10
Mary McDonough, Let it Shine, L10
Washington's five frosh were tracking into our Top Ten, but a series of injuries in 2023 and improvements made by other classes pushed them out of the final Top Ten.
Lin, a former L10 National Team member from Airborne. She placed 5th AA at the 2023 Women's Development Program L10 Nationals, tying for 5th on VT and 8th on FX (triple full). She was 9th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals, taking the runner-up spot on FX and tying for 9th on UB. She was also the FX champion and 4th AA at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals.
Carnesi is a L10 from the Colorado Gymnastics Institute. She placed 8th on VT and 19th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 19th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She excels on VT, posting a 10 for her Yurchenko Full last season.
McDonough, a L10 from Let it Shine, had a stellar season in 2023, hitting 39.05 in the AA while earning the top score on every event at the Tennessee state meet. She did not complete the post-season, after placing 3rd at Regionals. She was also 23rd AA at the 2022 and 2021 WDP L10 Nationals. She shows strong form and extension on all four events, with career highs of 9.725 or higher on every event.
Bolden was heading towards a top finish at WDP L10 Nationals in May when she injured her knee on her last event, VT. She placed 18th AA and tied for 2nd on VT (big Yurchenko 1 1/2) at the 2022 WDP Nationals. She was also 8th AA, 4th on VT and tied for 9th on BB at the 2021 WDP L10 Nationals.
Hallinan, is an in-state L10 from the Olympic Gymnastics Center. She excels on BB, where she is a two-time Regional champion.
Other Outstanding Individuals
There are a wide variety of potential future standouts. Here are just a few, in alphabetic order:
Hannah Horton, Mizzou
Horton, a L10 from Revolution, placed 2nd on FX and tied for 3rd on VT (Yurchenko 1 1/2) and 15th AA at the 2023 Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She also placed 8th on BB and tied for 9th AA at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals.
Julianne Huff, Auburn
Huff is a two-time L10 National Team member from JamJev. She tied for 3rd on FX and placed 13th AA at the 2023 WDP L10 Nationals. She also placed 2nd AA, 2nd on VT and tied for 2nd on FX and 6th on UB at the 2022 WDP L10 Nationals. She has an array of big skills like a Yurchenko 1 1/2 on VT and an open full-in on FX combined with clean and precise execution.
Ava Jorgensen, BYU
Jorgensen, a L10 from Gold Medal, has been one of the top L10 finishers in the country the last several years. She's a two-time L10 National Team member and holds two National titles on UB. In 2023, she was the National Champ on UB (Ray, bail to handstand, double layout) and placed 4th AA at the WDP L10 Nationals. She also tied for 1st on UB, tied for 5th on VT (roundoff full on to pike back) and 4th AA at the 2022 L10 Nationals. She was also 7th AA at the 2021 L10 Nationals.
Priscilla Park, Arkansas
Park, a L10 from Georgia Elite, is a three-time L10 National Team member and one of the most consistent L10 gymnasts in the country. In 2023, she placed 2nd on UB and BB and 3rd AA at the Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She was the L10 National AA Champ in Senior C in 2022 and was the uneven bar co-champion. She also tied for 3rd on FX and placed 9th on VT. She also placed 4th AA in 2021 and tied for 6th AA in 2019. Such consistency, durability and high L10 National placements are strongly correlated to future NCAA success.
Madison Ulrich, DU
Ulrich is a three-time L10 National Team member who trained at Southeastern. In 2023, she won UB and placed 3rd AA at the Women's Development Program (WDP) L10 Nationals. She also tied for 3rd on FX (double layout) and VT (Pike front 1/2). With tight, precise form and execution, she has all the makings of a future NCAA standout. She was also a the L10 National AA champ (Jr 3) in 2021, placing 2nd on UB, 3rd on BB and 5th on VT.
Background and a Word about our Methodology:
Assessing the strength of an incoming class is a challenging task. In the past, we have considered a more quantitative approach that assessed meet placement and scoring. Relying too heavily on scores is problematic for several reasons: 1. Scoring variation exists in the club ranks, just as it exists in the NCAA. Distinctions based on hundreds of a point can't be made when score variation adds 0.2 to 0.3 in uncertainty. 2. Individual meets, especially those with event finals, may employ special rules or be in widely varying competitive environments (home gyms versus podium stadium meets). 3. The rules in Level 10 and NCAA now differ significantly enough that bonus rules and compositional requirements can distort pure mathematical assessments. These factors must be balanced by performance in head-to-head competition, in high stress head-to-head post-season meets with full, experienced judging panels, plus an evaluation of actual skill level and execution based on video.
Predicting future success is also a challenging task. There are many intangibles, such as how an incoming freshman adjusts to college, gels with the team or responds to new coaching styles. Each new incoming class changes the dynamics within the team as a whole and there is no way for us to guess in advance how the dynamics will play out or contribute to overall team success. The best we can do is look at the incoming class as a discrete unit. We ask of ourselves; What does each athlete’s competition history, skills, execution and even injury history (if we know it) tell us about what she brings to the mix that makes up her incoming class? Does the athlete have the potential to bring in scores of 9.85 or above?
Our methodology is based on a snapshot of each incoming class as they enter college for the first time. In other words, we consider what we know about incoming frosh as they enter school in the fall. For those joining their team mid-year, we consider what we know of them as of the time of their entrance in January. Gymnasts that appear on the roster but are sitting out the year for any reason are counted. However, gymnasts that are removed from rosters or retire before the start of the season are excluded. Transfers are also excluded. We set our timing to include all late signings as well as early graduations and mid-year starts. This does produce more variation than if we stopped our evaluation after the early signing period or in the spring, but it also better captures trend and trajectory to make a more complete assessment.
What we consider:
Competition History - An athlete's competition results reveal how an athlete stands up to competition and how consistently she performs from one event to another, and meet to meet. It is especially interesting to see how an athlete measures up against the competition in elite or rigorous Level 10 meets like the Nastia Liukin Cup and the Level 10 Nationals. These meets typically involve more experienced judges, more consistent evaluation, head-to-head comparison and more pressure. Decades of recruiting classes show that a strong history of top finishes in these major meets is a strong predictor of future NCAA success.
Competition Trend -- The timing and trend of their success important. Gymnasts that continue to rise in placement through their career more often than not hold that level or improve in college. Continued success or even improvement over time also speaks to motivation, hard work and consistency.
Skill and Routine Evaluation - Today, it is possible to view videos of an athlete either through online posts (e.g. YouTube.com, Instagram, Facebook) or meet coverage via streaming services or broadcast TV (e.g. FlipGym, Olympic Channel, etc). Some college teams also give us peeks at preseason training videos. We use these to get a look at the athletes’ skills and execution, and how their competition routines compare to NCAA requirements. With significant differences between the NCAA code and the Junior Olympic (not to mention the Elite) code, gymnasts with stellar execution and no "built-in" deductions will have an easier time in the NCAA. Gymnasts with FIG E skills, 10.0 Start Value (SV) vaults or exceptional levels of grace, expression or execution quality will also have an easier time posting scores of 9.9+. On the other hand, under the L10 code, it is now possible to construct a routine that will get a strong L10 score (9.5+) and yet still be missing difficulty that will inhibit an athlete from getting the 9.85+ scores. A highly difficult routine at the club level can merit a high score but still include minor but obvious execution errors that will hold back the score at the NCAA level. In contrast, sometimes elite or high-level L10 gymnasts include skills that are in excess of the difficulty they need in the NCAA. While elite gymnasts are heavily incentivized to add difficult skills, even in the Level 10 Development Program gymnasts are encouraged to add skills to avoid compositional deductions and get a 10.1 start value. The risk/reward for adding these skills is pretty good, as long as no major mistake occurs. However, a 0.05 or 0.1 execution deduction for an excess skill is a "10 killer" in the NCAA. These excess skills are typically removed during college competition, unless they are 100% consistent, to maximize scoring potential.
Injury Status and History - Injury history is an unfortunate factor in recruiting. Past major injuries like ACL tears, spinal problems and Achilles' tears can impact a gymnast's ability for an extended period of time. Sometimes specific major injury information is available on an athlete. Other times, a major injury or other break in training may be indicated by holes in a competition history. To the extent that we can determine whether an injury history will potentially limit an athlete’s contribution over the course of her NCAA career, we factor that information into our ranking considerations. We tend to view absences from competition before entering college negatively, unless otherwise explained. Only injuries that occur before the start of NCAA training are included, including those after the date of signing.
Recruit Rating - the factors above have now been systemically integrated into our Recruit Rating system, starting with the Class of 2022. This provides a primarily quantitative, standardized assessment for an individual recruit. Teams are initially compared based on their composition of top-rated recruits, and then the ratings are further refined.
Potential Contribution - Ultimately, we place high value on recruits who have the potential to make some starting lineups and to consistently score 9.85 or better on their events.
Balancing Class Size – We attempt to consider large incoming classes versus small classes. A large incoming class, even if it is loaded with walk-ons and specialists, provides important depth and coverage on all events. That depth can be especially important if a team suffers some key injuries. A large class is also sometimes filled with exceptionally gifted specialists. In contrast, a small class of, say, one or two exceptional all arounders can have just as much impact on their teams. Over the course of time, a marquee athlete has the potential to bring in big scores of 9.95+ that can make the crucial difference to a team's overall ranking and success. So, the size of recruiting class is factored along with our best estimate as to how the individual recruits will figure in lineups.