Troester.com has published the GymInfo Preseason Coaches' Poll. Defending champion UCLA leads the poll, earning 32 first place votes. Alabama is 2nd, with three first place votes. Just behind in 3rd is Florida, with three first place votes. OU is ranked fourth, with two first place votes. Utah and Stanford each picked up a 1st place vote and rank 5th and 6th, respectively.
Former standout Ashley Kent has been named assistant at Iowa State, according to a school release.
Link: Release
Ohio State has hired former Buckeye Dick Huntwork as an assistant to the Men's program. He currently coaches at the Hocking Valley Sports Center. He will supplement the interim Head Coaches following the departure of Miles Avery, which was announced last week.
Link: Ohio St Release
If you're interested in following the L10/elite signees and recruitables (16+) this season, you will find their club results posted under the "Results" tab at the top of the front page. Select 2010-11 to view just this season's results.
It's very early for the L10s, but we expect to post at least a few more results through December. The season picks up in earnest in January and results will be posted as we find them. If you don't see a link to your favorite meet, email us.
Western Michigan has inked two gymnasts for 2011-2012, Michelle Adams and Shelby Pflug. Adams' commitment was covered in a prior news item. Pflug is a L10 who trains at Aerials Gymnastics in Illinois. She placed 18th AA at the 2010 L10 Nationals, Senior B. She also finished 5th on VT and 21st AA at the 2009 Region V L10 Regionals.
Link: WMU Release
ASU has signed three athletes to NLIs, according to a school release. Brianna Gades, Natelle Gentile and Natasha Sundby will join the program for 2011-2012. The commits of Sundby and Gentile were covered in prior news items.
Gades is a L10 who trains near ASU at the Phoenix Gymnastics Academy. She placed 14th AA and 2nd on BB at the 2010 L10 Nationals. In 2009, she placed 6th AA and tied for 2nd on BB.
Link: ASU Release and Gades on UB
Long-time Head Coach Miles Avery has resigned at Ohio State, effective immediately. Assistants Doug Stibel and Blaine Wilson will serve as interim head coaches for the remainder of the season. In addition to leading Ohio State for 13 years, and serving as an assistant between 1989 to 1997, he was the assistant coach to the US Men's Olympic Team in 96, 00, 04, and 08.
Link: Ohio State Release
The official early period for signing a National Letter of Intent for Gymnastics started on November 10th and runs through the 17th. See the Women's Commits and Men's Commits page for a list of who is expected to sign where. Watch the site, newsfeeds, and Twitter for the latest news. There are a few surprises and unannounced signings out there!
Congratulations to all the National Letter of Intent Signees. A few submitted pictures are in the gallery below. If you would like to have a picture added, please send your picture to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Congratulations to all the National Letter of Intent Signees. A few submitted pictures are in the gallery at this link. Athletes and Parents are invited to contribute their pictures.
Caitlin Brown has committed to Iowa State for 2011-2012, according to her club. Brown is a L10 who trains at TAGS South in Minnesota. At the 2010 L10 Nationals, she placed 5th on BB and tied for 13th AA at the L10 Nationals. She was also 40th AA in 2009.
Lisa Bowerman has been promoted from Assistant Coach to Associate Head Coach for the upcoming season. She will take over as Head Coach in May when Frank Kudlac retires
On the Women's side, Ana Porgras won the BB while American Rebecca Bross earned a tie for silver. Ex-Brown athlete Alicia Sacramone was 5th. On FX, Aussie Lauren Mitchell won Gold. American Alexandra Raisman finished just outside of the medals in fourth.
In the Men's competition, France's Thomas Bouhail won VT, while Feng Zhe of China won PB. On HB, China's Zhang Chenglong won, while Americans Danell Leyva and Chris Brooks (ex-OU) finished 5th and 6th, respectively.
Link: Men's VT, PB and HB
Link: Women's BB and FX
Alicia Sacramone of the US (ex-Brown) won the World title on the VT, after capping a successful comeback from retirement. She defeated the World AA champ, Aliya Mustafina, when Mustafina's 2nd vault was downgraded for not showing the intended position. Veterans and post-college age athletes dominated in the AA final, with only Men's FX winner Eleftherios Kosmidis at 19 the only winner younger than 22. OU's Steven Legendre placed 8th in the FX final after some problems. The USA's Rebecca Bross finished third on UB, behind winner Beth Tweddle, after defending champion He Kexin fell. In fourth was former World AA champ Bridget Sloan of the US.
Links: Women's Results
Links: Men's Results
OU grad Jonathan Horton won a bronze medal in the AA, finishing behind Japan's two-time champion Kohei Uchimura and Germany's Philipp Boy.
In the Women's competition, Russia's Aliya Mustafina won. Rebecca Bross was third for the US, after a fall on BB. Jiang Yuyan of China was just ahead of Bross in 2nd. DU grad Jessica Lopez placed 10th AA.
Link Men's Results