(GYM) Gymnastics 2024 - 2025

The big addition is our transfer from UCLA. She was the #1 gymnast coming out of HS, an All-American, and the best gymnast in the PAC 12.

One of our 2 freshmen may contribute on vault and floor. The other may take some time. Third freshman Skye Blakely is likely to miss most if not all of the 2025 season. She and Kayla DiCello tore their Achilles tendons within a day of each other in the US Team Olympic trials late last June.

When on, the 2025 Gators will hit 198+. To win a national championship, it could take up to 198.5.

 

There have been new rules changes starting in the 2025 season. I posted them earlier in the thread.

One was a minor change on the beam for knocking the beam end cap off and a deduction for dismounting too close to the beam.

Using the lines as part of the judging on vaults has been incorporated.

Bars has a few tweaks as well.

I don't recall the changes made on the floor, but I do recall that if you only do 2 passes you have to add greater difficulty.

EDIT: See Post #101

 

College Gym News 2025 is as predictable as rain, even more so:

Oklahoma Tops College Gym News 2025 Preseason Poll - College Gym News

How the CGN 13 panel voted, 9 for Oklahoma and 4 for LSU, well, you get it:

Not even a suck up to the national champion who comes back loaded and deeper than the Sooners. OU is counting on 6 new freshman gymnasts in 2025. The Sooners are where the Gators were last season when Skylar Draser came through big time in multiple events, a contribution CGN refused to recognize when honoring the 2024 freshmen. Yes, I raised hell about it to no avail.

The CGN 2025 Preseason Top 25. In the top 15, I've bolded the teams I disagree with:

Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, and Georgia are too high while Arkansas, Denver, Minnesota, and Ohio State are too low.

Team Total Points (First-Place Votes)
1. Oklahoma 464 (9)
2. LSU 456 (4)
3. Florida 440
4. Utah 425
5. California 417
6. Alabama 374
7. UCLA 373
8. Missouri 359
9. Kentucky 352
10. Michigan State 340
11. Michigan 337
12. Arkansas 332
13. Denver 316
14. Georgia 303
15. Stanford 302
16. Auburn 271
17. Minnesota 258
18. Ohio State 253
19. Oregon State 246
20. Penn State 230
21. Arizona State 192
22. Maryland 163
23. N.C. State 162
24. Nebraska 150
25. Clemson 136
26. Illinois 122
27T. Iowa 116
27T. Washington 116
29. Arizona 111
30. BYU 110
31. Towson 91
32. Iowa State 83
33T. Boise State 75
33T. Southern Utah 75
35. Kent State 49
36. San Jose State 22

Other teams receiving points: Ball State (14), North Carolina (8), Central Michigan (7), Pittsburgh (3), George Washington (3), and Utah State (2)

My Top 10+1 from post #140:

ETGator1 "Too Early" 2025 Top 10:

1. LSU
2. Florida
3. Oklahoma
4. California
5. Arkansas
6. Utah
7. UCLA
8. Denver
9. Missouri
10T. Michigan State
10T. Minnesota

5 teams currently missing my top 10 cut in alphabetical order:

Alabama
Kentucky
Michigan
Ohio State
Stanford

 

Reinforcement for what gatorgym_pics said earlier in the thread about Skye Blakely being a bit ahead of Kayla DiCello?

From the College Gym News Injury List:

• Removed: Konnor McClain (LSU) 11/25/24

Konnor McClain who is a world class gymnast tore her Achilles tendon 5 weeks before Skye and Kayla. Her stated objective during recovery was to be able to be back for the 2025 season performing on bars and beam. Apparently, Konnor has accomplished that goal.

The good news for UF is Skye and Kayla, if on a recovery trajectory similar to Konnor's, may be available for bars and beam to start the season, Skye thought to be the more likely. Conditioning is not an issue as both are world class gymnasts who work their tails off in practice seeming to try to one up on each other during workouts. It's a matter of healing and medical clearance.

I like our chances at LSU on January 17 if UF has Skye or both Skye and Kayla.

 

You mentioned some Thanksgiving pictures?

 

My Thanksgiving plans were messed up by sickness too. Just today feeling close to normal.

Anything you can share will always be appreciated, especially on our walking injured.

 

Four Future Gators at December Women's National Team Camp:

Gymnast and season performing with UF:

Amelia Disidore 2026
Kieryn Finnell 2027
Jayla Hang 2027
Simone Rose 2027

 

Hype Night - Monday, 12/16 - Admission = Free:



A preview of what you might see from Skye Blakely:



When Skye can stick that landing safely, she'll be ready to go on bars and beam.

Anyone fortunate enough to live in Gainesville who attends, please give us a report on the team, but particularly on Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello, and Riley McCusker. These 3 can be the difference in a top 4 finish and the 2025 national championship.

 

WCGA 2025 Coaches Preseason Poll:

Gators No. 3 in 2025 WCGA Preseason Poll - Florida Gators

Gators start at #3.

No, I don't think Oklahoma is the best team in 2025, but everybody else thinks so:

WCGA – 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank Team Points First Place Votes Date with Florida
1 Oklahoma 1963 points 42 Feb. 21 (away)
2 LSU 1871 points 6 Jan. 17 (away)
3 Florida 1806 points 5
4 California 1785 points 1
5 Utah 1733 points 1 (neutral at West Virginia)
6 Alabama 1641 points March 7 (away)
7 Kentucky 1455 points March 14 (home)
8 Arkansas 1453 points Feb. 7 (away)
9 Missouri 1407 points Feb. 28 (home)
10 UCLA 1406 points
11 Michigan State 1397 points Jan. 10 (home)
12 Denver 1341 points
13 Michigan 1338 points
14 Georgia 1264 points Jan. 24 (home)
15 Stanford 1144 points
16 Ohio State 1117 points
17 Auburn 1069 points Feb. 14 (home)
18 Minnesota 1062 points
19 Oregon State 966 points
20 Arizona State 902 points
21 Penn State 853 points
22 Illinois 681 points
23 Nebraska 645 points Jan. 10 (home)
24 Maryland 630 points
25 North Carolina State 598 points
26 Washington (592 points)
27 BYU (591 points)
28 Clemson (564 points)
29 Iowa (531 points)
30 Arizona (520 points)
31 Southern Utah (389 points)
32 Iowa State (375 points)
33 Boise State (341 points)
34 Towson (250 points)
35 Kent State (166 points)
36 North Carolina (143 points)

Also receiving votes: Ball State (136 points), San Jose State (109 points), Pittsburgh (82 points), George Washington (59 points), Central Michigan (52 points), Utah State (46 points), Illinois State (35 points), Pennsylvania (22 points), West Virginia (19 points), Western Michigan (19 points), Rutgers (15 points), Bowling Green (12 points), Alaska (10 points), New Hampshire (9 points), Eastern Michigan (6 points), Temple (5 points), UC Davis (5 points)

The WCGA is the advocate for women’s collegiate gymnastics.

 

News on the away meet at West Virginia on Sunday, 2/2. Mary Howard, Associate AD for gymnastics and soccer, confirmed that the meet is a tri-meet with Florida, Utah, and West Virginia.

Given the is meet is at a XII program with two XIIs vs. SEC, hopefully Fox Sports will decide to provide TV coverage when they realize they have something worth televising, two top 5 gymnastics programs in the nation with Florida and Utah. Host team West Virginia has very little to offer competitively, currently unranked outside the coaches poll top 36, so realistically this will be like a dual meet between Florida and Utah at a neutral site.

EDIT: Utah added to the schedule at West Virginia on 2/2:

2025 Gymnastics Schedule - Florida Gators

Mary Howard was timely and helpful in her response to my email. Mary, thank you for the confirmation and the change to the official schedule.

 

How College Gym News Views the 2025 Florida Gators Team:

2025 Florida Potential Lineups - College Gym News

Of course, CGN doesn't show UF beat LSU head-to-head in the O Dome, beat UK in Lexington, and won the SEC Regular Season Championship. CGN sees erratic early season when the Gators improved in every meet up to the SECs and NCAAs. (shaking head)

Florida is always in the mix for the national championship and always has the talent to make it happen, but 2025 will mark a decade since the Gators actually won one. Injuries to star elites make it tempting to underrate the Gators, but don’t get too carried away: This team lost zero routines from its postseason lineups and gains plenty, with a superstar transfer joining a useful freshman class.

2024 Rewind
No. 4 overall | No. 4 at SECs | No. 4 in regular season | NCAA team finals

In the Jenny Rowland era, Florida has qualified to the national final every year but one—but has never won. The Gators will regret their national final performance from a year ago; they absolutely had what it took to beat LSU in theory and instead turned in one of their worst showings of the season. SECs was a meet to forget, too.

Losses & Gains
Returning In
Fifth-Years
Ellie Lazzari
Victoria Nguyen

Seniors
Sloane Blakely
Bri Edwards
Riley McCusker
Leanne Wong

Juniors
Lori Brubach

Sophomores
Alyssa Arana
Kaylee Bluffstone
Kayla DiCello
Gabby Disidore
Skylar Draser
Danie Ferris
Anya Pilgrim Freshmen
Skye Blakely
Lily Bruce
Taylor Clark

Transfers
Selena Harris-Miranda (UCLA)
Out
Graduated
Chloi Clark (VT, FX)
Michala Magee
Payton Richards (AA)

Retired
Morgan Hurd
Injury Update
Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello both sustained Achilles injuries during the 2024 elite summer season and will likely be limited, if not totally absent, this year.

Fresh Faces
Selena Harris-Miranda is the headliner here: She could easily slot into the all-around and improve every Gator lineup. Don’t neglect the freshmen, though; even if Skye Blakely ultimately redshirts, Taylor Clark is a major leg event talent and Lily Bruce is a former five-star recruit on the comeback trail after a senior year injury.

Apparatus Deep Dive
Vault
2024 Event Ranking: No. 3 | NQS: 49.485 | Average: 49.402

Event Overview: Florida has a lot of great vaults but sometimes struggles to string its best landings together in a single meet, especially under pressure. The best case scenario for this event is that Harris-Miranda provides stability early and that by midseason, Florida has settled on a group of six who can consistently avoid major landing errors.
Locks: Selena Harris-Miranda, Anya Pilgrim, Leanne Wong
Harris-Miranda should slot in immediately at the back end of this lineup, if not into the anchor position. Wong and Pilgrim are staples and weekly stick threats.
Contenders: Sloane Blakely, Taylor Clark, Skylar Draser, Danie Ferris. Ellie Lazzari, Victoria Nguyen
This crew mostly consists of returning but slightly less consistent 10.0 SV vaults. Ferris is perhaps the frontrunner: It took her a few weeks to find her feet at the beginning of her rookie season, but she settled in nicely and looks even stronger in training. Freshman Taylor Clark has a beauty of a front handspring pike half that will hopefully be in rotation.
Wildcards: Kaylee Bluffstone, Lily Bruce, Bri Edwards
Edwards’ Yurchenko full is a backup option that Florida’s vault coaches have long valued, and she’s likely to see lineup time in the first half of the season once again. Bluffstone’s Yurchenko one and a half hasn’t yet seen the light of day in Gainesville, but it was solid during her level 10 career. Bruce may or may not be in her best vault shape this year, but she has a level 10 high score of 9.975.
Bars
2024 Event Ranking: No. 10 | NQS: 49.425 | Average: 49.364

Event Overview: Bars was Florida’s weak spot last year, with only two routines that ever scored 9.950 or higher. Finding higher peak scores will be the key.
Locks: Selena Harris-Miranda, Anya Pilgrim, Leanne Wong
These three are likely all-arounders, but their consistency and score ceiling will be particularly key on bars. Pilgrim might be able to refine some details and spend more time around 9.950 in her sophomore season. If Wong’s fatigue after a long elite season means she doesn’t compete in the all-around weekly, expect bars to be the event she prioritizes because it is where she’s most needed.
Contenders: Alyssa Arana, Sloane Blakely, Lily Bruce, Gabby Disidore, Skylar Draser, Ellie Lazzari, Riley McCusker, Victoria Nguyen
There are two groups here. Blakely, Disidore, Draser, Lazzari, and Nguyen are returners who are reliable options but who don’t get over 9.900 quite as often. The others are less certain prospects who might be able to score higher. Arana’s single bars outing in 2024 didn’t go so well, but she has truly beautiful technique on this event and warrants a second chance. McCusker is a fan favorite and another superior technician who has been plagued by injuries but who looks promising in training while freshman Bruce has posted lots of bars this year and looks a competitive with a Ray-based routine.
Wildcards: Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello, Danie Ferris
The Achilles-less contingent consisting of the younger Blakely sister and world all-around medalist DiCello have both been posting lots of bars this preseason, and their recovery timelines might allow them to threaten for this lineup by the end of the year. Ferris hasn’t shown a lot of bars so far in college, but she was great on this event in level 10.
Beam
2024 Event Ranking: No. 3 | NQS: 49.530 | Average: 49.464

Event Overview: With six available athletes with a 2024 NQS of 9.900 or better, beam might be Florida’s most comfortable event in 2025. There might be some surprises here, but if all we see on this event is the same faces doing the same routines, that would be just fine.
Locks: Selena Harris-Miranda, Leanne Wong
There’s not a lot separating these two from the rest of a very strong, consistent beam lineup, but they produce their very best routines just a little more often.
Contenders: Sloane Blakely, Skylar Draser, Ellie Lazzari, Victoria Nguyen, Anya Pilgrim
These five joined Wong in Florida’s regular beam lineup in 2024, and the Gators will be perfectly happy to use any of them again. Blakely and Draser are very slightly more consistent while the other three have slightly higher peaks. It’s tough to pick the odd woman out among this group.
Wildcards: Alyssa Arana, Kaylee Bluffstone, Lori Brubach, Lily Bruce, Riley McCusker
Arana did just one routine on beam in 2024 and crushed it, delivering a 9.925. McCusker also has a history of success of this event, and while she might still be a bit more inconsistent than the main lineup contenders, her peak can be worth the risk. Bluffstone and Brubach have been surprise presences in beam training clips this year.
Floor
2024 Event Ranking: No. 9 | NQS: 49.565 | Average: 49.441

Event Overview: Florida was still good on floor in 2024, but it wasn’t great as often as it needed to be. Landing issues continued to plague the Gators to the very end of the season. It also took a long time to settle on the final top six last year, which means this event is wide open.
Locks: Selena Harris-Miranda, Anya Pilgrim, Leanne Wong
Pilgrim’s NQS is more comparable with the contenders group than with the other two locks, but she earns her place here by joining Wong as the only returning Gators to earn a 10.0 on floor last year.
Contenders: Sloane Blakely, Taylor Clark, Victoria Nguyen
The fact that this category is so small speaks to how many low-confidence options Florida has available. Blakely and Nguyen are solid NQS returners whose spots could be threatened if anyone else gets more consistent in 2025 while Clark was a machine in level 10 and has been looking exceptional so far in Gainesville.
Wildcards: Kaylee Bluffstone, Lori Brubach, Lily Bruce, Gabby Disidore, Skylar Draser, Danie Ferris, Ellie Lazzari
This group is mostly athletes who were part-time contributors to the floor lineup last year. Lily Bruce’s double layout has been looking good in training while previous bars specialist Gabby Disidore has a very pretty double front in her back pocket.
Records Watch
Team: 198.775 | AA: 39.900 | VT: 49.725/10.000 | UB: 49.800/10.000 | BB: 49.750/10.000 | FX: 49.875/10.000

Most of these team records have been set or tied within the last few years and are at least plausible this year on a particularly happy night in the O’Dome. Wong’s all-around personal best of 39.875, which she’s achieved twice, is just a quarter-tenth short of Trinity Thomas’ all-around program record.

The Big Picture
Florida has the luxury of entering 2025 with no lineup holes to fill and lots of exciting new routines, including from one of the country’s top all-arounders. Fixing last year’s weaknesses will take more than just positive routine balance, though. It’ll take consistent precision that last year’s Gators struggled to achieve. Even with some high-profile injuries, there’s no theoretical reason why this team shouldn’t be in the mix for the national title if it tightens up those details. Look for the Gators to recover from their inevitable early season erraticness quicker than they did last year if you’re hoping for a better result.

 

Hype Night tonight at 6:30 PM ET:



Come on locals, give us some reports.