Category: Gymnastics

Tigers pick up two more gymnasts for 2024 season through the transfer portal

Jeff Graba adds two experienced members to a stacked 2024 roster.

The Auburn Gymnastics roster just got deeper as head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] and company has added two transfers to an already deep roster.

The new additions are [autotag]Madelynn Crow[/autotag] and [autotag]Lila Smith[/autotag].

Crow is a former Georgia Bulldog coming to Auburn as a sophomore. She is a native of Williamson, Georgia with notable accomplishments such as qualifying for the USAG Level 10 Development Program National Championships and being the first female at her high school to bring home a state title in Gymnastics.

Graba’s take on Crow: “We are so excited to have Madelynn join the Auburn gymnastics family. She brings a wealth of experience with her and has been successful at nearly all the levels of our sport. Having experience in the SEC is also going to be very beneficial as we are looking to build our team depth on all events. Even though Madelynn is best known for her beam proficiency, she should add needed depth on all the events.

Smith is a junior and a former Kentucky Wildcat. She is from Atlanta, Georgia, and competed with the same gym as Crow, Georgia Elite. She was also a USAG Level 10 Development Program National Championship qualifier and won state titles on beam and in the all-around.

Graba’s take on Smith: “We are eager to have Lila join our program as she is coming off a very successful run with another successful program. Her experience in the SEC will help as our young team will be looking to their teammates with experience as we enter this next season. Lila should give us needed depth on all the events early on.”

These two transfers will be a great addition to the 2024 roster. Crow and Smith will join an experienced roster that will feature [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag], [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag], and [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag].

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LSU gymnastics adds Florida transfer Savannah Schoenherr

The all-around performer was a three-time All-American with the Gators.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Gymnastics program and head coach Jay Clark announce the addition of graduate transfer Savannah Schoenherr to the squad for the upcoming 2024 season.

“We’re so excited that Savannah is coming to join us. She is a proven competitor with championship experience,” said head coach Jay Clark. “She knows what the SEC is all about and provides us with tangible depth. I think her experience and wealth of talent is going to enhance our ability to be competitive, as well as her personality and her leadership.”

Schoenherr will be joining the Tigers from the University of Florida, where she spent the last five seasons and made three NCAA Championship Final appearances with the Gators.

A native of Athens, Georgia, Schoenherr is an all-around competitor who will provide experience and depth for the LSU lineups. She is looking forward to embracing Tiger nation in her final year of competition.

“I chose LSU because as soon as I stepped on campus, I could tell everyone loved each other like family. It is evident that everyone is highly valued, regardless of their role and I can’t wait to be a part of such a positive and loving environment,” said Schoenherr.

“The genuine care and respect that every single person shows each other is so admirable. Not to mention the immense talent this team possesses that will push me to be better in every way. This is a national championship caliber team and I’m more than excited for this opportunity!”

In her time with the Gators, Schoenherr was named a three-time All-American, three-time Scholastic All-American, five-time SEC Academic Honor Roll and All-SEC member.

Schoenherr set multiple career highs during her senior season in 2022, including career bests on vault to share the win at the NC State quad meet and on bars against Arkansas. She owns career highs of 9.975 on vault, 9.975 on bars, 9.875 on beam and 9.925 on floor.

As a junior, Schoenherr appeared in the vault and bars lineups in 10 competitions for the Gators and made her collegiate debut on beam. She was named SEC Specialist of the Week in 2021 after winning the vault title against Arkansas with her score of 9.950.

She earned regular season All-America honors on bars in 2020 after competing on the event in every meet as a sophomore. In that same year, she posted a career high floor score of a 9.925 against Penn State.

Schoenherr had a standout freshman season at Florida in 2019 as she competed in every meet on vault and bars. She notched her first career All-America honors on vault in her first year after scoring a 9.875 at the NCAA Championships Semifinals and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after tying for fourth on bars at the SEC Championships.

Prior to her time at Florida, Schoenherr was a two-time J.O. National team member and was named the bars champion in 2015 and 2018. She is also a three-time Region 8 bars champion (2015, 2017 & 2018) and the 2018 Georgia Level 10 all-around and bars champion.

The Georgia native trained at Georgia Elite Gymnastics, where she was coached by Pete Arenas and Cassidy McComb Bernstein. She became the first in Georgia High School Association (GHSA) history to sweep five event titles at the 2018 state championships.

Schoenherr earned her bachelor’s degree in sports management in August of 2021 and most recently completed her master’s degree in sport management in May. She will pursue her degree in leadership and human resource development at LSU this coming fall.

You can follow along with the Tigers on the team’s social media channels @LSUgym on Instagram and Twitter and  Facebook.

LSU gymnastics adds graduate transfer Jillian Hoffman

Hoffman won three individual titles during her four years at Utah.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Gymnastics program and head coach Jay Clark announce the addition of graduate transfer Jillian Hoffman to join the Tigers for the upcoming 2024 season.

“We are excited for Jill to join us for her final year of gymnastics,” said head coach Jay Clark. “She brings experience at a championship level and the ability to add quality to our depth. She is known best for her performance on vault, but we believe she can add for us on three events if managed properly.”

A native of Murrieta, California, Hoffman provides experience and depth to the squad and is ready to become a part of Tiger nation.

“Coming to LSU felt like stepping right into a new family. I knew I would be taken care of and accepted even before I stepped foot on campus,” said Hoffman.

“I wanted to be a part of a team that valued not only performance on the floor, but also my experience and needs as a person. That’s what I’ve found at LSU and I’m grateful to be back with Garrett and Courtney, who have impacted me and my journey for the better thus far. I’m excited to start a new chapter and the best is yet to come! Geaux Tigers.”

The graduate transfer has spent the past four seasons at the University of Utah, where she was a leader on and off the floor. She competed on vault and floor.

Hoffman had an impressive year in 2023 as she helped lead the Utes to the final four as team captain. She appeared in the vault lineup in all but two competitions and posted a career high score of 9.975 against UCLA.

In her senior season, Hoffman hit 14 for 14 routines and posted Utah’s best regular season average on vault with a 9.869. She recorded a score of 9.90 or better on vault five times throughout the year.

Hoffman received Utah Athletics’ Most Inspirational Award and the Marsden Leadership Award for her leadership and perseverance in 2023.

In her collegiate debut on floor in 2020, Hoffman competed in four meets as a freshman and earned a season high 9.850. Her career best came against Arizona State in 2022 with her score of a 9.975 to earn her first career event title on floor.

She earned three titles in her career at Utah with two on vault and one on floor. She owns multiple honors including Pac-12 Specialist of the Week, two-time Pac-12 Coaches Choice recipient, three-time honor roll member and WCGA Scholastic All-American.

Hoffman graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Health and Kinesiology in May 2023 and will pursue a degree in leadership and human development at LSU beginning in the fall.

Prior to her collegiate gymnastics career, Hoffman trained at SCEGA Gymnastics under Kathy Strate. She is a two-time National Qualifier and was named the Junior Olympic National Champion on bars, floor and the all-around in 2017 (Junior E level). She also finished as the Region 1 Champion across all five events in 2019 (Senior D level).

Some of her other accolades include being a 15-time SoCal state champion and nine-time regional champion.

Her parents are Michael and Jennifer Hoffman and she has two brothers, Zander and Zayne. Her dad is a builder in the U.S. Navy and her brother Zander serves in the U.S. Army.

LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan qualifies for World Championships

Finnegan will represent the Philippines in Antwerp, Belgium.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

SINGAPORE – Sophomore Aleah Finnegan qualified as one of the top eight all-arounders in the Asian Championships to continue her journey with the Philippines at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Finnegan scored a 50.399 in the all-around competition on Friday, June 16, to finish seventh on the day and secure her spot to worlds as an individual qualifier. She posted scores of 12.833 on beam, 12.933 on floor, 13.800 on vault and 10.833 on bars after suffering a fall during her routine.

The Team Philippines member was recognized for the highest execution score on an apparatus at the championship. Her execution scores on vault and floor were higher than any gymnast in the competition.

After placing second on vault, fifth on beam and seventh on beam on Friday, Finnegan earned her spot in three event finals in Singapore on Saturday, June 17.

Finnegan notched two bronze medals, one on vault and one on beam, to become the first Filipino woman to earn multiple medals at the Asian Championships.

Filipino teammate Kylee Kvamme also qualified as an individual competitor and will join Finnegan in representing the Philippines at the World Championships.

The 2023 World Championships will be held at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, from September 30 – October 6. In order to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Finnegan will have to place as one of the top 14 all-arounders in Antwerp.

The scores exclude gymnasts whose teams have already qualified for Paris and who have individually qualified as all-arounders at the 2022 World Championship.

Here’s LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne’s NIL advice to current recruits

Dunne has arguably become the face of NIL in college athletics.

There’s perhaps no better example of what a college athlete can be in the new era than [autotag]Livvy Dunne[/autotag].

The rising senior LSU gymnast has the biggest social media presence of any college athlete, building a following of more than 10 million across multiple platforms. That makes her the most valuable women’s college athlete in terms of name, image and likeness deals per On3 and second only to Bronny James, the son of LeBron James who recently committed to USC.

Dunne recently appeared at a meet and greet as part of On3’s NIL Elite Series, where she gave advice to current high school football recruits on navigating the NIL space.

“I would say taking your time to pick your brand deals and to be picky,” Dunne said per On3’s Pete Nakos. “There’s no problem in saying no to brands if it doesn’t feel right to you.”

Dunne also said that having a strong support system in place is key.

“I would say having a good support system is so important,” she said. “My family, they stand behind me, and my mom, she helps me. My sister helps put together videos and sends them to the brand while I’m at practice or competing. So, she’s definitely a huge component in my everyday life and helping me with these brand deals. But having a good support system and compartmentalizing your day, so you don’t get overwhelmed (is crucial).”

We’ve seen a lot of change in college sports, and athletes now have more agency than ever before. But with agency comes more responsibilities, and no one knows that better than Dunne, who has arguably become the face of NIL in college sports.

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LSU gymnastics adds All-American transfer from Florida

Jay Clark continued his transfer portal success this week, adding Savannah Schoenherr from the Gators.

Tigers gymnastics coach [autotag]Jay Clark[/autotag] proved his worth as a recruiter again this week with the addition of a former All-American.

[autotag]Savannah Schoenherr[/autotag], who spent the last several years with the Florida Gators, will transfer to LSU.

Originally from Athens, Georgia, Schoenherr was a freshman All-SEC selection in 2019. Her vault performance that year earned her Second Team All-American honors.

Schoenherr hasn’t competed since 2022 and missed all of 2023 with a foot injury.

Competing in the All-Around at one of the SEC’s premier programs in Florida, she brings a veteran presence to a team already returning a lot.

Schoenherr wasn’t LSU’s only recent portal addition. [autotag]Jillian Hoffman[/autotag] is also slated to join the Tigers after transferring from powerhouse Utah.

LSU faced plenty of adversity last year with injuries to key contributors. Despite that, the Tigers marched all the way to a national title appearance.

Next year, LSU should be healthier and more experienced. It has the chance to be one of Clark’s best teams.

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LSU gymnastics announces return of 4 seniors in 2024

The Tigers will return Kiya Johnson, Kai Rivers, Alyona Shchennikova and Cammy Hall next season.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Gymnastics program and head coach Jay Clark announced the return of seniors Kiya Johnson, Kai Rivers, Alyona Shchennikova and Cammy Hall to the squad in 2024.

Johnson, Rivers and Shchennikova will compete for their fifth year next season and return experienced routines for the Tigers. Hall enters her sixth year after transferring from Utah in 2023 and is set to make her debut in the PMAC in 2024.

“Having these seniors back is another chance for them and for this team to achieve their ultimate goals. We have all learned a great deal this year about what it takes to be a championship program,” said head coach Jay Clark. “Whether we face adversity or none at all, the same mindset must exist and I’m glad they want to be here at LSU for another year to exhibit that same climbing mindset. We are blessed to be at a place where our players don’t want to leave and others want to be here.”

Johnson, a nine-time All-American, suffered an achilles injury in the Tigers second meet of the season that prevented her from competing in 2023. Despite her injury, she remained a vital piece as a leader and mentor in the team’s journey to the national championship.

In her return to the competition floor, the Dallas native brings a wealth of experience to the LSU lineups. As one of the top all-around competitors in the nation, Johnson has been a huge part of the Tigers success over the last three years and owns 40 career wins across all four events and the all-around.

A key beam performer, Rivers will make her return to the lineup after rupturing her achilles prior to the squad’s podium competition at the Raising Cane’s River Center in March. The Detroit, Michigan, native appeared on beam in nine competitions for the Tigers this year and posted season high’s against Auburn and Florida with her scores of 9.900. After multiple injury setbacks in her career, Rivers continues to persevere and will return healthy next season.

A native of Evergreen, Colorado, Shchennikova is a strong all-around competitor for the Tigers as she was consistent week after week. This year, she appeared in the all-around in 11 meets and posted a career high 39.525 against Auburn. The senior posted season highs of 9.925 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.875 on beam and earned a new career high 9.975 on floor.

Shchennikova will use the momentum from this season to elevate her into her final season with the Tigers.

After transferring to LSU in the fall, Hall did not appear in competition this season due to a pre-season achilles injury. The Gainesville, Virginia, native trains the vault and floor events and is set to make her PMAC debut next season. Prior to LSU, she spent four years at Utah, where she earned two individual titles on vault and owns a career high of 9.95 in the event.

LSU will not lose any routines from this season as they continue their march to a national championship title. The return of these veteran routines, combined with the routines of Haleigh Bryant, Aleah Finnegan, Elena Arenas and many others, puts the Tigers in a position for success in 2024.

Fans can follow the Tigers on the team’s social media channels @LSUgym on Instagram and Twitter and www.Facebook.com/lsugym.

Photo Gallery: A look back at Derrian Gobourne’s time at Auburn

“The Queen” had a memorable five-year career on the Plains. Here’s a look back at some of her key moments.

The 2023 season for Auburn Gymnastics was truly an “end of an era” type of season.

Since 2019, Auburn Gymnastics has competed in three NCAA Regionals, and one NCAA National meet. One constant in Auburn’s incredible run has been [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag].

Gobourne arrived on Auburn’s campus in 2019 and has been a staple in the all-around lineup over the last five seasons. She has been a member of the All-SEC team in all five seasons that she has competed for Auburn and has won a national championship, doing so on vault in 2019.

Several other awards that Gobourne earned during her time at Auburn include: WCGA All-America (2020-23), NCAA All-American (2019, 2022), SEC Specialist of the Year (2023), and SEC Co-Specialist of the Year (2019).

Gobourne concluded her collegiate career in Forth Worth, Texas in the 2023 NCAA Championships, competing in the individual floor event. Gobourne’s final performance earned her a 9.9125.

“I was just grateful at the end,” Gobourne said after competing. “Grateful that I had a great career and that I was able to end it like that at nationals.”

RELATED: A look back at Suni Lee’s Auburn career

Re-live the exciting career of Derrian Gobourne by checking out some of the best photos from her time at Auburn:

6 best leotards from the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship

Who was the best-dressed at the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship?

The University of Oklahoma Sooners pulled away in the last rotation of the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship to grab their 6th NCAA national championship in program history. Each team throughout the competition dazzled with big skills, perfect execution, and unparalleled sportsmanship.

However, there was another eye-catching aspect of the competition: the leotards. From blinged-out bodices to faux mesh cutouts, the athletes did not come to look understated. They wanted to stand out just like their high-flying skills and did not disappoint.

Previously, we ranked the best leotards from the practice sessions, but there is something special about competition leotards. They are on a whole other level.

Here are the best leotards from the entire competition.

Oklahoma takes home the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics title

Sooners cement themselves as gymnastics royalty with 6th national title in 9 years

The 2023 National women’s gymnastics championships ended with a fierce finals competition. The University of Oklahoma Sooners pulled away in the last rotation to grab their 6th NCAA national championship in program history. They have won six of the last nine championships.

The competition level was beyond impressive, but the Sooners walked away and successfully defended their national title. The Sooners had a final score of 198.3875. Florida took second with 198.2375, with Utah and LSU at third and fourth respectively.

Oklahoma led the entire meet, but not by much. Utah surged from behind in the third rotation with big bar routines while Trinity Thomas, from Florida, stuck a big vault and scored a perfect 10.00. Thomas tied the NCAA all-time record for most perfect 10’s with 28.

The big scores just weren’t quite enough to catch up with Oklahoma, but the parity in women’s gymnastics is apparent.

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