The Troester GymInfo Coaches' Preseason Poll has defending champion Alabama as the top ranked squad to start the season. They tallied 11 first place vote as well. UCLA was 2nd, with five first place votes, although they tallied fewer first place votes than 3rd ranked Florida. Fourth ranked OU and fifth ranked Utah each earned one first place nod.
Club gymnastics is underway with the first early season meets. We've posted results for the Peppermint Twist and Gymnastics on the Grand under the Results tab. Check back throughout the season for more results.
Dynamo Gymnastics has announced that Alex Marks has committed to OU for the 2016-17 season. Marks qualified elite in 2011.
Kristyn Bossle, Sydney Kennedy, Demi Pas and Samantha Ward signed with Illinois State and will join the team next fall.
DU has announced the signing of Rachel Fielitz, Leah Lomonte and Julia Ross, as expected.
Link: DU Release
Kaitlyn Schou, L10 from Brandy Johnson's in Florida, has committed to Denver. Last season Kaitlyn won the Tampa Bay Turners Invitational (1st AA; 1st BB), the Kurt Thomas Invitational (1st AA; 1st BB/FX) and the National Gymnastics Challenge (1stAA; 1st BB). She picked up the beam title at nearly every meet over her 2012 season, including regionals. She finished 16th AA at JOs.
Charly Belliston, L10 at Hunt's Gymnastics in Utah, has committed to USU. She qualified to L10 regionals in 2011 and 2012 and competed at the 2012 NIT.
NC State announced the signing of Courtney Bisbe and Courtney Leighton, as expected.
Link: NC State Release
WMU has announced the signing of Brittany Aragon, Anna Corbett, Audrey Merritt, and Jessica Peszek. The commits of Aragon, Corbett and Peszek were covered in prior news items.
Merritt is a L10 from Oshkosh Gymnastics. She qualified to the 2012 Level 10 Junior Olympic Nationals, placing 52nd. She also qualified to the JO NIT meet in 2011.
Link: WMU Release
Kent State has signed Jordan Hardison and Skyelee LaMano. The commit of Hardison was covered in a prior news item.
LaMano trains at USA Gymnastics World in Utah. At the 2012 JO NIT meet, she captured 1st AA in her age division. She qualified to the meet by placing 9th AA and 3rd on FX at Regionals. She was 16th AA at Regionals in 2011.
Link: KSU Release
As expected, UC Davis has signed clubmates Rachel Kreager and Ioanna "Yonni" Michovska. The L10s train at San Mateo.
Link: UC Davis Release
Rutgers has announced the signing of April Baker, Claire Jones and Charly Santagao, as expected.
Link: Rutgers Release
Sac State has signed Megan Kyle and Julia Konner for 2013-2014, according to a school release.
Kyle is a L10 who trains at Gym Max. At the 2011 Region I L10 Regionals, she placed 12th AA.
Konner is a L10 from Apollo in Virginia. At the 2012 Region VII L10 Regionals, she placed 15th AA. As a L9 in 2011, she was the Eastern National L9 AA champion, placing 2nd on BB and 2nd(t) on VT.
Link: CSUS Release
Christine Liautaud, L10 at Trinity Gymnastics in Illinois, will sign with Bridgeport next spring and join the team next fall. Last season she placed in the top 10 at most of her meets and qualified to regionals.
The Nebraska men have signed Travis Gollott and Antonio Castro to Letters of Intent.
Gollott trains at the West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy in California. At the 2012 VISA Championships, he tied for 8th on the FX. He also finished 5th on floor in 2011.
Castro trains at FGTC in Florida and qualified to the JO Nationals from 2010 to 2012.
Link: NU Release
The college search for athletes is a marathon, not a sprint, and the recruiting process can be, at times, both exhilarating and uplifting, especially when your personal plan is working on all cylinders. That said, even the best executed plans can run into road blocks or even stall completely.