The transition into college gymnastics is not easy for every gymnast. Whether due to injuries, or stacked lineups in front of them, some of this season’s sophomores were not able to contribute as much as they may have liked. With a whole season and offseason under their belts, many sophomores are now set to shine in year two.
Danie Ferris (Florida)
Ferris was the second highest rated recruit in the class of 2023 and was highly anticipated for her contributions on vault and floor. Unfortunately, Ferris was injured during the preseason last year which led to a slow start to her career. She was able to get healthy enough to compete on vault to start the season, but it took about a month for her to start landing her Yurchenko one and a half consistently and another month to add floor to her program. Ferris may have only had five floor routines in 2024, but due to her slow ramp-up, we can expect to see her compete the event more in 2025. She could also potentially add in bars where she scored as high as a 9.9 in level 10.
Ashley Szymanski (Ball State)
Szymanski saw lineup time each week on bars for the Cardinals in 2024, quickly emerging as a standout specialist freshman in traditionally upperclassmen all-arounder lineups. Her consistent 9.9+ bar routines placed her in the…
