2020 #NCAAMGym Season Preview: Can Anyone Topple Stanford?
It’s 2020, another big season is in the offing, and yet it seems like we’re all still reeling from Stanford’s stunning upset at last year’s NCAA Championships. The CGA hasn’t been shy about underscoring the significance of that win, which ended OU’s 121-win streak, but it still bears repeating: In clinching their first national championship since 2011, the Cardinal ushered in a new era of NCAA men’s gymnastics.
For Oklahoma, they’ll be replacing 80% of last year’s scoring lineup from NCAA finals, according to coach Mark Williams, and two of the Sooners’ top gymnasts, Tanner Justus and Lazarus Barnhill, have retired due to congenital back injuries exacerbated by gymnastics. “I’m replacing 10 guys from last year’s roster and losing my top recruit,” Williams told the CGA. “That’s a lot of change in a short period of time.”
Meanwhile, the energized Stanford squad boasts the most talented freshman class in the country led by Riley Loos and Brandon Briones, and a five-man senior class hungry to cap their careers as champions once again.
This all means the 2020 season should be one of the most exciting in years, with more opportunities for teams to prove themselves contenders by the time championships rolls around. We’ll be closely watching the Big Ten dynamic as the regular-season championship format enters its second year, a big face-off in Chicago during the Windy City Invitational, and the fight for the top few spots in the national rankings.
Amid the hype, it can be easy to forget about what happened in the offseason. With teams comprised entirely of current or former NCAA gymnasts, the U.S. took fourth at Worlds and second at Pan Ams. Penn State senior Stephen Nedoroscik and Oklahoma alum Colin Van Wicklen made finals in Cottbus, Air Force named a new coach, and Michigan alum Sam Mikulak earned his sixth U.S. all around title.
What follows is an in-depth look at each team that will take the competition floor this season. Stay tuned for a preview of which gymnasts we anticipate contending on each event; that’ll be posted later this week.
We’ve highlighted what fans should expect from the teams and how each plans to build on last season’s successes. Our rankings are based on an average of those submitted by five CGA contributors:
Logan Bradley (former Illinois gymnast)
Ben Cooperman (former Penn State gymnast)
Alex Wittenberg (former Minnesota gymnast)
Yordan Aleksandrov (former Cal gymnast)
Jessica Frankl (CGA expert/photographer)
The below team write-ups are courtesy of Ben Cooperman, Alex Wittenberg and Yordan Aleksandrov.
Stanford Cardinal
Key Losses: Jacob Barrus, Grant Breckenridge, Josiah Eng
Key Additions: Riley Loos, Brandon Briones, J.R. Chou, Zach Martin
2019 Finish: NCAA — 1st; MPSF — 2nd
Stanford coach Thom Glielmi wasn’t feeling too verbose when CGA asked him about his expectations for the 2020 season.
“Win,” he replied.
Fair enough.
The Cardinal squad is buzzing with momentum following their colossal upset of OU at NCAAs last year. That win was a long time in the making and a product of the kind of clean and consistent gymnastics that Glielmi and co. have become known for. It was also, frankly, accomplished thanks to an excellent showing from then-freshman Brody Malone who earned all-around, floor and high bar titles while elevating his team to the top of the podium.
Stanford’s newest superstar, Brody Malone (picture: Jess Frankl)
Stanford did graduate significant talent last year — Jacob Barrus and Grant Breckenridge in particular will be missed. But with Malone, a standout freshman class and seniors who want to etch 2020 into the record books as the year Stanford became the hegemon, it’s tough to see how Stanford loses. It’d take a lot. It’d take Connor Lewis and Bryan Perla forgetting how to stick their Kas 1.5s and Bailey Perez taking hops on floor. We don’t see that happening.
Fans will get to see earlier than usual just how well Stanford stacks up, too. The Cardinal will be at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 18 for the first time in recent memory, squaring off against some of the Big Ten’s best. If Illinois or Michigan — or Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio State, for that matter — want to show us that the country’s top spot isn’t securely locked despite what seems like overwhelming evidence, an upset win in Chicago would go a long way. It’s familiar territory for those Big Ten teams, of course, and the pressure that is entering a season on top shouldn’t be discounted for the Cardinal. Still, it’s Stanford’s season to lose in 2020. Let’s see how they handle that.
ROUTINE(S) TO WATCH: “Too early to tell, but Malone on horizontal bar, Sun, Lee and Philips on parallel bars, or Gunther on PH,” per Glielmi.
SLEEPER GYMNAST(S): Freshmen Riley Loos and Brandon Briones. “They are figuring it out and I’m hoping they will evolve into dependable team members,” Glielmi said.
2. Michigan Wolverines
Key Losses: Alec Krystek, Marty Strech, Emyre Cole, Anthony McCallum, Ryan Dunning, Justin Hopgood
Key Additions: Paul Juda, Adam Wooten, David Willett, Markus Shears, Virgil Watkins, Casey Cummings, Brandon Robinson
2019 Finish: NCAA — 4th; Big Ten — 3rd
Jacob Moore should play a large role for the Wolverines in 2020 (photo: Jess Frankl)
The Wolverines lost some star power in Marty Strech, Emyre Cole and Anthony McCallum but still find themselves with the No. 2 ranking. An impressive freshman class, as well as the return of Uche Eke and Casey Wentland from redshirt seasons, helps mitigate the losses suffered. Head coach Kurt Golder put it simply when speaking on the 2020 season: “This year’s goals are to win the Big Ten and NCAA Championships.”
Michigan will be a favorite heading into Big Ten Championships this year, and they will surely be hungry after being a mere eight tenths from the title a year ago. A run at the national title will be a bit more of a challenge with the mighty Cardinal defending the podium, but do not count out Michigan being on the heels of Stanford come April.
Watch for the Wolverines to feature huge start values on pommel horse. If they can hit here, they’ll be able to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Keep an eye on freshman Paul Juda as well. If he can quickly emerge as the superstar he is capable of being, this team could run away with the Big Ten title.
ROUTINE(S) TO WATCH: “The routines to watch this year will be Cameron Bock, Jake Moore and Paul Juda,” according to Golder. “They are our top three all-around gymnasts.”
SLEEPER GYMNAST(S): “The sleepers on this year’s team could be Nick Guy on vault and Markus Shears on horse.”
3. Oklahoma Sooners
Key Losses: Yul Moldauer, Levi Anderson, Peter Daggett, Genki Suzuki
Key Additions: David Sandro, Jack Freeman
2019 Finish: NCAA — 2nd; MPSF — 1st
The Sooners will look like a radically different team when they take the floor at the Rocky Mountain Open this Saturday, and that’s just a fact. We won’t see Yul Moldauer, Levi Anderson, Peter Daggett or Genki Suzuki. We unfortunately also won’t see Tanner Justus or Lazarus Barnhill, who were forced to retire early from the sport because of injuries.
What we will see is an Oklahoma team that has something to prove and skeptics to silence, a new task for a team that’s been dominant for years. Coach Mark Williams has been at work in the offseason trying to impart the lessons of those dominant years to his team so that they’re ready for the challenge 2020 presents.
The new-look Sooners will be hungry in 2020 (photo: Jess Frankl)
“I’m working to extend the culture and team environment that had been created in the last 20 years with OU gymnastics,” Williams said. “The are a lot of lessons to teach and rebuilding to be done over the next few months.”
Williams won’t be able to do that alone. OU needs guys like Gage Dyer, Matt Wenske and Vitaliy Guimaraes to pick up where last year’s leaders left off. Each of them has seen the heights to which a strong culture can elevate a team. We’ll be watching to see how they employ those lessons.
For Williams, the principal goal this season is to become a “superbly conditioned and mentally prepared team” that can weather adversity throughout the season. He wants the Sooners to contend for a conference championship and to “be in the mix” at NCAA finals. Those seem like reasonable goals for a team replacing more than three-quarters of its late-season scoring lineup, but it still feels strange to see OU anticipate anything but dominance.
ROUTINE TO WATCH: Gage Dyer’s floor, according to Williams. Dyer is training a 6.0 set.
SLEEPER GYMNAST: David Sandro, a freshman from Ontario. “He will have to contribute a lot as a freshman for our team to compete with the best,” Williams said.
4. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Key Losses: Anton Stephenson
Key Additions: Nikita Bolotsky, Cooper Giles, Moritz Mueller, Sam Phillips, Kenji Tamane, Dylan Young
2019 Finish: NCAA — 3rd; Big Ten — 4th
The Huskers capped 2019 with their highest national finish since 1999, placing third at NCAAs, and their sights are set even higher for 2020.
“Our guys are very motivated from the finish of last year’s NCAA Championships” said coach Chuck Chmelka. “They want to improve from the 3rd-place finish and are working very hard for that to happen.”
Nebraska will be working off some serious momentum gained in 2019 (photo: Jess Frankl)
Nebraska certainly has momentum on their side, but it’ll be a big task for the team to replace Anton Stephenson, who contributed about four points at NCAA finals. Chmelka expects the squad’s six freshmen to help fill the gap left by Stephenson, and Nebraska will need solid performances and strong leadership from Griffin Kehler, Jacob Bonnay and Josh Martin as well.
The Huskers have been on an upward trajectory for the past few years, but can they realize their goal of securing a Big Ten and NCAA team title? It’s a long season, but we’ll have a sense of how realistic that goal is on Saturday, when the Huskers face off against OU and Big Ten foe Minnesota at the Rocky Mountain Open. A win would say a lot.
ROUTINE(S) TO WATCH: Those of seniors Jake Bonnay and Josh Martin, per Chmelka.
SLEEPER GYMNAST(S): Griffin Kehler, Evan Kriley, Mitch Tyndall, Jonathan Scripnick and Dylan LeClair. “Truly, however, everyone must contribute and do their part if we are going to excel at Big 10s and NCAAs,” said Chmelka.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
Key Losses: Alex Diab, Johnny Jacobson
Key Additions: Evan Manivong, Zach Ziolkowski, Dylan Kolak, Josh Cook, Connor McCool
2019 Finish: NCAA — 5th, Big Ten — 2nd
The Fighting Illini enter the 2020 season with two of their star performers sidelined for the entire season. Both Clay Stephens and Michael Fletcher are out with ACL tears and will look to return in top form in 2021. The absence of Stephens and Fletcher combined with the departure of Johnny Jacobson and Alex Diab pose a big challenge for coach Justin Spring and his team.
“Making up the losses from last year will be extra hard with the injuries we have. We have developed our guys to the best of our ability during the offseason and we have to assume that’s enough,” said Spring. “Our freshmen will be counted on more than usual due to these injuries, so we are expecting a lot from them. Consistency will be key with their routines. My goal is to maximize my athletes.”
Hamish Carter will be an important piece on this injury-depleted Illini team (photo: Jess Frankl)
Despite all of this, Illinois still comes in at a respectable No. 5 preseason ranking. What does Illinois have going for them? A history of success. The Illini have finished in the top five at NCAA Championships each of the past four seasons. No matter what group Spring has on the floor, you know they will find a way to be in the mix. Look for Hamish Carter to be leaned on heavily as Illinois aims to continue a tradition of success in 2020.
Pommel horse and rings will be the x-factor for this team. If they can hit, they can hang with just about any other team in the Big Ten. Michael Paradise will lead the way as he looks to be in NCAA Champion contention his senior year.
ROUTINE(S) TO WATCH: “Michael Paradise on pommel horse and Hamish Carter on high bar,” per Spring.
SLEEPER GYMNAST(S): “Ian Skirkey and Connor McCool.”
6. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Key Losses: Vitali Kan, Shaun Herzog, Justin Karstadt
Key Additions: Crew Bold, Donte McKinney
2019 Finish: NCAA — 9th, Big Ten — 5th
Minnesota claimed a share of the Big Ten regular season title in 2019 but sputtered in the postseason, finishing fifth at Big Tens and coming up short of NCAA finals for the first time since 2015. The Gophers also graduated a talented senior class that included Vitali Kan, Shaun Herzog and Justin Karstadt. It won’t be easy for Minnesota to make up for those losses.
Fortunately for them, there’s Shane Wiskus, who, after finishing second in the all-around and first on parallel bars at NCAAs, had a banner performance at World Championships. Wiskus has his eye on Tokyo, and that means he’ll need to continue to prove himself as an Olympic contender each weekend this season. That bodes well for the Gophers: they’ll need big contributions from Wiskus to be competitive this year.
Who’s ready for the Shane Wiskus show? (photo: Jess Frankl)
Minnesota can also boast a talented freshman class. Crew Bold, a Junior National Team member, is comfortable connecting three Tkatchevs after catching a Cassina; Donte McKinney has a superb Yurchenko 2.5 and potential to grow into a serious competitor. The Gophers could be a threat this season if their freshmen step up and members of their sophomore class, like Ben Eyles, Mike Moran and David Pochinka, have more of an impact than they did last year.
For coach Mike Burns, Minnesota will need to develop “a clear view of what it is we want to accomplish this year and then every one of us needs to be committed to those goals day in and day out.”
Burns thinks his team has the potential to win a Big Ten title and finish the regular season toward the top of the NCAA rankings. To do so, the Gopher squad will need to hone their ability to manage adversity in the toughest competitions. At the Rocky Mountain Open, their season opener, they’ll get to test themselves in that climate by taking on a vulnerable OU team and Big Ten rival Nebraska.
ROUTINE(S) TO WATCH: Shane Wiskus’ floor, pommel and high bar; Crew Bold’s high bar; Mike Moran’s floor; and David Pochinka’s pommel and parallel bars, according to Burns.
SLEEPER GYMNAST: Timmy Kutyla. “As a PB/HB specialist I feel like this is going to be his breakout season,” Burns said. “Last year he made Big Ten finals on HB but finished on a rough day at NCAAs. I feel like Tim is ready to take his place in the Gopher Gymnastics history books this year.”
7. Penn State Nittany Lions
Key Losses: Wyatt Tyndall, Chris Sands, Michael Burns, Noah Roberson, Greg Tamargo
Key Additions: Chase Clingman, Robbie Shamp, Andres Perez, Nate Warren
2019 Finish: NCAA — 6th; Big Ten — 1st
The reigning Big Ten Champions come into the 2020 season with high hopes after losing a solid group of seniors. They will have to replace three routines on high bar and two big routines on rings. Despite the large gaps to fill, this team will still be in contention thanks to Sam Zakutney, who has proven himself as the Nittany Lions’ MVP over the past couple years. Head coach Randy Jepson knows that it is not easy to repeat: “WE ARE pleased to be the returning Big Ten Champions, but that really means little when it comes to this season,” Jepson said. “We have a different team and it is a new season so we know we have to go out and earn our place.”
It’s a new year, but Penn State finds themselves as reigning Big Ten champions (photo: Jess Frankl)
What else is going for them besides Zakutney? This team could quite easily be the best in the country on pommel horse. The rotation will be paced by two-time NCAA champion Stephen Nedoroscik, who will be joined by Favian Valdez, Nick Mock and Jack Baldwin in the lineup. Penn State has always been known for rings, and Isaac Hammett will anchor them there and be in contention for a Big Ten and NCAA title.
Watch out for freshman Andres Perez as well who joined the team with international competition experience from Puerto Rico. He could potentially pair with Zakutney in the all-around.
ROUTINE TO WATCH: “Obviously, Stephen Nedoroscik has a pommel horse routine that is one to watch,” Jepson said. “He can post a start value as high as 16.8 so he will be amazing to follow this season. We also have Baldwin and Mock who are outstanding and have become very solid. We could boast three potential All-Americans in those three.”
SLEEPER GYMNAST: “Our one gymnast who is ready to make waves this year is Alex Frack. He has made upgrades to every event and is more solid than ever. His pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar will be huge for us this year along with his attitude, work ethic and overall example which continue to help to pace our squad.”
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
Key Losses: Jake Brodarzon, Rogelio Vazquez
Key Additions: Noah Adams, Reuven Anderson, Amari Sewell, Carter Tope
2019 Finish: NCAA — 7th; Big Ten — 7th
The Hawkeyes’ mediocre finish in 2019 belied what was a surprisingly successful regular season: Iowa claimed part of the Big Ten regular season title after executing clean and consistent routines week in and week out. That consistency was missing at Big Tens (which Iowa hosted) and NCAAs, so the goal for coach JD Reive this season will be to regain that steadiness and keep it constant throughout the entire year.
“That strategy was quite effective for us throughout the regular season,” Reive said. “Moving into this season we have prepared to continue that foundational approach while adding in more difficulty across the board.”
Clean and consistent will once again be Iowa’s motto (photo: Jess Frankl)
That effort will be led by seniors Mitchell Mandozzi, Nicholas Merryman and Brandon Wong, three deeply talented gymnasts who have always seemed able to do more than what they compete. As team leaders, the trio will be asked to realize Reive’s goal of performing “good gymnastics” that prioritizes consistency, competitive difficulty and technical artistry.
The Hawkeyes will open their season against the country’s top teams at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 18. Windy City can be a bellwether, an early-season championship in some ways, so it’ll be interesting to see how Iowa fares amid the kind of intense atmosphere that hamstrung them last season. We’ll be looking for the composure Iowa demonstrated during the regular season last year to make a return.
ROUTINE(S) TO WATCH: Mitchell Mandozzi’s HB, Nicholas Merryman and Stewart Brown on PB, and Brown’s vault, per Reive.
SLEEPER GYMNAST(S): “I am expecting Nicholas Merryman to be a much more effective contributor than in previous seasons, having a significant impact on our season,” Reive said. “I am also very excited to have Stewart Brown at full strength as he is a very strong competitor that can do a lot of damage.”
9. Ohio State Buckeyes
Key Losses: Joey Bonanno, Chris Coombs, David Szarvas, Alexander Wilson, Alec Yoder
Key Additions: Justin Ah Chow, Christian Bartolini, Kazuki Hayashi, Donovan Hewitt, Jakob Murray
2019 Finish: NCAA — 8th; Big Ten — 6th
After failing to qualify to NCAA finals for the past two seasons, the Ohio State Buckeyes will be looking to get back to their 2017 form where they notched an impressive 2nd-place finish behind Oklahoma. Although they can no longer rely on a number of seniors, like eight-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion Alec Yoder, they are extremely fortunate to have signed Justin Ah Chow, a three-time National Team member. With the help of Ah Chow and four other freshmen, head coach Rustam Sharipov is expecting the freshman class to have a big impact on his team’s overall performance. He believes the “work ethic, attitude and productivity during the preseason” that his team has shown is a promising sign for the upcoming season.
Who will step up in a big way for the Buckeyes in 2020? (photo: Jess Frankl)
The Buckeyes’ efforts in 2020 would be seriously aided by breakout seasons from sophomores Jesse Tyndall and Angel Leon, and Ohio State will need Max Andryushchenko and Sean Neighbarger to remain dependable. Any team under Sharipov should never be written off, but the Buckeyes have their work cut out for them this season.
ROUTINE and SLEEPER TO WATCH: Sharipov is confident that during the 2020 season there will be more than one specific Routine or Sleeper to Watch. He is “expecting a big impact on his team from every single class on every single event.”
10. Navy midshipmen
Key Losses: Christian Correale
Key Additions: Wyatt Coon, Giovanni Gambatese, Alex Kramer, and Connor Van Loo
2019 Finish: NCAA — 10th; ECAC — 1st
Kip Simons has produced great results for his team during his tenure as head coach at Navy. More of the same is expected in 2020 as the Midshipmen come in with a deep team, losing only two routines from their 10th-place-finishing 2019 team. Simons has very specific goals for this season: “Beat Army, win the All-Academy Championships, win USAG Nationals, win ECAC conference and improve on our 10th-place finish at NCAAs last year.”
Pommel Horse will yet again be a point of strength for Navy (photo: Jess Frankl)
These may seem like lofty goals, but they are quite realistic for this team.
An event Navy could stand out and find themselves in the top three in the nation on is pommel horse. Both David Toussaint and Ryan Orce were excellent last year and have improved their start values to 16.0 and 16.1, respectively. This pommel horse lineup could have the Midshipmen contending with some of the Big Ten teams come April.
ROUTINE(S) TO WATCH: “David Toussaint and Ryan Orce on pommel horse,” per Simons. “Both have drastically improved start value and their execution as well.”
SLEEPER TO WATCH: “Josh [Williams] has consistently been our top performer on floor and rings throughout the preseason intrasquads while also contributing on vault. Josh has returned for his sophomore season motivated and ready to make his mark within the NCAA. Josh’s commitment to training throughout the summer and preseason will turn into positive results this season.”
11. Cal Golden Bears
Key Losses: Aaron Mah, Mitchell Awisus, Shane Sadighi
Key Additions: Kyle Shuttle, Noah Sano, Will Lavanakul
2019 Finish: NCAA — 11th; MPSF — 3rd
With the loss of more than 10 routines and the graduation of several seniors — including Canadian all-arounder Aaron Mah, who proved to be one of Cal’s most consistent gymnasts over his four years — improving on their 11th-place finish at last year’s NCAA Championships will be a tough task for JT Okada’s Cal team. Despite some of these key losses, Okada says he is optimistic about the upcoming season.
Head coach JT Okada will bring a healthy group into 2020 (photo: Jess Frankl)
“Preseason has gone well for this team, and beyond the normal wear and tear of the sport, the team is looking fairly healthy,” Okada said. “I have seen a vast improvement in the team's pommel horse lineup, and I hope that will be reflected in the meets this year.”
ROUTINE TO WATCH: The addition of freshman pommel horse specialist Will Lavanakul gives Okada hope that the Bears will have an opportunity to improve on what has proven to be an inconsistent and low-scoring apparatus for the team over the last couple of years. “I would say Will Lavanakul on pommel horse would be a very exciting and fun routine for people to watch this upcoming season,” Okada said.
SLEEPER TO WATCH: “Sophomore Kyle Abe is definitely a sleeper gymnast to watch. He is extremely capable of scoring well on nearly every event too!”
12. Air Force Falcons
Key Losses: Eric Klein, Lukas Texeira, Jonah Urlaub, Kristian Kalustian, Ryan Girouard
Key Additions: Ethan Deibert, Troy Jenkins, Edwin Kust, Sam Metzler, Max Perkins
2019 Finish: NCAA — 13th; MPSF — 4th
The Falcons enter the 2020 season with new aspirations set by a new leader. Josh Loeser, an assistant coach of Air Force from 2013-2017, was named head coach of the team in August. He joined Air Force from the USOTC and assumed control of a program that failed to qualify a team to NCAAs in 2019.
Now, Loeser wants pave a path for the team to follow over the next few years, and he’s aware of the difficulties the senior-less team may encounter this season.
“We have greatly increased the intensity of workouts with a strong emphasis on increased difficulty, something I feel is important to the NCAA,” Loeser said. “This year will be a little rough, as the current team is having to make some pretty drastic changes in their approach to workouts in the gym. However, we feel that it will pay off in the years to come.”
Loeser has a new team to mold, but it will be led by young up-and-comers like Frankie Valentin.
Loeser intends to use the fact that the team has no seniors to mold a new culture. He acknowledges that could take the entire season to do, so his goal for 2020 is to “show the guys on our team that they are capable of much more than they realize.” He also wants to fight a stigma he’s seen that says the academy teams aren’t capable of finishing top three in the country or having guys qualify to the national team. “I don't believe that, and I think it's a short-sighted opinion for someone to hold,” he said. “Our goal over the next few years is to prove that opinion wrong.”
ROUTINE TO WATCH: “Many of the guys on our team are doing things that they've never competed before. I'm proud of them for that,” Loeser said. “It may not all come together at every competition, but we feel that allowing them to actually experiment this year will give them more confidence in the future.”
SLEEPER GYMNAST(S): Frankie Valentin and Zach Polen, who will be competing all-around. “Neither of them have done this in their college careers thus far, so I'm anxious to see how they handle that this season.”
13. Army black knights
Key Losses: Cole Casanova, Elliott Herman
Key Additions: Miguel Aquino, Patrick Armstrong, Corban Barstow, Caleb Churchill, Kalvin Kingshill, Alden Miller, Jacob Nauman
2019 Finish: NCAA — 12th; ECAC — 2nd
One goal for Army will never change: Beat Navy.
Army comes into the new season after a very successful 2019 campaign, which included a trip to NCAA Championships as one of the top 12 teams in the country for the first time since 2015. They will look to build on their success but will have to do so without Cole Casanova, who graduated after an illustrious career. It will be Mathew Davis’ turn to step up as the sole MVP for this team after an outstanding freshman year.
Casanova will be replaced with a deeper freshman class who will contribute roughly five of the team’s 30 routines. The Black Knights believe that this freshman class, along with their current roster, can produce big results. Assistant coach Carmine Giglio laid out six goals for the 2020 season: “Beat Navy! Win All-Academy Championships, win the conference, produce individual conference champions, qualify to NCAAs as a team, and produce all-around and individual NCAA All-Americans.”
Army will be hosting ECAC Championships this year, and a win there would be quite the feat for this young team.
ROUTINE TO WATCH: “Sophomore Mathew Davis on floor exercise,” per Giglio. “His routine is packed with difficulty and he is explosive and elegant at the same time.”
SLEEPER TO WATCH: “Darrel Yamamura. He is one of our team captains and looks ready and confident to compete at his full potential on his three events (pommel horse, rings and high bar).”
14. Arizona State sun devils
2019 Finish: NCAA—14th
For the Arizona State Sun Devils, one thing is certain: every year they never fail to recruit an abundance of fresh and talented faces. With the introduction of 24 freshmen last season, the Sun Devils will be looking to win their 23rd and 14th consecutive national title at USAGs. With the help of all-arounders Kiwan Watts and Jordan Williams, Arizona State will not only be looking to defend their USAG National title, but also, like in years before, looking to go head-to-head with — and beat — several varsity programs. Scoring above 390 on four occasions last season, the Sun Devils have shown that they are not too far off many NCAA teams.
Kiwan Watts will yet again be the leader for this Sun Devils team.
ROUTINE TO WATCH: Nick Garcia on floor. With several difficult and interesting connections as well as consistent stuck landings, Garcia’s floor should be regularly be scoring in the 14 range.
SLEEPER TO WATCH: People should not forget just how good of an all-arounder Kiwan Watts really is. He may be known for his extremely technical and precise work on parallel bars and high bar, but last season he was able to score above an 82.0 on multiple occasions and he finished his freshman season ranked No. 7 in the all-around.
15. William & mary tribe
Key Losses: David Watkins, Jacopo Gliozzi, David Allen
Key Additions: Malcolm Baytop, Connor Bowman
2019 Finish: NCAA — 14th; ECAC — 3rd
William & Mary kicks off the season at the West Point Open this weekend (photo: Jess Frankl)
The Tribe will kick off the 2020 season at the West Point Open with their sights set on making some big improvements over last year’s campaign. Head coach Mike Powell had this to say: “William & Mary is in pursuit of excellence. For this season that means clean, consistent routines done with confidence, building all the way through championship season. We expect to be contending for the top spots in the ECAC and at the USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Nationals with our sights set on qualifying to NCAA Championships.”
2014 was the last time William & Mary qualified to NCAA Championships as a team. Powell believes that this group has what it takes to be on the floor in Ann Arbor come April. They will have to do this without Jacopo Gliozzi, who graduated after a prolific career with the Tribe. Connor Bowman will be a freshman to watch as the season picks up.
ROUTINE TO WATCH: “Collin Lillie’s floor exercise,” according to Powell. “Having proven himself in NCAA finals on vault last year, Collin has grown as an athlete and developed his floor into the same caliber routine as vault.”
SLEEPER TO WATCH: “Freshman Aidan Cuy. He is a tough, persistent workhorse in the gym who will play a major role on the team. While his parallel bars stand out, he really is an all-around gymnast who will contribute on several events.”
16. Springfield pride
Key Losses: Jannik Haas
Key Additions: Jakarie Williams, Timothy Templeton, Dominic Ramalho, Rene Hernandez, Chase Galayda, Luke Dinneen, Dante Cecil, Austin Luke, Billy Welsby
2019 Finish: NCAA —16th; ECAC — 4th
Springfield star Stephen Lewis is back for his final season with the Pride (photo: Jess Frankl)
This season Springfield will be looking to improve on their NCAA ranking with the introduction of nine freshmen to the team and the loss of only two seniors. For the last three seasons Springfield has ended the NCAA season in 16th place, and the last time they finished above 16th was back in 2016, when they placed 15th. Head coach Matt Davis believes that young and new freshmen faces will add more depth and value to the team.
“We had another large and talented freshman class come in this year with nine total,” Davis said. “They have been working very hard each day and definitely have the drive to make some big impacts for us this season. The freshman class will help fill some holes from our two seniors that graduated last year as well as adding depth throughout our lineup. Dominic Romalho and Jakarie Williams will help to lead this talented class this season.”
ROUTINE TO WATCH: “We have made a lot of improvements on floor throughout our lineup for the upcoming season, and last year's late transfer, John Murphy, has continued to add more difficulty,” Davis said. “I believe his floor routine will be the one to watch this season after having an All-American performance at last year's USAG Collegiate Nationals competition.”
SLEEPER TO WATCH: “I believe this year's sleeper gymnast will be sophomore Christian Wilkey Jr. He has put in a lot of work to add difficulty throughout his routines and his confidence has really grown. I believe he will have a great shot at competing in the all-around this year and be a big part of depth throughout our lineup.”
Gymact teams
Washington Huskies
Any significant additions/subtractions from last year’s team?
Head coach Giancarlo Mora: Our key losses were Nathan Tsuji and Michael Sibley. Freshmen Adam Kerwin (Kent, WA), Jameel Ali (Burlington, Ontario), and Luka Sisauri (Colorado Springs, CO) are three very solid recruits that will be challenging high scores this season. Luka absolute loves PH and is looking to turn heads on each one of his performances.
How was the offseason?
Mora: The Huskies spent a week in England this past summer preparing for the coming season at the famous Huntingdon Gymnastics Club where athletes like Louis Smith and Dan Keatings trained in the past, and Washington is looking today much more confident in their overall performances, showing clean and enjoyable-to-watch routines.
Returner Ben Bloom (senior) has been working diligently to lead the Huskies to solid routines and is looking forward to be not only the top AA score of our team, but to be one of the top three MVP, and together with Alex May (junior) they will be the backbone of this team. Another strong contribution to the team should come from Oscar Hemmert, who after leading the Huskies to consistent HB routines past season is looking to show what he can in several other events as well this year.
What are your goals for this season?
Mora: Goes without saying that one of the top goals is to keep athletes healthy and to hit routines. As a team, Washington will show how much work we have put in improving our weak events, PH and HB, and hope to see that such efforts will be reflected in the national rankings.
UIC
How has the team been doing in the wake of the program’s being cut?
Head coach Charlie Nelson: This team is resilient. I could also describe them as tough and tenacious. We spent 2018-2019 fighting to get our program reinstated. We didn't meet that goal, but this team decided to persevere where hundreds of other programs simply faded away. We have 15 guys on our roster who are committed to becoming better gymnasts, but also protecting UIC's 70-year legacy and building a tradition for the future. All of that is promising on multiple fronts.
What will be a Routine to Watch this season?
Nelson: The “routines” to watch for this season come from Sam Montague. He is UIC's top all-arounder and most talented athlete — bar none. He's training a triple back on FX, but we'll have to balance value and execution if it'll make it to competition, or not. Either way, I think that demonstrates the level of power Sam provides. He'll be UIC's anchor on four of six events.
Who is a Sleeper Gymnast you expect to surprise people this season?
Nelson: My sleeper is undoubtedly Kelvin Stevens, Jr. He is an academic sophomore who came to UIC through the Illinois High School Gymnastics program. He began the sport competing for York High School as a freshman and has progressed to international-level type skills on rings in just five years. He suffered a torn bicep in December 2018 and missed last season, but he used the down time very well. He made significant progress on his handstand position and that has turned him into a really strong guy who can do it all on rings. Kelvin is still rough around the edges, but his ring set will impress, especially if you know his back story.
Temple
How has the team been looking?
Head coach Jesse Kitzen-Abelson: When I took over in 2016, these guys were depressed. It was the end of a generation. It’s taken us three years to get to this point, where we have life again. The culture is much improved from a few years ago.
Who is someone fans should keep an eye on this season?
Kitzen-Abelson: The most important thing for Temple isn’t our standout gymnast. It’s that we were destined to be finished by now, and we’re not. We were cut six years ago and now we’re growing.
Is there a specific routine we should watch for?
Kitzen-Abelson: There’s our best guy, Nicolino DiBattista, in the all-around and Jacob Biller and Toby Warren on floor.
What is your goal for this season?
Kitzen-Abelson: The goal has been to get back to the strong culture that was missing a few years ago. Now, in 2020, we have 12 guys on the roster, and the culture is a complete 180 from two years ago.
It would be great to repeat our finish from last year’s USAGs, where we placed third. We were running on max, but we were able to compete 30 routines most of the year. UIC will be in our tier this year, and that will make things challenging. Ultimately, we want to be a sustainable program and do good gymnastics.
Sc united
Any significant additions/subtractions from last year’s team?
Head coach Heinz Schulmeister: As far as significant subtractions, Nick Horner graduated from UCSB this past season. He was team captain for five years, all-around All-American and nominee for the N2 Award. He will be missed.
Significant Additions: This is one of the years with one of the highest number of freshmen. We are adding five freshmen, two of them strong all-arounders and the other three very strong specialists on their respective events.
Who’s a Sleeper Gymnast you expect to turn heads this season?
Schulmeister: There are three gymnasts on this team this year that will turn some heads this season. I am going to keep that a surprise for now.
What is your goal for this season?
Schulmeister: Healthy athletes, strong and clean routines, individual event finalists and champions at USAG Nationals and making top three team at USAG Nationals.
Nor cal united
Any significant additions/subtractions from last year’s team?
Head coach John Lucas: Nor Cal United has three of five returning gymnasts from last year. We have five new freshmen this year.
Of the additions, who will be contributing most, and on which events?
Lucas: We are very excited for the addition of Brandon Garcia. He is a national competitor from Region 1. He has been on Nor Cal State All-Star teams, and had a very good junior career finishing 16th all-around at the 2019 Junior Olympic National Championships. He is our highest-level recruit to date and we expect him to be an excellent AA competitor.
Who else should fans keep an eye on?
Lucas: Junior and 2018 all-around All-American Will Ryan will be returning for his third season and we are very excited for his leadership and experience with what will be a very young team. Junior Erik Gralian, also in his third year, will continue to be a strong contributor to the team with rings and pommel horse being excellent events to watch this year.
What is your goal for this season?
Lucas: Qualify to nationals and compete a full team (30 routines). Last year we qualified to nationals but were unable to compete five gymnasts on each event. 24 routines at Stanford Open and at nationals was the most that we were able to put together during the season.
NY Alliance
Any significant additions/subtractions from last year’s team?
Head coach Garison Clark: Both of our former team captains, Devin Taylor and Matt Williams, have graduated and are no longer competing with us. Both competed all-around at 2019 USAGs, and they were the backbone of NYA during their time with us!
We have had many significant additions to our team this year, totaling four new competitors and one GymACT-petitioned athlete joining three competitors from last season! Of them includes freshman Zach Roos, who shows great ability and potential for his next four years. Zach will contribute greatly on floor, pommels, parallel bars and vault. And who knows, maybe Zach will be an all-arounder in his future! It also includes junior Andrew Mattson, a former UIC gymnast who has returned to his home state of NY to complete his undergrad. He will greatly contribute on floor, pommels, rings and vault.
Who’s a Sleeper Gymnast you expect to turn heads this season?
Clark: I think Roos will seriously turn some heads this season. Throughout his JO career, Zach struggled with many injuries including a fracture in his back. In his senior year of high school, he could not complete his season due to a serious thumb injury that occurred at regionals. Since joining NYA, we have seen nothing but progress at EVERY single practice he attends. He learns new skills at an extremely fast rate, performs with great style, and puts a lot of hours into his training. His pommels routine is something to watch out for!
In addition, Casey Cassara on floor is a routine to keep an eye on. Casey started gymnastics as a senior in high school at 17 years old. He is now an NYA team captain and his floor routine holds the highest start value for our team this season!
What is your goal for this season?
The goal for NYA this season is Quality! As a young and somewhat small program (for now), everyone involved is working to design and implement a program that can foster growth in its athletes during their time with us. In the past, we have been lucky enough to have athletes train and compete their weakest events in order to fill out a team score. Many times, it forced athletes to push their comfort zone and compete all-around. It benefited the team greatly, but competing all six limits their potential on their top events. This year, our athletes are able to focus on their top events and push their limits to compete high value routines with great quality!