No. 12 UCLA gymnastics is set to compete in its second consecutive non-dual meet to kick off its 2025 season, this time returning to the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in Oklahoma City. UCLA will compete in the first session against Arkansas, Kentucky and Ohio State. Sports contributor Hannah Westerhold breaks down each opponent before the meet.
Kentucky
2024 ranking: 9th
Strength: Floor
Weakness: Beam
X-factor: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm
2025 marks a new era for Kentucky – one without all-around powerhouse Raena Worley.
For the last five years, Worley was a staple in all four events and established herself as an invaluable part of the Kentucky women’s gymnastics program. If 13 All-American recognitions in her collegiate career weren’t enough, Worley stamped her name in Wildcat history after four perfect scores on floor in 2024.
Worley’s contributions undoubtedly carried the Wildcats to a top-six ranking in the nation on floor and cemented the event as their highest-scoring event of the year. But her absence from the 2025 lineup leaves a gaping hole that must be filled for the squad to remain a national contender.
Even without Worley, veterans could have floor covered for Kentucky. Washington transfer Skylar Killough-Wilhelm has a chance at achieving perfection this season after recording a career-high 9.975 on floor last year.
And Creslyn Brose, who scored a 9.975 on floor three times last season as a freshman, joins Killough-Willhelm in the hunt for a 10.
Although Kentucky could have a floor lineup of entirely collegiate veterans, that isn’t to say there aren’t accomplished newcomers. Freshman Chesney Bennett won the 2022 Level 10 national floor title and could be capable of collegiate-level tumbling.
It can be a risky move to put the weight of the team on collegiate novices, but Kentucky may have no choice on the remaining three events.
Beam, in particular, could require a reliance on rookies. Kentucky graduated half of last year’s beam lineup, which already had less depth than floor. Freshman Abby Bednar may have the skills required to make the lineup, but whether or not they’re enough to have a smooth transition to college gymnastics could determine Kentucky’s beam performance Saturday.
Arkansas
2024 ranking: 7th
Strength: Floor
Weakness: Beam
X-factor: Joscelyn Roberson
UCLA will not be the only team parading an athlete who spent their summer in Paris on Saturday. Arkansas freshman Joscelyn Roberson is expected to make her collegiate debut just a few months after serving as an alternate for the United States Olympic team.
Roberson will not only reunite with UCLA’s Jordan Chiles as fellow 2024 Olympians but also as teammates from the World Champions Centre, the pair’s base training gym in Spring, Texas.
Like Chiles’ return to Westwood, Roberson’s arrival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is most anticipated by a spot in the floor lineup. Roberson’s elite career has been characterized by powerful tumbling that could reach great heights despite her 4-foot-8 frame.
Roberson offers the Razorbacks plenty of tumbling passes to choose from, given the high difficulty of her elite passes. She has a shot at contributing to Arkansas’ highest-scoring event from the 2024 season.
However, the floor is not the end of Roberson’s capabilities. Her powerful gymnastics has also translated to the vault, earning her the national title at the U.S. championships in 2023.
Vault was a strong event for the Razorbacks in 2024, and 2025 is not expected to look much different with the return of seven of last year’s eight athletes in the event.
Sophomore Hailey Klein was a consistent contributor to the Razorbacks’ vault squad in 2024. Klein averaged above a 9.850 on vault last year across 11 appearances, with a near-perfect season high of 9.975.
If the Razorbacks’ trends are consistent with last season, then their competitive status could be dependent on their performance on beam.
In 2024, beam was Arkansas’ most inconsistent event, with its totals ranging from 48.425 to 49.575. The lack of consistency significantly impacted the Razorbacks’ meet totals, as their top two beam scores correlated with some of their highest-scoring meets of the season.
If Arkansas can compete on beam with an Olympic gold mentality Saturday, then head coach and former UCLA gymnastics team manager Jordyn Wieber’s squad might be able to prove itself as a national contender.
Ohio State
2024 ranking: 13th
Strength: Vault
Weakness: Beam
X-factor: Payton Harris
Ohio State will welcome UCLA to the Big Ten on Saturday, armed and ready with a pair of top-30 all-arounders from the 2024 season.
Junior Payton Harris and redshirt junior Tory Vetter both earned star status for the Buckeyes by competing in the all-around in every single meet of the 2024 season.
But not only did Harris compete all-around in every meet – she excelled, collecting seven all-around titles.
Consistency could also be what the Buckeyes need to succeed, and consistency seemed like Harris’ middle name last year. Despite being a sophomore, she only charted one score below a 9.775.
Harris shines on the floor, helping to keep it as Ohio State’s highest-scoring event. In 2024, she averaged a 9.900 on floor and is likely aiming for a perfect score this season.
Although Ohio State may rely on Harris’ floor-working abilities, her consistency on bars and beam could be even more help to the Buckeyes in 2025.
The unpredictability of the Buckeyes’ beam totals was arguably their biggest challenge last season, with their lowest and highest beam scores – 48.625 and 49.525, respectively – tallied at consecutive meets, even with Harris’ respective scores of 9.900 and 9.825.
Although floor was the Buckeyes’ highest-scoring event in 2024, their highest-ranked event was vault at 13th in the nation. Vetter was a key contributor to Ohio State’s vault totals, notching 11 scores that were 9.850 or higher.
Ohio State’s vault performance this year could improve from 2024 with the addition of Rylee Guevara, who is capable of a 10.0 start value vault and could make her way into the vault lineup as a freshman.
With the expansion of the Big Ten and elevated competition for the Buckeyes, the added depth to their lineup could be just what they need to grow in the upcoming season.
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