From Rising Talent to Recruiting Target: Class of 2028

The Class of 2028 is reaching an interesting point in its gymnastics journey. The early years of development are beginning to give way to a clearer picture of who these athletes are, what they bring to the competition floor and how they could fit into the next level.   For some, that next step is already taking shape. They're building consistency, refining their routines, and showing qualities that can translate to college gymnastics. These are the Class of 2028 gymnasts moving beyond the label of rising talent and beginning to establish themselves as legitimate recruiting targets.    Abigail Bernard enters this season at an important point in her gymnastics career. Coming off her second Level 10 season, Bernard has used the summer to add upgrades and sharpen her routines, putting herself in position to make a strong impression during a key stretch of her recruitment. Her beam routine may be where she has the biggest opportunity to make an impact at the collegiate level. A back handspring-layout-layout series, switch-leg aerial, and side somi give the routine plenty of difficulty, while her round-off double-full dismount adds another high-level finish. On bars, her Pak salto and double-layout dismount are looking strong and clean, and she brings a beautifully extended Yurchenko full to vault. Her floor routine adds a Rudi to the mix, giving her another piece of difficulty across the lineup. With upgrades already showing this summer, Bernard has plenty of momentum heading into a season that could be an important one in her recruiting journey.     Audrina Alvarez has spent the summer preparing for what could be an important junior season. Coming off her third Level 10 season, Alvarez is entering a stage of her career where continued upgrades and consistency can make a real difference, and she has already been putting in the work. Her summer momentum was recently highlighted by an invitation to participate in USA Gymnastics Region 2's international trip to London. The upgrades she has been training give plenty of reason to watch what comes next. On bars, Alvarez is working a Maloney-Pak connection, toe-on to front tuck half dismount, and toe shoot full pirouette. Her Yurchenko full adds power on vault, while beam features a front aerial to scale. On floor, she brings a Rudi-layout stepout combination and a 2.5, adding difficulty to an already well-rounded lineup. With three Level 10 seasons behind her and a summer focused on taking the next step, Alvarez is one Class of 2028 gymnast colleges should have on their radar.     Rebecca Norris is coming off her first Level 10 season and looks ready to carry that momentum into her junior year. She has spent the offseason building an impressive skill set, but it's the quality of her execution that immediately stands out. Norris brings impeccable form and attention to detail throughout her routines, giving even difficult skills a polished and graceful look. On bars, she is working a Ray release alongside a Maloney and Pak, while beam features a front aerial to scale and back dive mount. Her floor lineup includes a front Rudi and 1.5 to front layout, adding plenty of difficulty to her repertoire. Through it all, Norris maintains the beautiful lines and controlled movement that define her gymnastics. As she enters her second Level 10 season, she looks like the type of recruit who could bring a polished, graceful presence to a collegiate lineup.     Brooklyn Banning is heading into her junior season with two Level 10 seasons behind her and a skill set that continues to develop. She brings a confident presence to the competition floor, pairing clean lines and polished execution with a unique collection of skills that gives her recruiting profile plenty of depth. Beam is a great example of that combination, with a switch leap-switch leap-back tuck series, aerial-layout stepout, and aerial to 1.5 dismount giving the routine both difficulty and variety. On floor, Banning brings a double tuck, 1.5 to front layout, and Rudi, while her bars feature a Jaeger and clear hip to blind change. She also brings a Yurchenko layout to vault. With her confidence, clean presentation, and distinctive skill set continuing to develop, Banning enters her junior season as a Class of 2028 recruit with plenty to offer a collegiate lineup.     Amara Miliotis is coming off her first Level 10 season, and there's already one event that looks particularly intriguing for her future. Her bars have the ingredients of a routine that could make an impact in a collegiate lineup, combining release work, strong handstand positions, and multiple dismount options. Her Tkatchev, bail to handstand, and double-layout dismount give the routine plenty of substance, while her ability to train a full-out dismount adds another layer to her potential. Miliotis brings that same ambition to the rest of her lineup. She has a Yurchenko full on vault, while floor features both a double layout and double tuck. On beam, she brings a front toss and back handspring-layout stepout. After gaining her first Level 10 season of experience, Miliotis enters the next stage of her development with a skill set that gives her plenty of room to continue building, with bars in particular making her a recruit to watch for future college lineups.     Kylin Woods brings a level of attention to detail that is easy to appreciate. From her lines to her toe point, she is intentional about every part of her gymnastics, creating the kind of polished form that can elevate a routine from beginning to end. That commitment to clean execution gives Woods a distinctive quality as she continues to develop her skills. She has been building an impressive collection of upgrades across all four events. On floor, Woods is working a double pike, front layout to full, and double tuck, while beam features several challenging combinations, including aerial-aerial to scale and aerial to round-off, along with a sissone-aerial to scale, side somi, and gainer full dismount. On bars, she brings a Gienger and toe-on to front tuck half dismount. With her focus on precision extending all the way to the smallest details, Woods has the foundation to continue turning her growing skill set into polished, college-ready gymnastics.     Deanna Bowens is coming off her second Level 10 season with the kind of power that immediately catches your attention. What makes that power especially impressive is her ability to pair it with clean form and control, allowing her gymnastics to stay polished even as the difficulty increases. That combination is especially evident on floor, where Bowens is training a front double full, front full to front full, and Rudi. Her power also gives her plenty of potential on vault, where she is working a front handspring to front pike half. On beam, she brings a front handspring to front toss combination and front full dismount, adding another layer of difficulty to the event. With two Level 10 seasons behind her, Bowens is continuing to build on a foundation of explosive gymnastics and precise execution that could translate well to the collegiate level.     Hannah Park has a polished quality to her gymnastics that is especially noticeable on bars. Her clean lines and exquisite form give the routine a refined look, while her ability to maintain a steady rhythm keeps everything connected from one skill to the next. There's a consistency to the way Park moves through her routines that makes her gymnastics easy to appreciate. That same attention to detail carries across all four events. On bars, she is training both a double layout and a full-twisting double layout dismount, along with a Hindorff, giving the routine plenty of potential for next season. Her floor work includes a front Rudi, while beam features an aerial to split jump and sissone to gainer pike dismount. With beautiful form serving as a constant throughout her gymnastics, Park brings a level of polish that could make her an intriguing addition to a collegiate lineup.     Payton Richardson brings a fearless approach to her gymnastics, never shying away from trying something new or taking on a skill that pushes her to the next level. That willingness to challenge herself is matched by the power and precision she brings to the competition floor, giving her gymnastics an exciting combination of ambition and control. Her plans for next season reflect that mindset. On vault, Richardson is training both a Yurchenko full and Yurchenko 1.5, with an excellent block that gives her plenty of lift and distance. Bars features a full pirouette to double tuck dismount and bail to handstand, while floor includes a double pike. On beam, she brings a round-off double-full dismount. With a willingness to experiment with unique skills and the power to back them up, Richardson is continuing to build a skill set that could make her an intriguing recruit at the next level.     Maria Gonzalez is putting together a skill set that makes her particularly intriguing for the future, especially on bars. She combines clean execution with a fearless approach to difficulty, giving her gymnastics both polish and personality. Her bars routine has the potential to become a real asset at the collegiate level, with a Ray, blind change to Jaeger, Maloney, bail to handstand, and double-layout dismount giving her plenty of ways to make an impact. That same confidence carries across the rest of her lineup. Gonzalez is training a Yurchenko full on vault, while floor features a front layout to front full and full-in. On beam, she brings a double-tuck dismount. With strong upgrades taking shape and a willingness to attack difficult skills, Gonzalez is a name to watch as her gymnastics continues to develop. Her combination of clean execution and fearless work could make her a future standout in a college lineup, particularly on bars.

The Class of 2028 is reaching an interesting point in its gymnastics journey. The early years of development are beginning to give way to a clearer picture of who these athletes are, what they bring to the competition floor and how they could fit into the next level.