Six Deep: My College Floor Lineup From the Class of 2028

Choosing a floor lineup is more than just powerful tumbling. You want someone who can draw in the judges and perform for the crowd. Showmanship and performance quality are at the top of the list when building a floor lineup.   Welcome to Six Deep, where I'm putting together my own six-gymnast lineup for each event. First up is vault, where I'm looking for the athletes I'd trust to set the tone, build momentum, and deliver when it matters. These are the six gymnasts I'd want on my floor roster.    Maddie Lewis would bring the combination of difficulty, confidence, and performance quality you want in a college floor lineup. She opens with a big double pike before connecting a front full through to a double full, immediately establishing a routine that demands attention. Her big leaps and switch side–Popa combination add another layer of amplitude and variety, while she closes with a strong 2.5. Throughout the routine, Maddie performs with confidence and showmanship, giving her the ability to make her difficulty stand out while keeping the audience engaged from her opening pass to her final pose.     Maliha brings an immediate performance quality that would make her a standout addition to a college floor lineup. She opens with a huge full-in, setting the tone for a routine built around powerful tumbling and confident presentation. Her 1.5–front pike and double tuck add plenty of difficulty, but it's her ability to perform between the passes that really elevates the routine. Maliha fully commits to her choreography, engaging the crowd and carrying her performance quality from the opening pose through the final pass. Her routine is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at Auburn.     Greta brings a true performance quality to floor, pairing dramatic choreography and expert showmanship with powerful tumbling. She opens with a front layout–front Rudi, follows with a front double full, and closes with an impressive triple full that provides a memorable finish. But what makes her routine especially compelling is the way she invites the crowd into the performance. There's a sense of fun and personality throughout, making her floor routine feel less like simply competing an event and more like putting on a show.     Hadara Rostocil brings the kind of floor routine that can make even the most difficult tumbling look effortless. She opens with a full-in that explodes off the floor, follows with a double tuck that she makes look almost routine, and adds a front layout–front full to round out her tumbling. What stands out most, though, is the ease and enjoyment she brings to the event. Hadara has a natural ability to attack big skills without letting the difficulty overwhelm her performance, creating the impression that she's simply having fun out on the floor. That combination of explosive tumbling, confidence, and genuine performance quality is what makes her such an exciting addition to Oklahoma's future lineup.     Oklahoma commit Lailah Danzy brings the kind of combination of power and performance that makes her floor routine impossible to overlook. Her engaging choreography immediately draws you in, but it's her tumbling that makes the routine truly stand out. She opens with a huge double layout that seems to float through the air, followed by a 1.5–front layout combination, before finishing with a double tuck. Lailah has the power to make these big, difficult passes look effortless, with the amplitude and control to consistently produce easy landings. Paired with her ability to connect with the crowd, she has the complete package on floor, and for any college lineup, this is a routine that simply can't be left out.     Mizzou commit Annie Cole brings the kind of power and performance quality that would make her a must-have in a college floor lineup. She opens with a full-in that explodes off the floor, followed by a 1.5–front layout combination and a double tuck. Annie has an impressive ability to generate big power with ease, creating explosive tumbling while maintaining control and confidence in her landings. Just as importantly, she never loses the performer in the athlete. She smiles, engages, and entertains throughout the routine. The result is a floor routine that feels like a true performance from start to finish, making Annie a routine you have to find a spot for in the lineup.

Choosing a floor lineup is more than just powerful tumbling. You want someone who can draw in the judges and perform for the crowd. Showmanship and performance quality are at the top of the list when building a floor lineup.