Illinois on the Rise: Upperclassmen You'll Want to Watch

Illinois has plenty of talent to keep an eye on this season, and the upperclassmen are ready to make their mark. From proven performers looking to build on strong seasons to rising standouts ready for another big year, these Class of 2027 and 2028 gymnasts are names you'll want on your radar as the season unfolds. Here's a closer look at the Illinois athletes poised to make an impact!    Amaya Bronson-Zapata is a name to watch as she heads into another season, especially on vault, where her power and consistency on her Yurchenko layout made her a standout throughout last season. She's showing strength across all four events, making her an exciting all-around prospect to follow. This season, we're hoping to see her bring even more difficulty to the table, including a Yurchenko full and a Yurchenko 1.5 that she's trained to a mat. On floor, keep an eye out for her double pike, front full-front full, and Rudi, while her beam training includes a back handspring-layout stepout and standing layout to scale. On bars, a double layout dismount is another skill we're excited to see. With power, versatility, and upgrades on the horizon, Amaya could be poised for a big season.     Audrey Dugan is back this season with a vengeance, and she's bringing some exciting upgrades with her. After time away, she's ready to make her presence felt and give us plenty to watch as the season unfolds. On bars, we're looking forward to seeing her build on her routine with a double layout dismount, Gienger, and bail to handstand, adding both difficulty and dynamic elements to her work. Vault is another event to watch, with a Yurchenko full on the radar. But it's floor where Audrey could really turn heads, with a lineup of big skills that includes a Rudi, front double full, double full, and double tuck. With power-packed tumbling and upgrades across multiple events, Audrey is returning with plenty to prove, and we're excited to see what she brings to the competition floor this season.     Ella Kaufman has already shown she can deliver when the pressure is on, and she's looking to build on that momentum this season! She finished last year with a season-high 9.65 on vault and an impressive 9.55 on bars at Nationals, proving she has the ability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage. Known for bringing a combination of power and consistency, Ella is an exciting name to watch across all four events. This season, we're hoping to see some upgrades that could take her routines to another level, including a Yurchenko 1.5 on vault and a Shaposh-bail to handstand connection on bars. On beam, keep an eye out for her gainer layout stepout and back handspring-layout stepout, while floor could feature a front through to double tuck and full-in. With her proven ability to hit big routines and the potential for added difficulty, Ella has all the pieces to make another strong statement this season!     Ivory Haggard brings the kind of power that can make an immediate impact in a lineup, and she gave us a glimpse of that potential last season on vault, where she posted an impressive season-high 9.5 at Regionals. She's an athlete who combines strength with the ability to deliver big skills, making her an exciting gymnast to watch as she continues to develop. This season, we're looking forward to seeing her bring even more difficulty to the competition floor, including a Yurchenko full on vault and a Maloney-bail to handstand connection paired with a double layout dismount on bars. On floor, her double pike and 1.5-layout are two upgrades we're especially excited about. Ivory has the power and skill set that could make her a valuable addition to a college lineup, particularly on events where explosive tumbling and big amplitude can make a difference. She's definitely one to keep on your radar this season.     After an injury kept her from competing a full season last year, Laila Guerrero gave us a glimpse of what she brings to the competition floor when she returned to compete beam at Regionals, showcasing the finesse, precision, and composure that make her such an exciting athlete to watch. Now, she's gearing up for a much bigger return, with her sights set on getting back into the all-around and making an impact across all four events. On bars, we're looking forward to seeing her Ray, bail to handstand, full pirouette, and double layout dismount. Her floor lineup could feature a double pike, Rudi, and 1.5-pike, while beam has plenty of exciting skills in store, including a front toss, back handspring-back handspring-layout, switch leap-back tuck, and roundoff 1.5 dismount. On vault, she'll have both a Yurchenko layout and Yurchenko full in her arsenal. With a strong collection of skills and the potential to contribute across every event, Laila's return to the all-around is one we're especially excited to follow this season.     Madalyn Drummer is bringing a combination of power, consistency, and exciting potential into this season, and she's already shown she can put up big numbers when it counts. She had a standout year on vault last season, earning an impressive season-high 9.7, while also posting a 9.55 season high on bars. With strong performances on multiple events, Madalyn has the versatility to make an impact wherever she's needed. She's also beginning to explore her collegiate opportunities, having visited UW-Oshkosh. This season, we're looking forward to seeing her continue to raise the difficulty in her routines. On vault, a Yurchenko 1.5 is one to watch, while bars could feature a Shaposh-Pak connection and a double layout dismount. Beam upgrades include a front tuck, roundoff 1.5 dismount, and either a back handspring-layout stepout or front toss-back handspring series, paired with a switch leap-split jump. On floor, keep an eye out for her whip-double tuck and front through to double pike. With her proven scoring ability and a strong collection of upgrades, Madalyn is poised to be an exciting gymnast to follow this season.     Emma Brown is back this season, looking strong and ready to make her presence felt across all four events! With a promising collection of skills in the works, she's an exciting gymnast to keep an eye on as the season gets underway. On vault, we're hoping to see her bring a Yurchenko full to the competition floor, while bars could feature a Hindorff, bail, vertical handstands, and a double layout dismount. She's also showing some exciting potential on beam, where a back handspring-back handspring-layout series, Barani, and roundoff 1.5 dismount could add plenty of difficulty to her routine. On floor, a front through to double tuck is another skill we're looking forward to seeing. With strength across all four events and several upgrades to watch for, Emma is returning with plenty of momentum and the potential for a standout season.     Lola Hagemeyer is coming off a strong season that saw her qualify for All-Star Nationals on bars, where she matched her season-high score of 9.475 for the second time. Her Ray was a standout feature of her routine, and it's an event we're especially excited to see her build on this season. After undergoing knee surgery this summer, Lola has been putting in the work and is looking strong as she prepares to return to competition. We're hoping to see her bring back the Ray, Pak, and full-in dismount that made her bars routine so exciting last year. On beam, a roundoff-back tuck is another skill we're looking forward to seeing, while floor could feature a double tuck. After a summer of recovery and hard work, Lola has an exciting season ahead, and we can't wait to see her comeback and get back out on the competition floor.     Madeline Augustine is coming off a strong season where her power was on full display, highlighted by a 9.475 season-high on vault and a 9.4 on bars. She's already gotten a head start on the new season with an intersquad competition under her belt last month, and she's looking ready to build on that momentum. Her unique floor choreography and sassy personality make her routines especially fun to watch. This season, we're hoping to see her continue to raise the bar across all four events. On vault, a Yurchenko full and Yurchenko layout are in the mix, while bars could feature a piked Jaeger, bail to handstand, and toe-on front tuck dismount. Beam is packed with exciting possibilities, including a front toss, cat leap-switch half, front aerial, back handspring-layout stepout, and gainer pike dismount. On floor, keep an eye out for her double pike, switch ring-switch half, and front full-pike. With power, personality, and plenty of exciting skills, Madeline is shaping up to be a gymnast we're going to enjoy watching this season.     Mina Sidler brings a beautiful combination of long, clean lines and calm confidence to the competition floor, making her a gymnast who is always enjoyable to watch. Last season, she posted a 9.3 season high on vault and an impressive 9.425 on beam, showing her ability to deliver strong performances on multiple events. This season, we're excited to see her continue building difficulty while maintaining the elegance and precision that set her apart. On vault, a Yurchenko full is one to watch, while bars could feature a bail to handstand, toe-on front pike half dismount, and Tkatchev. Beam is shaping up to be especially exciting, with a Barani, aerial, back handspring-layout stepout, and switch leap-Gainer pike dismount among the skills we're hoping to see. On floor, keep an eye out for her Rudi and front layout-front full combination. With her polished presentation, steady presence, and exciting upgrades, Mina has all the makings of a gymnast ready to take another step forward this season.     Nevin Quinn is a power gymnast through and through, and she made that especially clear on vault last season, where she posted an impressive 9.6 at Regionals. Now, that power is showing up across all four events, making her an exciting athlete to keep on your radar this season. On vault, we're looking forward to seeing her Yurchenko half-on front tuck off, a skill that brings plenty of amplitude and difficulty to the table. Bars could be another big event for Nevin, with a clear hip full pirouette-double tuck dismount combination, a Jaeger, and even a full-in dismount in the works. On floor, she's bringing a big tumbling lineup that includes a front double full, 1.5-tuck, and double tuck, along with a particularly unique half-Rudi-back handspring combination that we're excited to see in action. With her explosive power, growing difficulty, and ability to make an impact on multiple events, Nevin could be poised for a breakout season.     Shayna Wakefield is the kind of gymnast who makes every routine look polished and purposeful. A standout on bars last season, she became known for her steady rhythm, clean lines, and consistency, earning a spot at All-Star Nationals on the event. But Shayna is far from a one-event gymnast, proving she can deliver in the all-around as well, where she posted a season-high 36.95. She brings a collegiate feel to her gymnastics, combining confident presentation with the ability to find the stick and make every detail count. This season, we're excited to see her continue building on that foundation with several upgrades in the mix. On vault, a Yurchenko full is one to watch, while bars could feature a double layout dismount and an exciting toe full pirouette-Maloney-bail to handstand combination. Beam has plenty of potential upgrades, including a front toss-beat jump, back handspring-layout stepout, and switch leap-switch leap-Gainer pike series. On floor, we're looking forward to seeing her double pike and front through to double tuck. With her polished execution, all-around versatility, and confident presence, Shayna has the tools to make an impression this season.     Teagan O'Connor is coming back strong, and she's a gymnast we're excited to see return to the competition floor this season. She's been putting in strong work on bars, where some exciting upgrades are taking shape, but her potential certainly doesn't stop there. Teagan has shown impressive skills across multiple events, giving us plenty of reasons to keep her on our radar. On bars, we're looking forward to seeing her clear hip-Gienger-bail combination and full-out dismount, which could make for an exciting routine. Vault is another event to watch, with a Yurchenko layout in the mix, while beam could feature a back handspring-layout stepout series. With strong training, promising skills, and the motivation to make her return count, Teagan has plenty of potential to make this a season to remember. We can't wait to see her back in action.

Illinois has plenty of talent to keep an eye on this season, and the upperclassmen are ready to make their mark. From proven performers looking to build on strong seasons to rising standouts ready for another big year, these Class of 2027 and 2028 gymnasts are names you'll want on your radar as the season unfolds. Here's a closer look at the Illinois athletes poised to make an impact!