2024 Gymnastics Season Preview
1/13/2024
Riding one of the best two-year stretches in program history, the Brown women’s gymnastics team is looking to build on its recent success as it opens the 2024 season this holiday weekend. The Bears are set to start the season this Monday by competing in the MLK Invitational in Nashville.
The Bears were picked to finish second in this year’s GEC Preseason poll and return 15 gymnasts out of 20 to this season’s roster after posting the two highest National Qualifying Scores in program history the last two seasons.
YEAR IN REVIEW: 2023
For the second consecutive season, the Bears posted the highest National Qualifying Score in program history, ranking 59th nationally at 194.315 in 2023. The team finished fourth at the GEC Championships and qualified for the USAG Nationals for the eighth time in program history. Then-sophomore Julia Bedell earned two First Team All-America honors and captured the USAG national title on floor. All told, Brown earned five First Team All-America nods, including returning junior Maya Davis (floor), and graduated seniors Ella Poley (bars) and Abby Contello (vault).
The Bears captured the program’s fifth Ivy Classic title and their first since 2016.
NEW YEAR, NEW COACH
After a successful first season on College Hill, second-year head coach Brittany Harris returns to lead the Bears’ program this season. Joining her staff are two new assistants in Sophia Hyderally and Tim Levandowski. Hyderally, who most recently coached at Temple and competed collegiately at Alaska Anchorage, will coach the team on beam and choreograph the team’s floor routines, while Levandowksi will oversee the bars.
NEWCOMERS
The squad will welcome five new incoming-freshmen to this year’s team in Talia Blythe (UB, BB, FX/Manhattan, N.Y.), Emily Ford (AA/Barrington, R.I.), Alexa Shields (AA/Houston, Texas), Lindsay Van Eyk (BB/FX/Arlington, Mass.) and Lindsey Yang (BB/FX/Hillsborough, Calif.).
CAPTAINS
The Bears have elected three captains for the 2024 season in seniors Lauren McKeown and Lauren Kramer, plus junior Julia Bedell.
ALL-AROUND
For the first time since the 2020 season, the Bears are expecting to have athletes compete in the all-around at certain points this season. Sophomore Sophia Dewar has been training the all-around this preseason, along with first-years Ford and Shields.
VAULT
Brown had two USAG First Team All-Americans on vault last year, with Bedell returning for her junior season. Dewar, and senior Angela Xing also bring experience back to the vault this season, while senior Asta-Sollilja Farrell has also impressed and will look to make her collegiate debut in the event.
“What we are focusing on is clean form, great technique and solid landings,” Harris said. “If we do that, truly celebrate every vault, the momentum will build from there. We’re excited for what we’ve been working on.”
UNEVEN BARS
Farrell, a Second Team All-GEC honoree last season will help lead the returners on bars this season. Senior Lauren McKeown also returns and will provide significant contributions for the squad this season. Sophomore Liza Marcus will make her bars debut after looking strong this preseason. All-Arounders Ford and Dewar will both make their collegiate bars debuts as well this season and help anchor the squad.
“We’re excited to just go for our goals, sticking our dismounts, hitting our handstands, and making each bar routine the longest bar routine possible,” Harris said. “Bars is a very quick event, so to be able to take your time, stay present in each movement all the way through the finish and the salute, that’s what we’re aiming to do and have been practicing, so we’re excited to finally show it off.”
BEAM
Xing and Marcus both return on beam for Brown this year after earning All-GEC honors last season. Senior Lauren Kramer returns and will likely lead off the event for Brown after making solid contributions the last three years.
“We have been having a lot of fun on beam, throwing a lot of different obstacles and challenges their way to best prep them for any situation or scenario we can be in so they can be locked in from start to finish,” Harris said.”
FLOOR
Brown will welcome back and very deep and talented group of athletes on floor this season, led by Bedell, the reigning USAG national champion on floor and two-time All-American in the event. Junior Maya Davis also took home All-America honors last season and choreographed her own floor routine for this season. Kramer, along with all-arounders Dewar and Ford are also in the mix as well to start this season.
“Julia has been training very hard,” Harris said. “Maya has a dancing background so her movements are so fluid and beautiful. Every athlete has a story or character that they are embracing, and once they step into the white lines, they become that character. It’s exciting to see how hard we’ve trained and I’m ready to show the world how amazing the whole team is, set the tone for the season, and demonstrate what to expect from Brown gymnastics.”
