2025 Gymnastics Season Preview
1/8/2025
Riding one of the best three-year stretches in program history, the Brown gymnastics team is set to open its 2025 season this Friday evening with a tri-meet at Iowa State.
The Bears were picked to finish third in this year’s GEC Preseason Poll and will feature a younger squad heading into this season, with six talented freshmen who will look to help fill a void left by seven graduated seniors from 2024. Brown has posted its three highest National Qualifying Scores (NQS) in program history each of the last three seasons.
YEAR IN REVIEW: 2024
Brown posted its second-highest ever NQS of 194.020 last season, ranking 61st nationally. The Bears finished third at the GEC Championships and qualified for USAG Nationals for the ninth time in program history. Six gymnasts qualified for the Individual Finals and combined for seven USAG All-America honors, including two each from returning senior Maya Davis (bars, floor) and junior Sophia Dewar (vault, floor). Senior Julia Bedell (vault) and junior Liza Marcus (beam) are the other returners who earned All-America accolades.
Bedell also qualified for NCAA Regionals on floor with a NQS of 9.920, which ranked tied for 37th nationally.
As a team, Brown set a new program record on floor (49.250) and tied the school record on beam (48.950).
COACHING STAFF
Brown is led by head coach Brittany Harris, who enters her third season with the Bears. Through her first two years at the helm, Harris has coached the Bears to USAG Nationals team qualification in both seasons, 14 USAG All-Americans (11 First Teamers), 22 All-GEC honorees, two GEC individual champions, one USAG national champion and NCAA Regional qualifier, and the 2023 Ivy Classic team title. Harris will coach the team’s vaulters, bars and floor specialists.
Sophia Hyderally returns for her second season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, working specifically with the beam athletes.
“We’ve had a great preseason with lots of energy,” said Harris. “The team has done a great job of buying in, trusting our process and believing in each other. Going into the gym has been super exciting every single day. Our goal for the first meet is to do what we’ve been training for all preseason, trusting our gymnastics and building from routine to routine. We’re at our best when we control our controllables, be present, lock in and have fun.”
NEWCOMERS
The squad features six incoming freshmen to this year’s team in Daisy Fallon (New York, N.Y.), Gianna Martoccia (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.), Gabby Mautner (Atlanta, Ga.), Maeve McIlroy (Marblehead, Mass.), Avery Walters (Southlake, Texas), and Addy Whiteside (Berlin, Conn.).
CAPTAINS
The Bears have elected three captains for 2025 in senior Julia Bedell, senior Addie Liebhardt and junior Sophia Dewar.
VAULT
Brown returns both of its USAG All-Americans on vault from last year in Bedell and Dewar. Both also earned All-GEC honors as well and will help anchor the event this year that will likely see a number of first-years factor into the mix. Sophomore Emily Ford and junior Jessica Lin were also mainstays in the team’s lineup last season that return for 2025.
“It is great to have our two returners in Julia and Sophia, but it will be exciting to see what the freshmen can do and see how we can build throughout the year,” said Harris.
BARS
Maya Davis earned Second Team USAG All-America on bars last spring, earning a season-high 9.850 at the UNH Quad Meet. Dewar and Marcus also return after being big a part of Brown’s lineup. The team will look to fill the void left by First Team USAG All-American Asta Farrell and All-GEC honoree Lauren McKeown.
“The bars are going to be very exciting,” said Harris. “The girls have been doing a great job in the gym. I feel like bars is a great event for us to start off on this week because we really focused on the basics and details this preseason and building the skills into routines to get half a tenth better. The girls are looking really great on bars and it’s exciting to see what they can do.”
BEAM
Brown had a strong season on beam in 2024, tying the program record of 48.950 at UNH on March 17. On that day, Emily Ford scored a 9.900, tying her for second on the school’s all-time list with teammate Jessica Lin, who previously scored a 9.900 on Jan. 28. Lindsey Yang also had an impact in her rookie season in 2024 by tying for fifth in program history with a 9.875. Lin, along with Liza Marcus, both earned Second Team All-GEC honors. Three rookies including Addy Whiteside, Gabby Mautner and Avery Walters will all look to impact the team’s lineup.
“Last year Liza led off for us on beam and it is always great to start off with a solid score and she has been that rock for us,” said Harris. “We’ve really emphasized the details and being big and bold. I feel when the gymnasts go for their skills and they perform the beam, that’s when they excel.”
FLOOR
Brown also returns an experienced group to the floor, led by 2024 NCAA Regional qualifier and 2023 USAG national champion, Julia Bedell. Bedell holds at least a share of the top eight scores in program history, and 12 of the top 15. She scored a 9.925 on six occasions and tied her own program record of 9.950 at the All-American Challenge and won the event eight times throughout the season. Fellow senior Maya Davis earned First Team All-America and Second Team All-GEC honors. She set a new career-high of 9.900 at the USAG Nationals in February. Dewar also returns to lead the Bears after earning USAG All-America and All-GEC accolades.
The team set a new program record of 49.250 at LIU in February.
“We have the most returners on floor and I feel that has been a consistent event for us over the years,” said Harris. “It is exciting to see what Julia, Maya, Liza and Sophia can do. They all have fun routines and our focus for Iowa State is to be a magnet and have everyone watch us, focusing on and celebrating our landings, celebrating our dances, and reaching people in the nosebleed section of the arena. Floor is where we have our showtime and that is our event to take a good deep breath on because we’ve been doing amazing gymnastics in the preseason. They are excited to show it off.”
