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Gymnast Salute

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Gymnast Salute is Dedicated to sharing stories and inspirations to increase your enjoyment of gymnastics. Join the Community by filling out the contact form and subscribing to the newsletter list under the contact tab.


Auburn Gymnastics: An New Era
Auburn’s New Era: The Ryan Roberts Effect If you’ve been following the SEC coaching carousel, you know it’s been a massive off-season for Auburn. With a new head coach and a staff full of fresh energy, there is a lot of buzz surrounding the Tigers right now. As a coach and judge, I love seeing programs make moves to "elevate"—and that is exactly what Auburn is doing. Here is the breakdown of why this team is a must-watch for the 2027 season. The Visionary: Ryan Roberts The bi
Natalie Malover
2 hours ago2 min read


A Dive Into The Texas State Gymnastics Head Coach Sarah Brown
On June 30th, 2026, the former Penn State Gymnastics head coach was announced as head coach of the first D1 program in Texas, Texas State University. Prior to being hired as the head coach of Texas State University, she had many other opportunities in the field of gymnastics coaching. Sarah was the director of operations at Missouri in 2012-13, then became an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State in 2013-2015. After she became a volunteer assistant at Michigan Universit
nataliemalover
16 hours ago1 min read


Cal Gymnastics: Building A New Tradition
The Cal Golden Bears: A New Era in Berkeley When Geralen Stack-Eaton took the helm as the 14th head coach of the California Golden Bears in the summer of 2025, she inherited a program with a proud legacy—and she immediately set out to put her own stamp on it. In her first season, Stack-Eaton led the Bears to a top-15 national ranking and a second-place finish in the ACC regular-season standings, proving that Cal is still a powerhouse in this new era. California Golden Bears A
Natalie Malover
1 day ago2 min read


Nebraska Gymnastics: The Nicole Era
The Nebraska Reset: Nicole Jones Leads the Way The hiring of Nicole Jones as the new head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is a massive turning point for the program. Jones comes to Lincoln after an incredible 16-season run at Michigan State, where she was instrumental in building the Spartans into a consistent national contender and a perennial top-12 powerhouse. Jones is wasting no time putting her stamp on the program. She has already assembled a staff that mixes technica
Natalie Malover
2 days ago2 min read


American Classic Elite Competition Recap
This weekend there was an elite competition in Minnesota at Twin City Gymnastics where Junior, Senior, and HOPES elites try to quilfy to U.S. Classic and U.S. Championships later this summer. So lucky I got the opportunity to watch it on Flip Now. Competition Schdule: Friday June 26th: HOPES Elite Classic - Ages 11-12 and 12-13 Saturday June 27th - American Classic - Juniors and Seniors Highlights from Fridays HOPES Elite Classic: 11-12 Age Group Vault: Jemma Oie Harper Usse
Natalie Malover
3 days ago1 min read


Interview With Alabama Commit Kate LaCoursiere
1.How old were you when you started gymnastics, and what originally drew you to the sport? I started in mommy and me classes at the age of 3. I had grown up in the gym since my older sister went there so it was a no brainer that I would try gymnastics. 2.What is your favorite meet, your favorite and least favorite events, and the hardest/easiest skill you ever trained? Nationals has been one of my favorite meets because of the team energy and whole environment is so uplifting
Natalie Malover
5 days ago3 min read


Arkansas Gymnastics: The Brooks Era Starts Now
The Gymback Evolution: Chris Brooks Takes the Helm at Arkansas The Arkansas gymnastics program is entering a brand-new chapter. Following the conclusion of the 2026 season, Jordyn Wieber announced she was stepping away from her head coaching role to focus on her family and new personal goals. In a strategic move to maintain the "Gymback" momentum, the university promoted Chris Brooks to Head Coach. Chris Brooks is no stranger to the Fayetteville gym. He served as the primary
Natalie Malover
5 days ago2 min read


Michigan Gymnastics: Retooling The Wolverines
Michigan’s New Era: Building on the Kanewa-Hermelyn Foundation Following the legendary 36-year career of Bev Plocki, Maile'ana Kanewa-Hermelyn just wrapped up her first season at the helm in Ann Arbor. Finishing ranked 13th nationally and making a regional final for the first time since 2023 shows that the program is not only staying steady but actively climbing under her leadership. University of Michigan Athletics Kanewa-Hermelyn has been very intentional about her vision:
Natalie Malover
6 days ago2 min read


Interview With Matt Mannino
1. What made you want to coach gymnastics? Well originally I wanted money to go hangout at Wendy's with my friends in high school. Coaching was the most convenient job since I was already at the gym for practices. I continued coaching in college when I wanted more practice time in the gym than what my school's club team had. 2. Were you a gymnast yourself growing up before you started coaching the sport? Yes, I started rec classes when I was 3 years old, started competing whe
Natalie Malover
6 days ago3 min read


Interview With OU Commit Joshua Hanny
1.How old were you when you started gymnastics, and what originally drew you to the sport? I started gymnastics when I was 4 years old. I was drawn to the sport because I loved climbing around and just being very active. 2.What is your favorite meet, your favorite and least favorite events, and the hardest/easiest skill you ever trained? My favorite competition is probably 2025 DP Nationals. My favorite event is floor, and I don’t really have a least favorite. The hardest ski
Natalie Malover
7 days ago2 min read


Interview With Neela Nicholson
1.How old were you when you started gymnastics, and what originally drew you to the sport? I was 3. My mom was a gymnast, so I was always watching it on tv. I just thought it was so cool and I wanted to be able to do that. 2.What is your favorite meet, your favorite and least favorite events, and the hardest/easiest skill you ever trained? My meet is probably Gasprilla when it was at the Tropicana Field. My favorite event is beam and my least favorite is vault. The hardest sk
Natalie Malover
7 days ago2 min read


Standford Gymnastics:The Standard of Excellence
The Cardinal Standard: Consistency and Excellence at Stanford When you talk about programs that define "consistency," you have to talk about Stanford. Under the leadership of Tabitha Yim, the Rodgers Family Director of Women’s Gymnastics, the Cardinal have become a model for how to balance elite athletic performance with a rigorous academic environment. Yim, a Stanford alum herself, has been at the helm for nine seasons, and her impact is undeniable. She has fostered a progra
Natalie Malover
Jun 242 min read


Minnesota Gymnastics: The Gopher Rise
The Red Rocks Reset: Utah's Technical Overhaul If you want to see a program that has completely rewritten its own history over the last few years, look no further than the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Under the leadership of head coach Jenny Hansen, who just completed her 12th year at the helm, the program has moved from a consistent regional competitor to a national contender that just punched its ticket to the Final Four for the first time in school history. A Staff Built for
Natalie Malover
Jun 232 min read


Pam American Championship Recap
The 2026 Pan American Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The competition, which kicked off on Wednesday, June 17, and runs through Sunday, June 21, serves as a pivotal stage for gymnasts looking to secure their place for the upcoming 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships USA started off with a great start, USA lead in team standings and won the team compeition. Competition Schedule Wednesday, June 17: Senior Women’s and Men’s Team Final, Al
Natalie Malover
Jun 222 min read


Utah Gymnastics: Why The RedRocks On Resetting for 2027
The Red Rocks Reset: Utah's Technical Overhaul The Red Rocks have been the gold standard in college gymnastics for over 50 years. Missing the National Championship this past season was a major shock to the system, but if you look at how the staff is handling the off-season, you can see they are using that "miss" as pure motivation. As a coach and judge, I’ve been watching Utah closely. They aren't just moving on from 2026; they are actively resetting their entire approach to
Natalie Malover
Jun 222 min read


Interview With Deanna Vinski
1. What age did you start gymnastics?:4 2. How did you start in gymnastics? At a REC center and then the offered me to come to try out team classes 3. How did you deal with mental blocks? Even still I struggle sometimes with being a little nervous for skills but journaling setting goals and taking it slow 4. Who was your role model/someone you looked up to in the sport?: Haleigh Bryant and suni lee 5. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? Mental block
Natalie Malover
Jun 192 min read


My Coaching Journey: From the Floor To Coaching the Sport
For eleven years, I was a dedicated and passionate gymnast. Gymnastics wasn’t just a sport; you know me, I spent my life doing gymnastics and spent many hours in the gym. During the school year, I lived for those nine hours a week in the gym, but in the summers, the gym became my entire world—25 to 30 hours of hardwork, dedication, and overcoming mental blocks. From my early days at IK and Dreams to the years at Wilmette, I didn’t just train; I lived and breathed this sport.
Natalie Malover
Jun 192 min read


From Senior Year Project To Reality
When I first started this website back in my senior year of high school, it was little more than a quiet, private corner of the internet, a tiny space meant to house my love for this sport. If you had walked up to me then and told me that this passion project would grow into something this meaningful, this impactful, and this real, I would have laughed. I would have told you that you were absolutely crazy. Looking back at that younger version of myself, I see a girl fueled by
Natalie Malover
Jun 182 min read


Florida Gymnastics: Why the Gators are Still the Team to Beat
After wrapping up the 2026 season with a third-place finish at Nationals, it’s easy to look at Florida and see a team that just missed the top spot. But if you’re actually watching the gym floor, you know the truth: The Gators are more dangerous than ever. As both a coach and a judge, I’ve been keeping a close eye on Gainesville, and here is why Florida is still the team everyone is going to be chasing next year. A Foundation of Stability Florida’s success starts with a coach
Natalie Malover
Jun 182 min read


From Occupational Therapy to the Podium: My Gymnastics Journey
Me At UGA Invite In Jan of 2024 I was the bars champion with a 9.725 in XCEL Platiumn When I was seven years old, my parents signed me up for a class at IK Gymnastics. At the time, it wasn’t about gold medals or state titles; it was about addressing physical challenges like coordination, balance, and crossing the midline that how I started gymnastics beccause I struggled to cross my midline. My parents enrolled me in an occupational therapy program that just happened to be
Natalie Malover
Jun 183 min read
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