Florida gymnastics ranks as strong contender for 2026 NCAA Championship

Florida gymnastics suffered its most disappointing finish in years, and it loses legends like Leanne Wong. Yet, the future remains bright for the program in 2026.

A week and a half have passed since Florida gymnastics suffered a shocking end to the season in Fort Worth.

The Gators fell to Missouri and Oklahoma in the NCAA national semifinals. It was their first time failing to reach the championship meet since 2019.

The sting of defeat is still strong for UF, and it proved even stronger since it was the final collegiate meet for program legends like Leanne Wong and Victoria Nguyen.

Coach Jenny Rowland has yet to win the big one in her nine years in Gainesville, but she’s shown an ability to retool on the fly and keep Florida as one of the nation’s top teams. That should be the case again next season.

Here’s why the Gators are a national title contender next season:

Fully healthy again

Health doomed Florida this season. All-American Kayla DiCello missed this season due to an injury setback from last season’s Olympic Trials. An injury in the same event to Skye Blakely hampered her in 2025. She still competed, but she wasn’t her normal self.

Both took 2024 off to focus on the Paris Olympics, so Florida anticipated big things in 2025. That obviously didn’t happen. In 2026, both will be at full strength. In 2023, DiCello’s freshman year, she was the SEC Freshman of the Year, and a five-time All-American — second team regular season and postseason in all-around and beam.

She also won bronze at the 2021 World Championships in all-around and gold in the same event at the 2023 Pan American Games.

Blakely showed her flashes in 2025 and got better as the season progressed. Most of her action came on bars, where she totaled a 9.925 in NCAA Regionals and a 9.950 in SEC Championships.

Improvement from the freshman

Florida counted on this in 2025 after a large freshman class in 2024. That transpired as Alyssa Arana, Danie Ferris and others took strides.

The same must occur next year from Taylor Clark and Ly Bui. Clark, a native of Orange Park, only competed on floor. She made her mark though through her powerful performances. That translated to high scores – such as a 9.950 vs. Kentucky on March 14 and at the NCAA Regional.

Bui, an Iowa native, made waves as the youngest gymnast this season. She graduated high school a year early and began the season at age 16. Rowland trusted her from the beginning. She started Bui from the first meet and eventually played her in each event except floor. She scored a 9.90 or above in all three.

Both Rowland and legend Trinity Thomas offered words of praise for Bui during the season.

“She is very mature for her age, and I would say, wise beyond her years,” assistant coach Owen Field said.

The return of Selena

Wong received much of the attention and deservedly so. After all, she was one of only four gymnasts to be a Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) All-American on all five events. She was first team on all-around and uneven bars.

Her teammate, though, Selena Harris-Miranda received first team honors on vault, bars and all-around – one of just six in the country.

Harris-Miranda was a revelation this season after transferring from UCLA. She was the Pac-12 gymnast of the year in 2024 and somehow elevated her game.

Rowland attributed that to increased confidence and looseness.

“She always says, when she’s light, when she’s having fun, then she’s going to do a lot better,” Rowland said. “It’s been fun to see her settle in and really make the most of her opportunities.”

Harris-Miranda will return next season, as one of two seniors, and will undoubtedly be the leader of next year’s team.

Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on X/Twitter.