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Lyden, Ostrum, Minnesota Coaching Staff Earn College Gym News Honors
4/27/2026 12:18:00 PM | Gymnastics
They earned breakout gymnast, freshman and coaching staff of the year
College Gym News announced their fifth annual end-of-season award recipients today. Members of the CGN staff nominated individuals in seven categories based on specified criteria. Then, the field was narrowed down, and editors voted. You can find the categories, winners, and remaining nominees below.
Minnesota finished the season fourth in the country, a program-record. The Gophers posted a 30-13 (7-2 B1G) record and finished second in the Big Ten. The coaching staff also earned WCGA National Coach of the Year honors as well.
Gymnast of the Year
Winner: Kailin Chio (LSU)
Nominees: Jordan Chiles (UCLA), Selena Harris-Miranda (Florida), Anna Roberts (Stanford), Maggie Slife (Air Force), Faith Torrez (Oklahoma)
Criteria: Nominees didn't just top the standings but were a significant contributor throughout the season for their team. Nominees rarely had missteps and consistently produced top scores that made an impact. They stand out from their peers.
NCGA Gymnast of the Year
Winners: Amara Nelson (Greenville) & Erin Roe (Ursinus)
Nominees: Jamie Beatty (Stout), Aaliyah Krause (RIC), Grace Murray (Ithaca)
Criteria: Nominees didn't just top the standings but were a significant contributor throughout the season for their NCGA team. Nominees rarely had missteps and consistently produced top scores that made an impact. They stand out from their peers.
Freshman of the Year
Winners: Arianna Ostrum (Minnesota) & Azaraya Ra-Akbar (Alabama)
Nominees: Mackenzie Estep (Oklahoma), Tonya Paulsson (California), Sydney Seabrooks (North Carolina), Ashlee Sullivan (UCLA), Tiana Sumanasekera (UCLA), CaMarah Williams (Georgia)
Criteria: Nominees must be true freshmen this season. They are gymnasts who not only consistently produce top scores but made an impact on their own team and stand out from their peers.
Coaching Staff of the Year
Winner: Minnesota
Nominees: Air Force, Clemson, Georgia, San Jose State, Stanford
Criteria: Nominees first and foremost coached their team to athletic success, whether that meant a large improvement over past seasons or record-breaking performances.
Breakout Performer of the Year
Winner: Jordyn Lyden (Minnesota)
Nominees: Ciena Alipio (UCLA), Skye Blakely (Florida), Chloe Cho (Illinois), Annalise Newman-Achee (California), Keira Wells (Oklahoma)
Criteria: Nominees are sophomores, juniors, or seniors who were particularly successful this season after not having competed, having only competed one or two events, or having only received mediocre scores to start their careers. Nominees "came out of nowhere" on events they weren't expected to contribute on, started getting scores much higher than previous averages, or added events you didn't know they were even training.
Comeback Gymnast of the Year
Winner: Sydney Barros (UCLA)
Nominees: Kayla DiCello (Florida), JerQuavia Henderson (Iowa), Emily Leese (Rutgers), Hannah Scheible (Oklahoma)
Criteria: Nominees missed at least the majority of the previous season and didn't just start competing again this year, but did very well, producing effective scores for their teams.
Most Valuable Gymnast
Winner: Maggie Slife (Air Force)
Nominees: Kailin Chio (LSU), Chloe Cho (Illinois), Alex Irvine (Auburn), Niya Randolph (Southern Utah), Delaynee Rodriguez (Kentucky), MaKayla Tucker (Michigan State)
Criteria: Nominees' teams wouldn't have had the success they did this season without them. They were lifted up by not only their scores but also their leadership and attitude. Think of gymnasts on teams with lots of injuries, gymnasts who always seemed to hit after falls, or gymnasts not on teams with lots of other star power.