GymACT 2025 Season: week 2
Weekend of January 18-19
The second week of the season had NO sophomore blues, in fact it was red HOT! So many meets it was hard to keep track of who was where and when so here’s a little recap:
Windy City: Minnesota (293.70), Indyhio (288.40), Iowa (277.80), NIU (268.50), Bay Area (266.10), Washington (Winter Cup Individuals**), AND Wisconsin Flippers!
Rocky Mountain Open*: Arizona State (285.75) & Mavericks (274.70)
Home: NY Alliance
Navy Open*: Temple (278.30) & Florida Storm (189.80)
Dual meet (virtual): Georgia United (206.35) KCU (183.40) (3-up 3-count)
Note: meets judged using the (*) NCAA Rules and (**) FIG Rules
It was indeed a fantastic weekend of gymnastics all across the country. At one point this nerd was watching SIX separate streams on 3 different devices (I think it’s time to upgrade to fiber). With so many meets going on at once, it was hard to keep track of all the teams… I made a mental list while searching the socials for live content, but I KNOW I missed a few streams and certainly a number of posts.
And if I, who am devoted and invested in this organization, missed some programs, I’m sure many have to. And THAT is why I decided to write this long form “summary”. There is just SO much awesome gymnastics around the country it’s important to SHARE the good news!
From the teams:
Highlights from individual programs
Indyhio: GymACT Debut Meet
The Indyhio Hyenas competed for the first time as an official GymAct team at the Windy City Invitational. The team gave Minnesota a run for their money, finishing second place in the competition (293.70 to 288.40). The hyenas had the highest team score in the meet on floor (50.65), rings (50.30) and vault (53.75).
Freshman Duncan Beckel posted the highest score on rings in the country so far this season (13.25) to help lead the hyenas to a second place finish at the Windy City Invitational. Duncan also contributed on vault.
In warmups an athlete was injured and captain David Wallace stepped into the lineup and stuck his vault for the second highest score with a 13.7. David originally created the Indiana GymAct team in Indiana which then became Indy-Hio Hyenas.
Flippers: Starter Team en route to GymACT league membership
Speaking of new teams, the “Starter” program Wisconsin Flippers dipped their toes in the big kid pool for the first time ever at Windy City. These guys are hungry. They are working hard and GymACT is looking forward to their continued success!
Learn more about the Flippers on their website,
and Follow the flippers on instagram: @wisconsinflippers
Bay Area Bandits: Windy City Invitational Recap
The Bay Area Bandits had a rocky start at the 2025 Windy City Invitational, beginning their warmup with a frantic jog through Navy Pier’s lobbies in search of the venue. After an abbreviated warmup, the team opened the competition on Parallel Bars.
Parallel Bars Scores:
Individuals: Alexei Tryshev: 10.45, Christian Reynolds: 10.25, Savion Perea: 10.6, William Pearce: 10.85, Andrew Kerzhner: 8.55 (dropped), Team Total: 42.15
Despite a tough start and some nerves, the Bandits fought hard in their opening rotation. Two successful inquiries regarding D-scores for William and Alexei’s routines helped the team regain valuable points.
High Bar Scores:
Individuals: Savion Perea: 8.85, Christian Reynolds: 9.7, Alexei Tryshev: 11.05, William Pearce: 12.85 (Event Winner), Team Total: 42.45
On High Bar, the Bandits continued to battle through challenges. Christian Reynolds began strong but fell on his dismount. Savion Perea, stepping in for injured teammates, performed a clean but simplified routine for safety. Alexei Tryshev showed promise in his debut, hitting a Tkatchev-Gienger connection but struggling with a Quast and dismount. William Pearce delivered a standout 4.8 difficulty set, earning the event title with a 12.85.
Floor Exercise Scores:
Individuals: Christian Reynolds: 9.85, Savion Perea: 10.85, Ryan Edmondson: 12.1, William Pearce: 12.6, Team Total: 45.4
Injuries left the Bandits shorthanded on Floor. Christian Reynolds displayed his determination by competing a one-arm routine to contribute to the team score. Ryan Edmondson and William Pearce had strong performances, though William went out of bounds on his non-acro element, costing him points.
Pommel Horse Scores:
Individuals: Alexei Tryshev: 9.0, Ryan Edmondson: 9.55, Andrew Kerzhner: 8.75, William Pearce: 13.4 (Event Winner), Victor Joulin-Batejat: 8.2 (dropped), Team Total: 40.7
Pommel Horse proved to be a challenging event for the Bandits, with falls and errors on scissor skills costing them points. However, William Pearce’s exceptional 13.4 routine earned him the event title and served as a bright spot for the team.
Rings Scores:
Individuals: Alexei Tryshev: 10.9, Christian Reynolds: 10.4, Savion Perea: 12.1, William Pearce: 11.8, Team Total: 45.2
The Bandits rebounded on Rings with all four athletes hitting their routines, including two stuck dismounts. This rotation demonstrated the team’s resilience and consistency.
Vault Scores:
Individuals: Alexei Tryshev: 12.65, Ryan Edmondson: 12.15, Savion Perea: 12.85, William Pearce: 12.55, Team Total: 50.2
The Bandits closed out the competition with their highest event score on Vault, showcasing their strength and determination to finish strong after a tough day. We had 16/25 of our routines were from gymnasts putting on their debut GymACT performances.
Looking Ahead:
The Bandits are back in action soon! Four athletes from the roster will compete at the Stanford Open on Saturday, January 25, aiming to qualify for the Winter Cup. The following weekend, the team travels to Los Angeles to face Southern California United and Arizona in what promises to be a highly competitive meet. Stay tuned for more updates!
Iowa: a young team stepping up
Iowa has a very young team this year, but we do have more depth than we have had the last 2 seasons.
Nine Freshmen, Four Sophomores and One Junior. Our best AA, Raif Schaffner, broke his foot the week prior to the Windy City.
24 of our routines were done by freshmen, 4 by sophomores and 2 by our junior. As a result of these numbers I did not really know what to expect.
I was pleased with their ability to compete, but we have a long way to go.
“KC” is for “Keep Clean!”
There is a lot of strategy in competitive college gymnastics. Periodization training, season planning, meet frequency, starting line up, etc. but if there is ONE thing ALL coaches agree is that CLEAN gymnastics is a critical part of the game.
This week we highlight one particular routine that set the standard for all others for the rest of the season.
Congratulations, gymnast, of Kansas City United for achieving a 9.9 execution score (out of 10.0) on parallel bars this past weekend at the Windy City Invitational.
Coach Rich Quick also informed me that the team also had two 9.5s, a 9.3 and 9.1 “E” score.
See the routine on the @GymACT youtube channel
“I love seeing this so early in the season. Makes me realize what we are doing is working.” - Coach Quick, KCU
And, coach is quick to add: “Guess it's time to add some difficulty.” The work NEVER ends, eh, coach?
Athlete spotlight: Bradem Mann from Petal, Mississippi. Bradem is a freshman on the KCUnited team this year. 9.9 Escore (11.9 SV, 11.8 Final score). Were it not for the leg separation on the dismount, the judge was looking forward to seeing his first “perfect routine”.
Stick Masters: Week 2 stuck dismount winners
Minnesota: 14
Indyhio: 9
Iowa: 7
Temple 5
Bay Area: 5
Storm: 3
Mavericks: 2
NIU: 1
GOTW2 - Gymnast of the week:
Bay Area: William Pearce
William Pearce delivered an exceptional performance at the Bay Area’s opening meet of the season, earning event titles on Pommel Horse (13.4; 4.6 D, 8.8 E), High Bar (12.85; 4.8 D, 8.05 E), and claiming the All-Around title with a score of 74.05. A standout moment included his remarkable 9.1 E-score on Floor Exercise, alongside sticking 4 out of 6 events (FX, PH, SR, HB). In addition to his achievements as an athlete, Pearce took on key leadership roles as both coach and competitor. He successfully filed inquiries on three routines, managed lineups, and adjusted routine constructions to support team members in their debut GymACT performances. His ability to excel in both roles exemplifies his commitment, versatility, and leadership.
Florida Storm Nomination: Josh George
2025-01-18 - Navy Open (1 Temple 278.300, 2 Florida Storm 189.800), 1st AA 58.850. 4th FX 11.750, 1st PH 11.600, 1st SR 12.800, 5th(t) PB 11.300, 3rd HB 11.400
Going against William and Mary, Navy, Springfield and temple. Josh turned in a Top 10 performance on Horse and 6th place performance on Rings against a talented group of NCAA squads. Josh has stepped into the role of Captain very well and is taking the storm to the next level!
Minnesota Nomination: Caleb Gurman
Freshman Caleb Gurman put on a clinic on how to step up to the plate and hit 100% of his routines in an early season, championship-style meet. In his first ever Windy City Invitational, Caleb turned heads with two event titles on Floor Exercise (13.05) and Vault (13.75) as he helped his team to the team title at the 54th Annual Windy City Invitational meet. "Caleb was on fire tonight," said his coach Mike Burns. "He's been a great addition to our team and his firey enthusiasm on the sidelines is matched only by the ice water in his veins on the competition floor. I think I'll call him 'The Fire & Ice Man'!!" Caleb is rapidly securing his spot in the competitive lineup for the Minnesota Golden Gophers with performances like the one he gave at Chicago's Navy Pier.
Rocky Mountain Mavericks: Evan McGraph
Sophomore Evan McGrath led our team in difficulty this past weekend while the Mavericks went up against power houses like Stanford, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. Evan, who has struggled with health issues in the past, kicked off this season with a bang. It has been a struggle for him to finish meets in the past four years and has had multiple complications leading to hospitalization. This preseason however, Evan has put in the work to be healthy and achieve great things to come. He successfully competed four events for us, including a coleman on high bar and his kaz 1.5 on vault. He also led the team in energy, spirit, and dedication to being an excellent athlete.
Connecting the dots:
a “where are they now” section reporting on alumni’s lives beyond GymACT.
Gymnastics is a small world. GymACT is a TIGHT community. There are so many intersecting points along the journey of each individual, here is ONE thread.
Former MN GymACT gymnast Kellen Ryan competed for Penn State this past weekend in a dual meet vs Army West Point. Kellen won the coveted Gene Wettstone Outstanding Gymnast Award for the meet.
Minnesota head coach Mike Burns also won the Wettstone Award in February of 1980.
Wisconsin Flippers coach Matt Mannino coached Kellen Ryan in his club days and Matt also was a club gymnast at Penn State.
Personal note: Tho I haven't met Kellen yet, coach Burns once saved MY life on a 2 2/3 off High Bar at Gymnastrum (Allentown, PA). Thanks, Mike.
And that’s as I understand it. With aloha and gratitude,
Breeze Olsson