Senior Spotlight: Four Florida Gymnasts to Say Goodbye After Final Home Meet

Four Florida gymnasts compete in the Stephen O’Connell Center for the last time on Sunday. Though their individual journeys as Gators looked very different, the seniors all leave lasting marks on the Florida program.

Fifth-year senior Riley McCusker has taken the longest journey with the Gators. She was sidelined her junior season after undergoing ankle surgery but returned the following year to score a collegiate-best 10.0 on uneven bars and share the SEC bars title.

She was able to come back to Florida for a fifth season after being granted another year of eligibility, an opportunity she is grateful for. 

“I’m having so much fun with it,” McCusker said. “I’m just happy I get one more time at home with Gator Nation.”

Before college, McCusker was a gold medalist with the 2018 U.S. World Championship team and earned a silver medal on uneven bars at the 2021 U.S. Championships and Winter Cup. She was named an NCAA All-American on bars in 2023 and is a two-time SEC Specialist of the Week.

Off the floor, McCusker is completing a research internship in the physiatry department of a hospital, focusing on recovery for female athletes. She is currently applying to medical school, hoping to continue this research.

“She has taken advantage of every opportunity possible,” Rowland said. “She can leave and take a step forward saying ‘I did everything I wanted to accomplish here at Florida.’”

Las Vegas native Selena Harris-Miranda has made a major impact since transferring to Florida in 2024 after two seasons at UCLA.

This season, she has scored 9.9 or higher in almost every routine and has competed in the all-around four times, winning twice. She posted Florida’s season-high 9.95 on vault and shares the top floor score of 9.975 with sophomore Skye Blakely.

Harris-Miranda is an 18-time All-American, the 2025 SEC Champion on vault and a four-time SEC Weekly Honor recipient. 

Transfer eMjae Frazier arrived in Gainesville this season after a standout career at Cal. A 10-time All-American and three-time program record holder, Frazier was named the 2024 WCGA West Region Gymnast of the Year.

The New Jersey native graduated from Cal with a degree in psychology last spring and transferred to Florida for her final season while beginning a master’s program. 

Although she has been a part of the team less than a year, Frazier has brought a lot to the Gators. She delivers consistent performances, especially on bars and floor, competing in the all around three times this season.

“It’s bittersweet because this is the only year I have with the Gators,” Frazier said on Feb. 25. “But I love it so much, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Lori Brubach, a sports management major from Apopka, Florida, spent her entire collegiate career with the Gators. Once the only member of her graduating class, Brubach mainly competed on floor her first three seasons, earning a career-high 9.9 on floor as a sophomore in 2024.

Although Brubach has not competed in her final year at Florida, she remains a positive influence on the team.

“She is a ball of energy and a ray of sunshine,” Gators coach Jenny Rowland said. “The team just loves her.”

Brubach is a three-time Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Scholastic All-American and a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient.

Brubach and McCusker were both part of Florida teams that finished second in the NCAA Championships and placed fourth in 2024. The Gators also won SEC championship titles in 2022 and 2023.

The four seniors will be honored in a post-meet ceremony after competing against No. 2 LSU Sunday, one of the top matchups of the weekend. Rowland knows the night will be emotional but recognized that the Gators’ season is far from over as they head toward the postseason.

“I’m really grateful for all the seniors that we have and their leadership,” Rowland said. “For what they’ve done to sustain a level of excellence on this program and showing to our underclassmen what it truly means to be a Gator.”

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Gymnastics, Gymnastics, SEC