Four Gators performed at the 2026 U.S. Classic, the next stop on the road to making the world team.
Junior Skye Blakely was the headliner, sweeping bars and beam in her season debut, while three fellow Gators (Leanne Wong, Dulcy Caylor and Simone Rose) had far rockier returns to the competition floor ahead of next month’s U.S. Championships in Phoenix with a shot at world team selection camp on the line.
“It’s always exciting to return to elite competition and have the opportunity to showcase the work these gymnasts have put in throughout training,” UF coach Jenny Rowland said.
As a member of the 2025 World Championship team, Blakely already had a spot in the U.S. Championships, and once again, she won her two events: bars and beam.
Despite stalling on a pirouette on the low bar, Blakely stuck her landing for a 14.1 with an 8.1 execution score. On beam, she bobbled on a standing full, arguably the most difficult skill competed on the apparatus. Regardless, she posted a 14.25, 0.45 higher than the silver medalist.
Blakely said she feels more prepared competing all-around at nationals.
“I think it encourages me to see that I can do it, and the work has come together, and now, with more time, I can get even better,” she said in post-meet availability. “Just gives me a boost of confidence and makes me happy. I think it will definitely set me on the right track to just keep building to get ready for those bigger meets.”
The reigning world all-around silver medalist Leanne Wong was limited to beam due to a hand injury sustained in practice earlier in the week. Still recovering, she wore a wrist brace and changed her routine to avoid using her hands.
However, her routine was off from the start, bobbling on her switch-leap mount before completely missing the beam and falling on her aerial-back layout, a series she hadn’t competed in some time. Still, the former Gator scored an 11.9 with a 4.8 difficulty score.
Incoming freshman Simone Rose looked steady through her first two events, but a fall on beam ended her all-around competition. Withdrawing from the floor exercise, Rose still won bronze on bars, 0.5 back from Blakely.
Future Gator Dulcy Caylor joined Blakely and Wong on the 2025 U.S. World Championship team in Jakarta, competing in the world all-around finals. But this time out, she struggled on every event as she works her way back from an injury earlier this year.
“It took me longer than I wanted to be okay with where I am right now, but I’m finally feeling like myself again and motivated to finish this season as strong as possible,” Caylor posted on Instagram ahead of the meet. “I have a renewed outlook, and I’m thankful to be healthy enough to do what I love.”
Starting on bars, her hands peeled off, resulting in a fall for a 11.9 on a 6.9 execution score. She fell on both her dismount on beam and first pass on floor before simplifying her vault to complete the all around.
Caylor will join the Gators in 2028, deferring her enrollment from this summer after attempting to make Team USA for the L.A. Olympics.
Also announcing her deferral ahead of the U.S. Classic, Jayla Hang told Inside Gymnastics that instead of coming to Gainesville for the fall, she will take the extra time to prepare to make the Olympic team.
“I was definitely going back and forth with going to college or not, but we came to the conclusion that’s what’s best for how my gymnastics journey will go right now and just overall my body, my mental health, everything,” she said.
In the all-around competition, future LSU Tiger Reese Esponda shocked the competition with the hardest floor routine in the world to win over Oregon State alumnus and two-time Olympian Jade Carey.
Making her second elite appearance since 2013, 2019 UCLA graduate Katelyn Ohashi competed on beam and floor. She needed a 26.8 to earn a spot in the championships, but she missed it by just 0.4, as her 4.8 difficulty on floor could not make up for her 7.8 execution on beam.
