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Gerdes and Lyden Named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch
12/16/2025 2:00:00 PM | Gymnastics
Minnesota was picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten
UCLA was selected to win the 2026 Big Ten Conference women's gymnastics championships, according to a poll of the 12 Big Ten coaches released Tuesday.
The Bruins are coming off an historic start to their time as members of the Big Ten Conference. In its inaugural season, UCLA wrapped up the league slate with a perfect 9-0 record to secure its first-ever regular-season crown. The Bruins followed up with a record-setting performance at the Big Ten Championships with an overall score of 198.450, the highest team score ever achieved at the event, to win their first title. The program also finished second at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships.
Michigan State was chosen to finish second in the Big Ten, followed by Michigan at third in this year's preseason poll. Rounding out the top five were Minnesota and Ohio State at fourth and fifth, respectively.
The conference also unveiled the 2026 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch List, as selected by the conference coaches. Eight gymnasts on the watch list are returning All-Big Ten performers from last year. The list also features 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Chloe Cho from Illinois and Big Ten Gymnast of the Year Nikki Smith from Michigan State.
The 2026 Big Ten women's gymnastics season begins the first weekend in January.
The Gophers, who finished third in the conference in 2025, took second by just one tenth of a point in 2024. The Gophers were picked to finish fifth last year. They were ranked fourth prior to 2023 and No. 2 in both 2021 and 2022. Only UCLA, Michigan State and Michigan were picked ahead of Minnesota this season.Gianna Gerdes has been named a Big Ten Gymnast to Watch for the second time in her career (2024). Gerdes was out of gymnastics last year but announced her return to the team this summer. From 2021-24, Gerdes was a key part of the Gophers program, including working as an all-arounder in 2023 and 2024. She was a two-time First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Championships Team (2023, 2024) selection, an AAI Award Nominee (2024) and a Big Ten Medal of Honor (2024) recipient. Gerdes earned two WCGA Academic All-American nods and a 2023-24 CSC Academic All-America honor.
Gerdes' career-highs include 39.575 in the all-around, 9.900 on vault, 9.925 on bars, 9.900 on beam and 9.950 on floor. In her final year in 2024, she posted 11 event titles, including six in the all around, two on bars and one each on vault, beam and floor. During her four years at the 'U', Minnesota made four NCAA Tournament appearances, three regional finals, two NCAA Championships (2021, 2022) and won a Big Ten title in 2021.
Jordyn Lyden is primed for a career-year after taking a massive step as a sophomore in 2025. Lyden had a breakout year two to earn All-Big Ten honors for the first time in her career. One of the top uneven bars specialists in the Big Ten with an NQS of 9.900, Lyden led Minnesota with seven bars event titles last season. She hit 9.900 five times, including a season-high of 9.950. The Stillwater, Minn., native, who ranked 27th in the nation on bars, also had an outstanding season on balance beam. Lyden led the 'U' with four beam titles, hitting 9.900 three times. She ranked eighth in the Big Ten and in the top-50 nationally on the event.
Lyden was named to the Big Ten All-Championships Team after going 9.950 on the uneven bars at the Big Ten Championships. She tied for third at the NCAA Regionals with a 9.900 bars score. As a freshman in 2024, she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times. In the classroom, Lyden is a two-time WCGA Scholastic All-American and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
2025-26 BIG TEN WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS PRESEASON POLL
1. UCLA
2. Michigan State
3. Michigan
4. Minnesota
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Nebraska
8. Penn State
9. Maryland
10. Illinois
11. Washington
12. Rutgers
2025-26 BIG TEN WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS – GYMNASTS TO WATCH
Chloe Cho, So., Illinois
Summer Rusky, Fr., Illinois
JerQuavia Henderson, 5th-Yr., Iowa
Sydney Turner, So., Iowa
Madeline Komoroski, Sr., Maryland
Taylor Rech, Sr., Maryland
Sophia Diaz, So., Michigan
Ava Jordan, Jr., Michigan
Nikki Smith, Sr., Michigan State
Olivia Zsarmani, Sr., Michigan State
Gianna Gerdes, Gr., Minnesota
Jordyn Lyden, Jr., Minnesota
Whitney Jencks, Jr., Nebraska
Isabel Sikon, Jr., Nebraska
JJ Coleman, So., Ohio State
Tory Vetter, Sr., Ohio State
Dani Latronica, So., Penn State
Elizabeth Leary, So., Penn State
Gabrielle Dildy, Sr., Rutgers
Emily Leese, Gr., Rutgers
Jordan Chiles, Sr., UCLA
Tiana Sumanasekera, Fr., UCLA
Mary McDonough, Jr., Washington
Lilly Tubbs, Sr., Washington