2024 5th year COVID seniors CONFIRMED

[arabiandoublefront]

I hated my 20s. It was lonely and rough and I was pretty convinced the only thing I was good at was being a student, so I can understand how after college life can be a struggle and not everyone would look forward to it. Movies and tv shows make it seem way better than it actually is.

 

[irichluck21]

Okay, i get loving the sport and if grad school is on your radar, but at some point, don’t you want to start your “after college” life?

It is clear for most of these athletes that gymnastics is fun for them and the team environment is exciting and rewarding. Athletes like Bailey Lovett and Payton Richards train by themselves because of their schedules, yet they are right with their gymnastics teams.

If I could do one more year of something I loved, I would take it in a heart beat. The added bonus of potentially getting a scholarship for one year of grad school is also an incentive.
Tuition is expensive and once they run out of athletic eligibility they don’t get a full ride. I would have taken a free year of grad school without even second guessing it.

 

[dweiss324]

I was over school after 4 years, though I can totally understand the appeal for others, especially with the team aspect and financial incentive. I think the concern for me comes from students who are potentially using gymnastics as an excuse to delay entry into the “real world” when it would actually benefit them. Like a reluctance to leave the nest in a sense. I can’t speak for anyone’s journey, but I cringe when I hear people taking a sixth year. Like, at some point you gotta get out of there. Though again, I can appreciate that some people just need that

 

[irichluck21]

As someone who had their NCAA athletic experience taken away due to budget cuts, I would have gladly done another year of high school diving had I had the chance. It is not the same as college life though. But when you love something but it has a time limit, if give the chance to do it one more time, surely you would take it?

Also these days a 4 year degree doesn’t get you much to start out and in various fields a masters degree is required, so why not take a 5th year if you are already doing your grad degree?

It isn’t like these ladies are just going to grad school just so they can do gymnastics, the ones that chose to are doing grad school.

This year there are fewer gymnasts actually taking the 5th year option and are moving on, either toward internships, the “real world”, or entering a grad program but are just done with gymnastics as they either are personally done with it or their grad program doesn’t have a gymnastics team or the work schedule for grad degree is just too demanding.

Either way, each gymnast at least has an option. With Utah, 3 of them are continuing and one Jillian Hoffman is finished. She ultimately got to decide that.

 

[RedBirdie]

I suspect fewer gymnasts are taking a 5th year because the scholarship cap is back in place. I’m guessing some of these grad transfers aren’t getting full rides anymore, which makes going to grad school–and footing the bill–in order to do an extra year of gymnastics less appealing.

I knew a guy in college who was an expert in figuring out ways to extend his eligibility by not graduating (we were undergrad only) but still keeping on the right side of NCAA academic progress. Must have changed majors 3 times, the last time to education because it bought him an extra year because of student teaching. He just loved playing baseball. No surprise, he played on as many men’s league town ball teams as he possibly could after graduating.

 

[Laura722]

Luisa Blanco, Makarri Doggette, Ella Burgess, and Mati Waligora have all announced they coming back for a 5th year at Alabama.

 

[irichluck21]

Alyona Shchenikova is retiring and not taking her 5th year, per Polina’s IG story.

 

[MaryClare]

I’m not surprised. She really seemed to be at her limit this season.

I think Kristina goes to Boise State this year

 

[Sasha]

Whoa, that’s pretty big for LSU.

 

[irichluck21]

Whoa, that’s pretty big for LSU.

Alyona really pushed herself this year for the team. But she has dealt with injuries her entire NCAA career, so not surprised she is done. Polina medically retired at Michigan before finishing up her eligibility.

 

[Sasha]

Unquestionably, with all those injuries.

 

[Bob]

I was such a fan of Polina, Alyona um no. Be interested to see who Kristina is more like.

 

[MaryClare]

Look her up on instagram, she has posted a lot of gymnastics videos on her gym account. She’s certainly not at the level of either of her sisters and has never pursued elite. But she has the right sort of profile to be a gymnast that improves once they go to college.

 

[irichluck21]

If I am Clemson, I would visiting the transfer portal daily to see who I can snag.

 

[Bob]

I remember she could upstart (kip) at 4 so I hoped she would go elite. I know she pretty much grew up rolling round the gym.

 

[irichluck21]

as of 4/28

 

[Yarotska]

Okay, i get loving the sport and if grad school is on your radar, but at some point, don’t you want to start your “after college” life?

I mean, people go to school for 10 years and longer, what’s an extra one or two, really?

I was over school after 4 years, though I can totally understand the appeal for others, especially with the team aspect and financial incentive. I think the concern for me comes from students who are potentially using gymnastics as an excuse to delay entry into the “real world” when it would actually benefit them. Like a reluctance to leave the nest in a sense. I can’t speak for anyone’s journey, but I cringe when I hear people taking a sixth year. Like, at some point you gotta get out of there. Though again, I can appreciate that some people just need that

I mean, this also sounds like professional athletes. There’s always the back and forth between people saying “move on” and people saying “do what you love for as long as you can”

In this case, those 6th years are doing what they love for as long as they can because they will not get those 20 year careers making millions. They WILL have to get a regular job, so I don’t see anything cringe-y about doing another year or two of college, often times for free.

 

[Laura722]

Not sure what is going on, but according to this post, Alyona is returning for her 5th year along with Cammy Hall, Kai Rivers, and Kiya! Kiya has 2 seasons of eligibility left if I am not mistaken.

 

[irichluck21]

Hall we knew and Kiya has 2 years left.
I thought Polina said Alyona was retiring but maybe being so close this year she decided to do her 5th year. Kai Rivers is interesting but they could always use her beam.

 

[cuuf]

LSU and Alabama will be the favorites next year for the SEC. Florida will be an interesting case study on how they manage the one-year olympic transition. Either way, this will be the last year for LSU or Alabama to claim an SEC title for a long time