College gymnasts are announcing entry into the transfer portal now, including an All-American from the same club gym as MyKayla Skinner
College gymnasts are starting to get in on the transfer portal craze.
In the last week, five gymnasts who competed at Division 1 schools this season have announced their entry into the transfer portal.
Arizona All-American Sirena Linton is the headliner, but she has been joined by NC State’s Lauren Rutherford, Iowas State’s Alondra Maldonado, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Washington and LIU’s Ilka Juk as gymnasts in search of new homes for next season.
Linton is notable for multiple reasons. An All-American in 2022, Linton qualified for and competed at the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships last season, on balance beam.
Prior to college, Linton competed at the same club gym as former University of Utah star — and Olympic silver medalist — MyKayla Skinner.
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While at Desert Lights Gymnastics, Linton was on track to compete at the elite level, but she suffered a knee injury between her sophomore and junior years of high school, an injury that ultimately required multiple surgeries to repair, per SB Nation’s K Doss.
Linton eventually walked on at Arizona, where she became a star for the Wildcats.
A graduate transfer, Linton has one year of eligibility remaining.
In a post on social media announcing her decision to transfer from Arizona, Linton wrote:
“In the last four years, I have grown in tremendous ways thanks to the opportunities the Arizona coaching staff has given me. I am beyond grateful for all the bittersweet memories I have being a GymCat.
“With that said, my journey is far from over. It is with a happy heart that I announce my entry into the transfer portal to use my last year of eligibility and pursue a Master’s degree. Although this many be the end of my journey as Arizona for now, I know I’ll always have a home in Tucson.”
Announcing entry into the transfer portal is largely a new thing in college gymnastics, though transferring itself is not and transfers from four-year Division 1 schools have been able to compete immediately upon changing schools for years now.
(Utah fans will remember the additions of Macey Roberts and Emilie LeBlanc from Maryland.)
As explained by College Gym News:
“If a gymnast transfers from a four-year Division I school, she will likely be immediately eligible to compete at her new school if she is academically and athletically eligible at her previous four-year school, and if she receives a transfer-release agreement from her previous school.”
A waiver is not required by the NCAA for a gymnasts to be immediately eligible. though a few conferences, notably the SEC, do have rules that require athletes to sit out a year upon transferring, barring a waiver.
