Jade Carey Drops 3-Words as Oregon State Teammate Closes Emotional 21-Year Chapter in Gymnastics

“She’s backkkk #year5” read the caption of this gymnast as she announced her comeback for a 5th year with Oregon State University’s gymnastics team. Her opportunities to compete alongside Jade Carey were cut short due to an injury after performing in OSU’s first five meets in the 2024 season. Now, with the dawn of the NCAA gymnastics final, the bars, vaults, and floors are at rest for some time. The beavers were themselves pushed back to the burrows in the Tuscaloosa Regional Final, and, with that, this gymnast’s final chapter with the team also came to an end. What does she have to say after that?

“Forever grateful for the 21 years of opportunities, experiences, and friendships this sport has given me.” Captioned Sydney Gonzales in her latest Instagram post. The gymnast has been active in the sport ever since she was 3. At the age of 4, she competed with NGTC as a level 4 during the 2008 season, where she placed second on the floor, third on bars, and fifth all around at the SoCal Level 4 State Meet. The California native posted multiple pictures of her journey with the team. A mid-routine snap from one of her performances on the beam in a pink meet. There was also a picture of a very young Sydney, and the caption further read, “Shoutout little Syd for chasing her dreams and making them come true. Once a Gym Beav, always a Gym Beav.”

The 23-year-old gymnast also posted a picture where many Oregon State University gymnasts can be seen, including Jade Carey. The Olympian wasted no time upon seeing the post and straight up went to drop a message for her Oregon State Teammate. She wrote, “you’re amazing syd ❤️❤️” Together, the two have been great forces in the meet. One such example would be their meet against Denver on February 16, 2025. Gonzales delivered a season-high 9.925, immediately followed by Carey’s 9.975, marking her third consecutive meet with that score on beam. This one-two punch helped OSU secure a top-three national ranking on the apparatus. Even in the team’s previous showdowns against their opponents, the two showed up in all their glory, propelling the Beavers toward victory. 

In February 2023, Oregon State University (OSU) competed against Stanford University, and in a fantastic display of team effort, the stellar gymnasts sailed to a comfortable victory. The Beavers even went so far as to break the school beam record of the time. In this meet, Jade Carey achieved two perfect 10s, while Sydney Gonzales matched her career best with a 9.925 on-the-floor exercise. Oregon State won with a score of 198.075. 

Gonzales has had a great career at OSU filled with performances, injuries, and comebacks. Let’s have a look at that.

Sydney Gonzales’s time with the Beavers

Sydney joined the Beavers with a strong Junior Olympic background—including a national vault title and five J.O. Nationals appearances. The woman had no problem transitioning into collegiate gymnastics, and neither did she face any problems in excelling in it. At OSU, she became a key all-around contributor, consistently delivering solid routines, especially on balance beam and floor exercises. One of her top performances came at Arizona State in 2023, where she scored a career-high 9.975 on the beam, including a 10.000 from one judge.

In the 2023 season, she hit 40 out of 41 routines and notched multiple scores of 9.900 or higher. Throughout her collegiate career, she earned numerous personal bests, including a 9.975 on the beam and a 9.925 on the floor. She also delivered consistent vault performances, with a personal best of 9.925. In the 2024 season, she got injured and had to drop out of the team midway, but when she came in the 202 season, SHE CAME BACK!!

Notably, she achieved a season-high 9.925 on beam during a meet against Auburn, marking her 102nd career hit. In addition to her athletic contributions, Gonzales was a strong student, earning WCGA All-American Scholar honors and multiple selections to the Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll. She graduated from the university with a degree in marketing.