Since the 2024 NCAA men’s gymnastics season, a lot has changed. The world has seen Team USA claiming the Olympic medal in the men’s team event in men’s artistic gymnastics. A feat that remained out of reach for the Stars and Stripes for the last 16 years! Furthermore, in Paris, Stephen Nedoroscik claimed the individual medal in the pommel horse final – the first individual Olympic medal for Team USA in the men’s artistic gymnastics event since the Rio Olympics! Accomplishments like these have garnered interest among the populace to watch men’s gymnastics. And there’s no better place to see American male gymnasts excel than at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships. 

Thankfully, the contest is around the corner. Moreover, it will showcase almost the entire Team USA men’s gymnastics roster from the Paris Olympics. Well, here are the names who might headline the contest this time. 

5. Fred Richard 

On July 29 this year, the USA men’s artistic gymnastics squad scripted history. The squad, led by Fred Richard, claimed the bronze medal in the team event final after making a score of 257.793. And here’s the tea: the 20-year-old Michigan gymnast will show up in the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships in the upcoming season. He will represent his university team in the duels. His fans will want him to be seen in the title race. Will Fred be able to make that wish come true? Time has the answer. But here are a few facts that make him a force to reckon with. 

In the last NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships, Fred Richard set the stage on fire with his all-around performances. Pairing with Paul Juda, he took Michigan to the title fight. Fortunately, his form continued in the US Olympic gymnastics trials as well. In the contest, he claimed the top position. In Paris, he contributed to the events like floor, still rings, horizontal bars, and parallel bars. Not only that, in 2023, Fred claimed the all-around bronze medal in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Aren’t those enough to turn the light toward him? Remember the name! 

4. Paul Juda 

Here comes Fred Richard’s Michigan and Team USA compatriot! In the Paris Olympics, Paul Juda left his mark in events like the floor exercise, pommel horse, vault, and horizontal bar. His contribution panned out to be massive, as, in the first two rotations in the team event in Paris, Team USA maintained the top position. Later, his blitzkrieg in the pommel horse event in the final rotation of the team event made the day for Team USA. That’s how he is, always standing up in the clutch moments! The 23-year-old has scores of such examples.

Last season in the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships, Juda’s camaraderie with Fred Richard paid dividends for Michigan. The duo stood bravely in the face of any gymnastic challenge on the mat. Meanwhile, Juda claimed the top title in the floor exercise final – the first claimed by any Michigan gymnast in the last three decades! In the vault final, he missed the title and ended up with a silver. In the coming days, he will be seen paired again with his best buddy Fred Richard on the mat. His resilience is something otherworldly and fans can bet on him once again. 

3. Khoi Young

The 21-year-old Bowie native who has a World Gymnastics Championships medal in the cabinet! Well, Khoi Young is one of those from Stanford Gymnastics who are still keeping the flag of NCAA men’s gymnastics high. How? In the last season of the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships, he led the Stanford fold from the front and helped to win its fifth consecutive title. He extended the fun in the all-around final, where Khoi thwarted every challenge to win the all-around title. What about global accolades? 

Young’s excellent results at the 2023 Pan American Championships paved the way for his climb. He helped Team USA win back-to-back team golds while also winning individual gold on the pommel horse. In a few months, Young created history at the 2023 World Championships by winning three medals, including team bronze and individual silvers on pommel horse and vault. This was a feat that an American male gymnast had not accomplished in two decades! Feeling the hype already? 

2. Asher Hong 

After Fred-Juda from the Michigan Gymnastics, it is time for Khoi-Hong from Stanford! In the Paris Olympics, the 20-year-old rubbed his shoulders with Fred and Juda. Moreover, in last year’s World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, he shared the same team. Both times, Asher Hong remained the driving force to help the squad amass huge scores. Individual achievement? Last year, he had the highest position in the US National Championships. Coming from the land of Plano, Texas, Asher has no less glittery records in the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships as well. 

Last season, the gymnast swept the titles in events like rings, vault, and parallel bars. And the duo of Khoi and Hong worked in tandem to overpower the opponents in the NCAA title. Will they be able to repeat it this time? 

1. Fuzzy Benas 

The epitome of going beyond limitations to win the glory! This year in the Winter Cup, Benas was nowhere near the all-around title. But in the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships, the 22-year-old came out all guns blazing. He helped the Oklahoma Sooners claim the third position in the teams’ rankings. Individually, he bagged the third position in the all-around title race behind Khoi Young and Fred Richard. Benas will take the competition forward in the ongoing season. 

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the gymnastics contest. In February, the squad will face both Stanford and Michigan. The fans might have a debate about predicting the champion among these three powerhouses. There might come a new champion as well, nobody will argue about that. But there’s a piece of good news for the fans of the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships. ESPN2 will broadcast the men’s gymnastics title meet live on April 19. Are you excited?