Georgia Gymnastics made a big move this season. They welcomed an elite gymnastics coach with a stellar career record in the Dawgs camp, and it was none other than the mentor behind Team USA’s Paris success and Simone Biles’s ex-coach Cecile Landi. But the first season with GymDogs couldn’t transpire the way she would have wanted or had worked for. The No. 10 Georgia GymDogs concluded their season at the NCAA Washington Regional, placing third in session one of round two. But what followed was a massive blow!

They lost a star performer just when stability was needed most. On April 12, Georgia gymnast Naya Howard took to Instagram and surfaced an announcement none of the fans had foreseen, she shared, “To start, I want to share that I will not be continuing gymnastics at Georgia.” Talk about a gut punch! This was the same Naya who made history as their first freshman all-arounder since 2017. The same athlete who, despite battling injuries, still nailed those beautiful 9.900s in multiple events last season. But you know what? Just when things looked bleakest, there is a joyous update for Cecile Landi’s GymDogs. What might that be, you ask?

Honestly, the silver lining couldn’t have come at a better time for Landi’s squad. While the dust was still settling from Howard’s departure, Class of 2026 standout Autumn Reingold has been busy making a name for herself. What did she do? Well she has been crowned the regional bars champions. Georgia Gymnastics’ Instagram page couldn’t contain their excitement, posting: “Huge congrats to future GymDog Autumn Reingold on being named a regional champion on the bars!❤️🐶“, a celebratory message promptly shared by Cecile Canqueteau-Landi herself on her Instagram story.

Evidently, Landi recognizes the gem they’ve secured in Reingold. This four-star recruit from Texas, who trained at the World Champions Centre (yes, the same facility where Simone Biles perfected her craft), brings an impressive résumé to Athens. As a 2024 DP National Team member, she dominated state competitions with top-five placements across all events and clinched first in all-around. Her regional performance was equally stunning, as she scored 9.825 on bars to clinch her 2 straight title. And this was just an add-on to her impressive resume. Remember the Nastia Cup? Reingold qualified there too, taking second on bars and Fifth on the Floor.

Well the Reingold news has come at rather important time for the Gymdogs as they were suffering from Naya Howard’s departure.

Naya Howard’s call it quits at Georgia Gymnastics

Honestly, no one saw it coming. On April 12, Georgia gymnast Naya Howard surprised fans with an Instagram announcement that felt more like a plot twist than a post-season update. “To start, I want to share that I will not be continuing gymnastics at Georgia,” she wrote, hitting straight to the point. The reason? “After some reflection, I’ve decided to explore new places and opportunities that feel more in line with the direction I see for myself moving forward.”

Frankly, it wasn’t like she was closing the book on gymnastics entirely. Not even close. She followed it up on her story with a defiant, “but I got more in the tank.” So clearly, this isn’t the end. The timing, though, has fans talking. Just a week before, right before the Washington Regionals, Naya had posted: “Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I will not be competing at regionals. I wish my team and everyone else competing the best of luck!” That was all, no elaboration.

Meanwhile, Georgia coach Cecile Landi is already turning the page: “We are going to use this to fuel our work and get ready for next year! Go Dawgs!”