Joscelyn Roberson didn’t ease into college gymnastics, but she stormed into it. Less than a year ago, she became an Olympic alternate. A few weeks later, she was touring arenas across the country with Simone Biles. No rest. No break. Just lights, crowds, travel. Then came Fayetteville. New city. New expectations. No time to settle.

She arrived midway through preseason. But it didn’t take long for her to make a mark. She broke Arkansas’s freshman all-around record. She qualified for nationals as an all-rounder—something no Arkansas freshman had done in seven years. Finished top 10 in her session. Tied ninth all-time in program history.

Off days were off, no exceptions. That’s how she kept going. While Arkansas, as a team, didn’t have the season they’d hoped for. The results were mixed; she had her moments. Now the season’s done and she has something to say.

Honestly, how do you even begin to wrap up a debut season like that? On April 24, Roberson hit pause to look back. One post and one hell of a message. “So much love for NCAA gymnastics and the University of Arkansas. I’ve had so much fun this season and I can’t believe it’s already come to an end!! So proud of everything we’ve overcome and accomplished this year. Freshman season✅ Gotta go for a minute but I’ll be back NCAA GYM😚👀⏳”.

In those images, there’s more than celebration. There’s a story. Slide one: Joscelyn Roberson grinning with Arkansas head coach Jordyn Wieber, an Olympian herself, like they just won the Super Bowl. In a way, they did. Roberson shattered the Razorbacks’ freshman all-around record three times. No Arkansas freshman had qualified for nationals in seven years. The other slide had and wait, it’s the Gymback family. Assistant coach Chris Brooks, Catelyn Branson, and Kyla Ross Rittman. Ross, an Olympic gold medalist turned coach, Jordyn Wieber, and Maddie Jones (who also made nationals in the all-around) were standing shoulder to shoulder with the Gymnast.

Slide three? That one turns heads. Roberson and Kentucky star Creslyn Brose. Rivals on the floor, sisters in sport. A soft moment between the intensity. Mutual respect.

And yet, what she didn’t say might’ve spoken loudest. No drama. No regrets. Just gratitude, pride, and a tiny tease. She will be back.

Joscelyn Roberson’s gymnastics résumé? Already stacked. World champion. National teamer. Coached at Simone Biles’ gym in Texas. A name the elite world knows. But this season proved something else it was more about whether she can lead a program. Make a name on the Hill. While she had a time of her life in her freshman season, the Arkansas Razorbacks weren’t able to make it to Nationals.

Arkansas Razorbacks had their heartbreak

The heartbreak started before the big stage was even set. The Arkansas Razorbacks were out of the 2025 SEC Gymnastics Championships—a gut-punch no one saw coming.

A season that had once sparkled with upsets and record-breaking crowds suddenly hit a wall. Despite taking down No. 2 Florida with a season-high score, and drawing one of the largest crowds ever seen in Fayetteville, Arkansas didn’t earn one of the top eight qualifying spots for SECs. The blow was staggering. A program on the rise, now watching from the sidelines.

Head coach Jordyn Wieber was candid, saying after the SEC cutoff, “I am disappointed for our student-athletes that they will not be given the opportunity to compete this weekend under the same scoring parameters afforded to every other Division I program.”

At NCAA Regionals, the Razorbacks gave it everything. But under the weight of a high-pressure session and elite opponents, they couldn’t secure a top-two finish. Just like that, the dream was over