U.S. Classic Spotlight: American Classic Champ and Future LSU Tiger Tatum Drusch Is Driving Forward With LA On Her Mind

Tatum Drusch describes herself as an extrovert, humorous, and caring. She’s a huge fan of 2020 Olympic All-Around Champion Suni Lee, and since it’s summertime in Minnesota, there’s no place she’d rather be than on the lake with family and friends, she says. Just home from shopping with her sister when we chatted, Drusch was excited to share the story of her recent success, where she found her determination to return following a serious injury, what she loves about being a future LSU Tiger, and what she’s thinking about for LA in 2028. 

But right now, there’s more work to do this week, and Drusch is more than ready to channel her energy in the gym into something greater than she’s already achieved. 

The 2025 Winter Cup beam champion, Drusch made an early statement this season by winning the American Classic at Twin City Twisters East in Champlin, Minnesota last month, topping the All-Around field with a super-consistent day to finish with a 53.700. Headlining the roster coming into the meet was two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey, who returned to Elite competition for the first time since Paris. Working her way back to top difficulty, Carey posted a 53.050 to finish second in the All-Around and first on vault (14.250) and floor with a 13.000. After missing most of 2025 with a torn ACL, UCLA commit Zoey Molomo closed out the top three with an All-Around total of 52.700. 

Drusch is coming back strong following a meniscus tear in 2025 and looks to do big things on the senior stage in 2026. And she’s off to a great start. She headed to American Classic with the initial goal of simply qualifying for the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Championships, August 6–9, 2026, in Phoenix. A conversation with her coach, Lori Roskoski, at Flips Gymnastics in White Bear, changed all of that. “My coach, Lori, a couple of weeks before the meet said, ‘We’re not just going to American Classic to qualify to Championships. You can win this. I believe in you.’”

​Leading the field from start to finish, Drusch exceeded all of her expectations. Her top scores came on beam (13.800) and vault (13.800). It was her beam routine in the first rotation that set the tone, and the smile on her face following her dismount told the story. She felt a newfound confidence in herself, which carried her through the entire competition.

“I was on such a high for the whole week after,” she said. “It’s what I’ve been doing in the gym, and just being able to show that in competition really let me take a deep breath and realize, okay, we’re back in this. It was just immediate tears because I had absolutely no clue that I was even capable of that. It was great to accomplish. And, oh my gosh, it was so much fun.”

Taking us through the meet, Drusch noted: “It was so great to start off with a confident, hit beam routine. Landing that beam dismount was huge for me, too. Bringing that back was a relief, and being able to go to floor and hit an amazing routine was something I was really proud of. Showing off my floor routine is so fun. I love dancing, showing who I am as a person, and bringing out different personalities. Vault’s a big one. Vault is actually how I first injured my knee. Mentally, that was so good to feel like we’re back, we got this. And going into bars, I knew I could probably make a mistake and still make it to Championships. I told myself to just go and have fun, and I did that. I love competing. It was a great experience.”

Competing alongside gymnastics legends Carey and Katelyn Ohashi, who returned to her first senior Elite competition at age 29 following a decorated career as a junior international Elite, and NCAA student-athlete, Drusch said she absorbed the experience, and had a blast doing it. Reflecting on the camaraderie throughout the meet, she told us. “It was such a fun group! Going into it, we knew that we were going to have a blast. [Watching them], keeping calm, having fun—the difference between the girls that were in college, college fun and Elite fun, they really bring that. We’re all just having fun doing gymnastics out there. No matter what background you come from or experience, we all treat each other equally, which is so fun.”

She was also excited to be in the same rotation as Molomo. “Having Zoey right by my side too, because she came back from a knee injury, we’ve been really helping each other behind the scenes along the way. Having her by my side was super special.”

Silver Lining

At the end of last season, it was hard for Drusch even to imagine she’d ever be in a position to win an Elite meet. Looking back, she found much of her determination this year as a result of the injury to her knee, and searching for the silver lining after receiving disappointing news following her surgery.

“Going in, I was only supposed to be out for 6 to 8 weeks. During surgery they found a couple more things that they had to fix up, so 6 to 8 weeks turned into 6 to 8 months which was super heartbreaking to hear. This injury was definitely different compared to my other ones because you go from literally not moving your leg to learning how to walk, then learning how to tumble again. The process of trusting my body was—it took me a minute during this one, but we got there.”

With such intense physical rehabilitation suddenly part of her new day-to-day routine, Drusch took time to focus on her mental game, and on finding balance in her sport. Her coaches also helped keep things in perspective on the really tough days.

“I just really focused on the mental side of things. My coaches are great. They’re there all the time by my side. Although I couldn’t do much, I could focus on little things like artistry or things that didn’t affect my knee, like bars. Although I was injured, focusing on balance in life gave me time to focus on life outside the gym, learn how to be a kid and have fun again, and not take my sport for granted. I think it makes me love the sport even more when I have other things to do too.”

Reflecting back on her friendship with Molomo and American Classic, Drusch also shared, “For Zoey and me, I think just going in and enjoying it because every moment and having fun is most important to us. We told (vice president of the women’s program at USA Gymnastics) Annie (Heffernon) before we competed, ‘Oh, you’re gonna hear us, we’re gonna be super loud!’ Just having that goal to let loose and have fun together, it really just makes you enjoy the competition more.”

LSU Calling

Part of a historic LSU recruiting class of nine that includes five-star recruits Josie Lynch, Reese Esponda, and Jada Oliver, Drusch, a four-star recruit, loved every moment of the process and said she wouldn’t do it any other way. She took her time making her decision, visiting Florida, Oklahoma, and LSU, but one moment stood out and ultimately sealed the deal.

“When I was on my LSU visit, I put on the leo before we took like photoshoot pictures, and I walked out, and I saw my mom, and we looked at each other and just immediate tears—I know this is home. I love the coaches there, the community, the staff; everyone was so welcoming and helpful. I just felt like I could be completely myself there. Coaches are a big, big thing for me because mine here at Flips Gymnastics, they’re like my second parents. And that’s exactly how I feel with LSU coaches already. I’m most looking forward to that first wave to the crowd. First salute, first routine. Just everything, honestly.”

Just two years out from the 2028 LA Olympics, she definitely has the Games on her mind, she says, and, like so many future student-athletes, Drusch took time to ponder the next steps in her journey and the right path that allows her the best opportunity to pursue her dream.

“My plan is to defer, and my goal is to compete in LA 2028. A dream goal would be to be an All-Arounder,” she said. “If I don’t get All-Around, then my other goal would be to compete beam or bars. That’d be super exciting!”

Headed To Hartford

Following her American Classic win, it was back to business for Drusch which means training, upgrading, and continuing to work on her confidence. She’s looking forward to the U.S. Classic in Hartford this week, and then heading to Phoenix for Championships. She has some upgrades in the works for sure on vault, bars, and beam, and will most likely use U.S. Classic to try things out to determine her arsenal of skills for August, with hints of what her plans are for the fall.

“We’re planning on adding in a couple more connections on bars and then an upgraded dismount, which will be a double layout full. I’m hoping to add in a second vault, which will be exciting because I’ve never competed a second vault before. For beam, I’m keeping my routine consistent and probably adding one or two more connections, like a triple series, and then some more jump connections to up my start value.

“Whatever I try at U.S. Classic, I’ll be keeping my routines the same for Championships so I can get consistent with competing again and hitting my routines in hopes to make national team and get some international assignments, and then try for Worlds.”

Next up for the women will be the 2026 U.S. Classic, where the field will secure their spots for the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Championships set for August 6-9  in Phoenix.

How To Watch the U.S. Classic

All times are Eastern and subject to change

Live Streaming
Podium training (July 16-17) and the Hopes Championships (July 17, 6 p.m. ET) will stream on FlipNow and is available via pay-per-view and annual subscribers
Junior Women (July 18, 2 p.m. ET) – Free on YouTube
Senior Women (July 18, 7 p.m. ET) – Peacock (within U.S.) | YouTube International Feed

Broadcast Information
July 18 – Senior Women – 7-9 p.m. – NBC Sports Network and Peacock – LIVE
July 19 – Senior Women – 4-6 p.m. – NBC broadcast

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