06 May 5 Things to Know and Watch Ahead of the 2026 Development Program National Championships!
It’s Time!
By Sarahy Mora Rincon and Nate Salsman
The 2026 USA Gymnastics Development Program National Championships are officially here, bringing some of the country’s top developmental athletes to Oklahoma City for one of the biggest weekends of the season. Future NCAA stars, national titles, and the GymACT Championships will all take center stage throughout the weekend as competition gets underway.
Follow the action all weekend @InsideGym
1. Nationals heads to Oklahoma City
This year’s championships will take place May 6-10 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. Training day is set for Friday before competition officially gets underway and continues through Sunday, with athletes from across the country battling for national titles all weekend long.
2. It’s one of the biggest stages in DP Gymnastics
DP Nationals features the top athletes in the Women’s Development Program after qualifying through regional championships. The meet has long been known as a preview of gymnastics’ next generation, with many competitors eventually heading to some of the top NCAA programs in the country.
In recent years, athletes including Oklahoma’s Mackenzie Estep, Faith Torrez, Utah’s Avery Neff, and LSU’s Kailin Chio, Nina Ballou, have claimed national titles before making an impact at the collegiate level, and this year’s field is expected to feature another stacked group of future NCAA standouts.
3. Athletes compete by age group
Gymnasts are divided into age divisions and compete for all-around and individual event titles on vault, bars, beam and floor. With multiple sessions across the weekend, national champions will be crowned in every division.
4. There will not be an official livestream this year
One major change for 2026: there is no official livestream for the event. USA Gymnastics announced that competition videos and photos will instead be available for purchase through Team Photo, the event’s official photography and videography partner.
5. Fans can still catch plenty outside of competition
Opening ceremonies are set for May 7 from 6-8 p.m. at the convention center, and fans attending in person can also check out autograph signings with the Oklahoma Sooners women’s and men’s gymnastics teams on Saturday!
5 Gymnasts to Watch!
These five gymnasts are bound to be stars as they head into college in the fall, and could all compete for major titles at the 2026 DP Nationals.
Sofia Estrada (Oklahoma)
The Sooners continue their strong recruiting class with Sofia Estrada. Estrada has continued to be strong throughout 2026 earning a perfect 10 on vault. She will be looking to add to the incredible depth of the Oklahoma team with a big Yurchenko 1.5 on vault and solid skills on every event.
Imani White (Missouri)
This incoming Tiger shines on every event. Throughout the 2026 season, she has earned a perfect 10.0 on vault and uneven bars. She brings the difficulty on vault with a strong Yurchenko 1.5, as well as nice lines on beam with beautiful wolf turns. White recently competed at the Nastia Liukin Cup in March where she won a bronze medal on bars, and won the Region 8 beam title that same month.
Cameron Tassone (UCLA)
The next Bruin star! Cameron Tassone is bound to make an immediate impact on UCLA in 2027. She has also earned a perfect 10.0 on vault with a strong Yurchenko 1.5. Tassone also competed at the Nastia Liukin Cup where she was seen training four side aerials in a row during podium training. She even competes a side aerial to an immediate scale during her routine! Be on the lookout for this showstopping beam routine!
Shea Orlando (Michigan)
Fresh off a second place finish in the All-Around at the Nastia Liukin Cup Shea Orlando could make big waves in Oklahoma City. Orlando competes a difficult front pike half vault, and could insert herself immediately into every lineup as a Wolverine. She has shown strong consistency on every event, and could contend for many titles at DP Nationals.
Morgan Reihl (Clemson)
Morgan Reihl is heading to the growing gymnastics program at Clemson. She won the region one beam title in April, and earned a spot at DP Nationals. Reihl competed at the Nastia Liukin Cup in 2024 and 2025. Reihl is a steady competitor with solid gymnastics across every event, and has Clemson Tiger fans everywhere counting down the days until she enters the program.
Follow @InsideGym for all of the action all season long!
Sarahy Mora Rincon is a Communications and Media Arts & Design double major at James Madison University. The Richmond, Virginia native serves as president of JMU Club Gymnastics, where she helps lead the team and support its events, outreach, and involvement in the collegiate club gymnastics community.
Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics
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