NCAA MEN’S GYMNASTICS: Meet the Oklahoma Freshmen

NCAA MEN’S GYMNASTICS: Meet the Freshmen

The 2026 men’s NCAA season will feature one of the most exciting incoming classes in recent memory, featuring three current U.S. senior National Team members (Jun Iwai, Sasha Bogonosiuk and Nathan Roman), along with two international junior champs (Sam Rakita, Canada and Ritam Malik, Australia). We’ve also got a slew of second-generation stars, with Iwai, Bogonosiuk and Adam Lakomy all boasting Olympian parents.

Everything is bigger in Texas, including how many of the state’s own are featured here (six). Four freshmen on our list were developed by coach Nori Iwai at the Kim Zmeskal-owned Texas Dreams, including all three service academies. Region 3’s 2025 Elite Team Cup championship squad is also well represented, with the NCAA saying howdy to three of its eight members in 2026.

As we inch closer to January and the start of the NCAA men’s gymnastics season, Inside Gymnastics will introduce you to 2026’s most anticipated newcomers!

Oklahoma

Nathan Roman (Class of 2029 Recruit Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Hometown: Poway, Calif.

Major: Health and Exercise Science

Junior Career Highlights: 2025 junior World Championships team member, 2025 senior National Team member, 2025 Developmental National Champ (L10, 18), 10^th at 2025 Winter Cup in senior session

More About Me: “I’m pretty good at Spike Ball. I really like playing games, hanging out with my friends, spending time outside. I spend a lot of time in the gym, so when I’m not training, I like to feel the grass underneath my feet. I’m also into skim boarding, which is like surfing, but along the shore, where you kind of glide across the sand.”

Why Oklahoma? “The team culture here, and the relationship the guys have with each other. I didn’t really know anyone on the team very well, but when I came on my visit, I felt immediately welcome and at home. It felt like somewhere I was going to get better and be a part of something bigger than myself. I was also really impressed with the academic center, and all the hands-on help available for every aspect of my career, both as a student and an athlete.”

Most Looking Forward To: “Just competing and traveling with the team. I’ve heard a lot of stories about how fun that is, and I’m excited to experience it for myself. It’s already been a lot more fun than I expected. Getting to compete at USAs with all my teammates around me—having each other’s backs—was a great first experience, and a taste of what NCAA competition will be like. The memories are already stacking up and that makes me want to create more.”

First Impressions: “NCAA is definitely very different than club gymnastics. It’s a lot more intense, a lot more competitive, but having this group of guys around you, all competing at the same level, pushes you to get better. And they’re also there to support you and keep you going. I’ve been very impressed so far, and I feel like we’re all getting better, every single day. I think we’re going to have a lot of success. We have the talent, and I’m confident in this team and what we can do.”

Inside Take: Roman is hitting the ground running for Oklahoma, making his first senior National Team and earning a junior Worlds berth shortly after starting school. With high difficulty and a reputation for consistency in competition, the Sooners will be looking for him to take a major role from the start.

Sasha Bogonsiuk (Class of 2029 Recruit Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Hometown: Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Major: Business

Junior Career Highlights: 8^th at both 2025 USAs and 2025 Winter Cup in senior session, 2025 senior National Team member, 2025 Developmental National Champ (L10, 19),

More About Me: “I was born in Ukraine and lived there until I was six. I speak both Russian and Ukrainian, and my dad (Ievgenii) was on the 2004 Olympic team with Valeriy Goncharov, my coach here at Oklahoma. I’m not sure if Valeriy was at the hospital when I was born, but if not, he was there a day or two later, so you can say I’ve known him since birth. We speak Russian and Ukrainian to each other in the gym, which is important to me, because I don’t want to lose those languages.”

Why Oklahoma? “I was very impressed with the coaching staff, and the facilities. Because of my parents’ friendship [with the Goncharovs], I got to know all the OU coaches and some of the athletes over the years, which made the transition a lot easier. And then the new upgraded gym we have now, which is amazing, just kind of sealed the deal. Plus, I felt like I really connected with the whole team on my official visit.”

Most Looking Forward To: “Honestly, to just go out there with this team and show what we’ve got this season. We look really strong, and I think we have a shot to win it all. I got a little taste of what repping OU was like at USAs and it was fantastic. Everyone cheering each other on, supporting each other, just really boosted my confidence, and I think I owe a lot of the success I had there to my teammates. We lifted each other up. It was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait for more.”

First Impressions: “I was someone who had a good group of guys to train with on my club team, so I’m not totally unused to a team atmosphere, but this is on a whole other level. Everyone driving towards the same goal and getting stronger together. My body also feels so much better here, because of the facilities—massages, sauna, cold tub— and the recovery plan. Having so many people looking out for me, and my gymnastics, with all of these resources to back it up, has made a real difference.”

Inside Take: Already a top 10 athlete on the national stage and current member of the senior National Team, Bogonsiuk is poised for a breakout NCAA season. The one-two punch of Bogonsiuk and Roman, along with USA qualifiers Alex Noel (⭐️⭐️⭐️) and Jackson Rendon (⭐️⭐️⭐️), will make the always-strong Sooners especially dangerous this NCAA season.

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