LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head gymnastics coach Kristin White has announced the addition of four future Aggies. The list includes Kaylie Medrano, Olivia Orengo, Reagan Terry and Lundyn VanderToolen.
“This is an exciting day for the Utah State gymnastics team,” White said. “Rachel (Slocum), Robert (Ladanyi), Daniel (Barclay) and I are proud to announce and officially welcome these four talented young women to our program. We are excited to celebrate their commitment and dedication of their outstanding club careers as they take the next step in their academic and athletic careers here at USU.”
According to College Gym News Ratings, Utah State has the 22nd-best recruiting class in the nation. The Aggies are the only team from the Mountain West ranked in the top 25.
“Our team will be graduating a very strong senior class and we know these four gymnasts will immediately make a great impact on the future success of our program,” White said. “Lundyn, Olivia and Kaylie will prove to be strong all-arounders, whereas Reagan will help contribute on three events. The future continues to shine bright in Logan and we cannot wait for them to arrive on campus.”
Kaylie Medrano | Buckeye, Arizona | Flames Gymnastics Academy
Medrano has trained at Flames Gymnastics Academy in Peoria, Arizona, for nine years under the direction of Codee Lee. She captured back-to-back state vault titles (2022 and 2023), while finishing runner-up in the all-around at the 2023 state championships.
At the 2023 USAG National Championships in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Medrano tied for seventh in the all-around (38.275), tied for fourth on beam (9.600), tied for eighth on vault (9.650), tied for 14th on floor (9.400) and tied for 16th on bars (9.625).
Medrano was named her club’s gymnast of the year in 2023 and she garnered most improved gymnast accolades (level 10) in 2022.
“Kaylie is a beautiful gymnast and comes from a great family,” White said. “After meeting with her and her mom on campus this fall, it was clear that she was going to be a great addition to our 2024 class. She is goal-oriented and continues to get better every day she steps in the gym. We are looking forward to adding her recently upgraded Yurchenko 1.5 on vault, where that will sure make an exclamation mark on our vault lineup. She is a great team player and will continue to help elevate our program to the next level. We are pleased to officially welcome Kaylie to our Aggie Family.”
The daughter of Joel and Mitas Medrano is set to graduate from Verrado High School in 2024.
“Utah State’s beautiful campus felt like home when I visited,” said Medrano, when asked why she chose to become an Aggie. “The coaches and the team were also very welcoming.”
Olivia Orengo | Rogers, Minnesota | Twin City Twisters
Orengo trains at Twin City Twisters (TCT) in Champlin, Minnesota, under the direction of Steve Hafeman. She is a four-time national championships qualifier.
At the 2023 Region 4 Championships, Orengo placed first on bars, floor and in the all-around, and placed second on beam and third on vault.
“Olivia is a gritty and powerful gymnast,” White said. “It was clear during the recruiting process that we wanted her on our team. She is humble, yet has a fiery competitive nature about herself. The work ethic that she has shown is very similar to two of our current gymnasts, Jenna (Eagles) and Alivia (Ostendorf), and we are excited to continue our legacy with TCT athletes.
“She will be a very strong all-arounder for our program next season, especially on floor, where she has a couple of exciting E level tumbling passes to choose from. Her level of difficulty is something that we wanted to add to our program, and we are excited for her to showcase that in the Spectrum. Olivia will make an immediate impact as a leader for our team, and we are excited for her to arrive in Logan. Welcome to the Aggie Family, Liv.”
The daughter of Apollo and Kim Orengo is set to graduate from Rogers High School in 2024.
“I fell in love with the team, coaches and environment” said Orengo, when asked why she chose Utah State.
Orengo’s older brother, Jack, competes on the cross country/track & field teams at Central College in Pella, Iowa.
Reagan Terry | St. George, Utah | Twin City Twisters
Terry has trained at Bare Foot Gymnastics in St. George, Utah, for two years under the direction of Kim Hermansen and Meagan Tabla.
At the 2023 Fiesta Bowl Invitational in Chandler, Arizona, Terry placed second on floor, third on vault and eighth in the all-around.
“Reagan is one of the sweetest athletes I have had the pleasure of meeting,” White said. “We had the opportunity to work with her during camp this summer and it was clear that she was the final piece to our 2024 puzzle. She is an incredible teammate and has the potential to contribute on vault, beam and floor.
“We believe that Reagan is a diamond in the rough and hasn’t come close to reaching her potential yet. She has shown a great level of determination and work ethic, and we are excited to have her bring that level of commitment to our team. We are thrilled she chose to move up north while staying in her home state. We are eager to welcome Reagan and her family to Utah State gymnastics.”
The daughter of Jake and Melissa is set to graduate from Desert Hills High School in 2024. She is looking forward to continuing her gymnastics career at Utah State.
“The second I arrived on campus, it felt like I was exactly where I needed to be,” Terry said. “Both the team and coaches were so welcoming. The environment was exactly what I was looking for.”
Lundyn VanderToolen | Cottonwood Heights, Utah | Olympus Gymnastics
VanderToolen has trained at Olympus Gymnastics in South Jordan, Utah, for 12 years under the direction of Ryan Kirkham. She is a three-time national qualifier and five-time state bar champion, helping lead her club team to three-consecutive state titles from 2021-23.
“Lundyn was a very sought after recruit across the country and with her competitive experience, we knew that she would be a phenomenal addition to our program,” White said. “After meeting with her and her family, we knew that they would all be a perfect fit for Utah State. She is a very dedicated, hard-working and sweet young woman! We are ecstatic that she chose to stay home here in Utah and become an official member of the Aggie Family.”
VanderToolen was the 2018 Hopes Classic national champion on bars and in 2017, she was named International Gymnast Magazine’s Junior Olympic Gymnast of the Year – the first gymnast from the Beehive State to win the award.
“Her gymnastics is beautiful and she has a very captivating performance that our fans are going to enjoy,” White said. “We expect Lundyn to contribute on all events next season with bars being one of her best. She has an incredible line and technique that is going to score well in college gymnastics. Lundyn is the ultimate team player and will continue to uphold the great culture and comradery that we have established here in Logan. Welcome to the family, Lunds.”
The daughter of Gary and Julie VanderToolen is set to graduate from Brighton High School in 2024.
“Utah State felt like home,” VanderToolen said. “I love the gymnastics coaching staff and team. Utah State has something special.”
Fans can follow the Aggie gymnastics program at twitter.com/USUGymnastics, on Facebook at Utah State Gymnastics, and on Instagram at USUGymnastics.
