Editor’s note: This is a column and does not reflect the views or opinions of the Daily Barometer.

Jade Carey committed to Oregon State University when she was 14 years old in 2014, 11 years ago. 

Now, she holds two Olympic medals, a plethora of collegiate awards and many bonds with teammates. Carey has imprinted herself in the history books, but what will OSU gymnastics look like moving forward?

The departure of Carey, the Olympic gold medalist on the OSU women’s gymnastics team, leaves the team facing new challenges. 

Carey’s time at OSU has been marked not only by her consistently high scoring, but from her leadership and presence on the national gymnastics stage. 

Throughout the 2024-25 gymnastics season, Gill Coliseum saw record-breaking crowds, as the people grew continuously each season. 

“It’s really awesome to see the community really buy into gymnastics and our team in general and to just see the growth of the fans every single meet and every single year so I know that we’re all really grateful for Beaver Nation and we wouldn’t be here without them for sure,” Carey said to media before NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

Carey helped to create a student-athlete run club at OSU called Women LEAD. It is dedicated to empowering female athletes. 

To understand Carey’s impact, in a statistical sense, comparing pre- and during-Carey performances could be helpful. 

Pre-Carey: 

• 2019: NCAA Championship finish average 196.900 
• 2020: Season canceled (COVID-19)

During-Carey:

• 2021: NCAA Championship finish average 196.375 
• 2022: NCAA Regional Semifinal finish average 197.425
• 2023: NCAA Regional Final average 197.650 
• 2024: NCAA Regional Semifinal average 196.450
• 2025: NCAA Regional Final average 196.875 

It is also credible to note that Carey competed at the NCAA championships in the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons. She was the only OSU gymnast athlete to do so during this time, qualifying individually each time. 

More than just her numbers, Carey brought her Olympic-level experience and consistency to OSU. Her routines were often the anchor of the team’s meets through each season, providing a reliable foundation for the team in competition. 

Her national profile helped to significantly increase OSU’s visibility in the gymnastics community, drawing attention to the program in a new way and on a new scale. 

While the statistics show a fluctuation, it is important to highlight that there is inherent variability in collegiate gymnastics. The program had high scores prior to Carey, as well as during her time with the program. 

Carey’s contributions to the program are undeniable, and the program will continue to face challenges in adapting to the loss of a valuable athlete. However, it is important to note that the team is not just losing Carey. 

With six other senior gymnasts graduating alongside her, the Beavers are in the rebuilding phase, which every athletics team in collegiate competition experiences year after year. 

This transitional period could open the door for other gymnasts to emerge, step into the spotlight, and help build the next era of OSU gymnastics. Rising sophomores like Sophia Esposito and Olivia Buckner will continue to excel, along with senior Lauren Letzsch announcing she is coming back for a fifth year. 

The question going into the next year of competition remains the same: Will the program be able to sustain this upward trajectory in all areas, and will they reflect the mission of the team? 

Head coach Tanya Chaplin equips her team for their restful offseason, but knows how strong the GymBeavs can be with Beaver Nation’s support. 

“Beaver Nation is incredible… There’s a lot of love that goes both ways,” Chaplin said in a post-meet press conference against Fisk University on March 21.