Clemson Gymnastics New Adds!
Ella Cesario Follows Coaches
Clemson Gymnastics made some noise this week on the recruiting trail, landing a pair of big-time additions that bring both experience and elite potential to the program.
First up: former Cal standout Ella Cesario is officially Tiger-bound for her fifth and final season of NCAA gymnastics. Cesario, a proven all-around competitor, follows co-head coaches Liz and Justin Howell from Berkeley to Clemson, bringing with her a resume that speaks for itself.
During her time at Cal, Cesario helped the Golden Bears secure four regular season conference titles in four years — a streak of consistency that few programs in the country can match. Her senior season was highlighted by an ACC Gymnast of the Week honor after she swept the all-around, vault, and bars titles in a single meet. Cesario’s ability to deliver across all four events gives Clemson a valuable veteran presence with high-scoring potential in any lineup.
But she’s not the only former Cal commit headed to Tigertown.
Sophie Stuart Flips!
Class of 2025 recruit Sophie Stuart also announced her commitment to Clemson, flipping from Cal to join her longtime club coach Jessie McDonough, who recently joined the Tigers’ staff. Stuart, out of Olympus Gymnastics in Utah, is a high-level recruit with a decorated club career.
Just this year, she earned a spot on the 2024 Development Program Nationals team and dominated Region 1 competition — taking first in the all-around and on beam, and finishing second on bars. She’s a four-time national qualifier and brings standout routines that could make an immediate impact when she arrives on campus.
With Cesario’s experience and leadership paired with Stuart’s potential and familiarity with the coaching staff, Clemson continues to build a strong foundation as it heads into year three as a program. The coaching connections clearly played a key role here — and those ties may pay off in a big way for a program looking to rise in the ACC and beyond.
For a team that dealt with several key injuries last season, adding a seasoned all-arounder and a club star with national-level results is exactly the kind of offseason momentum the Tigers were hoping for. The future is bright in Littlejohn Coliseum, and these two additions only make it brighter.
