2026 Nationals – Championship Live Blog

It’s time to don your most formal sparkle pants, pick only your 1800 classiest crystals, and spray on your orangest tan. The NCAA national championship has arrived.

Oklahoma comes to the table as the #1 team, clear winner of the semifinal day, and the defending champion. LSU comes in as the #2 national seed, Florida comes in as the SEC champion and first semifinal winner, and Minnesota comes in as the people’s champion.

Intro videos: Oklahoma has an AI horse in walking through a palace, Florida has Tim Tebow doing a voiceover about sticking landings, LSU has levitating crowns, and Minnesota has…an outline of the state of Minnesota. I’m worried Minnesota wasn’t invited to the Most Unhinged Award zoom planning session.

Rotation 1

Oklahoma has rotated out Elle Mueller for the vault rotation today.

Blessey – VT – Oklahoma – step back on handspring pike 1/2. 9.8375

Gerdes – UB – Minnesota – maloney leg sep into bail- hits hs on high – FTDT, chest forward, hop. 9.800

Draser – BB – Florida – bhs loso, secure, some leg position – switch, little pause before switch 1/2, solid landing – full turn, balance correction – 1.5 dmt, stuck. 9.8375

Innes – FX – LSU – front 2/1, step forward, controlled – back 1.5 to front lay, a bit more of a bounce – under split on tour jete 1/2 and popa – rudi, forward into double stag, controlled. 9.825

Wells – VT – Oklahoma – little hop forward on y1.5 today. 9.8875

Ostrum – UB – Minnesota – blind to piked jaeger, hit – solid hs on high – pak, good position – little body position but good vertical on final pas – DLO, holds onto landing well. 9.900

Blakely – BB – Florida – in the 2nd spot, arana moved to anchor – wolf triple is hit – aerial to bhs, connected comfortably – switch 1/2 to beat, solid – stuck dmt. 9.9125

Ballou – FX – DLO, hit, chest pretty well down, controls the step – switch side, overturns a little into combo – front lay to rudi, leg crossing, good control. 9.8750

Scheible – VT – Oklahoma – handspring pike 1/2, solid stick. 9.9625

Crump – UB – Minnesota – small arch on first hs, pulls it back into toe on to maloney, small leg break, good pak – 1/2 turn on low – hits hs on high – DLO, deep lean forward on landing, chest past horizontal. 9.7875

Frazier – BB – Florida – little balance check on full turn – aerial to loso, larger wobble, lean and arm wave – split and split ring, good positions, another small adjustment on landing – 1.5 dmt, stuck. 9.800

Coen – FX – LSU – front 2/1, secure landing, a bit of knees – front lay to front full, hit, a little low on amplitude – tour jete 1/2 to popa popa, clear rotation. 9.8625

Torrez – VT – Y1.5, good height, small hop forward onto toes to lean hold it. 9.900

Saltzmann – UB – Minnesota – hits hs on high – toe 1/2, small leg separation into jaeger, caught – a little rushed on hs – good bail vertical – hits hs on high – DLO, lower, step forward. 9.8375

DiCello – BB – Florida – wolf double hit, knee slightly soft, secure rotation – switch to split, comfortable – bhs loso, lean correction – aerial, holds with another small lean – gainer full, stuck. 9.900

Drayton – FX – LSU – DLO, good height and chest position – switch ring to switch 1/2, excellent – double tuck, good control, chest a little forward. 9.9375

Estep – VT – Oklahoma – Y1.5, hit but a medium lunge forward. 9.8625

Slevin – UB – Minnesota – maloney to pak, good – van leeuwen, legs together well – a bit short on hs on high – DLO, nearly holds stick but ends up with a step back

Harris-Miranda – BB – Florida – bhs loso bhs, very solid – switch to straddle 1/4, secure as well – 1.5 dmt, stuck

Chio – FX – LSU – FTDT, little lean to hold landing control on step – switch ring to tour jete 1/2, around – 2.5 to front tuck, lands a little under rotated with a step back. 9.900

Pederson brings bac the landings for Oklahoma on vault with a stick on Y1.5. Mostly 10s come up for 9.9875

Arana falls on beam in the anchor position. They’ll drop that number.

Lyden – UB – Minnesota – maloney to bail, good toe point, legs together – hits hs on high – DLO, chest low with a big hop forward. 9.8375

Lincoln – FX – LSU – high DLO, controls the step back – switch to gogean, ends up slightly under rotated on the gogean, but pretty close – front lay to front full, little slide. 9.9375

After 1
Oklahoma 49.600
LSU 49.5125
Florida 49.3875
Minnesota 49.2625

Oklahoma did not have the vault rotation of the semifinals but still came through with a 49.600, which is a useful pace. LSU will thank the final three on floor for getting them the 49.5 everyone definitely needs on floor. Florida was able to drop the fall but was too checky overall in that beam rotation and has work to do on floor.

Moving Arana to the anchor spot after struggling in the semifinal didn’t work out for Florida there. Moving the gymnast you’re afraid might fall to the anchor spot is a January decision, not an April decision. You need to put your sure-fire 10 last.

Rotation 2

Zeiss – VT – LSU – Y1.5, hop forward and some knee position

Pederson – UB – Oklahoma – Ray, hit – pak, good leg form – solid 1/2 turn on low – hits hs on high – DLO, can’t stick it, leans forward with a step.