The Final Countdown!

By Nate Salsman and Sarahy Mora Rincon

The Championship in Fort Worth is set, and Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, and Minnesota are headed to the final! The semifinals were full of drama and nail-biting moments, but now only one can take the crown.

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Saturday, April 18

No.2 LSU Is Moving On!

Kailin Chio and Kaliya Lincoln got the party going for LSU on vault by both earning a 9.9625 after sticking their Yurchenko 1.5s. LSU earned a total of 197.4375, defeating Georgia who scored 197.2625.

After going down with an injury on bars at the Regional Championships, Konnor McClain returned to competition with ease earning a 9.9125 on bars. McClain told media that she was unsure if she would compete until after she vaulted in the warm ups. 

“It was amazing. I had the time of my life just being here with this team,” McClain said about the competition. “I love this team with my whole heart. So just doing what I can do and bringing whatever scores we need for the team is just so special to me, because I just love them.”

The Tigers faced some issues on beam where Kaliya Lincoln earned a 9.425, forcing them to count two scores in the 9.7 range. Head coach Jay Clark is hoping to see his team loosen up before Saturday’s final. 

“I don’t think there needs to be any conversation about what happened today,” Clark said. “We survived, and we know that, and we know we know we weren’t our best. There’s no real reason to have that conversation. What I want for them to be physically rested and mentally rested and feel confident. They’re a good team, they’re really good team, they’re super strong team, and they’re very committed to one another.”

No.5 Georgia

Georgia showed up and showed out on their best event, floor. With four scores in the 9.9 range, the Gymdogs cruised through their third rotation and moved into the No.2 spot ahead of LSU. Moving to vault, the Gymdogs continued to build with consistent 9.8s and a 9.925 from Nyla Aquino, but couldn’t hold on to the spot, dropping to third in the final rotation.

No. 7 Stanford

The Cardinal finished in fourth place in Session 1 with a 196.9375. Standout performer Ana Barbosu delivered a beautiful beam routine, tying for first place on the event in Session 1 with a 9.950.

NCAA National Championships Semifinal Two

No.1 Oklahoma

Still at The Top!

Oklahoma started off hot. With five sticks from Keira Wells, Hannah Scheible, and Faith Torrez, the Sooners’ vault lineup set the tone for the rest of the meet with a 49.750. Locked in their bubble, they kept the momentum going on bars, putting together another strong rotation for a 49.475.

From there, Oklahoma stayed steady and in control. A confident beam rotation, highlighted by a 9.9375 from Ella Murphy and a 9.950 from Torrez, kept them firmly on top heading into the final rotation.

On floor, the Sooners did exactly what they needed to do. Clean, consistent routines across the lineup, capped off by another 9.950 from Torrez, sealed the deal as Oklahoma never looked back and handled business from start to finish. The Sooners took the top spot in Session 2 with a 198.300.

No. 4 UCLA

UCLA started on bars, but what looked like a strong opening rotation turned shaky when all-around star Jordan Chiles took a fall. The Bruins found themselves in last place after rotation one.

Looking to turn things around, UCLA brought its A-game to beam in rotation two. A calm, collected set of routines brought in three scores in the 9.8 range, highlighted by 9.9s from Chiles and Ciena Alipio. The Bruins were able to close the gap and move into third.

The Bruins then brought their usual floor party. Locked in and hungry for the No. 2 spot, standout routines from Ashlee Sullivan and Chiles sealed the deal in their third rotation.

In the final rotation, a fall on vault forced UCLA to count a 9.5875, leaving them in third with a 197.275.

No. 9 Arkansas

Arkansas brought style on vault where they earned a 49.375 total score. They were high energy on floor, earning 49.300, highlighted by Joscelyn Roberson’s 9.9125. They finished fourth with a 196.9625. 

Sarahy Mora Rincon is a Communications and Media Arts & Design double major at James Madison University. The Richmond, Virginia native serves as president of JMU Club Gymnastics, where she helps lead the team and support its events, outreach, and involvement in the collegiate club gymnastics community.

Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics