National Champs!

By Nate Salsman and Sarahy Mora Rincon

The Oklahoma Sooners captured their eighth national title in Fort Worth, TX with a 198.1525, finishing ahead of No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Florida, and No. 13 Minnesota.

Sooners On Top!

The Sooners started off strong on vault with a huge front pike half from Hannah Scheible that earned a 9.9625. Lily Pederson earned a near perfect 9.9875 after a beautiful Yurchenko 1.5! She earned a 9.9875 to give the Sooners a 49.600 on vault! Oklahoma continued to shine on bars where their freshman stars brought in huge scores. Ella Murphy and Mackenzie Estep delivered massive routines both earning scores of 9.9 or better. Oklahoma earned a 49.4875 on bars. 

The Sooners started to face trouble on beam. Addison Fatta earned a 9.7375, and Keira Wells had a fall only earning a 9.0500. The squad followed with three scores of 9.9 or better for a 49.4375. 

Moving to floor, the Sooners did their thing with all counting scores in the 9.9 range for a 49.6375. It was the perfect finishing touch to a spectacular season, as Oklahoma stayed clean and left no doubt they were worthy of the NCAA Gymnastics National Championship.

LSU Takes Second!

Amari Drayton and Kaliya Lincoln delivered explosive routines, earning a pair of 9.9375s. Kailin Chio added a 9.900 to help the Tigers to a 49.5125. After a vault rotation with some uncontrolled landings and hops, Kailin Chio anchored the rotation in her signature Chio fashion. She drilled a Yurchenko 1.5 to earn a perfect 10.0. The Tigers earned a 49.475 total. 

LSU came in hot on bars with 5 scores in the 9.9 range.  Lexi Zeiss and Ashley Cowan started off the rotation with huge routines, each earning a 9.9250. Chio kept things moving with a 9.900, and Courtney Blackston followed with a 9.9125. Konnor McClain capped off the rotation with a beautiful 9.9500 routine, an impressive return after her injury in the Baton Rouge Regional.

On to beam, a fall from Lexi Zeiss forced the Tigers to lock in. They responded with three scores in the 9.9 range and looked strong, but missed landings held them back, leaving LSU in second with a 198.0750.

Gators Fight Till the End!

Florida opened on its strongest event and didn’t waste time delivering. Skye Blakely set the tone with a near-perfect 9.9125, Kayla DiCello followed with a steady 9.900, and Selena Harris-Miranda kept the momentum going with a 9.9375. On floor, the Gators looked to close the gap. Blakely stayed confident, matching her earlier score with a 9.9125, while Harris-Miranda gave her final floor routine everything she had, earning a 9.900. Florida wrapped up rotation two with a 49.550.

The Gators struggled to find consistent landings on vault, and their 49.2500 dropped them to third heading into the final rotation. Finishing on their best event, Florida looked to make up ground. A phenomenal rotation with four scores in the 9.9 range wasn’t enough to close the gap, as the Gators finished third with a 197.6875.

A Historic Run!

The Gophers fought from start to finish. A solid bar rotation was highlighted by Arianna Ostrum earning a 9.900 to contribute to a 49.2625 score.  They also earned a 49.450 on beam and a 197.3750 total.

The appearance in the National final is a historic moment for the Gophers. Their fourth place finish is the highest in program history. 

“We’re just ecstatic about the way the team performed today,” said head coach Jenny Hansen after the semifinal. “It was an incredible competition. This is a history-making moment for our program.”

Minnesota entered these championships ranked 13th, they became the first team ranked outside the top 10 to ever appear in a final four. The Gophers have proven that they will remain near the top, and will be a team to watch in the years to come. 

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