The NCAA is Heating Up!
It feels like as we get deeper into the NCAA season, everything keeps leveling up. The matchups are tighter, the performances are sharper, and the storylines are starting to take shape. On the men’s side, it feels like things are only beginning to warm up, with athletes settling in and showing what they’re truly capable of. Meanwhile, four weeks into women’s NCAA competition, you can feel the push from teams week after week, building confidence as the season starts to hit its stride.
5. No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 15 Michigan State
What’s a week in gymnastics without mentioning Jordan Chiles? Once again, Chiles proved exactly why she continues to sit at the top. Her floor routine wasn’t just as fun and performative as ever, it was another reminder of what sets her apart as an Olympian. Earning a perfect score on floor and holding onto the No. 1 All-Around ranking for the fourth straight week, she continues to raise the standard and leave fans wondering how she does it week after week.
Another standout in Week 4 was Ciena Alipio on beam. Ciena has been consistently strong all season, posting 9.9-plus scores on the event at every meet so far, but beyond the numbers, she’s simply a joy to watch. Her confidence and control on beam make her one of the Bruins’ most reliable performers this year. We’ll have an interview with Ciena coming soon on InsideGym.com!
4. No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 Georgia
The Oklahoma Sooners remain undefeated this season, continuing their dominant run with their highest team score yet. While the Georgia Bulldogs put up a strong fight, Oklahoma once again proved why it sits at the top of the national conversation.
That said, one moment from the weekend sparked far more discussion than the final score.
Lily Pederson’s bars routine became the center of attention after a controversial moment in which she appeared to touch the mat on a kip. Pederson has delivered strong scores all season, but the routine ignited a wave of reaction from gymnastics fans and analysts alike, reopening conversations around judging inconsistencies and perceived bias across the NCAA landscape. Still, despite the noise, Oklahoma remains the team to beat as we enter Week 5.
3. Michigan’s Charlie Larson on Vault
Historically, men’s gymnastics doesn’t see many “perfect” scores. With execution and difficulty combined, there’s no true 10.0 like in women’s gymnastics. But if you ask me, Michigan’s Charlie Larson came about as close as it gets this weekend with his Yurchenko double twist (4.4SV +9.8E + 0.1 SB). Between the clean form, huge flight, and a solid stick, it’s one of those vaults I’ve gone back to watch more than once, even now that Week 3 is over.
With this marking his season debut, it only adds to the excitement of seeing how Charlie builds as the year goes on. Despite posting their highest team score of the season and welcoming debuts from both Larson and Fred Richard, Michigan suffered its first loss of the year against Oklahoma, a reminder of how tight the top of the national field is early in the season.
2. Asher Hong makes NCAA return
After suffering an ankle injury at the World Championships in October, there were plenty of questions surrounding what Asher Hong’s senior NCAA season would look like. But if this weekend was any indication, Hong is more than ready to make some noise.
Competing All-Around in his first meet back, he delivered a huge 14.450 on rings and finished with an 80.300 total — the highest All-Around score in the NCAA so far this season. Between the confidence to compete all six events and the level of gymnastics he showed, it’s the kind of return that makes you excited for what’s still to come. Backed by a solid, powerful team performance from the Cardinal, Stanford remained No. 2 in the rankings while closing out Week 3 with the highest team score.
1. No. 3 Alabama v. No. 7 Missouri
Alabama has looked strong all season, and after a narrow loss to Florida in Week 3, it was clear the Alabama Crimson Tide were hungry for a bounce-back win. Still, the Missouri Tigers weren’t about to roll over, turning the meet into one that stayed close from start to finish. With both teams posting 49-plus scores on every event, this was the kind of meet that stayed competitive from start to finish — exactly the kind of back-and-forth gymnastics that fans love to watch. In the end, Alabama came out on top, but Missouri made them earn it.
For Alabama, Chloe LaCoursiere delivered one of the standout moments of the night, earning a 9.975 on bars to sit atop the NCAA leaderboard on the event. Gabby Gladieux was just as impressive, matching that 9.975 on floor with a routine that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites — and one I’d keep a close eye on as the season continues.
See our all-access feature on Alabama here!
Missouri had its own highlights, especially on beam, where Addison Riley and Railey Jackson each earned 9.950s. Performances like that were a big reason this meet lived up to the rankings and stayed tight all the way through
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; University of Michigan
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