(GYM) Road to Nationals NQS Standings Week 10

NQS
Blue Indicates NCAA Season High
Bold Indicates SEC Member

Rank Team NQS
1. Oklahoma 198.080
Ave 197.793
High 198.475
2. Florida 198.050
Ave 197.805
High 198.575
3. Michigan 197.960
Ave 197.805
High 198.525
4. Utah 197.870
Ave 197.650
High 198.575
5. LSU 197.735
Ave 197.561
High 198.125
6. Alabama 197.650
Ave 197.410
High 198.075
6. Auburn 197.650
Ave 197.464
High 198.575
8. Minnesota 197.395
Ave 197.300
High 198.025
9. Kentucky 197.250
Ave 197.117
High 197.650
10. California 197.220
Ave 197.120
High 197.900
11. Missouri 197.190
Ave 197.031
High 197.675
12. Michigan State 197.125
Ave 196.834
High 197.575
13. Oregon State 197.040
Ave 196.856
High 197.375
14. Arizona State 196.880
Ave 196.650
High 197.800
15. Denver 196.870
Ave 196.620
High 197.600
16. Ohio State 196.865
Ave 196.443
High 197.525
17. Arkansas 196.820
Ave 196.453
High 197.200
18. UCLA 196.795
Ave 196.711
High 198.050
19. Illinois 196.775
Ave 196.248
High 197.350
20. Maryland 196.665
Ave 195.966
High 197.175
...
22. Georgia 196.575
Ave 196.125
High 197.175

VT
1. Michigan 49.555
Ave 49.423
High 49.875
2. Florida 49.525
Ave 49.443
High 49.725
3. LSU 49.455
Ave 49.408
High 49.525
4. Oklahoma 49.425
Ave 49.366
High 49.550
5. Utah 49.400
Ave 49.345
High 49.550
5. Auburn 49.400
Ave 49.334
High 49.500
7. Minnesota 49.365
Ave 49.331
High 49.575
8. Alabama 49.355
Ave 49.273
High 49.500
9. Kentucky 49.315
Ave 49.294
High 49.450
10. Oregon State 49.265
Ave 49.222
High 49.350

UB
1. Oklahoma 49.545
Ave 49.530
High 49.825
2. Florida 49.540
Ave 49.428
High 49.725
3. Michigan 49.515
Ave 49.490
High 49.600
4. Alabama 49.465
Ave 49.413
High 49.650
5. Auburn 49.450
Ave 49.339
High 49.575
6. Utah 49.445
Ave 49.423
High 49.800
7. Kentucky 49.435
Ave 49.392
High 49.575
8. Boise State 49.420
Ave 49.244
High 49.525
8. LSU 49.420
Ave 49.417
High 49.500
10. California 49.405
Ave 49.365
High 49.625

BM
1. Utah 49.620
Ave 49.380
High 49.725
2. Oklahoma 49.580
Ave 49.400
High 49.700
3. Florida 49.550
Ave 49.420
High 49.700
4. Auburn 49.485
Ave 49.384
High 49.725
5. Alabama 49.425
Ave 49.350
High 49.650
6. Michigan State 49.380
Ave 49.270
High 49.500
6. LSU 49.380
Ave 49.356
High 49.650
8. California 49.375
Ave 49.225
High 49.475
9. Oregon State 49.350
Ave 49.264
High 49.475
9. Michigan 49.350
Ave 49.300
High 49.500
11. Missouri 49.340
Ave 49.303
High 49.475

FX
1. Michigan 49.635
Ave 49.593
High 49.750
2. Utah 49.590
Ave 49.502
High 49.675
3. Florida 49.585
Ave 49.515
High 49.800
4. Minnesota 49.580
Ave 49.561
High 49.750
5. Oklahoma 49.550
Ave 49.498
High 49.675
6. Auburn 49.490
Ave 49.407
High 49.800
7. Alabama 49.465
Ave 49.375
High 49.700
7. LSU 49.465
Ave 49.375
High 49.775
9. Michigan State 49.460
Ave 49.341
High 49.675
10. Missouri 49.440
Ave 49.389
High 49.650

Individual Florida
VT
4. Trinity Thomas 9.950
Ave 9.925
High 10.000
11. Nya Reed 9.910
Ave 9.895
High 9.975
15. Savannah Schoenherr 9.905
Ave 9.872
High 9.975
36. Megan Skaggs 9.885
Ave 9.869
High 9.950
61. Leanne Wong 9.860
Ave 9.837
High 9.975
106. Sloane Blakely 9.840
Ave 9.832
High 9.950

UB
4. Trinity Thomas 9.945
Ave 9.905
High 9.975
5. Leanne Wong 9.940
Ave 9.875
High 10.00
24. Megan Skaggs 9.910
Ave 9.893
High 9.950
28. Savannah Schoenherr 9.905
Ave 9.882
9.975
96. Sloane Blakely 9.850
Ave 9.712
High 9.900
137. Riley McCusker 9.830
Ave 9.764
High 9.925

BB
3. Trinity Thomas 9.970
Ave 9.936
High 10.000
19. Sloane Blakely 9.915
Ave 9.848
High 9.950
23. Leanne Wong 9.910
Ave 9.865
High 9.950
32. Megan Skaggs 9.900
Ave 9.893
High 9.950
37. Alyssa Baumann 9.895
Ave 9.760
High 9.925

FX
1. Nya Reed 9.965
Ave 9.958
High 10.000
19. Leanne Wong 9.925
Ave 9.906
High 9.975
48. Megan Skaggs 9.900
Ave 9.886
High 9.950
56. Alyssa Baumann 9.895
Ave 9.872
High 9.975
142. Sloane Blakely 9.845
Ave 9.853
High 10.000

AA
8. Megan Skaggs 39.550
Ave 39.534
High 39.725
13. Leanne Wong 39.485
Ave 39.546
High 39.850

For Complete NQS Team and Individual Standings, Click Here

 

Here is the NCAA Gymnastics final top 10 team home attendance averages. For the 1st time ever, LSU unseats Utah (get it? "unseats" LOL) for the highest average. Utah had led the nation in home attendance every year since the late 80's. Also for the 1st time since the 80's Florida averages more than Georgia and Auburn's 5 home sellouts gave them 13 more people per meet to barely edge the Gators for 4th, their highest ever. Seven of the top 11 averages are from the SEC.

1. LSU 11,691
2. Utah 11,595
3. Alabama 9,551
4. Auburn 9,121
5. Florida 9,108
6. Georgia 8,419
7. Arkansas 4,966
8. Oklahoma 4,926
9. Michigan 4,838
10. UCLA 4,557
11. Kentucky 4,052

 

Clemson will have their inaugural season in 2024, giving the ACC their 4th school with a gymnastics program-the other 3 are Pittsburgh, NC State and North Carolina- and add Women's Gymnastics as a sponsored sport. The state of Texas is a hotbed for girls gymnastics but only 1 college has a program-Division 2 Texas Women's U. But no interest by Texas or A&M to start a program from what I've read. But with Title IX, schools are always looking to add a women's sport since the other option to stay compliant is dropping a men's sport. Clemson was facing this dilemma and, thanks to their football program's success and the added $$ revenue they were able to add 2 women's programs- Lacrosse and Gymnastics-instead of dropping a men's program.

 

Missouri ranked 29th with an average of 1,284. But they just had a record-breaking season and are recruiting better. And now being a member of the SEC should raise awareness and interest.

 

Here is the Final NQS Analysis Scenario!
What does Florida need to pass Oklahoma? Can Michigan end #1? Can the NQS record be broken?

Scores in BOLD can no longer be dropped.

1. Oklahoma
Road Score 1 198.175
Road Score 2 198.075
Road Score 3 197.900
Home/Road Score 1 198.475
Home/Road Score 2 198.200
Home/Road Score 3 198.050
Current NQS: 198.080
Maximum NQS: 198.195
Possible ranking range: 1-2

Despite a non-counter over the weekend, Oklahoma stayed at #1 because no one else among the very top got a 198 either (whatttt?). Oklahoma is still looking for that 198.125 this week to break its old NQS record but will also be subject to what Florida does in terms of the final #1 ranking because Florida has the higher maximum NQS after conference championships.

2. Florida
Road Score 1 198.575
Road Score 2 197.975
Road Score 3 197.775
Home/Road Score 1 198.250
Home/Road Score 2 198.150
Home/Road Score 3 198.100
Current NQS: 198.050
Maximum NQS: 198.210
Possible ranking range: 1-3

Florida does have the higher maximum possible NQS than Oklahoma but would need 198.500 at the SEC Championship to guarantee it. Which, this year, you never know. But it’s a lot. Basically, Oklahoma is sitting in control right now, but if Florida goes crazy at SECs, a switch is possible. Florida also has a chance to break the old NQS record with a 198.150. Ensuring a spot in the top 2 and staying ahead of Michigan requires 197.950.

3. Michigan
Road Score 1 198.525
Road Score 2 198.025
Road Score 3 197.950
Home/Road Score 1 197.950
Home/Road Score 2 197.950
Home/Road Score 3 197.925
Current NQS: 197.960
Maximum NQS: 198.080
Possible ranking range: 1-4

Theoretically, Michigan could tie Oklahoma, but that would require a season high at that 198.525 mark and a non-counter from Oklahoma, so it’s not the most likely. The possibility of catching Florida will also be majorly challenging—requiring 198.400 to even have a shot—so Michigan is probably just hoping to fend off Utah and stay in third.

4. Utah
Road Score 1 197.950
Road Score 2 197.875
Road Score 3 197.750
Home/Road Score 1 198.575
Home/Road Score 2 198.000
Home/Road Score 3 197.775
Current NQS: 197.870


Maximum NQS: 198.035
Possible ranking range: 3-6

Utah actually has a pretty wide range of possible rankings, spanning both the #1 seed and #2 seed ranges at regionals, but will be aiming for anything over 198 this week, which would be enough to clinch a #1 regionals seeding regardless of what anyone else does.


5. LSU
Road Score 1 197.825
Road Score 2 197.625
Road Score 3 197.200
Home/Road Score 1 198.125
Home/Road Score 2 198.050
Home/Road Score 3 197.975
Current NQS: 197.735
Maximum NQS: 197.920
Possible ranking range: 4-7

With Alabama idle and Auburn getting a non-counter, LSU took advantage of the opportunity and jumped up to 5th place. It would take a semi-hefty score to pass Utah for a spot in the top 4, but if LSU goes 197.9 and Utah doesn’t get a 198, it can happen. LSU and Auburn are pretty similar in terms of maximum NQS, but that maximum NQS would hinge on Auburn getting back to 198.5, so consider LSU in the driver’s seat in that regard.

6. Auburn
Road Score 1 197.750
Road Score 2 197.750
Road Score 3 197.250
Home/Road Score 1 198.575
Home/Road Score 2 197.925
Home/Road Score 3 197.575
Current NQS: 197.650
Maximum NQS: 197.915
Possible ranking range: 4-8

Auburn was not able to escape the tie with Alabama this week but retains the edge in the tiebreak and the higher maximum NQS after SECs. Still, it would take a 198.200 to absolutely clinch a spot ahead of Alabama in the final rankings, so the conference championship results will decide much in that regard.

6. Alabama
Road Score 1 198.000
Road Score 2 197.600
Road Score 3 197.125
Home/Road Score 1 198.075
Home/Road Score 2 197.875
Home/Road Score 3 197.650
Current NQS: 197.650
Maximum NQS: 197.840
Possible ranking range: 5-8

Of the teams in the top 7, Alabama has the lowest maximum so will be subject to what the others score this weekend. While it’s possible that Alabama could lose a spot in the top 7, it’s not likely and can be avoided completely with just a 197.400. There’s no chance at this point for Alabama to be dumped out of the top 8.


8. Minnesota
Road Score 1 197.850
Road Score 2 197.125
Road Score 3 196.500
Home/Road Score 1 198.025
Home/Road Score 2 197.850
Home/Road Score 3 197.650
Current NQS: 197.395
Maximum NQS: 197.700
Possible ranking range: 6-10

There’s an outside shot that Minnesota could challenge Auburn/Alabama this week, but it’s not super likely. Mostly, Minnesota should be content with a spot in the 8-9 zone and the 1-8-9-16 regional, which will take only 196.675 to ensure

9. Kentucky
Road Score 1 197.500
Road Score 2 197.150
Road Score 3 196.700
Home/Road Score 1 197.650
Home/Road Score 2 197.450
Home/Road Score 3 197.450
Current NQS: 197.250
Maximum NQS: 197.440
Possible ranking range: 8-13

Kentucky and Cal look to be neck-and-neck as the most likely teams for that #9 spot right now, with Kentucky enjoying a slight advantage in maximum NQS, though it would take a 197.600 at SECs to clinch outright, so it will probably end up being a matter of margins on the day.

10. Cal
Road Score 1 197.200
Road Score 2 196.925
Road Score 3 196.875
Home/Road Score 1 197.900
Home/Road Score 2 197.575
Home/Road Score 3 197.525
Current NQS: 197.220
Maximum NQS: 197.425
Possible ranking range: 8-13

Kentucky’s score in the early session at SECs will determine whether Cal has a shot at a spot in the 8-9 regional with its performance at the late session at Pac-12s, but Cal will aim for a 197.575 regardless, which would ensure that no other team can pass for a spot in the top 10.

11. Missouri
Road Score 1 197.225
Road Score 2 196.875
Road Score 3 196.850
Home/Road Score 1 197.675
Home/Road Score 2 197.650
Home/Road Score 3 197.350
Current NQS: 197.190
Maximum NQS: 197.355
Possible ranking range: 9-13

Missouri also does have an outside shot at the 8-9 but is very dependent on what Kentucky and Cal do in that regard. One consideration for Missouri is that, in the current setup, they would be faced with traveling to Auburn as the #3 seed in the Michigan/Auburn regional group, which is a terrible setup for any upset hopes. So Missouri might not even mind dropping a spot if the top 8 stays the same.


12. Michigan State
Road Score 1 197.500
Road Score 2 196.975
Road Score 3 196.850
Home/Road Score 1 197.575
Home/Road Score 2 197.425
Home/Road Score 3 196.875
Current NQS: 197.125
Maximum NQS: 197.270
Possible ranking range: 9-15

Michigan State is no longer in danger of getting dropped out of the seeded positions, so while there’s still quite a range of possible results and regionals placements that will be just as dependent on other teams as on MSU, getting a score from the conference championship is not the most urgent.

13. Oregon State
Road Score 1 197.150
Road Score 2 196.875
Road Score 3 196.675
Home/Road Score 1 197.375
Home/Road Score 2 197.275
Home/Road Score 3 197.225
Current NQS: 197.040
Maximum NQS: 197.180
Possible ranking range: 12-16

Like Michigan State, Oregon State has done just enough to secure a spot in the top 16 already so is not facing the pressure of other teams at conference championships looking for a score in order to get to a specific tier.


14. Arizona State
Road Score 1 197.375
Road Score 2 196.600
Road Score 3 196.550
Home/Road Score 1 197.800
Home/Road Score 2 197.075
Home/Road Score 3 196.800
Current NQS: 196.880
Maximum NQS: 197.130
Possible ranking range: 12-20

Arizona State is still in some danger of getting bumped out of the seeded positions, especially with UCLA lurking, so will be eager to get 197.325 at Pac-12s to clinch a seeded position, though in reality it probably won’t take quite as much as that.

15. Denver
Road Score 1 197.600
Road Score 2 197.075
Road Score 3 196.625
Home/Road Score 1 197.000
Home/Road Score 2 196.850
Home/Road Score 3 196.800
Current NQS: 196.870
Maximum NQS: 197.030
Possible ranking range: 14-20

Denver currently sits in 15th, so would have to be dislodged by others to lose out on a seeding, but both UCLA and Ohio State do have higher maximum NQSs, so Denver may be at the mercy of others if Ohio State puts up another big score.


16. Ohio State
Road Score 1 197.525
Road Score 2 196.900
Road Score 3 196.675
Home/Road Score 1 197.100
Home/Road Score 2 197.075
Home/Road Score 3 196.575
Current NQS: 196.865
Maximum NQS: 197.055
Possible ranking range: 13-20

Ohio State’s peak is higher than Denver’s but only slightly, so it would take a significant result of 197.425 at Big Tens for Ohio State to secure a seeded position outright.

17. Arkansas
Road Score 1 196.975
Road Score 2 196.800
Road Score 3 196.800
Home/Road Score 1 197.200
Home/Road Score 2 197.050
Home/Road Score 3 196.475
Current NQS: 196.820
Maximum NQS: 196.965
Possible ranking range: 14-20

Arkansas is another team that could get into the seeded positions but will have to wait to see what everyone else scores to know if there’s a chance. Otherwise, Arkansas would be an unseeded geographically placed team in the Oklahoma regional, which right now would mean a regional semifinal with Minnesota and Kentucky.

18. UCLA
Road Score 1 196.850
Road Score 2 196.300
Road Score 3 195.475
Home/Road Score 1 198.050
Home/Road Score 2 197.700
Home/Road Score 3 197.650
Current NQS: 196.795
Maximum NQS: 197.310
Possible ranking range: 9-20

UCLA is the team that’s making everything so ambiguous because this range of possible outcomes is so massive. We’re just going to have to wait and see what the score is like because UCLA could end up anywhere from a high #3 seed to outside of the seeded positions altogether depending on how Pac-12s goes. At minimum, UCLA will be looking for 196.675, which would be enough to clinch a spot in the top 16.

19. Illinois
Road Score 1 197.275
Road Score 2 196.450
Road Score 3 196.375
Home/Road Score 1 197.350
Home/Road Score 2 197.125
Home/Road Score 3 196.650
Current NQS: 196.775
Maximum NQS: 196.970
Possible ranking range: 14-21

Both Illinois and Maryland have done enough to get themselves in position to maybe-could-iffy-maybe have a shot at a seeded position, but a lot of moving pieces would have to move a very specific direction all at the same time.

20. Maryland
Road Score 1 197.175
Road Score 2 196.550
Road Score 3 195.950
Home/Road Score 1 197.100
Home/Road Score 2 197.025
Home/Road Score 3 196.700
Current NQS: 196.665
Maximum NQS: 196.910
Possible ranking range: 14-23

 

If the Regional Selections were held today per GymCastic podcast:

Norman Regional:
Oklahoma
Minnesota
Kentucky
Ohio State
Arkansas

Raleigh Regional:
Florida
Alabama
California
Denver
N.C. State

Auburn Regional:
Michigan
Auburn
Missouri
Arizona State

Seattle Regional:
Utah
LSU
Michigan State
Oregon State
Washington
UCLA (if NQS standing is lower than 16)

 

NQS is based on a team's and an all-around competitor's six best regular-season-meet scores, of which three must be away. They can all be away, or 5 away, or 4 away...as long as 3 are away. The high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged.

 

You said 3 highest home and 3 highest away- sorry I wasn't trying to be a jerk or condescending.

 

Texas A&M
It’s long been a matter of incredulity that Texas, arguably the state with the greatest volume of J.O. and elite gymnasts, has just one collegiate gymnastics program and none at the DI level (though Baylor has an acrobatics and tumbling team). There are plenty of big sports schools in Texas, and the University of Houston has actually considered adding a team. But Texas A&M is an especially compelling choice because it’s in the SEC, so it would already get a lot of visibility. Plus, College Station is located within reasonable driving distance of the Houston and Dallas metropolitan areas, so it would be relatively easy for fans from there to attend home meets.
Link

Lack of in-state NCAA opportunities for Texas gymnasts ‘baffling’
Link
Despite serving as a hub for gymnastics talent, Texas colleges have yet to offer Division I opportunities for in-state gymnasts
At age 15, Macy Toronjo was faced with a choice many don’t make until several years later.
She was too young, she now acknowledges, but due to the very nature of her chosen sport, Toronjo was forced to pick a college to attend.
Toronjo ended up choosing UCLA, where she spent five years as a member of the gymnastics team that won the 2018 National Championship during her tenure.
For Toronjo, a Huntsville native who spent several years training at Texas Dreams Gymnastics in Coppell, the nearly 1,500-mile move from Dallas to Los Angeles fulfilled a dream to compete at the collegiate level, but it wasn't necessarily a move she wanted to make.
Toronjo comes from a family of Aggies. Her dad, Walter, is Class of 1974. Two of his brothers and their wives, as well as Toronjo’s older half-brother and half-sister, also attended Texas A&M.
Her brother Will, a wildlife and fisheries sciences senior, will be taking over as head drum major of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band for the 2021 football season.
But Toronjo didn't have the choice to continue her family’s tradition and become an Aggie.
She has, however, made her way back to A&M, now serving as the club gymnastics team's coach and an academic mentor for student-athletes within A&M’s athletic department, but for Toronjo, staying in Texas as a collegiate gymnast was a dream she never got to see come to fruition.
A&M doesn’t offer a varsity-level gymnastics program.In fact, no Texas university offers a Division I program. Texas Woman’s University in Denton sponsors gymnastics, but the team is a Division II program and isn’t able to provide the same resources as a Division I school.
Despite the lack of collegiate programs, Texas still has a vibrant gymnastics culture, Toronjo said.
“Texas is a huge hub for gymnastics,” Toronjo said. “Had there been a DI team in Texas, I would have just stayed in Texas because I was like, ‘I don’t want to go to a city.’ But I did, I left.”
The state has produced Olympic talent such as gold medalists Simone Biles, Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson. Mary Lou Retton trained in Texas as a teenager. Two of Toronjo’s UCLA teammates — Madison Kocian and Katelyn Ohashi — trained at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano.
Among the eight SEC schools that currently sponsor gymnastics programs, 15 athletes are from Texas — enough for a full roster. Three head coaches also hail from the state.
With over 250 gymnastics clubs sponsored by USA Gymnastics, Texas has solidified itself as a hotbed for the sport, despite the lack of college-level opportunities.
Though she coaches the only NCAA-level program in the state, Texas Woman’s gymnastics coach Lisa Bowerman said the state’s rich pool of talent doesn’t necessarily mean she has an advantage in recruiting.
“Anyone who has been around or knows the sport at all knows that Texas is a hotbed for the sport of gymnastics,” Bowerman said. “That’s why colleges from all over the country come here to recruit our kids, and we’ve got some incredible gyms and incredible athletes here in our state. Just by sheer numbers as well, it’s a very much-loved sport here in our state.
“It is a little bit baffling that there’s only one NCAA program in this state where it is so strong and is so popular.”
Bowerman said while she does have athletes choose to compete for her in order to remain close to their families, Texas Woman’s Division II status puts her at a disadvantage in terms of what she can offer to recruits. While Division I programs have up to 12 scholarships to offer, Bowerman said Division II schools are allotted just six.
“[Division I schools] generally give full-rides, and we do not because of how our scholarships work and how we have to divide them up and combine some athletic scholarship with [academic scholarships],” Bowerman said. “We lose a lot of really strong talent because they can go outside of our state and get a full ride, which we can’t offer.”
The state’s history with the sport goes back to Béla and Márta Károlyi, the former coaches of the United States Women’s National Gymnastics Team who established the Karolyi Ranch in Huntsville in the 1980s.
The Karolyis helped build a gymnastics culture in Texas, said Lauren Porter, a meteorology junior and three-year member of A&M’s club gymnastics team.
“A lot of gymnasts and coaches came here to be around that because the Karolyis used to be the people who decided on the Olympic Team,” Porter said. “Being invited to the Karolyi Ranch — it was a big deal to be near that and having the opportunity to have the Karolyis come and see you.”
Though the Karolyis’ influence on the sport has been marred by recent abuse scandals that led to the ranch being dropped as a USA Gymnastics’s training centerin 2018, Bowerman said the love for the sport that lives on today in Texas is still due to the duo’s influence.
“Back in the day, the best gymnasts moved across the country to come to Texas to train with specific coaches and to train in specific gyms because they were having success at the national and international level,” Bowerman said. “I think that kind of got the ball rolling, and it just continued to build from there and became a part of the culture of our state and a sport that was known and loved within our state.”
While the Karolyi Ranch is no longer an active training center for the national team, Porter said the state still has a plethora of clubs to continue promoting its gymnastics culture. Toronjo’s former club Texas Dreams and World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, or WOGA, in Plano are two of the most successful clubs in Texas, and tied for fourth-most Junior Olympic National Team qualifiers among the nation’s clubs in 2017.
“Every gymnast knows the culture of Texas gymnastics. Here in Texas, you see very competitive gymnastics clubs,” Porter said. “We have places like WOGA and a few other places that we see national champions and a lot of Olympians come out of. A lot of your gymnasts who are in the NCAA or the Olympics are from Texas, and that’s where you see a majority of super high-level gymnasts coming out of.”
Despite the deep-seeded culture surrounding gymnastics in Texas, there is another sport that takes precedent in every level from peewee to high school to professional: football.
Porter said the importance of football in Texas led to other sports, including gymnastics, being put on the “back burner” in the early days of athletic departments across the state.
Though the Karolyis’ influence on the sport has been marred by recent abuse scandals that led to the ranch being dropped as a USA Gymnastics’s training centerin 2018, Bowerman said the love for the sport that lives on today in Texas is still due to the duo’s influence.
“Back in the day, the best gymnasts moved across the country to come to Texas to train with specific coaches and to train in specific gyms because they were having success at the national and international level,” Bowerman said. “I think that kind of got the ball rolling, and it just continued to build from there and became a part of the culture of our state and a sport that was known and loved within our state.”
While the Karolyi Ranch is no longer an active training center for the national team, Porter said the state still has a plethora of clubs to continue promoting its gymnastics culture. Toronjo’s former club Texas Dreams and World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, or WOGA, in Plano are two of the most successful clubs in Texas, and tied for fourth-most Junior Olympic National Team qualifiers among the nation’s clubs in 2017.


“If UofH (University of Houston) gymnastics team got NCAA approved in the future, I’d consider coaching gymnastics after my career,” Biles said.

Regardless of the push to expand the sport to the collegiate level, Toronjo said college club teams still hold a significant importance for the sport.

College clubs provide a place for athletes to compete without the pressure of pursuing “perfection,” Toronjo said.

“It gives people the space to find their joy again,” Toronjo said.

That joy is something Toronjo said she has yet to find again, though some of the club’s members have been successful in rekindling their love for the sport after going through similar situations.

“With everything they went through, they came back to the sport and maybe they’re not doing as hard of skills. That’s OK,” Toronjo said. “They’re doing it because it’s fun and they love gymnastics. That’s something I honestly have not felt or been around in a very long time.”

For Porter, who trained at APEX Gymnastics in Leesburg, Va., A&M’s club team gave her a sense of familiarity despite being over 1,000 miles from home.

“Gymnastics has always been an easy place for me to make friends,” Porter said. “I’ve done it my whole life, and in high school I didn’t do much in school because as soon as school was over I had to go straight to gymnastics almost every day. I knew by joining gymnastics I could easily make friends, I could continue doing the sport I love, and it was also a place for me to train and get energy.”

Her teammate, bioenvironmental sciences junior Kaylee Connolly, had never done gymnastics prior to stepping foot on A&M’s campus, but has since found a nucleus of support and camaraderie through A&M’s club.


Despite the special place the club team holds for them, the members still have a desire for the club to grow to varsity level.

“I wish there was something we could do to make NCAA happen, but unfortunately, it’s all up to the authorities,” Porter said. “As much as it stinks, it is what it is. But the more we get recognition for club teams in the state of Texas, the better it’ll be.”

After making the 1,500-mile move to Los Angeles to pursue her collegiate career, Toronjo is finally making Aggieland her home, though not in the way she imagined growing up.

But as special as it would have been for her to compete in her home state, she said the expansion of the sport at the collegiate level, whenever the time comes, will be “huge.”
Bowerman said she thinks it will take just one major institution in Texas to add gymnastics for others to follow.

“There are times that it can feel hopeless, but I also know that what our sport offers to any university is incredible and I believe strongly in that,” Bowerman said. “We’re not going to stop working toward that ever probably, and I think it’s just a matter of time before one larger university in the state adds and then someone else sees their success and it can hopefully domino effect and grow from there.”

With the increasing popularity and success of club gymnastics teams in Texas — A&M’s club won the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs Championship in 2019 — Porter said it is only a matter of time before a university’s administration takes notice.

“The more we have people joining the club teams, the more I think schools will see that it is a popular sport here and there is opportunity to grow that,” Porter said. “A&M being a part of the SEC now, I do foresee that eventually being an option because the SEC does have a lot of phenomenal gymnastics programs with a history of it. It just might take a while for our university to see that, and unfortunately there’s nothing that the club teams can do other than gain recognition.”

Although there is not yet an end in sight to the work left to do to expand gymnastics in Texas, there is still plenty of interest and passion surrounding the potential growth of the sport on the collegiate level.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, a Houston native, tweeted in 2018 to express her support for the University of Houston’s gymnastics club and her hope that it will eventually move up to varsity level.

“If UofH (University of Houston) gymnastics team got NCAA approved in the future, I’d consider coaching gymnastics after my career,” Biles said.
Despite the special place the club team holds for them, the members still have desire for the club to grow to varsity level.

“I wish there was something we could do to make NCAA happen, but unfortunately, it’s all up to the authorities,” Porter said. “As much as it stinks, it is what it is. But the more we get recognition for club teams in the state of Texas, the better it’ll be.”

After making the 1,500-mile move to Los Angeles to pursue her collegiate career, Toronjo is finally making Aggieland her home, though not in the way she imagined growing up.

But as special as it would have been for her to compete in her home state, she said the expansion of the sport at the collegiate level, whenever the time comes, will be “huge.”

“It could have been something really special, and who’s to say ‘could have.’ Maybe it will or could be something special,” Toronjo said. “It would be really awesome to see because it would have been a huge movement for the sport. The sport is in a new cycle right now, it’s changing … and the culture is shifting to more joy.”