(GYM) NCAA Gymnastics Championships

Contenders, sleepers in the 2022 college gymnastics championships individual events
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It’s finally time for the NCAA national championships once again! We know our eight teams, our four all-arounders and our 15 individual event specialists. Today we’re tackling the individuals and taking a look at the most likely contenders for the all-around and event titles.

Four all-arounders and 15 individual event specialists qualified to compete in Fort Worth. They will be split up into the two semifinal sessions with national champions determined at the end of the night.

Session 1
Rotation 1
VT UB BB FX
Oklahoma Alabama Minnesota Utah
Rotation 2
VT UB BB FX
Utah Oklahoma Alabama Minnesota
Rotation 3
VT UB BB FX
Minnesota Utah Oklahoma Alabama
Rotation 4
VT UB BB FX
Alabama Minnesota Utah Oklahoma

Session 2
Rotation 1
VT UB BB FX
Florida Missouri Auburn Michigan
Rotation 2
VT UB BB FX
Michigan Florida Missouri Auburn
Rotation 3
VT UB BB FX
Auburn Michigan Florida Missouri
Rotation 4
VT UB BB FX
Missouri Auburn Michigan Florida

AA
Rank Gymnast School NQS Average High Score
1 Jade Carey (Oregon State) 39.79 39.76 39.85
2 Sunisa Lee (Auburn) 39.75 39.642 39.825
3 Sierra Brooks (Michigan) 39.685 39.562 39.725
4 Raena Worley (Kentucky) 39.68 39.647 39.75
5 Lexy Ramler (Minnesota) 39.665 39.64 39.825
6 Grace McCallum (Utah) 39.65 39.436 39.775
7 Ona Loper (Minnesota) 39.645 39.467 39.75
8 Megan Skaggs (Florida) 39.575 39.547 39.725
9 Leanne Wong (Florida) 39.555 39.561 39.875
10 Abby Heiskell (Michigan) 39.55 39.455 39.7

The Contenders: There is one very important name missing from the above list: Trinity Thomas. She doesn’t have an all-around NQS because she competed all-around events too few times after resting floor in a number of meets, but she owns the highest number in the country and third-highest all time with a 39.900 at the Raleigh regional final. Thomas is without question the favorite going in, but she won’t have an easy road. Her Gator teammate Leanne Wong owns the second-best number of the year with a 39.875 also in the regional final. Olympians Jade Carey and Sunisa Lee are also massive threats, with high marks just a pace behind the Gators’. Lee is known to shine under pressure, and Carey has been remarkably consistent all year. The field is stacked, with Natalie Wojcik, who had some misses and is just outside the top 10 by NQS, also having eclipsed 39.800. Perennial favorite Lexy Ramler is right there with her as well.
The Dark Horses: Consistency rules the day for the peloton. Sierra Brooks, Raena Worley and Ona Loper have all been strong across all four all year. Their highs are a pace behind the leading group, but they each absolutely pose a threat. Grace McCallum, who wasn’t in the Utes’ beam lineup at regionals, is also in this group if she’s on all four. These gymnasts are just a stuck landing away from the top; it’ll come down to precision.

VAULT
Rank Gymnast School NQS Average High Score
1 Jordan Bowers (OKlahoma) 9.965 9.831 10.000
Trinity Thomas (Florida) 9.965 9.930 10.000
3 Haleigh Bryant (LSU)* 9.960 9.855 10.000
4 Sierra Brooks (Michigan) 9.955 9.845 10.000
Ona Loper (Minnesota) 9.955 9.863 10.000
6 Jade Carey (Oregon State) 9.945 9.930 9.975
7 Jocelyn Moore (Missouri) 9.940 9.897 9.950
8 Katherine Levasseur (Oklahoma) 9.935 9.902 10.000
Naomi Morrison (Michigan) 9.935 9.893
9.975
10 Natalie Wojcik (Michigan) 9.930 9.845 10.000
*Did not qualify to Nationals on Vault

The Contenders: Claiming both the top regular season ranking and a 10 for her most recent vault, Trinity Thomas enters as the slight favorite in a deep field with a trio of perfect vaults under her belt. Ona Loper earned a pair of 10s on vault this season to enter herself in the conversation, as has the entirely of Michigan’s impressively difficult vault lineup.
The Dark Horses: Of the Wolverines, Gabby Wilson stuck her Yurchenko one and a half at the regional final to earn a perfect score and come into semifinals hot. Florida’s Nya Reed sits ranked just outside of this top 10 after setting up Thomas with big scores of her own all season long. She is certainly one to keep an eye on along with teammate Leanne Wong, who hit perfection for the first time on this event at regionals for her unique Podkopayeva.

UB
Rank Gymnast School NQS Average High Score
1 Sunisa Lee (Auburn) 9.970 9.929 10.000
2 Audrey Davis (Oklahoma) 9.955 9.933 9.975
Grace McCallum (Utah) 9.955 9.813 10.000
Jade Carey (Oregon State) 9.955 9.955 10.000
5 Trinity Thomas (Florida) 9.950 9.909 9.975
6 Leanne Wong (Florida) 9.945 9.877 10.000
Emily Muhlenhaupt (Boise State)* 9.945 9.931 9.975
8 Natalie Wojcik (Michigan) 9.940 9.831 9.950
Mara Titarsolej (LIU)* 9.940 9.877 10.000
Luisa Blanco (Alabama) 9.940 9.930 9.975
*Did not qualify to nationals on bars.

The Contenders: So many gymnasts are capable of perfection on bars that it’s hard to narrow down the list to the few who could run away with the title. Lee is the easy favorite, but Carey and Audrey Davis will not go down easily. Luisa Blanco, who competed only bars at regionals due to injury, also poses a serious threat.
The Dark Horses: McCallum has had a love-hate relationship with bars this season, including a miss in the regional semifinal. At her best, though, she’s perfect. If she’s on her game on Thursday, she could top the field. All of Wong, Jordan Chiles, Sage Thompson and Maile O’Keefe have also been perfect. Counting Ramler out on one of her best events would also be shortsighted.

BB
Rank Gymnast School NQS Average High Score
1 Ragan Smith (Oklahoma) 9.980 9.783 10.000
Sunisa Lee (Auburn) 9.980 9.846 10.000
3 Maile O’Keefe (Utah) 9.970 9.846 10.000
Trinity Thomas (Florida) 9.970 9.934 10.000
5 Cristal Isa (Utah) 9.960 9.796 10.000
Lexy Ramler (Minnesota) 9.960 9.945 10.000
7 Sophia Groth (Auburn) 9.950 9.923 9.950
8 Natalie Wojcik (Michigan) 9.945 9.914 9.975
9 Luisa Blanco (Alabama) 9.940 9.841 9.975
Carly Woodard (Oklahoma) 9.940 9.862 10.000

The Contenders: Once again, the field is stacked with 10.0s and incredible gymnastics. It’s no secret that Wojcik is chasing another beam title, and she’s certainly in the mix. Ramler has the best average in the county, followed closely by O’Keefe and Thomas. O’Keefe stands out especially after her calm walk-off 10.0 under incredible pressure at the Seattle regional final. Ragan Smith, with two 10.0s and five 9.975s on the year, is easily a top contender despite a slightly lower average after some misses.
The Dark Horses: Sophia Groth has been an incredible asset to the Auburn beam lineup in her freshman season. She’s topped out a 9.950, but her average is a whopping 9.923. She’s been below 9.900 only once, in January, and scored eight 9.950s. Similarly, Sienna Schreiber hasn’t been below 9.875 all year and has five 9.975s or 9.950s. Both could walk away with the title with a normal hit.

FX
Rank Gymnast School NQS Average High Score
1 Trinity Thomas (Florida) 9.980 9.983 10.000
2 Mya Hooten (Minnesota) 9.970 9.966 10.000
3 Nya Reed (Florida) 9.965 9.952 10.000
Jade Carey (Oregon State) 9.965 9.955 10.000
Gabby Wilson (Michigan) 9.965 9.956 10.000
6 Sydney Soloski (Utah) 9.960 9.923 9.975
7 Derrian Gobourne (Auburn) 9.955 9.931 10.000
Sierra Brooks (Michigan) 9.955 9.943 9.975
8 Sunisa Lee (Auburn) 9.950 9.923 9.975
Lauren Guerin (Iowa)* 9.950 9.931 9.975
Raena Worley (Kentucky) 9.950 9.940 9.975
*Did not qualify to nationals on floor.

The Contenders: Floor is maybe the deepest event in this incredibly deep year, but Thomas, Mya Hooten, Carey, Wilson and Reed stand out among the rest. All have multiple 10.0s. All are incredibly consistent. All have high-flying E passes. It’s going to come down to landing precision and dealing with the pressure of the moment. Or, of course, all will score 10.0s and we’ll have a five-way tie. It is 2022. It’s worth noting that Carey closes out the first session as the last competitor of the afternoon on floor.
The Dark Horses: Sydney Soloski is still searching for her elusive 10.0. It could finally be her time. She brings all of the other pieces the top group shares—she’s just missing that magic number. Derrian Gobourne is also perennially in the top floor workers conversation. She is consistently excellent and scored a 9.975 in the Auburn regional final. She also stands out with performance quality, something that becomes especially important when the group is bunched this tightly.

The Teams (from College Gym News)
This week’s grading is based on the event average of each team’s three postseason outings (conference championships and two rounds of regionals), with 49.600 warranting an “A+” and grades decreasing with each tenth off a team’s average. For fun I’ve also nixed categories this week and ordered teams in my predicted order of finish, with a quick regionals recap and keys to success accompanying each program.

Florida
Vault: A- Bars: A+ Beam: A+ Floor: A+
NCAAs Outlook: The Gators have removed themselves from the title contender conversation and cemented themselves as the favorites heading into nationals following the third-highest score in NCAA history in their regional final. Trinity Thomas’ near-Gym Slam and her teammates’ barrage of 9.975s at regionals gives Florida incredible momentum, along with an insane 199.550 scoring potential, heading into its semifinal and must now just bear the weight of the target on its back. Helping alleviate that is the benefit of competing in the weaker semifinal, meaning the Gators do have a little room for error with a clearer path to the final. Statistics agreethat it’s the Gators’ title to lose, with simulators handing Florida the championship in just about half of all simulations.

Oklahoma
Vault: A Bars: A Beam: A Floor: A
NCAAs Outlook: Regionals went well for the top-seeded Sooners who quietly cruised at home in a no-fuss affair and posted the nation’s top total of round two. Not only is Oklahoma carrying momentum, but now with the public pressure of winning a title fully shifting to Florida, it finds itself in an even better situation with less external expectations. It’s always hard to pick against the Sooners, with statistics liking them this year as well, giving them the second-best odds of any team to take home the trophy. However, Oklahoma must navigate a tricky semifinal with two other teams whose regional final totals were within a tenth of its own, meaning it needs two strong performances rather than getting to just turning it on for the final.

Alabama
Vault: A- Bars: A Beam: A- Floor: A
NCAAs Outlook: The biggest asset the Crimson Tide holds heading into NCAAs is its high basement. Its scoring potential ceiling may not be the loftiest, but having not gone worse than 49.200 since January is a testament to its depth, how well it has been able to hit and its ability to negate any mistakes. Per usual, Alabama is peaking at just the right time but does find itself having to overcome the harder semifinal for a shot at some hardware. Not to say that it cannot be accomplished without her, but a healthy and four-event performance from Luisa Blanco could be the difference for a team just on the outside of the projected final four.

Michigan
Vault: A Bars: A- Beam: B+ Floor: A-
NCAAs Outlook: Although still very in the mix, the Wolverines’ title-contender status came into question during regionals after being beat by UCLA in round two and being the lone one-seed not to hit 198. Depth was a question for Michigan all season long, and when it was needed most, it failed to post anything higher than a 9.850 all weekend. Fully healthy Sierra Brooks and Gabby Wilson will not only be ideal but seemingly necessary at this point with all signs of sub-198 totals falling short of a championship, if not the final altogether. Promisingly, beam finally broke 49.500 to increase the Wolverines’ overall scoring potential, and they still hold heavy odds to make the anything-can-happen final thanks to competing in the weaker of the two semifinals.

Utah
Vault: B+ Bars: A Beam: A+ Floor: A-
NCAAs Outlook: One would think winning with a 198.200 would mean the Utes had an easy path through regionals, but their fate coming down to the final routine and needing a 10 to win says differently. Maile O’Keefe sealed the deal, but a fall would’ve likely ended Utah’s season. Thankfully for the Utes, that means nothing outside of momentum, and they’ve responded well after previous upsets this season, actually carrying the third-best odds at the title despite the stronger semifinal and fourth overall seeding. All season long Utah has been using beam to make up for tenths lost on vault, so if it can put together some sticks on vault, that could be the championship edge it needs.

Minnesota
Vault: A- Bars: A- Beam: C Floor: A
NCAAs Outlook: Following a disappointing fourth place at Big Tens and being seeded in the tricky No. 8 versus No. 9 matchup at regionals, Minnesota impressively dispelled a lot of doubts to get to this point. As easily distinguished from the Gophers’ grades, beam has been their make-or-break event, with two hits at regionals enough to distance themselves from their conference championship mishap. Unfortunately, not only is Minnesota in the tougher semifinal, but its three foes particularly excel on beam, meaning it’ll likely take more than just 9.9s from Lexy Ramler and Ona Loper to push through to the final. However, if the Gophers can put up a big total starting on beam, its chances at playing spoiler significantly increase having had no issues putting up competitive totals on the other three events all postseason.

Auburn
Vault: B+ Bars: B+ Beam: B+ Floor: A-
NCAAs Outlook: The Sunisa Lee effect has culminated in Auburn’s first trip to NCAAs since 2016 and an upset into the team final would give the program its highest finish ever (current best was fifth in 1993). However, even anchoring with the Olympic champion at home wasn’t enough to dispel some miscues on bars that kept Kentucky in the thick of things after being topped by the Wildcats in round two. Even in the weaker semifinal, the Tigers will need to imitate their mid-season 198.575 to likely make it through, but even competing in semifinals gives Lee and her teammates plenty of chances at some individual titles to cap off a banner year for the program.

Missouri
Vault: B- Bars: B Beam: B+ Floor: A-
NCAAs Outlook: Already not even expected to be competing at nationals, the Tigers get the benefit of having no public expectations on their performance to worry about. Just getting to this stage is a remarkable feat for Missouri to end an impressive season, and it still has plenty of chances at glory with Helen Hu, Sienna Schreiber and its freshmen duo all capable of garnering individual honors. The Tigers may be the reason that semifinal two is the weaker of the semifinals, but that’s something they can also take advantage of should another team falter. Missouri has already pulled off a handful of upsets this season, and a good implementation of the “going for broke” strategy with nothing to lose could give us one more big one to finish the season.

Judging
For nationals, six judges will judge each event. The highest and lowest score will be dropped and the four scores in the middle will be averaged. One alternate judge with a minimum level 10 rating will be selected and assigned by the Women’s Gymnastics Committee for the nationals.

The NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Committee will select all judges (26 judges, a meet referee and an alternate). The NCAA national office will provide the list of judges assigned to the championships. If possible, obtain the volunteer services of six local judges (level 9 rating or above preferred) to serve as timers and line judges.

Two line judges are required for floor exercise for regional and national competitions.

Nationals

• Judges must judge at regionals to be eligible to judge at nationals.
• The nationals meet referee will rotate regionals with each serving a two-year term. The meet referee and alternate cannot be from the same region where nationals is held.
• Chief judges: The remaining meet referees from the various regionals will judge at nationals with selection based on experience and input from coaches.
• Panel judges: The remaining panel judges will be selected from the four regionals with selection based on experience and input from coaches.
• A local alternate will be identified for each region.
• Every attempt will be made to select only one judge per state (excluding California and the meet referee).
• Six judges (rated level 9 or above) will serve as timers (four) and line judges (two).

Go Gators!

 

Eight deserving teams fighting for the top spot. Olympians battling for all-around supremacy. Redemption stories. Unheralded heroes. The 2022 NCAA gymnastics championships has it all -- and might be decided by the tiniest fraction of a point.
Back in front of a full crowd for the first time since 2019, the competition gets underway on Thursday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas with two semifinal sessions.

Here are the most fascinating storylines you'll see in Fort Worth - and everything else you need to know before competition begins.
The closest competition ever?
This year, it's going to be very, very difficult for a team to win it all, with a near-perfect meet required to do it. We've already seen storied programs, such as LSU and UCLA, be eliminated during the regional competitions. And it's not just the early exits that make this interesting -- it's how both teams lost. Only 0.325 of a point separated LSU from second-place Iowa in the second round, and UCLA ended -- controversially -- just .025 of a point behind Missouri in the regional final. If football is a game of inches, gymnastics might just be a game of fractions.

In fact, just advancing to Saturday's final should be seen as a victory in itself. Thursday's first semifinal (1 p.m. ET, ESPN2) features Oklahoma, Utah, Minnesota and Alabama, and the second session (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2) includes Florida, Michigan, Auburn and Missouri.

Oklahoma finished the regular season ranked at No. 1, but Michigan is the defending national champion, Florida posted the highest score at regionals and Utah has the top-ranked beam team (often the make-or-break event). It's truly anyone's title to win.

"There is so much parity," Utah head coach Tom Farden said after regionals. "You have to be dang close to flawless to get into the last day at nationals ... You can see it across the country how tight things are and it speaks volumes about the level our sport is at."

The top two teams from each session on Thursday will move on to Saturday's finals competition (1 p.m. ET, ABC).

Both of the semifinal competitions will also have individual qualifiers -- gymnasts who earned the highest scores amongst non-advancing teams during regionals -- including two 2021 Olympic medalists: Oregon State's Jade Carey (all-around) and UCLA's Jordan Chiles (floor, bars). The event and all-around titles will go to the gymnasts with the highest score after the two rounds of semifinals are complete.

Will an Olympian win the all-around? Not necessarily
The U.S. Olympic gymnasts competing collegiately have dominated much of the spotlight this season -- and deservedly so. Carey and Auburn's Suni Lee, who both earned gold medals in Tokyo, owned the top two spots in the all-around rankings during the regular season, with Utah's Grace McCallum, who earned a team silver, at No. 6. All three will now look to earn the weekend's highest individual honor and add some more hardware to their already impressive collection.
But while it may seem as if Olympic medalists would be the obvious favorites to win the title, that's not entirely true. Yes, they're capable of the hardest skills -- in the world! -- but to put it simply: That doesn't matter nearly as much in college gymnastics.

In elite competition, the scoring is an open-ended system meant to reward the gymnasts who attempt and accomplish the most difficult skills. At the NCAA level, the highest score is a perfect 10.0, and that is an attainable goal for many of the top gymnasts if they can execute their routine without any mistakes. In fact, there have been 67 routines that have scored a 10.0 so far this season.

So the winner will not necessarily be the gymnast who does the most difficult skills, but the one who can perform her routines as perfectly as possible. Even little things, like a dismount that is stuck versus one that is not, can make the difference.

Other gymnasts who could contend for the NCAA all-around title include Trinity Thomas, Leanne Wong and Megan Skaggs (Florida); Sierra Brooks, Abby Heiskell and Natalie Wojcik (Michigan); Lexy Ramler and Ona Loper (Minnesota); and Raena Worley (Kentucky).

Chiles, the fourth member of Team USA competing at the NCAA level this year, qualified on floor and bars, but not in the all-around. She, like her teammates from Tokyo, will certainly have a chance to win an individual event title -- Chiles earned two 10.0 scores on floor and one on bars this year - but the event title contender lists are similarly long, and it's by no means a given.

Florida's Bridget Sloan was the last Olympic medalist to claim the all-around crown in 2016. UCLA's Kyla Ross earned four event titles during her esteemed career and, as of now, is the only Olympic gold medalist in history to win an individual NCAA title.

The Gator redemption mission
Florida spent the entirety of the 2021 season ranked at No. 1 and was the favorite to win the championship title entering the postseason.

But in the first rotation in the finals, on balance beam, the team recorded two falls and had to count Thomas' uncharacteristic score of 9.175. The Gators spent the rest of the meet trying to dig themselves out of a hole, but the deficit was simply too large. Florida finished in fourth place.

This year, the Gators are hoping for a much different result. Not only did Florida win the SEC conference championships last month - with the second-highest total in score in the history of the event - but the Gators also clinched four of the five individual titles as well.

Florida then earned the highest score in regional competition with a staggering 198.775 total.

Thomas, now a senior, is arguably the best gymnast in the country. She ranks in the top 5 on every event, and is No. 1 on floor and vault. She has recorded a season-leading 10 perfect scores and won the all-around title at the SEC Championships and at the regional finals.


And it's not just Thomas. Leanne Wong, Nya Reed, Sloane Blakely, Alyssa Baumann and Megan Skaggs are also more than capable of monster performances -- and have been racking up big scores and event titles all season long.

Will the talent-loaded Gators have the ultimate redemption this week and win the program its first title since 2015?

Aiming for a two-peat in 2022
Michigan may not get the attention some of the other teams receive, but what they're lacking in starpower the squad more than makes up for in experience. The Wolverines pulled off the staggering upset over reigning champion Oklahoma and the favored Florida team during the 2021 NCAA championships, thanks to the consistent heroics of Brooks and the title-clinching beam performance of Heiskell.

Both return to Fort Worth leading the team alongside Wojcik and Gabby Wilson, and with plenty of momentum on their side. Michigan won the Raleigh regional and earned its seventh Big Ten championship in nine years last month. The Wolverines ended the regular season ranked No. 1 in the country on floor and vault, and Wilson earned a perfect score on the latter event during regional finals.

Michigan is also tied with Florida for the highest regular-season average (197.841), with its regular-season high score just a half a tenth behind Florida (198.525 to Florida's 198.575.) If all goes well for the Wolverines, they could become the first team to repeat as champions since Oklahoma in 2016 and 2017.

 

NCAA gymnastics experts weigh in: Who will win the 2022 national championship?

Can Florida's stacked lineup win the 2022 NCAA gymnastics title? Or will defending champion Michigan pull off the repeat? And then what about perennial powerhouse Oklahoma -- or Utah, who has qualified for more NCAA championships than anyone else?

Starting Thursday, eight teams will face off at the NCAA championships -- and it may be the most exciting year yet.
Who will win? What routines should we be sure to see? We asked our experts to weigh in.

Who do you think will win the team title?
Kathy Johnson Clarke: I believe any of the teams who make finals have an equal shot at winning because there is that much parity in scoring right now and more teams than ever are poised to upset top-ranked teams which pushes every team to greater performances.

Teams who scored 198-mid already this season have an edge, but teams competing with the "nothing to lose, everything to gain" mindset could create an "all bets are off" dynamic, which is exciting for everyone. I can't predict who the winner is, but Florida's consistency plus their high score potential from every position in all four event lineups will be hard to beat if they're on.

Bart Conner: Each year there are more and more teams who have a legitimate chance to win -- which is great for the sport. Florida has always been a top contender, but they have never had as much talent, depth and experience as they have this year. I think it will be extremely close, but if Florida is on, they are tough to beat.

Ashley Miles Greig: Florida, because each event has a lineup that can score 9.9 or better on every routine. Florida also has proven this season that they are confident in the big moments. Pressure does not seem to be a factor for this team. Also, they have Trinity Thomas!
Sam Peszek: My money is on Florida right now. They've been heating up and look like they have the swagger and confidence to get the job done this year. However, the winning team will not be able to make any mistakes. It's going to come down to which team has the magic to get the job done that day.

Alicia Sacramone Quinn: I think the national championship trophy is going back to Gainesville! Florida is peaking exactly at the right time. The Gators' performance at regionals shows that even on the road they can put up a great score.

Bridget Sloan: I think this year's NCAA championship is going to be amazing. You have teams who are back and ready to win another championship and you have teams who are hungry to win their first. There are definitely some key teams that come to mind first: Florida, Michigan, OU because they have been dominant the last couple years. But you can't not consider Auburn, Alabama, Missouri, and Minnesota to be in the running. All teams have excelled this season in ways that we as viewers knew was possible. They are breaking records, and continuing to improve.

D'Arcy Maine: Florida's unbelievable depth should be the difference-maker and give the Gators their first NCAA team title since 2015, but this is college gymnastics we're talking about so we should probably expect the unexpected. For that reason, it feels as if Utah could sneak away with the trophy thanks to their beam work. The Red Rocks finished the regular season ranked No. 1 on beam and have been all but unflappable on what often is the deciding event for the championship.

I could absolutely see Utah quietly hitting routine after routine and ultimately claiming the weekend's biggest prize.

Alyssa Roenigk: Florida. They are confident, consistent and ready -- and because of their scoring potential in every spot in every lineup, if they hit, they win. That said, so much talent is spread across the eight teams that qualified for nationals, upsets feel inevitable (if you can even call them upsets this year). On Friday, if we're talking about Missouri, Alabama, Auburn and Minnesota instead of Florida, Oklahoma, Utah and Michigan, I will be surprised, not shocked.

Amy Van Deusen: I'll be the outlier and pick Oklahoma here. Florida has been the strongest team this year, but I think the immense pressure of redemption from last year may make it harder on the athletes to be spot-on Saturday. Oklahoma has won three of the five most recent championships, and has shown a tradition of perfection in these huge moments. The squad could lead a workshop in how to hit every handstand on bars and stick every dismount, and that is likely what is needed to win Saturday.

Whom are you secretly rooting for to win?
Johnson Clarke: I don't have a secret rooting interest in one team. I do, however, want to make it the worst kept secret that I'm inwardly rooting for everyone to meet the moment and hit some incredibly memorable routines!

Sacramone Quinn: I'd love to see Minnesota win a national title and become members of the exclusive national championship club.

Van Deusen: Surprisingly, Michigan feels a little under-the-radar for a team coming in as defending champs, and I have to admit I'm rooting for the repeat. This team pushes the envelope on each of its events, and that makes it so much fun to watch. Double-back dismounts off beam? No problem. Leading off floor with a full-in? Sure thing. And Natalie Wojcik on any event is, simply put, gymnastics at its best.

Roenigk: My rooting interest has to be loyalty to my alma mater, Florida. But my less-obvious crush is on 10-time national champion, Utah, the most consistently excellent team in NCAA gymnastics history and a squad full of stars poised to spoil Florida's weekend.

Maine: There's a valid argument for why it would be amazing for any of these eight programs to win, but I am a sucker for a good underdog story so I would love to watch Missouri shock the field. The Tigers are making just their second NCAA championship appearance, and have been the ultimate spoiler thus far in the postseason -- helping eliminate higher-ranked LSU in the regional semifinals and then narrowly edging out UCLA in the regional final.

Missouri also happens to have Helen Hu, one of the most creative and underrated gymnasts in the college ranks. Her artistry and flexibility absolutely deserve to be on display on network television on Saturday.

Miles Greig: No secret here in that I'm always rooting for Alabama! I'm an Alabama alum and know firsthand the championship tradition of excellence and desire to win that comes with being part of this program.

Sloan: I will always love my Gators ... it is in my blood. But I ultimately want each team and the individuals to be able to look back at this moment and say, "I left it all on the floor."


Which routine should we absolutely not miss?
Johnson Clarke: Oh, gosh, I can't pick just one. There are so many really special "can't-miss" routines, but I am really looking forward to seeing Minnesota's Mya Hooten's floor routine in person. Her intention to send a powerful message regarding racial inequity and social injustice through her music, choreography and performance while also showcasing great gymnastics makes it a "must-see" performance.

Roenigk: Any Trinity Thomas routine! The first Gator to win SEC gymnast of the year twice and the owner of 10 "perfect 10" scores this season -- and at least one on every event -- Thomas is a human highlight reel. She revels in big moments and is a joy to watch on floor. But do not miss her on vault, an event which she's called her least favorite for years and one that showcases a stellar athlete who consistently pushes herself to higher levels.

Peszek: On vault, Ona Loper (Minnesota), Trinity Thomas (Florida), Shallon Olsen (Alabama) and all of Michigan's vaults!

On bars, Audrey Davis (Oklahoma), Leanne Wong (Florida), Suni Lee (Auburn), Helen Hu (Missouri), Grace McCallum (Utah) and Shania Adama (Alabama).

On beam, Maile O'Keefe (Utah), Alisa Sheremeta (Missouri), Natalie Wojcik (Michigan), Sophia Groth (Auburn), Megan Skaggs (Florida), Ragan Smith (Oklahoma) and Lexy Ramler (Minnesota).

On floor, Jordan Bowers (Oklahoma), Mya Hooten (Minnesota), Sydney Soloski (Utah), Lexi Graber (Alabama), Derrian Gobourne (Auburn)

Maine: Just one? I think that might be actually impossible. If you're reading this, you've likely already seen Nya Reed's perfect-score-earning floor routine filled with powerful tumbling including a double layout in her opening pass, TikTok-worthy choreography and all the music from my throwback playlist (DMX! Lil Kim! Missy Elliot!) on Spotify, but you're going to want to make sure you catch it live because it's all but guaranteed to bring the house down. And while you're watching Florida on floor, you obviously are going to want to stick around for Trinity Thomas as well.

You're also not going to want to miss Michigan on vault, where five (!) of the Wolverines have scored a 10.0 this season. And, of course, Auburn's Suni Lee on bars should always be appointment viewing.

Sacramone Quinn: Kiya Johnson (LSU) on vault, Cally Nixon (Kentucky) on bars, Adeline Kenlin (Iowa) on beam and Jordan Chiles (UCLA) on floor.

Van Deusen: Oklahoma's Audrey Davis does one of my favorite bar routines in the NCAA -- with incredible height on her Jaeger (from inverts!) and an equally jaw-dropping dismount. I also love to watch UCLA's Norah Flatley on floor. She does a gorgeous triple full, then comes back with a front double full -- two highly difficult passes in a row -- and has entertaining and beautifully executed dance throughout.

 

It’s finally time for the NCAA national championships once again! We know our eight teams, our four all arounders and our 15 individual event specialists, and over the next two days we’ll be breaking down all the title contenders.

First up are the teams. Friday’s first semifinal features Alabama, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Utah while the evening session will include Auburn, Florida, Michigan and Missouri. Two teams from each of these Friday competitions will advance to the national final on Saturday. There are also individuals that will compete on Thursday with individual titles and All-America honors on the line, but we’ll get to that in a separate preview.

Semifinal One
Date: Thursday, April 14 at 1 p.m. ET

How to Watch: ESPN2

Team NQS Average High Score Starting Event
No. 1 Oklahoma 396.390 197.827 198.475 Vault
No. 4 Utah 396.120 197.679 198.575 Floor
No. 5 Alabama 395.965 197.448 198.175 Bars
No. 7 Minnesota 395.165 197.243 198.025 Beam

Background: After earning the highest-ever regular season NQS, the Sooners enter the national championships on a hot streak after also posting repeat 198s to win their home regional, secure their spot and maintain their status as a title favorite. Oklahoma outpaced Minnesota at that regional, but the Gophers also posted two competitive scores to qualify relatively easily. Utah, one of the most decorated programs in the sport’s history, is coming off back-to-back 10s on beam that sealed the Seattle regional title and barely edged out the Crimson Tide, who did best the Utes’ total in the previous round of the regional.

So You’re Saying There’s a Chance: In the regional final, Oklahoma, Utah and Alabama all posted scores within a tenth of each other, creating a fascinating battle in this semifinal for the two advancing spots. The Utes have been below average on vault lately while making up ground on beam, which could spell disaster in a national final. The Crimson Tide and Sooners grappled with some bouts of inconsistency early in the season. Minnesota isn’t out of contention either but will need to be exceptional on beam where it hasn’t eclipsed the 49.500 barrier yet this season.

Pivotal Routines to Keep an Eye on: Don’t only keep an eye out for the Gophers’ big three of Lexy Ramler, Ona Loper and Mya Hooten because it’s the other three members of each lineup whose scores need to rise to keep them in the mix. Utah’s Maile O’Keefe has returned to the vault lineup for a shot at the all-around title, and having earned 10s on bars and beam this year could give everyone a run for their money. Oklahoma and Alabama both have great depth but Olivia Trautman and Luisa Blanco, respectively, are gymnasts working their ways back from injury for each squad. Whatever events each are able to compete can be difference makers.

Semifinal Two
Date: Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m. ET

How to Watch: ESPN2

Team NQS Average High Score Starting Event
No. 2 Florida 396.910 197.841 198.775 Vault
No. 3 Michigan 395.815 197.841 198.525 Floor
No. 6 Auburn 395.425 197.444 198.575 Beam
No. 8 Missouri 394.620 197.015 197.675 Bars

Background: Despite the No. 2 ranking, Florida enters as the arguable favorite, having posted the third-highest score in NCAA history to capture the Auburn Regional title, which was also the highest total of any program this season. Michigan, who was ranked first for most of the season, also fancies itself in the title favorites conversation after taking the Raleigh Regional crown and having already bested top challenger Auburn in 2022. Both Tigers squads find themselves as underdogs, but Auburn did match Florida and Utah in posting the regular season’s top team total, and Missouri is carrying momentum after upsetting LSU and edging out UCLA by the smallest margin possible to earn its spot in this semifinal.

So You’re Saying There’s a Chance: While the Gators easily outpaced the field in their regional final, Auburn did tie Florida in the regular season matchup to showcase the potential that these Tigers have when they’re bringing their A-game. Missouri has been the queen of upsets this season, including a season sweep over sixth-seeded LSU, and could be just a bit of momentum away from the ultimate upset and a program-defining national final berth. Michigan, like Florida, is in control of its own destiny as a favorite but has struggled on beam at times this season and was the only regional winner not to hit 198 that weekend.

Pivotal Routines to Keep an Eye on: Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee is a major factor in why Auburn has ascended to nationals status this season and will need to continue to shine for it to punch its ticket to Saturday’s final. She’ll have competition in the all-around from Michigan’s contingent, primarily Natalie Wojcik and Sierra Brooks (if healthy), as well as Gators Leanne Wong and Trinity Thomas—who notched a quartet of 10s at regionals. Freshman Amari Celestine upped her game (and her heel on floor) in the regional final to push Missouri to this point and will need another fantastic three events to extend the Tigers’ season.

National Finals
Date: Saturday, April 16 at 1 p.m. ET

How to Watch: ABC

Event Team
Vault Semifinal 2, First-place team
Bars Semifinal 2, Second-place team
Beam Semifinal 1, Second-place team
Floor Semifinal 1, First-place team

 

I wasn't sure which thread to post this?

 

Rotation 1: OU vault, UA bars, Minn. beam, UU floor

After 1st rotation, Utah is in the lead. Per Live blog: "Little tough start for the Gophers, but the rockiest event is out of the way. Oklahoma and Alabama are going to be in a battle it seems, and the Utes really pulled out to a great lead after some truly dynamic floor work. Scoring is a little generous but I’m not furious (yet)."
AFTER 1: Utah 49.475, Oklahoma 49.350, Alabama 49.200, Minnesota 48.975

 

Rotation 2: UU vault, OU bars, UA beam, Minn. floor

Oklahoma is #1 UB team. They'll score high.

 

Sooners and Utah are rocking it so far. Alabama is struggling. Minnesota doesn't have a chance..