FORT WORTH, TX – APRIL 18: Oklahoma Sooners gymnast Jordan Bowers competes in the floor routine … [+]
For college gymnastics fans, it doesn’t get much better than this. On Saturday, January 11, four of the nation’s top-ten NCAA Women’s Gymnastics teams will face off in a regular season meet: The Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in Oklahoma City, OK. Don’t let the unassuming title deceive you – this is one of the most competitive regular season meets in years.
The No. 1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners are accustomed to headlining every competition, but they’ve got company. Joining them are the reigning National Champions No. 2 LSU, along with perennial powerhouse No. 4 Utah and defending National Runner-Up No. 6 California. With countless NCAA Champions, five-star freshmen, and All-Americans across the board, this weekend’s meet could potentially serve as a preview for April’s National Championship.
With seven of the current top 10 all-around gymnasts slated to compete, prepare for an equally thrilling battle for the individual event titles. Check out our top storylines heading into Saturday’s high-octane meet in Oklahoma City:
Big Stage, Bigger Names
Utah’s Grace McCallum celebrates after competing on the balance beam during the NCAA women’s … [+]
To no one’s surprise, the top teams feature many of the NCAA’s top gymnasts. For this weekend’s Sprouts Collegiate Quad, it’s an embarrassment of riches.
The meet will feature multiple Olympians, World medalists, and countless former National Team members. Olympic silver medalist Grace McCallum (United States) and Olympic bronze medalist Amelie Morgan (Great Britain) headline the Utah Red Rocks’ roster, but they’re not alone. They are also joined by World silver medalists Ana Padurariu (Canada) and Poppy-Grace Stickler (Great Britain). Oh, and they also have the No. 1 overall recruit, Avery Neff…and that’s just Utah’s roster.
The LSU Tigers have Philippine Olympian Aleah Finnegan leading their charge, along with U.S. Olympic alternate Kaliya Lincoln and 2022 U.S. All-Around Champion Konnor McClain. We’re still not done. Pan American Champion Addison Fatta joined the star-studded Sooners this year, and the Cal Bears boast U.S. World team member eMjae Frazier and European Champion Ondine Achampong (Great Britain). Needless to say, there will be no shortage of talent at this week’s meet.
However, the talent doesn’t fade outside the Olympic rings. Watch out for current ACC Gymnast of the Week Mya Lauzon (Cal). The senior is ranked fifth in the all-around and has some of the most dynamic gymnastics in the country (be sure to catch her vault, in particular). Though the Sooners currently don’t have any Olympians, they have no shortage of National Champions. Senior Audrey Davis, the reigning National Champion on both bars and beam, is sure to be a highlight. On bars, many argue that Davis is the best to ever-compete at the collegiate level.
The Freshmen Face-Off
Utah gymnast Avery Neff performs a routine on the beam during an NCAA gymnastics meet on Friday, … [+]
This weekend’s competition doesn’t just have the top teams competing: it features some of the best newcomers in the country. This freshman class packs a punch, with five-star recruits Kailin Chio (LSU), Avery Neff (Utah), and Lily Pederson (Oklahoma) all appearing in College Gym News’ Freshman of the Year Watch List.
The three made a huge splash in week one. Down in Baton Rouge, Chio drilled her landings in her debut to score a 39.575 and earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors. For the Sooners, Pederson posted a massive 39.550 in the all-around to finish second overall and help her team clinch the nation’s top score. While Neff fell on her final event in Utah’s opener vs. Utah State, she delivered strong numbers with impressively high difficulty on her other three events. If Chio, Neff, and Pederson all compete in the all-around, fans could be in for a riveting rookie all-around race.
Haleigh Bryant’s Return
FORT WORTH, TX – APRIL 13: Louisiana State University gymnast Haleigh Bryant during warmups before … [+]
The defending National Champion LSU Tigers got off to a strong start in week one, recording the nation’s second best score in their win over Iowa State. However, the No. 2 Tigers were without their biggest star: Haleigh Bryant. The 2024 NCAA & SEC All-Around Champion has been nursing a UCL injury, incurred during LSU’s exhibition meet in mid-December.
Though her timeline to return is in flux – fans got an exciting update earlier this week: Bryant might be back. In a press conference Tuesday morning, Head Coach Jay Clark revealed that – pending progress this week – Bryant “will be available at least on balance beam.” With the NCAA’s top gymnast in the lineup, LSU’s chances this Saturday could see a substantial boost. In week one, LSU averaged a 9.835 on balance beam – Bryant’s 2024 average was a 9.933. In a sport where a single step on landing can cost a title, Bryant’s presence on just one event could make a difference.
Judging Changes Take Center Stage
FORT WORTH, TX – APRIL 18: Utah Utes gymnast Makenna Smith competes in the balance beam routine … [+]
It’s no secret that NCAA Gymnastics scoring turned heads in week one. For the first time since 2021, there were no perfect tens awarded in a week of NCAA regular season competition, and scores were drastically lower across the country. The change comes after a new judging evaluation system was implemented in the offseason, intended to evaluate the quality of the judges and standardize scoring.
Oregon State’s Head Coach appeared unfazed by the tighter scoring her team experienced in week one. Though she wanted to see more consistency across the country, Coach Chaplin and added, “our scores weren’t the only scores that were tight.” Conversely, LSU Head Coach Jay Clark described week one’s scoring as “erratic,” adding that certain teams’ scores “seemed lower in spots than [he] would’ve predicted.” While the coaches’ reactions were mixed, fans appeared cautiously optimistic, with many calling for a continuation of week one’s strict judging.
In prior seasons, a meet of such caliber would almost certainly result in a perfect ten. But in today’s climate, a lapse in judgement (in the form of an inexplicable score), could result in a judge’s demotion. Though the judging seemed much improved in week one, this meet should serve as a test: will the changes be consistently applied – or will they be cast away when top teams compete? Time will tell.
How To Watch:
Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad (Session II):
Saturday, January 11 at 4:00 p.m ET | ABC/ESPN+ | Live Stats
While this competition headlines week two’s packed schedule, be sure to tune in for the other two sessions at Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. Session III will also be a battle, with preseason No. 7 Kentucky, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 10 UCLA, and No. 16 Ohio State facing off on Saturday, January 11 at 8:00 p.m ET on ESPN2.
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