‘Elite Eight’ And National Championship Field Finalized For NCAA Women’s Gymnastics

The 2025 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships field is officially set. Last week’s regional championships saw the postseason field of 36 cut to a ‘Sweet Sixteen,’ and finally an ‘Elite Eight’ slated to compete in Fort Worth later this month.

On Saturday, the first four teams punched their tickets to Texas. After their top two performances in their respective championships, No. 1 LSU, No. 4 Utah, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 8 Michigan State secured berths to the NCAA Championships.

While top qualifier LSU finished at the top of the podium in their regional, No. 8 Michigan State impressed, finishing just .050 behind the defending National Champion Tigers – a razor-thin deficit. The Spartans’ ‘Elite Eight’ appearance marks their first return to the NCAA Championships as a team in over 30 years.

A testament to Michigan State’s staggering rise to prominence, NCAA analyst and three-time NCAA Champion Trinity Thomas cited the Spartans as the team that most impressed her across this weekend’s competitions. Michigan State will have another shot at No. 1 LSU in Fort Worth in the ‘Elite Eight’ Semifinal on April 17. However, the newfound rivals will be joined by significant star power.

The nine-time National Champion Utah Red Rocks will join MSU and LSU, along with No. 5 UCLA, the 2025 Big Ten Champions. Led by 2021 Olympic silver medalist Grace McCallum and superstar freshman Avery Neff, the Red Rocks are hungry for their first title since 1995. Sporting three Olympians – including Olympic Champion Jordan Chiles – the UCLA Bruins also look to prove their potential in Fort Worth.

Four more programs joined this quad after strong performances at Sunday’s finals. No. 11 Alabama redeemed a disappointing regular season, knocking out 2024 National Runner-Up No. 6 California by just one-tenth. The No. 3 Florida Gators qualified alongside their SEC rival, securing a win after solid performances from Olympic alternate Leanne Wong and UCLA transfer athlete Selena Harris.

In their first postseason appearance since losing the top overall seed to LSU, No. 2 Oklahoma cruised to a dominant win in their regional final, posting a massive 198.450. Senior Jordan Bowers recorded her highest all-around total of 2025 on Sunday, earning three perfect tens to lead the Sooners to victory.

No. 7 Missouri joined the Sooners, staving off a formidable challenge from SEC rival No. 15 Auburn to secure the fourth NCAA Championship appearance for the program. Renowned for her superior work on the balance beam, senior Helen Hu clinched the win for the Tigers with a spectacular beam routine.

Team Qualifiers – ‘Elite Eight:’

LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, Utah, UCLA, Missouri, Michigan State, Alabama

Top Individual Athletes Slated To Compete

The ‘Elite Eight’ will also be joined by 20 individual athletes representing their programs in the all-around and on the four events. Three-time Olympic medalist Oregon State’s Jade Carey qualified to compete as the top all-around gymnast from her respective region. Currently ranked No. 1 in the all-around and top five on all four events, Carey heads to Texas seeking an elusive NCAA title.

2024 Olympic teammate Joscelyn Roberson will accompany Carey. After a historic freshman season representing No. 16 Arkansas, the World Champion and Olympic alternate will compete in the all-around alongside teammate Maddie Jones.

Individual Qualifiers (Unofficial):

All-Around: Jade Carey (Oregon State), Mary McDonough (Washington), Joscelyn Roberson (Arkansas), and Madison Ulrich (Denver)

Vault: Rosie Casali (Denver), Sophia Diaz (Michigan), Kaya Forbes (North Carolina), and Ady Wahl (Georgia).

Uneven Bars: Olivia Greaves (Auburn), Maddie Jones (Arkansas), Rylie Mundell (Denver), and Maddie Williams (California).

Balance Beam: Brynlee Andersen (BYU), Mya Lauzon (California), Isabella Magnelli (Kentucky), and Gabby McLaughlin (Auburn)

Floor Exercise: Creslyn Brose (Kentucky), Mya Hooten (Minnesota), Mya Lauzon (California), and Lily Smith (Georgia)

The 2025 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas from April 17 to April 19.

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