Flipping Into Fort Worth: A Look at the 8 Teams Competing For the National Title

Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics

After an exciting and busy five days of gymnastics featuring the top 36 teams in the NCAA, the Elite Eight has been decided. The regional gymnastics competitions were not complete without upsets, nail biters, heartbreak, and happy tears. But there are still two tough days, the most important days, of competition to go this season.

Here’s a look at the eight teams that are heading to Fort Worth to compete for the 2025 NCAA gymnastics national title.

LSU

Courtesy of Georgia Jones, LSU Tigers

The reigning national and SEC champion LSU Tigers were the first team to advance to the national championship. They put up two strong scores at regionals, with a 198.100 in the semi-final and a 198.050 in the final. Their regional final was highlighted by a beam rotation in which the low score they dropped was a 9.900; they scored a 49.675 on the event, the highest in program history at a regional meet.

LSU has been a consistent team with great performances from many athletes all season long. Athletes who competed noteworthy routines in the regional final for the Tigers include rookies and veterans alike. Freshman Lexi Zeiss led the team on bars with a career-high 9.925, and freshman Kailin Chio put up a 9.900 on bars and 9.950 on beam. Senior Aleah Finnegan also scored a 9.950 on beam, and put up the highest floor score of the meet with a 9.975. The reigning NCAA all-around champion, graduate student Haleigh Bryant, recorded 9.900s on vault and bars and a 9.925 on beam.

The Tigers look as strong as they did last season, and are ready to defend their national title.

Michigan State

Courtesy of Emily Cohen, ESCPhotography

The Spartans are heading to their first national championship since 1988! In the regional final they scored a 198.000, their second highest score of the season, and finished only half a tenth behind LSU. Vault is Michigan State’s best event, and they’ve only gotten stronger on it; they set a new program vault record with a 49.650. 

Michigan State looked strong and complete in the Penn State regional final, but still gave themselves room to grow on beam and floor. Senior Gabi Stephen put up some big scores at regionals; she scored her first perfect 10 on vault in the semi-final, and in the final she scored a 9.900 on vault and floor and a 9.950 on bars. Fellow senior Skyla Schulte led the team on floor with a 9.950 and scored a 9.900 on beam. Juniors Sage Kellerman and Nikki Smith shined bright on vault and bars, with Kellerman scoring a 9.950 and 9.925, and Smith scoring a 9.950 and 9.975.

The Spartans have been on the rise and should not be counted out of the conversation for Four on the Floor or the national title.

Utah

Courtesy of Utah Gymnastics

Utah has never missed the NCAA gymnastics nationals, and their record now extends to 49 consecutive appearances at the national championship. They scored a 197.650 in the regional semi-final and a 197.825 in the final, but I don’t think either performance was their strongest.

The Red Rocks were highlighted by senior Grace McCallum who scored a perfect 10 on bars in both regional meets. In the final, McCallum’s 10 on her first event of the night was followed by a 9.950 on beam and a near-perfect 9.975 on floor. Senior Jaylene Gilstrap also put up a big 9.950 on floor in front of the home crowd. Junior Ashley Glynn scored a 9.925 on vault and 9.900 on bars. Utah’s place at nationals was secured by freshman Zoe Johnson, who stuck her vault for a 9.950, a new career-high, in the anchor position.

While Utah has been at every national championship, they have not won the title since 1995. The Red Rocks will put up a fight through their last routine on the journey to their tenth national title in program history.

UCLA

Courtesy of UCLA Gymnastics

The Bruins are returning to nationals after missing out as a team by only one tenth last season. After struggling with injury and inconsistency the past several seasons, UCLA has finally found their stride. While their performances at the Utah regional weren’t their best, we saw the kind of big scores and showstopping routines they can have when they won the Big Ten championship title.

UCLA has an outstanding senior class, and at the same time has younger athletes who have gotten comfortable competing and contributed big scores. Senior Brooklyn Moors had another gorgeous floor routine that scored a 9.950. Graduate student Chae Campbell scored a 9.900 on floor and stuck her vault for a 9.925. Junior Jordan Chiles scored a 9.900 on vault, bars, and beam. Freshman Mika Webster-Longin led the team on vault with a new career-high, a 9.950, and also scored a 9.900 on floor.

UCLA has seven titles, their last coming in 2018. If they can replicate their 198.450 performance from Big Tens, they could add another title.

Florida

Courtesy of Morgan Hurd, Florida Gators

The Gators faced injuries to several key athletes this season, but that has not stopped them or slowed them down. They have the highest score in the NCAA this season, a 198.625, and their second highest score this season came in the regional semi-final with a 198.225. They finished in first in their regional final, not with their best performance, but the meet they had in the semi-final is indicative of the team they can be.

Of Florida’s twelve gymnasts who competed in the regional final, eight of them are freshmen and sophomores. These athletes have gained a lot of competition experience, and have also come up big in important moments too. Freshman Skye Blakely and sophomore Alyssa Arana both scored a 9.925 on bars in the regional final. Graduate student Victoria Nguyen put up a 9.900 on floor with her elegant floor routine. Junior Selena Harris-Miranda and Leanne Wong both competed all-around; Harris-Miranda’s best events were bars and beam where she scored 9.900s, and Wong’s best events were vault and floor where she scored a 9.900 and 9.950 respectively.

Florida will look to win their fourth national championship title and their first in ten years. If they can produce a performance like the one they had in the regional semi-final, they have a good shot at the title.

Alabama

Courtesy of the Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide pulled off the only upset in the top 8 nationally ranked teams, beating #6 Cal by a tenth to advance to nationals. Alabama had a very slow start to their season, but are peaking at the right time with their 197.675 in their regional final being their highest score of the season. 

Alabama didn’t have their strongest vault score, but gained momentum once they went to bars. Senior Shania Adams scored a 9.925 and sophomore Chloe LaCoursiere scored a 9.950. On beam, senior Lilly Hudson scored a 9.900, Adams scored another 9.925, and junior Gabby Gladieux scored a 9.950. Alabama’s performance on floor would determine if they advanced to the Elite Eight. They needed to drop a 9.500, and their one-two punch of Hudson and Gladieux came out strong and confident, scoring a 9.950 and 9.925, and earning them a spot at nationals.

If Alabama can keep building their scores, they could have the chance to make it to Four on the Floor to compete for their seventh national title and first since 2012.

Oklahoma

Courtesy of Oklahoma Women’s Gymnastics

Oklahoma has been as dominant as ever this postseason. After missing out on Four on the Floor, they are a force to be reckoned with as they pursue the spot on top of the podium again. They put up their second highest score of the season, and the highest in any regional competition this year, with a 198.450 in the regional final.

Senior Jordan Bowers was the star of the meet as she put up three perfect 10s (vault, bars, and floor). What’s even more impressive about this feat is it’s the second time she’s had three 10s in a single meet! Junior Faith Torrez also had a perfect 10, with hers coming on the floor exercise (where she’s ranked number one in the nation), and put up scores of 9.900 and 9.950 on bars and beam respectively. Graduate student Audrey Davis had big scores on the three events she competed in, with a 9.950 on bars (the event she’s ranked first on in the nation), 9.925 on beam, and 9.900 on floor. Freshman Elle Mueller also had a great night with a 9.900 on vault and a 9.950 on floor which tied her career-high.

Oklahoma has won six national championship titles, with their last ones being in 2022 and 2023, and they’re hungry for a spot in Four on the Floor to win their seventh.

Missouri

Courtesy of Mizzou Gymnastics

Mizzou is making their first nationals appearance in three years. In the regional final, it all came down to one routine that would determine if they would advance to nationals: Helen Hu’s beam routine.

The Tigers began the night on the floor, where they posted their second-highest postseason floor score. The floor rotation was highlighted by a 9.925 from sophomore Kennedy Griffin and a 9.950 from senior Jocelyn Moore. Sophomore Hannah Horton led the team on vault and tied her career-high with a 9.950. Graduate student and SEC co-champion on bars Mara Titarsolej scored a 9.950 on the event she specializes in. Mizzou had a fall on beam and needed to both drop that score and come up big in order to advance to nationals. Helen Hu, a senior who came out of retirement, was cool, calm, and collected, and scored a 9.925, giving the team enough of an edge to advance.

I’ve been following SEC gymnastics for the past decade, and this is the strongest I’ve ever seen Mizzou. They’ve been breaking and shattering program records all season long, and are ready to continue that trend in Fort Worth.

2024 National Champions LSU, courtesy of the NCAA

Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri, and Alabama will compete on April 17 at 4:30PM EST on ESPN2. Individuals competing in this session are Mary McDonough (Washington) and Madison Ulrich (Denver) in the all-around, Rosie Casali (Denver) and Ady Wahl (Georgia) on vault, Olivia Greaves (Auburn) and Rylie Mundell (Denver) and bars, Brynlee Andersen (BYU) and Gabby McLaughlin (Auburn) on beam, and Mya Hooten (Minnesota) and Lily Smith (Georgia) on floor.

LSU, Utah, UCLA, and Michigan State will compete on April 17 at 9PM EST on ESPN2. Individuals competing in this session are Jade Carey (Oregon State) and Joscelyn Roberson (Arkansas) in the all-around, Sophia Diaz (Michigan) and Kaya Forbes (UNC) on vault, Maddie Jones (Arkansas) and Madelyn Williams (Cal) on bars, Mya Lauzon (Cal) and Isabella Magnelli (Kentucky) on beam, and Creslyn Brose (Kentucky) and Lauzon on floor.

Individual titles will be announced at the conclusion of the evening session of the nationals semi-finals. The top two teams from both sessions advance to Four on the Floor on April 19 at 4PM EST on ABC.

Only eight teams have won the NCAA gymnastics national championship. Will LSU, Oklahoma, UCLA, Florida, Alabama, or Utah add another title to their name? Or will Michigan State or Mizzou become the ninth team to win the title?

Edited by Giana Robertaccio