The season debut of NCAA gymnastics did not disappoint, as we were treated to a weekend stacked with quad meets that lived up to the hype. While Super 16 was the biggest show of the weekend — offering both great gymnastics and kooky commentary — the SEC quietly got a new leader and a number of freshman phenoms burst onto the scene. With only around half of the teams competing this week, expect plenty of movement in these rankings over the next few outings before settling down in February.
Teams
- Oklahoma, 197.850
- Utah, 197.300
- Missouri, 197.150
- Alabama, 197.125
- LSU, 196.975
- California, 196.850
It should come as no surprise that the back-to-back reigning national champions were just a few hoppy landings away from looking postseason-ready in their season debut. Granted, the Super 16 broadcast only showed about three-quarters of the routines from the Friday night session, but everything we did see from Oklahoma looked effortless and easy (including the exhibitions).
Utah seemed thoroughly unaffected by the controversy that characterized its preseason. After counting two sub-9.800 scores on vault, the Red Rocks notched a 49.325-plus on the remaining three events in their home opener against Boise State. Floor, not beam, is shaping up to be the team’s signature event this year with one of the most experienced lineups in the nation.
Over the past few seasons, the Missouri Tigers have proven themselves capable of challenging top teams on a good day but typically had little — if any — margin for error at the top of their lineups. If Saturday’s record-setting performance is any indication, that won’t be an issue this season. Earlier this week, Missouri head coach Shannon Welker outlining the team’s goals for the 2024 season, which include “have better depth” and “establish ourselves in the rankings sooner.” So far, so good!
The Crimson Tide comes in just a shade behind Mizzou after rallying in the 11th hour to drop a fall on beam and win the final session of the Super 16. In fact, they were the only team other than the Sooners to crack a 197 at the two-day event. The bar lineup (what we saw of it, at least), in particular, lived up to the hype, delivering a legitimate 49.525 rotation punctuated by multiple stuck dismounts.
There were a few kinks in all four rotations, and the front half of the beam lineup was undeniably glitchy, but overall, this was a great debut for a rejuvenated LSU squad. It was especially good to see the Tigers have the luxury of depth and only one discernible significant injury — .
Retaining their spot in the top six are the Golden Bears, who were a shaky beam rotation away from making things incredibly interesting in the final session of Super 16. While none of the freshman class made lineups — including either of the former five-star recruits — California’s season-opening 49.550 on bars assured the nation it’s in for another season of dominance on that event.
Honorable Mentions: Minnesota, Denver, Illinois State.
The Golden Gophers and Pioneers were both session winners at Super 16 and matched California’s season-opening total. Denver easily took care of business to follow up its 2023 national appearance while Minnesota exceeded expectations by knocking off favorite Oregon State. Competing at Bowling Green, Illinois State obliterated its 2023 opening score by over three points (yes, you read that correctly) and currently sits above 2021 NCAA champion Michigan in the national rankings.
SUPER 16 RECAP: Click for a full list of results from each session
All-Around
- Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 39.675
- Faith Torrez, Oklahoma, 39.625
- Raena Worley, Kentucky, 39.625
- Mya Lauzon, California, 39.600
- Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 39.600
- Selena Harris, UCLA, 39.550
It’s easy to see why senior Bryant earned first-team All-America honors at last year’s national championships — even following two consecutive falls on beam, she was simply unflappable. The season is young, but odds are she’s going to be the one to beat throughout 2024.
Meanwhile in Las Vegas, fifth-year Worley and sophomore Torrez topped an imposing field of all-arounders that included a dozen 2023 All-Americans. The latter was particularly impressive, setting a new career high and overtaking teammate Bowers and California’s Lauzon by just a quarter-tenth.
Sophomore Harris tied Luisa Blanco in the final Super 16 session, but she edges out the Alabama superstar in the power rankings for delivering such a clutch performance under pressure (and in her first meet without the safety net provided by Jordan Chiles, no less).
Honorable Mention: Kiya Johnson.
The LSU fifth-year was originally slated to compete in the all-around in her much-anticipated return to competition a year after a season-ending Achilles tear. Some minor leg cramping after beam convinced her to forgo anchoring the floor lineup out of an abundance of caution, but there’s no denying Johnson is back and looking better than ever on all four events.
Vault
- Sage Kellerman, Michigan State, 10.000
- Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 9.950
- Chae Campbell, UCLA, 9.950
- Mya Lauzon, California, 9.950
- Makenzie Wilson, Kentucky, 9.950
- Suki Pfister, Ball State, 9.925
Apparently, this was a good week to compete with a front handspring pike half, with four entries making our list. Bryant may be the perennial queen of said vault, but Kellerman takes the crown in the first week. This was her best collegiate vault to date and a worthwhile recipient of the season’s first perfect 10 on the event. Unfortunately, Wilson’s vault didn’t make the broadcast, but it nearly matched her career-high score of 9.975. Last, but certainly not least, Pfister’s ever-dynamic vault helped secure the Cardinals’ upset over the hosting Tar Heels.
During the final session of the Super 16, senior Campbell snagged a perfect score of her own with her trademark floaty Yurchenko full. Lauzon matched that mark (albeit starting from a 10.0) in the final rotation thanks to a crisp Yurchenko one-and-a-half that secured a second-place finish for the Golden Bears.
Honorable Mentions: Lali Dekanoidze, Amari Drayton.
A 2023 All-American on bars, North Carolina’s Dekanoidze tied Pfister for top vault honors at the team’s quad meet thanks to a career-high 9.925. LSU freshman and former elite Drayton launched her college career with a bang in the form of a stuck (ish) Yurchenko one-and-a-half that earned a shoutout from her World Champions Centre teammate, Simone Biles.
2024 OLYMPICS: This year's Olympic contenders and qualifiers with college ties
Bars
- Lily Smith, Georgia, 9.975
- Raena Worley, Kentucky, 9.975
- Selena Harris, UCLA, 9.950
- Delanie Harkness, Michigan State, 9.950
- Jade Carey, Oregon State, 9.975
- Anyssa Alvarado, BYU, 9.950
In her much-anticipated collegiate debut, freshman bars anchor Smith saved the Gymdogs from counting a fall and formally threw down the gauntlet. Her form and technique are, in a word, stunning, as is her ability to hit under pressure.
Worley is one of the best all-arounders in the country, largely on the strength of her power events. This time, though, it was her bar routine — particularly that final handstand — that stole the show and earned her a new career high.
It's suffice to say, the bars judging at the Super 16 got a bit “overzealous,” resulting in nine 9.950s and a bevy of individual and program high scores. Of those nine, Harris and Harkness were the best of the bunch.
Harris showed off perfectly vertical handstands and a textbook Ray before drilling her double layout into the mat. Likewise, Harkness emphasized every handstand, absolutely floated through her Gienger and finished with a stick.
Wasting no time in her new role as a specialist for the Beavers, Carey delivered a strong routine punctuated by an exemplary full-twisting double tuck, stuck cold. Should she have outscored either Harris or Harkness?
In the following rotation, BYU’s Alvarado capped off a clean and simple set by unveiling a full-twisting double layout dismount, which she stuck for good measure.
Honorable Mentions: Gabby Perea, Madelyn Williams.
Teammates Gabby Perea and Madelyn Williams led the Golden Bears to a stellar 49.550 with a pair of — you guessed it — 9.950s.
Beam
- Maile O’Keefe, Utah, 10.000
- Brooklyn Rowray, Minnesota, 9.975
- Ragan Smith, Oklahoma, 9.950
- Faith Torrez, Oklahoma, 9.950
- Aleah Finnegan, LSU, 9.950
- Ella Chemotti, Eastern Michigan, 9.925
Reigning NCAA all-around champion O’Keefe closed out last year’s championships with a pair of perfect scores on beam. Picking up right where she left off, the fifth-year extended her perfect 10 streak to three. Her routine is truly identical in almost every single meet, which is remarkable given her difficult side aerial to layout step-out acro series. O’Keefe’s 10.0 was also the first perfect score of the season, coming in just before Kellerman’s vault.
Minnesota’s Rowray made the most of her lone appearance at Super 16, nailing a crucial beam set to earn herself a near-perfect mark and push the Golden Gophers to their upset win. After only sporadically making the beam lineup and maxing out at a 9.900 as a freshman, Rowray has set herself up nicely for a breakout sophomore season.
Helping the Sooners to the highest beam total of the weekend was a pair of 9.950s from Smith and Torrez, as the rest of the lineup didn’t crack 9.900. The duo looks to be the centerpiece for this year’s version of Oklahoma’s renowned beam lineup.
Finnegan played a massive role in LSU fending off Ohio State during its home opener, offering a stunning performance in the anchor spot after a shaky leadoff routine followed by two falls earlier in the rotation.
No stranger to success on beam, Chemotti qualified for the postseason on the event in her first two seasons and nearly made it to nationals in 2023. Her 9.925 routine, which featured a lovely front aerial to back handspring layout step-out, is all the more impressive for coming out of a dual meet in the notoriously tight-scoring MAC.
Honorable Mention: Haleigh Bryant.
Let’s not beat around the bush. LSU came very close to giving away the meet to Ohio State on beam. Finnegan may have delivered the coup de grace, but Bryant set her up by righting the ship with a 9.925 of her own.
Floor
- Gabby Gladieux, Alabama, 9.975
- Jocelyn Moore, Missouri, 9.975
- Ella Hodges, Ohio State, 9.950
- Brooklyn Moors, UCLA, 9.950
- Maile O’Keefe, Utah, 9.950
- Amari Drayton, LSU, 9.925
Sticking her full-in cold, Gladieux got her season started the right way en route to a near-perfect score on the Crimson Tides’ first event of 2024. She may have cemented herself as the permanent floor anchor for an Alabama squad that is primed to join the title conversation this season.
Moore’s sky-high and fully extended straddle jumps are just as eye-catching as her double layout, nearly hitting perfection finishing up for the Tigers on floor. To make things better, the broadcast went split screen with her teammates during her routine, giving her backup dancers as they replicated her choreography flawlessly.
While competing against a team notorious for its floor routines, Hodges’ gravity-defying tumbling and precise landings stole the show (and the event title) from host LSU. The fifth-year specialist may be poised for a breakout season with a career-high in her first performance of 2024.
To the delight of many, Moors’ fan-favorite “Euphoria”-themed routine is back after just two appearances in 2023. This time around, she drilled her landings for a whopping 9.950 in the leadoff spot. Her performance quality has always been on point, but consistent landings could see her slide deeper into the Bruins’ floor lineup.
Beam queen O’Keefe reminded us all that she’s a former NCAA champion on floor, putting on a toe-point clinic throughout her leaps and all three tumbling passes. She’ll be a huge factor in the Utes’ aforementioned floor resurgence.
Freshman Drayton was a last-minute addition to the Tigers’ floor lineup after anchor Kiya Johnson was pulled, but boy, did she deliver an anchor-worthy performance! With massive tumbling and the proven ability to hit under pressure, we’d be shocked if she doesn’t become a lineup regular after this week.
Honorable Mentions: Selena Harris, eMjae Frazier.
Harris’ bubbly personality makes it difficult not to dance along to her floor music, “Gasolina,” with her knack for sticking double layouts — critical in the Bruins’ impressive floor depth. Frazier has an impressive double layout of her own, giving the Golden Bears’ floor lineup some much-needed power.
