LSU re-enters college gymnastics power rankings for Week 5

We’ve officially entered that midseason stretch where judges across the board stop applying whatever new rules have been introduced in the offseason and scores get increasingly absurd. Not every 198 and perfect 10 are created equal, and—with seemingly more of them occurring this year than ever—this week’s power rankings will help sort things out.

Teams

1. Oklahoma, 198.375
2. California, 197.950
3. Kentucky, 197.600
4. Utah, 197.750
5. LSU, 198.475
6. Alabama, 196.975

The weekend’s marquee matchup was a showdown between No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 California in a tri-meet at Arizona State, in which the Sooners and Golden Bears impressed as expected. Oklahoma took the win with its biggest total of the season while Cal finished right behind with yet another score in the 197.9s. The Sooners stay undefeated in their quest for a three-peat, and the Golden Bears’ consistency has them a consensus No. 2—even if they’re not posting the highest total every weekend.

Speaking of, LSU’s program high 198.475 leads the nation as the highest score of the season thus far. The Tigers took full advantage of their electric home crowd and environment to dismantle Arkansas. Performances like this showcase the team’s national championship potential, but the full-point swings in scores from week to week leave much to be desired in the consistency department—particularly on the road where the judging panels may be less benevolent regarding what constitutes a controlled landing and finishing position.

📊 PAST RANKINGS: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

Elsewhere in the SEC, the Wildcats continue to prove they’re also legit title contenders after a decisive win over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa for the first time in school history. Junior Makenzie Wilson said her team can go toe-to-toe with Oklahoma, and—from what they’ve shown us this season—she’s spot on.

Out West, Utah continues to cruise with another home score in the mid-197s and a key win over the always-dangerous Oregon State. The Utes’ first true road meet is up next.

Honorable Mentions: Michigan State, Denver, UCLA
It's been a tight race at the top of the Big Ten rankings between the Wolverines, Spartans, and Buckeyes, but after a 198.050 against home team Michigan, Michigan State has become the favorite for the conference crown. Denver and UCLA also posted scores of 198 or better on Sunday afternoon, reminding everyone that they’re both capable of challenging for titles this season when they hit.

All-Around

1. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 39.825
2. Mya Lauzon, California, 39.625
3. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 39.750
4. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 39.675
5. Jessica Hutchinson, Denver, 39.700
6. Selena Harris, UCLA, 39.775

Bryant put together yet another impeccable performance. It’s one thing to be capable of a 9.9-plus on all four events, but it’s quite another to actually do it week after week. It’s been almost two years since Bryant has had a major error.

A good-not-great bar routine kept Lauzon from tallying a fourth-straight score in the 39.7s, but she helped keep the Golden Bears within striking distance of both Bowers and the Sooners.

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Meanwhile, fifth-year Worley turned in one of the best performances of her career against the hosting Crimson Tide, snagging every individual title except vault (that one went to her teammate, Mackenzie Wilson). Her dominance this season rivals that of Kentucky GOAT Jenny Hansen—winner of three-straight NCAA all-around titles from 1993 to 1995.

Hutchinson fell just shy of the career-high mark she set last weekend but showcased her versatility and ever-increasing ceiling. A big 9.975 on bars means she’s hit at least 9.950 on every event in 2024. Once again, sophomore Harris has proven herself with another 39.7-plus four-event score, good for second-best of the weekend ahead of powerhouses Worley, Lauzon, and Bowers. A “slow” sub-9.900 start on vault was mitigated by 9.975s on beam and floor.

Honorable Mentions: Lily Smith
The No. 3 overall recruit has already proven her worth on bars and this week gave a preview of what we can expect from her over the next few seasons. After getting the green light to go on four events last week, she contributed a 39.600 on Friday to the Gymdogs’ season-high score.

Vault

1. Sage Kellerman, Michigan State, 10.000
2. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 9.975
3. Makenzie Wilson, Kentucky, 9.950
4. Mya Lauzon, California, 9.950
5. Chae Campbell, UCLA, 9.875
6. Makenna Smith, Utah, 9.925

There’s no debating that Bryant’s soaring front handspring pike half from week five was exceptional, but fans (and judges, apparently) were divided over whether the scoot and subsequent lean back on her landing constituted a 10-worthy stick. Sophomore Kellerman, on the other hand, left no room for debate—she earned her second 10.0 of the season with an ice-cold stick that even home team Michigan’s judges couldn’t deny.

Rounding out our top three trio of front handspring pike halves, Wilson holds onto the No. 3 spot by following up her perfect vault from last week with another beauty.

Lauzon closed out her meet with another massive Yurchenko one-and-a-half to tie Arizona State’s Anaya Smith for the event title over a formidable Oklahoma vault lineup.

Chalk it up to the camera angle versus the judges’ view because Campbell’s Yurchenko full looked like a veritable carbon copy of the one that scored a 9.950 last week, except she didn’t snap into her finishing position quite as quickly.

Smith and her Omelianchik make their power rankings debut as the bedrock of the Utes’ vault lineup. While the faces around her slide in and out of the rotation, Smith puts forth the same sturdy, clean vault week after week. The difference between her best and worst scores is only half a tenth.

Honorable Mentions: Josie Bergstrom
The Iowa State junior’s Yurchenko Full is getting close to entering Campbell territory. Her booming block and fine form have resulted in three 9.9s or better so far this season. As we’ve said before, starting from a 9.95 is an incredible feat.

Bars

Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 10.000
Audrey Davis, Oklahoma, 9.975
Raena Worley, Kentucky, 9.950
Lily Smith, Georgia, 9.950
Madelyn Williams, California, 9.900
Luisa Blanco, Alabama, 9.875

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Davis came into 2024 as the Sooner to watch on bars, but Bowers has been most deserving of that title through five weeks. Her latest 10 ties her with Worley for the best average on the event this year. We’re by no means discounting Davis, whose second near-perfect mark of the year has her ranked just 0.005 back from first.

Tied with Davis in the national rankings is Smith, who continues to be at the center of Freshman of the Year conversations thanks to her prowess on bars. On the opposite end of the seniority spectrum, Worley’s performances on bars continue to send her to new heights in the all-around.

Trending in the opposite direction, Williams and Blanco round out the top six. Blanco had somewhat of an off week across the board while Williams got back into the 9.9s after a brief dip into the 9.8s a week ago—something she’s done only a few times on bars throughout her career.

Honorable Mentions: Jordyn Lyden
After teammate Brooklyn Rowray hit a near-perfect beam routine earlier this season, Lyden is the latest Minnesota Gopher freshman to hit 9.975. The former three-star recruit is exceeding expectations on bars, as her highest-rated event heading into her collegiate career was beam.

Beam

1. Maile O’Keefe, Utah, 10.000
2. Mya Lauzon, California, 9.950
3. Sienna Schreiber, Missouri, 9.975
4. Abby Paulson, Utah, 9.925
5. Ragan Smith, Oklahoma, 9.900
6. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 9.900

After a two-week hiatus, O’Keefe returns to the top of the power rankings with the 13th perfect 10 on beam of her career and 14th on any event—good enough to tie Theresa Kulikowski for most in Utah history. If her pattern of scoring a 10 every other week holds, O’Keefe will own the record solo soon enough.

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While Schreiber didn’t quite get the revenge 10 that we foreshadowed after falling last weekend, her near-perfect total is an apt consolation prize. It’s seemingly only a matter of time before she ups her career high to the perfect 10.0, right?

Lauzon, Paulson, and Smith all retain their spots in this week’s rankings by doing what they do best—hit. That’s not always a given in this event (see O’Keefe and Schreiber), and to do so with unique choreography, combinations, and difficulty only adds to the impact.

Bowers slides into the top six with her fourth 9.900 or better in as many weeks. She’s been integral in helping the Sooners steal the top beam ranking away from the Red Rocks; all the more impressive she wasn’t a part of their top six just a few seasons ago.

Honorable Mentions: Mia Takekawa
With a perfect 10 in her career, it should be no surprise to see the fifth-year Illini pop onto this list. Takekawa is remarkable for her ability to finesse every landing, on or off the beam, and while a 9.875 on Sunday broke her streak of only 9.900s this season, we only expect her scores to rise from here on out.

Floor

1. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 10.000
2. Ella Hodges, Ohio State, 9.925 and 9.950
3. Mya Lauzon, California, 9.925
4. Sierra Brooks, Michigan, 9.950
5. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 10.000
6. Gabby Wilson, Michigan, 10.000

Worley had never gotten a perfect 10 before last weekend, and now she can’t stop. The Kentucky fifth-year had already found a way to elevate her stock in the all-around, but now that she’s reached the upper echelon, there’s no telling where her ceiling is.

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Although the Wolverines dropped their in-state rivalry dual to the Spartans, they ended on an incredibly high note with a 49.750 total on floor. En route to posting that second-best floor total of the season, Brooks set up teammate Wilson for her third perfect 10 on floor and her first since 2022. With both now having hit 10.0 in 2024, they could be the lethal duo for Michigan to close out competitions.

After a rest week on floor, Bryant’s return to the apparatus went as well as possible with a 10.0 to lead the Tigers to a floor total just a quarter-tenth higher than the aforementioned Wolverines.

Hodges notched a pair of 9.9-plus scores in the Buckeyes' double-meet week five wins while hit-machine Lauzon keeps proving she’s truly the consistency queen.

Honorable Mentions: Niya Randolph
One of the always relevant mid-majors, Southern Utah, had mixed projections for the season. The Thunderbirds lost a lot to graduation in the offseason and welcomed a huge freshman class. Randolph has been the leading rookie, instrumental in keeping them in postseason contention and debuting a phenomenal split-leg double layout quite reminiscent of UCLA legend and viral sensation Katelyn Ohashi.

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