NQS has kicked in with less than a month to spare before conference championships begin, meaning lots of movement throughout the national team and individual standings. Oklahoma, however, remains a fixture at the top, leading the way on every event except floor where it’s second to LSU. Given the Sooners’ record-breaking performance Friday night in which they went 49.7-plus on three events, we don’t anticipate their giving up the top spot(s) any time soon.
However, they weren’t the only team making history in Week 8: According to stats wizard Drew Porche, 21 teams tied or set program records in week eight. Even accounting for overscoring, teams across the board delivered some of their most outstanding gymnastics this weekend.
Teams
1. Oklahoma, 198.675
2. California, 198.400
3. Utah, 198.075
4. Florida, 198.150
5. LSU, 197.950
6. Michigan State, 197.275
We probably sound like a broken record at this point, but Oklahoma and California continue to be the clear top two thanks to the unmatched polish and consistency they’ve shown throughout the entire season. Both teams set new program-record totals over the weekend, proving they’re only getting sharper as the season progresses.
Meanwhile, the Utes have put themselves firmly back in the championship conversation after finally eclipsing the 198 mark. It’s no coincidence that their star all around and former Olympian Grace McCallum also seems to be back in top form as evidenced by her perfect 10 on floor. The Gators have also entered the chat, extending their current streak of increasing scores by notching their first 198 of the season.
While the Tigers fell to home team Florida, they did themselves a huge favor by putting up their highest road total of the year (and quelling concerns that they couldn’t match their home scores on the road). An in-conference loss stings, no doubt, but LSU’s performance was good enough to bump it up to third in the NQS rankings.
The Big Ten held its regular-season deciding Big Five meets over the weekend with the Spartans walking away as back-to-back conference champions when all was said and done. They and intrastate rival Michigan—who posted the league’s highest total of the week—continue to be the Big Ten’s best bet for a 2024 championship run.
Honorable Mentions: Ball State
The Cardinals may have scored in the 198s already thanks to the infamous Tennessee Classic, but the program’s first score in the 197s should not go unnoticed. Ball State showcased its full potential, particularly shining on vault where Victoria Henry’s 9.950 set up teammate Suki Pfister for a near-perfect 9.975.
All-Around
1. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 39.750
2. Leanne Wong, Florida, 39.875
3. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 39.800
4. Mya Lauzon, California, 39.700
5. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 39.350
6. Sierra Brooks, Michigan, 39.650
In Week 8, Wong cemented her status as one of the all-time greats by becoming the fifteenth gymnast in NCAA history to earn a Gym Slam with a walk-off 10 on floor to overtake SEC rival LSU. Wong deservedly claimed top honors Friday night, but Bryant continued to prove she’s the most consistently excellent all around in the field with her fifth consecutive score of 39.700 or better.
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Future SEC gymnast Bowers made history, too, joining the legendary Maggie Nichols and Anastasia Webb as the only Oklahoma gymnasts to crack the 39.800 mark. Lauzon looks to be back in top form, helping to lead Cal to a record-setting win over the hosting UCLA Bruins thanks to a flawless beam set. Similarly, Brooks continues to shine on her two best events—bars and floor—and led the Wolverines to win their session of Big Fives.
Worley had a comparatively down week, struggling to control her landings on vault, bars, and beam. However, given she was as exceptional as ever on floor, we’re betting her still-respectable 39.350 was just a one-off performance.
Honorable Mentions: eMjae Frazier, California
If Lauzon is the Golden Bears’ rock, then Frazier is their spark. She followed up last week’s 39.350 with a personal and program record 39.825 included a perfect 10 on floor. Performances like this are what California needs to secure a trip to Four on the Floor in April and challenge the Sooners.
Vault
1. Sage Kellerman, Michigan State, 9.900
2. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 9.925
3. Mya Lauzon, California, 9.900
4. Makenzie Wilson, Kentucky, 9.875
5. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 9.900
6. Sierra Brooks, Michigan, 9.875
A week after dropping into the 9.8s for the first time, Kellerman got back on track this week, helping lift the Spartans to their second consecutive Big Ten regular season title. Teammate Nikki Smith also 9.975 for her booming Yurchenko one-and-a-half.
Bryant and Lauzon continue to deliver, as neither has gone sub-9.9 on vault in 2024. They’re the guaranteed hits that the Tigers and Golden Bears have relied upon to rank second and fourth on vault nationally, respectively.
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A low chest on the landing kept Wilson’s score a bit down this week, but her stick was one of the highlights for the Wildcats in their upset road loss at Arkansas. Brooks took a hop back on her Yurchenko one and a half and Bowers a step forward on hers, but each showcased their trademark clean form to minimize deductions elsewhere.
Honorable Mentions: Daisy Woodring, 9.950
Division II Texas Women’s was up against a trio of DI programs in its Friday quad meet, but that made no difference for Woodring. Sticking a Yurchenko full, she earned a perfect 9.950 to post the best vault score in TWU history and show why she’s a nominee for the AAI Award.
Bars
1. Audrey Davis, Oklahoma, 9.950
2. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 9.975
3. Selena Harris, UCLA, 9.950
4. Leanne Wong, Florida, 9.950
5. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 9.825
6. Emily Lopez, Boise State, 9.925
The top-ranked Sooners continue to dominate on bars, led by the exceptional Davis and Bowers. Given the parlor state of judging, it’s unfathomable that a bar worker of Davis’s caliber has yet to score a 10. Even with the cowboyed double front half dismount, she’s head and shoulders above the class execution-wise.
Speaking of gymnasts on perpetual 10 watch, Harris took a small scoot back on her double layout, but her ever-precise pirouettes led her to a fourth-consecutive 9.950.
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Wong was perfect a few weeks ago and turned in a nearly identical set this week, but not even a stuck dismount could break through the surprisingly tight bars judging in Gainesville.
Worley’s landings were a little off across the board this weekend, including on the full-twisting double tuck with a substantial step forward that capped off her otherwise solid bars routine. On the flip side, Lopez drilled the landing of her double layout to cap off her third straight bar routine earning 9.925 or better.
Honorable Mentions: Kara Houghton, Sacramento State | Gigi Mastellone, Southern Connecticut State
The Hornets outscored more than a few Power Five programs this week with a school record 196.825, thanks in part to sophomore anchor Houghton’s 9.975 on bars. Over on the East Coast, Mastellone capped off the Owls' doubleheader with her third 9.850 in four meets. What was the fourth score? A cool perfect 10, the first in school history on any event.
Beam
1. Ragan Smith, Oklahoma, 10.000
2. Faith Torrez, Oklahoma, 9.975
3. Maile O’Keefe, Utah, 9.975
4. Abby Paulson, Utah, 9.975
5. Mya Lauzon, California, 10.000
6. Syd Morris, LIU, 9.950 and 9.825
Fierce doesn’t even begin to describe the level of competition we’re seeing on beam this season, as the Sooners’ and Red Rocks’ star duos make sorting out the power rankings a near-impossible task: A second consecutive perfect routine from Smith keeps her and Oklahoma teammate Torrez on top this week over Paulson and O’Keefe.
Lauzon bounced back from last week’s 9.875 with her second career beam 10 while Morris dipped under 9.900 for the first time this season in the Sharks’ second outing of a double-meet weekend. However, their 9.950 from Friday helps them maintain a spot in the top six.
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Honorable Mentions: Chloe Widner, Stanford
Widner’s appearance should surprise no one, as the fifth-year has always been a standout beam worker—and she has a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships to prove it. She’s only competed in beam three times this season but does have two scores of 9.950 or better.
Floor
1. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 9.975
2. Mya Hooten, Minnesota, 9.975
3. Sierra Brooks, Michigan, 9.975
4. Aleah Finnegan, LSU, 10.000
5. Gabby Wilson, Michigan, 9.950
6. Jocelyn Moore, Missouri, 9.950
Worley’s landing woes didn’t follow her to floor, where her signature combination of amplitude and precision snagged a third consecutive 9.975 and a share of the event win alongside Arkansas’ Frankie Price. Similarly, Brooks and Hooten came out on top at the Big Fives, just edging out Wilson and Ohio State’s Ella Hodges in their respective sessions.
Essentially copying and pasting her routine from a week ago, Finnegan notched her second straight 10 on floor, this time in enemy territory. She’s nursing a nagging wrist injury, but you’d never know from watching her tumble.
Moore was red-hot at Auburn’s Pink Meet, sticking her massive double layout after overcooking it a bit last week. As she’s continued to improve the level of control in her leaps and landings this season, keep an eye out for the seemingly inevitable 10.0 that’s coming her way.
Honorable Mentions: Retoshia Halsell, Elise Tisler | Towson
Towson is consistently one of the top mid-major programs in the country but took it to the next level this week with a record-high 197.425. The Tigers’ floor rotation posted a massive 49.650, punctuated by a pair of 9.975s from Halsell and Tisler. The piked full-in is an exceptionally difficult skill to perform well, but we could watch Halsell’s version on a loop.
