Scores continued trending up in Week 9, as evidenced by the 25 programs that have tied or set new NQS records so far this season. Far more compelling are the number of tightly contested meets and outright upsets that we’re seeing, as teams and individuals alike make their final push for the postseason. Power rankings are all about momentum, so expect a good bit of shuffling (and probably a few surprises) from here on out.
Teams
1. Oklahoma, 198.650 and 198.300
2. California, 198.100
3. Florida, 198.225
4. Kentucky, 198.100
5. LSU, 198.325
6. Utah, 197.700
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Oklahoma posted a team score over 198.600 for the second week in a row thanks to event totals of 49.600 or better on three events (including a second consecutive 49.800 on bars). The Sooners followed up that performance with a paltry 198.300 at Texas Woman’s Sunday afternoon that’s too low to even factor into the team’s NQS.
The Golden Bears continued to prove their mettle with a decisive win over the visiting Red Rocks, positioning themselves well for the program’s first (and last) outright regular season Pac-12 title next weekend. Utah responded well to adversity on the road—pulling lone all-arounder MaKenna Smith halfway through due to caution—and put up an NQS-improving score, but still, unfortunately, had to take the loss against Cal on the Golden Bears’ home turf.
On Friday, LSU posted its fourth straight home score in the 198s to best conference rival Alabama by a full point. With the pressure on, Florida edged out host Kentucky by the slimmest of margins to clinch the SEC regular season title over the Tigers and the Wildcats. Despite dropping the win, Kentucky managed to break 198 for the first time in program history. The stage is set for what should be the most compelling SEC championship we’ve seen in years: The Tigers have run hot and cold (particularly on the road), the Wildcats have been steadily plugging away, and the Gators’ scores have been gradually ramping up all season long. If all three teams hit (i.e., not just avoid counting falls), it’ll be interesting to see whose scores hold up best under the scrutiny of a four-judge panel.
Honorable Mentions: Denver
The Pioneers followed up last week’s 196.900 with a 198.025—their second 198 of the season and second-best score ever—reminding the competition that you can never count them out.
All-Around
1. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 39.850
2. Leanne Wong, Florida, 39.775
3. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 39.675 and 39.725
4. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 39.650
5. eMjae Frazier, California, 39.750
6. Mya Lauzon, California, 39.575
We’re running out of superlatives for Bryant—even with the usual caveat about overscoring, this was arguably her best performance of the season. Every routine and every skill looked effortless, and her consistency remained unmatched.
Worley had to settle for second place after bouncing out of her Yurchenko one and a half, as Wong followed up last week’s gym slam with her fourth consecutive all-around score of 39.725 or better. Mirroring their teams, Bryant, Wong, and Worley are the undisputed frontrunners in the race for conference champion.
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Not that the Sooners need the help, but Bowers’ week nine score-building bodes well as the team moves toward regionals—another double-meet weekend that will determine which teams go to nationals.
Sophomore Frazier enters the rankings this week after following up her program-record 39.825 with another score in the elite 39.7-plus range. She and the ever-steady Lauzon continue to push the Golden Bears to new heights.
Honorable Mentions: Maggie Slife, Air Force
The Falcons’ star freshman has flown under the radar (pun very much intended) but boasts high difficulty and exquisite execution across all four events. She notched a 9.850 or better on six of her eight routines from the team’s week nine doubleheader.
Vault
1. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 9.950
2. Makenzie Wilson, Kentucky, 10.000
3. Suki Pfister, Ball State, 9.950
4. Sage Kellerman, Michigan State, 9.925
5. Katherine LeVasseur, Oklahoma, 9.975 and 9.875
6. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 9.850 and 9.925
Bryant boomed another front handspring pike half this week, with just the landing separating her from her first perfect vault total of the season. We can only assume she’s saving her sticks for the postseason, unlike conference rival Wilson, who flaunted yet another stuck landing for her second vault 10 of the season.
Pfister also continues to hit, going 9.950 or better for the second week in a row after earning the first perfect score of her career back in week three.
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Rounding out our quartet of front handspring pike halves, Kellerman delivered her usual powerful vault but wasn’t the Spartans’ top scorer this week as teammate Nikki Smith went 10.0 for her Yurchenko one-and-a-half.
Making up one of the best Yurchenko one-and-a-half tandems in the nation are LeVasseur and Bowers, who dialed in on their landings for big 9.9-plus scores in their two-meet weekend. LeVasseur’s vault from Friday’s home meet was particularly outstanding, reminiscent of that Taylor Houchin vault that also inexplicably only scored a 9.975.
Honorable Mentions: Paige Zancan, Auburn
The freshman has been a steady contributor in the Tigers’ beam lineup but made the most of her vault debut by posting the team’s lone score in the 9.9s. Her front handspring to handspring front pike is one of the most unusual vaults currently being completed, and a refreshing change from the usual parade of Yurchenko entries.
Bars
1. Audrey Davis, Oklahoma, 9.975 and 9.975 10.000
2. Leanne Wong, Florida, 9.975
3. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma, 9.925 and 9.950
4. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 9.925
5. Selena Harris, UCLA, 9.900
6. Isabella Minervini, Towson, 9.950 and 9.950
The gym-ternet breathed a collective sigh of relief as Davis was finally awarded a perfect 10, albeit after initially receiving her second 9.975 of the weekend. It’s unclear (both literally and figuratively—the stream was virtually unwatchable) what prompted the judges to raise her score, and we’re not going to ask.
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Wong and Worley went head-to-head Sunday, and a drilled dismount gave Wong the bars dub by half a tenth. The duo continues to churn out great performances every week, gearing up for a much-anticipated rematch at SECs later this month.
Anchor Harris has been a bright spot in the Bruins’ shaky bars lineup, as consistency issues continue to hold the team back in the rankings. Harris’ execution speaks for itself, as does her ability to always hit 9.9-plus without the benefit of score building.
After featuring in the honorable mentions, Minervini makes the jump into the rankings proper thanks to two 9.950s in three days. She has Towson primed for another postseason appearance and is on pace for an individual All-America honor.
Honorable Mentions: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm, Washington
Killough-Wilhelm doesn’t get enough credit for being Washington’s go-to all-arounder throughout her entire career, most notably leading the Huskies to the postseason in the last two seasons. Bars is where her form shines best, and this week she set a new career-high 9.975.
Beam
1. Ragan Smith, Oklahoma, 10.000 and 10.000
2. Faith Torrez, Oklahoma, 9.975 and 9.900
3. Maile O’Keefe, Utah, 9.925
4. Abby Paulson, Utah, 9.925
5. Mya Lauzon, California 9.925
6. Sienna Schreiber, Missouri, 10.000
Smith can’t stop! She finished week nine the way she started it—with back-to-back perfect 10s, extending her current streak to four in a row. She and the Sooners have two remaining home meets and one away meet left, meaning there’s a non-zero chance she does the unthinkable and notches a perfect NQS. Kudos to teammate Torrez, a standout beamer in her own right, for setting Smith up for those scores.
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Over in the Pac-12, O’Keefe, Paulson, and Lauzon battled it out in a Saturday dual meet, and came out in a three-way tie for second (Cal’s eMjae Frazier took the event title with a 9.950). However, the tie in the power rankings goes to the Red Rocks since their performances came on the road.
With Davis getting her long-awaited perfect score on bars, it’s only fitting that Schreiber followed suit a couple of hours later. After downgrading her acro series a week ago, she opted to go for her full difficulty on Senior Night and nailed it, earning a well-deserved roar from the home Tiger crowd.
Honorable Mentions: Momo Iwai, Denver
The Pios set a season-high 49.675 on beam, including a 9.975 from their lead-off gymnast, Iwai. Her triple series was a highlight, with perfect extension and precision throughout.
Floor
1. Raena Worley, Kentucky, 10.000
2. Aleah Finnegan, LSU, 9.950
3. Mya Hooten, Minnesota, 9.950
4. Creslyn Brose, Kentucky, 9.975
5. Jocelyn Moore, Missouri, 9.950
6. Sierra Brooks, Michigan, 9.925
This week saw a plethora of floor 10s of varying degrees of validity: Denver's Jessica Hutchinson, Florida's Anya Pilgrim, Bryant, and Worley. The consensus is that Worley’s was the best of the bunch, as she stuck her last two passes cold—a fitting end for her final performance at Rupp. And let’s not forget her freshman teammate Brose, who closed out her routine with a stuck front double full to set up Worley for her third perfect score on the event.
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Finnegan couldn’t extend her streak of 10s but deserves applause for one of the best saves of the week. Heading out of bounds on her two-and-a-half twist to front tuck, she cleverly finessed her way into some choreography to avoid the line and a one-tenth deduction.
Missouri ultimately fell to the visiting Razorbacks, but Moore ended the competition with another show-stopping routine and a share of the floor title along with freshman teammate Kennedy Griffin and Arkansas’s Lauren Williams. She had a front foot slide on her opening double layout but drilled the landing of her final front tuck through to double tuck.
The Gophers were just a shade under their season-high on floor thanks to dual 9.950s from the always charismatic Hooten and teammate Lauren Pearl. Likewise, Brooks and teammate Gabby Wilson closed out the Wolverines’ floor rotation with matching 9.925s, all the more impressive given the added pressure of Michigan only having five gymnasts in the lineup due to resting and injuries.
Honorable Mentions: Jade Carey, Oregon State, and Naya Robinson, Springfield
This may not have been the cleanest performance we’ve seen from Carey, but it was certainly one of the most expressive! The reigning Olympic floor champion looked notably relaxed and thoroughly in her element from start to finish. And, injury prevented senior Robinson from competing in her final season, but she was able to turn in one last exhibition performance during the Pride’s senior night with a little help from her teammates: Robinson performed a dance through of her routine with her teammates subbing in hockey style for the tumbling passes.
