Women’s NCAA gymnastics Week 1 recap: Super 16, LSU-Utah headline opening weekend
The first weekend of women’s NCAA gymnastics competition did not disappoint. Between multiple perfect 10s and the new Super 16 meet, there was lots to enjoy. Below, we recap the key meets, performances, and other important notes.
SUPER 16
Session 1: #21 Washington, #27 North Carolina, #28 Southern Utah, Fisk
Session 1 of the Super 16 meet had the honor of being the first meet of the season on Friday. This meet featured No. 21 Washington, No. 27 North Carolina, No. 28 Southern Utah, and Fisk.
History was made in Vegas as Fisk University became the first HBCU to compete in college gymnastics. With the other three teams ranked so closely together, this meet was anyone’s to win.
Propelled by its 49.050 uneven bars rotation, Southern Utah won the meet with a team score of 195.800. The Thunderbirds’ Karley McClain made a triumphant return to the all-around with a 39.175. Washington placed second with a 195.475 and was led by junior Skylar Killough-Wilhelm’s 39.325 all-around performance. North Carolina came in third place with a team score of 194.625. This meet marked the return of Tar Heels sophomore Lali Dekanoidze, who suffered a season-ending injury last year, as well as the college debut of highly touted recruit Gwen Fink. Fisk finished their first-ever meet in fourth place with a 188.150. The team had the most success on vault, finishing with a 48.175 and led by Morgan Price’s stuck full-twisting Yurchenko that earned a 9.9.
Session 2: #14 Oregon State, #17 Stanford, #20 Georgia, Rutgers
Session 2 of the Super 16 meet consisted of No. 14 Oregon State, No. 17 Stanford, No. 20 Georgia, and Rutgers. Stanford was able to squeak out the victory with a 196.175 followed closely by Georgia’s 195.950.
Cardinal Freshman Anna Roberts made her college debut with a 9.9 on vault, and senior Chloe Widner finished with a 39.525 all-around score – the highest of the session. Kentucky transfer Josie Angeny shined in her Georgia debut, highlighted by a 9.9 on bars, and Naya Howard showed all four events (38.975) in her first meet as a Bulldog. Oregon State finished in third place with a 195.450, posting two 49+ rotations after starting slow on bars. Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey finished with a 39.325 in her first competition back after a busy offseason competing elite. Rutgers’ 194.700 placed fourth. The Scarlet Knights’ highlight was floor exercise, where they were led by a pair of 9.9s from Elia Aird and Emily Leese.
Session 3: #8 California, #18 Iowa, #22 BYU, #24 Arizona State
No. 8 California, No. 18 Iowa, No. 22 BYU, and No. 24 Arizona State competed in session 3 of the Super 16. California ran away with this session, scoring a 197.475 – over a point higher than second-place finisher Iowa.
Cal’s Andi Li, Nevaeh DeSouza, Maddie Williams, and eMjae Frazier each competed all four events for the Golden Bears. Frazier lived up to the preseason hype, reeling in a pair of 9.95s on balance beam and floor exercise in her college debut. Iowa earned second place with a score of 196.225, led by a 49.2 vault rotation that was highlighted by Linda Zivat’s 9.925. Arizona State finished in third with a score of 195.775. Emily White was the headliner for the Sun Devils, earning an all-around score of 39.4. BYU finished in fourth place with a 193.775 – an uncharacteristically low score for the team. The Cougars were unable to break 49 on any of the four events and will be looking to increase their team score as the season progresses. Rebekah Bean Ripley competed for the first time since 2019 after being sidelined with multiple major injuries, stealing the show with her Barbie-themed floor routine (9.675).
Session 4: #1 Oklahoma, #4 Michigan, #5 Auburn, #10 UCLA
The fourth and final session of the Super 16 meet featured No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Auburn, and No. 10 UCLA. This was the highest scoring session overall, with all four teams breaking the coveted 197 mark that many teams work all season to achieve.
Defending champion Oklahoma proved why it was ranked No. 1 in the preseason, posting a team score of 197.925. Sophomore Jordan Bowers and junior Audrey Davis led the Sooners in the all-around with scores of 39.65 and 39.5, respectively. Former elite Faith Torrez excelled on bars, beam, and floor in her college debut. After an uncharacteristic 48.875 on balance beam, 2021 champions Michigan stormed back with three 49.4+ rotations and finished in second place with a 197.400. Abby Heiskell was the all-around leader for the Wolverines, scoring a 39.525. Auburn’s 197.350 was good for third place. Suni Lee was outstanding in the first meet of her final NCAA season with the Tigers. The 2021 Olympic all-around champion picked up the all-around win for the session (and overall Super 16 meet) with a 39.75. Despite holding the second position until the final rotation, UCLA finished in fourth place with a 197.275. Lee’s Olympic teammate Jordan Chiles led the Bruins with a 39.65, followed closely by Selena Harris’ 39.5 in her college debut.
Super 16 Combined Final Standings
- Oklahoma – 197.925
- California – 197.475
- Michigan – 197.400
- Auburn – 197.350
- UCLA – 197.275
- Iowa – 196.225
- Stanford – 196.175
- Georgia – 195.950
- Southern Utah – 195.800
- Arizona State – 195.775
- Washington – 195.475
- Oregon State – 195.450
- Rutgers – 194.700
- North Carolina – 194.625
- BYU – 193.775
- Fisk – 188.150
#3 Utah vs. #6 LSU
This was a very good showing for both teams. Utah got the victory with a 197.275, but LSU was not far behind with a 196.775.
The Red Rocks shined on beam, as they have been known to do, earning a 49.475 and highlighted by Maile O’Keefe’s 9.95. Grace McCallum was the lone all-around gymnast for Utah, scoring a 38.950 after sitting her Yurchenko 1.5 on vault.
LSU stood out on floor, where the Tigers’ high level of difficulty and entertaining choreography earned them a 49.375. Aleah Finnegan put on a career-high performance to earn a 9.95 and also a share of the all-around title with Haleigh Bryant – both of them earned a 39.450.
This meet also proved that judges are already taking directional deductions on vault after a rule requiring lines be added to landing mats was instituted for the 2023 season. LSU’s KJ Johnson performed a good Yurchenko full but only received a 9.775. This was likely due to the fact that she was over the left directional line. Directional deductions are something to watch as the season progresses.
#7 Alabama vs. #12 Michigan State
This meet was a big road test for Michigan State, who entered the season ranked No. 12 – its highest preseason ranking in program history. Coming off of a successful year in 2022, the Spartans are out to prove they are the real deal in 2023. In front of its home crowd, Alabama rolled to a 196.975 win over Michigan State’s 196.550.
Michigan State’s Nikki Smith and Alabama’s Gabby Gladieux, two highly anticipated freshmen, made their debuts on three events each. Vault was the standout event for both teams, with Alabama going 49.325 and Michigan State 49.3. Alabama put up five Yurchenko 1.5s, while Michigan State was able to put up two 10.0 vaults of its own, something it has not been able to do in the last few years. Gym fans will want to keep an eye on vault start values, because that could be the deciding factor for teams that do and don’t make it to nationals.
New kids on the block
In addition to Fisk, two other new programs competed in their first meets this weekend: Greenville University and Simpson College. Southern Connecticut State University transfer Molly Froman led Greenville with a 37.250 all-around performance. The team finished fourth in its quad meet against Ohio State, Arizona, and Kentucky with a 181.425. Simpson College finished last in a tri-meet against Winona State and Hamline with a 180.500, propelled by a 36.475 performance from Avery Ingram.
Greenville and Simpson also added men’s NCAA programs this season. You can read more about that here.
