NCAA women’s gymnastics power rankings: The week of the underdogs

Each week, Gymnastics Now will share our “Power Rankings“ for the top 10 women’s teams, providing insight into why certain teams are trending up and others trending down.

These rankings are purely subjective. A (+) or (-) next to each team will signify how far the team rose or fell compared to the previous week.

1. Kentucky (+6)

The Wildcats are leading our power rankings this week after a stellar Week 4 performance. The team took on the Georgia Bulldogs at home and scored an incredible 197.950. Raena Worley finally got her perfect 10 on floor, while her teammate Makenzie Wilson also scored a perfect 10 on vault.

This team is proving time and time again that they’re one to watch. Now ranked third nationally, the Wildcats are currently the top scorers on vault across the nation.

2. Cal (-)

These California women are on fire! They hold steady in their second place national ranking by having consistently high scores and near flawless routines from Mya Lauzon, eMjae Frazier, and Gabby Perea. especially.

This team thrives on beam and floor, but if they can just take it up a notch on vault and bars, they have a chance at continuing to move up the ladder.

3. Oklahoma (-2)

The Sooners held on to their No. 1 national ranking after beating Denver with a 197.775 to 197.150 during their first home meet of the season. However, the teams were nearly tied up until the final rotation, with OU having some low scores set them back.

Their performance lacked luster, but their consistency is like a well-oiled machine.. or is it? We’ll see as they’re heading back on the road this week to face those Golden Bears.

4. Alabama (+1)

Alabama continues to shine this season. Even though they only beat the Florida Gators by 0.15, the Crimson Tide became the team that ended Florida’s 20 meet win streak at home. Lilly Hudson helped her team out by scoring a perfect 10 on vault with a gorgeous Yurchenko 1.5. It will be fun to see if Alabama can keep up their winning record as they currently remain undefeated.

5. Arkansas (-1)

The Gymbacks are another SEC team standing strong, but this team is still finding its rhythm. They beat Auburn by a small margin but accomplished the goal nonetheless. They had strong performances on floor and some decent scores on bars, but as for beam and vault, the Razorbacks are going to need to step it up if they want to stay in the top 10. A highlight of their night was a 9.95 on floor, scored by Lauren Williams.

6. Utah (-)

Utah won at home and has made its way back inside the top five nationally, but their performance was underwhelming. They saw low scores on nearly all events, with Grace McCallum scoring an unusual 9.775 on beam, and we saw a 9.25 on vault and a 9.025 on floor for Jaedyn Rucker. This is why their power ranking isn’t rising or falling but staying put. We’ll see if they can shake these things off and get back to the stronghold Utah is known to be.

7. LSU (-4)

Oh you Bayou Bengals, how you always keep us on our toes. The team lost to Mizzou by one-tenth, which is a narrow margin, but they still put up a strong fight. Konnor McClain scored a perfect 10 on beam while her teammate Aleah Finnegan had an off night with major errors on beam and floor. We’ll see how they rebound in Week 5.

8. Mizzou (+2)

The Tigers of the Midwest had themselves a night and came out on top against LSU. They scored their highest team vault score of the season with Jocelyn Moore earning a 9.9 as well as a huge 9.95 from Hannah Horton. They also had a strong performance on floor, with no counting scores below 9.9 and Kennedy Griffin scoring a near perfect routine with a 9.975. Mizzou, we got our eye on you!

9. UCLA (previously unranked)

There she is! There’s the iconic UCLA team we know and love! The Bruins put on a spectacular performance at home in Week 4, earning a 197.825 – their highest score of the season. Chae Campbell scored two 9.95s – one on vault (a perfect score) and one on floor, where one of the judges gave her a 10. Selena Harris took home the all-around by scoring a 9.925 on floor and a 9.9 on every single other event, while Emma Malabuyo scored a wonderful 9.95 on beam. Could this be the comeback we’ve been hoping for?

10. Florida (-1)

The Florida Gators… The strong, skillful, top ranking team is in there, we know it, but they just haven’t found their groove yet. Sloane Blakely had a great night, scoring a 9.925 on beam and floor, while Victoria Nguyen scored a huge 9.975 on vault, but fell short on bars with a low 9.275.