NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Week 5 Recap: LSU goes 198, Jordan Chiles perfect again

By Patricia Duffy | February 4, 2025
Jordan Chiles competes on floor for UCLA at the 2025 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad.
© Filippo Tomasi/Gymnastics Now

It was a historic week for NCAA women’s gymnastics, with Michigan State vs. UCLA becoming the first meet to be broadcast live on FOX. Plus, LSU went 198, becoming the second team this season to do so, and Jordan Chiles earned another perfect 10 – this time on floor.

Keep reading for a high-level recap of the weekend, including the top scores and other key storylines.

See the latest rankings here. For the master schedule and latest score updates, click here.

Top Scores of the Week

Team

The highest team score of the week went to none other than the reigning national champs LSU. The Tigers scored the second 198 in the country this season, posting a 198.000 in their home win over Missouri (197.175). It’s the second week in a row a team has scored a 198+, with the first going to the Florida Gators in Week 4.

LSU also took home the all-around title and three of four event titles. Missouri beam queen Helen Hu (9.975) held off Kailin Chio and Konnor McClain (9.95s) to continue her dominance on her specialty event.

Notably, LSU Head Coach Jay Clark was a bit upset at the absence of 10s, implying that there were routines that should’ve earned the perfect mark and that the sport needs more of them. He likened it to baseball having home runs. Clark even went as far as to say Hu – a gymnast on the opposing team – deserved a 10 for her beam set.

Individual Leaders

These are the top individual gymnasts based on average after Week 5.

  • All-Around: Jade Carey (Oregon) – 39.694
  • Vault: Nikki Smith (Michigan State) – 9.925
  • Uneven Bars: Audrey Davis (Oklahoma) – 9.950
  • Balance Beam: Jade Carey (Oregon) – 9.956
  • Floor Exercise: Brooklyn Moors (UCLA) – 9.935

Michigan State-LSU meet delivers must-see TV on FOX

The first gymnastics meet on FOX delivered, even if it wasn’t perfect.

UCLA edged Michigan State in a meet that came down to the final rotation. Ultimately, the Bruins won by a tenth, 197.300-197.200.

The not-so-perfect: there was pushback on scoring, with some saying Michigan State should’ve won, and the biggest drawback of the broadcast was a poor system that made it hard to see what someone scored unless you were watching the bottom righthand corner during the split second it was flashed.

The perfect: Jordan Chiles’ floor routine.

After three straight weeks of scoring 9.95 or higher on floor (and an outlier 9.775 on opening weekend), Chiles was rewarded with the perfect mark after an anchor routine that brought the house down to close the meet. She showed control on both of her passes, including an outstanding double layout, and her performance quality was next level. Of the three perfect 10s so far this season, Chiles now owns two.

Kara Eaker’s Georgia debut helps Bulldogs beat rival Alabama

Two-time world gold medalist Kara Eaker left Utah after the 2023 season and was, for all intents and purposes, considered retired until rumors swirled of her entering the transfer portal. She was quietly added to the Georgia roster but had yet to make her debut for the Bulldogs until she was called upon against Alabama on Friday night. Fitting that her first competitive routine in nearly two years would be on beam, her specialty apparatus. Even more fitting? The 2020 Olympic team alternate was lights out, earning a 9.925 – the highest single event score of the meet –  to win the beam title and help her team defeat Alabama for the first time since 2021, 196.975-196.575.

Memorable moment: Abbey Scanlon’s nearly-perfect college debut

California senior Abbey Scanlon made her college debut – yes, we said college debut – in the anchor spot on beam Sunday night against NC State, and she put up a 9.95, winning the event title and tying for the highest score of the night.

It’s the kind of moment that makes people fall in love with college gymnastics. After three seasons of not competing, Scanlon delivers big time in the final spot of the final rotation for her team. Afterward, the Cal team crowded around her, giving her hugs and celebrating the occasion.