Spartan strong, Winter Cup wins: 5 memorable moments from Week 8 of NCAA gymnastics

We’re rewinding the tape and reminiscing on five of the most memorable moments from Week 8 of NCAA gymnastics season!

Full recaps:

• NCAA women’s gymnastics Week 8 recap: Records fall as teams gear up for postseason
• 2023 Winter Cup: Yul Moldauer wins third title, with Fred Richard, Asher Hong rounding out top 3
• 2023 Winter Cup: Curran Phillips, Kameron Nelson lead event finals with two titles apiece

1. Michigan State wins Big 5s while honoring the three students who lost their lives during campus shooting

It has been a challenging month for Michigan State University students, staff, and athletes, as a mass shooting on campus took the lives of three students and had the university in lockdown for several hours on Feb. 13.

This weekend’s Big Ten, Big 5 meet in Lincoln, Nebraska, was the Spartan gymnasts first time competing since the tragic event shook their campus. With the initials of the victims and #SpartanStrong written on their arms, the gymnasts earned the top team score of the entire Big 5 competition with a 197.675, beating out in-state rival Michigan – the No. 3 team in the country. With both Michigan State and Michigan winning, the teams were named Big Ten regular season co-champions.

The Spartans also earned a new program record on vault with a 49.525 and a season high score on beam with a 49.350. Senior Nyah Smith and junior Baleigh Garcia earned new career highs on vault: Smith with a 9.900 and Garcia with a 9.875. Junior Giana Kalefe tied her career high on beam with a 9.925. Safe to say, it was an impressive show of strength for their first meet back.

2. No. 8 LSU narrowly beats No. 9 Alabama

At this point, the LSU Tigers may just be crowned the road win queens of 2023, despite a growing list of athletes out due to injury. The eighth-ranked Tigers beat the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide by half a tenth on Friday night. The Tigers’ stellar performance included a perfect 10 on vault from junior Haleigh Bryant and ANOTHER perfect 10 from sophomore Aleah Finnegan on floor. This is Finnegan’s fourth-career perfect 10 – all coming in the last month.

With many athletes sidelined, two athletes made their season debuts for the Tigers. TikTok sensation Livvy Dunne made her debut on bars after being out with various injuries up the past two months, earning a 9.825 for her set. Chase Brock earned two career highs, one on floor (9.925) and one on vault (9.975).

The Crimson Tide put up some impressive performances as well, leading to the nail-biter finish. For the first time in program history, Bama had two gymnasts earn back-to-back 10s on an event. Senior Luisa Blanco and sophomore Lilly Hudson each earned a perfect score on beam.

In the end, LSU eked by with the win – 197.975 to 197.925.

3. Trinity Thomas breaks a school record in the all-around

While Trinity Thomas didn’t receive a perfect 10 on senior night, she did lead her team to the SEC regular season title after a win over Kentucky. Thomas also won the 30th all-around title in her NCAA career, which is the most all-around titles for any gymnast in Florida history.

Thomas received a well-deserved standing ovation as she finished her last performance in the O’Dome. The gymnast is just three 10s away from breaking the NCAA perfect 10 record, which currently sits at 28.

4. Jade Carey keeps the 10s coming

We are always impressed with 2020 Olympic floor gold medalist and Oregon State star Jade Carey but the decorated elite’s sophomore season as a Beaver has been something special. On Saturday night, Carey earned another two perfect 10s while competing against the Stanford Cardinal. Carey earned perfect scores on floor and bars this week, helping the Beavers earm the highest team score in program history with a 198.075. The team also beat their program high beam score that they set only six days earlier.

This is Carey’s second-straight week earning two perfect 10s. Last week, she earned a flawless mark on vault and floor.

5. NCAA gymnasts dominate Winter Cup

NCAA men’s gymnastics may have been on a bye this past weekend, but individuals NCAA stars were still making waves, just on the elite stage at this year’s Winter Cup.

In the midst of NCAA season, these gymnasts were able to transition back into elite mode and compete against other top college athletes and some of the best elites in the country. It’s no easy feat, especially for a freshman, but Michigan’s Fred Richard and Stanford’s Asher Hong were second and third, respecitvely in the all-around at the meet. Their performances earned them spots on the U.S. men’s senior national team, along with Winter Cup champion and former Oklahoma Sooner Yul Moldauer.

Honorable mentions

This week our honorable mention once again goes to Olympic silver medalist and UCLA superstar Jordan Chiles. During the Bruins’ Sunday meet Arizona, Chiles won the all-around title with a career-high 39.850 and swept all the event titles, scoring a 9.950 or above on all four apparatuses.