2025 NCAA gymnastics championships: Oklahoma wins the title

2025 NCAA gymnastics championships: Oklahoma wins the title
-
0
Top Sport Top Sport
World Sport News
19/04/2025

Apr 19, 2025, 06:32 PM ET

FORT WORTH, Texas — Oklahoma won its seventh national title on Saturday, with stellar performances throughout the day from Faith Torrez, Jordan Bowers and Audrey Davis. The Sooners are now tied with UCLA for the third most team titles in NCAA history.

Missed any of the action from the team final? We have you covered with the routines and moments you need to see.

Oklahoma wins the title!

OU was in the lead heading into the final rotation, and though the team wasn’t quite as sharp as usual on bars, it was enough to edge UCLA for the title. Audrey Davis, arguably the best bar worker in the country, earned a 9.9250 for her sky-high piked Jaegar, and Jordan Bowers scored a 9.8875 for a near-flawless routine with perfect handstands throughout.

UCLA ended the day in second, an enormous improvement from last year, when the Bruins didn’t qualify to nationals. Emily Lee led off the team with a massive 9.9250, then Jordan Chiles upped the ante with a 9.9375 with a stuck round-off double full dismount. Emma Malabuyo anchored the beam lineup with another 9.9375, but the Bruins had to count two scores in the 9.7s, so the title was out of reach.

Missouri ended in third, the highest finish in school history. Kennedy Griffin led the squad with a 9.95. Utah finished fourth after a mixed day on vault, but it was highlighted by Avery Neff, who stuck her Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.975. — Amy Van Deusen

Final results:

1. Oklahoma: 198.0125
2. UCLA: 197.6125
3. Missouri: 197.2500
4. Utah: 197.2375

Oklahoma keeps on rolling

There is just one event standing between Oklahoma and the 2025 NCAA title.

The Sooners took the outright lead after the second rotation — and only furthered the gap between second-place UCLA during the third rotation on vault. As Oklahoma heads to bars for its last event, it holds a .3375 lead and the team and its fans now seem like they believe this is now their trophy to win.

Faith Torrez, who fell on the event during the team’s ill-fated 2024 semifinals, was jumping for joy after she stuck her Yurchenko 1.5 and the Oklahoma fans chanted for her to receive a 10. She didn’t quite get that, but her 9.9375 was still a highlight for the Sooners on what is turning out to be a day full of them. The Sooners were joyfully dancing as they waited for the other teams to finish and they could rotate to bars.

While the gap widened, UCLA still remains in contention with just beam remaining. Jordan Chiles, who is tied with Torrez for the best individual score of the day, scored an event-leading 9.9625 on bars. She celebrated with a massive embrace with coach Janelle McDonald after her double layout dismount. The Bruins are looking for their first national championship since 2018.

Utah (148.1125) remains in third and Missouri (147.7250) in fourth. Tigers star Helen Hu concluded her NCAA career with yet another staggering performance on beam, earning a 9.9625, and receiving a standing ovation from many in the crowd, and across all of the team sections. When her score flashed on the screen, the crowd booed in disagreement, believing she deserved one last 10. — D’Arcy Maine

Results after rotation three:

1. Oklahoma: 148.6375
2. UCLA: 148.300
3. Utah: 148.1125
4. Missouri: 147.7250

Oklahoma pulling ahead — but can they keep it up on vault?

We’re at the halfway point and just two rotations away from crowning a brand-new national champion.

After being tied for the lead with UCLA following the first rotation, Oklahoma (99.200) has taken an ever-so-slight edge following a strong showing on floor. Led by its two all-arounders Faith Torrez (9.9625) and Jordan Bowers (9.9250), the Sooners now have a .300 advantage over the Bruins.

UCLA had a consistent rotation on vault, with no gymnast scoring under a 9.8250, and Chae Campbell and Jordan Chiles had the team-high scores of 9.90, but it simply wasn’t good enough to keep pace with Oklahoma.

Utah, which entered the competition in search of its 10th national title and first since 1995, had been looking to make up some ground in the rotation as it competed on beam but remains in third (98.6375). Grace McCallum, the team’s typically unflappable leader and the all-around runner-up on Thursday, fell for the Red Rocks in the third position. She earned a 9.2875 and was given a lengthy embrace by coach Carly Dockendorf after she looked disappointed following her dismount. Consequently, Utah had to count a 9.6875 in its total. Missouri remains in fourth place but can potentially get closer to the leaders in the next rotation on balance beam, thanks to its star super-senior Helen Hu, who won the NCAA beam title on Thursday — D’Arcy Maine.

Results after rotation two:

1. Oklahoma: 99.200
2. UCLA: 98.900
3. Utah: 98.6375
4. Missouri: 98.3750

Faith Torrez on fire on floor

Chae Campbell sticks her vault

UCLA, Oklahoma rock rotation one

One rotation down! And because what would the NCAA championships be without some drama, we have an early tie for the lead between Oklahoma and UCLA.

Starting on beam, Oklahoma had three gymnasts — Jordan Bowers, Faith Torrez and Lily Pederson — score a 9.9375, and the team didn’t have to count a score under 9.90. After Pederson fell on the event on Thursday during the semis, coach K.J. Kindler promised she would have an “angry beam” set and she more than delivered. She was ecstatic after sticking her dismount and ran into Kindler’s arms immediately afterwards while her teammates jumped up and down in celebration.

UCLA opened their day on floor, historically their strongest event. Brooklyn Moors, who won the NCAA floor title on Thursday, and Chae Campbell wowed with their performances before Jordan Chiles anchored for the team. With every other event finished, all eyes were on the Olympic gold medalist — and she more than delivered. She earned a 9.975 – the highest score across all teams thus far — and the UCLA fans threw yellow confetti throughout the arena when she was finished. — D’Arcy Maine

Results after rotation one:

1. Oklahoma, UCLA (tie): 49.6125
3. Utah: 49.4500
4. Missouri: 49.2000

Near perfect on beam

Warmups begin

We’re just about an hour away from the start of the NCAA championships, and the four teams are warming up as the doors open. Some very excited — and passionate and face-painted and colorful-wig-donning — fans are starting to flood in. There are fans of all the teams well represented so far and more than a few LSU fans, still wearing their gear with pride.

Practicing in the same order in which they’ll compete, Missouri opened on vault, Utah on bars, Oklahoma on beam and UCLA on floor. There is a palpable nervous energy but also more than a few dance parties — and no one seemed more ready to get the party started than UCLA’s Jordan Chiles. The Olympic gold medalist got the attention of just about everyone in the building with her Prince-themed floor routine, and her energy and precision was more than competition-ready.

While warming up on beam, Utah coach Carly Dockendorf took a few minutes to huddle her team and presumably calm everyone’s nerves. While it’s unclear what was said, everyone looked noticeably calmer, and, based on my completely unscientific observation, there appeared to be fewer wobbles after.

In general, everyone has looked more relaxed as the warmups continue — and as the gymnasts start to spot their family members and friends in the stands. It’s almost time! —D’Arcy Maine

Championship history

Georgia has won the most national titles overall, with 10, and had a streak of five titles in a row from 2005 to 2009. But the Bulldogs haven’t won since 2009 and didn’t qualify to compete in Fort Worth this year.

Utah dominated from the 1980s to the mid-1990s and has nine titles overall, with the last one coming in 1995. The Utes had the highest semifinal score of any team on Thursday, with a 197.7625 — could this be the year they do it again?

The biggest shock of Thursday night was that defending champion LSU, the No. 1-ranked team at the end of the regular season, didn’t advance out of semifinals. But Oklahoma, the most decorated team in recent history, did. Oklahoma has taken home six national titles since the Sooners first won in 2014 (a tie for the title with Florida — the only tie in history.)

In 2024, the Sooners collapsed in semifinals and failed to advance. This year, though, they won their semifinal and could be poised to add another championship to the list. — Amy Van Deusen

The full breakdown of national titles:

Georgia: 10 (1987, 1989, 1993, 1998-99, 2005-09)
Utah: 9 (1982-86, 1990, 1992, 1994-95)
UCLA: 7 (1997, 2000-01, 2003-2004, 2010, 2018)
Alabama: 6 (1988, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2011-12)
Oklahoma: 6 (2014 [tied], 2016-17, 2019, 2022, 2023)
Florida: 3 (2013, 2014 [tied], 2015)
Michigan: 1 (2021)
LSU: 1 (2024)



Source link
Publicações relacionadas
Deixe uma resposta

Seu endereço de e-mail não será publicado.Os campos obrigatórios estão marcados com *

Fechar
Pesquisa

Pressione enter para pesquisar ou ESC para fechar