Oklahoma and Missouri Shock During NCAA Gymnastics Semifinals in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas — In a thrilling semifinal round on Thursday at Dickies Arena, eight teams competed for a coveted spot in the NCAA Gymnastics Championship finals, and after a day full of surprises, only four remain. The unexpected elimination of defending champion LSU has set the stage for a highly anticipated final featuring Oklahoma, Utah, UCLA, and first-time finalist Missouri.

Oklahoma, the three-time defending champion, topped the first semifinal session with a score of 197.5500, overcoming a prior upset that plagued their performance last season. The Sooners solidified their place with superior performances, especially on the vault where they recorded a session-best score of 49.2750. Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma’s all-around champion, led the team with a score of 9.8875 on the vault.

“Tonight’s competition was absolutely everything you can hope for in a national championship,” said Janelle McDonald, head coach of UCLA. The Bruin’s impressive score of 197.3375 edged out LSU by .2125 points, sending the former champions home early.

Florida, the No. 3 ranked team, also faced an early exit, finishing third in the first semifinal with a score of 197.2000. The competition was fierce as all eyes were on the Bruins and Oklahoma, both of whom possess a history of success at NCAA championships.

The finals will now feature two storied programs, Utah and UCLA, alongside the upstart Missouri team that made history with its performances on this day. Missouri, previously known for finishing fifth at its best, topped Florida with a score of 197.3000, thanks to a standout performance from Helen Hu, who earned a nearly perfect score of 9.9875 on the beam.

Hu expressed her surprise at their accomplishment, stating, “I just go in, this is my beam routine, whether we need it or we don’t, I’m going to go up and do what I always do.” Her resilient mindset allowed her team to reach its ultimate goal.

The competition was tightly contested, with four teams — Utah, UCLA, LSU, and Michigan State — entering the final rotation within just .1875 points of each other. Ultimately, Utah secured its place in the final with a strong performance on the bars, led by Grace McCallum, who closed out with a score of 9.9625.

UCLA’s Emma Malabuyo also delivered an impressive performance on beam, scoring 9.975 to clinch their spot in the finals. McCallum remarked on the team’s competitive mindset, saying, “I think it’s always a thing in gymnastics, ‘Keep your eyes on your own team and don’t care about anyone else… but I think we knew we could do it.'”

As excitement builds for the championship, Oklahoma and UCLA look to reclaim their past glories. Oklahoma hopes to secure its seventh national title, while UCLA strives for its eighth, having last won in 2018. Utah, a powerhouse with nine championships, searches for its first title since 1995.

With more than just team pride at stake, individual titles also highlighted the night. Kailin Chio from LSU snagged the vault title with a score of 9.975, while UCLA’s Jordan Chiles took home top honors on the uneven bars with a near-perfect 9.975.

“This team is something special, and when we put it together, it’s quite amazing,” said Brooklyn Moors from UCLA, who also clinched her first national championship with a score of 9.9625 in the floor exercise.