There were four perfect 10s at the NCAA national championship. What makes these 10s extra special is that instead of having to convince two judges that the routine was perfect, these athletes had to convince four out of six judges that the routine was flawless, theoretically making it harder to achieve perfection.
All of these tens were iconic: Thomas’s was her final vault of her career and tied the career 10.0 record; O’Keefe’s secured her the national beam and all-around title; and Chiles won the national uneven bar title. O’Keefe’s second 10.0 during the national team finals was her 10th career 10.0 on beam, and she may hold the record for career 10.0s on beam, though there is some data missing for early competitors. Although the judges do not change between semifinals and team finals, they do switch events, so a completely different set of six judges scored her at a 10.0 between the semifinals and the finals.
Although the panel may have seen perfection, there were some errors in these routines. Here I’ll break down the deductions I saw when watching the videos in real time, and rank the 10.0 from one to five stars. As a reminder, here’s my rating scale:
⭐ This was clearly not a 10.0 routine (but still very good!)
⭐⭐ There was definitely a deduction there, but maybe the judges blinked?
⭐⭐⭐ 10.0 vibes, but not actually perfect
⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was a “college 10”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 100% a perfect routine
Vault
Trinity Thomas, Florida (April 15)
Deductions
Early turn (-0.050)
After a calf injury at regionals, no one was sure if Trinity Thomas would be able to perform at Nationals, or in what capacity. Although she wasn’t able to compete in the all-around, she contributed in a huge way with this vault. This deduction is super picky, and not often (or ever) taken in NCAA, but she does start her twist while her hands are still in contact with the vault. If the panel saw it, it could have been a deduction.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bars
Jordan Chiles, UCLA (April 13)
Deductions
Bent knees (-0.050)
Bent Knees (-0.050)
Bent arms (-0.050)
This is one of the routines I feel bad pointing out the deductions. Jordan is so incredibly solid and consistent on this event, and this routine won her the national championship on bars. However, she does bend her knees on her tap into her piked Jaeger and her Gienger, and slightly bends her elbows when she shifts her wrist coming over the bar in her giants. The bent arms over the top are very hard to see from the side angle, but the bent legs should have been clear from the side. I saw them on my first time through watching at full speed. Kudos to the one judge that gave this routine a 9.900 among the five perfect 10s from the rest of the panel.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beam
Maile O’Keefe, Utah (April 13)
Deductions
Flexed feet (-0.050)
O’Keefe put up a beautiful performance to clinch both the NCAA all-around and beam title with this routine. Per my norm, my only issue with her 10s on beam is her flexed feet in her aerial. I understand that she obviously has to flex her feet to land on the beam, but her leading foot appears flexed at the peak of the skill, which is why I would consider this a deduction. However, it appears I’m the only one, because all six judges gave this routine a perfect 10.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Maile O’Keefe, Utah (April 15)
Deductions
Flexed feet (-0.050)
This is another fantastic routine from O’Keefe during the final competition of the 2023 season. Again, the only deduction I see is her flexed feet in her side aerial.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Article by Rhiannon Franck
Rhiannon Franck is a former national-rated NAWGJ women’s gymnastics judge with over 15 years of USAG judging experience and nine seasons judging NCAA gymnastics. Outside of gymnastics, Franck works at a university as a nursing professor and loves to travel. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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As always, this is astute and carefully worded! As with so many that will read this, you are talking about three of my favorite gymnasts with Maile being my all time fav. It takes me a second or two to switch off the emotional attachment and change to my analytical mode. I would urge others to do this before they get upset. The fact that these amazing gymnasts received 10.0 is a direct reflection of the “collage nice” problem. They are 10.0 compared to the 9.90 routines given to others; but the scale is off kilter. You and others have called for substantial change, and it is high time that NCAAWAG listens!