It’s finally time for the NCAA national championships once again! We took a look at the team contenders, and now we’re back tackling the individuals and looking at the most likely contenders for the all-around and event titles.
Four all-arounders and 16 individual event specialists qualified to compete in Fort Worth. They will be split into the two semifinal sessions, with national champions determined at night’s end.
For a more in-depth explanation of the postseason format, check out our NCAA postseason guide.
All-Around
The Contenders
Haleigh Bryant, LSU
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Vault
Relevant Stats: 39.810 NQS | 39.772 AVG | 39.925 high
Why She’ll Win: Bryant has been a frontrunner for gymnast of the year all season long, posting totals in the 39.8s at ease with 10-worthy sets on all four events—she etched her name in the record books having earned a gym slam this year while also joining the elusive few who have done it in a single season. She’ll get her day started on her signature event, vault, and is the favorite to be atop the standings upon completion of the afternoon session. And without any announcement about her plans for a potential bonus season, she’ll be primed to finish her career on top should this be her last go around. Our simulator has her at about a 25 percent chance to win.
Why She Won’t Win: Power is Bryant’s best asset, meaning the leg events are where she shines. While she generally scores well on bars and beam, her totals could tighten with a larger judging panel and going up against the best of the best. But, with how consistently she has performed this season, a podium finish seems inevitable.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Bryant would be LSU’s first all-around champion since Susan Jackson in 2010.
Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Vault
Relevant Stats: 39.775 NQS | 39.713 AVG | 39.925 high
Why She’ll Win: If Bryant has been 1a this season, Bowers has been 1b with an NQS and average just slightly lower but a matching season best. She has reached perfection in 2024 everywhere but beam and joins Bryant and UCLA’s Selena Harris as gymnasts who opened up meets with back-to-back 10s on vault and bars this season. Bowers also enters nationals on a hot streak, with more impressive regionals totals and the most recent 39.9. The simulator gives Bowers just over a 22% percent likelihood to lift the trophy.
Why She Won’t Win: Making a mistake is hard to imagine since Bowers has been on top of her game all year, but with a deep field, landing deductions can make or break a meet. And while her beam best this season is an impressive 9.95, that’s still half a tenth in scoring potential she lacks compared to Bryant.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: A title would be the two-time team title holder’s first individual national championship. It would be the Sooners’ first all-around winner since Anastasia Webb in 2021.
Jade Carey, Oregon State
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Floor
Rotating With: Florida
Relevant Stats: 39.642 AVG | 39.750 high
Why She’ll Win: Our pacing queen only began competing the all-around in the middle of February, not even having enough outings for an NQS, but has shown in her limited performances that she can’t be counted out. While her absence on vault and floor early this season was mostly in preparation to try and defend her Olympic title, it should also allow the veteran to peak perform at the NCAA championships. Competing at the end of the Gators lineups, Carey should often be set up for big scores.
Why She Won’t Win: Although Carey has completed a gym slam, she’s only hit perfection on floor late in the 2024 season as she hasn’t been as precise as we’ve seen from her in previous years. A vault upgrade to a Yurchenko double seems likely competing on podium, but if she sticks with her hoppy-landing full, she’ll be at a deficit in both start value and execution.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: A victory from Carey would earn the Beavers the program’s first all-around title and first individual win since Amy Durham in 1993.
The Underdogs
eMjae Frazier, California
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Floor
Relevant Stats: 39.755 NQS | 39.588 AVG | 39.825 high
Why She’ll Win: Frazier has been one of 2024’s breakout stars, becoming the consistent all-arounder she showed flashes of a season ago. She’s known for her explosive power but also plays into the Golden Bears’ strengths as she’s hit 10.0 on beam in addition to floor. The latter event is her starting apparatus at nationals, and with a year of experience under her belt, could get off to a fast start that she won’t relinquish.
Why She Won’t Win: Vault is where Frazier gives up the most to the field, as her Yurchenko double is difficult but tough to stick and has a slight built-in form deduction—meaning she has to stick. This makes her scoring potential slightly lower than the rest of the field, meaning she has to pick up ground elsewhere, which may not be possible.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: This would be the second national championship in Golden Bears history after Maya Bordas took first on bars in 2021.
Leanne Wong, Florida
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Floor
Relevant Stats: 39.690 NQS | 39.700 AVG | 39.875 high
Why She’ll Win: Like Carey, Wong is prepping for a run to Paris and wasn’t a weekly four-eventer this season, but has shined whenever she’s been in lineups. Another gym slam holder, Wong has the technique and finesse needed to snag an all-around title with little for the judges to take outside of adjustments on dismounts. She’s been perfect on bars and floor this year.
Why She Won’t Win: Due to small breaks, Wong’s totals have been in the 39.6s this postseason and she’s occasionally been outscored by her teammates in the all-around. Her intricate Podkapayeva on vault has maxed out at 9.95 in 2024 and keeps her ceiling a tad lower than the top contenders.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Wong is still searching for her first NCAA title and would be the Gators’ second all-around champion in the last three years after Trinity Thomas won in 2022. Florida has won the all-around six times at nationals.
Luisa Blanco, Alabama
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Bars
Relevant Stats: 39.695 NQS | 39.614 AVG | 39.850 high
Why She’ll Win: The most veteran of the contenders, Blanco has beautiful lines and extension that she’s able to showcase across all four events—just a bars 10 away from a gym slam. When she’s on she’s dangerous, like she has been all postseason, and can keep pace with the leaders towards those 39.8 totals.
Why She Won’t Win: Although beam is her pet event, it has been her most inconsistent this season and the main factor in her lowest all-around marks in 2024. Against this deep of a roster of competitors, there’s no room to make up tenths anywhere en route to a title.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Blanco would become the seventh Crimson Tide to win the all-around at NCAAs and the first since 2014 when Kim Jacob topped the podium.
Vault
The Contenders
Haleigh Bryant, LSU
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.965 NQS | 9.944 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Bryant’s vault is one of the most remarkable skills in gymnastics. It has an emphatic block off the table, plenty of amplitude and distance, and the only deduction the judges can take is steps on the landing. If she sticks, it’s a near guarantee the title goes to Bryant. She’s earned a pair of 10s on vault this season, including in the regional final, and according to the simulator, she has a 21% chance at the win.
Why She Won’t Win: Should there be a sizable hop on the finish, her front handspring pike half could fall susceptible to a stuck Yurchenko one and a half from the following standouts.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: This would be Bryant’s second national title on vault after taking home the win in 2021.
Mya Hooten, Minnesota
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Rotating With: Utah
Relevant Stats: 9.925 NQS | 9.885 AVG | 9.975 high
Why She’ll Win: The floor standout will only vault at nationals but will have a shot at the title with her dynamic Yurchenko one and a half. Postseason sticks have earned her a pair of 9.975s to take home the Big Ten title and regional title on this apparatus and seal her trip to Fort Worth as Hooten heads in on a hot streak.
Why She Won’t Win: Hooten doesn’t have the benefit of competing with her team and will follow a Utah lineup that isn’t noteworthy for its vault totals. If she wants this event crown, she’s going to have to earn it with no room for any shuffle on her landing.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: With Marie Roethlisberger winning bars in 1990, Hooten would join her as the only NCAA champions in Gopher history.
Sierra Brooks, Michigan
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Rotating With: Alabama
Relevant Stats: 9.920 NQS | 9.871 AVG | 9.975 high
Why She’ll Win: The final vaulter of semifinals, Brooks will know immediately if she’s taking home the title with her battle-tested Yurchenko one and a half, which has earned her a trio of perfect 10s in her career. It will also be the final piece of gymnastics for the reigning AAI Award winner as she’ll be striving to end her career with another NCAA trophy.
Why She Won’t Win: While a 9.975 is nothing to scoff at, it may take a perfect score to win in such a deep field. Brooks hasn’t hit 10.0 this year and just once since 2022. She’s prone to overrotate at times, and a bound forward would undoubtedly take her out of contention.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Brooks would earn the second title of her career to go along with Michigan’s team championship in 2021. She’d be the first Wolverine to win vault and their first event champ since Natalie Wojcik in 2019 on beam.
The Underdogs
Katherine LeVasseur, Oklahoma
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.925 NQS | 9.900 AVG | 9.975 high
Why She’ll Win: LeVasseur has arguably the best form of anyone’s Yurchenko one and a half, as she brings exquisite lines to an event synonymous with power. She’s also uber consistent, with just one total under 9.8 this season as she’s got a knack for finding vertical.
Why She Won’t Win: Sticking is paramount, and LeVassuer’s lines shine in lieu of her landings. A step could cost her a championship, and she’s coming off an underrotated vault in regional finals.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: The Sooners would take home back-to-back vault titles after Olivia Tratuman stood atop the podium a year ago.
Mya Lauzon, California
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.935 NQS | 9.915 AVG | 9.975 high
Why She’ll Win: The distance Lauzon gets on her Yurchenko one and a half is what makes it stand out, as her deceiving power is matched by good form. She stuck her vault in regional finals for a 10, with a repeat performance more than good enough for an NCAA title.
Why She Won’t Win: The caveat to lots of distance, Lauzon lacks height compared to some of the other contenders. Compared head-to-head this could be an area where an expanded judges panel is able to take more deductions than usual.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Lauzon would earn the Golden Bears their first vault title in program history.
Jaedyn Rucker, Utah
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.910 NQS | 9.829 AVG | 9.975 high
Why She’ll Win: Rucker has won before, as she stuck her vault in the 2022 semifinal to take home the title. Her block is huge as she gets the most height of the Yurchenko one and a halves and has been perfect for her efforts in her career.
Why She Won’t Win: She’s prone to underrotating her vault on occasion, an error that is an automatic disqualifier when vying for the national title. Her vault can be impeccable, but it’s rarely stuck.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Rucker would win the Red Rocks’ eighth NCAA vault title and be the only Ute to win multiple after Elaine Alfano won three.
Bars
The Contenders
Audrey Davis, Oklahoma
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.975 NQS | 9.952 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Already the people’s champion, Davis and her exquisite lines topped the country this year in NQS, average score, and high score on bars. Her pirouettes and piked Jaeger are as good as it gets as she’s also always set up for stellar scores amongst the Sooners’ stout six.
Why She Won’t Win: The slight cowboy and staggered landing in Davis’ dismount were what prevented her from earning a 10 until this year, and could be the difference maker in a championship bout. It’ll come down to how picky the six judges are feeling two rotations into Thursday’s evening session.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Oklahoma is seeking its fifth national title on bars.
Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.975 NQS | 9.950 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: The simulator’s pick for champion has a 20% chance of victory as Bowers has been nearly as dominant as Davis in lifting Oklahoma to the nation’s top NQS on bars. She’s typically slotted in the anchor spot for the Sooners, meaning she gets the opportunity to capitalize on whatever giant score teammate Davis puts up ahead of her.
Why She Won’t Win: Outshining Davis is no easy task, and the entire Oklahoma six are bars aficionados, making any minor blip magnified juxtaposed against the rest of the lineup. Her toughest task may be besting her teammates.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: The next Sooners bars champion will be the first since 2018 when Maggie Nichols hoisted the trophy.
Leanne Wong, Florida
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.965 NQS | 9.932 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Any deduction Wong incurs here is invisible to the untrained eye as her elite pedigree is showcased on this apparatus. She’s as good at sticking her double layout dismount as anyone, making her a 10.0 threat every time she swings bars.
Why She Won’t Win: Bars is Florida’s weakest event, so Wong won’t get the set up for a huge score in the way some of the other top threats will. An above-average day from her fellow Gators would be beneficial for Wong to get to the top of the podium.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Wong would be the Gators’ first bars champ since Alex McMurtry’s victory in 2017.
Lily Smith, Georgia
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Rotating With: Florida
Relevant Stats: 9.950 NQS | 9.920 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: The SEC freshman of the year is a breakout star, and she shines especially on bars, where she has no built in deductions. Her extension, toe point, and amplitude are all top-tier. She scored a 9.975 in the regional final, with four judges.
Why She Won’t Win: Smith is a freshman on the biggest stage, competing without her team. That’s a huge amount of pressure. She’ll follow the Gator lineup which has had ups and downs.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Georgia hasn’t had an individual champion since 2016.
The Underdogs
Haleigh Bryant, LSU
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.960 NQS | 9.933 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Based on the simulator, Bryant is a top-three pick after making significant strides in what was once her weakest event. Her forward-flipping prowess is on full display in a Jaeger with plenty of height and a difficult front double half dismount that earned her a perfect score as recently as her last performance.
Why She Won’t Win: Leg and foot form issues in the dismount have scored Bryant deductions in the past, as has catching her release close. This is the event where she gets the least amount of setup from her teammates as there’s less 9.9 depth ahead of her compared to the lineups of Oklahoma or California.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Bryant would join Sarah Finnegan, who won in 2017 and 2019, as the only bars champions in LSU history.
Mara Titarsolej, Missouri
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Rotating With: Utah
Relevant Stats: 9.950 NQS | 9.846 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: One of the season’s most impactful transfer portal grabs, Titarsolej has the fourth-best odds at the title in her first season as a Tiger. She’s the first gymnast to earn a perfect 10 on bars in Missouri and LIU history and could find her way onto the podium with her crisp set highlighted by a poignant toe point.
Why She Won’t Win: Titarsolej may have the hardest road to a title. Competing without her teammates in her first championship appearance is a tricky situation to begin with, and Titatsolej’s draw into the bars-heavy second semifinal only makes it worse. She’ll also be the final bars routine of semifinals, meaning she has to wait the entire competition to compete.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Titarsolej would be the first in Missouri history to win an NCAA gymnastics title.
Jade Carey, Oregon State
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Rotating With: Florida
Relevant Stats: 9.960 NQS | 9.929 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: If there’s one thing Carey is going to do on bars, it’s hit. She’s never been under 9.8, usually goes 9.950, and has been perfect in her career. Plus, she’ll follow Wong, who will more than likely put her in position for a big total.
Why She Won’t Win: Carey hasn’t been perfect on bars since 2022 and has more room for deduction in her routine than her predecessor, Wong. It’ll be a tough back-to-back comparison where Carey won’t survive a flicker of a leg separation on her Maloney or Bhardwaj.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: An individual title from Carey would be the seventh in Oregon State history.
Beam
The Contenders
Ragan Smith, Oklahoma
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.995 NQS | 9.917 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Nobody is more of a shoo-in for a title than Smith, whose dominance all season long has translated to a whopping 36% chance to win beam at nationals—the best odds of any individual to win any event by over 10%. Not only has she been apt at earning 10s this season, but she does them in spectacular fashion, too. Smith went four straight weeks without a single deduction on beam in February and March while also tallying another pair of perfect scores at Big 12s and regionals to loft her season total to six 10s. This is hers to lose.
Why She Won’t Win: In a few Judge’s Inquiry columns our resident judge Rhiannon has pointed out Smith’s bent arms on her back handsprings, a nit-picky deduction that an expanded postseason panel is less likely to overlook. Like on every event at nationals, nearly any error can take you out of the running for a title.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Smith is going to walk away from college gymnastics as one of the best beamers ever, yet her best nationals finish on the event is third in 2021. A win here would cement beam GOAT status.
Maile O’Keefe, Utah
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.990 NQS | 9.885 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: She’s the reigning champ, both on beam and in the all-around, and she’s ranked No. 2 in the country coming into Fort Worth with four 10s this year and the Pac-12 event title in the bag.
Why She Won’t Win: Smith is certainly standing in her way, but so are flexed feet in her side aerial, a built-in deduction almost every time out. She has scored 10s with her feet flexed, but the larger judging panel might be more stringent.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Back-to-back! Who wouldn’t love that?
Mya Lauzon, California
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.965 NQS | 9.933 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Lauzon should set the standard in the afternoon session, where her creative construction and superior extension will shine. She has two 10s this year and is coming off of back-to-back 9.950s from the four judge panels at regionals.
Why She Won’t Win: Smith and O’Keefe certainly have higher pedigree status, as far as the known beam superstars are concerned. Any one of the three can be best on the day, but Lauzon will have to put up a massive number in the afternoon and wait to see what happens in session two.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Lauzon could cement her status as a breakout superstar this year with her first individual national title, besting her eighth-place finish last year.
The Underdogs
Konnor McClain, LSU
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.975 NQS | 9.843 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Her toes, and that’s not a joke. Almost everyone in the top group has been known to show tiny form breaks in the feet, especially on acrobatic elements. McClain’s toes never break form. If she can sail through her switch to switch half combination cleanly, she’ll give herself a solid shot.
Why She Won’t Win: The competition is so stiff, and it’s a tall ask for a freshman to hit to the best of their ability on the biggest stage. McClain certainly has some bright lights experience, but it’s still an uphill battle.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: An LSU gymnast hasn’t won the beam title since Susan Jackson in 2010, when McClain was five years old.
Chloe Widner, Stanford
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.950 NQS | 9.903 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: A 9.950 on beam to help secure the Stanford Cinderella story at the Berkeley regional final is quite a pedigree. There is undoubtedly momentum with Widner, who has hit that near-perfect mark the last four times out, including on both four judge panels at regionals. She is incredibly consistent, which might be the ticket to gold.
Why She Won’t Win: She skipped beam for a chunk of the season, though it didn’t seem to slow her down at all; still, the rest of the field has a few more big numbers in the books. She’d also have to overcome Bay Area rivals Lauzon and Frazier in the afternoon to have a shot at her number holding up through the second session.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Stanford has never had a national beam champion.
Abby Paulson, Utah
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.955 NQS | 9.935 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Paulson’s routine is one of the calmest and most secure when she is on. She posted a 9.975 in the regional semifinal.
Why She Won’t Win: Less consistent than the rest of the field, Paulson can be prone to slipping into the 9.8s. On her best day she’s a contender, but she’s coming off a 9.850 in the regional final, the same number she tallied in the national semifinal last year.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: The super-senior has stacked beam numbers: two Pac-12 titles, four All-America nods, and 11 career event wins, but she has never won the national title.
Floor
The Contenders
Jade Carey, Oregon State
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Floor
Rotating With: Florida
Relevant Stats: N/A NQS | 9.900 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: She’s Jade Carey, the reigning Olympic champion on this event.
Why She Won’t Win: In preparation for the Paris Olympics, Carey took it easy on floor in college this year, competing just seven times. Granted, the last two outings were twin 10s at regionals, and one weird 9.650 aside her other numbers are all 9.925s and a 9.975. Still, with Paris as her A goal for 2024, and her team not in Fort Worth, her collegiate routine might just not quite be in tip-top form.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: If Carey takes the title, she would be the first national champion for the Beavers since Amy Durham won floor in 1993.
Raena Worley, Kentucky
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Beam
Rotating With: Utah
Relevant Stats: 9.990 NQS | 9.969 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: The leading floor worker in the nation this year, Worley finally got her 10, and then she did it again, and again, and again, adding four 9.975s and three 9.950s to the mix. It’s hard to say anyone in the country is more prepared than she is on the event.
Why She Won’t Win: She’s here as an individual and coming off of an incredibly heart-wrenching end to the Wildcats’ season. That’s tough odds. Plus, she has Carey to go through.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: This is Worley’s swan song, and the fan-favorite taking the win would be one straight out of the writer’s room. Kentucky hasn’t seen a champion since the Jenny Hansen days; she did it once on floor in 1995. Yep, nearly 30 years ago.
Aleah Finnegan, LSU
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.960 NQS | 9.868 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Finnegan scored a 10 in the regional semifinal, always impressive with four judges. It was her third of the season, and her regional final number was a strong 9.950.
Why She Won’t Win: It can be tough to put up the biggest number from the early session; score-creep is real, and the field is stacked.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Aleah and Sarah Finnegan would be, as far as we can tell, the only pair of sisters to both win NCAA titles.
The Underdogs
Gabby Wilson, Michigan
Semifinal Two: Thursday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Vault
Rotating With: Oklahoma
Relevant Stats: 9.975 NQS | 9.938 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Wilson has done just about everything on floor in her career except win a national title. After Michigan’s early exit from the semis she has had some extra rest, and her three 10s this season speak for themselves.
Why She Won’t Win: An individual competitor, Wilson has to follow the Oklahoma lineup. That’s a tall ask. She’ll be the very last performer of the semifinals, with all eyes on her, after a full all-around slate behind the Sooners. It’s always a challenge to be an individual, though it’s worth noting that the Oklahoma championship energy seems contagious.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: This will be the final routine of the super-senior’s career and the final feather in her cap. The Wolverines haven’t had a floor champion since Joanna Sampson in 2013.
Chae Campbell, UCLA
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Starting Event: Beam
Rotating With: Arkansas
Relevant Stats: 9.910 NQS | 9.925 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: It’s unwise to count Campbell out on floor, where she has never in her career scored below a 9.700, which she did once in January 2022. She has a history of big numbers in championship settings, including a pair of 9.9375s in the national semis in 2021 and 2023. Campbell is coming off of a 9.950 at the Berkeley regional semifinal.
Why She Won’t Win: Campbell was dealing with injury this year and only competed floor five times. It wasn’t until late in the season that she looked like herself. She’s also competing in the second rotation of the first session of the day, a tighter score scape.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: Campbell has just about every accolade in the books, but she hasn’t taken home a national trophy yet.
Kiya Johnson, LSU
Semifinal One: Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Relevant Stats: 9.970 NQS | 9.950 AVG | 10.000 high
Why She’ll Win: Johnson is a floor machine. She puts up routine after amazing routine, almost never faltering. In her comeback year post-Achilles tear, she has one 10 and four 9.975s, despite sitting out a handful of meets to rest.
Why She Won’t Win: In this tight of a field, a 9.975 might, wildly, not be enough. It’ll take her very best, at the end of what can only have been a grueling season back.
Why It Would Be Cool If She Won: There couldn’t be a more dramatic way for a senior to cap off a major injury comeback campaign than with a floor title. It would be iconic.
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Article by Brandis Heffner and Emily Minehart
It’s surprising to see another list on CGN without Lily Smith listed as a bars contender. She beat Titarsolej all three times they met this season. They both have 9.95 NQS and Smith has a 9.92 average compared to Titarsolej’s 9.846 average. Titarsolej is phenomenal and absolutely could win. I, however, continue to be surprised by CGN’s complete dismissal of Smith. If Smith hadn’t qualified in the AA, she would have taken the bars spot and Titarsolej wouldn’t even be at Nationals.
You’re absolutely right. It was an oversight on our part rather than a belief that she’s not a contender. Our editors are working to add her in now.
Great article. Thanks for the lowdown.