Reigning champs roll, five-star freshmen live up to the hype
It may have been a light week in terms of the number of meets to watch—no thanks to several not streaming—but the opening weekend was heavy in excitement and drama. Freshmen stole the show, as the debuts of several former five-star recruits garnered more talk than higher all-around totals from veterans, with the top 10 teams having a mixed bag of results as they transition into 2025. As expected, Oklahoma and LSU lead the standings after week one, but there are plenty of other noteworthy performances from the first three days of the season.
Meet of the Week
Iowa State at LSU
All eyes were on the reigning champs to start off the season strong. That they did, with an easy post-banner-ceremony win despite the absence of superstar Haleigh Bryant. The defending AAI and Honda Award winner is indefinitely sidelined with a UCL strain, putting Aleah Finnegan in a position to lead the team as she did on Friday evening. Also stepping into the spotlight was rookie Kailin Chio, who notched the top newcomer all-around total of the weekend; she’s looking to be in heavy contention for freshman of the year.
Other contenders: Western Michigan at Michigan State, Missouri Quad Meet, Towson at N.C. State, Utah State at Utah
Gymnast of the Week
Lily Pederson, Oklahoma
The early standout of the Sooners’ stacked freshman class, Pederson got the nod in the all-around in her first collegiate competition and did not disappoint. An emphatic vault set the stage for three 9.9-plus scores for the freshman from Minnesota, including a 9.950 on beam, as she’s all but solidified her spot in Oklahoma’s lineups for the rest of the season. The Sooners always stay in championship contention despite bringing in fewer “high-profile” recruits, with Pederson the latest example of how strong level 10s can prove to be title-worthy.
Other contenders: Kailin Chio (LSU), Nikki Smith (Michigan State), Jade Carey (Oregon State), Amari Celestine (Missouri)
Performance of the Week
Chloee Hoke, BYU – Beam
Put in an unimaginable situation over the weekend, Hoke prevailed as she made her NCAA debut on beam for the Cougars on the same day she learned of her mother’s death. After a battle with cancer, Jaimee Hoke passed on the morning of BYU’s first meet, with the team donning orange and pink ribbons in support of the Hoke family. Not only did Hoke compete, but she also excelled, earning a 9.825 in her premier, which bodes particularly well for the Cougars moving forward.
Other contenders: Skyelar Kerico (Penn), Hannah Horton (Missouri), Cami Winger (Utah)
Outrageous Moment of the Week
American Gold Women’s Collegiate Classic
Outrageous—and not in a good way. In the year 2025, it’s a complete and utter failure not to provide streaming of a sporting event, so the organizers of this meet’s failure to do so with multiple Olympic champions, several top-10 teams, and the nation’s newest HBCU program brings the word “greed” into play. As a sport, it’s hypocritical to complain about lack of exposure and fans while actively preventing fans from being fans. The existence of these streamless meets cannot keep taking place. It is not the job of SIDs to provide coverage nor is it effective in building an audience.
Hidden Gem of the Week
Wilberforce
First, a big shoutout to the Bulldogs for stepping up and providing a livestream during American Gold. Without it, the historic debut of Wilberforce’s HBCU gymnastics program might have just been hidden instead of being celebrated as the gem it truly was. Over the weekend, Wilberforce hit the floor for the first time, bringing unmatched energy and excitement. Standout performances from Talladega transfers Jaidyn Bryant and Kiora Peart-Williams led the way, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting season ahead for the Bulldogs.
Other contenders: Cai Afalla (Ball State), Emily Krzciok (Western Michigan)
Viral Moment of the Week
Niya Randolph, Southern Utah – Bars
A season after bringing the split-legged double layout on floor back to NCAA gymnastics for the first time since UCLA legend Katelyn Ohashi performed it, Randolph adapted the skill to a new event in 2025, as she dismounted bars with a bang. Competing it in combination after a clear hip handstand, clips of Randolph’s new signature skill are set to make the rounds on social media all year long.
Other contenders: Aine Reade (New Hampshire)
READ THIS NEXT: Week 1 Results
Article by Brandis Heffner
Brandis Heffner is on a roll. As a Florida fan, I hate that I’m the one having to defend LSU.
Aleah Finnegan at 39.725 should be Gymnast of the Week. That’s .1 higher than any other gymnast in the nation and a remarkable job of leading LSU in Haleigh Bryant’s absence.
Kailin Chio outpointed Lily Pederson 39.575 to 39.550. Both are top notch freshmen, but to put Lily Pederson as Gymnast of the Week screams Oklahoma bias. To put what Chio did in her first collegiate meet into perspective, Haleigh Bryant scored 39.600 in her first collegiate meet.
Full disclosure, I actually watched LSU’s meet with Florida not opening until January 10.
I absolutely cannot fathom why the American Gold wasn’t streaming. The sports streaming landscape is also already a cash-grabbing nightmare for those of us who don’t have cable (Why is an ESPN2 meet not available on ESPN+ without having a separate cable subscription? I’m literally already paying you to watch ESPN content, Disney.) and having giant meets with no viewing options at all just adds insult to injury.