Hu, Chiles First To Be Perfect as Records Fall Over Long Weekend
After two opening weeks of scores maxing out at 9.975, a pair of fan favorites broke through for tens, taking home the first perfect scores of the year. Overall, scores have started to increase after starting the season lower than we’re accustomed to, and that’s OK as teams are starting to settle into their lineups and make improvements. That’s also in part to quite a few veterans shining for new career bests as they lead their programs to spots in the top 15.
Meet of the Week
Michigan at Michigan State
Gymnastics continues to prove it’s ready for the big stage, as the Big Ten’s current fiercest rivalry was moved to a larger venue in anticipation of a huge crowd. At the Breslin Center, Michigan State’s basketball arena, the conference’s two most recent title-winners and in-state rivals battled for bragging rights as the Spartans overcame the Wolverines in front of a school-record crowd of 6,251. Living up to the hype, Michigan State continued to show it’s a true title contender with a giant 197.500, while Michigan’s 196.975 is a season-best by over a point for a young squad.
Other contenders: With the outcome of the meet coming down to the final routines, LSU’s one-tenth win over visiting Florida was another instant classic and emphatic way to kick off the SEC season. Monday’s Wasatch Classic also wasn’t decided until the final salutes, as Arizona State pulled off a quad meet win by .05 over Boise State and San Jose State, who tied for second.
Gymnast of the Week
Jade Carey, Oregon State
The Olympic gold medalist has flown a bit under the radar to start the season as the Beavers’ only high-profile meet of the early season wasn’t streamed (sigh), but shouldn’t as Carey’s trio all-around totals—including this week’s 39.800—have continued to build as she heads towards an elusive perfect 40. Taking no time off from college gymnastics a season ago in prep for Paris has proven successful, as Carey is the early frontrunner for all-around champion, especially with defending champion Haleigh Bryant only back on beam and floor for LSU.
Other contenders: Tying for the second-best all-around mark of the season thus far with a 39.725 and leading the way for the Sooners was Audrey Davis, who ends the week ranked third nationally thanks to her new career-best. Stanford’s Anna Roberts, the reigning NCAA vault champion, enters the ring of top all-arounders with a new personal best of her own in Week 3 with a 39.650.
Performance of the Week
Helen Hu (Missouri) on Beam
After retiring from gymnastics after the 2023 season and spending much of 2024 backpacking across the world, longtime fan-favorite Helen Hu returned to Missouri this season to add to the Tigers’ beam depth and make a run for the perfect 10 on her signature event that eluded her throughout her career. After six 9.975s in the first four seasons, Hu finally reached perfection this week with her flawlessly fluid set, also notching the first 10.0 of 2025.
Other contenders: The day after Hu notched the first perfect total of the 2025 season, Jordan Chiles earned the second as she nailed a bars set for a 10 in the Bruins’ first-ever Big Ten dual win over Maryland.
Outrageous Moment of the Week
As accessibility continues to be an issue for the sport in the first few weeks of the season, Week 3’s blunder was a score graphic issue in Saturday’s dual between N.C. State and Stanford. Only individual scores and rotation totals were displayed throughout the meet, with casual and expert fans left unable to follow along with the total score not being shown. If college football and basketball fans don’t have to keep track of who’s winning the game in their own heads, neither should college gymnastics fans. The little things have to be done right for the sport to continue building an audience.
Hidden Gem of the Week
Erin Roe (Ursinus) on Vault
Continuing the trend of program-first Yurchenko one and a halves in 2025, Ursinus’ Erin Roe joined the list in Week 3 as her 10.0 start value was a huge boost for the Bears on vault. With just a shuffle on the landing, a team-leading 9.725 puts Roe on track to take down her career-high 9.825 this season and earn another trip to the NCGA Championship on the event.
Viral Moment of the Week
With adversity abound, gymnasts continue to show they are some of the most caring and compassionate athletes around. With the Los Angeles community still battling devastating wildfires, UCLA’s Week 3 foe, Maryland, gifted the Bruins care baskets and a signed card upon their arrival to the East Coast. Similarly, ahead of Monday’s Best of Utah quad, Southern Utah sent a care package and card to Red Rock freshman Avery Neff after her injury in the Utes’ Friday evening meet.
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Article by Brandis Heffner
