Welcome to the NCAA gymnastics postseason! After months of dual meets, invitationals, and rankings shuffles, the top 36 teams are officially set for regional competition—the final stop before nationals. Over five days, gymnasts and teams will fight through three rounds in four different locations, all vying for one of the coveted eight team spots at nationals—and a handful of individual berths.
In these previews, we’ll break down each regional in detail; which teams have the clearest path, where upsets could happen, and which individuals could sneak their way into nationals. Let’s dive into the Pennsylvania regional.
The action kicks off on Wednesday with round one, featuring No. 31 Maryland vs. No. 36 West Virginia. Round two follows on Thursday with two sessions: No. 8 Michigan State, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 25 Ohio State, and No. 28 Penn State in the afternoon, and No. 1 LSU, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 17 Michigan, plus the round one winner in the evening. The top two teams from each session advance to the regional final on Saturday, where the top two finishers punch their ticket to nationals.
In addition to teams, individual gymnasts will compete on Thursday for spots at nationals. After combining the results from both round two sessions, and removing athletes from the two qualifying teams, the top all-arounder and top scorer on each event will advance.
Want all the nitty-gritty details, including tie-breakers, format breakdown, and even how judges are assigned? Check out our NCAA postseason resource guide.
Regional Storylines to Watch
- LSU hopes to start its national title defense.
- Michigan State and Kentucky will likely be fighting for one spot in Fort Worth.
- Arkansas will be back in action after missing out on the SEC championship after finishing ninth in the conference.
- Michigan will attempt to get to Fort Worth after a 19th-place finish in 2024.
- West Virginia, which has worked its way up from No. 53 since January, will use this momentum to get past round one and potentially play spoiler to a night session team.
- Skyelar Kerico (Penn), Delaney DeHaan (GW), and Isabella Minervini (Towson), have all been stand-out all-arounders this season.
- Michigan State will make a run at its first national appearance.
- Kentucky will try and get back to Fort Worth after a narrow ninth-place finish last season.
Round 1
Wednesday, April 2 at 2 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Prediction: 70.43% Maryland, 29.57% West Virginia
By the Numbers
| Team | NQS | Average | High Score | Starting Event |
| No. 31 Maryland | 196.030 | 195.654 | 196.325 | Vault |
| No. 36 WVU | 195.855 | 194.879 | 196.275 | Bars |
The Path to Forward
Maryland
Season Spotlight
Maryland has been steadily building up until this point, breaking the 196+ mark four times this season. Despite taking tenth at the Big 10 Championship, the Terrapins have shown consistency in their ability to score around the mid 195s all season long.
What It’ll Take
The Terps have not been strong on one specific event this season, having up and down event totals across all four the entirety of this season. In order to move on, Maryland is going to have to hit its highest event totals of the year at one time. Ending on floor might be what the Terps need to give them the edge as they have been the most consistently strong on this event, but will need three hit rotations prior to secure their advance to round two.
West Virginia
Season Spotlight
West Virginia might just be the comeback team of the year, making an impressive ranking jump from No. 53 to its current No. 36 rank in just a few short weeks. The Mountaineers put up three 196+ scores in three weeks, securing the team its first regional appearance since the 2023 season.
What It’ll Take
West Virginia seemed to be on a hot streak, until an unfortunate uneven bar situation at the Big 12 championship gave the team its lowest score in a month. West Virginia has shown its potential to get these big scores and put together a complete meet, so, whatever this mindset switch consisted of early in February, the Mountaineers need to tap into it once again in order to get past Maryland in this first round.
Round 2, Session 1
Thursday, April 3 at 1 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Prediction: 93.99% Michigan State, 96.53% Kentucky, 7.95% Ohio State, 1.53% Penn State
By the Numbers
| Team | NQS | Average | High Score | Starting Event | Individuals with Team |
| No. 8 Michigan State | 197.360 | 197.208 | 198.150 | Floor | Deana Sheremeta, George Washington (FX, BB) |
| No. 9 Kentucky | 197.315 | 197.155 | 197.925 | Vault | Elizabeth Cesarone, Pittsburgh (VT), Lola Montevago, George Washington (UB), Clara Hong, Towson (BB), Kendall Whitman, George Washington (FX) |
| No. 25 Ohio State | 196.395 | 196.195 | 196.875 | Bars | Delaney DeHaan, George Washington (AA) |
| No. 28 Penn State | 196.230 | 195.883 | 196.675 | Beam | Isabella Minervini, Towson (AA) |
Note: Individuals from both round one teams are included in the individual draw to account for one team being eliminated after Wednesday’s competition. The spots from the individuals on the advancing team will not be filled.
The Path to Forward
Michigan State
Season Spotlight
Michigan State has barely missed out on nationals the past few seasons and is looking to reach that goal this season. The Spartans have had a great season in large part due to a stellar vault lineup that regularly features multiple stuck vaults. Michigan State scored a season-high at the Big Ten championship last week and has the momentum going into this postseason.
What It’ll Take
When Michigan State has struggled this season, it has been due to a shaky performance on beam. Having a solid beam rotation along with an average vault rotation for the Spartans should put Michigan State in a good position to move on.
Kentucky
Season Spotlight
Skylar Killough-Wilhelm came to Kentucky for her fifth year and has been a huge asset to the Wildcats this season and has been a huge factor in why Kentucky was able to pick right up from where it left off last season. The last two weeks of the regular season were the best meets for the Wildcats this season and Kentucky will be looking to get back to that level after the SEC championship.
What It’ll Take
Kentucky has a clear path to the final day of regionals but will have a tough fight with Michigan State for likely one spot. Kentucky has the same strength as Michigan State in vault, but as always, it will come down to the landings.
Ohio State
Season Spotlight
Ohio State has been plagued by injuries this season leading to a disappointing ranking to this point. Going into this season, a top-16 finish would have been the expectation, but now that will be much more difficult.
What It’ll Take
Tory Vetter has been huge for the Buckeyes this season and while she will have to compete to her standard, there will need to be gymnasts who step up on the other events. The Buckeyes will be looking to stick landings and minimize errors while hoping for mistakes from one of Kentucky or Michigan State.
Penn State
Season Spotlight
Similar to Ohio State, Penn State has also dealt with a plethora of injuries with three key gymnasts out for the season. Penn State was able to put together just enough 196+ team scores to make it to regionals largely thanks to bars and beam.
What It’ll Take
Bars and beam have been the strongest events for the Nittany Lions, but to make it further in the postseason, Penn State will need a strong vault rotation with multiple stuck landings. Three of the top five vault teams in the country are all in this region which will put an emphasis on that event.
Individuals Who Could Steal a Spot
All-Around
This session has four main all-arounders in Nikki Smith, Gabrielle Stephen, Skylar Killough-Wilhelm, and Tory Vetter. Stephen has the highest score of the year, but the competition will be close with the average and NQS all-round score for these four being within one tenth. Likely only one of Kentucky and Michigan State will advance to nationals which would still leave this session with multiple contenders for the all-around spot.
Vault
With one of Michigan State and Kentucky likely missing out on nationals, it follows the vault qualifier is expected to come from one of those two teams. While vault is the event that relies the most on the landing that day, the favorites will be Nikki Smith, Sage Kellerman, and Isabella Magnelli.
Bars
Sage Kellerman will be a favorite for this spot if Michigan State does not advance as she consistently surpasses the 9.9 mark, but Isabella Minervini is close behind. If Michigan State qualifies to nationals and Minervini doesn’t have her best routine, then other contenders in this session are the all-around contenders in Skylar Killough-Wilhelm and Tory Vetter.
Beam
If Kentucky misses out on nationals then Isabella Magnelli is the clear-cut favorite being ranked sixth in the country on the event. If Michigan State misses nationals, the Spartans will have a couple of contenders in Gabrielle Stephen and Skyla Schulte.
Floor
Kentucky has a handful of gymnasts who will fight for this sport should the Wildcats not advance. Hailey Davis and Creslyn Brose are the most likely from that lineup. George Washington’s Kendall Whitman is known for having a routine with three E-passes and will contend with solid landings. Michigan State has its own stellar floor lineup if the Spartans miss with Skyla Schulte being at the top of the list, but the all-arounder that misses out on that spot will contend here.
Dark Horses
Keep an eye on Rylee Guevara from Ohio State on floor as she has hovered around 9.9 all season. For Penn State, Maddie Johnston posted a season-high at the Big 10 championship and a repeat performance could put her in position to qualify. George Washington’s Lola Montevago has a season and career high of 9.975 on bars and that level of performance would put her in the mix to go to nationals.
Round 2, Session 2
Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Prediction: 99.91% LSU, 75.11% Arkansas, 24.57% Michigan, 0.40% Maryland/0.01% West Virginia
By the Numbers
| Team | NQS | Average | High Score | Starting Event | Individuals with Team |
| No. 1 LSU | 198.115 | 197.729 | 198.575 | Floor | Charlie Behner, Kent State (VT), Hailey Merchant, Maryland (UB), Heidi Schultz, Kent State (BB) |
| No. 16 Arkansas | 197.055 | 196.816 | 197.725 | Vault | Natalie Martin, Maryland (VT) / Karleigh DiCello, WVU (VT), Sierra Kondo, Maryland (UB), Maddie Komoroski, Maryland (BB), Alyssa Guns, Kent State (FX) |
| No. 17 Michigan | 196.945 | 196.588 | 197.325 | Bars | Sophia Rice, West Virginia, (VT) Sarah Saville, Maryland (UB), Mimi Fletcher, Penn (BB), Anna Leigh, WVU (FX) |
| No. 31 Maryland OR No. 36 West Virginia | 196.030 | 195.654 | 196.325 | Beam | Skyelar Kerico, Penn (AA) |
| 195.855 | 194.879 | 196.275 |
Note: Individuals from both round one teams are included in the individual draw to account for one team being eliminated after Wednesday’s competition. The spots from the individuals on the advancing team will not be filled.
The Path to Nationals
LSU
Season Spotlight
For the first time in history, LSU is the No. 1 seed going into the postseason. The reigning national champions have had another fantastic year, breaking the 198+ mark six times so far this season. Although the team has suffered some losses this year, the Tigers have been able to adjust and compete with strength all around from both veterans, Haleigh Bryant, Aleah Finnegan, and Sierra Ballard, as well as new faces, like Kailin Chio and Lexi Zeiss, who have made an immediate impact.
What It’ll Take
LSU has to do its normal all the way through. The Tigers have been strong on every event this season, scoring an event total as high as a 49.700 on floor. Starting here in this first round should give the team confidence from the first rotation on. LSU won its national championship on beam, so ending on this event shouldn’t be an issue in its attempt to get back to nationals to defend this title vying for the next.
Arkansas
Season Spotlight
After narrowly missing the qualification to the SEC championship, Arkansas should be fresh going into this competition and most definitely has the determination to move forward to round two. Arkansas has been only one of two teams to get a win over LSU this season which should give the Razorbacks confidence heading into this first round.
What It’ll Take
Arkansas needs to put its best foot forward heading into this competition. Like many others, Arkansas has shown the capability to put together a complete meet on a handful of occasions, but has struggled the most with consistency on beam especially, scoring as high as a 49.450, but also as low as a point short of that mark. In order to move forward, the Razorbacks need to perform at their highest capability across all events, and starting on vault and getting this early momentum could set the team up for one of its best competitions yet.
Michigan
Season Spotlight
Michigan has notoriously been a team that relies on its veterans, but this year, it has leaned on its underclassmen to provide the majority of its counting scores. With the No. 1 recruiting class entering the year, the freshmen, Sophia Diaz, Sophie Parenti, Jazhara Ranger, and Peyton Davis have been key contributors in this lineup and will be looking to help the Wolverines get back to nationals as a team.
What It’ll Take
Michigan needs to have its best day to make it out of round one against the other three in this quad and will be not relying on those who are new to the lineup, but the veterans who have proven their consistency over the years, specifically Carly Bauman, Jenna Mulligan and Jacey Vore. Additionally, Michigan has most notably improved on floor but has continued to lack consistency on beam and has a lower scoring potential on vault in comparison to that of locks in this regional, LSU and Arkansas. Michigan needs to hone in on the fine details and not give ‘easy’ tenths away in order to keep pace and make it to day two.
Individuals Who Could Steal a Spot
All-Around
LSU freshman Kailin Chio is one to watch to get the all-around title, along with her teammates Haleigh Bryant and Aleah Finnegan. Arkansas freshman Joscelyn Roberson, who has gone as high as 39.525, also has the potential to get this all-around spot, especially if Arkansas is not one of the two teams to advance. Michigan does not have any consistent all-arounders, and with LSU most likely to advance, it will be interesting to see which individual this all-around spot will go to.
Vault
Chio most definitely has the ability to get this title as well. Currently ranked No. 2 overall, Chio has gone over 9.9 nine times and has achieved her first career 10 on this event. Bryant and Finnegan could also be contenders for this title, both having perfect tens on this event in their careers and currently both ranked in the top ten on the event. Aside from the Tigers, Sophia Diaz of Michigan is the highest-ranked vaulter in this lineup, scoring as high as a 9.9 on the event in her freshman season. Diaz will have to be close to, if not perfect to get this spot, but definitely has the potential to assuming the Tigers advance,
Bars
Konnor McClain is coming in as the highest-ranked athlete on bars in this session, and with her flawless execution and consistency here, she will be hard to beat. Carly Bauman, Michigan graduate student, is certainly one to watch out for on this event, and is one of the cleanest bar workers in the NCAA, scoring as high as a 9.975 this season, but undoubtedly has the capability to get her first career-perfect ten here to get this spot. Arkansas’ Maddie Jones is another athlete who when she hits, it’s hard to get past her. Coming in with an NQS over a 9.9, Jones could get this spot if Arkansas does not advance.
Beam
With four of six athletes consistently in the beam lineup for LSU currently sitting in the top 20 nationally, any one of these athletes could realistically come away with a beam spot. Specifically, Chio once again has the potential to get this top spot on beam coming ranked sixth overall with an NQS of a 9.935. Carly Bauman comes in at the top for the Wolverines on this event, becoming the team’s mainstay anchor, scoring a 9.9+ five times this season so far. Maddie Komoroski of Maryland also has the potential to get this top spot if Maryland does not advance. Komoroski, currently ranked No.31 nationally, has an NQS of a 9.895, going as high as 9.925 this season, so she could absolutely be an individual to look out for.
Floor
Haleigh Bryant, ranked eighth coming into this regional, would be the most likely to come away with this title from the LSU lineup. Bryant has scored several tens on this event in her career, but none so far this season on floor; perhaps this is the perfect place for her first one of 2025 to guarantee a spot if LSU doesn’t advance. Joscelyn Roberson has also come close to perfection on this event, competing her biggest skills flawlessly getting the Razorbacks’ highest NQS on this event. Frankie Price is also one to watch out for with this spot. Price can easily put up a 9.9+ score any time out if she dials in her power, and is definitely a contender for a floor spot at nationals.
Dark Horses
Individual all-around qualifier Skyelar Kerico, a junior out of Penn, has definite potential to earn a spot at nationals. Kerico has been breaking her own records at Penn in her third season with the team, scoring as high as a 39.425 this year. With LSU most likely moving on to nationals and having the greatest number of all-arounders, this could certainly be the perfect opportunity for Kerico to come in and get that spot.
Round Three
Saturday, April 5 at 5 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Predictions: 98.72% LSU, 44.00% Michigan State, 37.99% Kentucky, 18.02% Arkansas, 1.20% Michigan, 0.07% Ohio State
| Vault | NQS 3 |
| Bars | NQS 1 |
| Beam | NQS 4 |
| Floor | NQS 2 |
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Article by Julianna Roland and Alyssa Van Auker
