On Thursday morning, eight teams walked into Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, with one goal in mind: advance to the NCAA national championship final. By the end of the day, Oklahoma, Missouri, Utah, and UCLA had earned the right to compete for the title.
For Oklahoma, the pressure was immense after a shocking elimination in the 2024 semifinals. The Sooners ended their semifinal on that same vault rotation. Head coach KJ Kindler said afterward that she never wants to see footage of that meet again. “That dragon is slayed. We’re past it.”
While many expected Oklahoma to advance, few predicted which team would join them. In an all-SEC semifinal, Missouri rose to the occasion, earning a historic first trip to the team final. Both programs celebrated the moment side by side.
“We had an opportunity to be the best team in [program] history, and we have obviously exceeded that,” Missouri head coach Shannon Welker said. “We’ve been super consistent at a high level, and I feel like we deserve to be here.”
Utah and UCLA—former Pac-12 rivals—advanced together in the second semifinal, with the Red Rocks topping the Bruins for the third time this season. Utah extended its streak of qualifying a full team to every NCAA championship and advanced to the final for the fifth-straight year.
“What an honor it is to be here,” Utah head coach Carly Dockendorf said. “It takes so much to even get to the national championships, and we definitely don’t take it for granted.”
UCLA qualified to its first final under head coach Janelle McDonald, who took over the program during a turbulent time. After falling short last year, the Bruins stayed steady and capitalized on their opportunity.
“It was an incredible meet to be a part of,” McDonald said. “I told the team that if we put four events together, we’re going to be the team to beat. They stayed really intentional and aggressive and fought for everything from start to finish.”
Now, with the field narrowed to four, each coach is turning the page quickly, knowing improvements are necessary to reach the top of the podium.
“Bars was pretty good, but we’re a 49.600 team, and I believe that deep down inside,” Kindler said, noting her team must compete more freely on Saturday. “We were competing with some weight on our shoulders because of the pressure that’s been put on them, so I’m super proud of them for being able to fight through that.”
Welker said Missouri’s season-long consistency could be a deciding factor in the final. “You have to do it enough times and be good enough [so] people expect it. It’s difficult, but I think [qualifying to the final] puts some emphasis behind that,” he said.
Dockendorf acknowledged that her team left tenths on the table Thursday and emphasized the importance of avoiding a drop in performance. “We’ve discussed that, and we know we just need to come out big again,” she said. “There’s a small margin for error [because] everyone’s going to come out and bring their best.”
As for the Bruins?
“The job’s not done,” McDonald said. “We’ve got one more meet, and we’re going to come out swinging.”
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Article by Savanna Wellman
