UCLA, Missouri Lead the Charge in a Limited Opening Weekend
While just 20 teams competed in the opening weekend of 2026, they made the most of it, as programs like Missouri and UCLA started off strong and signaled they will be in the hunt throughout the season. Plus, plenty of programs saw injury comebacks, including ones that will be incredibly impactful as the season progresses.
Meet of the Week
Best of the West – California, Oregon State, and UCLA at Washington
In front of the Huskies’ first-ever sell-out crowd, Bruin Jordan Chiles won or tied for every event title of the meet en route to leading UCLA to an opening meet victory. Chiles’ 39.725 in the all-around sets the bar high in week one as she, once again, puts herself in contention for NCAA titles come season’s end. Geralen Stack-Eaton got her head coaching career off to a solid start as she pushed the Golden Bears to finishing within a point of the leading Bruins, while the home Huskies also had a strong showing in eking out a third-place victory over Oregon State by less than a tenth.
Other contenders: Iowa and Minnesota at Utah
Gymnast of the Week
JerQuavia Henderson, Iowa
After over 1000 days since her last collegiate routine, JerQuavia Henderson returned to competition in the all-around for the Hawkeyes as they opened 2026 on the road against Minnesota and Utah in Salt Lake City. Scoring no less than 9.7 on any event, the seventh-year showed off a booming Yurchenko one and a half and her signature full-in on floor to give Iowa the leader and centerpiece it has missed since 2023.
Other contenders: Jordan Chiles (UCLA), Gabrielle Dildy (Rutgers)
Performance of the Week
Emily Leese, Rutgers
Another key injury returnee, Emily Leese, made her season debut for the Scarlet Knights after missing the 2025 season with injury, and did so with a bang, nailing her Yurchenko one and a half on vault for a 9.9 in her first routine back. Leese continued on to contribute on beam before ending her return with 9.825 on floor to help the Scarlet Knights to their highest event total of the night and an opening weekend victory over visiting Temple and Brockport.
Other contenders: Clemson, Tonya Paulsson (California), Ayla Acevedo (Missouri)
Outrageous Moment of the Week
Yes, losing your head-coaching tandem, a few legacy gymnasts, and some top recruits will hurt a program. But, with California’s 196.000 in week one, it’s safe to say the gymternet’s collective expectations for a massive decline in the program were a bit—outrageous. After limited roles in previous seasons, Annalise Newman-Achee and Sage Melkonian have stepped into four-event roles to be the core of the lineups, while rookie Tonya Paulsson’s NCAA debut with a 9.925 on bars provides plenty of promise looking forward.
Hidden Gem of the Week
UW-Oshkosh
Starting the season hosting an intra-conference quad meet, UW-Oshkosh opened in dominating fashion, easily besting visiting UW-Stout, Greenville, and Winona State with a score of 192.100. That score extends the program’s 190-plus streak to 28 meets, with totals that high equivalent to a 198 at the Division I level. Lydia Hayden’s 9.75 on bars led the way for the Titans, as Hayden took home the bars title while also nabbing runner-up status on beam to lead the Titans.
Viral Moment of the Week
While LSU did not compete this week, it hosted its annual preview meet (rebranded this year to “Open Mike Night” from “LSU Gym 101”), which gave us plenty to mull on before the Tigers take the floor next weekend for their debut meet. The event gave us an unexpected performance as well, as Mike the Tiger debuted their floor routine for the first time, giving LSU even more depth on its signature event than expected.
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Article by Brandis Heffner
