Gym fans, welcome back to the 2026 NCAA gymnastics season. With last year’s fear of consequences from the SCORE Board in the rear view mirror, judges are giving out some very generous scores, including 10s this month. But were the routines actually perfect?
This month, we had six perfect 10s, but as fans, athletes, commentators, and seemingly everyone other than the judging panel has acknowledged, not all 10.0s are created—or distributed—equally. Below I’ll break down the deductions I saw when watching the videos in real time, and rank the 10s from one to five stars.
As a reminder, here’s my rating scale:
⭐ This was clearly not a 10.0 routine (but still very good!)
⭐⭐ There was definitely a deduction there, but maybe the judges blinked?
⭐⭐⭐ 10.0 vibes, but not actually perfect
⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was a “college 10”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 100% a perfect routine
Vault
Avery Neff, Utah (Jan. 10)
It’s rare we see such great, clean gymnastics in the first couple of weeks of the season, but this vault really has it all. Clean form, a clear, upright landing, and a great block make this the model Yurchenko one and a half for the 2026 season.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jordan Chiles, UCLA (Jan. 17)
Deductions
Leg form (0.050)
Arm bend (0.050)
Early twist (0.050)
Crossed legs (0.050)
Bent leg (0.050)
Low chest on landing (0.050)
Chiles is an explosive vaulter with outstanding height and dynamics. Watching live, I probably only would have taken half a tenth on the table because it happens so quickly. However, the crossed legs in the air, as well as the low chest on the landing, were easily spotted from the judges’ angle. While the stick was impressive, this was not a 10.0 and was not as good as her 9.975 vault the following week.
Rating: ⭐
Beam
Kailin Chio, LSU (Jan. 24)
Deductions
Arm bend (0.050)
Lack of precision in dance element (0.050)
Chio is well-known for her beautifully executed, consistent gymnastics week after week. This beam routine is certainly no exception. I noticed a slight right arm bend on her mount that would have likely only been visible to the judge on the right. On her full turn, her arm and leg positions were all over the place, and the finish was a little flat rather than showing a controlled step forward after completing the turn. This is absolutely a deduction, but it’s not a “must take” deduction, like a wobble or a step on the landing. It’s much more subjective. Was the routine perfect? No. Am I upset it got a 10? Also no.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Floor
Jordan Chiles, UCLA (Jan. 25)
Deductions
Precision of turn (0.050)
If you just look at her split, wolf, and landing positions, it looks like she aligned her jumps with the corner and completed them correctly. However, if you look at her feet on the take off of both jumps, they are aligned facing her team. Essentially, her wolf full was about 30 degrees short based on her take off. It took me a couple times to break down exactly what was wrong with it, but in real-time, it looked “wonky,” and I would have taken a deduction. Otherwise, it was great!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Lily Smith, Georgia (Jan. 30)
Deductions
Precision of turn (0.050)
Smith has a beautiful, controlled, graceful style to her gymnastics. The only error I saw was that she overturned her switch side, which means she underturned her wolf full, despite her overall rotation being correct. This is a very common error with switch side dance combinations, and I could clearly see it from this poor quality video from across the floor, behind the judge’s head. The judge should have seen this deduction. Although she and Chiles have the same deduction, I think Smith’s was more obvious, which is why I’m giving it a lower rating.
Rating: ⭐⭐
Jordan Chiles, UCLA (Jan. 30)
Deductions
Pike down (0.050)
This is being extremely picky, but there are some current NCAA gymnasts who can do a double layout without a pike down (including Chiles), and to “give them their flowers,” I would like to see it deducted when done incorrectly. Otherwise, the artistry and choreography of this routine greatly exceed expectations and are a pleasure to watch.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Article by Rhiannon Franck
Rhiannon Franck is a former national-rated NAWGJ women’s gymnastics judge with over 15 years of USAG judging experience and nine seasons judging NCAA gymnastics. Outside of gymnastics, Franck works at a university as a nursing professor and loves to travel. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
What will it take for judges to start taking for arm bends?