It’s Saturday, and that means the time has finally come for the team final! Yesterday’s results over two semifinals determined the four teams competing this evening in West Chester. In contention for the national title are SEMO, Bridgeport, Texas Woman’s, and West Chester. Things could get heated as reigning champion Texas Woman’s and latest MIC champion SEMO lock in for the battle for the 2026 WCGNIC title. Texas Woman’s is on the path to revenge after falling to the Redhawks at the conference championship last weekend.
In semifinals, both SEMO and TWU counted a fall on beam but had plenty of wiggle room for mistakes to still qualify. The TWU Pioneers earned a 195.250, while the SEMO Redhawks achieved a 194.350. It will be interesting to see if yesterday’s nerves will resurface in the face of the finish line.
While the winner and runner-up may appear to be set based on the numbers, keep an eye on Bridgeport and West Chester. The hosting Rams have the home advantage and fought until the end for the second spot in semis. Bridgeport made a statement on vault in qualifications and could be prepared to do the same tonight across the board. Making finals is an achievement in itself, and these teams have nothing to lose. Each are prepared to put up brilliant gymnastics in this epic final showdown of the season.
Prediction: 81.6% Texas Woman’s, 17.8% SEMO, 0.5% Bridgeport, 0.1% West Chester
Starting events: VT-Bridgeport, UB-SEMO, BB-Texas Woman’s, FX-West Chester
The meet will be streamed on Virtius, and scores can be found here.
Rotation 1: Bridgeport VT, SEMO UB, Texas Woman’s BB, West Chester FX
Bridgeport – VT
Solis: Y layout, small hop. 9.350
Singletary: STICKS the Y full tucked! 9.700
Coxon: Y tucked full, good distance and a step. 9.700
Kenney: Y 1/2 on tuck off, great block, med step fwd. 9.775
Staruk: Tsuk layout full, dynamic twist and good height, big hop back. 9.750
Hernandez: Y layout full, underrotates, step or two forward. 9.425
SEMO – UB
Hernandez: Small movement on the blind to double tuck 9.350
Hamilton: Huge gienger and good form in the bail, STICKS the FTDT! 9.725
Jones: Hits hs, piked jager, goes over on the hs on high but doesn’t come off, sticks the double tuck to end. Way to fight through. 9.275
Johnston: Maloney Pak is slow but smooth, step back on the double tuck. 9.650
Ingle: Great straddle jaeger, HITS hs in the bail, stuck double tuck for good measure. 9.800
Crouch: Maloney to bail right to hs, little short on high, good toe pike, maybe a foot moved. 9.625
Texas Woman’s – BB
Reid: Nailed the bhs loso, stuck RO 1.5! 9.750
Hernandez: Check on the turn, medium wobble on bhs loso, stuck RO 1.5 with a lean. 9.575
Goad: Bhs side aerial hits, nice jump extension, step on the side aerial 1.5. 9.725
Minard: Step back out of the bhs loso, struggles on the Shushunova drop, I couldn’t see if she hit the floor. Solid on the side somi. Sticks the gainer pike with a lean, 9.600
Bowns: Nails the side aerial, comes off on the bhs loso. Stuck gainer full to finish. 9.275
Isbell: Bhs loso with a slight lean. Check on her leaps. Hop fwd on the RO 1.5, 9.775
West Chester – FX
Stoner: Bounce out of the FHS Rudi, excited about the RO 1.5 to lay, 9.625
Vargo: Great double pike to start, switch ring is good, RO 1.5 to layout gets nice height. 9.650
Smith: All the way around on the front 2/1, bouncy leaps, super patient into the front tuck from the back 1.5. Hit double tuck. 9.750
Sobczak: High double tuck with a controlled lunge, great leaps, low on the punch Rudi and a step sideways, 9.675
Keener: Not quite full rotation on 2/1, nice landing on the FHS Rudi, 9.750
Gruber: Not much rise in the RO 1.5 to lay, good extension in the leaps. 9.775
AFTER ONE: West Chester 48.600, Texas Woman’s 48.425, Bridgeport 48.250, SEMO 48.150
Is it hot in here? West Chester leading after the first rotation is amazing. The Rams put on a consistent floor rotation and definitely brought the energy backed by a home crowd. Notably, West Chester usually competes in a smaller arena on campus, and I think they are playing well off the vibes in the Hollinger Field House. On beam, SEMO counted a lower score and land last after one. The Redhawks go to beam, a difficult event to nab a recovery but offers a chance to show their steadiness. TWU avoided counting a beam fall, but a tight competition puts it in an unfamiliar second. The Pioneers go to floor, where standout Kyleigh Ghanbari makes her return after a recent ankle tweak.
Rotation 2: West Chester VT, Bridgeport UB, SEMO BB, Texas Woman’s FX
West Chester – VT (48.250)
Vargo: Sticks the Y full tucked! WCU is not letting this early lead get away easily. 9.625
Griffith: Step on the Y full tucked. 9.675
Sobczak: Y full tucked, early leg bend and a step back. 9.525
Smith: Step fwd on a front skill, 9.625
McComeskey: FHS front pike, really tucks it at the end, small movement. 9.600
Eskew: Y full on pike off, good distance and a step back. 9.725
Bridgeport – UB (48.225)
Hernandez: maloney to pak is good, hop on the DLO. 9.650
Reed: Loose on the Maloney, bail, handstand is good, step on the double. 9.450
Pujals: Big maloney, toes flexed on the Pak, small hop on the double tuck dismount. 9.725
Nokes: Nice straddle J to bail, hop on the double
Kenney: Great hs in the bail to toe up, step fwd on the toe pike half.
Solis: Good gienger, comes off on an overcooked handstand. Loose in the bail hs, hop on the double tuck, 8.800
SEMO – BB (48.800)
Reader: Hit series. Nails the front toss to beat. Stuck gainer pike! 9.725
Fisher: Hit bhs loso, 180 on the leaps, step n the RO 1.5, 9.725
Napolitano: Switch 3/4 hit no problem, bhs loso, sticks the gainer tuck full
Ingle: Bhs bhs loso, foot adjustment on the lunge, little check on the switch leap, step on the 2/1
Parton: Lean on the turn, easy bhs loso, stuck gainer off the side.
Kossuth: Nails the bhs bhs loso, stuck gainer full!
Texas Woman’s – FX (49.250)
Zarlengo: Double tuck has control, high back 1.5 but is able to float the layout.
Bourgeois: Nice high double pike, controlled lunge. RO 1.5 lay gets a little rebound out. Off center on the leaps. 9.750
Hernandez: Punch Rudi to open, high back 1.5 to a rapid layout. Powerful double pike to end, some knees on the second rotation.
Ghanbari: So much power on the double pike and slides back, intense eye contact with the judge into her leaps — switch side to emphasized pike, punch 1.5 to pike, nails the double tuck. 9.825
Minard: 180 leaps and good straddle in the Popa, stuck double tuck! Great performance of the horror music. Massive cheers from TWU section, 9.925
Isbell: Huge double tuck, good lunge. RO 1.5 to high layout and a big double stag jump. 9.900
AFTER TWO: Texas Woman’s 97.675, SEMO 96.950, West Chester 96.850, Bridgeport 96.475
TWU said no sweat and casually matched a season high floor with no enthusiasm to spare. The Pioneers move into the lead position at the halfway point. Bridgeport maintained consistent scoring on both of its two events, and West Chester kept it moving on vault. On beam, SEMO counted no score under a 9.725, which allowed it to move into a comfortable second spot. The Redhawks will need even more to catch up to the fiery Pioneers.
Rotation 3: Texas Woman’s VT, West Chester UB, Bridgeport BB, SEMO FX
Texas Woman’s – VT (48.775)
Reid: Y full layout, a step back. 9.750
Loock: Y full on pike off, bit low chest and a step, holds the landing. 9.750
Bourgeois: Good power through the Y full layout, big step back. 9.725
Baker: Steo on the Y full layout, some early leg sep. 9.700
Ghanbari: Stuck Y full, maintains good form, 9.850
Isbell: Y 1.5 with a low landing, 9.575
West Chester – UB (48.400)
McCullough: Good straddle jaeger to bail, stuck double. 9.775
Vargo: Leg separation on Maloney and bail hs, stuck toe pike half! 9.625
Schultz: Maloney to Pak, form on both. Feet together and sticks the DLO cold! 9.700
McNamara: Pretty blind full to gienger, bail, step fwd on the FTDT. 9.600
Ringas: High gienger, leg sep but handstand in the bail, STUCK dlo!! 9.600
Eskew: Blind full to gienger , pretty Pak, high DLO and a step back. 9.700
Bridgeport – BB (48.325)
Krenzel: Front aerial to scale no issues, 180 leaps. Front aerial to bhs moved nicely. Gets the stick on the front gainer full. 9.700
Hernandez: Bhs loso is good, falls on the front toss. Repeats and is off again. RO 1.5 a tad underrotated, steps back. 8.400
McAleavey: Small movement on the gainer full dismount. 9.700
Jennings: Bhs bhs loso has a small check, 9.600
Kenney: Nails the series, a great set and stuck RO 2/1! 9.850
Thompkins: Leg up on the bhs loso, nice 180 on switch to switch half. Step back on the RO 1.5, 9.450
SEMO – FX (48.800)
Hamilton: Easy 2.5 to start, good spot on the back 1.5 to lay. 9.725
Sams: Falls on the front 2/1. FHS Rudi loso finishes well. 8.900
Phillips: Slide and a step out of the double pike, momentum in the front full pike, controlled the landing on the final pass before stepping to a lunge. 9.600
Parton: High double tuck, sticks the FHS full to lay! FHS Rudi with great control. 9.750
Kossuth: Sticks the double tuck and a slow lunge out. Switch side half to the beat. Great rise on the RO 1.5 to barani split jump.
Ingle: RO 2.5 to front tuck, so high and flighty. Snaps the lunge in the Rudi, full extension on the switch half Popa. 9.875
AFTER THREE: Texas Woman’s 146.450, SEMO 145.750, West Chester 145.250, Bridgeport 144.800
Three down, one to go. TWU hasn’t quite pulled so far ahead as to be unreachable, but it has a healthy lead. SEMO goes to vault and needs a statement rotation to try and catch the Pioneers, and hold off the Rams for the runner-up positions. Bridgeport will want to bring high energy on floor to round out the competition.
Rotation 4: SEMO VT, Texas Woman’s UB, West Chester BB, Bridgeport FX
SEMO – VT (48.550)
Hamilton: Y full tucked, I believe that was a stick! 9.650
Kuehn: Y layout half, great landing, 9.650
Reader: Y full layout, slight leg sep and a step back. 9.625
Hernandez: Y full, good block and a hop back. 9.700
Kossuth: Stuck y full! 9.775
Ingle: Y full, good block but a bit of an early twist off the table. Step back. 9.775
Texas Woman’s – UB (48.850)
Bourgeois: Easy straddle jaeger, hs in the bail, big FTDT and a stuck landing! 9.850
Zarlengo: Piked jaeger is good, councy hs in the bail, hop back out of the DLO. 9.750
Loock: Maloney to bail hs flows, good hs, big FTDT but a soft landing. 9.175, I am unsure what I missed.
Reid: Floaty straddle jaeger but a close catch. Blind right on top and a small step in the double. 9.750
Bowns: Nice hs, floaty Maloney to bail hs, blind full to hs and a step back on the double tuck. 9.800
Ferrari: Good jaeger, excellent form in the straddle back hs, leg sep on the DLO and a small step. 9.700
West Chester – BB
Keane: Bhs bhs loso hits, back leg bent in the loso. Chest dips on the split 3/4, stuck gainer pike! 9.575
Ringas: Good on the side somi. Big wobble and touches the beam on the jump combo. Hits the bhs loso, switch leap to gainer pike, small hop, 9.425
McCullough: Hit bhs loso and nails the side aerial. Medium step on the gainer pike. 9.600
Kelly: Side aerial, folds. Side aerial to cartwheel. Check on the switch leap. Cartwheel gainer full and a stuck landing. 9.500
Stoner: Great height on the front toss to bhs, arm swing. Check on the split 3/4, another tall front toss to beat, solid. Sticks the gainer full! 9.725
McGuinn: Pretty in the front aerial to a solid back tuck. No issues in the turn, RO 1.5 and a small step. 9.800
Bridgeport – FX (48.675)
Singletary: A big triple twist with a slide back! Good lunge out of the double tuck. 9.725
Vulchev: FHS 2/1, holds the lunge. Rudi and struggles to make the back tuck around. 9.650
Staruk: Nice set to the double tuck, muscles the stag jump out of the second pass. 180 leaps. Front full to pike finishes well! 9.700
Coyle: Punch tucked Rudi to a bouncy double stag , full to pike ends with a good lunge. 9.800
Kenney: 2.5 twist, good height. Maintains good form on the fhs full to pike. Short on the split. Punch Rudi, keeps her chest up well. 9.800
Krenzel: Fhs Rudi, bit underrotated. Big switch full with 180 extension. Short on the RO whip half to full. 9.700
FINAL: Texas Woman’s 195.300, SEMO 194.300, Bridgeport 193.525, West Chester 193.450
Texas Woman’s triumphs with its fifth national title (USAG or WCGNIC) in nine years. The Pioneers had a slow start on beam, finding themselves in second-place standing after the first rotation. This, of course, was immediately swept away by a huge 49.250 event total on floor highlighted by two 9.9+ scores and the eager return of standout Kyleigh Ghanbari.
Fighting to stay in the mix was SEMO, coming from behind at the beginnng for a runner-up finish. The Redhawks had a setback on bars which it couldn’t fully erase. Solid beam and floor totals kept them in the running. The Redhawks repeat their runner-up finish for the second year in a row.
Bridgeport garnered a third-place finish, and edged out West Chester in the final rotation. The two teams finished separated by just three-quarters of a tenth, and it was a true battle to the finish line.
Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET for the individual event finals competition!
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