Sooners Earn Eighth National Title; LSU Upsets for Second Place
History was made again in each session of nationals, with perfect scores returning to the final and programs earning their highest-ever finishes and one of just a few national championships in their history. Oklahoma won the weekend, but other teams and individuals had huge moments.
Gymnast of the Week
Faith Torrez, Oklahoma
Torrez was an all-around standout for her first three years of collegiate competition, but during her senior campaign, injury kept her out of the floor lineup until the second semifinal and the penultimate meet of her career. Her remarkable 9.950 wasn’t just good enough for runner-up placement in the event; it was the final piece of what turned out to be a championship-winning all-around performance, with Torrez following in the footsteps of fellow Sooner great Maggie Nichols in earning the national all-around title in one of her only four-event performances of the season. Torrez’s swan song in the final was no less legendary, going 9.950 on floor once again to close out the Sooners’ meet and cement their eighth national team title.
Other contenders: Kailin Chio, whose 10.000 on vault in the final made her the owner of the second-most 10.000 scores in a season in the last 30 NCAA seasons; Nyla Aquino, whose vault and floor scores paced Georgia en route to a near-semifinal upset for the Bulldogs
Performance of the Week
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Minnesota gave a clutch prime-time performance to capitalize on other teams’ mistakes and pull off the upset. It happened in the Corvallis regional final, and it happened again in the second national semifinal. The Gophers put up incredible performances all night long, highlighted by Brooklyn Rowray’s 9.9625 on beam that won the Gophers’ second-ever national title. When UCLA faltered in the fourth rotation on vault, it was just enough for the Gophers’ incredible work to pay off, and they earned a spot in the Final Four.
Other contenders: Oklahoma’s semifinal vault lineup of stick after stick and a national title; Riley McCusker’s 9.9875 on bars in the first semifinal, which earned her the national title for the penultimate routine of her career
Outrageous Moment of the Week
Following Minnesota’s history-making performance in the second semifinal, a discussion was generated regarding its broadcast coverage in the final; specifically, only 60% of its routines made the ABC broadcast, even when the Gophers weren’t in last place going into the fourth rotation. Minnesota wasn’t the only team with dubious coverage; Ana Barbosu’s 9.95 beam routine and other solid ones weren’t shown in the evening semifinal for Stanford.
Other contenders: Florida’s vault landings thwarting it once again in the final, with bounces abound and no sticks
Hidden Gem of the Week
LSU is known for its postseason hype videos, always cinematic and narrated by the most famous Tigers and associated individuals. Perhaps lost in the excitement of the Tigers’ upset second-place finish in the final, this year’s videos did not disappoint. The semifinal’s video featured narration by rapper and LSU sports fan Lil Wayne, and in a break from tradition, the final’s video was narrated by the entire 2026 team, fitting for the team effort that resulted in the runner-up performance to come.
Other contenders: Caitlin Smith’s clutch bars sets in her first season of competition for Oklahoma; Aurélie Tran’s 9.975 bars set in the second semifinal, good enough for runner-up placement on the event as an individual
Viral Moment of the Week
The Final Four is becoming the new “it” sporting event of NCAA postseason, attracting star-power attendees like March Madness is known for. This year, actor Samuel L. Jackson was on hand to watch the final, taking time to interact with teams on the floor. LSU coach Jay Clark even got some one-on-one time with Jackson before the meet.
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Article by Katherine Weaver
