The 2026 college gymnastics season was one of shifting dynamics: new stars emerged, underdog teams asserted their dominance, and records fell across the country. Let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable record-breaking moments of the season and the impact they had on their programs’ trajectories.
Air Force hitting 197 for the first time
Air Force had its best season yet in 2026, setting a new program high score a whopping four times. The best of the season came on March 14 – senior night for the Falcons – with a 197.150. As if the Falcons’ first 197+ wasn’t enough, the program beam record was also set during the meet with a 49.525, and junior Maggie Slife beat her own all-around record by putting up a 39.675. It was a pivotal night in Air Force’s push for regionals, eventually resulting in its best-ever program finish with a No. 30 final ranking.
Amara Nelson breaking her own records at Greenville
Records have been falling left and right for the Panthers in the past two seasons, but this year, Amara Nelson made the most of her senior season by making sure her name would be all over the Greenville record books. The five best individual all-around scores in program history are all to her name, with four of those coming in 2026. Her best performance came in the WCGNIC semifinal, where she scored a 38.975 while competing as an individual. Her 9.775 on vault and 9.875 on beam were also the best scores on those events in Greenville history.
Iowa’s clutch 49.575 on bars
The Hawkeyes set a program bars record on Feb. 7 with a 49.425. They bested that score just a few weeks later on Feb. 21, and topped it once again in the opening rotation of the Corvallis regional semifinal with a 49.575. Following standout performances from Sydney Turner and Sophie Schriever, sophomore Aurélie Tran anchored the lineup with a 10.0, the first perfect score on the event in program history. Despite not advancing to the regional final, the Hawkeyes finished their season on a high note, and will be looking to topple this record once again in 2027.
Kailin Chio’s perfect 30
LSU’s home meet against Arkansas on March 13 started as many LSU home meets do: with Chio drilling her Yurchenko one and a half for a 10.0. After being rested from competing on bars, Chio anchored the beam lineup with yet another perfect score. After she headed to floor and stuck both of her passes, the crowd went wild: Chio had put up a perfect 10.0 on every event she competed. It was the first time it had ever happened in NCAA gymnastics – athletes competing in the all-around have previously earned three 10.0s plus a lower score on their fourth event, but no athlete before Chio has competed on only three and been perfect across them all.
UW-Oshkosh breaking barriers in Division III
At the WIAC championship on March 7, Oshkosh did something no DIII gymnastics program had ever done before: break the 195 mark. The championship-winning score of 195.175 bested the previous program record by two tenths. The Titans made a statement with their performance, also setting new program bars and beam records, while freshman Ome Ellis put up the best beam score in school history with a 9.925. After closing out the season with yet another NCGA national title, Oshkosh proved itself capable of continuing to raise the standard of DIII gymnastics while redefining what is possible in the division.
Morgan Price scoring the first 10.0 for Arkansas
Morgan Price left a legacy at her former university, Fisk, where she became the first athlete in program history to score a 10.0 thanks to her clean bar work. After transferring to Arkansas for her senior season, Price managed the feat once again, this time on vault, where she stuck a dynamic Yurchenko one and a half to deliver the Razorbacks’ first-ever perfect score. Being the first to hit that mark for their school is a career-defining achievement for any athlete, and doing it twice is almost unthinkable – but Price made it happen, ensuring her name will be inked in the recordbooks of two different universities.
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Article by Sophie Poirier
