Super 16 Vegas Podium Challenge Session Four

Recap

The Big Storyline: The highly anticipated season-opening quad meet delivered on the excitement, with a competitive battle through all four rotations, highlighted by postseason-level routines. Top-ranked Oklahoma had few issues claiming the top spot while Michigan stormed back from an iffy start on beam to nab second in a tight race for runner-up thanks to a strong floor rotation capped-off by Sierra Brooks. Sooner freshman Faith Torrez had a strong debut in nabbing a share of the floor title alongside teammate Jordan Bowers’ vault crown while Sunisa Lee paced third-place Auburn with a perfect score on beam en route to the all-around win. UCLA was in second most of the evening, with Jordan Chiles nearly hitting perfection on bars and Chae Campbell stealing the show on floor.

Implications: All four teams posted strong scores that should keep them in the top 10, with Oklahoma’s total the highest of the weekend to keep it in the No. 1 position.

Records: Auburn broke its program record for highest season-opening score by almost a point while UCLA’s total was its best in an opener in 18 years.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4. Michigan, No. 5 Auburn, and No. 10 UCLA

Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: Capping off the Super 16 mega meet in Las Vegas is one of the most stacked opening weekend quad meets in recent memory if not ever. The all-top-10 bout features four of the most popular and prolific programs in the sport today and is set to be a competitive, nationals-level matchup. The Sooners earned the top spot in the preseason poll after retaining all but a few routines from their championship roster and added a pair of former five-star recruits. Auburn finished fourth last season but was jumped by Michigan in the preseason poll after retaining two fifth-year all-arounders from a team that faltered in last year’s national semifinal, while the Tigers should challenge for the final yet again behind Sunisa Lee in her final collegiate season. UCLA underwent a coaching change during the offseason and optimistically could return to the nationals landscape should its roster perform at the talent level it possesses.

What We’re Watching: In addition to the already-established superstars among these teams, a handful of big-name freshmen are ready to make their collegiate debuts. The class of 2022’s top recruit, Selena Harris, is a major contributor to the optimism surrounding the Bruins heading into the season, and Oklahoma’s pair of former elites, Faith Torrez and Ava Siegfeldt, give the Sooners tremendous depth. Natalie Wojcik and Abby Heiskell came back for a bonus year to help lead the Wolverines to a repeat of the national title they won in 2021, while Derrian Gobourne is using her extra year to help push the Tigers to their first.

What Else to Know Before Tuning in: The keyword to describe this session of the inaugural Super 16 is “star power.” Seven of the top 20 gymnasts in the all-around at last year’s national final will compete in this session, including runner-up and beam champ Lee. Additionally, we’re anticipating the return of several big names from injury, including Michigan’s Carly Bauman and Nicoletta Koulos, alongside UCLA’s Margzetta Frazier and Emily Lee.