NCAA gymnastics Week 10: Oklahoma, LSU and Cal are back to 1-2-3
Credit to Author: D’Arcy Maine| Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2024 14:14:37 EST
In a preview of a future SEC showdown, Arkansas hosted Oklahoma on Sunday for the first time in five years. And, even with 9,771 fans in attendance — the third-biggest crowd in Razorbacks history — the Sooners proved just how good they are, no matter the conference.
No. 1-ranked Oklahoma jumped out to an early lead during its first rotation on bars, thanks to strong performances by Audrey Davis (9.975) and Katherine LeVasseur (9.925). And the Sooners never looked back. During the third rotation on floor, Jordan Bowers earned her second perfect 10.0 of the season and fifth overall. Then during the day’s final event, Ava Siegfeldt recorded her first-ever perfect score in her — wait for it — season debut on beam.
Two perfect scores highlighted another impressive victory for the Sooners Sunday afternoon!
📝| https://t.co/7YwziSjdA1 pic.twitter.com/oMh1iXVn4x
Oklahoma, who will officially join the SEC for the 2025 season, won the meet 198.350-197.275, and became the first team in NCAA history to record a score of 198.0 or better for seven consecutive meets. The Sooners remain undefeated this season, and hold the top ranking in overall team score, as well as on vault, bars and beam (and are second on floor).
Just in case you need a reminder of just how good the Sooners are, and how unbelievably difficult gymnastics is, please allow the Oklahoma football team to help you. Members of the team were in attendance last week to cheer on their fellow Sooners — and their reactions to everything they saw is priceless.
Minds blown 🤯@OU_WGymnastics pic.twitter.com/Oc44nvcXFR
Here’s what else you may have missed from Week 10 of the 2024 NCAA gymnastics season:
California had won a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title during the past two seasons, but had never won the distinction outright.
On Sunday, the Golden Bears defeated Stanford 198.550-197.975 to finish its conference schedule with a perfect 7-0 record, and to take home the coveted regular-season honor.
“To win it outright is incredibly special,” Justin Howell, the team’s co-head coach told the school’s website. “We haven’t really talked about it. We really just wanted to come in here and get better, and we did that.”
But Cal didn’t just win on Sunday. The team broke the record for highest overall score in program history, as well as on floor (49.750), and tied the all-time mark on beam (49.825). Sophomore eMjae Frazier matched her own school record for individual all-around score (39.825) and junior Mya Lauzon notched the second-highest all-around score (39.775) in program history.
Lauzon earned a perfect 10.0 on beam for the second time this season, and is now ranked No. 3 in the nation on the event.
MYA LAUZON IS PERFECT **AGAIN** pic.twitter.com/3Zw2VGwPup
At this point in her career, there’s little that LSU senior Haleigh Bryant hasn’t done. She’s won an NCAA title, an SEC title and earned countless awards and honors. But even by her own incredibly high standards, Bryant had a night for the ages on Friday during a quad meet against Auburn, George Washington and Texas Woman’s.
Bryant opened the competition with back-to-back 10.0 scores on vault and bars, and in doing so became the 10th gymnast in NCAA history to record a single-season “Gym Slam” for earning a perfect mark on every event this year. She now has 16 perfect 10.0s on her collegiate resume — the most among active gymnasts, and tied for tenth-most of all-time.
Add two more 10’s to HB’s resume ✍️
Back-to-back perfect scores moves her career total to 16#GeauxTigers | @haleighbryant3 pic.twitter.com/UNnwFyu0nG
Bryant also scored a 9.95 on beam and 9.975 on floor for a mind-blowing 39.925 all-around score. She won the all-around title, each individual event title, and set the mark for the highest all-around total in the country this season.
Perhaps most important, Bryant’s performance led the Tigers to victory and a 198.425 final score. The team now holds its best-ever NQS of 198.125 and moves back up to No. 2 in the rankings. Cal is currently in the No. 3 spot, with Florida and Utah in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
What can’t she do? pic.twitter.com/73E9hSzElI
Competing for her final time in Coleman Coliseum, Alabama senior Luisa Blanco earned her first 10.0 of the season on vault, with a Yurchenko 1.5 to open Friday’s meet against Minnesota, Illinois and Talladega.
This Luisa Blanco 🔟 on vault is STUNNING 😍#ThatsaW I @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/vAWCqQbHS4
Blanco, who will be competing for Colombia at the Olympic Games this summer, earned a 9.95 on bars and a 9.90 on beam before ending her night on floor. After sticking all of her tumbling passes and nailing her choreography, Blanco was visibly emotional the moment her routine ended. It was clear what the moment meant to her, regardless of the score, and her teammates surrounded and embraced her. When the 10.0 flashed, she blew kisses to the crowd. Blanco became the first Alabama gymnast in 19 years to earn multiple perfect scores during the same meet.
WATCH | In her last meet at Coleman, Luisa Blanco scored a perfect 10 on floor, the first of her career on the event…
Blanco also scored a perfect 10 on Vault tonight #RollTide | #NCAAGym | @BamaGymnastics pic.twitter.com/Ziw0A5P8fR
As if that wasn’t the most perfect Senior Night ever, Alabama also won the meet with a 198.00 final score — the team’s second time breaking the 198-mark in three weeks — and Blanco won the all-around title, as well as the titles on floor, vault and bars.
While Blanco and Bryant were the only ones to ones to score multiple 10.0s this weekend, here’s who else earned a perfect score in addition to Lauzon, Siegfeldt and Bowers:
Grace McCallum, Utah: During the opening rotation of Utah final’s Pac-12 regular-season meet against Arizona, the Red Rocks junior earned her second perfect score of the season, and the third on the event in her career, with a stellar bars routine. McCallum took home the all-around crown and led Utah to a 197.875-195.725 victory, and the highest road score in program history.
𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄‼️
Grace McCallum scores a 🔟 on bars 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OD4erj84tw
Raena Worley, Kentucky: After a career of coming this close to earning a 10.0, the Wildcats fifth-year senior has seemingly been on a mission this season to rack up as many as she can. During Kentucky’s 197.800-196.525 win over North Carolina on Friday, Worley earned her fourth 10.0 on floor, and fifth overall, with yet another dynamic, high-energy performance — complete with a ice-cold stick on her final double tuck tumbling pass.
ABSOLUTE PERFECTION#WeAreUK | #Team50 pic.twitter.com/Fezu8gFk1N
Chloe Widner, Stanford: Competing in her last meet at Maples Pavilion, the fifth-year senior scored the first perfect 10.0 of her career in the anchor spot on beam. While Stanford didn’t get the win, Widner, who also earned a 9.975 on floor, helped the team earn its second-best score (197.975) in program history and second-highest total on beam (49.675).
Perfect 10 for Chloe Widner on beam! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/cx3ytG9u71
Brie Clark, Clemson: During the final home meet of Clemson’s inaugural season — and in front of a sold-out crowd — the sophomore tied her career-high score on floor (9.95) with a fan favorite routine complete with Boyz II Men, powerful tumbling and contagious choreography. We will understand if you start dancing along at home.
It’s electric in LJC tonight as Brie scores a career-high 9.95 on floor 🤩#TeamOne pic.twitter.com/jU1HWGGfYJ
Brynlee Andersen, BYU: It was Senior Night in Provo, but a freshman stole the show. Andersen earned a 10.0 from one judge for the second time this season and ultimately earned a new career-high score of 9.975 on beam during Friday’s 197.125-196.450 loss to Ohio State. She became just the fifth gymnast in program history to record the score. And did we mention she’s just a freshman?
9.975 FOR QUEEN B🤯🤯🤯
📺 https://t.co/mYmVTZSmnP pic.twitter.com/un5Wy0WhC2
Delanie Harkness, Michigan State: One of eight seniors honored during the team’s last regular-season meet at home, Harkness made the most of the day by tying her career-high score on bars (9.95) and winning the event title during the Spartans’ victory over Central Michigan, Fisk and Greenville on Saturday. Harkness also had a 9.925 on floor and a 9.90 on beam to help lift Michigan State to a 198.150 final score — its second-best mark in history.
Our bars anchor 👑
9.95 for Delanie!#NDY | #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/LUjAdgbACE
Suki Pfister, Ball State: The Cardinals senior has proven all season long that she’s one of the best in the country on vault. On Sunday, during the team’s 196.100-194.675 victory over Northern Illinois, she did so yet again with a nearly flawless front handspring front pike half that earned a 9.925. It was her sixth meet of the season in which she’s earned a 9.90 or better on the event, and she currently holds the fourth-highest NQS score in the nation.
9️⃣.9️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ from the sensational @pfistersuki_ 💥#ChirpChirp x #WeFly pic.twitter.com/Dtyyqb0WM9
Friday: Iowa State, LIU, NC State at Florida; 7 p.m. ET on SECN+
Friday: Denver at Michigan; 7 p.m. ET on B1G+
Friday: Nebraska at Arkansas; 8 p.m. ET on SECN+
Friday: North Carolina at LSU; 8:30 p.m. ET on SECN+
Friday: Stanford, Utah State at Utah; 9 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Insider
Friday: Southern Connecticut at Arizona State; 9 p.m. ET
Friday: UC Davis, San Jose State at California; 10 p.m. ET
Saturday: Clemson at UCLA; 5 P.M. ET on Pac-12 Networks
Saturday: Auburn, Kentucky, Ohio State at Fisk; 8:15 p.m. ET
Sunday: Oregon State, Utah State at Boise State; 1 p.m. ET
Sunday: Arizona, Missouri, Southeast Missouri at Illinois; 3 p.m. ET
Sunday: Michigan State, Centenary, Rutgers at Texas Woman’s; 3 p.m. ET
Sunday: Air Force, Northern Illinois, West Virginia at Minnesota; 3 p.m. ET on B1G+
Sunday: Alabama at Oklahoma; 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Sunday: Stanford, Sacramento State at California; 5 p.m. ET