2025 NCAA Monday Minute Week 2

2025 NCAA Monday Minute Week 2

By Nate Salsman

Congratulations to Oklahoma’s Jordan Bowers on being Inside Gymnastics Women’s Gymnast of the Week for Week 2! 

Bowers is getting her senior season going without missing a beat! She scored a massive 39.675 in the All-Around to take the title at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. Her performance also helped Oklahoma win the competition, earning a 197.950. Bowers’ day was highlighted by her 9.950 floor routine. Her engaging and complex choreography, combined with picture perfect tumbling, showcases her brilliance! Six-time NCAA champion Oklahoma is on a redemption tour, and Bowers will be key to their success!

Congratulations to Ohio State’s Kameron Nelson, who made HISTORY this weekend, on being Inside Gymnastics Men’s Gymnast of the Week for Week 1! ! He became the first gymnast to ever perform two triple backs in one floor routine. He executed a triple pike and a triple tuck! These incredible skills led him to a 13.800 and helped him win the event title at the West Point Open. His routine is a must see!

Women’s NCAA Event Leaders 

All-Around: Leanne Wong (Florida) – 39.725

Vault: Makenzie Wilson (Kentucky), Anna Flynn Cashion (Kentucky), Danie Ferris (Florida) – 9.95

Bars: Audrey Davis (Oklahoma) – 9.963

Beam: Leanne Wong (Florida), Faith Torrez (Oklahoma) – 9.950 

Floor: Aleah Finnegan (LSU) – 9.963

Men’s NCAA Event Leaders 

All-Around: Brian Solomon (Navy) – 78.650

Floor: Kameron Nelson (Ohio State) – 13.800

Pommel Horse: Parker Thackston (Ohio State) – 14.500 

Rings: Matthew Underhill (Penn State) – 13.675

Vault: David Wolma (Michigan) – 14.350

Parallel Bars: Drake Andrews (Ohio State) – 14.050

High Bar: Carson Eshleman (Michigan) – 13.500 

Team Rankings

Routines of the Week 

UCLA’s Jordan Chiles combined high-flying tumbling and extremely entertaining choreography to showcase exactly what a floor routine should be. Chiles’ routine, set to music by Prince, is impossible to look away from, and helped lead the Bruins to a 49.6 on floor!

Pommel Horse Battle 

The dual meet between Oklahoma and Airforce had an exciting pommel horse battle! Oklahoma’s Ignacio Yockers scored a 14.450 edging out Air Force’s Patty Hoopes who scored a 14.350. Topping the PH scores and into the No.1 spot in the rankings, however, was Ohio State’s Parker Thackston. Thackston’s win led the Buckeyes’ pommel horse rotation. If Paris taught us anything, we love a good horse battle and this season is proving to set us up for one of the best!

Leapin’ Leadoff 

One of the most important parts of a college gymnastics lineup is a strong leadoff athlete, and many incredible leadoffs were on display this week! 

If you look up the definition of a perfect leadoff athlete in the dictionary, Oklahoma’s Dani Sievers would appear. Her bars routine is highlighted by a huge full twisting double back dismount that is almost a guaranteed stuck landing! This week, Sievers received a 9.900 for her routine!

In Week 2, LSU used just two leadoff athletes across the four events: freshman Lexi Zeiss on vault and bars and super senior Sierra Ballard on beam and floor. These two athletes handled the pressure very well – 2022 World team alternate Zeiss brought in a 9.850 on vault and 9.825 on bars. Ballard recorded a 9.850 on beam and a 9.825 on floor. 

After a shaky start in Week 1, UCLA needed a strong start to set the tone for this competition (and for the rest of the season). Emily Lee did just that. Her beautiful beam routine, which scored a 9.900, helped lead the Bruins to win the third session of the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad with a 197.550.  

The Bruins competed with heart and soul, bringing together the crowd inside the arena and at home, competing in honor of their city. Our hearts are with everyone impacted by the devastating fires in California. We salute all the brave firefighters working tirelessly and all those providing help and resources for those impacted. Los Angeles has been home to many special projects for Inside Gymnastics magazine through the years, and will always have a special place in our heart. 

#Skillz of the Week! 

Utah’s Avery Neff is already making waves in her freshman season! In just her second week of NCAA gymnastics competitions, she’s becoming known for bringing huge skills to NCAA gymnastics. Her full twisting double layout dismount on bars is stunning, and she usually caps it off with an exclamation mark by sticking the landing.

In her floor performance this week, Chae Campbell stuck her full twist double back cold! 

Almost 10.0!

This week was highlighted by many routines that scored a 9.975! So far, there is yet to be a perfect 10.0, but let’s talk about the routines that came close! 

Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez exuded absolute confidence on beam in one the top routines of the entire weekend – showcasing a beautiful side aerial + layout step out and a stuck gainer full. Oklahoma’s 9.975’s did not end there. Audrey Davis delivered a stellar bar routine that included a piked jaeger and a stuck double front half dismount. Olympian Grace McCallum (Utah) also scored a 9.975 for her bar routine, which included a chow + pak combination and a stuck full twisting double back. 

LSU’s Aleah Finnegan continues to rock the floor. From the choreography to the tumbling, it will not be long until both judges are giving this a 10.0!                               

News + Noteworthy

• World Champion and Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson made her NCAA debut for Arkansas, and she did not disappoint! She scored a 9.950 on floor and tied for first in the All-Around in the third session of the Sprouts Farmers Market Quad with Ohio State’s Tory Vetter, each scoring 39.475. 
• Alabama made their season debut, scoring a 197.025. Junior Gabby Gladieux stuck out, scoring a 39.575 in the All-Around. 
• Florida’s Leanne Wong began her senior season in her typical CEO fashion! Three 9.95 helped lead Wong to a 39.725! 
• World Champion Skye Blakely (Florida) returned to competition just 199 days after rupturing her Achilles at Olympic Trials. The emotion when she landed her dismount could be felt around the arena, but no one felt it more than her sister and teammate Sloane, who has been her number one cheerleader from the start. The duo also became the first pair of sisters in the same lineup since the 2014 NCAA Super Six team final! 
• Auburn’s Katelyn Jong produced an All-Around score of 39.500 which was capped off with two 9.9s on bars and beam! Jong and her team are proving to be ones to watch this season!
• Oregon State’s Jade Carey soared to a 39.725 in the All-Around, helping OSU defeat BYU 196.400-194.200. In her senior year, Carey looks better than ever – learning a double layout in her “off season” just “for fun.” We love it! 

Plus! One of the largest crowds in Oregon State University gymnastics history turned out for its home opener!

• Michigan men’s gymnastics began their season by defeating Greenville and Simpson. Their competition was highlighted by Kyle Walchuck’s 13.700 on pommel horse and Carson Eshleman’s 13.500 on high bar. Paul Juda was on the call for the meet, as he and 2024 Olympic bronze medal teammate Frederick Richard pace themselves towards going after a National Championship on their home floor.
• The Oklahoma Sooners also took the top team spot on the men’s side, setting up an early and exciting battle for the top right now between Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, with favorite Stanford and preseason #4 Nebraska set to kick off their seasons this week!

Look for our NCAA Monday Minute each week and stay tuned to InsideGym.com and Inside Gymnastics magazine for spotlight features and interviews throughout the 2025 season!

FOR MORE! 

For our Men’s NCAA Preview Part 1, Click Here

For our Men’s NCAA Preview Part 2, Click Here!

For the 2025 NCAA Season Schedule, Click Here!

For our 2025 NCAA Women’s Preview, Click Here!

For the 2025 WCGA Coaches Poll, Click Here!

For our feature on Utah’s Jaylene Gilstrap, Click Here!

For our feature on Lily Smith and the Georgia GymDogs, Click Here!

For our look at Mizzou, Click Here!

Why Paul Juda Is Ready for 2025!

Brody Malone to Compete in 2025!

Four Up, Four Count. John Roethlisberger’s Take!

Missing the Olympics? NCAA Gymnastics Could Be Your Fix!

Stay tuned to InsideGym.com and follow us @InsideGym for all the latest!

For our look at the Class of 2026, Click Here!

Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics