Fly High and Far! A Letter From Kathy Johnson Clarke For NCAA Championships

15 Apr Fly High and Far! A Letter From Kathy Johnson Clarke For NCAA Championships

Posted at 09:24h in 2025 NCAA Headquarters, News & Features by Christy Sandmaier 0 Comments

By Christy Sandmaier

Vice President & Co-Publisher

1984 Olympic team silver and balance beam bronze medalist, and long-time gymnastics analyst Kathy Johnson Clarke wrote a letter for Inside Gymnastics to all of the student-athletes competing at the 2025 NCAA Championships. As always, her words resonate beautifully, and inspire us all. Thank you, Kathy!

Dear Gymnasts,

As always, my heart, positive energy and all my good wishes will be with you at NCAA’s this weekend!

Yes, I know there will be nerves and expectations that create pressure, but that pressure is a privilege, a gift really, and those nerves are fueled, energized and hyper-focused by passion, purpose, adrenaline, intentionality, and ultimately grounded by your training and calmed by trusting your talent, hard work and preparation. Best of all? Everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve has been built on and powered by precious dreams you’ve chased since you were little girls!

THIS is the MAGIC of NCAA Gymnastics.

Whether you’re competing at nationals for the first time or the last, as a team or individual, freshman or 5th year, returning champion or Cinderella, you are poised to create lasting memories together, memories you will take with you and look back on and cherish, just as many of us “forever gymnasts” are doing now as we watch and cheer you on!

Stay in every moment. The sweet ones. The bitter ones. The easy ones. The hard ones. It’s when you are locked in together with your teammates, coaches, supporters near and far, that you will know how and when to adjust or stay the course. That is the beauty of gymnastics and life.

Fly high and far, have fun, and fight fiercely for yourself and each other!

Trust. Believe. Go.

KJC

A LOOK AT THE 2025 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Megan Roth, Nate Salsman and Christy Sandmaier

From 36 to eight, Fort Worth promises an NCAA Women’s Championship to remember! Will six-time (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023) National Champion Oklahoma capture their seventh crown after missing the Final Four on the Floor last year? Will No.1 LSU defend their title? Or will Michigan State, who will be competing for the crown for the first time since 1988, add their name to the exclusive club of champions?

Eight teams, a lifetime of goals. So many stars and storylines. If you listen closely, you can already hear the crowd building, get swept up in the wave of colors around the arena, and see the flashes of sequins under the lights. It’s about to be Go-Time in Fort Worth and right now, it’s anyone’s game.

Here’s how to watch it all play out, along with our look at the field of eight including quick takes from commentators Samantha Peszek and John Roethlisberger, who spoke with the media on Friday.

HOW TO WATCH

Thursday, April 17th

NCAA Championships Semifinal I | Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri | 4:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
NCAA Championships Semifinal II | Michigan State, LSU, Utah, UCLA | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2

Saturday, April 19th

NCAA Championships Finals | 4 p.m. ET | ABC

Both Semifinal competitions are scheduled to be televised on ESPN2 with Samantha Peszek, John Roethlisberger, and Aly Raisman on the call. ABC will broadcast the final “Four on the Floor” on Saturday.

The ESPN+ “Stream Team” for Fort Worth will be comprised of 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Bridget Sloan, and former collegiate stars Kennedy Baker, Trinity Thomas and Anastasia Webb.

New to this year’s coverage is rather than the standard apparatus streams, fans can follow their specific squad in action throughout the arena with a dedicated stream and commentators. Streams will be split up with two teams and commentators per feed.

Peszek’s Quick Take:

“I think this is one of the tightest fields in a really long time, maybe ever. I think all eight of these teams are extremely competitive and have shown moments of greatness this year that could contend with any team in the country. For me, it’s like I look at all eight teams and I could make a case for all of them to qualify to the final day of competition. We just wrapped up most of our coaches’ interviews, and that’s really the plan for all of these teams. Their goal is to be competitive on the final day of competition and be the best team in the country.”

Roethlisberger’s Quick Take:

“I think the favorites are Oklahoma and LSU. Because they have the most consistency at putting up championship performances the highest percentage of times. If you’re going to roll the dice 10 times, they’re going to put up a championship performance eight or nine out of 10 times. And I think that is a higher percentage than anybody else. But to Sam’s point, it does feel more wide open. It’s exciting. If Alabama and Missouri and Michigan State made it to the finals, we’d be all going, holy cow. But at the same time, we shouldn’t be surprised.”

For our Preview of Semifinal I, Click Here!

For our Preview of Semifinal II, Click Here!

Chae Campbell - University of California - Los Angeles

Look for Nate’s NCAA Notes and Della’s Inside the MatchUp each week and stay tuned to InsideGym.com and Inside Gymnastics magazine for spotlight features and interviews throughout the 2025 season!

Nate Salsman, Della Fowler, Megan Roth and Christy Sandmaier provide NCAA coverage for Inside Gymnastics.

Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics magazine.