Meet Us In Fort Worth! 2026 NCAA Women’s Preview!

It All Comes Down To This!

By Christy Sandmaier, Nate Salsman and Sarahy Mora Rincon

Whether you’re a die-hard NCAA gymnastics fan or just tuning in, THIS is the week we’ve all been waiting for! Who will take the title in Fort Worth? Check out our preview!

+ How To Watch

All times listed in ET.

Thursday, April 16

• National Semifinal I
  • 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2/ESPN+
• National Semifinal II
  • 9 p.m. on ESPN2/ESPN+

Saturday, April 18

• National Championship 
  • 4 p.m. on ABC/ESPN+

NCAA National Championships Semifinal One 

LSU, Florida, Georgia, Stanford

Thursday April 16 4:30pm ET ESPN2

No.2 LSU 

The Fighting Tigers Are Ready To Climb

No.3 Florida

The Time Is Now

The Florida Gators have assembled a once-in-a-lifetime roster for the 2026 season. The roster includes five world championship competitors in Team USA’s Riley McCusker, Kayla DiCello, Skye Blakely, eMjae Frazier, and Anya Pilgrim of Barbados. DiCello and Blakely both tore their Achilles tendons at the 2024 Olympic Trials, forcing DiCello to redshirt the 2025 season and limiting Blakely to uneven bars. Frazier transferred from Cal to Florida for her senior season and has embraced every moment of being a Gator.

“Gator Nation is something that you can’t compare,” Frazier told Inside Gymnastics in November. “The support, the resources here, this is a big family. When I imagine college gymnastics, it’s where I’m at right now, and it just feels so at home, and I’m just loving it.”​

Florida has become known for their incredible work in the transfer portal. Selena Harris-Miranda transferred from UCLA to Florida following the 2024 season, and has been a rock on every apparatus.

The Gators are coming off a massive win at the SEC Championships, besting Oklahoma 198.175-198.150. The competition was highlighted by a 49.800 on bars, which secured the victory over Oklahoma. The Gators on bars are pure art, delivering on everything gymnastics is meant to be: high-flying, difficult skills, combined with fantastic execution. The rotation could be key to the Gators returning to the top of the podium for the first time since 2015.

Blakely and DiCello have fought hard to return to competition after their devastating Achilles injuries. They are both mainstays in the bars and beam lineups, while also seeing frequent appearances on vault and floor as well.

“Just being able to be back on all four events and train them every day like everybody else, I think that’s the biggest thing that I was most excited for, because there was a point where I felt like my body wasn’t getting any better,” DiCello told Inside Gymnastics in November.

Blakely competed at the World Championships in October, finishing fourth on uneven bars. After the Elite season concluded, she seamlessly transitioned back to NCAA gymnastics, where she has earned a perfect 10.0 on bars and beam in 2026.

Florida Gymnastics has been on a roll in 2026. They currently have five straight scores of 198 or higher, including the two highest in the nation: 198.575 and 198.450! Could this be the year the Gators win their first NCAA National team title since 2015?

“We all have vision boards,” Frazier said. “We want to get it done. But you take it one day at a time. It’s more about what we are doing right now. What are we getting done in the gym? How are we trying to be better today? Now, we’re just at that point you verbalize it, and then you kind of just let it go, and you work towards it, but you stay in the present.”

For More:

Gator Ready!

DiCello Is Back

No.5 Georgia

Back In the Conversation

Georgia’s return to the national conversation hasn’t happened overnight. It’s been building, quietly and steadily, with a new era of GymDogs finding their rhythm and rewriting expectations along the way.

Now, that rise has brought them to the sport’s biggest stage.

For a program with ten national titles, the NCAA National Championships aren’t unfamiliar territory. But this moment feels different. It’s not just about returning, it’s about proving that Georgia is ready to compete here again.

A big part of that push has come from freshman CaMarah Williams, who wasn’t even supposed to be in Athens this season. Originally set to join the program in 2027, she made the decision to graduate early and step into the lineup immediately, gaining experience week by week that has prepared her for this stage.

“I missed preseason… all these meets are just really gearing me up for postseason,” Williams said.

That experience has translated into confidence. Throughout the season, Georgia has shown it can put together strong performances, but at nationals, the challenge becomes doing it again under pressure, with little room for error. “I think going out there and showing that we are a team that knows how to do it more than one day,” Williams said.

At the same time, the GymDogs have leaned into the chemistry that has defined their season. The connection within the team is clear, and it’s something they’ll rely on as the stakes continue to rise. “We’re close, they are my sisters,” Williams said. “My teammates push me every day… everybody’s getting me through it.”

For Georgia, this moment is about more than just returning to the national stage. It’s about proving that everything they’ve built this season can hold up when it matters most.

And for a team that has spent all year working toward this opportunity, there’s no question what’s at stake.

“That would just mean everything to me,” Williams said. “This team works so hard… I feel like we just deserve it.” 

For More:

Williams Shines In Freshman Season

No. 7 Stanford

Their Moment To Shine

Stanford isn’t walking into Fort Worth with the same expectations as the teams around them. They’re not the reigning champions, and they’re not the obvious pick.

But they’ve put themselves in position.

The Cardinal earned their way here behind a style that looks different from much of the field. Where other teams rely on power and big scores, Stanford leans into execution, detail, and minimizing mistakes. At the NCAA National Championships, that kind of gymnastics can go a long way.

Leading that effort is senior All-Arounder Anna Roberts, who has been a steady presence for the Cardinal all season. Her consistency across four events gives Stanford a foundation they can rely on in a meet where every routine counts.

Around her, the lineup has already proven it can deliver in big moments.

Taralyn Nguyen did exactly that at the Baton Rouge Regional Final, coming through on vault when Stanford needed it most to secure their spot in Fort Worth. It was the kind of moment that translates directly to this stage.

Stanford also brings Elite-level experience with Ana Barbosu, whose international background adds composure to a lineup that will need it in a high-pressure semifinal.

And then there’s Levi Jung-Ruivivar. After stepping away from the sport to focus on her health, she’s returned this season with a different perspective, one that has carried into her gymnastics and her impact on the team. “I really am happy that I made that decision, because it has genuinely changed my life so much,” she said.

Now competing some of her Elite-level skills with a new sense of control, Jung-Ruivivar has helped elevate a team that continues to build at the right time.

They just need to put together four strong rotations and give themselves a chance.

For More:

Levi Jung-Ruivivar: An Inspiration To Us All

NCAA National Championships Semifinal Two

Oklahoma, UCLA, Arkansas, Minnesota

Thursday April 16 9:00pm ET ESPN2

No.1 Oklahoma

The Team Everyone’s Chasing

The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners enter the NCAA National Championships as the team everyone wants to catch. The Sooners are the seven-time and reigning champions, and most recently won the Regional Championships in Lexington. The squad also currently ranks No. 1 on vault, No. 2 on beam, and No. 4 on bars and floor. The Sooners earned a 198.350 during the Regional Final, highlighted by a 49.750 beam score. Oklahoma displayed excellence on beam, and head coach KJ Kindler felt the rotation could have earned a perfect 50.

“I thought a couple of the scores were too low,” Kindler said with a laugh. “It felt really good. I’m just saying it felt like a 50. When I saw 49.750, I was bummed out, because it felt like a 50. We did not have one balance check. We did not step on one landing. As a coach, that’s your absolute dream.”

The beam rotation in Lexington was highlighted by a perfect 10.0 from senior Faith Torrez. After a preseason injury, Torrez is sitting in a slightly different role as a bars and beam specialist.

“I love it. I love any chance I get, any opportunity,” Torrez said about her new role. “I just adjust. Obviously, we want to go out there and compete as much as we can, but being able to be there on the sidelines and cheer for them, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Oklahoma is known for taking freshmen and turning them into stars immediately. This year, Mackenzie Estep and Ella Murphy have shone in their NCAA debuts. Unless you looked at their athlete profiles, you wouldn’t know the two were freshmen by the way they compose themselves during competitions.

“I think that’s definitely something the coaching staff works with us; they have this down to a science,” Estep said. “I feel like they put you in the position to do your best and be in your best position every week. I’m so grateful for their leadership and guidance, and I think that’s really helped me this year. I just kind of trust my training, because I know that they trust me.”

Sophomore Addison Fatta ended the regular season ranked No. 4 in the All-Around and will be key to Oklahoma defending its title. The path in 2026 has not always been easy. At the SEC Championships, they narrowly finished second behind the Florida Gators, 198.175-198.150. Nonetheless, the performance at the SEC Championships was a fight, and it bonded the team together as they continued to gain valuable experience. The competition in Lexington also showed the Sooners how to improve within one weekend and set them up perfectly to meet the moment in Fort Worth. ​

“I think we learned a lot. On day one, we were a little tighter. And I felt like today they were looser,” Kindler said in Lexington. I feel like they just really embraced the confidence they built today and relied on it a little more. I definitely loved the chemistry that the team had today. I felt like the energy was really great, and I think that makes a really big difference too.”

For More:

Full Lexington Press Conference

Addison Fatta: Pure Joy

No. 4 UCLA

One Team, One Love

From the moment this UCLA team stepped into the 2026 season, the goal was never just about results. It was about building something deeper. A team rooted in connection, confidence, and learning how to stay present when the pressure is at its highest.

Now, with a spot in Fort Worth secured, the Bruins are exactly where they’ve been building toward. “At this point in the season, it’s really about being intentional and aggressive,” head coach Janelle McDonald said. “The teams that have the most success are the ones that go out and leave no doubt.”

That mindset has carried UCLA all season. Not by changing who they are in the postseason, but by doubling down on it. Every routine, every detail, every moment has been about trust.

“Doing a routine isn’t the hard part,” McDonald said. “It’s about maximizing the details and being present from start to finish.”

That idea of being present has become central to this team, especially for a senior class approaching the final meets of their careers. With so much emotion surrounding the postseason, the Bruins have leaned into what they call their “Bruin bubble,” blocking out distractions and focusing only on what’s in front of them. “There’s so many things that can pull your attention away,” McDonald said. “It’s really about staying in the moment and soaking in these last opportunities.”

At the same time, UCLA’s depth has continued to shine. Athletes have stepped up when needed, none more notably than Mika Webster-Longin. After battling illness midseason, she worked her way back into lineups and hasn’t looked back. “I had to trust myself more this year,” Webster-Longin said. “Coming back from being sick really helped me grow and find my love for gymnastics again.”

That resilience, combined with the energy of a freshman class embracing the moment, has created a balance UCLA will rely on in Fort Worth. “We’re just continuing the energy we’ve had all season,” Webster-Longin said. “Even in postseason, it’s about having fun, because that’s when we do our best.”

If there’s one phrase that defines UCLA, it’s the one they’ve carried all year: one team, one love. Alongside that, a newer focus has emerged.

Calm. Confident. Committed.

With that mentality, the Bruins aren’t looking to be perfect. They’re looking to be fully present, fully together, and fully themselves.

And in a semifinal stacked with talent, that might be exactly what sets them apart.

For More:

Rosen Ready To Roll

Ciena Alipio: The Time Of Her Life

No. 9 Arkansas 

Redemption

From the moment the 2025 NCAA ended, the Arkansas Razorbacks had one goal on their minds: Redemption. Last year, the Razorbacks were the odd team out and missed the 2025 SEC Championships because the SEC allowed only 8 of the 9 teams to compete. Following that competition, the squad missed a spot in Fort Worth after finishing fourth in the University Park Regional Final behind LSU, Michigan State, and Kentucky. After the season ended, the fire was ignited.

“Life in general, and especially athletics, is going to have its ups and downs, and the best thing to do is learn from those moments and let them fuel you and make you resilient,” Arkansas head coach Jordyn Wieber said about the 2025 season. “I tell the girls all the time, we all have that resilience muscle. It’s just up to us to keep flexing it and making it stronger. That was something last year that made us stronger.” ​

“We really put our heads down, and we worked for what we wanted in the upcoming season,” said senior Frankie Price. “We worked a lot on our mental toughness, physical toughness, all of the above. I think the work that we put in as a team, the way we bonded as a team to move forward, is what put us on top.”

The Razorbacks last appeared in Fort Worth in 2024. Getting a trip back was a full-circle moment for Price, who was injured on the floor during the Regional Championships in 2025. Despite long days and hours of recovery, she battled to return to competition.

“Last year was one of the hardest days of my life,” Price said. “The whole year since then, I’ve been working my butt off, going through hard pains, hard injuries, hard days, but it was all worth it. “The work that I put in showed out tonight, and I’m just so proud of myself for being able to lean on my teammates and my coaches. My support staff is awesome. With their help, I was able to go out and just do me.”

To make Price’s journey even sweeter, her sister Morgan transferred from Fisk to Arkansas for her senior year. Morgan has been the missing piece to the Razorbacks’ puzzle on every event. She brings sharp, beautiful gymnastics to the competition floor, and an ear-to-ear smile, making it impossible not to smile right back.

“That’s why I wanted to come here. I wanted to give myself a challenge, because I knew it was worth it,” Morgan said about transferring to Arkansas. “I knew I could do it. So to be able to be here, going to nationals, it’s everything I can imagine.”

Another key to Arkansas’ success is Joscelyn Roberson, an alternate for the 2024 Olympics and 2023 World Champion with her team. Roberson entered the 2026 season fresh off a world bronze medal on vault at the World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, in October of 2025. Without one minute to rest, she jumped right into the NCAA season and didn’t miss a beat. Roberson has earned nine 9.950s on beam, a high of 9.975 on floor, and became the first gymnast to ever compete a Mustafina vault (a half turn onto the vault table, layout full twist off the table) in NCAA competition. During her beam routine, you can catch Roberson performing and smiling with no signs of nerves.

“I get up there, and I’m not even nervous most of the time,” Roberson said about her beam routine. “I get to do what I love, and I get to spread it through the entire crowd.”

The stars have aligned so far for the Razorbacks in 2026, and with a strong performance during the semifinal, they could find themselves being one of the final four teams remaining.

For More:

Full Lexington Press Conference

No. 13 Minnesota

The Cinderella Story

In November, freshman Lacie Saltzmann told Inside that the Minnesota Golden Gophers had their sights set on competing at the 2026 NCAA Championships. “I’m just really excited for season. We look incredible. We have so much depth on all of the events. I think it’s going to be a really big year for us,” she told us that Thursday morning. “Our end goal, our main objective that we immediately came up with is Nationals. And we are determined to get there,” she added. “We are going to set the standard, and we’re going to set it high, and we’re going to do everything in our power to make that happen.”

Fast forward, and the Gophers are this season’s Cinderella story. In a total team effort led by standout performances and season highs from Arianna Ostrum, Jordyn Lyden, Gianna Gerdes, Ava Stewart, Teryn Crump, Sarah Moraw, Brooklyn Rowray, and Saltzmann, the Gophers rose to the occasion (and the pressure) throughout Regionals and brought the momentum to the floor each time. “I knew this team could do it, and to see it all pay off is so incredible,” said Ostrum. “I’m so excited, I can’t wait to go to nationals. It’s a great representation of the  Gophers gymnastics team, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.”

Ranked no.13 coming in, the Gophers sealed the deal on beam, their final event at Regionals, with a lights-out rotation and placed second with a score of 197.625, punching their ticket to nationals for the seventh time in program history. Along the way, they defeated No. 12 Utah (197.500), who will miss the opportunity to compete in the Nationals for the first time in 49 seasons, and No. 5 Alabama (197.175).

Minnesota is heading back to nationals for the first time since the 2022 season, when they finished sixth, a program-best. It will be the first time since the 2022 season that the Gophers will return to NCAAs. There, they finished sixth, a program-best.

“I’m so proud of this team,” said head coach Jenny Hansen. “Our team came in confident and excited for this opportunity. They had tremendous belief when they walked in the building that we could do something really special tonight.”

Minnesota has taught us to expect the unexpected this season and reminded us all that the Cinderella story is often the sweetest of them all. If they can channel their momentum into Fort Worth, a spot in the finals and a spot in history could be theirs.

For More:

That Golden State of Mind

Road to Fort Worth!

Our NCAA bracket is live! 

For the schedule and bracket, click here.

See our Photo Gallery from the 2026 SEC Championships Here!

See our Photo Gallery from the Spouts Collegiate Quad Here!

See the 2026 NCAA Women’s Schedule Here!

See the 2026 NCAA Men’s Schedule Here!

Follow the CGA Here!

Follow @InsideGym for all of the action all season long!

Sarahy Mora Rincon is a Communications and Media Arts & Design double major at James Madison University. The Richmond, Virginia native serves as president of JMU Club Gymnastics, where she helps lead the team and support its events, outreach, and involvement in the collegiate club gymnastics community.

Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics

GYMNAST OF THE WEEK TRACKER!

Women’s:

• Week 1: Ella Zirbes, Utah
• Week 2: Kailin Chio, LSU
• Week 3: Anna Roberts, Stanford
• Week 4: Jordan Chiles, UCLA
• Week 5: Skye Blakely, Florida
• Week 6: Delaynee Rodriguez, Kentucky
• Week 7: Avery Neff, Utah
• Week 8: Morgan Price, Arkansas
• Week 9: Arianna Ostrum, Minnesota
• Week 10: Selena Miranda-Harris
• Week 11: Maggie Slife, Air Force
• Week 12: Tonya Paulsson, California

Men’s:

• Week 1: Solen Chiodi, Michigan
• Week 2: David Shamah, Stanford
• Week 3: Asher Hong, Stanford
• Week 4: Fuzzy Benas, Oklahoma
• Week 5: Fred Richard, Michigan
• Week 6: Asher Cohen, Nebraska
• Week 7: N/A, Winter Cup Week
• Week 8: Parker Thackston, Ohio State
• Week 9: Joseph Soltz, Navy
• Week 10: Nathan York, Nebraska
• Week 11: Matthew Underhill, Penn State
• Week 12: Jaxon Clapper, Greenville

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