Nate’s NCAA News + Notes Week 14!

Nate’s NCAA News + Notes Week 14!

COMING SOON

Our 2025 NCAA Championship Preview and an all-new spotlight feature on Leanne Wong!

GYMNAST OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to LSU’s Konnor McClain on being Inside Gymnastics Gymnast of the Week for Regional Championships Week! Just over ten months after tearing her achilles at the U.S. Classic, McClain returned to competition on floor exercise for the first time since the 2024 season during the Pennsylvania Regional Final. McClain performed as if she had never left, earning a massive 9.900 on the event. McClain’s performance helped LSU to qualify for the National Championship and get one step closer to defending their national title. It’s been truly wonderful to watch McClain’s joy return this season and to see what very well might be her best gymnastics ever.

Congratulations to Paul Juda, Inside Gymnastics Gymnast of the Week! Juda has built back slowly, pacing himself all season following an incredible 2024 where he captured a historic bronze medal with Team USA. Heading into the men’s NCAA Conference and National championship season, Juda is right on pace to do big things on his home floor in Michigan. At Big Tens, Juda finished second in the All-Around and was leading until the last rotation when his teammate Frederick Richard sealed the title in the final moments of the meet. Juda was also named First Team All-Big Ten.

Routines of the Week!  

Arkansas’ Joscelyn Roberson was on fire at the Pennsylvania Regional, fighting hard for her Razorbacks. Roberson is the definition of confidence on beam and lands each skill with an unmatched sharpness! On Thursday in the semifinal, she broke her freshman All-Around record yet again with a new career high of 39.600, which was good for fourth place across both semifinal contests on the day. She didn’t score less than a 9.875 on any event and had a pair of 9.925s on beam and floor. 

While the Razorbacks fell short of making Nationals, they did not let up. Teammate Frankie Price went down with an unfortunate injury on her opening pass (double layout) in the Semi-final. In one of the more emotional moments of the weekend, the team dedicated their finals performance to Price, with head coach Jordyn Wieber stating on air “We’re going to do Saturday for Frankie.”

We’ll see Roberson in Fort Worth, where she’s qualified as an individual in the All-Around.

Oklahoma’a Tas Hajdu clinched the team victory the 2025 MPSF Championship with a 14.050 still rings score in the final routine of the meet! The Sooners entered the final rotation with a lead of 1.8 points and closed the meet on still rings, while Stanford finished on vault. When the Cardinal completed its vault rotation, OU needed at least at 13.8 on its final routine to finish in front. Hajdu turned in a strong rings set for a 14.050 and the win!

10.0 Alert!!

The Oklahoma Sooners were OUTSTANDING in the Seattle Regional Final bringing in four 10.0s and earning a massive 198.450. Jordan Bowers bagged three perfect scores on every event but beam, totaling a 39.900 All-Around score. Teammate Faith Torrez also found perfection on floor.  

One thing in NCAA gymnastics is certain, when Helen Hu sticks her beam dismount there is no denying she is the definition of perfection. That’s exactly what happened in the Seattle Regional Semifinal, where she received a perfect 10.0 from all four judges!

Utah’s Grace McCallum received back to back perfect scores on uneven bars! We love the uniqueness she brings to her routine! Michigan State’s Gabrielle Stephen drilled her Yurchenko 1.5 for a perfect score.

Regional Madness = Fort Worth Loading

The Regional Championships are complete and the final eight teams for Fort Worth are set! Over in Pennsylvania, we saw a battle between LSU, Michigan State, Kentucky and Arkansas. The competition was tight, but LSU came out on top! Michigan State just barely fell behind LSU and once again broke the 198 barrier. The Spartans came in fighting and qualified to just their second National Championship in program history, their first appearance since 1988! Underdogs Arkansas and Kentucky ultimately fell short, but finished their season with strong performances! 

Utah gymnastics continue to make history! Their regional final included UCLA, Denver and Minnesota. The Utes qualified for their 49th consecutive National Championship! UCLA finished behind Utah, but will take a trip back to Fort Worth after missing out last year. Denver almost kept the string of upsets going! They upset Stanford in the regional semi-final and kept it close with UCLA, but ultimately finished in third. 

LSU, Michigan State, Utah and UCLA will all be in the same semi-final in Fort Worth!

In Alabama, the home team clinched an upset! After a season of ups and downs, Alabama brought the magic to their home regional. The final was TIGHT and had teams fighting from start to finish! The Florida Gators came out on top with a 197.700, followed by Alabama with 197.675, Cal with a 197.575, and Oregon State with a 196.875. While Oregon State missed out on qualifying as a team, Olympic Champion, Jade Carey qualified for the All-Around as an individual!

The final regional took place in Washington. Oklahoma easily won scoring a massive 198.450. The real battle was between Missouri and Auburn. Heading into the last rotation, Missouri only had a .200 lead over Auburn. Leadoff Amy Wier had a fall on beam, meaning that each athlete had to hit in order to qualify. The Tigers rallied and put up five hit routines, including an exceptional anchor routine from beam queen Helen Hu. 

“I need a nap,” Missouri head coach Shannon Welker said after the meet, fighting back tears. “I’m so proud of our team. I felt like we were undeniable tonight. We had an uncharacteristic mistake to leadoff beam and at no point did I think we didn’t have the ability to come back from that.”

The second semifinal will be a SEC matchup between Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama and Florida.

News + Noteworthy 

Missouri’s Hannah Horton drilled her Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.950!

The Oklahoma Sooners were firing on floor exercise! They brought in a 49.800 which included a perfect 10.0 from Bowers and Torrez. The rotation was so sharp that they were able to drop a 9.9!

The Auburn vault lineup had sticky feet in the regional final! Paige Zancan earned a huge 9.950!

LSU’s Aleah Finnegan always brings in the energy on floor! This week she earned a near perfect 9.975! 

At the MPSF Championship, the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners posted a 329.250 team total to edge No. 2 Stanford (328.950) and defeat California (315.450) and Air Force (313.350). It’s  the program’s 20th MPSF Championship! Senior Emre Dodanli and redshirt junior Fuzzy Benas each won individual conference titles.

Six Oklahoma men’s gymnasts earned a total of eight all-conference honors from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation following the MPSF Championship on Saturday, the league announced Monday. Redshirt junior Fuzzy Benas earned three All-MPSF accolades on floor exercise, parallel bars and high bar. Senior Emre Dodanli earned All-MPSF honors on high bar, and senior Matthew Burgoyne and sophomore Tas Hajdu were named to the all-conference still rings team. Junior Ignacio Yockers received All-MPSF honors on pommel horse and sophomore earned all-conference recognition on vault.

The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan men’s gymnastics team captured its fifth consecutive Big Ten Championship on Friday at Crisler Center. The Wolverines finished with a score of 330.750, their second-highest team score of the season. Penn State (323.850) and Nebraska (322.850) finished in second and third, respectively. Five straight Big Ten championships is the program’s longest title streak since winning six consecutive from 1961-66. Frederick Richard was crowned All-Around champion for the third straight year, the first time a Wolverine has won three in a row since Rick McCurdy from 1969-71.

At the Big Ten Championships, Nebraska grabbed the top four spots on the podium on still rings. Yanni Chronopoulos won Nebraska’s first Big Ten still ring title with a 13.95 and a stick. The last conference title was won by Ted Harris in 1997. Asher Cohen hit a 13.95 for the second-place finish. Chris Hiser followed him in third with a 13.85 and Christopulos hit his second career high of the weekend with a 13.80 on the apparatus for fourth. James Freidman scored a 13.275 for tenth on the rings.

37 Wins! At Big Tens, Illinois Brandon Dang secured the Fighting Illini’s 37th program pommel title with a 14.775 routine!

So Far This Season

Women’s Inside Gymnastics Gymnast of the Week: 

Week 1: Aleah Finnegan (LSU)

Week 2: Jordan Bowers (Oklahoma)

Week 3: Jade Carey (Oregon State)

Week 4: Selena Harris-Miranda (Florida)

Week 5: Kailin Chio (LSU)

Week 6: Mya Lauzon (California)

Week 7: Leanne Wong (Florida)

Week 8: Faith Torrez (Oklahoma)

Week 9: Brie Clark (Clemson)

Week 10: Amari Celestine (Missouri)

Week 11: Grace McCallum (Utah)

Week 12: Haleigh Bryant (LSU)

Week 13: Konnor McClain (LSU)

Routine of the Week:

Week 1: Brooklyn Moors/UCLA (9.900 Floor) and Nikki Smith/Michigan State (9.950 Vault) 

Week 2: Jordan Chiles/UCLA (9.975 Floor)

Week 3: Helen Hu/Mizzou (10.0 Beam) 

Week 4: Marissa Neal/Auburn   (9.975 Beam) 

Week 5: Kara Eaker/Georgia (Beam 9.925) and Jordan Chiles/UCLA (10.0 Floor)

Week 6: Morgan Price/Fisk (Bars 10.0)

Week 7: Grace McCallum/Utah (Bars 10.0)

Week 8 Chloe Negrete/NC State (Beam 9.975)/ Amari Celestine/Missouri (floor 9.950)

Week 9: Selena Harris-Miranda/Florida (Vault 10.0)

Week 10: Gabby Mclaughlin/Auburn/ Isabella Magnelli/Kentucky (Beam 9.975)

Week 11: Leanne Wong/Florida (Floor 10.0)/ Jade Carey/ Oregon State (Beam and Floor 10.0)

Week 12: Brooklyn Moors/UCLA (Floor 10.0)/ Riley McCusker/ Florida (Bars 10.0)

Week 13: Joscelyn Roberson/Arkansas (Beam 9.950)

Men’s Inside Gymnastics Gymnast of the Week:

Week 1: Kameron Nelson (Ohio State)

Week 2: Colt Walker (Stanford) and Sam Phillips (Illinois)

Week 3: Taylor Burkhart (Stanford)

Week 4: Ian Sandoval (Illinois)

Week 5: Emre Dodanli (Oklahoma)

Week 6: Taylor Christopulos (Nebraska)

Week 7: Winter Cup

Week 8: Josh Karnes (Penn State)

Week 9: Brandon Dang (Illinois)

Week 10: Paul Juda (Michigan)

Week 11: Frederick Richard (Michigan)

Week 12: Paul Juda (Michigan)

Routine of the Week:

Week 1: Ignacio Yockers/Oklahoma (14.450), Patty Hoopes/Air Force (14.350) and Parker Thackston/Ohio State (14.500) (Pommel Horse) 

Week 2: Brandon Dang/Illinois (14.700 Pommel Horse) 

Week 3: Charlie Larson/Michigan (14.050 Floor) 

Week 4: Aidan Li/Cal (14.650 Pommel Horse)

Week 5: Frederick Richard/Michigan (14.700 High Bar)

Week 6: Fuzzy Benas/Oklahoma (14.350)

Week 7: Winter Cup

Week 8: Asher Hong/Stanford (14.400 Rings)

Week 9: Khoi Young/Stanford (14.900 Pommel Horse)

Week 10: Kameron Nelson/Ohio State (14.550 Vault)

Week 11: Charlie Larson/ Michigan (14.850 Floor)/ Taylor Christopulos/ (14.750 Floor)

Week 12: Tas Hajdu/Oklahoma (14.050 Rings)

Look for Nate’s NCAA Notes 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; Oklahoma Men’s Gymnastics

FOR MORE! 

KJ Kindler: Never Satisfied

Crimson Tide Ready to Roll

In the Moment: Jordan Bowers

WCGA Regular Season All-Americans Announced

The Road to Fort Worth

Real March Madness at SECs

Behind the Mic with Olivia Karas and Cory Tomlinson

2025 AAI Award Finalists Announced

Mackenzie Estep People First, Gymnastics Second

Zoned In Zoey Molomo

Ashlee Sullivan: Seizing Every Opportunity

Victory Lap -Skylar Killough-Wilhelm

Ly Bui Taking Florida By Storm

Beyond the Routine

Beyond the Routine

Fueled By Faith

Inside the Matchup February 7

Artistry In Motion, Aurelie Tran

How Katelyn Jong Fits Right In

Inside the Matchup January 31!

Helen Hu, Behind the 10

Brooklyn Moors Shines Early In Her Senior Season

In His Own Words: Nikolai Kolesnikov

eMjae Frazier: Ready For More

Sam Phillips: His Own Take

Breaking Down the Men’s Code of Points

Men’s NCAA Coaches Address Changes

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