Nate’s NCAA News + Notes Week 8!

Nate’s NCAA News + Notes Week 8!

By Nate Salsman

Gymnast of the Week

Congratulations to Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez on being Inside Gymnastics Gymnast of the Week for Week 8! Torrez earned a career high All-Around score of 39.775! She also scored a perfect 10.0 on floor, the first Oklahoma 10.0 of the season! Torrez helped lead the Sooners to their first 198 score this year in a big victory over Florida 198.075-196.625. “That definitely felt like one of the best routines that I did this season,” Torrez said. “Landing the final tumbling pass, you could tell I was really excited. I added a little dance move in there. I was super excited to go out there and do one of my best routines.”

Note: NQS takes a team’s top six scores—at least three must be from away meets—drops the highest, and averages the remaining five. This helps balance out early-season struggles and accounts for home vs. away scoring differences.

Women’s NCAA Event Leaders 

All-Around: Jade Carey (Oregon State) – 39.685

Vault: Faith Torrez (Oklahoma) – 9.950

Bars: Grace McCallum (Utah) – 9.955

Beam: Jade Carey (Oregon State) – 9.965 

Floor: Jordan Chiles (UCLA) & Jordan Bowers (Oklahoma) – 9.960

Men’s NCAA Event Leaders (3-score average) 

All-Around: Taylor Burkhart (Stanford) – 81.350

Floor: Kameron Nelson (Ohio State) – 14.233

Pommel Horse: Patrick Hoopes (Air Force) – 14.817

Rings: Asher Hong (Stanford) – 14.500

Vault: Kameron Nelson (Ohio State) – 14.483

Parallel Bars: Frederick Richard (Michigan) – 14.333

High Bar: Frederick Richard (Michigan) – 14.283

Team Rankings

Routines of the Week! 

NC State’s Chloe Negrete is absolutely art on balance beam! This week, she capped off her beautiful routine with a stuck double twist dismount! The Wolfpack also scored a season high 197.025 in their victory over North Carolina!

Missouri’s Amari Celestine executed a fantastic floor routine that earned a 9.95! Her brother Artyon Celestine choreographed her routine and was able to be at the meet in person, cheering her on right next to the floor!

“It was like I was out here really doing it for him,” Celestine said. “I know I go out and I say, I’ve dedicated my season to my family, but having him here by my side tonight was really meaningful for me.”

Check out the flare Amari brings to the routine!

Big Wins!!

This week saw one of the biggest rivalries in the NCAA: Auburn vs. Alabama! Auburn defeated Alabama for the first time away, in Coleman Coliseum! They earned a massive score of 197.750, a season high! Their meet was highlighted by their 49.500 vault rotation! Freshman Katelyn Jong stuck her Yurchenko 1.5 cold for a 9.950! 

Alabama did not go down without a fight! They earned a meet total of 197.350 and had a floor total of 49.600! They did not count a score lower than 9.900 on the event!

Georgia traveled for a dual meet against Missouri. The meet came down to the last routine! The competition was successful for both teams, each of them earning season highs. Missouri took the win 197.425-197.350, but Georgia moved into the top 10 sitting in the ninth spot! The meet was highlighted by two fantastic beam routines! Missouri’s Helen Hu and Georgia’s Anya Turner both bagged 9.975s! 

#Skillz of the Week! 

Florida’s Skye Blakely brings the difficulty with her double front half dismount on bars! This helped her earn a big 9.900!

Auburn’s Paige Zancan brings uniqueness to the vault! She competes a difficult front handspring + front pike vault! This week she stuck it and earned a 9.900!

Monster Scores! 

Utah and Denver competed against each other this week and both teams were outstanding!

Utah joined the 198 club! Olympian Grace McCallum was oh-so-close to perfection! The judges gave her three 9.975s on bars, beam and floor, earning McCallum an All-Around total of 39.800!  

Denver displays excellence on bars! High flying release moves and excellent dismounts helped them earn a 49.525 on bars! Utah took the win 198.075-197.525

UCLA gymnastics nicknames their floor rotation a “floor party” for good reason! This week, Jordan Chiles and Brooklyn Moors both scored 9.975s! The Bruins earned a floor total of 49.550!

News + Noteworthy

• The Florida Gators were able to unite after two teammates went down with injuries. Anya Pilgrim and Sloane Blakely both took rough falls forcing them to pull out of the remainder of the meet. Pilgrim fell on bars, but was able to finish her routine. Blakely fell on floor and had to stop her routine midway through. Many Gators took to Instagram showing their love and support for the team. We wish Anya and Sloane the best in their recovery! 

Oregon State’s Jade Carey made history this week becoming the first gymnast in program history to earn a 39+ All-Around score 40 times! Carey is also getting a statue on Oregon State’s campus!

• Stanford’s Ui Soma is incredible on bars! This week she brought in a 9.950!

• Michigan State continues to rise! They earned a 197.475 and are on a roll this season! Check out Sage Kellerman’s 9.950 bar routine! 

• Cal gymnastics continues to be incredible! On Sunday, they earned the highest score in ACC program history with a 197.775!

• Illinois’s Emmalise Nock earned a 9.900 on floor in the leadoff spot in a routine that totally captured our attention!

• LSU’s Haleigh Bryant returned to the All-Around this week earning a 39.500!

• Kailin Chio is a rock on her Yurchenko 1.5! She stuck it again this week for a 9.925. 

• Winter Cup was this week and Michigan commit Ashlee Sullivan took the title! The podium was rounded out with Florida commits Jayla Hang and Simone Rose. Look for an interveiw with Ashlee coming soon to InsideGym.com!

NCAA Stars Named to Senior National Team

The 2025 Senior Men’s National Team Presented by Xfinity was announced following the Men’s Senior competition at Winter Cup on Sunday. National Team members are listed below:

• Taylor Burkhart — Arvada, Colo./Stanford University

• Taylor Christopulos — Layton, Utah/University of Nebraska

• Brandon Dang — San Jose, Calif./University of Illinois

• Alex Diab — Glen Ellyn, Ill./EVO Gymnastics

• Asher Hong — Tomball, Texas/Stanford University

• Patrick Hoopes — Lehi, Utah/U.S. Air Force Academy

• Junnosuke Iwai — Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics

• Paul Juda — Deerfield, Ill./University of Michigan

• Riley Loos — Folsom, Calif./Stanford University

• Brody Malone — Aragon, Ga./EVO Gymnastics

• Stephen Nedoroscik — Worcester, Mass./EVO Gymnastics

• Alex Nitache — Knoxville, Tenn./University of Nebraska

• Frederick Richard — Stoughton, Mass./University of Michigan

• Colt Walker — Cedar Park, Texas/Stanford University

• Donnell Whittenburg — Baltimore, Md./Salto Gymnastics*

• Shane Wiskus — Spring Park, Minn./EVO Gymnastics

• Khoi Young — Bowie, Md./Stanford University

Senior Development Team

• Tate Costa — Narragansett, R.I./University of Illinois

• Josh Karnes — Erie, Pa./Penn State University

• Kiran Mandava — Cypress, Texas/Stanford University

• Kai Uemura — Chicago, Ill./Stanford University

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)

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)

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)

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)

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.

FOR MORE! 

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