NCAA gymnastics Week 8: Florida upsets LSU, and OU sets another record
On Friday night, moments after Florida’s Payton Richards was carried off
the floor after sustaining an injury on her opening tumbling pass, all eyes
were on Leanne Wong as she prepared to close out the competition against
LSU.
Needing a 9.825 to seal the victory, Wong did everything the Gators needed
— and then some. The junior put together a flawless performance, complete
with a sky-high double layout, intricate and graceful choreography and the
signature “Gator chomp” at its conclusion. Wong’s walk-off heroics were
rewarded with her first-ever 10.0 on floor, to not only give Florida the
198.150-197.950 win and its best team all-around score of the season, but
to also complete the elusive “Gym Slam.”
After her teammate went down with an injury, Leanne Wong put up her FIRST
🔟 on floor to win the meet for Florida‼️#ThatsaW pic.twitter.com/2nevO4mBKE— ESPN (@espn) February 24, 2024
Wong is now the 15th gymnast in NCAA history, and fourth at Florida, to
have earned a perfect score on every event during her collegiate career.
She later said she felt “very accomplished” after what she considered a
productive day: She had recorded the best all-around score of the season
(39.875) by any gymnast in the country, the bars title and a share of the
titles on floor and beam, while also taking a midterm exam in American
history, a quiz in a health class and completing three biology assignments.
But ultimately, she had just wanted to step up for her teammates when they
needed her most.
“At that moment, I knew the team needed my score, so I just had to go out
there and do my routine the way I had been practicing it,” Wong said during the postmeet news conference.
The Gators are now guaranteed at least a share of the SEC regular-season
title for the sixth straight season and remain No. 5 in the rankings.
Oklahoma, which broke the record for highest team score in program history
(198.675) during its win over West Virginia on Friday, continues its run at
No. 1. LSU stays at No. 2 after moving up to the spot last week, and
California and Utah remain at No. 3 and 4, respectively.
Here’s what else you may have missed from a memorable Week 8 of the 2024
NCAA gymnastics season:
The Perfect 10 Club
While Wong’s perfect score was easily the most dramatic, she wasn’t the
only one to record a 10.0 — or even the only gymnast to earn the score and
find her way into the history books. Five others earned the milestone score
this weekend.
Ragan Smith, Oklahoma: A week after notching her first 10.0 of 2024, the Sooners senior further
cemented her “Beam Queen” title with her seventh perfect score on the
event. She is now tied with Maggie Nichols — who was in attendance for the
win over West Virginia — for the most in school history on beam.
Lucky number 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣.With her seventh career perfect 10,
@raganesmith2000 ties Maggie Nichols for most perfect 10s on beam in
program history! pic.twitter.com/SRoLOKdMRb— Oklahoma Women’s Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) February 24, 2024
Aleah Finnegan, LSU: The Tigers junior had yet another astounding performance on floor, earning
her second straight 10.0 and fourth on the event. While LSU lost Friday,
the team still compiled its best-ever road floor score at 49.775, thanks in
large part to Finnegan. To quote ESPN’s Sam Peszek during the broadcast
after her opening tumbling pass, “She is such a performer. [She] really takes it to the next level with her leaps, her
jumps … She is so fun to watch. This is an absolute treat.”
ALEAH FINNEGAN 🔟 ON FLOOR … AGAIN‼️#ThatsaW I @LSUgym
pic.twitter.com/YvVaBGmvPb— ESPN (@espn) February 24, 2024
Grace McCallum, Utah: As an Olympic silver medalist, a two-time world champion and the 2023 NCAA
bars runner-up, there isn’t much the Red Rocks’ junior hasn’t accomplished
in gymnastics. McCallum had twice received a perfect score on bars, and had
come so-very-close before on floor, but Friday during Utah’s
198.075-196.625 win over Stanford, she earned her first 10.0 on floor. She
became the first Utah gymnast since MyKayla Skinner in 2019 to record the
mark on the event, and the first since MaKenna Merrell-Giles in 2018 to do
so at home.
PERFECT TEN‼️ Grace McCallum is perfect on floor for the first time in her
career! 👏 pic.twitter.com/CRbXoZd2nk— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 24, 2024
eMjae Frazier, California: Sunday was a monumental day for the Golden Bears. Not only did the team
beat UCLA 198.400-197.775 in the “Battle for California,” it also marked
the record for best score in team history. And, if that wasn’t enough,
Frazier (whose sister Margzetta is a sixth-year senior for the Bruins) had
the best individual all-around score (39.825) in Cal history and earned her
second perfect 10.0 of the year, and first on floor.
Here’s what PERFECTION looks like!!!eMjae with a perfect 1️⃣0️⃣ on
floor!!!#GoBears 🐻 | #OneDayBetter pic.twitter.com/MMyEgeNUXP— Cal Women’s Gymnastics (@CalWGym) February 25, 2024
Mya Lauzon, California: In the final rotation of the afternoon Sunday, not long after Frazier’s
triumph on floor, Lauzon reminded everyone of why she’s the reigning Pac-12
champion on beam. Showing off her impressive flexibility, creativity, poise
and a flawless triple series, Lauzon notched her second perfect score on
the event, and first of 2024.
Mya Lauzon records her second career 1️⃣0️⃣ on beam!!!#GoBears 🐻|
#OneDayBetter pic.twitter.com/gb4DaHuWNR— Cal Women’s Gymnastics (@CalWGym) February 26, 2024
Back-to-back
It’s hard to know where to start with Michigan State’s remarkable win
Friday. Competing at the first of two “Big Five” meets held at Penn State,
the Spartans closed out the night with a 49.475 on floor, for a 197.275
final score and the victory over conference rivals Ohio State, Minnesota,
Nebraska and Rutgers.
But that’s not all.
With the win, Michigan State clinched the team’s second straight
regular-season Big Ten title and became the fourth team in Big Ten history
to have an undefeated (9-0) record in conference competition. So yeah, it
was a pretty big night for the Spartans, who will be the top seed and the
host of next month’s Big Ten championships.
“It means so much,” head coach Mike Rowe said after the meet about becoming back-to-back Big Ten regular-season
champions. “But we’ve got to get back in the gym. We’ve got a lot of work
to do. The season’s not over yet but I’m really, really happy for these
guys and all the hard work they put in this season.”
2024 BIG TEN REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS. 🏆Congrats, @MSU_Gymnastics! 💚
pic.twitter.com/yQaZkiT5sz— Big Ten Gymnastics (@B1GGymnastics) February 24, 2024
Best of the rest
Sierra Brooks, Michigan: Competing in the second “Big Five” meet, the Wolverines graduate student
led the team to victory over Illinois, Penn State, Iowa and Maryland with
her latest huge day. Brooks won her fifth straight all-around title
(39.650), as well as the floor title with a nearly-perfect 9.975 routine
featuring powerful — and perfectly controlled — tumbling, and precise and
intricate movement throughout.
Nothing new here. 💁🏼♀️@sierrabbrooks_ with a casual 9.975. 😁
pic.twitter.com/iGySzwrGco— Big Ten Gymnastics (@B1GGymnastics) February 24, 2024
Lilly Tubbs, Washington: The Huskies lost to Arizona State, but the team still recorded its best
score of the season (196.500) and Tubbs matched her career-high best on
bars with a 9.95 — the highest individual event score of the day. Come for
her impressive release moves and double layout dismount, stay for the look
of sheer elation and relief on her face at the end.
Gotta show that entire 9.950 routine 😇Lilly ties her career HIGH!!
pic.twitter.com/lCrJAsUgRt— Washington Gymnastics (@UWGymnastics) February 24, 2024
Cassie Stevens, Auburn: In her final competition at Neville Arena, the fifth-year senior gave
Tigers fans something to remember as she led the squad to victory over
Missouri with her fourth all-around title of the season (39.625), as well
as the title on vault and a share of it on floor and beam. Trailing at the
halfway point of the meet, Stevens helped her team rally with a clutch
9.925 on beam to take over the lead ahead of the final rotation.
Last call at Neville Arena for The Stevens, the signature skill for
@cassiestevens_ Cassie led No. 12 @AuburnGym on beam with a 9.925, in her
fifth season of gymnastics excellence on the Plains.#WarEagle
pic.twitter.com/8DYXvU9d8D— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) February 24, 2024
Emily Lee, UCLA: It was a disappointing day for the Bruins overall during the loss to Cal,
but Lee did everything she could — and more — to give her team a chance.
Competing in the (often undesirable) leadoff spot on three events, the
junior earned 9.95s on floor and beam and won the vault title with a stuck
Yurchenko full that matched her career-high score of a 9.90.
STUCK IT AGAIN! We start with a LEE-doff 9.9 for @emilyklee14!📺:
@Pac12Network📲: https://t.co/Lq1DO8AHay#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/vDHY7JAZCT— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) February 25, 2024
Key meets for this weekend
Friday: Alabama at LSU; 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Friday: Kent State and Bowling Green at Ohio State; 6:30 p.m. ET on B1G+
Friday: Auburn at Georgia; 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Friday: New Hampshire at Michigan State; 7 p.m. ET on B1G+
Friday: Michigan at Oklahoma; 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Friday: UCLA at Stanford; 8 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks
Friday: Minnesota, Washington and UC Davis at Boise State; 9 p.m. ET on
Mountain West Network
Friday: Arizona State at Oregon State; 10 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks
Saturday: Utah at California; 5 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Insider
Sunday: Florida at Kentucky; 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Sunday: North Carolina at Nebraska; 2 p.m. ET ON B1G+
Sunday: Oklahoma, Clemson and Penn at Texas Woman’s; 3 p.m. ET
Sunday: San Jose State, Lindenwood and Air Force at Denver; 3 p.m. ET
Sunday: Arizona at Washington; 4 p.m. ET
Sunday: Arkansas at Missouri; 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Source: Leanne Wong saved the day for Florida after an injury earlier in the lineup, while Oklahoma continues to astound with a program high, and California wows with two perfect 10.0s.
