Oklahoma wasn’t messing around. After missing the mark last year, the Sooners came into the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships with one goal: get that title back. Mission accomplished. They dropped a 198.0125 and walked out with their seventh national crown like it was business as usual. Everything looked wrapped up nice and tidy… until… Mizzou threw a wrench in the script!

See, Mizzou wasn’t even supposed to be there. Coming in as the No. 7 seed, they were the lowest-ranked team in the final and definitely not the favorite in a field that included gymnastics bluebloods like Oklahoma, Utah, and UCLA. And yet, they kept swinging. Vault opened with fire—Amari Celestine lit things up with a 9.900, and Jocelyn Moore, Hannah Horton, Kaia Tanskanen, and Elise Tisler all delivered clutch routines to keep Missouri in the hunt. But then came the moment that nearly crushed it all: Amy Wier’s beam score.

Wier, who had been money on the beam all season, delivered a clean gymnastics routine as Mizzou’s leadoff. At first, it looked like she’d locked in a 9.900—exactly the kind of score the Tigers needed to stay alive. But then came the bump. Her score was marked down to a 9.850, and with that tenth shaved off, Missouri dropped to fourth behind Utah. For a moment, it looked like the Tigers’ dream finish had been snatched away by a score sheet. But wait—cue the drama.

After a video review, the judges held Wier’s score at 9.850… and it turned out that was just enough. Mizzou’s final team total came out to 197.250, barely nudging past Utah’s 197.2375. That tiny margin? It was the difference between a fourth-place finish and a program-defining third. Just like that, Missouri not only secured its highest placement in school history, they became the first women’s team at Mizzou to ever crack the NCAA top three. So yeah, Amy Wier was almost robbed of her moment. But in the end? She turned into the hero of the night. That beam routine didn’t just count—it changed everything.  But still, they were lagging behind the Sooners.

UCLA and Missouri push, but Oklahoma’s consistency seals the gymnastics victory

The Oklahoma Sooners women’s gymnastics team snagged its seventh national championship on Saturday. This victory ties them with UCLA for the most NCAA titles in gymnastics history, with all seven championships coming under the leadership of Head Coach K.J. Kindler. Oklahoma stayed strong from start to finish, holding the lead throughout the competition.

The Sooners dominated the floor event, where they’ve long been the best in the country, and kept the momentum going in the later rotations. Faith Torrez led the charge with a near-perfect 9.965 on floor, and their vault performance was flawless, overcoming their nemesis from earlier in 2024. Meanwhile, UCLA kept it close with Jordan Chiles posting a massive 9.975 on floor, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. The real turning point came in the final rotation when senior Danielle Sievers nailed her routine on bars, securing the title for Oklahoma.

Despite a valiant effort from UCLA on beam and Missouri’s stellar performances, including a 9.965 from NCAA Beam Champion Helen Hu, it was Oklahoma’s consistency and clutch performances that sealed the gymnastics deal.