The GIST: A positively stacked eight-team field has touched down in Fort Worth, Texas, for the NCAA women’s gymnastics national championships. Join the party and giddy on up — these women are flippin’ fantastic.
⚙️ How it works: The fun begins with tomorrow’s semis, where the top two teams from each four-team meet will earn spots in Saturday’s final. What’s more, the national championships feature both the team competition and gymnasts competing for individual titles in the sport’s four events: vault, uneven bars, beam, and floor.
- There’s also the all-around title, awarded to the gymnast with the highest combined score across all four events during the semis. Every moment counts..
👀 No. 3 LSU sophomore Kailin Chio headlines the 4:30 p.m. ET semi: No. 2 Florida and LSU are the favorites in the first meet, which also features No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Stanford. Keep an eye on perfect 10 queen Chio, who excels on vault and is regarded as the best all-around college gymnast in the country…yes, even including Olympian and No. 4 UCLA senior Jordan Chiles.
⭐ Chiles begins one last run in the 9 p.m. ET semi: The two-time Olympic medalist has already won three NCAA titles, but never the all-around — and this is her last chance. Chiles is also one perfect 10 on beam away from completing the Gym Slam (a flawless score in all four events) in a single season.
- A major Chiles moment could clinch UCLA’s spot in the team final, but the Bruins have stiff competition: No. 1 Oklahoma, who’s seeking their fourth title in five years, as well as No. 6 Arkansas and No. 8 Minnesota. Time to stick it.