The stage is set for nationals. Eight teams remain after regionals, and by the end of the week, one will be crowned the 2025 NCAA gymnastics national champion.
In the meantime, Thursday’s semifinal showdowns will subtract four from the Elite Eight to make room for Four on the Floor on Saturday.
The reigning national champions, No. 2 LSU, are in no shortage of competition on their side of the bracket.
The first group of semifinalists is an SEC reunion with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida, No. 7 Missouri and No. 8 Alabama battling for the two coveted spots in the final. LSU is the lone SEC team in the second group, with No. 4 Utah, No. 6 UCLA and No. 5 Michigan State all vying to be one of the last two finalists.
Two weeks ago, the Tigers narrowly won the regional final with a 198.050, punching their ticket to Fort Worth, Tex.
The semifinals begin this Thursday, April 14, with the first match at 2:30 p.m. and LSU at 8 p.m. CDT. While the SEC teams rematch, the Tigers face old foes from all across the country.
No. 4 Utah
Regionals were a rocky road for the Utes. Even at its home regional, the No. 4 seed barely squeezed through the second round and trailed behind UCLA in the region’s final. That was until the third rotation, where a season-high 49.625 on floor boosted them into first.
Senior Grace McCallum had another standout performance, with her third 10 of the season on bars and second consecutive. She took the all-around with a 39.725.
Now, McCallum has achieved perfection more times than any gymnast in the country. She owns four 10s this season, including one on beam from when the team took down UCLA in their regular season finale.
McCallum is the only Utah gymnast to earn a perfect score in 2025 and will be in contention for another on Thursday night.
The last time the Red Rocks met the Tigers was for the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in Week 2, where LSU bested Utah 197.650-196.800.
Poor performances on vault have plagued Utah’s season as uncontrolled steps and hops are consistent throughout its lineups. If the team can stick their vaults, LSU could be in trouble.
No. 6 UCLA
Jordan Chiles and the Bruins are in a favorable position for semis, starting on their best event: floor. They ranked No. 1 in the event, so they should have no problem kicking things off with some high numbers.
Chiles posted the nation’s first perfect 10 on floor this season, and the team earned two more from Chiles and Brooklyn Moors at the Big 10 championship.
UCLA is on a revenge tour after last year’s shocking upset that knocked the team out in the second round at regionals.
Back as the No. 6 seed, they easily cleared the second-round hurdle and came second to Utah in the final.
The team’s bar rotation was below par; there was not a single stick in the entire lineup. They were able to scrape by, but a rotation like that won’t fly in the semifinals.
Chiles will be looking to bounce back on floor from a season-low 9.825 that was dropped from the rotation.
Their best vault rotation of the season came at the perfect time, with freshman Mika Webster-Longin topping the scoresheet again.
The meet was far from perfect for the Bruins, but at their best, they are right up there with LSU.
Their season-high 198.450 from the conference championship is not far off of LSU’s 198.575, and they will be even stronger at nationals with the probable return of freshman Macy McGowan from injury
No. 5 Michigan State
Dubbed the “dark horse” of the group by various media outlets, MSU is the Cinderella story of this year’s nationals.
LSU met the Spartans for the first time this season in the regional final, and the No. 8 seed gave them a run for their money.
The Tigers performed well, but MSU was on their A-game. Capitalizing on LSU’s minor deductions on vault and bars, MSU posted program-high scores on the events.
Ultimately, the Tigers got it done on vault, and the Spartans fumbled when anchor Gabrielle Stephen fell on the beam, forcing them to count Emma Misenheimer’s low 9.775.
They closed with a 198.000 statement, while LSU topped the meet with 198.050.
The last and only time MSU had a semifinal berth was in 1988. For a team that hasn’t been to nationals in over 40 years, finishing within 0.050 of the No. 1 seed is a considerable accomplishment. Frankly, it’s difficult to call them underdogs when they’ve got what it takes to challenge the national champs.
The Spartans will have the advantage of Olympic order for semis, which could be the perfect opportunity to gain momentum with one of the nation’s leading vault lineups.
What could be MSU’s most substantial advantage is mentality. Regionals lit the fuse. Now, it has a fire burning in the semifinals, with nothing to lose.
Yet, if there’s any team that can match mentality, it’s LSU.
