In a world of precise skills and hours of training, only one thing shines brighter than the crystals of a leotard when it comes to gymnastics – a perfect 10.
As the NCAA enters its eighth week of the regular season, only ten routines have earned perfect 10s this year, and while five of them belong to the SEC, none of them belong to LSU.
For context, this time last season, there were ten perfect 10s awarded to SEC gymnasts out of 37 total before Feb. 17. Of those 10, seven of them came from LSU.
Konnor McClain’s routine on uneven bars received a perfect 10 on Jan. 13 and later a 10 on the balance beam on Jan. 26.
2024 NCAA All-Around Champion Haleigh Bryant’s uneven bars routine earned a 10 on Jan 19. She did it again with her floor exercise routine on Feb. 2 and once again on the balance beam on Feb. 9.
While last season LSU didn’t earn a 10 vault until March 8 from Bryant, it did bring home two more 10s on the floor from 2024 SEC floor champion Kiya Johnson on Jan. 19 and from Olympian Aleah Finnegan on Feb. 16.
The lack of 10s this season has left college gymnastics fans feeling confused as they try to understand the scoring process for gymnasts, and the controversy that has come with it in recent weeks.
Despite upsetting No. 1 Oklahoma last week, the highest score LSU has earned is 9.975, from all-around freshman Kailin Chio on vault and Finnegan on the floor.
Since it hasn’t brought home a perfect 10 yet, what teams in the SEC have?
Well, the first gymnast in the SEC to receive a 10 this season is all-around redshirt senior Helen Hu, who competes for the University of Missouri.
Her routine on the balance beam in a loss against the Oklahoma Sooners on Jan. 17 earned a perfect score.
Hu’s 10 was the first one of the 2025 season for the entirety of college gymnastics. She’s also the third gymnast at Missouri to earn a 10 on the balance beam, however she hasn’t been able to meet this score since that night.
To keep things going for Missouri, during its Zou to the Lou competition as the Tigers competed against Alabama, Illinois and Iowa, all-around sophomore Kennedy Griffin received a perfect 10 for her floor routine.
Following Zou to the Lou, Missouri is now ranked No. 8.
In the same competition, Alabama’s all-around senior Lily Hudson locked in the Tide’s first perfect 10 of the season for her floor exercise routine as well.
After the seventh week of regular season competition, Alabama ranks No. 17.
While LSU was able to defeat Florida this season, 197.550-197.450, the Gators kept on growing as its all-around senior Leanne Wong’s beam routine earned a perfect 10 last week against Auburn.
This was Florida’s first 10 of the year and Wong’s third perfect score on beam throughout her career. When competing at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, the same routine earned a 9.775.
To top of the list of SEC gymnasts who have received a perfect score this season is another Gator, all-around senior Sloane Blakely.
The Frisco, Texas, native celebrated with Wong alongside their team as she received a perfect 10 for her floor exercise routine, celebrating the second 10 of her career.
Her first perfect score was in 2022 on the floor, coincidentally against Auburn as well.
With both Wong and Blakely’s massive contributions to their team, Florida ranks No. 5 in the NCAA.
While there is a 0-7 difference in perfect 10s for the Tigers compared to last season, LSU ranks No. 3 as it enters is eighth week of regular season competition, compared to last year, where it ranked No. 2
LSU is traveling to compete against No. 9 Kentucky this Friday, where it will try to score its first perfect 10 of the year.
