Step aside, football fans – there’s another ‘Super Bowl’ on the schedule. This Friday, the top two women’s college gymnastics teams will go head-to-head on ESPN2.
LSU’s Coach Jay Clark has called this matchup incredible for the fans. A handful of the sport’s biggest names will be taking to the floor.
The Sooners and Tigers aren’t just the current national leaders. They’ve been the leading programs over the past five years.
Oklahoma has been the gold standard in women’s college gymnastics for nearly a decade. They have won six national titles since 2014.
In 2024, the Sooners headed into the postseason as the runaway favorite to take the title. However, when the Sooners collapsed in the National Semifinals, an uber-talented LSU squad emerged as the new frontrunner.
Days later, the Tigers reached the top of the podium, clinching their program’s first national title.
Though LSU enters 2025 as the reigning champions, the star-studded Sooner squad returns to the floor with a vengeance. This season, K.J. Kindler’s team doesn’t just seek its seventh NCAA Championship – they’re looking for redemption.
No. 1 Oklahoma @ No. 2 LSU: The Ultimate Showdown
This Friday’s meet marks the first time the two powerhouses will meet in SEC regular-season competition. Though the two often face off at nationals, Oklahoma’s move from the Big 12 to the SEC creates a new – and fierce– rivalry.
Oklahoma defeated LSU 197.950 to 197.650 in a quad meet to start the season, but the stakes are higher this Friday.
The Sooners head to Baton Rouge in control of their destiny, maintaining a 4-0 conference and a 10-0 national record. In the SEC standings, LSU sits just behind OU at 3-1.
SEC Regular-Season Title Race
While eight of the nine SEC teams will eventually compete in the SEC Gymnastics Championships, all nine are gunning for an SEC regular-season title.
Since the award’s introduction in 2017, the Florida Gators have dominated the category, winning all six regular-season titles from 2019-2024.
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In 2025, the battle will likely come down to the nation’s top two teams: Oklahoma and LSU.
For the Sooners, a win would help solidify their top spot in the SEC, greatly increasing their odds of claiming the regular-season title. For the Tigers, a win will bring them into a dead heat with their new SEC rivals.
Key Players to Watch
For LSU and OU, it’s an embarrassment of riches, with both programs ranking in the top five across all four events.
LSU leads the nation on vault, where freshman phenom Kailin Chio has delivered consistently stuck landings on her Yurchenko 1.5.
Currently, Chio clocks in as the No. 2 vaulter in the country, the highest event ranking for any freshman gymnast nationwide.
Defending NCAA and SEC All-Around Champion Haleigh Bryant should also highlight LSU’s vault rotation on Friday. Bryant notched a strong 9.925 in last week’s rivalry win over Alabama, her first vault since returning from a UCL injury.
Oklahoma’s Vault Squad
While LSU’s vault team is the nation’s best, Oklahoma’s vault squad is not far behind.
Three-time NCAA Champion Faith Torrez has been on a hot streak lately, sticking her Yurchenko 1.5 for three consecutive weeks to post scores of 9.95 or higher.
On bars and beam, the Sooners lead the nation, with two of the top five gymnasts on bars competing for Oklahoma.
No. 1 Audrey Davis, the defending NCAA Uneven Bars co-Champion, continues to deliver on her jaw-dropping routine.
If Davis can properly rotate her dismount and find the landing, she could be on 10.0-watch.
For the Tigers, former elite U.S. National Champion Konnor McClain has been a rock on bars, earning a near-9.90 average and a top-ten national ranking. Defending SEC Uneven Bars Champion Ashley Cowan can also deliver near-perfect scores for the Tigers.
The Beam Battle
While the Sooners also lead the nation on beam, LSU’s stars are not far behind.
2024 Olympian Aleah Finnegan famously clinched LSU’s national title on beam, an event where she is world-class.
Though the senior has displayed fatigue in recent meets, she brought her A-game on beam to clinch the win over Alabama last week.
Top-ranked all-around gymnast Jordan Bowers currently leads the Sooners on beam with a 9.904 average, topping an endlessly talented lineup that includes the defending NCAA co-Champions on beam, Davis and Torrez.
Floor Exercise Showdown
On floor, the talent is overwhelming.
For Oklahoma, Torrez and Bowers both rank in the top ten on the event.
Renowned for her team’s eclectic choreography, K.J. Kindler’s floor squad combines intricate dance with impeccably clean tumbling.
While Oklahoma sets a performance standard, LSU brings the power.
In last week’s meet at Alabama, all six athletes on LSU’s floor roster competed ‘E-rated’ tumbling passes, the highest difficulty rating in women’s college gymnastics.
In her first collegiate floor routine last week, 2024 U.S. Olympic Alternate Kaliya Lincoln nailed her double layout to post a 9.875. This Friday, Lincoln’s routine could be an asset for LSU.
The Final Word
Don’t forget about the defending champion, though. In addition to her prowess on beam, Finnegan won the 2024 national title on floor.
The senior has struggled to control her landings recently, but her combination of difficulty and dance is unrivaled. Could she clinch her first perfect 10 of the season this Friday? It’s possible.
The stage is set. No matter how you view it, the meet will likely determine the top dog in the nation’s top gymnastics conference.
This Friday, tune into ESPN2 to watch the *gold standard* take on the *Cinderella story* in women’s college gymnastics.
For more details on this exciting matchup, check out the full article on Forbes.
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