One step from the final goal
They’re back and ready for more.
It’s semifinal day in the NCAA, and the #2 LSU Tigers are looking to make it a good one. They’re back at nationals for the second straight year with eyes on another Four on the Floor appearance. They’ll need to finish in the top two among #3 Cal, #10 Arkansas and Stanford in the first semifinal to make it that far. The meet begins at 3:30 and will be broadcast on ESPN2. John Roethlisberger and Aly Raisman will be on the call with Taylor Davis serving as the on-floor reporter. The other semifinal is at 8:00 and features #1 Oklahoma, #4 Florida, #5 Utah and #8 Alabama. Remember that individual scores on all four events and in the all-around across both sessions factor into individual championships.
One thing I want to note before getting into everything is a statistic I’m bringing back that I’ve decided to call National Qualifier’s Average or NQA. To get any team’s NQA for team score or for a team event score, take a team’s NQS, multiply it by 5, add the two scores they earned at regionals to that total, and divide that entire thing by 7. All rankings you see except for the ones next to the team names are based on that. The full table is below.
#19 Stanford (197.200 NQA, 11-17 overall (3-12 regular season), finished 4th at Pac-12s, begins on bars)
Regionals scores: Semifinal: 197.600 (49.275 VT, 49.400 UB, 49.450 BB, 49.475 FX); Final: 197.575 (49.150 VT, 49.475 UB, 49.350 BB, 49.600 FX)
Program overview: 0 team titles, best finish: 3rd (’04 and ’08), 5 Pac-10/12 titles (last in ’08), 4 individual NCAA titles (last was Elizabeth Price on bars in ’18), 17th nationals appearance (first since ’16), 7 Super Six Appearances (last in ’15) (1993-2018), 0 Four on the Floor appearances (2019-present)
Event rankings: 8th on vault [49.182], 7th on bars [49.361], 8th on beam [49.389], 8th on floor [49.432]
Preview: This wasn’t what anyone expected. The last time an unseeded team made nationals was 2011. They started the season with a 193.625 and had several rotations with five gymnasts during the early part of the season. They were an injured bunch to start, but they got healthier as the season progressed. I think it’s important to note that this run has not been a fluke. They finished 4th at Pac-12s despite being in the afternoon session and made it out of each regionals session over teams that didn’t count a fall. They weren’t a stick, they were the whole tree (pun intended). If they can continue that, they could pull off the most shocking upset in quite some time.
Whom to watch for: If you recall last year’s semifinals, you may remember that Stanford’s Chloe Widner rotated with LSU (I even wrote about her). Her fifth year has been her best by far. She’s the 2024 Pac-12 Specialist of the Year, a fitting title for someone who was limited to just one event midway through the season before getting back to all four events. On her senior day, she recorded her first 10 to anchor the beam rotation. She was clutch at regionals with a career-high 39.700 in the all-around to win the regional title and then beat that with a 39.725 in the finals. Her floor 10 clinched the Cardinal’s spot at nationals and was the last routine Kathy Johnson Clarke ever called. Also look out for Brenna Neault. She’s someone I interviewed right before regionals and gave great insight into her experience with the program.
Individuals with which they’re rotating and semifinal scores: Emma Silberman (VT, Maryland, 9.950, check out my interview with her here), Courtney Blackson (UB, Boise State, 9.950, check out my interview with her here), Nikki Smith (BB, Michigan State, 9.950), Skyla Schulte (FX, Michigan State, 9.900)
#12 Arkansas (197.482 NQA, 15-12-1 overall (8-6-1 regular season), finished 6th at SECs, begins on beam)
Regionals scores: Semifinal: 197.325 (49.375 VT, 49.150 UB, 49.350 BB, 49.450 FX); Final: 197.825 (49.375 VT, 49.450 UB, 49.525 BB, 49.475 FX)
Program overview: 0 team titles, best finish ever: 5th (’09), 0 SEC titles (best finish: 2nd in ’11), 2 individual NCAA titles (Katherine Grable on vault and floor in ’14), 9th nationals appearances (first since ’18), 2 Super 6 appearances (’09 and ’12), 0 Four on the Floor appearances
Event rankings: 6th on vault [49.361], 8th on bars [49.339], 7th on beam [49.396], 6th on floor [49.536]
Preview: I’ve previewed this team so often, it’s repetitive to talk about what they do. Instead, let’s talk about this moment for them. Before the season, I had them as dead last in my SEC power rankings since I was skeptical about if their underclassmen would develop and if Sirena Linton would prove to be more valuable than Norah Flatley. Linton hasn’t been more valuable, but she’s been a steadying force. The underclassmen have developed very well. There’s clear growth here. Jordyn Wieber has built something. It’s something exciting. Today is a celebration, and if they treat it that way, they could make some noise.
Whom to watch for: Frankie Price is ridiculously good on floor. If there’s anybody with a chance to win a national title, it’s her.
Individuals with which they’re rotating and semifinal scores: Anaya Smith (VT, Arizona State, 9.900), Jada Mangahas (UB, Arizona State, 9.900), Amani Herring (BB, Penn State, 9.900), Chae Campbell (FX, UCLA, 9.950)
#3 Cal (198.139 NQA, 29-5 overall (18-3 regular season), finished 3rd at Pac-12s, begins on floor)
Regionals scores: Semifinal: 197.800 (49.275 VT, 49.475 UB, 49.475 BB, 49.575 FX); Final: 198.275 (49.500 VT, 49.675 UB, 49.400 BB, 49.700 FX)
Program overview: 0 team titles, best finish ever: 7th (’16 and ’21), 1 conference championship (1984 NorPac, best finish at Pac-10s/12s: 2nd in ’21 and ’22), 1 individual NCAA title (Maya Bordas on bars in ’21), 6th nationals appearance (2nd straight), 0 Super 6 appearances, 0 Four on the Floor appearances
Event rankings: 4th on vault [49.421], 2nd on bars [49.621], 2nd on beam [49.575], 3rd on floor [49.636]
Preview: This isn’t the Cal team from last year. They’ve managed to get even better. Their NQA ranking on every event is better than last year, especially on vault (8th-4th). That’s not a surprise. It’s a mixture of talent developing and a hint of code abuse. Some of their three-pass floor routines have gone down to two passes and have become more consistent. They are the odds-on favorites to advance with LSU. There is that one little thing they have to contend with: finishing on beam. That said, they may be the team most comfortable finishing there. Their normal is enough to make it to the finals for the first time ever.
Whom to watch for: Mya Lauzon and eMjae Frazier are Cal’s star all-arounders, but each are solid contenders for event titles. Lauzon has one of the prettiest Yurchenko 1.5s in the country that finally got a 10 at regional finals. If she replicates that, it’ll be tough to top. She’s also got a beautiful beam routine that’s gone below 9.9 just twice this season and has gone 10 twice. Frazier has a beautiful beam routine, too, but it’s been less consistent. Her floor routine is a different story. She has a 10 and a season low of 9.825. If she does it like she tends to, it could be a contender.
Individual with which they’re rotating and semifinal scores: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (Washington, 39.550 AA; 9.850 VT, 9.875 UB, 9.875 BB, 9.950 FX, check out my interview with her here)
#2 LSU (198.161 NQA, 22-3 overall (12-3 regular season), SEC champions, begins on vault)
Regionals scores: Semifinal: 197.800 (49.375 VT, 49.375 UB, 49.350 BB, 49.700 FX); Final: 198.250 (49.550 VT, 49.625 UB, 49.450 BB, 49.625 FX)
Event rankings: 3rd on vault [49.496], 3rd on bars [49.550], 5th on beam [49.493], 1st on floor [49.707]
Preview: Well, it’s the same message as always: normal is enough. This is an opportunity to keep the season alive and move on. It’s to the point where there isn’t much to say anymore. Olympic order is where this team thrives. If they avoid stupid mistakes, they’ll move on. Let’s hope it’s a relaxing and fun meet.
Individual with which they’re rotating and semifinal scores: Lily Smith (Georgia, 39.675 AA; 9.825 VT, 9.975 UB, 9.950 BB, 9.925 FX)