Taking it up a level…literally
LSU retakes the podium for an exciting early showdown.
The reigning national champion #2 LSU gymnastics team is on the road for the first time in 2025 in a “neutral” meet. Last week, LSU dominated #32 Iowa State 197.300-194.100. Today, they’ll be on a national stage in the second session of the second annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City alongside #1 Oklahoma, #4 Utah and #6 Cal. The meet begins at 3:00 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. You can also catch the meet on ESPN3 and ESPN+ if you wish to do so. All rankings are as of Week 1 according to Road to Nationals, a week that did not see every team compete.
Historical background for LSU and the other teams
LSU is 11-24 overall against Oklahoma, 5-10 against them in the regular season and 8-20 against them on neutral floors, something that’s technically true even though this is in Oklahoma City. The two teams last met in first edition of this meet in 2024. LSU lost to the Sooners 197.900-197.150. This is the first meeting of the two teams in 2025.
LSU is 10-32 overall against Utah, 5-6 against them in the regular season and 6-20 against them on neutral floors. These two teams met twice last season. The first was in the inaugural edition of this event, a 197.150-196.975 LSU win, and the second was in the national championship, a 198.2250-197.8000 LSU win.
LSU is 6-0 overall against Cal, 3-0 against them in the regular season and 5-0 against them on a neutral floor. LSU met Cal twice last year, both at nationals. The last time these two faced off in the regular season was at the 2023 Purple & Gold Podium Challenge, a chaotic meet LSU won 197.700-197.675.
The last time LSU went to Oklahoma for a meet outside the Lloyd Noble Center was in 2005. The Tigers beat the Sooners in the Union Multipurpose Activity Center in Tulsa 197.850-195.750 to set a then-program record and tie for the national lead. The 2005 LSU team was one of the best in school history, and is inarguably the best to never get a banner. They were the first to ever earn the top overall ranking and finished the regular season as the #1 team in the country.
These previews are not going to be as in depth as they might normally be. I’m in a hotel room in Tuscaloosa because I just went to go see UNC meet up against Alabama. Alabama looks solid and put up the third 197 of the 2025 season, but that’s not important.
About #6 Cal (begins on bars)
Cal finished as national runners up in 2024, which marked not only the best finish in program history, but also the first top 4 finish in program history. Now they’re in the ACC, a totally logical thing. They lost two of the stars of that 2024 team to graduation in AAer Andi Li and specialist Gabby Perea, and while their freshman class is highlighted by a still-recovering Ondine Achampong, they have a solid cast that makes them a formidable opponent for the third straight season.
Last week, the Golden Bears dominated their former conference rivals Oregon State and UCLA in a podium meet. They’re tied for #6 with Illinois State on vault [48.950], #6 on bars [49.175], tied for #6 with three other teams on beam [49.100] and tied for #8 with NC State on floor [49.050]. Cal is led by co-head coaches Justin Howell, in his 13th season in the role, and Liz Crandall-Howell, in her 7th season in the role, alongside 3rd-year assistant John Carney and 1st-year assistant Seth Helland.
About #1 Oklahoma (begins on beam)
Oklahoma finished 6th last season, a result of the most unexpected collapse in the modern history of the sport. If that’s not going to motivate them to run roughshod over the entire country in 2025, nothing will. The Sooners lost 8 NQS routines thanks to the graduations of Ragan Smith, Bell Johnson and AAer Kat LeVasseur. They added five freshmen including three of the top six according to College Gym News’ recruit rankings: Elle Mueller, Lily Pederson and Kelsey Slade. They also returned superstar Audrey Davis for her 5th year.
Last week, Oklahoma put up 5 all-arounders in their season-opening podium quad meet win. You can use a maximum of 6. I don’t understand the logic, but it’s what happened. They rank #1 on vault [49.450], #1 on bars [49.550], #2 on beam [49.400] and #5 on floor [49.150]. They are led by head coach KJ Kindler and her duo of assistant coaches Lou Ball and Tom Haley, each of whom are entering their 19th season with the program. Assistant coach Ashley Kerr is in her second year.
About #4 Utah (begins on floor)
Utah finished as the #3 team in the nation for the 4th consecutive year in 2024 after barely squeaking into nationals. The Red Rocks lost AAer Maile O’Keefe and specialists Abby Paulson and Alani Sabado to graduation, but they added Ana Padurariu in as a transfer as well as top recruit Avery Neff. It’s Utah, they’re always a threat.
Last week, the Red Rocks opened their season at home against in-state foe Utah State and won 196.775-194.450. They’re tied for #8 with NC State and UCLA on vault [48.925], #4 on bars [49.375], #1 on beam [49.475] and #10 on floor [49.000]. Utah is led by head coach Carly Dockendorf, in her second year in the position, assistant coach Myia Hambrick, in her fourth year on the staff, assistant coach Jimmy Pratt, in his fourth year on the staff, and assistant coach Mike Hunger, in his first year on the staff.
About #2 LSU (begins on vault)
LSU ranks #3 on vault [49.350], #5 on bars [49.275], #4 on beam [49.175] and #1 on floor [49.500]
This was the best part of winning the 2024 natty: earning the right to start on vault in this meet. In all seriousness, the biggest thing the team needs to do is keep the mindset from the opener. I don’t care whether they win or lose because they need to show they can be successful on big stages like this. If they can, the winning is going to come naturally. Haleigh’s back on beam, by the way, that’s all for injury updates.