FORT WORTH, Texas — Due to a season-long injury, Oklahoma’s senior gymnast, Faith Torrez, was not viewed as a top contender for the NCAA all-around championship prior to Thursday’s semifinal round in Fort Worth, Texas.
Her involvement in the all-around competition itself appeared improbable, given that she hadn’t participated in all four disciplines throughout the season and had only performed on uneven bars and balance beam since February.
Yet, Torrez not only made her inaugural all-around appearance of 2026 during Thursday evening’s second session, but she also overcame Olympic and global titleholders to secure the NCAA’s most prestigious individual award, accumulating a total score of 39.7875.
The outcome even astonished Torrez herself.
“Had someone informed me approximately two and a half weeks ago that I’d currently be performing in all four disciplines, truly fulfilling my aspirations, I would likely have scoffed,” Torrez commented following the awards presentation. “I never intended to pursue this at the start or midway through the season, but arriving at this point and witnessing everything unfold as it did has been truly remarkable. I am profoundly thankful for it.”
According to Coach K.J. Kindler, Torrez inquired about resuming floor exercise training after the SEC championships concluded in late March. Her return was gradual, and she had not executed a complete routine until just days prior.
“Her talent is immense,” Kindler remarked. “She possesses remarkable spatial awareness and an exceptional ability to perform despite a prolonged absence. Therefore, full recognition belongs to the competitor who chose this path and felt adequately confident and physically capable to undertake it.”
Torrez’s impressive showing, instrumental in guiding the reigning champion Sooners to Saturday’s title event, narrowly surpassed the score of LSU’s Kailin Chio. Chio, who had been the country’s leading all-around gymnast for much of the season, posted the highest score (39.6125) after the earlier session and secured second place. Florida’s eMjae Frazier claimed third.
The triumph by Torrez concluded a dramatic day of gymnastics action at Dickies Arena. During the afternoon segment, Florida, the current SEC titleholder, secured an unchallenging victory (197.7875), whereas LSU, the 2024 NCAA champion, had to contend until the final rotation to narrowly overcome a revitalized Georgia squad. Tigers’ coach Jay Clark expressed admiration for his team’s determination.
“Indeed, we added some suspense,” Clark stated. “It was far from our finest performance, yet… we discovered [early in the season] that we possessed a fighting spirit and could persevere through difficulties without giving up, continuing to push. And that’s precisely what they accomplished.”
During the evening session, Oklahoma assumed command from the initial vault rotation and maintained its lead throughout, achieving the highest score of the day, 198.3000. Conversely, UCLA, the Big Ten champion and fourth-ranked team, faltered during its first event on bars, marked by an uncharacteristic slip from senior and Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles. The Bruins gradually recovered, reaching second place before the concluding event. Nonetheless, a vault rotation plagued by mistakes, combined with Minnesota’s strong performance on bars, altered the trajectories for both squads.
As the session drew to a close, Minnesota – having previously surprised perennial powerhouse Utah in the regional finals earlier in the month – secured its place in its inaugural NCAA championship competition with a score of 197.4625, while UCLA (197.2625) saw its aspirations for a national title vanish. The Gophers rejoiced jubilantly upon the announcement of the final scores, whereas the Bruins appeared heartbroken, sharing tearful embraces.
“I am incredibly proud of this team,” Minnesota’s coach Jenny Hansen expressed on ESPN shortly after. “They truly believed in our ability to achieve this, and they entered today with that conviction, maintaining composure throughout. My pride in them is immense. I remain somewhat in shock. What an evening.”
An additional four gymnasts secured individual event championships during the unpredictable day. Among these was Torrez’s colleague, Keira Wells, who achieved a 9.9750 while performing first on vault.
Riley McCusker of Florida, a fifth-year senior and distinguished former national team member, secured her inaugural national title on uneven bars. Competing in her sole event of the day and during the Gators’ ultimate rotation, McCusker was the final performer, and her colleagues enthusiastically called for a perfect 10 following her flawless dismount. Four out of the six judges awarded her precisely that, resulting in a score of 9.9875.
McCusker promptly attributed her accomplishment to her teammates when addressing the press after the afternoon session.
“My confidence soared simply by observing my teammates perform and truly drawing energy from their achievements,” McCusker stated. “Victory for one signifies triumph for everyone. And simply stepping up to compete after witnessing my teammates perform at their peak, thinking, ‘Alright, all I need to do is my usual,’—and indeed, that’s what transpired.”
Concluding Minnesota’s memorable evening, Brooklyn Rowray secured the balance beam championship, becoming only the second Gopher to achieve a top podium finish.
Jordan Chiles brought her distinguished collegiate journey to a close by winning the floor exercise title. This represented her fourth individual NCAA championship, though it wasn’t the particular one she had yearned for most.
In a conversation with ESPN prior to the national competition, Chiles had expressed that a team championship “would signify everything.” The Bruins had finished as the second-place team in 2025.
UCLA will be denied that opportunity on Saturday, yet Oklahoma, Minnesota, Florida, and LSU will aim for precisely that accomplishment. Notwithstanding the Sooners’ commanding display on Thursday, Kindler cautioned that nothing is assured, and efforts are still required to secure the program’s eighth NCAA team championship since 2014.
“Our intention is not to duplicate [Thursday’s showing],” Kindler remarked. “Saturday presents a fresh start. Consequently, I anticipate it will introduce novel obstacles, different outcomes, and various other elements. Our current emphasis is on the methodology; recuperation is critically important for our team to ensure we are in optimal physical and mental condition. Steadiness is paramount for us, and if we can perform near our capabilities, we will experience a successful evening.”
