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NCAA Gymnastics Week 9: Cal tops Utah as Florida takes regular-season SEC title

The No. 3 California Golden Bears had a chance to get one step closer to their Pac-12 regular-season title goal on Saturday, but they knew it wasn't going to be easy.

At home, in a matchup against No. 4 Utah, the Golden Bears would need to have one of their best games of the season to be in position to win it outright.

They did just that.

Led by sophomore standout eMjae Frazier, who scored a 39.750 to claim the overall crown, Cal earned its third-best team score with a 198.100-197.700 victory and a guarantee of a share of the regular-season title.

Now, Cal will have a chance to win its first outright regular-season conference title if it wins Sunday's game against Stanford.

With Saturday's result, Cal returns to the No. 2 spot in the rankings and has a national ranking score of 197.950. Oklahoma remains number one with an NQS of 198.420. LSU, Florida and Utah round out the top five.

Here's what you may have missed from Week 9 of the 2024 NCAA gymnastics season:

alligator greatness

Florida clinched sole ownership of the SEC regular-season conference title on Sunday with a 198.225-198.10 victory over Kentucky on the road. The Gators had clinched at least a share of the honor last week following their win over LSU, and Sunday's victory eliminated both Kentucky and LSU, the other two teams hoping to clinch a share of the title.

It is the sixth consecutive year that Florida has won at least a share of the regular season championship.

The Gators were led by Leanne Wong, who earned a 9.975 on both bars and beam, as well as Anya Pilgrim, who earned a 10.0 on floor (more on that below). Florida trailed Kentucky midway through the meet, but the Gators turned the floor with a season-high 49.725, and five gymnasts earned a 9.90 or better in the event. They continued their dominance on beam, with four Gators scoring 9.90 or higher for their second-highest total on beam (49.575) of 2024.

“With this team, from day one and looking at where we are now, I couldn't be more proud,” head coach Jenny Rowland said after the meet. “This SEC Championship is extremely meaningful. This team has been through ups and downs and they did it together. They never stopped fighting. And today we get to celebrate a unique possession of the SEC championship. They got every tenth we got tonight, so [I’m] “I'm very proud of them.”

The perfect 10 club

Eight gymnasts earned perfect scores over the weekend. Two reached the milestone for the first time, another did it twice in three days in the same event, and a pair of seniors did it in the best style possible.

Anya Pilgrim, Florida: The Gators' freshman continued her stellar rookie campaign with the first perfect score of her career during Florida's win on Sunday. She also became the first freshman in the country to earn a 10.0 on floor in 2024, and just the second Florida gymnast in history to do so as a freshman.

Audrey Davis, Oklahoma: After receiving a near-perfect score of 9.975 11 times during her career, the Sooners senior earned her first 10.0 during the team's quad meet win Sunday over Clemson, Texas Woman's and Penn.

Ragan Smith, Oklahoma: Last week, Smith tied the program record for most perfect scores on beam. On Friday, against Michigan, he broke the record. Then on Sunday, he further cemented his lead by posting his ninth perfect mark in the event (and fourth in a row!). She is now tied with Maggie Nichols for perfect scores on any event in Oklahoma history.

Haleigh Bryant, LSU: At this point in the season, it almost seems like Bryant should be a given in this section. On Friday night, during the Tigers' 198.325-197.325 victory over Alabama, Bryant recorded his third perfect score on the court and 14th overall with his latest spectacular high-flying performance. She is now tied for 11th in NCAA history in perfect scores. And if that wasn't enough, Bryant also won the all-around with a season-high score of 38.850, as well as the vault and bars titles.

Raena Worley, Kentucky: The Wildcats lost to Florida on Sunday, but it was still a monumental day for the team. Kentucky eclipsed the 198 mark for the first time in school history, on Senior Night in front of a packed crowd at Rupp Arena. Worley, a fifth-year senior, capped off his incredible home career with a 10.0 in his final event of the night on the court. He scored his third perfect score on the court and gave fans the best parting gift.

Makenzie Wilson, Kentucky: The Wildcats junior closed out the team's first rotation on vault with her second perfect score of the season. Her front half pike helped the team earn its third-highest vault score (49.500) in program history.

Jessica Hutchinson, Denver: Just like Worley did in Lexington, Hutchinson put an exclamation point on an incredible career by earning a 10.0 in her final event, also on floor, during Senior Night festivities on Sunday. And to make it even better, the Pioneers (198.025) earned victories over San Jose State, Lindenwood and Air Force.

Sienna Schreiber, Missouri: Like Davis, the Tigers graduate student had come very close to perfection several times throughout her career, but had never accomplished the feat. Until Sunday, of course. During the team's loss to Arkansas, Schreiber finally earned the elusive score on beam, thanks to a textbook triple set and a perfect landing, becoming just the fourth gymnast in school history to do so at any time. event. Her and her teammates' ecstatic reaction once her score comes in really says it all.

The best of the rest

Jade Carey, Oregon State: The junior had her best night of the season on Friday during the Beavers' 197.400-196.625 victory over Arizona State. Yurchenko's all-around on her vault earned a 9.95, the highest possible score for that vault, and her 9.975 on her floor reminded everyone why she is the reigning Olympic champion in the event. Carey won both event titles, as well as the all-around (39.725), and finished second on bars and beam.

Elena Deets, Arizona: Entering the final rotation during the team's matchup against Washington on Sunday, the Wildcats trailed by .350. But, led by Deets, the team took a major step forward and earned a new program high of 49.625 on beam. Four other gymnasts scored 9.90 or higher, and Deets scored a personal-high 9.975 to help earn the 196.675-196.550 road victory.

Katie Harper, North Carolina State: The Wolfpack had a big day on the bars Saturday during their quad win (197.00) over Iowa State, Northern Illinois and Temple. Harper, a freshman, earned a career-high score of 9.95, tying teammate Emily Shepard for the event title, and helped lead the team to its fourth-best bars score in the program history (49,400).

Key meets this weekend

Friday: Auburn, George Washington and Texas Woman's at LSU; 7 pm eastern time

Friday: Georgia at Michigan; 7 pm eastern time

Friday: Kentucky at North Carolina; 7:30 pm Eastern Time

Friday: Illinois, Minnesota and Talladega in Alabama; 8 pm Eastern on SECN+

Friday: Ohio State at BYU; 9 pm eastern time

Friday: Utah at Arizona; 10 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Insider

Friday: Washington at Oregon; 10 pm Eastern Time

Saturday: Central Michigan, Fisk and Greenville at Michigan State; 2 pm ET on B1G+

Saturday: UCLA at Arizona State; 3 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks

Saturday: Florida, eastern Michigan and Lindenwood in Nebraska; 7 pm ET on B1G+

Sunday: Denver, New Hampshire and Southeast Missouri State in Missouri; 2 pm ET on SECN+

Sunday: Oklahoma at Arkansas; 4 pm ET on SECN+

Sunday: California at Stanford; 5 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks



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