Posted by For the first time ever, LSU is the NCAA gymnastics national champion. In one of the closest finals meets the sport’s seen, the Tigers prevailed, pulling off a 198.2250 to take the crown.
After leading for three rotations, the Tigers trailed Utah entering the final rotation. And on beam of all events, an apparatus that will make or break a team’s meet. Two falls by the Utes on vault helped LSU, but it still needed a clean finish to come out on top after LSU’s second beam worker fell. The Tigers not only stood up to the challenge but put up the best score of the night, setting a program beam record with a 49.7625.
LSU’s national championship is the first title for head coach Jay Clark.
In its first ever finals appearance, Cal finished as national runner-up with a score 197.8500. While individual champions were crowned in the semifinals meets, Golden Bear eMjae Frazier tied LSU’s Haleigh Bryant with an all-around score of 39.7125. Bryant won the all-around title on Thursday with the same number.
Utah finished third in finals under first year head coach Carly Dockendorf. Florida, who was expected to have a rebuilding year without stars Trinity Thomas and Kayla DiCello, finished in fourth place.
The Sporting News tracked updates and results from the 2024 NCAA gymnastics championship, including scores and winners from the meet.
MORE: Watch the 2024 NCAA gymnastics championship live with Fubo (free trial)
Winners are in bold in each table.
The results below are based on Thursday’s semifinal results.
Vault
Bars
Beam
Floor
All times Eastern.
5:44 p.m. – That’s going to do it. Aleah Finnegan puts up a complete beam routine to close out the Tigers’ rotation and clinch the title!
5:38 p.m. – Konnor McClain goes 9.625 on beam. There are still several routines to go, but that just might secure it for LSU.
5:33 p.m. – Now LSU with the fall. Savannah Schoenherr trips up on the beam and hangs on, but the deductions will still count as a fall.
5:32 p.m. – Sierra Ballard! On her only routine of the day, the Tiger goes 9.9500 in the leadoff position.
SIERRA BALLARD IS FEELIN’ CHEESY
That’s a career high 9.950 for the senior
📺 ABC | @sierralballard2 pic.twitter.com/zEBpWjbQDa
5:29 p.m. – Mistakes for Utah and Cal’s leadoffs. Utah’s Camie Winger sits her vault while Cal’s Lauzon misses a routine connection on her kip on the bars. The Utes second vaulter, Ella Zirbes, also has a big step on her landing. They will have to count her 9.6750.
5:21 p.m. – One. More. Rotation. This time, it’s Utah with the lead. It’s still anyone’s game as LSU trails just .037 and Cal .150 behind first place.
5:14 p.m. – Leanne Wong falls off the beam on her front layout stepout. The Gators will now have to count a 9.6625 from Victoria Nguyen.
5:10 p.m. – Mya Lauzon with the sticky feet! Her vault is the first one stuck of the afternoon, and she scores a 9.9500.
Mya continues the Bears’ fantastic vault rotation with a 9.95!!!
📺WATCH: ABC#GoBears🐻| #OneDayBetter pic.twitter.com/xcFYXMvd8f
5:08 p.m. – Sloane Blakely, 9.9500 on beam! Florida needs a big rotation to make a push for the title.
CAREER HIGH ALERT🥳🥳
🔹 @sloaneeblakely sets her career high with a 9.9500!!!#GoGators | #WeChomp
📺https://t.co/CqcEgOmjm9 pic.twitter.com/9KlijGCsrt
4:57 p.m. – A strong beam rotation bumps the Utes up into second place. LSU still leads by .100 while Cal drops to third, trailing Utah by just .063. Florida sits in fourth.
4:48 p.m. – Another fall on floor. This time, it’s Cal’s Kyen Mayhew. She scores a 9.2000.
4:38 p.m. – Amelie Morgan with a solid 9.125 leadoff for Utah on the beam.
4:28 p.m. – After one rotation, it’s LSU with the lead! Cal sits in second followed by Utah and Florida.
4:24 p.m. – Her score is dropped, but Gabby Perea goes out with a bang, pulling out a standing full on beam.
Pulled out the standing full one last time 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Amzf5CxOoo
4:20 p.m. – eMjae Frazier with the first 9.9500 of the meet! After all, Cal is the second best team in the nation on beam for a reason.
WOW!!! eMjae with the 9.95!!!#GoBears🐻| #OneDayBetter pic.twitter.com/GRuRLRICXt
4:16 p.m. – LSU’s KJ Johnson sits her front layout on floor, an unusual mistake for the junior. The Tigers will look to drop her 9.2875 with three more routines to go in this rotation.
4:09 p.m. – Florida begins on vault, Utah on bars, Cal on beam and LSU on floor.
4:07 p.m. – Here’s what a national championship would mean for each program.
What’s at stake in this afternoon’s #NCAAgym Championship! It will be the 1st title for any of the head coaches.
No. 2 LSU: 1st title
No. 3 Cal: 1st title
No. 4 Florida: 4th title, 1st since 2015
No. 5 Utah: 10th title (would tie Georgia for NCAA record), 1st since 1995
4:02 p.m. – It’s show time. In two hours, a new champion will be crowned.
The 2024 NCAA gymnastics championship begins at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 20. It will be broadcast live on ESPN from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Cord-cutters can access the meet live with Fubo, which offers a free trial.
The ESPN family of networks will also provide live streams of singular events and special commentary from former Olympians and collegiate stars John Roethlisberger and Aly Raisman. There will also be a quad-box viewing option and a Spanish-language viewing option, all on ESPN+.
In addition, the crews’ commentary will be boosted by the use of “Tech Tools,” according to the network, including height and distance markers on vault, protractors for body angle and a height grid on bars, and what the network called a “split-o-meter” on beam.
Emily Dozier is an editorial intern at The Sporting News