Suni Lee, Jade Carey, a team title no one can predict
The 2022 NCAA gymnastics championships starts on Thursday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Olympians and unheralded heroes are competing for the team title.
This year's gymnastics competition is very close. Only 0.325 of a point separated LSU from second-place Iowa in the second round and UCLA from third-placed Missouri in regional final. Thursday's first semifinal features Oklahoma, Utah, Minnesota and Alabama. The second session features Florida, Michigan, Auburn and Missouri. Saturday's finals are at 1 p.m. ET on ABC. Individual qualifiers include two 2021 Olympic medalists: Oregon State's Jade Carey (all-around) and Jordan Chiles (floor, bars).
Carey and Suni Lee won gold medals in Tokyo. Carey and Lee are competing in college gymnastics this weekend. They are looking to win the all-around title. Other gymnasts competing at the NCAA level include Trinity Thomas, Leanne Wong and Megan Skaggs. Chiles qualified on floor and bars but not in the All-Around. Florida's Bridget Sloan was the last Olympic medalist to claim the title in 2016. UCLA's Kyla Ross is the only Olympic gold medal winner to have won an individual NCAA title so far. The event title contender lists are long.
The team that finished fourth in the championship finals last year is hoping for a better result this year. Florida won the SEC conference championships last month and clinched four of the five individual titles. They also earned the highest score in regional competition with a 198.775 total. Senior gymnast Thomas is arguably the best in country. Leanne Wong, Nya Reed, Sloane Blakely, Alyssa Baumann and Megan Skaggs are also capable of monster performances.
The Florida Gators are looking for their first title since 2015.
Michigan is aiming for a two-peat in 2022. The team won the Raleigh regional and earned its seventh Big Ten championship in nine years last month. They are ranked No. 1 in the country on floor and vault. Michigan is tied with Florida for the highest regular-season average (197.841) and their high score (198.525).
