Sooner resilience culminates in an eighth NCAA title, in a thrilling comeback that secured their dynasty status
FORT WORTH, Texas — In a thrilling showdown that came down to the very last routine on the final rotation, the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team delivered a masterpiece of resilience and excellence to capture the program's eighth NCAA national championship on Saturday afternoon inside Dickies Arena.
The Sooners posted a commanding team total of 198.1625, narrowly edging out a fierce LSU squad that finished at 198.075. Florida placed third with 197.6875, while Minnesota rounded out the field at 197.3750.Head coach K.J. Kindler captured the raw emotion of the moment perfectly.
"It was disbelief today," she said. "We were on the edge of our seats and I honestly could not believe it. You don't get immune to the feeling of having an accomplishment like this. All those teams are special in very different ways, and you have different memories based on the personnel. That euphoric feeling never goes away."
This victory marks yet another chapter in Oklahoma's remarkable dynasty. Saturday represented the Sooners' 12th appearance in the national team finals over the last 13 years. It is their fourth national title in the past five seasons, and all eight of OU's championships have been secured within the last 12 years.
With this latest triumph, Oklahoma now stands alone in third place for the most national titles in NCAA women's gymnastics history. Additionally, this win marks the third time the program has claimed back-to-back titles (previously in 2016-2017 and 2022-2023), underscoring their sustained excellence under Kindler's leadership.
The meet itself was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, showcasing the depth, clutch performances, and mental toughness that define this Oklahoma team. After building a slim lead through the first two rotations, the Sooners found themselves trailing LSU by a razor-thin 0.075 heading into the decisive floor exercise. What followed was one of the most electrifying comebacks in recent championship memory.
Freshman Ella Murphy set the tone, leading off with a gorgeous, confident routine that earned a 9.875. Then came Lily Pederson, whose explosive 9.9375 performance served as the undeniable turning point. From that moment forward, no Sooner scored below a 9.90 in the rotation, turning pressure into pure dominance.
Pederson later reflected on the mindset that fueled the squad: "We've been really prepared for this. In the moment, you have to go big or go home and holding back is just going to make it worse. None of us were paying attention to the score because at the end of the day, if we do our best gymnastics, that's all we can ask for."
Keira Wells followed with a resilient 9.90, rebounding strongly from an earlier fall on beam. Elle Mueller added a steady 9.9375, and Mackenzie Estep contributed a solid 9.9125.
That set the stage for senior Faith Torrez, the newly crowned NCAA all-around champion, to anchor the lineup in what would be her final collegiate routine. Torrez delivered a phenomenal performance, scoring a 9.95 that ultimately secured the narrow victory over LSU.
"This is a dream come true," Torrez said afterward. "(After my routine) Tom (Haley) said 'thank you' and I said 'no, thank you for trusting me and putting me in that position and allowing me to do that. Thanks to all the coaching staff for trusting me as much as they do to go out there and do a routine."
Oklahoma's event totals reflected their balance and consistency across the board: 49.600 on vault, 49.4875 on uneven bars, 49.4375 on balance beam, and a powerful 49.6375 on floor exercise to close out the meet.The Sooners opened strongly on vault, posting 49.600 to take an early 0.0875 lead over LSU.
Pederson anchored with a near-perfect stuck Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.9875—tying the highest OU vault score in NCAA Championship history, while Hannah Scheible delivered a 9.9625 on her stuck handspring pike half.
Torrez added another 9.90, contributing to a rotation filled with stuck landings and high execution.
On uneven bars, Oklahoma extended their advantage slightly, reaching a halftime total of 99.0875 compared to LSU's 98.9875. Pederson led off with a 9.85, Murphy shone in her NCAA Finals debut with a stunning 9.9125 featuring a perfect handstand and stuck dismount, and Estep impressed with a 9.9375 that highlighted her giant full to full.
Torrez closed the rotation with a 9.875.The third rotation on beam proved to be the toughest test of the night. A fall from Wells and some early challenges dropped OU behind LSU for the first time, trailing 148.600 to 148.525. Yet the Sooners responded with the kind of guts that champions are made of.
Addison Fatta, competing only on beam due to injury, led off with a 9.7375. Murphy, stepping up as a freshman in a high-pressure spot after the mistake ahead of her, delivered a clutch 9.9375 with secure series work and a stuck dismount.
Kindler praised her poise: "Ella Murphy had guts of steel going up as a freshman after that mistake. She told me 'I have never been so nervous in my life but once I stood up I felt calm.' Kudos to her as a freshman to be in that position and to rally the way she did."
Pederson kept the momentum alive with a huge 9.95, Mueller stayed composed for a 9.8625, and Torrez capped beam with another 9.95 on her final collegiate performance on the apparatus.This national title caps an extraordinary season for the Sooners, who finished with a stellar 35-1-1 record.
They claimed their second straight SEC regular season title and extended their streak of NCAA Regional championships to 16 consecutive years. On Thursday night in the semifinals, eight Oklahoma gymnasts combined for an impressive 15 All-America honors. Torrez earned the individual all-around national title, while Wells took home the vault crown, adding the 23rd and 24th individual national titles in program history.
From the early lead on vault to the dramatic floor comeback, this championship exemplified why Oklahoma has become the gold standard in collegiate gymnastics. Every routine carried weight, every gymnast rose to the occasion, and the collective belief never wavered.
In the end, the Sooners left no doubt, they are the 2026 NCAA national champions once again, cementing their place among the all-time greats in the sport.