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University of Oklahoma gymnastics star Faith Torrez came up with a championship-winning routine for her team at the NCAA championships on Saturday, extending the program’s dynasty.
Torrez performed the final routine on the floor exercise as the last competitor in the final rotation to put the Sooners ahead for their fourth championship in five years. It was the last routine of his college career.
Torrez scored a 9.950 to give the Sooners a team total of 198.1625, just ahead of LSU at 198.0750.
Florida placed third, while Minnesota closed out the best season in program history by finishing fourth.
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Faith Torrez of the University of Oklahoma competes on the vault during the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 16, 2026. (Alicia Malnati/Getty Images)
“It means everything. I’m so proud of this team,” Torrez said after winning the NCAA overall title on Thursday. “To do it with them, I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
LSU initially jumped out to the front through three rotations thanks in part to a perfect 10 on vault from Kailin Chio, the first perfect score awarded at the national championships since 2023.
The Tigers finished on the balance beam while the Sooners moved on to the floor exercise. In NCAA competitions, six gymnasts compete in each event, the lowest score is eliminated and the five highest scores are added to produce the team total.
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Faith Torrez of the Oklahoma Sooners won the all-around championship during the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Championships at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 16, 2026. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos)
LSU’s slim .0750 lead left it little room for error. A fall by Lexi Zeiss on the beam, which came after Zeiss was forced to endure a prolonged wait while the judges worked on teammate Kylie Coen’s score, opened the door enough for the Sooners to pass.
The Tigers rallied behind Konnor McClain, the 2022 USA Gymnastics national champion, and Chio.
The meet came down to the final two competitors, Torrez on floor and Chio on beam.
Torrez, who battled injuries all season and didn’t even compete in the all-around until nationals, put on a dynamic 90-second performance, forcing Chio to be perfect for the Tigers to win.
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Faith Torrez of the Oklahoma Sooners competes in the floor exercise during the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Championships at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 16, 2026. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos)
Chio, who scored 13 perfect tens during the season, was dazzling, but his score of 9.900 wasn’t enough to derail Oklahoma’s dynasty.
