No team enters the 2026 NCAA Division I Gymnastics Tournament on a hotter run than the No. 3 Florida Gators.
Over their past three meets, the Gators have been firing on all cylinders. First, against No. 2 Louisiana State on March 8, UF posted a then-season high 198.450 score to defeat the Tigers. The following week, Florida bested that total with a staggering 198.575 against No. 22 Kentucky on March 13. Finally, the Gators capped off their marvelous March at the SEC Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, barely edging out the No. 1 Sooners 198.175-198.150.
Now, Florida, which earned the overall No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a 197.753 national qualifying score (NQS), heads to its regional round in Tempe, Arizona.
With competition set for April 2 and April 4, here is how Florida stacks up against the other squads heading to Tempe.
Second Round: California, Penn State, and Arizona State
In the tournament’s second round, Florida will face off with two ranked opponents, as well as a de facto home squad, on April 2 at 10 p.m. ET.
Florida’s toughest opponent Thursday night is also an NCAA Tournament mainstay, No. 14 California. The Golden Bears enter Tempe with a solid 196.716 NQS and a season-best score of 197.225. Cal is also No. 8 nationally in the uneven bars, one of two events Florida ranks No. 1 in.
Cal is led by two of the top 15 all-around performers in the nation: junior Annalise Newman-Achee and freshman Tonya Paulsson.
Newman-Achee entered 2026 as an uneven bars specialist but has transformed into a consistent force, scoring at least a 9.900 on all four events. Paulsson, meanwhile, has emerged as the season has gone on, emphasized by her Atlantic Coastal Conference Tournament all-around title March 21.
One Gator has a particular history with the Golden Bears: eMjae Frazier. The senior spent the first three years of her collegiate career at Cal, becoming a 10-time All-American and earning 2024 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Region Gymnast of the Year honors.
Florida’s other ranked opponent Thursday is No. 20 Penn State, which enters the tournament with a 196.470 NQS and a 197.250 season-high. Like the Golden Bears, the Nittany Lions’ best event is the uneven bars, where they rank No. 11 nationally.
The Nittany Lions don’t have a standout all-arounder, but they have consistent performers in all four events.
Sophomore Elizabeth Leary is the only Penn State gymnast to compete in the all-around this season. Meanwhile, graduate student Jessica Johanson and sophomores Dani Latronica and Ellie Monahan have all been regulars in three of four events.
Florida’s third opponent, Arizona State, earned its way into the second round by defeating rival Arizona 195.425-194.900 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Sun Devils entered the tournament with an NQS of 195.590 and a high score of 196.500. Florida faced off with Arizona State in a quad meet in Denton, Texas, Feb. 27, where the Gators’ 197.700 score easily exceeded the Sun Devils’ 195.475.
Arizona State is led by senior all-arounder and All-Big 12 team member Kimberly Smith. She scored a 39.000 or better in 10 of 12 meets this season, including a 39.425 on Feb. 27.
Regional Final: Georgia, Michigan State, Brigham Young, Southern Utah
If Florida earns one of the top two spots Thursday afternoon, it will advance to the Tempe Regional Final at 8 p.m. Saturday. There, UF, along with the other top finisher on Thursday, would face the top two teams from Thursday afternoon’s meet between Georgia, Michigan State, Brigham Young and Southern Utah.
No. 6 Georgia enters the tournament with a 197.391 NQS. The Bulldogs are also one of seven squads this season to record at least a 198.000, which UGA achieved with a 198.075 mark in the Elevate the State quad meet against Auburn, Clemson and Pittsburgh.
A consistent all-around squad, Georgia ranks as high as No. 3 (floor) and no lower than No. 8 (beam) in all four events.
Nine members of the Bulldog squad earned All-SEC honors, showcasing their talented roster. Junior Lily Smith and freshman CaMarah Williams rank tied for second nationally in floor (9.960 NQS), while freshman Kelise Woolford ranks No. 10 in the country on beam (9.940 NQS).
The Gators have beaten the Bulldogs twice this season. First, in Athens, Georgia, UF bested UGA 197.575-197.325 Feb. 20. The Gators then defeated the Bulldogs at the SEC Championship, where their 198.175 tally bested UGA’s 197.45.
For the fifth consecutive season, No. 11 Michigan State enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the nation’s top squads. This season, the Spartans have a 197.103 NQS and rank No. 7 in the vault nationally, two spots ahead of Florida in the event.
The Spartans are led by two of the top 12 all-arounders in the country, senior Nikki Smith and junior MaKayla Tucker. Smith earned first team All-America honors, and both her and Tucker were named second team All-Americans in the all-around.
Further, MSU senior Sage Kellerman continued her dominance on the vault, earning All-American honors in the event for the third straight season. Her 9.935 NQS on the event is tied for 5th-best nationally.
Brigham Young enters the NCAA Tournament at No. 24 with an NQS of 196.228. The Cougars have been extremely consistent across all four events, ranking No. 22 on the floor, No. 23 on the beam and bars and No. 25 on the vault.
Junior beam specialist Brynlee Andersen-Broekman is the highest scorer for BYU in a single event with a 9.900 NQS. Meanwhile, senior Kylie Eaquinto has begun to compete all-around, scoring a 39.4750 against Clemson March 13.
One of the most steady programs in the nation, Southern Utah qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 13th consecutive season. The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champions come into the tourney with a 195.818 NQS.
The Flippin’ Birds are led by junior Niya Randolph, the now three-time MPSF Gymnast of the Year. She’s tied for 19th nationally in the all-around with a 39.400 NQS.
The top two teams from the regional final Saturday will head to Fort Worth, Texas, for the semifinals of the 2026 NCAA Division I Gymnastics Tournament April 16.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is a junior sports journalism student in his seventh semester at The Alligator. He serves as The Alligator's assistant sports editor and football beat coordinator. He previously served as The Alligator's sports editor and as a reporter for football, women's tennis, volleyball, lacrosse and sports enterprise. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. Max wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and niche former Florida Panthers players (shoutout Maxim Mamin).
