Eleven years. That’s how long it's been since Florida reached the pinnacle of collegiate gymnastics.
Under head coach Jenny Rowland, the Gators have been painfully close to winning the program’s fifth national championship, finishing as runner-ups twice and making the Four on the Floor seven times.
However, 2026 might be Rowland and the Gators’ best shot. Florida has already bested four of the seven remaining squads heading to the national semifinals, and ranks above the remaining three in National Qualifying Score.
But none of that matters when you make it to Fort Worth, Texas. If the Gators are destined for another crown, they must be at the top of their game, starting with semifinal action Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET. Here’s a look at how Florida stacks up against the other squads that made the first semifinal.
No. 2 Louisiana State
To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. And in 2024, the best was Louisiana State. Under head coach Jay Clark, LSU has been among the top programs in the nation year after year, and in 2026, the Tigers have continued that excellence.
The No. 2 NQS-ranked team heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers are a staggeringly consistent squad in every event. LSU is ranked No. 1 in the floor routine, No. 2 on the vault and No. 3 on the uneven bars and the balance beam. Neither Florida nor the nation’s No. 1 squad, Oklahoma, can boast top-3 NQS rankings in every event.
While the team's success has been excellent, arguably no gymnast nationally has been as magnificent as sophomore Kailin Chio.
After a fantastic freshman year in which she captured the NCAA vault crown and earned two All-American honors, Chio has turned it up a notch in 2026. She is the No. 1 all-arounder with a 37.795 NQS and has captured 12 perfect 10.000 scores this season across three different events (5 on the balance beam, 4 on the vault and 3 on floor).
Most recently, Chio nailed three 10.000’s in the Baton Rouge Regional on April 2 and April 4, with two coming on vault. However, Chio isn’t the only standout performer on the Tigers’ squad.
Sophomore all-arounder Kaliya Lincoln tied for No. 2 nationally in floor routine NQS (9.960) and scored a perfect 10.000 on the event April 4. Meanwhile, junior Konnor McClain ranks No. 8 on the uneven bars and No. 11 on the balance beam in NQS. While McClain injured her arm during her bar routine on April 4, Clark said she is trending positively toward being back on the mat Thursday.
Despite the superb season from Chio and the rest of the squad, Florida has gotten the best of LSU on two separate occasions this season. First, on March 8, the Gators barely edged out the Tigers 198.450-198.325 in the O’Connell Center. During that meet, UF senior Selena Harris-Miranda bested Chio for the all-around crown by 39.850-39.775, capitalized by a 10.000 on the balance beam.
Then, on March 21, the Gators finished first and the Tigers finished third at the SEC Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Florida’s 198.175 score outpaced LSU’s 197.950, with No. 1 Oklahoma’s 198.150 sandwiched between the two squads. Florida hopes the third time won’t be the charm for arguably its biggest competition in Thursday’s meet.
No. 6 Georgia
While the Gators are facing LSU for a third time this year, one opponent has appeared four times on the UF schedule: the Georgia Bulldogs. However, the Gators have beaten the Bulldogs all three times they have faced off this season.
First, on Feb. 20 in Athens, Georgia, UF bested UGA 197.575-197.325. The Gators then defeated the Bulldogs at the SEC Championship, where their 198.175 tally bested UGA’s 197.450.
Ultimately, in the second leg of the Tempe Regional April 4, Florida and Georgia finished first and second among the four teams competing for a spot in the semifinals, but the Gators 198.050 mark easily exceeded the Bulldogs’ 197.750.
That doesn’t mean Florida should overlook their rivals, however. The No. 6 squad in the nation entered the tournament with a 197.391 NQS and as one of seven squads this season to record at least a 198.000 at one point of the season.
A consistent all-around squad, Georgia ranks as high as No. 3 (floor) and no lower than No. 8 (beam) in all four events.
Meanwhile, nine members of the Bulldog squad earned All-SEC honors, showcasing their talented roster. Freshman CaMarah Williams ranks tied for second nationally in floor (9.960 NQS), while freshman Kelise Woolford ranks No. 10 in the country on beam (9.940 NQS).
However, co-head coaches Cécile Canqueteau-Landi and Ryan Roberts’ squad is down arguably their biggest contributor, junior Lily Smith. The standout floor performer injured her foot on Feb. 27 and is expected to be out for the remainder of the season.
But the roller-coaster of emotions has fueled the Bulldogs up to this point as they look to break a long title drought. The most decorated gymnastics program in NCAA history (10 championships) hasn’t claimed the national crown since 2009.
No. 7 Stanford
The only squad in the semifinal Florida has not faced off against this year, Stanford is looking to make its first Four on the Floor since 2015, the last time the Gators won the national title.
Led by head coach Tabitha Yam, the No. 7 Cardinal entered the NCAA Tournament with a 197.248 NQS. Stanford also ranks No. 5 on the floor routine, No. 6 on the uneven bars and No. 7 on the balance beam.
And at the forefront of Stanford’s success is senior Anna Roberts. The 2025 ACC Co-All Around champion has been at the top of her game this season. She sits No. 5 in all-around NQS (39.630) and has scored as high as 39.8750 against Oregon State on Feb. 27.
Roberts has also scored three perfect 10.000’s this season, with two coming on the vault and one coming on the floor routine. She also ranks No. 20 or better in all four events, per NQS.
Alongside Roberts, freshman Ana Bărbosu has emerged as a consistent all-arounder for the Cardinal. The Romanian is No. 30 in all-around NQS (39.280) and scored a 39.575 on April 4, good for second place behind Chio in the final meet of the Baton Rouge Regional.
However, unlike the Gators, Tigers and Bulldogs, the Cardinal have a “down” event: the vault. Stanford comes in as the No. 16 NQS vault team in the nation and has scored a 49.000 or below on the event over four separate occasions this season.
Despite that, Stanford carries momentum into Thursday as it strives for its first national title. With three all-around performers, the Cardinal have the talent to earn a spot among the final four squads.
With everything at stake, only the top two teams from Thursday’s first semifinal will advance to the Four on the Floor April 18. Meanwhile, on Thursday night, No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 UCLA, No. 9 Arkansas and No. 13 Minnesota will battle for the remaining two spots in the championship meet.
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).
