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University of Oklahoma gymnastics star Faith Torrez came up with a routine to win a clutch championship for her team at the NCAA Championships on Saturday, extending the program’s dynasty.
Torrez reached the final floor exercise routine as the final competitor in the final rotation to lead the Sooners to their fourth championship in five years. It was the final routine of her college career.
Torrez scored a 9.950 to give the Sooners a team total of 198.1625, just ahead of LSU’s 198.0750.
Florida was 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 all-around title Thursday. “To do it with them, I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
LSU initially surged to the front through three rotations, thanks in part to a perfect 10 on vault by Kailin Chio, the first perfect score awarded at the national championships since 2023.
The Tigers finished on the balance beam while the Sooners went to the floor exercise. At NCAA competitions, six gymnasts compete in each event, with the lowest score being dropped and the top five scores added together to produce the team total.
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Faith Torrez of the Oklahoma Sooners won the all-around championship during the National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 16, 2026. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Images)
LSU’s slim 0.0750 lead left that little margin for error. A fall by Lexi Zeiss on the post, which came after Zeiss was forced to endure an extended wait while the refs worked on teammate Kylie Coen’s score, opened the door just enough for the Sooners to push through.
The Tigers rallied behind Konnor McClain, the 2022 USA gymnastics 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 before nationals, put together a dynamic performance in 90 seconds, 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 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on April 16, 2026. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Images)
Chio, who had 13 perfect tens on the season, was dazzling, but her score of 9.900 wasn’t quite enough to derail Oklahoma’s dynasty.
