It's been two years since [1] the best of collegiate gymnastics went head to head in one arena for national titles — and the 2021 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships did not disappoint. It was a close competition (mere tenths of a point separated the first- and second-place teams), but on April 17, the University of Michigan beat out the three other schools who made it to the finals — University of Oklahoma (second), University of Utah (third), and University of Florida (fourth) — with a score of 198.2500. It is the first national team title for them in program history.
"I'm just so overwhelmed, and I'm so proud of this team," Michigan head coach Bev Plocki said to commentators just minutes post-victory. "And I'm so happy for the sacrifices, hard work, and everything that they put into this season."
Keep reading to check out the rest of the national winners for each individual event and the all-around, which were named after the semifinal rounds on April 16. It was a weekend of precision and near-perfection — and though we're sad to see another collegiate gymnastics season draw to a close, the season really did give us high-flying excitement, statement-making routines [2], and stuck landings to highlight 10.00 performances [3].
2021 NCAA Women's Gymnastics All-Around Champion: Anastasia Webb
Webb, a senior from the University of Oklahoma, finished with an all-around score of 39.7875. She is the third gymnast on the Sooners to claim the national all-around — Maggie Nichols [5] won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 and Kelly Garrison won in 1987 and '88 [6]. "It's been a dream come true [7]. I've worked super hard, and I'm super happy of every routine I did today," Webb said. "I honestly wouldn't have done it if it weren't for my coaches and my teammates. I thank the University of Oklahoma. I thank all my coaches because they are the reason I am the gymnast I have become."
2021 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Beam Champion: Luisa Blanco
Blanco, a sophomore from the University of Alabama, was the sole winner on beam with a score of 9.9625 (she also tied for second in the all-around across the two semifinals). Alabama placed third in the second semifinal session on April 16 and did not move on to the final competition on April 17. However, Blanco said of her individual event win, "It's fulfiling because you see that your hard work is paying off [12]. In the moment, I wasn't even thinking about winning a title, we just wanted to show everyone how hard we worked." Watch her routine here [13], and see her proudly nod her head after sticking her double-twisting layout dismount.
2021 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Floor Co-Champion: Maile O'Keefe
There were three co-champions on floor, and Utah's O'Keefe, who also tied for the highest score on bars, received a 9.9625 on the event. Watch her full routine here [14].
2021 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Floor Co-Champion: Lexi Graber
Lastly, the University of Alabama's Graber, a senior, also scored a 9.9625 on floor (you can watch her performance here [16]). "To finish that floor routine not just for myself, but for my team, was just incredible," she said after the fact. "I just put it all out there, we all did, and I could not be more proud. To end my four years that way was everything I could have asked for."