Week 9 2026 CGA Power Rankings & Recap
By Peri Goodman, Shannen Horan, and Peter Hristozov
Oklahoma’s 331.6 was definitely the highlight of the weekend, as they set a new national standard for the rest of the NCAA to catch. The Sooners continue to push and dominate every team they have gone against so far this season, and it will be exciting to see how they continue to perform in the postseason in a few weeks. Michigan also put up a season-high team score of 326.25 in their competition against Penn State, which will likely raise them in the national rankings. From the ECAC, William and Mary’s determination, grit, and hardwork was put on display on their senior night as they took down Navy with a 310.85, which resulted from huge improvement in consistency for the Tribe.
hot takes
Week 9
Oklahoma’s 331.6 was definitely the highlight of the weekend, as they set a new national standard for the rest of the NCAA to catch. The Sooners continue to push and dominate every team they have gone against so far this season, and it will be exciting to see how they continue to perform in the postseason in a few weeks. Michigan also put up a season-high team score of 326.25 in their competition against Penn State, which will likely raise them in the national rankings. From the ECAC, William and Mary’s determination, grit, and hardwork was put on display on their senior night as they took down Navy with a 310.85, which resulted from huge improvement in consistency for the Tribe.
Meet by Meet
California at Oklahoma
It was another exciting night of gymnastics in Mcasland Fieldhouse on Saturday, where the number eight Cal Bears took on the number one-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. It was a season-high performance for both teams, with the Sooners taking the win with a huge 331.6, and the Bears posted a 315.7. It was Senior Night for Oklahoma, so head coach Mark Williams incorporated many of his seniors into the lineups, as it was their last time competing in front of their home crowd in Mcasland. The Sooners began with the floor exercise, where junior Nico Hamilton won the event with a 14.050, featuring difficult combination passes and a stuck double pike dismount. Senior Brigham Frentheway was right behind Hamilton with a 13.950. Frentheway opened up with a stuck full twisting double layout, followed by a stuck double front. The Sooners were very consistent on pommel horse, with all the lowest and highest routines only being one-tenth apart from each other. Senior Ignacio Yockers opened up the event and took the event final with a 14.050. Senior Mac Seyler and junior Tyler Flores were right behind him, both scoring a 14.000. Lastly, Senior Kelton Christiansen took fourth place with a 13.950. Francisco Belez Velendez posted a career-high 14.400 after an exceptional display of strength on the still rings, with a stuck tucked double double dismount that electrified his teammates and the Oklahoma crowd. Brigham Frentheway also scored a career high on the still rings with his 13.950. Week after week, the Sooners have been sticking their vaults, and this week was no different. Junior Tyler Flores and senior Fuzzy Benas both stuck their Kasamatsu 1.5 vaults, scoring 14.500 and 14.400, respectively. In addition to his pommel horse title, Ignacio Yockers also took the parallel bar title with his 13.850 after showing some intricate upper bar elements, a beautiful Tippelt, and a stuck double pike dismount. Kelton Christiansen ended his final night in the Fieldhouse with a 14.150 after performing beautiful Jaeger releases and sticking his double twisting double layout to close out the meet and put up that nation-leading team score. The Cal Bears started out on pommel horse and were lights out with four-for-four hit performances. The Bears were led by Kaien Orion’s 13.750 after performing a difficult Sohn element and a beautiful Busnari. On the floor, Khalen Curry posted a 13.750 after mounting with a dynamic, powerful full-twisting double layout. Jasper Smith-Gordon posted another reliable score on the vault for the bears, with a 14.350 for third place on his Kasamatsu 1.5 vault. Smith-Gordon had his legs pasted perfectly together on his vault, making it hard for the judges to find any deductions, besides the step he took on the landing. Kaien Orion also had an outstanding performance on the parallel bars, placing second with a 13.600. Orion’s routine featured a unique peach handstand mount in reverse grip at the end of the bars, a Peters, and a stuck double front dismount. Matteo Bardana also had a solid all-around performance with a 77.400, highlighted by his 13.600 on the floor exercise.
Penn State at Michigan
The Wolverines put together their most complete meet of the year to date, soaring past their previous season high by more than five and a half points. Though pommel horse (which has been an otherwise reliably high scoring event) didn’t have its day, parallel bars more than made up for it with a season high 53.600. Michigan’s floor core took the top four rankings, led by a 14.450 from Charlie Larson. They nearly repeated the feat at vault, nabbing the top three rankings and punctuated by Larson’s stuck Shewfelt earning a 14.600. Pommels and rings were championed again by Wolverines, each very familiar with event titles on their pet events: Aaronson Mansberger (PH, 13.850), and Akshay Puri (SR, 14.100). Fred Richard’s event win came on parallel bars, with his 14.000 leading his team to the previously mentioned season high that couldn’t come at a better time for the maize and blue. High bar belonged to Pierce Wolfgang, with a 14.000 of his own fending off a worthy challenger in Akseli Karsikas’ 13.800. The Nittany Lions had glimpses of incredibly strong gymnastics, but couldn't match the depth and comfort that Michigan typically has at home meets. Their vault lineup can put up carbon copy scores in all four spots, this week led by Shaun Smith and Matthew Underhill’s pair of 13.950s.
Ohio State at Illinois
Illinois, without Nathan Whitaker, took four of six event titles. The other two? Solely Ohio State’s Jesse Pakele, who’s on a tear away in his senior year and notched titles on rings (14.100) and parallel bars (13.250). Pakele led the Buckeyes to a narrow team win, besting the Fighting Illini by a narrow 2.300. Tate Costa led the way on floor with a nearly unshakeable 14.050, after troubles in each routine on the event this season until this week. Pommel horse stalwart Brandon Dang’s 14.600 claimed another title for his list, moving him up to fifth by all-time wins (21) in a very storied horse program. In similar fashion, Garrett Schooley’s win on vault by way of a season high 14.550 places him in a joint seventh position in the Illinois vault books. In his sixth year, Sam Phillips is again proving he can peak for post-season. His 13.950 on high bar is a high across his two years at Illinois, and was enough to prevent Ohio State’s duo of Jacob Harmon and Noah Copeland from taking the high bar title with their set of 13.650’s. This dual meet was one to pick apart for fans counting down to the conference championship next weekend – with plenty of ways to measure success both teams found it in contrasting ways, and are no doubt hoping for all that and then some more while facing the entire Big Ten.
Greenville, Nebraska at Simpson
Simpson welcomed Greenville and Nebraska this past weekend for a three-team meet at home. The Huskers dominated the competition, winning the meet with a 319.000 and finishing 19 points ahead of second place Simpson, who posted a 300.000, while Greenville rounded out the standings with a 295.700. Nebraska’s depth and consistency showed throughout the meet as they controlled nearly every rotation. Event highlights began on floor exercise, where Chase Mondi led the field with a strong routine that scored a 13.650. Greenville sophomore Andrew Ricard, competing in the lineup for the first time this season, had a solid debut finishing in fifth place with a 13.150. On pommel horse, Nebraska separated themselves from the field, posting a team score in the 52 range while Simpson finished just under the 50-point mark and Greenville trailed behind. Husker sophomore Nic Tarca led the event, narrowly defeating teammate Wyatt Reynolds, who has been a steady contributor for Nebraska throughout the season. Both Greenville and Simpson had several lower scores that impacted their team totals on the event. Rings remained competitive between the teams, with Nebraska maintaining control but Simpson staying within striking distance. Simpson standout Brian Rollison continued his strong season by winning another rings title, delivering a dominant routine to top the field, while Canadian Sam Rakita followed closely behind, finishing in second place just two tenths back from Rollison. On vault, Simson’s Braxton Jones demonstrated why he is one of the top vaulters in the NCAA, sticking his vault once again and earning a massive 14.400 to win the event. Parallel bars featured a standout performance from Nebraska veteran Alex Nitache, who won the event title by nearly six tenths of a point and continues to deliver big scores for the Huskers when he hits his routine. The meet concluded on high bar where Nebraska continued its dominance, claiming the top three scores on the event. Anthony Koppie posted a 13.700 routine, setting a new season high by three tenths of a point. Greenville veteran Ryan Barela captured the all around title, finishing four tenths ahead of Simpson’s Noah Dioron.
Navy 308.6000 @ William & Mary 310.8500
Navy traveled to William & Mary this past weekend and went head to head against the home Tribe, with William & Mary ultimately taking the meet 310.850 to 308.600. The Midshipmen, who had yet to lose a meet to William & Mary, fell by a small margin as the Tribe captured event wins on floor, vault, parallel bars, and high bar. On floor, Navy’s Benjamin Thurlow Lam put down a massive 14.100 to win the event title, continuing to be one of the most dominant and consistent scorers for the Midshipmen this season. The second and third spots belonged to the home Tribe, with Luke Tully taking second place behind Lam with a 13.800, sticking his dismount and only showing one significant error in the routine. On pommel horse, Navy controlled the rotation, with sophomore Jonah Soltz winning the event title with his third-best score of the season, a 13.400. William & Mary lost a bit of ground in this rotation as the Midshipmen displayed their depth and cleanliness on the event. On rings, academy strength showed once again as Navy led the event by two full points, with Aaron Stein scoring a 13.300 and Zachary Silao posting a 13.250 to lead the field. Vault began strong for both teams but ultimately swung toward the Tribe after Navy counted two blown vaults. However, Jonah Soltz returned to claim another title, winning the vault event with a 14.000. William & Mary’s vault lineup was filled with experienced veterans, and their scores reflected their consistency and experience. On parallel bars, the Midshipmen again captured the top score as Matthew Petros posted a 13.450 to win the event title by just .05, a margin that often comes down to details such as a flexed foot or a slight chest position on the landing. Despite the win, the Tribe claimed the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th place spots, with Nicholas Kosarikov leading William & Mary on the event with a 13.400, highlighted by excellent underbar work and a stuck landing. Heading into the final rotation on high bar, the Tribe carried momentum from parallel bars and used it to close the deficit and secure the meet win. Luke Tully continued his breakout season for William & Mary, winning another event title with a 13.600, half a point higher than the next best score on the event. The Tribe’s depth in the middle of the lineup proved crucial, as their routines carried enough weight to overcome the Midshipmen and seal the victory. Coming off this win and moving up in the standings, this result may be the momentum shift the Tribe needed as the season continues.
Springfield 307.35, Greenville 314.35 @ Army 314.8
Greenville and Springfield traveled to West Point this past weekend for a high-stakes conference rivalry tri-meet against Army and Springfield, with the host Black Knights ultimately securing the victory by the narrowest of margins, 314.800 to 314.350. The Midshipmen's rivals, who celebrated Senior Day in the Gross Center, claimed the ECAC Regular Season Title as Springfield finished third with a 307.350. On floor, Army’s depth was on full display as they posted the highest team total to open the meet, 53.55. Greenville’s Jaxon Clapper led the way for the floor title, scoring 13.75. On pommel horse, senior Maddox Pabellon continued his streak as one of the most dominant specialists in the country, putting down a 13.9 to win the event title. Greenville kept the pressure on in this rotation, led by Matthew Roth’s second-place 13.800, while Springfield’s Peyton Cramer posted a 13.750 to stay in the mix. On rings, Springfield’s Blaise Rousseausilenced the home crowd with a massive 14.150 to take the event win. Vault saw a power shift toward the visitors as Greenville’s Logan Watterson stuck a huge 14.300 to claim the event title, part of a 54.800 team rotation that nearly swung the meet in the Panthers' favor. On parallel bars, Greenville’s Jaxon Clapper captured the top score with a 13.950, winning the title by a comfortable margin and helping the Panthers briefly take the lead heading into the final rotation. However, Army responded on high bar, where their consistency in the middle of the lineup allowed them to overcome individual event winner Owen Carney of Springfield, who posted a 13.500. Despite the individual brilliance from the visiting squads and a standout All-Around performance from Greenville’s Kyler Hinson, who won the AA title with a 76.600, Army’s collective stability across the final events allowed them to secure the win by just 0.45 points. Coming off this regular-season finale, the Black Knights carry the momentum of a conference title into the postseason, while Greenville’s season-high score proves they are peaking at exactly the right time.
Conference Outlook
Big Ten
The Big Ten picture is getting clearer by the week, with each team gradually leaning on their heavy hitters for more routines. If a gymnast is already at their maximum events they can contribute, it’s time to stick or get out of the way – we’ve seen the depth charts, and know that plenty of fifth and sixth options are ready to use in a pinch. Michigan has prime examples of both of these kinds of gymnasts, in Fred Richard and Charlie Larson respectively. Larson has shown he can find a landing like no other, earning his second 9.800 execution on vault this season. Two event contributors are also stepping up their game, with now being the best time to prove 14+ potential across both events. Enter Asher Cohen, who has put up consistent rings and parallel bars for the Huskers throughout his junior campaign. Though not a true two-eventer, Jesse Pakele’s two event wins prevented Illinois from an event title sweep, cementing himself as one to continue watching. Illinois’ strongest specialists have been climbing in their program record win counts, with Garret Schooley (VT) and Brandon Dang (PH) firmly in the top ten with room still to climb this season. Penn State is one of the few teams with their final regular season meet taking place at home, where they’ll look to capitalize on a familiar environment. International gymnasts Akseli Karsikas and Kacper Garnczarek have found their rhythm well, and undoubtedly serve as inspiration for future international Nittany Lions.
ECAC
The ECAC saw a weekend of high-stakes upsets, headlined by a Senior Day thriller at West Point and a historic power shift in Williamsburg. Greenville, headlined by Jaxon Clapper, scored a season high in New York, while half of their team traveled to Iowa, taking on Simpson and Nebraska. Simpson debuted their new gymnastics facility on senior night, showing the growth that their program has seen in the four years of its existence. Army scored a season high to show how dangerous they will be heading into the end of the regular season. Springfield is no slouch either - Owen Carney and Blaise Rousseau among others lead this team with high powered performances. William & Mary took advantage of senior night energy to put up a season high score and take down Navy. It’s worth noting that Navy was without their best athlete, Brian Solomon, yet sophomore Jonah Soltz claimed two event titles. At this point late in the season all teams in the ECAC are putting their final touches in and look ready to compete heading into the last leg of the regular season race. It’s anyone’s game.
MPSF
California at Oklahoma was the only action in the MPSF this weekend, but there was no shortage of excitement and good gymnastics. Both teams scored season highs, with California’s season high being 1.750 higher than their previous high against Ohio State and Stanford. Oklahoma and California will be very familiar with each other by the end of the season, with Oklahoma traveling to Cal for a March 21st dual meet, and then again on April 4th for the MPSF Championships. Sophomore Francisco Belez Velendez won CGA Specialist of the Week after his tremendous performance on the still rings for a career high 14.400. Air Force and California will be heading to Palo Alto to take on the Stanford Cardinal this weekend. This is going to be a unique and competitive competition, because Stanford head coach Tom Glielmi also invited Team France and Team Quebec to compete. This will be a great preparation for Stanford, Air Force, and California to compete in a different environment with international competitors as they prepare for the MPSF Championship. In Week 11, the Air Force Falcons will also be competing at the USAG Collegiate Nationals, where they will have a rematch against Navy after a close competition at the All Academy Championships, which is approaching rapidly.