The Wonderful World of Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics
If you have never ventured into watching women’s college gymnastics, you are severely missing out! Combining strength, power, and grace, gymnastics has become a massive part of women’s sports and is enjoyed all over the world. Not only has gymnastics brought us professional athletes like the GOAT Simone Biles, but the collegiate world has the ability to bring us talented gymnasts too. Ever heard of Livvy Dunne?
The 2025 season started at the beginning of January and has had no shortage of iconic routines. College gymnastics has a very different vibe from professional gymnastics, so let’s take a look inside the wonderful world of women’s collegiate gymnastics!
Going Pro or Collegiate?
Suni Lee competing in the 2022 National Championship (Getty Images)
What used to be a tough decision for many gymnasts has now been made a little easier. For years, elite gymnasts were forced to make a decision: shoot for the Olympics and go professional or live the student-athlete dream. However, in 2021 thanks to a Supreme Court decision, gymnasts now have the chance to do both. Switching from professional gymnastics (where a gymnast is basically competing for herself) to the college level (where they compete for their school) can be a big change, but boy is it fun!
After the Tokyo Olympics, our girl Suni Lee made her debut as a collegiate gymnast at Auburn University--just mere months after she won an All-Around Olympic gold medal! Since then, we have seen an overwhelming number of professional gymnasts take their careers back to school. Some of those notable names include; Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Leanne Wong, and Joscelyn Roberts.
The Perfect Ten
Ragan Smith competing for Oklahoma in 2022 (Getty Images)
One major difference between the professional and collegiate world of gymnastics includes scoring. A perfect ten, impossible to achieve at the pro level due to changes within USA Gymnastics, is the most sought-after score for these college gymnasts. Routines that absolutely stun the crowd and go without fault are always aiming for that 10!
Recently, Jordan Chiles earned a 10.00 on her uneven bar routine while competing for UCLA. She absolutely deserved this score, and her routine is a work of art!
Last week, Helen Hu competed an extremely artistic balance beam routine for the University of Missouri that also scored her a fabulous 10. She moonwalked her way down the beam and totally killed the routine. Check it out here!
Another popular, perfect ten routine you may know? This astonishing floor routine of gymnast Katelyn Ohashi. Ohashi was an elite gymnast who had her eyes on the Olympics but ultimately fell short of that goal. Luckily for us, she didn’t let that stop her, and has gone on to have an amazing career at UCLA! In 2019, Katelyn gave us a beautiful routine filled with amazing tricks, flips, and dance moves. Don’t forget her tribute to Michael Jackson too!
Unforgettable College Gymnasts
It just wouldn’t be right if we didn’t highlight some of the most memorable collegiate gymnasts too. These athletes took the collegiate route in their elite careers, and have not let us down!
Livvy Dunne
Livvy Dunne (Getty Images)
Making herself a household name, Livvy Dunne has taken the social media and gymnastics world by storm. After a change allowing college athletes to make in income, Livvy has become a top NIL (name, image, likeness) earner, putting herself high on the list of female athletes who are making bank! Now in her fifth year at Louisiana State University, Livvy continues to produce some amazing routines.
Haleigh Bryant
Haleigh Bryant (LSU Athletics)
Another gymnast currently competing for LSU, Haleigh Bryant became the fifth NCAA gymnast to score a perfect score on all four events-–floor, vault, uneven bars, and balance beam! Haleigh has also earned the title of being the most decorated gymnast in Louisiana State’s program history and won the 2024 All-Around title. It is safe to say she will be remembered for years to come!
Peng-Peng Lee
Peng-Peng Lee (UCLA Athletics)
Back in 2018, Peng-Peng Lee helped lead her UCLA team to a National Championship. With her gorgeous beam work, Lee showed off her strength during this beam routine where she included some skills resembling those used in men’s gymnastics! Since her college days, Peng-Peng has been making music and can be found touring next to Simone Biles on the Gold Over America Tour!
Trinity Thomas
Trinity Thomas (Jerome Miron - USA Today Sports)
Another powerhouse, Trinity Thomas was a gymnast for the University of Florida, and she sure made the gymnastics community proud! Scoring a massive 12 perfect scores throughout her time as a Gator, Trinity is now a coach at her former college, and yes, we do miss seeing her compete. Being crowned an NCAA All-Around Champion, Trinity had a career filled with routines to die for!