The Top Contenders For The 2026 NCAA Gymnastics All-Around Title
· Yahoo Sports
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - MARCH 13: Kailin Chio of the LSU Tigers in action against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 13, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
University Images via Getty ImagesOn Thursday, April 16, a new NCAA gymnastics champion will be crowned. Though all eyes often fixate on the all-important team event, this year’s race for the individual all-around title is arguably the most competitive in history.
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In 2025, Oklahoma senior Jordan Bowers claimed the title over former Olympian Grace McCallum (Utah). In 2026, though Bowers and McCallum have graduated from the competitive picture, the level of all-around talent is overwhelming.
Three gymnasts tied for top all-around score in 2026, but their accolades just dot the top of a stacked competitive field. Though Kailin Chio (LSU), Jordan Chiles (UCLA), and Avery Neff (Utah) arrive in Texas as the top three gymnasts in the nation, Fort Worth will wipe the slate clean.
No qualifying scores or national rankings carry over, and only Thursday’s competition counts. The top individual finisher across the two National Semifinals on April 16 will be crowned the new NCAA all-around champion.
Held in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, the semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN2 and the final on ABC. All three sessions will also be streamed on ESPN+.
- Semifinal I: Thursday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+
- Semifinal II: Thursday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+
- National Championship: Saturday, April 18 at 4 p.m. on ABC/ESPN+
From world and Olympic medalists to dark-horse contenders, meet the top athletes contending for the individual crown in Fort Worth this April.
1. Kailin Chio (LSU)
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - MARCH 13: Kailin Chio of the LSU Tigers scores three perfect 10's against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 13, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
University Images via Getty ImagesThe 2026 NCAA gymnastics season has belonged to LSU sophomore Kailin Chio. Chio has ranked at the top of the all-around standings since the season’s midpoint, vaulting into the lead over Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles.
Since ascending to the top spot, the sophomore has been virtually untouchable. Chio posted the highest all-around total of 2026 (39.875) and earned 12 perfect tens in her sophomore season – an LSU program record. She has also stuck 12 of 14 vaults in 2026, denoting an unprecedented streak.
Though the competition in Texas is tight, Chio enters Fort Worth as the undisputed favorite. She may “just” be a sophomore, but on April 16, the SEC All-Around Champion looks to cement her status as an all-time great.
2. Jordan Chiles (UCLA)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 17: Jordan Chiles of the UCLA Bruins competes on floor exercise during a meet against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesIn her senior season, Jordan Chiles has never looked better. Chiles cruised to the Big Ten all-around title in March, leading her No. 4 UCLA Bruins to the program’s second-straight team championship.
Chiles has been a 10.0 machine in 2026, posting eight perfect scores. Her streak peaked in the mid-season with four consecutive perfect tens on floor. The Olympian enters her final postseason as the No. 2 gymnast in the nation and the No. 1-ranked gymnast on floor.
Though Chiles already holds three NCAA titles (two on bars, one on floor), she looks to clinch the all-around title in her final postseason bid. Though Chio outranks Chiles, Jordan holds a slight logistical advantage. With UCLA competing in the evening session in Fort Worth and Chio in the afternoon, Chiles will know the score needed to pass her top competitor for gold.
3. Selena Harris-Miranda (Florida)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - APRIL 17: Selena Harris-Miranda of the University of Florida performs her floor routine during the NCAA Gymnastics Semi-Final at Dickies Arena on April 17, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Aric Becker/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesThe No. 3 Florida Gators have a star senior of their own. Selena Harris-Miranda ranks sixth nationally, but has been on a meteoric rise in the NCAA Gymnastics postseason. Harris-Miranda was instrumental in clinching the 2026 SEC team title, delivering a perfect ten on uneven bars to upset the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners.
With impeccable form and catlike instinct on her landings, the veteran gymnast reliably delivers under the sport’s brightest lights. The 22-year-old owns perfect tens on every event except floor, where her personal best is a near-perfect 9.975.
In the final meet of her career, the 18-time All-American looks prepared to deliver again for the Florida Gators. After a decade-long drought, she hopes to lead the Gators to their first team title since 2015 – and their first all-around win since 2017.
4. Avery Neff (Utah)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 14: Avery Neff of the Utah Utes reacts after competing on floor exercise against the UCLA Bruins at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesUtah sophomore Avery Neff returns to nationals for the second straight season, but this time, Fort Worth tastes bittersweet. The Utes missed the cut for the NCAA Championships, falling to No. 13 Minnesota in the Regional Final.
The upset loss came as a shock to the perennial powerhouse, ending the program’s 49-year streak of NCAA Championship competition.
Though her team won’t be on the floor with her, star sophomore Avery Neff remains in top contention for multiple individual titles. Neff has excelled in her second season, becoming the Big 12 All-Around Champion and posting three perfect tens (two on vault, one on bars).
Heading into Texas, Neff ranks as the No. 3 gymnast in the country and looks to channel the program’s disappointment into individual successes.
5. Addison Fatta (Oklahoma)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - MARCH 13: Addison Fatta of the Oklahoma Sooners competes on the floor exercise during a gymnastics meet against the Michigan Wolverines and Eastern Michigan Eagles at Crisler Arena on March 13, 2026 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesThe No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners are the top contender for many reasons, one of which is sophomore Addison Fatta. Fatta has been a rock for the defending champions in 2026, holding steady with a stellar average of 9.91625 across four events.
In February, the sophomore earned her first career perfect ten on vault, leading Oklahoma over SEC rival Florida. Though somewhat of a dark horse for the all-around crown, Fatta has competed in all four events in every competition this season and shows no signs of slowing down.
Sporting a combination of trademark Sooners consistency and elite-level technique, No. 4-ranked Fatta can contend with any top challenger in Fort Worth.
6. Maggie Slife (Air Force)
Maggie Slife competes on the uneven bars for Air Force Academy gymnastics.
Air Force Academy AthleticsMaggie Slife is the lone athlete from her program in Fort Worth, but don’t let that fool you. The Air Force Academy junior is the No. 7-ranked gymnast in the all-around – and for good reason.
With huge difficulty and impeccable execution, Slife posted a stellar season high of 39.675. She has been near-perfect on both bars and beam in 2026, earning season highs of 9.975. Though the 2025 Mountain West Conference Champion doesn’t represent one of gymnastics’ blue bloods like her top all-around foes, Slife’s gymnastics ability speaks for itself.
If Slife can string together another strong all-around effort, fans can expect the junior to contend for the individual crown and multiple event titles.
7. Anna Roberts (Stanford)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 7: Anna Roberts of Stanford performs on floor during a meet between UCLA and Stanford University at Stanford Maples Pavilion on March 7, 2026 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
ISI Photos via Getty ImagesStanford senior Anna Roberts became the ACC Gymnast of the Year after leading the No. 7 Cardinal to multiple historic results. Roberts is one of three athletes to post the highest score in the country this year (39.875) and led her team to their highest team score in more than 20 years.
Though the senior has struggled with inconsistency thus far in the postseason, she is capable of perfection on multiple events, earning perfect tens on vault and floor. Known for her seamless combination of power and execution, Roberts is one of the most technically superior gymnasts in the field.
If she can put her early-postseason jitters behind her, the Cardinal’s leader could realistically challenge Chio and Chiles for the top spot in Texas.
8. Skye Blakely (Florida)
Florida's Skye Blakely competes on the floor exercise during an NCAA gymnastics meet against Auburn on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.The 2026 Florida Gators hold an embarrassment of riches, and Skye Blakely is one of the team’s greatest assets. Though considered an ‘event specialist’ by many – earning a share of the SEC Specialist of the Year award – Blakely’s secret weapon is her all-around potential.
Blakely has only competed in the all-around four times in 2026, but has scored over 39.700 on two of four occasions. As a former world champion with Team USA, Blakely brings elite-level difficulty to her collegiate routines, distinguishing her gymnastics from much of the field. She has earned perfect tens on bars and balance beam in 2026, and has been flirting with perfection on floor (9.975).
Though vault remains her biggest question mark, Blakely has been remarkably precise in the final stretch and could swoop in to snag the all-around crown.
9. Nikki Smith (Michigan State)
AUBURN, ALABAMA - MARCH 6: Nikki Smith of the Michigan State Spartans competes on the uneven bars during a meet against the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena on March 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Stew Milne/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesFew athletes have been bigger trailblazers for their programs than Nikki Smith. When the Michigan State senior joined the Spartans as a freshman, the program began to reach new heights.
Smith helped the team to its first Big Ten Championship in 2024 and went on to become the Big Ten gymnast of the year in 2025, edging out Jordan Chiles. Smith heads into Fort Worth as the No. 9 gymnast in the nation and the No. 2 in the Big Ten (behind Chiles), and has perfect-ten-potential on vault and floor.
Though Smith will be without her Green & White team in Fort Worth, she will compete as an individual all-around competitor alongside teammates Gabi Ortiz and Sage Kellerman. If Smith can stay sharp on her landings, she could be an outside pick for the title.
10. Kayla DiCello (Florida)
sBATON ROUGE, LA - FEBRUARY 17: Florida Gators gymnast Kayla Dicello competes on the balance beam during a meet between the LSU Tigers and the Florida Gators on February 17, 2023, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesLike her Florida teammate Skye Blakely, redshirt sophomore Kayla DiCello has only seen all-around action in a handful of meets in 2026. However, in two of her three appearances, DiCello scored north of 39.700, the golden benchmark score in college gymnastics.
Since returning from injury, DiCello has continued to improve week after week, helping lead the Gators to the SEC Championship and to Fort Worth. Known for her unparalleled consistency – both on the NCAA and elite stages – DiCello has something her competitors don’t: a world championship all-around medal.
DiCello was the third-best gymnast on the planet in 2021. Could she become the best gymnast in the NCAA? The field is tough, but don’t count DiCello out.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com