On the eve of the 2023 college gymnastics season, I’m looking back at just a few of the new scoring records set during that whirlwind of a 2022 experience, as well as a few more that happened to survive 2022 but…could…fall in 2023. At this point, we never know.
New Records in 2022
Team NQS – 198.140, Oklahoma
Oklahoma broke its own NQS record in 2022 with that 198.140, surpassing the previous record mark of 198.120 that OU set in the 2018 season. Florida’s NQS of 198.135 in 2022 also beat the previous record but did not beat Oklahoma. At this point, given the scoring trends, it’s reasonable to expect a new NQS record to be set…basically every season.
Highest road meet score – 198.775, Florida
Florida’s performance in the Auburn regional final on April 2, 2022 earned 198.775, which is the highest score a team has ever achieved at a road meet. It surpassed the previous record of 198.575 that Florida also received at Auburn less than a month before, on March 4. That surpassed the previous record of 198.525 that Michigan received at Rutgers a month before that, on February 4.
Prior to the 2022 season, the road score record sat at 198.475, belonging to Oklahoma’s performance at the Georgia regional in 2019. Now it seems quaint.
Highest team bars score – 49.825, Oklahoma (tie w/ Cal 2021, UCLA 2004)
Oklahoma’s bars score of 49.825 on March 4th matched the all-time team bars score record, which was originally set by UCLA in 2004 and then tied by Cal in 2021. The bars mark still sits as the lowest of the four apparatus score records (see below) and seems primed to be bested in the 2023 season.
Most 198s in a season – 33
The previous record for 198s scored in a single college gymnastics season was 19. Last season saw 33. So that was a lot more. Five of the ten highest scores in college gymnastics history were scored during the 2022 season.
Highest-scoring dual meet – 397.150, Florida @ Auburn
Florida and Auburn’s March 4th meet, a 198.575-198.575 tie, set a new record for the highest cumulative 2-team score in NCAA history at a whopping 397.150. The previous record was 396.600 (so…over a fall lower) from a Florida and Oklahoma meet in 2015. Another record totally blown out of the water.
Records That Survived 2022
Highest team score – 198.875 (UCLA, Stanford 2004)
No one can say 2022 didn’t try. Florida’s 198.775 was the highest mark in 2022 and made a solid run at the record, but ended up a tenth short and sits as the #3 score of all time.
The door…I hear banging.
Most career 10s by an individual – 28, Jenny Hansen, Jamie Dantzscher
This record will be under threat in the 2023 season as Trinity Thomas currently sits at 20 on the eve of her fifth season of eligibility. For reference, Thomas scored twelve 10s during the 2022 season alone.
Most 10s in a single meet – 7 (Michigan @ Georgia; March 8, 1997)
This is among the rarer records in NCAA in that it has withstood both the craziness of 2003-2004 and the craziness of the current era. In that 1997 dual meet between Michigan and Georgia, Georgia got four 10s (Leah Brown and Kim Arnold both got 10s on vault and floor) and Michigan got three 10s (Sarah Cain and Nikki Peters on vault, Heather Kabick on floor).
The record has been under serious threat three times since then, competitions where six 10s were scored—a UCLA quad meet with Michigan, Minnesota, and Fullerton in 2002; an Arizona State/UCLA meet in 2003; and the UCLA/Oklahoma meet from 2018—but it is yet to be matched.
We had a total of four 10s in the same meet a bunch of times in 2022, but never more than that.
Most 10s in a single day – 12 (March 12, 2004)
Thatttttt’s a lot of 10s. On this day, Arizona State recorded five 10s at home against Minnesota, while Florida hosted UCLA with only one 10 for each team (was that a try?), Washington scored two 10s at home against Boise State and Seattle Pacific, LSU scored two 10s away at Centenary, and Missouri got a 10 away against TWU.
The single-day record for the 2022 season was eight 10s, set on March 4th, when Florida and Auburn’s meet provoked four 10s (two for each team), Utah got three 10s at home against Minnesota, and Oklahoma got one against Michigan.
Most 10s in a Season – 98 (2004)
Again, 2022 tried its best but ended up with 71 scores of 10.000 across the season, one of the 10-iest seasons in college gymnastics history but not yet at the level of the 2004 season.
Highest team vault score – 49.925, Georgia 1996
Highest team beam score – 49.875, Arizona State 2003
Highest team floor score – 49.925, Stanford 2004
These 49.9s are toughies because the judges have to be willing to start at 9.950+ and go up from there, but we saw a 49.875 vault score from Michigan in 2022, so all of these have to be considered attainable at this point.
Highest individual all-around score – 40.000 (Karin Lichey, 1996)
I mean, it’s possible…
As always, you can check out the
Hall of 10s
Team Scoring Records
Most 10s in NCAA
Top NCAA All-Around Scores
Top NCAA Team Scores