SAN FRANCISCO - An exciting 2023 season for Pac-12 women’s gymnastics came to an end last weekend in Texas with Utah finishing third at the National Championship Final for a third straight season, Utah’s Maile O’Keefe and UCLA’s Jordan Chiles collecting two NCAA individual titles apiece and a total of 17 Pac-12 student-athletes earning NCAA All-America honors.

In the final Road to Nationals rankings released this week, Pac-12 women's gymnastics had all eight teams finish in the top 21 - No. 3 Utah, No. 5 UCLA, No. 7 California, No. 12 Oregon State, No. 15 Arizona State, No. 16 Washington, No. 19 Stanford and No. 21 Stanford - marking the second straight year all eight squads have finished inside the top 26 of the final rankings.

California co-head coaches Elisabeth Crandall-Howell and Justin Howell picked up some hardware as the pair were named the Women's College Gymnastics Association (WCGA) National Co-Head Coaches of the Year while Cal assistant John Carney earned Assistant of the Year honors. The Bears were Pac-12 Regular Season Co-Champions for a second straight year, qualified for a second NCAA Championship appearance in the last three seasons and posted the highest score (198.075) of any team in the Regional Final round before finishing third in their national semifinal last week. 

After the conclusion of the NCAA Regional rounds, the WCGA also announced its regional awards with UCLA's first-year head coach Janelle McDonald picking up West Region Coach of the Year honors and Bruin assistant coaches BJ Das, Kyle Grable and Autumn Grable  named the region's Assistant Coaches of the Year. In addition, Chiles was named West Region Gymnast of the Year. The Bruins earned a share of the Pac-12 Regular Season Title, advanced to Nationals for the first time since 2019 and finished third in their semifinal, posting the highest score (197.9125) by a non-advancing team in semifinal history.

17 Pac-12 gymnasts earned a total of 32 NCAA All-America first and second team honors for the 2023 campaign. Gymnasts who finished in the top four in the all-around and on each event in each semifinal earn first team NCAA All-America honors, while the fifth through eighth place finishers are second team honorees.

Each of the three Pac-12 squads that advanced to National Championships saw five student-athletes apiece earn All-America honors, while two of three individual qualifiers - Oregon State's Jade Carey and Stanford's Chloe Widner - each earned First Team All-America status on beam with Carey finishing in second and Widner tied for fourth in the event. 

O'Keefe, who became the Pac-12's first NCAA all-around champion since 2015 (Samantha Peszek, UCLA) and first NCAA beam champion since 2018 (Christine Peng-Peng Lee, UCLA), earned first team honors in both of those events as well as on the floor and on bars. Another Ute senior Cristal Isa joined O'Keefe with first-team beam honors and was a second team honoree on the bars with graduate transfer Abby Brenner capping her final collegiate gymnastics season as a Second Team All-American on bars. After missing a majority of the season due to injury, sophomore Olympian Grace McCallum returned to compete at the National Championships and was a first team award winner on bars after scoring a 9.95 in her first routine back. Freshman Makenna Smith put a bow on top of a tremendous freshman year earning First Team All-American status on vault.

With her two NCAA individual titles, UCLA's Chiles was a First Team All-American on the bars and the floor with her runner-up finish in the all-around and her tie for fifth on the vault also earning her two additional first team nods. Senior Margzetta Frazier picked up her first All-America First Team award on floor to make it four total during her Bruin career. Junior Chae Campbell added two more All-American honors to her Bruin resume with a First Team All-America award on vault and a Second Team All-America honor on floor, giving her eight total during her career. 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Selena Harris collected three All-America awards at the Championships, earning first team status in the all-around and the floor and second team honors on the beam. Sophomore Emma Malabuyo's 9.950 routine on the beam led to a first career All-America award with a first team honor.

Leading the way for California was sophomore Maya Lauzon, who is a First Team All-American in vault and beam and a second team honoree on the floor, and freshman eMjae Frazier, a Second Team All-American in the all-around, vault and floor. Sophomore Maddie Williams also picked up three nods, earning Second Team All-American status in the all-around, vault and beam. Senior Nevaeh DeSouza earned second team honors on vault and junior Andi Li rounded it out with second team honors on bars. 

WCGA REGULAR SEASON ALL-AMERICANS

Pac-12 women’s gymnastics saw 12 student-athletes earn WCGA Regular Season All-America honors, the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association announced Thursday. Nine of the 12 received first-team status, while the 12 collected a total of 26 awards among first-and-second-team honors in the all-around and the vault, bars, beam and floor events. 

• Oregon State: 
  • Jade Carey - First Team (All-Around, Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor)
• UCLA: 
  • Jordan Chiles - First Team (All-Around, Vault, Bars, Floor)
  • Selena Harris - First Team (All-Around,); Second Team (Vault, Bars, Beam)
  • Chae Campbell - Second Team (Vault, Floor)
• Utah:
  • Jaedyn Rucker - Second Team (Vault)
  • Maile O’Keefe - First Team (Beam)
  • Kara Eaker - First Team (Beam)
  • Cristal Isa - Second Team (Beam)
• California:
  • Andi Li - First Team (Bars); Second Team (All-Around)
  • Mya Lauzon - First Team (Vault, Beam); Second Team (Floor)
  • Maddie Williams - First Team (Bars)
  • eMjae Frazier - First Team (Floor)

2023 PAC-12 HONORS

The Pac-12 Conference announced the 2023 Pac-12 Women's Gymnastics All-Conference honors and Annual Awards, presented by Gatorade, on Tuesday March, 21. For a second consecutive year, Oregon State's Jade Carey earned Gymnast of the Year honors and Utah's Maile O'Keefe was named the Specialist of the Year. UCLA's Selena Harris was named the Freshman of the Year and Arizona State's Jay Santos was named the Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. The individual award recipients are voted on by the league's head coaches.

The All-Pac-12 First Team consists of the top six all-around performers, and top six performers in each individual event (including ties) based on national qualifying scores. All-Pac-12 honorable mention recipients are the seventh- and eighth-place performances in each individual event and the all-around (including ties) based on national qualifying scores. For the full 2023 All-Pac-12 Honors click here.

198 CLUB

Utah, Oregon State, California and UCLA all posted team scores over 198 this season, representing four of just 11 teams in the country to do so during the regular season in 2023. In all, the Pac-12 saw 13 scores over 198 in 2023.

• In the National Semifinals, Utah posted its highest postseason score (198.225) in postseason history to advance to its third consecutive NCAA final where they would finish in third place for a third consecutive year.
• Utah posted back-to-back scores of 198-plus at the Los Angeles Regional, with a 198.125 in the Regional Second Round on March 30 and a 198.050 to win the Regional Final on April 1. It was the first time in program history the Utes had recorded consecutive 198s.
• California recorded its third 198 of the season, winning the Pittsburgh Regional on April 2 with a score of 198.075, just the fourth time in program history the Bears have posted a score of 198-plus.
• California ended the regular season with a ton of momentum, scoring back-to-back 198s at a pair of home quad meets, marking the Bears’ two highest scores in program history and just the second and third times all-time to go over the 198 plateau. Cal also broke the program balance beam record in the quad meet on Friday, March 10 with a 49.600.
• In a top-25 showdown on March 5, UCLA came out on top over the Cardinal (198.175-196.825) with the Bruins joining the 198 club behind their third-highest bars score in school history (49.725). UCLA recorded its second 198+ of the season in the finale against Iowa State on March 11, with their score of 198.275 being the sixth-highest in program history.
• Utah’s 198.550 in the top-10 win over Cal on Feb. 24 marked the second 198+ score of the season for the Utes, which was its third-best score in program history. The Utes’ first of the season came in a 198.200-197.450 win in a top-five matchup against UCLA on Feb. 3.
• In the win over Stanford on Feb. 24, Oregon State topped the 198 mark for the first time in program history, scoring a 198.075. The Beavers also broke the program’s beam record with a 49.650 at the meet. 

PERFECT 10s

The Conference had 26 Perfect 10s during the 2023 season. Two-time Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year Jade Carey led the way with seven. After earning 10s on floor, bars and vault this season, Carey became just the 13th NCAA gymnast to complete the gym slam with her first career perfect 10 on beam on March 4. O'Keefe, the 2023 NCAA All-Around and Beam Champion, scored Perfect 10s on both her routines at the National Championships.

• (7) Jade Carey, Oregon State
  • Jan. 14 at Wasatch Classic - 10.0 on floor and vault
  • Feb. 18 vs. Arizona - 10.0 on floor and vault
  • Feb. 24 at Stanford - 10.0 on floor and bars
  • March 4 at Arizona - 10.0 on beam
• (6) Maile O’Keefe, Utah
  • Feb. 3 vs. UCLA - 10.0 on beam
  • Feb. 10 at Metroplex Challenge - 10.0 on beam
  • Feb. 24 vs. California - 10.0 on beam
  • March 30 - LA Regional Second Round - 10.0 on beam
  • April 13 - National Semifinals - 10.0 on beam
  • April 15 - National Finals - 10.0 on beam
• (5) Jordan Chiles, UCLA
  • Feb. 10 vs. Arizona State - 10.0 on floor
  • March 5 vs. Stanford - 10.0 on bars
  • March 11 vs. Iowa State - 10.0 on bars
  • April 1 - LA Regional Final - 10.0 on floor
  • April 13 - National Semifinals - 10.0 on bars
• (3) Jaedyn Rucker, Utah

  • Feb. 24 vs. California - 10.0 on vault (First career)
  • March 30 - LA Regional Second Round - 10.0 on vault
  • April 1 - LA Regional Final - 10.0 on vault
• (1) Selena Harris, UCLA (First career)
  • April 1 - LA Regional Final - 10.0 on vault
• (1) eMjae Frazier, Cal (First career)
  • March 3 at LSU Podium Challenge - 10.0 on floor 
• (1) Mya Lauzon, Cal (First career)
  • March 12 at Haas Quad Meet #2 - 10.0 on beam
• (1) Kara Eaker, Utah
  • Jan. 13 at Rio Tinto Best of Utah Quad Meet - 10.0 on beam
• (1) Cristal Isa, Utah

  • March 3 vs. Arizona - 10.0 on beam

BY THE (HISTORIC) NUMBERS

It was a season full of record-setting numbers for Pac-12 women’s gymnastics squads and gymnasts. Two programs - Oregon State and California - posted their highest team scores in program history, with OSU breaking the 198 mark for the first time. Other highlights include:

• Utah became just the second team in Pac-12 history to win at least three straight conference titles only behind the four straight that UCLA won from 1987-90. The three consecutive championships and six overall by Utah are the most by any Pac-12 team since the conference expanded in 2012.
• Cal finished third at the Pac-12 Championships behind their highest team score at the event in program history (197.825), while junior All-American Mya Lauzon became the first Bear all-time to earn a Pac-12 beam title after she finished in a tie for first on the event at the championships.
• ASU finished the regular season with an NQS over 197 for just the third time in program history and the second time under head coach Jay Santos. 
• Olympic Gold Medalist and now back-to-back Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year Jade Carey has been superb in her sophomore campaign at Oregon State. She is just the third gymnast in Pac-12 history to earn the award in consecutive years and the seventh overall to earn the honor more than once during a career. As the back-to-back Pac-12 All-Around title holder, Carey is only the fourth gymnast to win the all-around at the event two straight years. She broke the OSU all-around record two straight weeks with back-to-back 39.875s, which is tied for the second highest all-around score in the country this year. At the Wasatch Classic on Jan. 14, Carey became the first OSU gymnast to record a pair of perfect scores in a meet since former Beaver Chari Knight accomplished the feat in 1993. She went on to do it two more times during the regular season, scoring a 10.0 on floor and bars on Feb. 24 vs. Stanford and a pair of 10s on floor and vault in the win over Arizona on Feb. 18. She won the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week honor six times in 2023.
• Carey’s 2020 Olympic teammate, UCLA sophomore Jordan Chiles earned five Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week honors this year, including two straight to end the regular season. In the finale against Iowa State, Chiles posted the nation’s best all-around score of 2023 with a 39.900, which was the second-highest all-around score by a Bruin in program history. 
• Carey and Chiles were the only Pac-12 gymnasts to sweep all four event titles and the all-around in a single meet this year. Jade did it three times (Beaver Quad Meet on Jan. 21, vs. No. 7 California on Feb 10, vs. Arizona on Feb. 18) while Chiles did it once against Iowa State.
• In the final Pac-12 dual of the regular season on March 11, Oregon State upset then No. 4 Utah 197.950-197.700. The 197.950 was the Beavers’ second-best score in all-time and highest score inside Gill Coliseum in program history, while the home victory kept OSU’s home record perfect over the last two seasons of competition.
• California sophomore Mya Lauzon, a two-time Specialist of the Week honor this year, ended the regular season on a high note, winning five of the six events she competed in at Cal’s two home quads meets on March 10 & 12. After breaking the program beam record with a 9.975 on Friday, she followed that performance with the first perfect 10 on the event in school history on Sunday. The Sunday performance helped the Bears to the second-highest team beam score in NCAA history (49.825), which is also tied for the highest team score on any event in 2023.
• Utah senior Maile O’Keefe, last year’s Pac-12 Specialist of the Year and a two-time Specialist of the Week honoree in 2023, has posted three perfect 10s on beam this season to give her seven for her career, setting a new Utah record for most 10.0s in a career and breaking the tie with Theresa Kulikowski (1999-2003), who earned six during her career. 
• California competed at LSU’s Podium Challenge on March 3 where freshman eMjae Frazier made history, becoming the first Bear to earn a 10.0 on the floor and first freshman to earn a 10.0 on any event since former Bear Toni Ann Williams in 2015. Earlier in the season on Feb. 18 in a win over Arizona, Frazier tied the Bears’ program record of 39.700 to win the first all-around title of her career.
• In the loss to the Beavers on Feb. 24, Stanford’s 197.575 was the fifth-best in program history and the best in Maples Pavilion dating back to 1999.
• The Sun Devils’ upset over No. 4 Utah by just .050 of a point on Feb. 20 was ASU’s first win over the Utes since 2003 and first in Tempe since 2000 behind the 11th-best score in program history. ASU senior Hannah Scharf was key to the win, setting a career high of 39.675 in the all-around against Utah, which ranks as the 10th-best AA score in program history. With the meet against the Utes coming down to the last rotation on the floor, Scharf scored a 9.925 to win the event and secure the Sun Devil upset.
• After the conference had not seen a tie in a regular season league dual since Feb. 23, 2020, there were ties in three consecutive weeks. The first came between Oregon State and UCLA on January 29 in LA, the second came a week later as Oregon State hosted California at Gill Coliseum on Feb. 10 and the third was between UCLA and California in Berkeley on Feb. 18. 
• Cal’s score of 197.600 in the win over Arizona State on Feb. 4 was the sixth-highest score in program history, while its 9-0 mark to start the year was one win shy of matching the record of 10, which was set back in 2015. 
• Utah matched its school record on beam against UCLA on Feb. 3, scoring a 49.775. 
• Oregon State’s 197.275 in the tie at UCLA on Jan. 29 was their highest score at UCLA in program history. 
• UCLA freshman Selena Harris, the No. 1 ranked recruit in the nation last year, has lived up to her billing in her first collegiate season. Harris earned five straight Freshman/Newcomer of the Week awards to start the season, tying the Pac-12 record for most consecutive weekly awards, held by Toni-Ann Williams from California in 2015. Harris earned the honor for a sixth time on March 14 to tie the all-time record for most freshman honors in a season since the award was introduced in 2013, held by Williams, Utah’s MyKayla Skinner (2017) and Oregon State’s Jade Carey (2022).
• Utah opened the season taking down the then-No.6 LSU Tigers (197.275-196.775) in front of a packed house of over 11,000 fans at the Huntsman Center in an event that aired live on ESPN2. It was Utah’s highest season-opening score since 2005 and the third-best in program history. 
• California opened its season with a historical performance, posting its best overall score in a season-opening meet in program history (197.457), taking first at the Super 16 event in Las Vegas. Cal’s No. 3 Road to Nationals ranking after week one was its highest in the ranking system in program history.

2023 Pac-12 Women's Gymnastics Weekly Awards