Torrez, Wells Claim Individual Titles, Sooners Advance to NCAA Finals

Thursday, April 16

Fort Worth, Texas

8 PM

University of Oklahoma

198.3000

197.2750

UCLA

Torrez, Wells Claim Individual Titles, Sooners Advance to NCAA Finals

April 16, 2026 | Women's Gymnastics

Faith Torrez Post Meet Highlights/Presser K.J. Kindler, Faith Torrez, Mackenzie Estep Presser Highlights

By: Lindsey Magness

FORT WORTH, Texas — Senior Faith Torrez captured the individual all-around national championship and junior Keira Wells won the vault individual title as the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team advanced to the NCAA Finals with a 198.300 in semifinal action.

The Sooners finished in first place in the second semifinal of the day to make their 12th NCAA Finals appearance in the last 13 years.

OU has now made 14 appearances in the team finals in program history. Minnesota (197.4625), who finished in second place, will join the Sooners in Saturday's final. UCLA finished third (197.275) and Arkansas came in fourth (196.9625). From the afternoon session, Florida (197.7875) and LSU (197.4375) advanced to join Oklahoma and Minnesota.

Torrez kept the individual all-around crown in Norman as she tallied a 39.7875 to take home the title. The senior is the fifth Sooner to ever win the all-around, joining 2024 champion Jordan Bowers, Anastasia Webb (2021), Maggie Nichols (2018, 2019) and Kelly Garrison (1987, 1988). This is Torrez's second national title after claiming the beam championship in 2024. Torrez is also the fifth Sooner to win multiple national titles joining Nichols (6), Garrison (4), Webb (3), Dowell (2) and Audrey Davis (2).

"If you would've asked me two weeks ago if I would be in this position right now, living out my dream, I'd probably laugh at you," Torrez said. "I had no intentions of doing this at the beginning of the season or the middle of the season but to be here and have everything play out the way it did is really amazing. I'm really grateful for that. It's a dream come true and I'm so happy to be here with my team and to be able to compete all four events."

Wells won her first individual national champion with a 9.975 on vault. The junior is the fifth OU gymnast to earn the national championship on vault and first since Olivia Trautman in 2023.

"I had the mindset that anything can happen," Wells said. "I was ready for anything and I was just out there to do it for my team, not really for myself."

OU opened the meet with a record-breaking vault rotation to lead the field. The Sooners' 49.750 is the highest score in NCAA Championship competition in program history and the highest semifinal vault score in NCAA history. OU counted only scores of 9.9375 or higher en route to the second highest score in program history.

Wells led off with a bang, sticking her Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.975. The mark was the second-highest in NCAA Championship competition, behind only a 9.9875 from Brenna Dowell in 2019. Hannah Scheible followed with a stick of her own on her handspring pike half for a 9.95. Back in the vault lineup for the first time since Feb. 20, Torrez kept the sticks coming with a 9.9375. After a 9.7875 from Mackenzie Estep, Elle Mueller got things back on track with a stuck 1.5 for a 9.9375. Lily Pederson anchored with another stuck 1.5 for a 9.95 to close out an outstanding rotation.

The Sooners extended their lead with a 49.475 on the uneven bars. Pederson opened the second rotation with a strong bars routine for a 9.850. Ella Murphy showed off her gorgeous lines and exceptional handstands for a 9.8375 in the No. 2 spot. Estep recorded the first stick of the rotation in the No. 3 spot, nailing her full-in dismount for a 9.925. Scheible added a 9.7625 in the No. 4 spot. In just her fourth competitive routine, Caitlin Smith drilled the double layout for a stick and a 9.9125. Anchoring was Torrez with the high score of the rotation after a stuck dismount for a 9.95.

A 49.5375 on beam had the Sooners in front by nearly half a point with just one rotation to go. In her lone routine of the night, Addison Fatta led off with a 9.8125. Steady as always in the No. 2 spot, Wells continued her strong competition with a 9.90. In the No. 3 spot, Murphy showed why she's one of the top beam workers in the nation, earning a 9.9375. Pederson and Mueller recorded back-to-back 9.875s in the No. 4 and 5 spots, respectively. Once again in the anchor spot, Torrez notched a 9.95 to close out the rotation.

The Sooners locked up their spot in the finals with a 49.5375 on floor. Murphy and Pederson started the final rotation off with matching 9.85s. Wells added her third mark of 9.90 or higher with a 9.90 in the No. 3 spot. Elle Mueller was exceptional in the No. 4 spot, earning a 9.9375. Estep kept the 9.90 scores coming with a 9.90 of her own in the No. 5 spot, setting up Torrez for her floor debut. Torrez showed why she's one of the best gymnasts in the nation, earning her third 9.95 of the night to send OU to the finals.

Oklahoma will vie for its eighth national title when it competes in Saturday's team final. The meet will air on ABC at 3 p.m., with individual streams of each event available on WatchESPN.com.