Lacie Saltzmann Leads as Minnesota Achieves Program Milestone

Coach Jenney Hansen wasn’t one to give up. “We knew we belonged here. I’m so proud of these guys. They believed, they believed they could do this, and they walked in today with that belief.”

This is not the first time that Hansen’s troops have defied the odds. Minnesota was able to qualify for the national championships for the first time since 2022 after pulling off another seeded upset at regionals.

Advancing to the final means this is already the best position the Gophers have made to date in the program’s history. Their previous best spot was in sixth place.

Meanwhile, we saw the last of Jordan Chiles in UCLA as she finished her collegiate career with a stellar performance.

She won the individual national championship for floor exercise with a score of 9.9750 and also put on a solid showcase in the balance beam, scoring 9.9500.

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Arianna Ostrum was the best overall performer on vault with a score of 9.9250. At the floor event, junior Stillwater native Jordyn Lyden secured a team-high 9.9375.

While it was a history-making night for Minnesota, business as usual commenced on the other side of the draw with Florida and LSU.

Which Teams will Join Minnesota in the Finals?

Defending champion Oklahoma cruised through the second semifinals to register the highest overall score of the day at 198.3000. The Sooners will now prepare to enter their fourth final in five years on Saturday, April 18.

Third-seeded Florida finished 197.7875 in the first semifinal for a chance to clinch their fifth national championship. eMjae Frazier led the team in vault and beam, while McCusker’s 9.9875 was the highlight in bars.

Closing the finals out were the LSU, who have now reached their eleventh final in program history, three of them under HC Jay Clark. The Tigers were the most dominant team of the semifinals, holding the top spot in four of the five events.

Kailin Chio secured two of them, tying teammate Kailia Lincoln on vault with scores of 9.9625.

So, who do you think will come out on top between these three heavyweights in the finals on Saturday? Or can Minnesota pull off yet another miracle to secure its first national championship?