Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez won gymnastics’ most prestigious NCAA All-Around national title against several top competitors.
In a notable milestone, Faith Torrez made history despite not being considered among the frontrunners for gymnastics’ highest individual honor. She competed on floor for the first time during a season hampered by injuries.
She defeated top-ranked Kailin Chio (LSU) and Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles (UCLA) to claim victory with a total score of 39.7875.
In an interview after the trophy ceremony, Torrez expressed her joy: “If you had [told] I probably two and a half weeks ago that I would be in this position now doing four [events]As if I were living my dream now, I would probably laugh at you.
“I wasn’t planning on doing this at the beginning of the season or in the middle of the season, but to be here and see everything unfold the way it did was really amazing. I’m very grateful for that,” she added.
According to coach KJ Kindler, Torrez began training on the floor after the SEC Championships in late March. But she started slowly, not even routinely until earlier this week.
“All credit goes to the athlete in the arena who made that decision and felt comfortable enough and strong enough with her body to do so.” Kindler praised Torrez for her fierce determination.
Torrez narrowly outperformed LSU’s Kailin Chio, who finished second with a score of 39.6125, a score that led after the afternoon session.
Chio entered the competition as the nation’s top-ranked all-arounder for most of the season, while Florida’s eMjae Frazier rounded out the top three.
