Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez has won gymnastics’ most prestigious NCAA all-around national title against many top competitors.
In a remarkable milestone, Faith Torrez made history despite not being considered among the front-runners for gymnastics’ highest individual honor. She competed on floor for the first time during an injury-hit season.
She bested top-ranked Kailyn Chio (LSU) and Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles (UCLA) and claimed victory with a total score of 39.7875.
In an interview after the trophy-ceremony, Torrez expressed his joy, “If you would have (told) me maybe two and a half weeks ago that I would be in this position at four (events) right now, like living my dream right now, I probably would have laughed at you.”
He said, “At the beginning of the season, I had no intention of doing this in the middle of the season, but to be here and see every type of game has been really amazing. I’m really grateful for that.”
According to coach KJ Kindler, Torrez began training on the floor after the SEC Championships in late March. But, he started slowly, not even on a regular basis until earlier this week.
“All credit goes to the athlete who made that decision and felt comfortable and strong enough with their body to do it.” Kindler praised Torrez for her determination.
Torrez narrowly edged out LSU’s Kailyn Chio, who finished runner-up with a score of 39.6125, a mark that led the field after the afternoon session.
Chiyo entered the competition as the nation’s top-ranked all-rounder for most of the season, while Florida’s EMJ Frazier rounded out the top three finishers.
