Suni Lee Earns First Perfect 10 of Collegiate Career
It didn't take long for Suni Lee to achieve perfection. Just six meets into her freshman season at Auburn, the reigning Olympic all-around champion posted a 10.0 on the uneven bars to help the Tigers keep pace with LSU on Saturday.
Lee's collegiate routine isn't quite as intricate as the set she performed to clinch gold in Tokyo, but it does feature multiple difficult transitions between the bars and is capped off by a full-twisting double back tuck dismount. She floated through her Maloney to Pak salto to Van Leeuwen combination and nailed her landing to earn a perfect score.
It's the sixth-ever 10.0 in Auburn gymnastics history and the first since Rachael Tarantino notched a perfect mark on the balance beam in 2004.
Lee, who also won a bronze medal on bars last summer in Tokyo, hit a clutch performance under pressure, as LSU's Haleigh Bryant had just thrown down the gauntlet with a 10 on vault to give the No. 8 Tigers a slight edge over No. 6 Auburn.
In other NCAA gymnastics meets around the country, Lee's Olympic teammates also earned the first perfect scores of their collegiate careers. UCLA's Jordan Chiles performed a floor routine set to Lizzo and Cardi B songs to notch a 10 in the Bruins' meet against Utah on Friday.
The Utes got a perfect score from Grace McCallum, who won a silver alongside Chiles and Lee in the Olympic team final.
More Gymnastics Coverage:
• 2021 Athlete of the Year: Olympic Gold Medalist Suni Lee
• NCAA Gymnastics Routines You Can't Miss This Season
• The Medals Keep Piling Up. But at What Cost?