Florida gymnast Trinity Thomas was the 2022 NCAA all-around champion. She is a 32-time All-American. And on Saturday at NCAA championships, she tied a major record: The most perfect 10s in history.
While the 10 is long gone in Olympic gymnastics, it's still going strong in NCAA competition, and Thomas has now earned 28. That ties the collegiate record held by UCLA's Jamie Dantzscher and Kentucky's Jenny Hansen.*
It looked like it wouldn't be possible for Thomas to do it, after an injury forced her to withdraw from regionals two weeks ago. But on Saturday she stuck a perfect vault and history was made.
Here's a look at Thomas' perfect 10s in 2023:
No. 28: A storybook ending
In the final meet of Thomas' career, and despite very little training time because of her injury, Thomas nailed her vault at NCAA championship finals, causing the crowd to erupt around her:
PERFECT 10.@Gym_Trin's last career vault, is perfect.
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) April 15, 2023
📺https://t.co/4l8IJLxvOy #GoGators | #WeChomp pic.twitter.com/oKFwoaRfy1
No. 27: Two in one meet
Thomas capped off a stellar SEC championship competition with her second perfect 10 of the night, this time on floor:
Perfection Below ⤵️
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) March 19, 2023
📺https://t.co/in7qTGwr95 #GoGators | #WeChomp pic.twitter.com/GoYEeZ59VC
No. 26: First of the season on bars
Thomas completed a season "gym slam" at SEC championships, meaning she has earned a 10 on every single event already this year. Her bar routine at SECs was flawless:
MAKE THAT 2️⃣6️⃣ CAREER 10s FOR TRINITY THOMAS‼️ #ThatsaW | @GatorsGym pic.twitter.com/Hnjt7zZ7dU
— ESPN (@espn) March 19, 2023
No. 25: Perfect on beam -- yet again
Thomas earned her third 10 of the season on beam in a dual meet against LSU, leaving no room for doubt with a stuck 1½ dismount. She also won the all-around title with a 39.85.
TRIN.0
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) February 18, 2023
🔹 @Gym_Trin's 6th 10.00 on beam!
🔹 25th 10.00 overall!
📺 https://t.co/UYlgubVNi2 #GoGators | #WeChomp pic.twitter.com/aTnkvhocR2
No. 24: A controversial 10
On Feb. 10, Thomas scored her second perfect mark of the season on beam, for a routine that most experts felt warranted a high score but not a perfect one, due to the small step on the dismount. (Thomas even posted, "It wasn't" on Instagram.) While that beam score proved controversial, other experts thought she had deserved a perfect score earlier in the competition for her bar routine (9.95) or later on, for her floor set (9.975).
TRINITY THOMAS DELIVERS HER FIFTH PERFECT 10 ON BEAM 🤩@Gym_Trin | @GatorsGym pic.twitter.com/OZD29f43Hh
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 11, 2023
No. 23: Perfect 10 on vault
Thomas picked up her third perfect score on yet another event Jan. 27, earning one on vault for her stuck Yurchenko 1½.
Trinity Thomas with her 23rd PERFECT 10‼️ @GatorsGym pic.twitter.com/Nl6or9xhSN
— espnW (@espnW) January 27, 2023
No. 22: First floor routine, second 10
Thomas earned a 10 for her first floor routine of the season Jan. 13, as Florida topped Auburn 197.825-197.200.
Trinity Thomas with ANOTHER perfect 10 on the floor 🤩 #ThatsaW | @GatorsGym pic.twitter.com/b5Y11wRkKu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 14, 2023
No. 21: Opening the season
Thomas wasted no time warming up to 2023: She earned a 10 (on beam, no less) in the first competition of the season, a quad meet at home Jan. 6.
*Editor's note: Thomas opted to compete a fifth "COVID" year, while Dantzscher and Hansen each completed the record in four seasons. With competition schedules affected in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, it's tough to directly compare these three gymnasts' careers.