Glory

The goal of every NCAA gymnast is to make it to the NCAA National Championships that are held after the regular season in the spring. A gymnast can help their team win a national championship and become a national champion themselves, but you have to be the best on your own team before you aim higher.

Winning a national championship in any discipline is nearly impossible. Shooting for All-American status is a little more practical. All-American status is achieved by being one of the top eight athletes in a discipline at the NCAA championship. Less than 1% of gymnasts win an All-American honor, much less an NCAA title, and the ones who do are usually repeat champions. While they can boast about being the best, it lasts just as long as the reign of Miss America before they're back at the mats looking to defend their title.