Freshman gymnast Mackenzie Estep has been one of the leading performers of OU women’s gymnastics this season.
But a couple of years earlier, that didn’t seem possible to Estep.
“Mackenzie is a very humble person in general, and I don't think she thought she was in the tier of an Oklahoma, a LSU, a Florida, the top dogs at the time,” said Brett Wargo, Estep’s coach at Ascend Gymnastics during high school.
This season, Estep has built up her confidence. She scored the team’s first perfect 10 of the season at the Metroplex Challenge — the first 10 by an OU freshman since Jordan Bowers in 2022. She competed all-around in five meets, becoming a key piece of the Sooners’ rotation. She capped the season by being named Southeastern Conference freshman of the year.
“It’s something that I thought about, and I hoped for, but I wasn't expecting it by any means,” Estep said. “Coming into college, I just wanted to be wherever they needed me at that moment, and if that was on one event or if that was on four events, I was ready to step in whatever role the coaching staff had for me.”
‘Give her the belief’
Estep came to the Sooners from Auburn, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. She grew up in an athletic family. Her father played rugby at Washington, and while she and her sister, Katie, both started in ballet classes, they found their way in different sports, as Katie competes for the U.S. as a weightlifter.
Estep said her parents' sacrifices made her success possible.
“I couldn't imagine being a parent and having to juggle all of that, but they did such an amazing job,” Estep said. “When we were little and we couldn't drive ourselves, they would get up and leave their jobs whenever they had to, and they'd take us to practice.”
Estep first began training in gymnastics when she was only 3 years old. Her parents signed her up at Ascend Gymnastics, a local gym, where she stayed until her arrival in Oklahoma.
She credits Ascend, particularly Wargo, a gymnastics coach with almost 20 years of experience, for the success of her gymnastics career. Wargo joined Ascend in 2020 and played a role in Estep’s recruitment to OU.
“It was our job to kind of open the door and to help give her the belief that she belonged in one of those top-tier programs,” Wargo said.
Wargo added that Estep impressed colleges with both her talent and interviews. He praised her work ethic, saying she had a college athlete’s mindset while still in high school.
“She's a rare example of literally trying to do everything in her power, inside and outside of the gym, to influence a higher likelihood of success,” Wargo said.
Multiple schools showed interest in Estep, and Wargo said she visited four before making her decision. Her gym had lots of talent, and it was common to see college coaches visiting recruits. However, when K.J. Kindler and the OU coaching staff came through the doors, it felt different.
“I normally didn't get that nervous, but I remember when K.J. walked in with (associate head coach) Tom (Haley), I was so nervous," Estep said. “I was like, ‘I've never been so nervous in my life.’”
‘Wants to earn everything’
Estep arrived at OU ahead of the 2026 season, and she made an immediate impact for the Sooners.
In her first meet of the season, she tied with UCLA’s Jordan Chiles, an Olympic gold medalist, for the highest score on floor, and in her first home meet, she scored a 9.975 on vault, the highest score of that meet.
“My first day competing at home and representing my college with my team, that was just an incredible day and something that I think I will always remember,” Estep said. “It's such an important moment for my freshman year.”
Across the season, she competed full-time on vault, bars and floor, along with making five appearances on beam. Estep was the first freshman nationally in 2026 to score a 10, doing so on vault, and posted season highs of 9.95 on bars and floor.
Estep praised her coaching staff and her teammates, who have kept her focused throughout the season. According to Estep, Kindler has helped her grow as both a gymnast and a person.
“She just has this special touch, and (Kindler) just knows you from the inside out,” Estep said. “That's been so cool. I mean, I think I've grown in my confidence from her.”
Estep will be a key piece of the lineup when OU competes for a national championship at 3 p.m. Saturday. She’s been one of OU’s strongest performers in postseason competition, scoring a 9.9 or higher on bars and floor in the national semifinals, and leading the team on vault and floor in the regional final.
Kindler has emphasized sticking landings all season, and with a championship on the line, Estep is focusing on that mantra.
“(I am) definitely focusing on all of our details and our landings,” Estep said. “K.J. talked about how if everyone could get a quarter of a tenth, then we could be at five-tenths back on our team’s score.”
Estep has earned her spot in the championship rotation with her performances during the 2026 season, and with a title meet and three more years ahead of her at OU, she has plenty of time to reach new heights.
“She's a kid that you'd bet your life savings on being successful wherever she goes and whatever she does,” Wargo said. “This just proves that she is willing to work for and wants to earn everything.”
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel and Laurie Jones.
