Teams Hold Season Previews for Fans

Many top teams held their annual preview intrasquads this past weekend. But while the main premise with all the teams was to showcase fall training for fans, each squad did something slightly different to do just that.

Auburn
The Tigers held a traditional preview meet for their fans. The opportunity was mainly a chance for the teams large freshman class — of SIX gymnasts — to get a taste of what it’s like to compete in Auburn Arena in front of a crowd. But it was also a chance for those returning gymnasts to get back into the competition groove before the Tigers’ first meet at Oregon State Jan. 10. Read more about the preview and catch up on other coverage from the event in our Storify.
​Illinois
Illinois, known for its innovation on the men’s side, brought the creativity to its exhibition. Both the women and the men’s teams were split into blue and orange teams and head-to-head battles ensued with one point being awarded to the better of the two gymnasts in the matchup. The fan-friendly format not only made it super easy for the crowd to follow along, but allowed the gymnasts to show their routines for the first time and get back into the competition mindset. Watch every routine from the exhibition below or catch up on the highlights with our Storify.
​Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan
The Wolverines held an actual competition with Eastern Michigan. While the scores won’t count toward season results, it was still a good opportunity to see where the teams are at with only about a month left until the 2016 season begins. Michigan was missing a number of gymnasts from its already small squad due to illness, so the team looked less than good during the competition. However, there were some highlights. Freshman Olivia Karas, showed great potential in her collegiate debut and senior Briley Cassanova made a case for devaluing the Yurchenko full with a stuck-solid one and a half. Catch up on all the highlights from the meet in our Storify, and watch videos from the event on Gymnastike. You can also view complete, unofficial results here as well as a photo gallery here.
​Arizona
While there hasn’t been much news about the Gymcats’ intrasquad, we’re expecting more updates to come soon, so stay tuned!

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