The Dismount: Week 3

More teams kicked off their 2021 season this week, giving fans even more gymnastics to enjoy as they continue to stay at home. We also found out mere hours after Michigan finished its competition that the entire athletic department would be stopping all activity for at least two weeks; this affects at least the Wolverine’s next two meets. SEMO at Illinois State and Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan were also canceled or disrupted by COVID protocols.

But there was a lot of good that came out of week three as well! More teams impressed with their mask usage, we saw a number of well-deserved 9.9-plus routines from lesser-known gymnasts and more.

Routine of the Week

Elizabeth Culton (North Carolina)

We had a lot of questions surrounding North Carolina this year what with a new head coach and Khazia Hislop, among others, graduating. But the team thoroughly impressed. One highlight was sophomore Elizabeth Culton on beam. Just see for yourself.

Worst Commentary

Sam Gore During Minnesota at Michigan

He couldn’t keep the teams straight, constantly mixing up who was on which event and then misidentifying the gymnasts. He didn’t recognize lineup changes. He was all over the place. If you muted him, same. Do your homework, sir.

Mask Warriors of the Week

New Hampshire

New Hampshire reached new heights when it came to mask use in NCAA gym when some of its gymnasts competed with the masks on. We know a handful of teams have been training with masks, but this is the first use of them during a competition routine.

Arizona

While we have to give props to the teams with a designated mask holder for the competing gymnast, it still made us a little squirmy with all the masks going in one cup or having someone else touch every mask. BUT Arizona swooped in a with a solution: a bearcat claw on a 6-foot stick. Genius.

Best Reaction to a Hit Routine

Pauline Tratz (UCLA)

Tratz, a senior, was naturally excited about hitting her first collegiate bar routine. But she took her celebration to a whole new level, dancing around in a circle of her teammates, falling to the ground playing dead and pretending to pump her own heart after saluting.

Most Heart-Warming Debut

Sara Taubman (UCLA) 

Taubman waited two years to get her chance to compete for UCLA and the junior did not disappoint. She hit a pressure set after a leadoff fall and brought the arena to tears with her after a stuck landing. 

The Highlights

Click and expand the events below to see results, recaps of top meets or particularly exciting matchups and even links to watch archived broadcasts.

No event found!

READ THIS NEXT: LIVE BLOG: No. 4 Minnesota at No. 3 Michigan


Article by the editors of College Gym News

Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.