The Mount: Week 6

By Elizabeth Grimsley, Caroline Medley, Christina Marmet

​There’s another good set of competitions on tap with showdowns between unusual competitors including George Washington at Missouri with Iowa State and Lindenwood, Boise State at Denver and Auburn and Oklahoma at the Perfect 10 Challenge. As always, find an updated injury report, previews of the upcoming meets, our predictions on the top matchups and all the links you could possibly need.

Out of Action or Questionable for Week 6

• Alabama: Mackenzie Brannan (bone chip removal surgery, questionable for rest of season)
• Arizona: Selynna Felix-Terrazas (sprained both ankles)
• Arkansas: Amanda Wellick (torn Achilles), Sarah Shaffer (elbow injury, according to Arkansas meet notes), Hailey Garner (elbow injury, out a few weeks)
• Auburn: Telah Black (unknown, out for 2017 season), Sarah Garcia (hip surgery), Abby Milliet (knee injury, out for 2017 season according to SEC Network)
• Brown: Gabby Hechtman (left lower leg in boot – Sept. 2016)
• California: Cassidy Keelen (dislocated kneecap, questionable for rest of season), Toni-Ann Williams (torn Achilles tendon, out for 2017 season)
• LSU: Julianna Cannamela (seen in a sling at the LSU/Alabama meet), McKenna Kelley (back injury during vault warmups at UK/LSU)
• Michigan: Brianna Brown (unknown, has not competed in past five meets)
• Missouri: Morgan Porter (torn Achilles), out for season
• New Hampshire: Makenzie Kerouac (ankle surgery)
• Oklahoma: Bre Showers (out for eight weeks)
• Penn State: Mason Hosek (concussion, out a few meets), Chanen Raygoza (right foot in a boot – Sept. 2016)
• Sacramento State: Annie Juarez (ankle)
• SEMO: Kenna Skepnek (left knee brace – Oct. 2016)
• UCLA: Madison Preston (in a boot at the UCLA/OU meet, out at least two more weeks)
• Utah: Kim Tessen (torn ACL), out for 2017 season

No. 14 George Washington, No. 25 Iowa State, No. 53 Lindenwood at No. 13 Missouri: Friday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET
GW has been on a roll, kicking off the season with the best start in program history and scoring a 196.400 in its last meet out. Largely helped along by its solid and consistent beam squad, the Colonials are making a real case for not only a seeded regional position but as an upset threat if the going gets tough for the top teams come April. Missouri should put up a good fight, though, starting 2017 off strong but faltering some in recent weeks due to the loss of Morgan Porter to a torn Achilles. However, with the meet being at Missouri and a sense of redemption fueling the Tigers, the battle should be close between these two teams if both perform to their full potential. As for Iowa State and Lindenwood, both team are actually quite matched despite the latter being a DII team. The Lions are coming off a national title and have done well this season to continue the success and build up toward another possible title. And the same goes for Iowa State, who has sat around the middle of the pack but has some 9.9-potential routines on each event that could challenge—keep an eye out for Haylee Young’s floor as a real show stopper.Caroline: Oh man, lots of bubble teams here, this could be a really good meet. I’m actually gonna back the Colonials on this one, though I definitely think it’ll be a fight between them and Mizzou.
Christina:  I have to go with GWU as well, but I think it will be a close one between the Colonials and the Tigers. They will be at home after all, but GWU has some nice momentum going.
Elizabeth: Hmmm… GW is off to a record start, so I think it has the confidence on its side. I’m going with the Colonials!

No. 15 California at No. 26 Arizona: Friday, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. ET
After losing Toni-Ann Williams to a season-ending injury, California’s season has changed from making another national championship and challenging for the Super Six to trying to stay a seeded team come regionals. Hitting only a mid-195 at Utah showed some weaknesses and lack of big routines for the Bears that will need to be remedied if the team wants another successful season. What might not have been a close meet at the beginning of the season should provide some real entertainment for fans now as Arizona has been on the verge of upset the past two weeks now, and that was with severely depleted lineups to boot. First Stanford and then Oregon State, Arizona came close to picking up wins in each competition but fell just short after mistakes dashed those hopes. ANother possibility comes this weekend.Caroline: Despite the loss of their team leader, I’m gonna go with Cal. Arizona isn’t quite consistent enough yet to pull off this upset.
Christina: California. Arizona looks good, but I don’t see it being good *enough* to pull the upset. If California falters however, I could see Arizona rising to the occasion.
Elizabeth:​ Another close one, but I’m going to mix things up and go Arizona.

No. 19 Nebraska at No. 28 Minnesota: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. ET
It’s been an up-and-down season for both teams as each has hit near 197s as well as in the 194 and 193s. Which type of competition the teams actually have this time around is anyone’s guess, but the answer will determine the outcome. Fans should hope for it being the same for each team to at least make it a competitive meet, and ideally on the hit side of things. But more importantly than entertaining the fans, the teams need to be on for a number of reasons including gaining a good score for RQS to replace one of the duds scored earlier in the season, as well as becoming more consistently solid in preparation for a possible nationals in April.Caroline: Oh gosh, this is a tough one. I think with Lambert and Williams back to full strength, it’ll go to Nebraska, particularly as fall-ridden as Minnesota was this past week.
Christina: Nebraska… Minnesota started the season well, but after its performance last weekend, it will be interesting and maybe a bit tough here to bounce back.
Elizabeth: Another tough one! Because both teams have highs and lows plus Minnesota’ll be at home… I’m going Nebraska.

No. 29 Stanford at No. 5 UCLA: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. ET
Stanford has completed a near-180 from the start of the season. No long “January Stanford”, this team still has room for improvement but is slowly creeping up as it typically does, and could upset a better team on a good day. If falls are eliminated or at least kept to one per event and the health of the team improves, the Cardinal can have a meet to rival some of its best. Unleashing Elizabeth Price is also an important step. Still on the road to recovery from her offseason knee surgery, Price has been limited to just a FTY and double tuck/double pike floor routine as well as no beam. But seeing her upgrade and of those could be a big boost for Stanford. UCLA is also starting to put things together and show the talent the roster possesses. With so many brilliant former elites, it would be criminal to slug through the season hitting only high-196s and low 197s. For the meet, or even the season, to be a success, a mid to high-197 will be expected from here on out, not just wished for.

Caroline: UCLA all the way. Stanford cannot sneak by the Bruins with Ebee as limited as she is, or UCLA will have messed it up big time.
Christina: UCLA, no questions.
Elizabeth: UCLA, duh.

No. 4 Utah at No. 11 Oregon State: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. ET
The Red Rocks should expect another win here, but don’t expect Oregon State to make it easy. With Utah’s depth depleting more and more each week, one or two mistakes could be the difference between coasting to a win and being upset by the Beavers. OSU has stabilized in the 196s in the last few weeks, but if they want to make a bid for Nationals, they’re going to want better than that. Competing against conference rival Utah at home might be just the boost they need to finally reach the coveted 197.Caroline: Despite all the injuries, I have to stick with the Utes. Skinner, Merrell and Rowe are just too tough a team to beat for the Beavs, I think.
Christina: Utah! Even though it has zero depth right now, it does have Skinner who’s probably going to go 39.800 on us.
Elizabeth:​ I don’t think Utah will hit a score, but it will still win.

No. 8 Boise State at No. 12 Denver: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. ET
Boise State is coming off a record-breaking performance, reaching 197 for the first time this season and earning their highest national ranking in program history. They could ride this momentum into another win against former conference rivals, the Pioneers. Denver, on the other hand, is coming off a disappointing loss to SUU and a surprisingly low score at their quad meet at Oklahoma. They’ll have to bounce back in a big way to beat the Broncos on such a roll.Caroline: I am riding the Bronco train on this one, and that’s not just because I have three of their former elites on my fantasy team! This team is on a roll, and I think even away, they’ll pull out the W against Denver.
Christina: Ooooh this will be a fun one. I’ll give it to Boise State as well! Denver is still struggling with its depth especially on vault and floor, and it just cannot afford any mistakes against such a strong opponent.
Elizabeth: While Denver bounced back from a rough meet with a hit on Monday, I think depth will keep the Pios from a win. Broncos it is.

Other Notable Matchups
No. 6 Alabama at No. 10 Kentucky: Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. ET
Alabama is coming off a very strong win against Florida—one that included a perfect 10 from Kiana Winston as well as a plethora of other top scores. So anything less than, say, a mid-197 will be a let down for the Crimson Tide from here on out. But that doesn’t mean Dana Duckworth is done experimenting with lineups. Knowing her, she’ll want to see how many different lineup combinations she can make while still getting a good total at the end of the day. So look out for which variation she has up her sleeve this week. Kentucky, has degressed since its stellar start to the season which included back-to-back program records. However, landings, form and overall routine quality hasn’t looked as crisp with vault landings all over the place and missed handstands on bars adding up. Perhaps being back home for this competition will help the Wildcats turn it around and get the team back on track to a potential evening-session berth at the conference championship or even an upset bid to nationals.

No. 9 Georgia at No. 3 Florida: Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. ET
The Georgia team of the first week is no more. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t doubts about some of the lineups left over. After hitting their first 197 of the season two weeks ago, the Gymdogs faltered ever so slightly last week, only managing a mid-196 after, you guessed it, beam trouble. The absence of Sydney Snead is hurting the team, so getting her back will be the No. 1 priority as the season progresses. She is by far the Gymdogs’ best competitor on every apparatus and is a crucial part of the potential postseason picture. Florida suffered a bit of a disappointment at Alabama last week, going in as somewhat of a favorite to win and leaving with a loss. While it wasn’t a bad meet by any stretch, the Gators gave up little deductions here and there that proved costly in the end. But being back home, under the lights of the O’Dome and competing against an in-conference rival should elevate the motivation level of the team and get it back on track. There are still a few concerns, though, that can’t be overlooked. Maegan Chant is still missing from the lineups because of what the team is calling her being rested. While that may not be totally believable, the Gators will hope to have her back sometime in the near future.

No. 16 Auburn and No. 1 Oklahoma at Perfect 10 Challenge: Friday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET
Auburn has not been having its best season ever, that’s for sure. But it is showing some small improvements that should make fans hopeful for the second half of the 2017 season. The Tigers are still looking for their first win, but don’t expect that to come against OU Friday night. However, that doesn’t mean the whole trip to Oklahoma City will be a wash. Putting up a useable road score will be crucial for the team that doesn’t have much going for it in terms of RQS right now. A high total would remedy that, at least for now. Oklahoma has slowed in recent weeks, merely posting mid-197s rather than the high 197s to 198s it has to start the season. What slackers. But the good news for the Sooners is it would take a huge score from LSU plus more than a missed meet from Oklahoma to lose the No. 1 ranking it’s held for a number of weeks now. So the goal of this meet will be  to get back into the stratosphere of team scoring and take advantage of all Maggie Nichols has to offer. Will we see yet another perfect 10 from the standout freshman? It is the Perfect 10 Challenge after all.

No. 2 LSU at No. 23 Arkansas: Friday, Feb. 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET
LSU is still gaining ground on Oklahoma inch-by-inch each week. However, if it wants to take over the top spot in the standings, it’ll not only need a monster week but help from Oklahoma as well. More importantly, LSU will want to take the opportunity to score big and add a strong road number to the RQS calculations come time. Also, can we just see Kennedy Edney in the floor lineup to start the meet? Anything else doesn’t make sense (cough, D-D, we’re looking at you). Plus, will it be the meet Ashleigh Gnat finally gets her first floor 10 of the season? Or maybe we’ll see Sarah Finnegan wolf turn herself to a perfect score this go round. It’s unlikely with the meeting being at Arkansas and away 10s hard to come by, but as well know all too well, anything can happen. As for Arkansas, getting Hailey Garner back to full health will be a key contributor to improvement for the Razorbacks. They need her bars score at the very least but the more Garner the better. After a bit of an off week, the team will look to rebound and produce another strong score for a potential upset. Because we know if any team can knock off LSU and give it its first conference loss in quite sometime, it’s the “We’ve beat Alabama three times in a row” Razorbacks.

No. 7 Michigan at No. 43 Michigan State: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET
The Wolverines desperately need a solid road score this time out. After starting the season slow and another average performance last weekend at Maryland plus RQS rankings just around the corner, if Michigan wants to stay No. 7, it’ll need to put up a big number this weekend. There’s also the little trouble with having to count an 8 on bars last weekend… Without Briana Brown in that lineup, Michigan will have to figure out where the numbers are coming from on that event so another bad rotation doesn’t happen again. Michigan State was looking good all preseason but has take a bit of a step back to start the season. The consistency just isn’t there, but can be with a few tweaks. The big routines are there in Ella Douglas and Nicola Deans. But it’s the ability to stay on the apparatus and small things here and there keeping the team back from a 195 or even 196 range.

No. 49 Arizona State at No. 17 Washington: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. ET
Arizona State is slowly building back up, and a 195 is in sight. After the team’s highest score since March of 2016 last weekend, just a few more pieces need to fall into place to make that leap happen. But the Sundevils are well on their way to getting out of the gutter of the Pac-12—although who really cares if they keep wearing stunning leos like they have been. Washington was on the verge of beating Stanford last weekend, but having to count a fall on bars in the very first rotation dashed those hopes from the start. But the Huskies still made things interesting with a stellar beam rotation bringing the team within a small margin of the Cardinal. Cleaning up the mistakes and hitting with the same confidence on beam should give the team another big score this weekend.

These aren’t the only meets happening this weekend! To see all the matchups all in one place, take a look at our master schedule. You can also find live scoring and video links below.

Do you play Fantasy Gymnastics and don’t see a team some of your gymnasts’ teams competing this weekend? See if they’re on a bye this week (or competing twice) below, and check out the entire byes and doubles list here.Byes

• Alaska
• UW-Oshkosh

Doubles

• Cortland
• Ithaca
• SEMO

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