The new leos keep coming! And there were some doozies this week around the country. The criteria is the same as always: up to three points for design; two points for fabric and sparkle; two points for school spirit; and three points for overall appearance. This week’s guest judges are managing editor Emily M and senior photographer Emily HF.
Pitt: 9.233
https://twitter.com/Pitt_GYM/status/1084102703486185472
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.7/3 | 1.8/2 | 1.9/2 | 2.8/3 | 9.2/10 |
| Emily M | 2.6/3 | 1.6/2 | 2.0/2 | 2.9/3 | 9.1/10 |
| Emily HF | 2.5/3 | 2.0/2 | 2.0/2 | 2.9/3 | 9.4/10 |
Elizabeth: I know we’ve judged this before, but I love it so much that I had to throw it back into the mix to highlight it again. The sleeves are my favorite part about it. The yellow reminds me of a nice, refreshing frozen lemonade, and the script Pitt is really nice too. A 100-percent win for me.
Emily M: This was one of my favorite new looks last year! The sleeves are utter perfection, and the neckline is flattering.
Emily HF: I didn’t get the chance to judge this last year, but I love the sleeves; they are everything. The wide gold collar is very regal, and the whole thing just screams Pitt.
BYU: 8.933
https://twitter.com/BYUgymnastics/status/1083511907611377665
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.8/3 | 2.0/2 | 2.0/2 | 2.8/3 | 9.6/10 |
| Emily M | 2.4/3 | 2.0/2 | 2.0/2 | 2.3/3 | 8.7/10 |
| Emily HF | 2.0/3 | 2.0/2 | 2.0/2 | 2.5/3 | 8.5/10 |
Elizabeth: I really love this. BYU has hit it out of the park with its last few new leos. The vertical/diagonal stripes are super flattering, elongating the gymnasts’ bodies, and the style of fabric paired with the sparkle matching the detailing works really well together. I could have done without “Cougars” on the sleeve, but it’s a small gripe.
Emily M: Pretty. The bright white in the middle creating the deep V is so eye-catching, and the shades of blue play so well together. I like that this is a deep V look without a ton of mesh (looking at you Nebraska).
Emily HF: I do kind of wish that it would faded the lines as they go up toward the neck on the front the same way that was done on the back. I don’t love how it cuts off under the arms when they’re raised. But that’s basically my only thing. I loooooove the shade of blue and how the ombre is incorporated into all the parts of the design. It’s just enough sparkle without overwhelming the rest of the design. The deep narrow white V was very flattering too.
UC Davis: 8.400
UC David's new leotard is gorg. Believe it's a @RebeccasMomLeo creation. pic.twitter.com/Q37SWUpDOS
— Rebecca Scally (@rebeccakscally) January 13, 2019
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 1.5/3 | 1.7/2 | 1.4/2 | 1.6/3 | 6.2/10 |
| Emily M | 3.0/3 | 2.0/2 | 1.5/2 | 3.0/3 | 9.5/10 |
| Emily HF | 3.0/3 | 2.0/2 | 1.5/2 | 3.0/3 | 9.5/10 |
Elizabeth: This is a new Rebecca’s Mom creation for UC Davis, and I think I like it! However, it’s so boring. The sparkles do a bit to negate this, but overally, where’s the school spirit? This could literally be any team, and that’s mainly what I’m deducting for.
Emily M: YES. This might be in contention for my favorite leo ever? Seriously. Using the sparkle to cover the seam between the mesh sleeves and body is pure genius. All I want is a tiny school logo on the hip, that’s it.
Emily HF: This is simple but gorgeous. I’m shooting UC Davis twice in the near future; please wear this. SO SO PRETTY. I literally have no complaints. Maybe like a tiny aggie somewhere… But I’m not convinced it needs it either.
Western Michigan: 8.067
— WMU Broncos (@WMUBroncos) January 13, 2019
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.1/3 | 1.7/2 | 1.8/2 | 2.2/3 | 7.8/10 |
| Emily M | 2.4/3 | 1.5/2 | 2.0/2 | 2.5/3 | 8.4/10 |
| Emily HF | 2.5/3 | 1.7/2 | 1.5/2 | 2.3/3 | 8.0/10 |
Elizabeth: This is, hands down, the best leo Western Michigan has. The ombre is great, and I like the incorporation of gold into the neckline. The back keyhole is also nice, and school spirit is there. Basically an overall good leo—good job Western Michigan!
Emily M: Western Michigan did not really win the school color lottery, and I think some of its leo designs have suffered for that. In this one though I like the move away from school colors for the white to black ombre! The design on the front is simple but pretty. Overall, very nice!
Emily HF: The silver with the rainbow sheen is just so preeeeettty. It’s very eye catching, and I love the little details on it. The kind of metallic silver pairs really nicely with the brown tint of the sleeves. Definitely my favorite Western Michigan leo!
Texas Woman’s: 8.000
More views of this leo! We can't get enough! | #NCAAgym pic.twitter.com/v6qZquFlad
— College Gym News (@collegegymnews_) January 13, 2019
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.1/3 | 1.8/2 | 1.7/2 | 2.6/3 | 8.2/10 |
| Emily M | 2.0/3 | 2.0/2 | 1.4/2 | 2.4/3 | 7.8/10 |
| Emily HF | 2.0/3 | 2.0/2 | 1.5/2 | 2.5/3 | 8.0/10 |
Elizabeth: I died when TWU came out in this leo. It’s been my goal for a while to go to an alumni meet where the Pioneers wear throwback leos, and finally made it this year. The crushed velvet is everything, and the color is super nice. I also like the classic design and minimal sparkle—let the velvet speak for itself!
Emily M: YES. You should know by now that we love some old school velvet around here, and this is one heck of a classic look. That shade of red is perfect.
Emily HF: Can I add bonus points to the “fabric/sparkle” category for this being crushed velvet? The shade of red is great too! Also, I hated how wearing mesh sleeves felt, so I 100 percent would have loved wearing this.
Penn: 7.933
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsZNm66nhk9/
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 1.9/3 | 1.7/2 | 1.7/2 | 2.2/3 | 7.5/10 |
| Emily M | 2.8/3 | 1.6/2 | 1.6/2 | 2.8/3 | 8.8/10 |
| Emily HF | 2.0/3 | 1.6/2 | 1.6/2 | 2.3/3 | 7.5/10 |
Elizabeth: This leo is really elegant. It might be a touch busy for my, but I love Penn changing things up, and going all out with this design. I also love the subtle design continuation on the sleeves.
Emily M: The Penn ladies stood out so much on the Maryland broadcast in these leos. It came across slightly more subtle on camera and was very flattering. I don’t love the way the sleeves cut against the bodice, but really that’s my only complaint.
Emily HF: There is a lot happening here, but I don’t really hate it. I have a feeling it’s a lot like the dark blue GW one from last year: up close it’s a lot, from a standard viewing distance it’s gorgeous.
Cortland: 7.000
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsdkRXen3If/
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 1.7/3 | 1.3/2 | 1.5/2 | 1.8/3 | 6.3/10 |
| Emily M | 1.2/3 | 0.5/2 | 1.4/2 | 1.6/3 | 4.7/10 |
| Emily HF | 1.5/3 | 1.0/2 | 1.2/2 | 1.8/3 | 5.5/10 |
Elizabeth: I like this concept. The front is really nice, and the colors combined work well together. I don’t love the sleeves, but that’s one of my only complaints.
Emily M: All I see when I look at this leo is the two different shades of red. AH. I do like that the detail from the front is continued around the keyhole back.
Emily HF: I like the silver accents a lot. I’m not 100-percent sold on the sleeves and wonder what maybe a white mesh or something would have looked like. But I do appreciate it not being nude at least.
Nebraska: 6.900
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsjWDzsHoLx/
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.5/3 | 1.7/2 | 1.8/2 | 2.6/3 | 8.6/10 |
| Emily M | 1.8/3 | 1.6/2 | 1.6/2 | 1.6/3 | 6.6/10 |
| Emily HF | 1.0/3 | 1.5/2 | 1.5/2 | 1.5/3 | 5.5/10 |
Elizabeth: I know people have a lot of thoughts on this leo, but you guys know I tend to like funky, off-the-beaten-path leos. So naturally I like this one. It may not be my favorite wacky design, but it works for me.
Emily M: I love the back of this leo so much, but I wish that front V were a little less expansive, or even a higher rounded neckline. I really dislike nude mesh, and there’s just too much of it on the front. The back is about a 9.5, the front is about a 2, so.
Emily HF: Had the red and black just continued across the front and we skipped the giant nude mesh V this would be a favorite leo. However, that’s not what happened, so here we are. I like Nebraska a lot—and I like most of its crazy leos—but the giant V is just a no for me.
Ursinus: 6.600
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 1.8/3 | 1.6/2 | 1.7/2 | 1.9/3 | 7.0/10 |
| Emily M | 2.0/3 | 1.4/2 | 1.5/2 | 1.6/3 | 6.5/10 |
| Emily HF | 2.0/3 | 1.5/2 | 1.3/2 | 1.5/3 | 6.3/10 |
Elizabeth: This is really nice for Ursinus. The color is gorgeous, and I like the shimmery quality of the fabric. I like the UC on the back as well. The design as a whole is a bit boring, but overall it’s a nice leo for sure.
Emily M: Oh, this is pretty. It’s simple, but I love the little details, like the crystal cuff and the criss-cross along the front. I’m a little confused about the shape of the neckline: Is it round or a V?
Emily HF: I’ll always go for simple but pretty. This is lovely, and the little details like the gold rhinestone cuffs really make the design.
Sacramento State: 6.333
Alexis Belkoff of @SacStGymnastics was nominated for MPSF Gymnast of the Week after recording career highs on bars and floor against Stanford and Seattle Pacific on Friday. pic.twitter.com/USizaLKVHB
— Thomas Frey (@ThomasFreyRP) January 15, 2019
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.0/3 | 1.2/2 | 1.4/2 | 2.0/3 | 6.6/10 |
| Emily M | 1.6/3 | 1.8/2 | 0.5/2 | 2.6/3 | 6.5/10 |
| Emily HF | 1.4/3 | 1.5/2 | 1.0/2 | 2.0/3 | 5.9/10 |
Elizabeth: I have my doubts about this one. I think the fabric is black, but in the screenshot at least it looks quite purple/navy—not one of Sacramento State’s colors. I do like the chest design though.
Emily M: Oh, hmm. This is unique! Is the bottom matte black? I like that. I’m not a huge empire waist fan, because to me it can cut some gymnasts off weirdly and break up lines, but this one intrigues me. I want to see it in person.
Emily HF: I don’t know about that band. But I just can’t tell off this particular photo. I need to see this in motion to have a real opinion. I think the purple-y hue is just the shiny black of the top reflecting colors around it.
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week One
Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Emily Minehart and Emily Howell-Forbes
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For next weeks rankings (or whenever they wear the leos), it’d be fun to see what you all think of UW- Whitewater’s news leos. I personally think they are stunning!! I attached a link of an Instagram picture of it!
We actually have Whitewater on the doc for next week! Can’t wait to judge it!