Man, what a weekend. There was definitely some drama, some controversies and some exciting matchups. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, you might want to check out the recaps below.
We wanted to show more love to the non-top teams in college gym in 2019, so we broke out our Dismounts into DI, DII (all USAG nationals-eligible teams) and DIII. Each week, we’re also dishing out a few superlatives for some of our favorite moments, looks and results from the weekend of competition. Below those, you’ll find your typical results and highlights from every DI women’s meet.
Routine of the Week
Kaitlyn Schou (Denver) – Beam
Schou was a bright spot in an otherwise shaky beam lineup that counted a fall and another low score, making her routine stand out even more in comparison.
While we wait for scores, enjoy Kaitlyn Schou's gorgeous 9.950 on beam! #PioneerTogether pic.twitter.com/toWZV8jI0V
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) January 20, 2019
Stick of the Week
Kirah Koshinski (West Virginia) – Vault
Koshinski nails this vault week after week, year after year, and we hope people finally take notice in her senior season. Maybe she’ll even get a much-deserved 10 in the near future as well.
https://twitter.com/WVUGymnastics/status/1086848069486800897
Most Carol Score
Katelyn Ohashi (UCLA) – Floor
Its OOB, just so we're clear pic.twitter.com/xGUUr1MZ9k
— Daniel (@Daniel_san2013) January 21, 2019
This was a pretty controversial routine in the moment as the commentators for the meet were sure Ohashi stepped out of bounds—an automatic one-tenth deduction—yet the yellow flag was never raised and the senior received a 9.950. However, it’s more clear in the screenshot that her heal did cross the line. Maybe the line “judge” was asleep? Maybe she couldn’t see well? Either way the score was one of controversy—and wasn’t the first mark of the meet that people questioned.
Note: The routines selected for this category are not a reflection on the gymnast performing the routine but rather the judging of the routine itself.
Most Anti-Carol Score
Ona Loper (Minnesota) – Vault
While you can’t really see the landing in the video—it looks like a touch underrotated resulting in a one-tenth step—giving this vault a 9.750 is just criminal.
Ona Loper adds a 9.750 to Minnesota’s score with this vault! pic.twitter.com/vEhJVMynIT
— Minnesota Women’s Gym (@GopherWGym) January 19, 2019
Save of the Week
Rachel Cutler (Minnesota) – Beam
While all the fighting likely added up to about as much as a fall, this beam save was way more entertaining.
Best Primal Scream
Ruby Harrold (LSU) – Floor
Ruby, your mascot is a tiger. You aren’t actually a real tiger. It was a great pass though.
The Highlights
| No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 46 Ball State at No. 34 North Carolina | ||||
| Full Results | OU: 197.000 | UNC: 195.100 | BSU: 193.600 | |
| VT: Dowell 9.925 | UB: Webb, Thomas, Lehrmann 9.900 | BB: Webb 9.950 | FX: Trautman 9.975 | AA: Dowell 39.625 |
The Big Storyline: Oklahoma was the big story in this one, but even it wasn’t immune from mistakes. The Sooners had two falls in their floor rotation, yet they still managed to hit 197. UNC quietly impressed and Khazia Hislop is always a joy to watch. Both the Cardinals and Tarheels notched season high team scores at the meet.
Implications: The Sooners will hold on to a No. 1 national ranking and No. 1 in the Big 12. North Carolina moves up to No. 28 overall and takes over the No. 1 spot in the EAGL. Ball State drops one spot to No. 47 overall and is now No. 5 in the MAC.
Records: Karrie Thomas’ 9.900 on bars is a career high. Brenna Dowell set a career high on beam with a 9.925 and also set a personal best in the all around with a 39.625.
Controversies: The focus leading up to this meet was on Maggie Nichols’ potential injury, which the gymternet blew way out of proportion. Because the gymternet. Nichols did end up sitting this meet out for precautionary reasons with just a bruised heel.
| No. 19 Arizona State at No. 2 UCLA | ||||
| Full Results | UCLA 197.775 | ASU: 196.125 | ||
| VT: Dennis 9.950 | UB: Kocian 10.000 | BB: Callis 9.925 | FX: Frazier, Ohashi, Ross 9.950 | AA: Ross 39.450 |
The Big Storyline: It was a chaotic but ultimately successful Monday in Westwood that ended with both teams achieving season highs. UCLA debuted two new 10.0 vaults to great effect and then had some issues with the returning ones. Coaches ultimately elected to downgrade anchor Nia Dennis’ vault to a full, which she stuck for a perfect score. The Bruins achieved perfection again on bars, with Madison Kocian picking up a 10.0, and then wobbled through beam and had some difficult landings on floor that let their chance at a 198 slip away. Arizona State got off to a fantastic start on bars, with sophomore Cairo Leonard-Baker scoring a 9.975, and then struggled through vault with some amplitude issues and rocky landings. Floor started painfully with Katelyn Lentz getting injured on her first tumbling pass, but the Sun Devils recovered well and cruised through beam to score their first 196-plus of the season.
Implications: The Bruins crept a little closer to No. 1 Oklahoma this week but didn’t do quite enough to grab the top spot in the in-progress rankings. Arizona State’s great meet will keep it comfortably within the top 20 and allow it to leap over conference-mate Oregon State.
Records: The Bruins opened their season with three consecutive 197-plus scores for the first time in program history.
Controversies: Scoring was wonky the whole meet, with several bad landings from both teams going unpunished on floor and Katelyn Ohashi ultimately receiving a 9.950 on floor for a debatable out of bounds. Katelyn Lentz of Arizona State suffered a lower leg injury in the third rotation. Her exact status is unknown since she won’t be assessed until she’s back in Tempe.
| No. 3 Florida at No. 5 LSU | ||||
| Full Results | Florida: 197.500 | LSU: 197.425 | ||
| VT: Finnegan 9.95 | UB: Finnegan 9.975 | BB: Gowey 9.925 | FX: Finnegan 9.950 | AA: Finnegan 39.700 |
The Big Storyline: Like Alabama at Georgia, this meet came down to the final performances, and the Gators ultimately triumphed. LSU should theoretically be happy with its score, which is its highest of the season. However, those facts will be little consolation for the Tigers who saw their six year home win streak come to an end at the hands of an upstart Gators team that welcomed the return of Alyssa Baumann with an improvement on last week’s score.
Implications: Florida will likely climb to the top of the SEC this week. LSU still remains in good position for second place, but there’s work to be done if it wants to remain there in place of others in the hunt, such as Georgia and Alabama.
Records: In addition to the overall PMAC win streak being snapped, the Gators snapped their own streak of losses against the Tigers in LSU territory, which had been going since 2011.
Controversies: A lot of questions came up in the final rotation when viewers questioned how much LSU might inflate floor scores to pick up the win. Many expected McKenna Kelley to receive the 9.950 needed to get the win, but she ultimately didn’t. In addition, there was a judging conference over Amelia Hundley’s floor score that ended up increasing her score to a 9.825 after the meet concluded.
| No. 4 Utah at No. 21 Oregon State | ||||
| Full Results | Utah: 197.150 | OSU: 195.450 | ||
| VT: Skinner 9.975 | UB: Skinner 9.925 | BB: Lazaro, Randall, Isa, Lee 9.850 | FX: Force 9.925 | AA: Skinner 39.625 |
The Big Storyline: Utah hit another great meet while Oregon State’s performance still leaves a lot to be desired. The Beavers still have an issue on bars where they are putting up a routine that is not up to the level. Beam was also rough this week. A bright spot was that the team kept pace with the Utes on floor, the team’s best event.
Implications: Utah remains at No. 4 nationally and Oregon State moves up to No. 19. In the Pac-12, Utah remains at No. 2 and Oregon State moves up to No. 5, passing Washington.
Records: Mykayla Skinner’s hit streak continues.
Controversies: Mykayla Skinner scored a 9.925 for her bar routine despite catching her release extremely close (we have picture proof).
| No. 36 Iowa State at No. 6 Georgia | ||||
| Full Results | Georgia: 197.000 | Iowa State: 195.900 | ||
| VT: Snead 9.925 | UB: Oakley 9.925 | BB: Woolfolk 9.925 | FX: Lukacs & Vega 9.925 | AA: Snead 39.525 |
The Big Storyline: On all non-equipment related fronts (see below), Georgia had a pretty good go go of it today, besting its total from Friday and soaring to its first 197 performance of the season. In addition, Iowa State had a great meet and put up a performance that was almost two points better than either of its previous outings, with career high scores galore on various events.
Implications: Georgia is now one of six teams to put up a 197 score this season, but it’s unlikely to go up much more in the rankings unless it starts topping that mark by even more. Iowa State, however, should see a big change the rankings this week after posting an excellent team score.
Records: Various Iowa State gymnasts put up career highs today. Among them were freshman Grace Woolfolk, who earned the best beam mark for the Cyclones since the 2017 season and won the event in the process. But floor was really where the records came in, with four of the six competitors (Cassie Diaz, Laura Burns, Sophia Steinmeyer, and Maddy Langkamp) all notching personal best scores.
Controversies: Okay, let’s address That Moment: Georgia junior Sabrina Vega broke the beam while performing a skill, causing the meet to be delayed while a new beam was literally carried in. But everyone seemed to have fun with it and it was fine. For more on this bizarre turn of events, check out our Twitter moment here (we were just as intrigued).
| No. 6 BYU at No. 30 Utah State | ||||
| Full Results | BYU: 194.575 | USU: 193.950 | ||
| VT: Evans 9.875 | UB: Marsh 9.775 | BB: Ward-Sessions 9.800 | FX: Ward-Sessions 9.875 | AA: Ward-Sessions 39.225 |
The Big Storyline: This MRGC matchup did not disappoint. It was a tight meet throughout though not particularly high scoring. Both teams struggled a bit on beam. The highlight of that rotation for the Aggies was senior Madison Ward-Sessions scoring a 9.800 on beam, an event that she has struggled with for the past two years.
Implications: BYU drops to No. 2 in the MRGC and Utah State remains at No. 3. BYU drops to No. 16 nationally while Utah State drops to No. 34.
Records: Abbey Miner’s 9.800 on vault is a career high.
| No. 7 Boise State at No. 41 Southern Utah | ||||
| Full Results | Boise State: 195.400 | SUU: 194.325 | ||
| VT: Means 9.875 | UB: Murakami 9.875 | BB: Remme 9.900 | FX: Remme and McClain 9.850 | AA: McGregor 39.150 |
The Big Storyline: Southern Utah was off to a great start in this meet, and up until the last rotation it looked like the Thunderbirds were going to upset the Broncos. However, they had a less-than-stellar floor rotation to close the meet, securing the meet for Boise State, who weren’t without struggles either. It opened the door for the Thunderbirds from the beginning when the team had to count a fall on bars.
Implications: Boise State drops to No. 10 nationally while Southern Utah moves up to No. 38 overall. The Broncos are now in first place in the MRGC while the Thunderbirds remain fourth in the conference.
| No. 22 Central Michigan, No. 49 Texas Woman’s and No. 62 Sacramento State at No. 8 Denver | ||||
| Full Results | Denver: 196.175 | CMU: 193.250 | TWU: 190.200 | Sac State:190.150 |
| VT: Karr 9.85 | UB: Karr 9.975 | BB: Schou 9.950 | FX: Brown 9.925 | AA: Brown 39.475 |
The Big Storyline: Denver recorded a 196.175 despite a lackluster beam performance. The Pioneers broke a program record on bars with a 49.525 and rebounded on floor with a 49.425 to seal the deal. Danelle Pedrick was back in the all around for Central Michigan while Morgan Colee was notably absent for Texas Woman’s after taking a scary fall on her bar dismount last week. Sacramento State improved on its previous bars scores by almost two points, a victory for a team that had been scoring in the 45s on the event.
Implications: Denver moves up in the national rankings by one spot to No. 7. It will remain in second place in the Big 12. Central Michigan drops to No. 29 overall but is now the sole team in first place in the MAC. Texas Woman’s drops to No. 55 overall and No. 3 in the MIC, and Sacramento State drops to No. 65 overall and No. 6 in the MPSF.
Records: Denver broke its bars record. Maddie Karr also set a career-best on the event with a 9.975. Mia Sundstrom’s 9.925 on bars is also a personal best.
| No. 45 Michigan State at No. 9 Michigan | ||||
| Full Results | UM: 195.975 | MSU: 194.050 | ||
| VT: McLean 9.900 | UB: Wojcik 9.900 | BB: Wojcik 9.950 | FX: Karas, Douglas 9.875 | AA: Wojcik 39.325 |
The Big Storyline: Michigan State! The Spartans proved last week’s near-195 wasn’t really a fluke. It’s notable that on floor, this team was only 0.050 behind Michigan in the Crisler Center.
Implications: Michigan has now put up three meets hovering right around the 196 mark and still leads the Big Ten. That said, the Wolverines will need to start pushing closer to 197 to stay near the top because other power conference teams are putting up those numbers and more, and Nebraska and Ohio State are hot on the Wolverines’ heels. The problem lies in the early routines, which are far too 9.700-y for a huge total. Michigan State is being held down by its first-meet 191 but is otherwise staying steady. Once it can drop that score, it could challenge teams like Iowa, Maryland and even Illinois, which had a rough start.
Records: Olivia Karas performed her double Arabian on floor for the first time since her Achilles injury. Ella Douglas’ 9.875 on floor is a career best, as is Jessica Ling’s bars 9.875.
Controversies: We have a lot of Michigan lineup questions. Where is Abby Heiskell? We expected to at least see her exhibitioning bars by now. Why haven’t we seen Maggie O’Hara’s excellent Star Wars floor routine yet?
| No. 17 Alabama at No. 10 Georgia | ||||
| Full Results | Alabama: 196.900 | Georgia: 196.875 | ||
| VT: Snead 9.900 | UB: Al-Hameed 9.925 | BB: Snead 9.925 | FX: Snead 9.925 | AA: Snead 39.600 |
The Big Storyline: This meet began an exciting new chapter in the Alabama/Georgia rivalry that was neck-and-neck until the very end. It felt like the first genuine contest in a while for the two squads. Overall, the meet gave a sense that a new era has begun for both teams as they refresh their rivalry and prepare for the future.
Implications: This was a thrilling installment in Friday’s SEC triple-header. Georgia held the lead through two, with clean vault and bars work. However, on beam a Marissa Oakley fall meant counting some wobble-burger early scores, and solid floor work put Alabama just ahead going into the final rotation. Beam has been a headache for the Crimson Tide so far this year, but it put up an acceptable rotation to just barely outpace Georgia, which struggled with deep landings and a fall on floor. It all came down to Sabrina Vega, and she came just shy of the score needed to win the meet.
Records: The Crimson Tide put up three career-high scores on beam (Alonza Klopfer, 9.850; Emily Gaskins, 9.875; Lexi Graber, 9.925) and one on floor, from Ari Guerra (9.925). Sydney Snead’s 39.600 is a career high.
Controversies: Oh, scoring lovely scoring. This meet was, overall, scored pretty tightly for an SEC matchup. We saw a lot (A LOT) of back and forth over the weekend about scoring across conferences, and this one comes in as evidence that the gap is not as wide as some folks believe—that said, look at vault scores across the field this weekend for proof that things are a little out of whack. We also discovered that John Roethlisberger cannot pronounce “Guerra.”
| No. 13 Auburn at No. 10 Missouri | ||||
| Full Results | Auburn: 195.825 | Missouri: 194.975 | ||
| VT: Day & Gobourne 9.875 | UB: Cerio 9.900 | BB: Ward 9.850 | FX: Gobourne 9.875 | AA: Watson 39.200 |
The Big Storyline: Both teams saw a host of new performers in lineups that should contribute to depth throughout the season. For Missouri, redshirt junior Morgan Porter was back in the beam lineup, and sophomore Paige Kovnesky made the bar lineup for the first time in her career. As for Auburn, Emma Slappey made her season debut on floor.
Implications: Missouri suffered a setback after a promising first few meets, which should move it down a little in the rankings. Auburn, however, improved to 3-0 with a decisive victory, so expect some upward movement for it.
Records: Missouri sophomore Gabrielle Gottula tied her career high on beam with a 9.825.
| No. 24 Stanford at No. 12 California | ||||
| Full Results | California: 196.575 | Stanford: 196.125 | ||
| VT: Flam, George, Williams 9.875 | UB: Schank 9.900 | BB: Williams 9.900 | FX: Bryant, Clausi 9.925 | AA: Bryant 39.425 |
The Big Storyline: The two NorCal powerhouses stayed close throughout the meet to set matching season highs, though California never gave up the lead. The competition was marked by lineup changes: Stanford substituted Rachael Flam and Madison Brunette for Grace Garcia and Wesley Stephenson on bars. Cal made an order change in its vault lineup, swapped Chelsea Shu for Emi Watterson on the beam anchor (only for Shu to fall and Watterson to hit in the exhibition) and traded Nina Schank for Maya Bordas on floor.
Implications: California jumps to No. 8 in the country and No. 3 in the Pac-12 while Stanford should leap a few spots of its own to No. 21 and pass Arizona at the bottom of the conference.
Records: Nina Schank made her lineup debut on floor. Cassidy Keelen matched her career high on beam, and two Bears, Milan Clausi and Rachael Mastrangelo, set career highs on floor. Stanford earned season highs on every event.
Controversies: The male commentator for the meet consistently referred to vault as “the table” with no qualifier, driving everyone watching absolutely nuts.
| No. 16 Arkansas at No. 14 Kentucky | ||||
| Full Results | Kentucky: 195.275 | Arkansas: 193.875 | ||
| VT: Korth 9.900 | UB: Korth, Nixon, and Stuart 9.800 | BB: Burton & Hambrick 9.800 | FX: Carter, Dukes, Hyland, and Korth 9.900 | AA: Korth 39.200 |
The Big Storyline: The night wasn’t the best for either team, with Kentucky scoring its lowest team beam total in four years and Arkansas posting only one 9.900 and a handful of 9.800’s all night long. However, in the end, Kentucky’s other events were good enough to offset the unfortunate beam rotation, and the Wildcats won.
Implications: Kentucky and Arkansas are two teams fighting for those fringe spots at nationals, and even within their conference as they’re essentially at the same competitive level. Tonight’s meet will likely push Kentucky a little upwards in the rankings, while Arkansas will need to work hard next week to pick up lost ground.
Records: No individual or team records were set, but Kentucky’s Rupp Arena held 12,472 fans on Friday night, which is the highest crowd turnout in program history for the Wildcats.
| No. 15 Nebraska at No. 53 Rutgers | ||||
| Full Results | UNL: 194.850 | RU: 194.325 | ||
| VT: Houchin, Huang 9.800 | UB: Houchin, 9.900 | BB: Schweihofer 9.900 | FX: Huang, Ali 9.925 | AA: Houchin 39.450 |
The Big Storyline: It was an excellent showing for Rutgers, but for Nebraska, it was deeply strange. Lineups were odd, without Megan Schweihofer and Sienna Crouse, who both only performed on beam. Perhaps testing newcomers for meets later in the year?
Implications: This score will drop Nebraska behind both Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten, and Minnesota is hot on its heels. Rutgers still trails the field but is closer to striking distance with the 194.
Records: Riahanah Ali and Belle Huang’s 9.925s on floor are career highs, and the first floor score of that total since 2014. Toni Williams’ 9.775 was also a floor career high. Ali’s 9.750 on vault was a personal best, as was Huang’s beam 9.850 and Michelle Amoresano’s 39.025 in the all around. For the Huskers, redshirt junior Kelli Chung made her first competition appearance of her career on bars for a 9.675. Sierra Hassel’s 9.875 on floor ties her career high.
Controversies: We remain perplexed about Megan Schweihofer, and now Sienna Crouse. Are they managing injuries? Is Nebraska just testing freshmen? Who knows? Schweihofer did have shoulder surgery in the offseason, and Crouse was noted to have a finger infection. There was also a late score change for the Nebraska bars score. We’re getting tired of those.
| No. 17 Ohio State at No. 27 Penn State | ||||
| Full Results | tOSU: 196.075 | PSU: 194.850 | ||
| VT: Stone 9.850 | UB: Garcia 9.950 | BB: Huang, Stone, Aepli 9.850 | FX: Stone, McClelland 9.875 | AA: Bridgens 39.300 |
The Big Storyline: It’s all about Ohio State. The Buckeyes have the early-season look of teams we talk about during postseason. They’ve now hit 196 twice in January, both at away meets. You read that right.
Implications: Ohio State is cementing itself at the top of the Big Ten alongside Michigan and Nebraska. This is the highest score in the Big Ten so far this year. The Buckeyes did it away. They now sit ahead of Nebraska and just behind Michigan. Look out for this team. Penn State’s score will also help it move up a touch next week.
Records: Danica Abanto’s 9.850 on floor is a career high. On bars, Sabrina Garcia (9.950) and Tess McCracken (9.900) put up personal bests, and Lauren Bridgens tied hers on floor (9.850).
Controversies: There were some questions about home cooking for Penn State early in this one with Ohio State vault and bars scores tending lower than seemed accurate given the home team’s scores on the same events.
| No. 22 Western Michigan and No. 50 Eastern Michigan at No. 42 Northern Illinois | ||||
| Full Results | NIU: 194.675 | EMU: 194.300 | WMU: 192.000 | |
| VT: Rondeau 9.800 | UB: Rondeau, Harrison 9.825 | BB: Lord 9.875 | FX: Rondeau 9.875 | AA: Rondeau 39.000 |
The Big Storyline: This was a career-showing for Jada Rondeau, leasing the Eagles past Western Michigan. Northern Illinois also put up a stellar meet.
Implications: This MAC battle has changed the conference conversation. Northern Illinois put itself among Central Michigan and Western Michigan at the top of the conference. Western Michigan also fell dramatically from its opening-week total, dropping it to third in the conference behind Central Michigan and Northern Illinois. The MAC is always exciting, and this year will clearly be no different.
Records: Jada Rondeau’s vault, floor and all around totals are new career marks. Shannon Gregory also notched a career-high 9.775 on floor. Morgan Spence put up a career mark on floor (9.800).
Controversies: There was no live scoring for this meet! Three mid-tier teams jockeying to break into regionals conversations, a big conference matchup on ESPN3, but no scores. Sure, Jan.
| No. 25 Minnesota at No. 38 Iowa | ||||
| Full Results | Minn: 195.475 | Iowa: 194.350 | ||
| VT: Ramler 9.825 | UB: Lu 9.875 | BB: Ramler 9.950 | FX: Ramler 9.825 | AA: Ramler 39.450 |
The Big Storyline: You know when a meet is just pretty? That was this meet. Full of different, well-executed choreography (Larissa Libby’s floor routines for Iowa continue to be some of the best in the country, right up there with Oklahoma and UCLA) and endless toe point and precision; this was a great meet all the way around and a true joy to watch.
Implications: These are comfortable scores for both teams, especially Minnesota away. Both outpaced fellow middle-of-the-pack Big Ten teams Maryland and Illinois in their dual.
Records: Freshman Kaitlyn Higgins made her debut for Minnesota on beam.
Controversies: We’re still not quite sure how this vault is a 9.750. Scoring was tight through and through, but it was stringent for both teams evenly, which is refreshing.
| No. 26 West Virginia and No. 73 Cortland at No. 52 Air Force | ||||
| Full Results | WVU: 194.750 | USAFA: 193.675 | Cortland: 180.475 | |
| VT: Koshinski 9.950 | UB: Abarca 9.800 | BB: Hornung 9.825 | FX: Davis, Koshinski 9.850 | AA: Davis 38.875 |
The Big Storyline: The Mountaineers had control for the majority of the meet, but Air Force put up a season best, finishing just a point shy of the Mountaineers’ total. Another interesting fact is that this was a battle of familial coaches: Cortland interim head coach Sierra Day is Air Force head coach Doug Day’s daughter.
Implications: West Virginia remains at No. 26 overall and is No. 3 in the Big 12. Air Force moves up a spot to No. 51 and is No. 3 in the MPSF. Cortland drops to No. 79 overall and sits at No. 4 in the NCGA East.
| No. 28 Pittsburgh, No. 44 Temple and No. 48 Bridgeport at No. 40 New Hampshire | ||||
| Full Results | UNH: 194.925 | Pitt: 193.725 | Bridgeport: 193.575 | Temple: 192.050 |
| VT: O’Leary, Petrikis, Brechwald 9.800 | UB: Doran 9.850 | BB: Bondanza 9.925 | FX: Watkins, Winer 9.850 | AA: Servido 38.800 |
The Big Storyline: New Hampshire bounced back from a rough beam outing last week to break a program record on that event.
Implications: Pitt’s struggles at this meet, drops it down to third in the EAGL conference behind N.C. State and North Carolina, who now leads the conference. New Hampshire’s solid meet moves it up six spots in the national rankings, but it still sits in fourth place in the EAGL.
Records: New Hampshire recorded the highest beam score in school history with a 49.425, with five of the six gymnasts in the lineup setting or tying career highs. New Hampshire juniors Emma Winer and Ava Watkins both set career highs on floor with matching scores of 9.850. Pitt freshman Kiley Robatin set a personal best 9.875 on beam.
Controversies: This is not a controversy per se, but Pitt only put up five people in its bars lineup, indicating a possible depth problem. This will be something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
| No. 31 UC Davis at No. 63 Seattle Pacific | ||||
| Full Results | UC Davis: 195.225 | SPU: 192.625 | ||
| VT: Burns 9.800 | UB: Suzuki 9.850 | BB: Liddle 9.850 | FX: Hebert 9.875 | AA: Hebert 39.200 |
The Big Storyline: Both teams set season highs on a great night in Seattle and have room to grow if they can add more routines in through the season. UC Davis sophomore Kyla Kessler returned to the bar lineup tonight after missing the first two weeks of the season with a presumed ankle injury, which is very promising for the Aggies who were only able to field five athletes on vault and floor.
Implications: UC Davis extended its impressive lead in MSPF standings—the Aggies are likely to be mostly unchallenged in 2019. SPU’s fantastic team score bumps it up to fourth place in the conference.
Records: Gabby Landess became the first UC Davis gymnast ever to score over 39.000 in an all around debut. Darian Burns of Seattle Pacific set a personal best in the all around. Bars winner Aya Suzuki set a new career high.
Controversies: UC Davis senior Kara Jones suffered an injury that, according to her social media, will be career-ending—if she decides not to utilize a redshirt.
| No. 32 N.C. State, No. 57 Cornell and William & Mary at No. 61 Towson | ||||
| Full Results | N.C. State: 194.600 | W&M: 192.150 | Towson: 191.975 | Cornell: 191.725 |
| VT: Grantham 9.825 | UB: Tamburro 9.900 | BB: Hurst 9.875 | FX: Sakti 9.925 | AA: Grantham 39.175 |
The Big Storyline: The two biggest stories from this meet came from two freshmen. Towson’s Emerson Hurst won beam for the second meet in a row, matching her 9.875 score from last week. She is currently ranked 13th in the country on that event, tying her with the likes of Trinity Thomas, Sarah Finnegan and Kyla Ross. William & Mary’s Samantha Sakti won floor with a 9.925 in her very first collegiate meet. This score ranks her 7th in the country, tying her with Thomas and Margzetta Frazier. While season rankings can be misleading before RQS kicks in, these placements are impressive nonetheless.
Implications: William & Mary, which has been idle for the last two weeks, debuts at No. 3 in the ECAC rankings. Conference-mate Cornell drops two spots to No. 5. In addition, N.C. State’s score here was enough to surpass Pitt in the EAGL rankings, but it now trails North Carolina, who leads the conference.
Records: Sakti’s 9.925 on floor tied William & Mary’s program record.
| No. 56 Illinois State at No. 33 Iowa State | ||||
| Full Results | Iowa St.: 194.150 | Ill. St.: 191.825 | ||
| VT: LaRoche, Sievers, Steinmeyer 9.825 | UB: Langkamp 9.800 | BB: Meyer, Woolfolk 9.800 | FX: Sievers 9.825 | AA: Cooke 38.600 |
The Big Storyline: This meet was all about the Cyclones in their home opener. The Redbirds kept pace with them on vault and beam but struggled on bars and floor. The Cyclones weren’t without their own struggles on floor, where the team had to count a fall.
Implications: Iowa State drops to No. 36 overall and remains at No. 4 in the Big 12. Illinois State drops to No. 61 and remains at No. 4 in the MIC.
| No. 35 UIC at No. 64 Bowling Green | ||||
| Full Results | UIC: 195.200 | BGSU: 194.825 | ||
| VT: Baddeley, Mahoney 9.850 | UB: Baker 9.875 | BB: East 9.950 | FX: East, Sheremeta 9.900 | AA: Northern 38.500 |
The Big Storyline: UIC was on pace to hit a near-196 after vault and bars, its weak events. Two beam falls ended that dream, but this team is capable; it’s both exciting and heartbreaking that it’s all happening this year.
Implications: UIC is up with Lindenwood at the top of the MIC conference and should be a factor in that conference championship conversation, as well as at the USAG championships. Don’t count the Flames out of the regionals picture either. Not too many teams are putting up 195s away at this point. Bowling Green had a much better second outing and is getting on track but still lags behind the front of the MAC, a conference where we have seen some big early season numbers.
Records: The Falcons’ 194.825 ties its home opening record, led by eight career marks: Taylor Worthington (vault, 9.825; beam, 9.900), Elena Lawson (vault, 9.825; floor, 9.725), Jovannah East (beam, 9.950, split 10.000 and 9.900), Lauren DeMeno (beam, 9.825), Julia Beyer (floor, 9.725) and Tess Muir (floor, 9.850). For the Flames, Serena Baker had a career-high mark on bars (9.875), Kayla Baddeley put one up on vault (9.850) while Riley Mahoney had a pair, on vault (9.850) and beam (9.825).
Controversies: Bowling Green tweeted about Jovannah East “breaking” the program beam record with her 9.950. She actually tied it (Laura Mitchell put up the number twice last year), and of course everything exploded.
| No. 37 Maryland at No. 36 Illinois | ||||
| Full Results | Ill: 195.075 | UMD: 194.950 | ||
| VT: Balthazor 9.800 | UB: Otto, Farina 9.875 | BB: Peterman, Wright 9.825 | FX: Noonan 9.875 | AA: Howell 39.125 |
The Big Storyline: This meet was fine for both teams, but not a breakout performance. Maryland was excellent on bars but had some iffy floor landings. Illinois had two falls on vault (on Yurchenko fulls? It was weird) but looked very strong on floor. Both teams need to find their rhythm and clean things up.
Implications: The Terps and Illini have been outpaced by the Buckeyes. The three teams were bunched just behind Michigan and Nebraska, fighting for third in the conference, for much of last year. Ohio State has jumped into that lead group and left Maryland and Illinois in its dust. That said, both teams will move up slightly in the national rankings with these scores.
Records: Karen Howell’s 9.725 on vault and 39.125 in the all around are career marks.
Controversies: Maryland threw some big shade at Illinois’ floor on Twitter. There was, of course, a late score adjustment as well. Those are popping up everywhere this year!
| No. 47 San Jose State at No. 68 SEMO | ||||
| Full Results | SJSU: 193.225 | SEMO: 189.800 | ||
| VT: Adams 9.775 | UB: Chan 9.825 | BB: Kaziska 9.825 | FX: Kaziska, Chan 9.900 | AA: Chan 39.150 |
The Big Storyline: We need to talk about Anna Kaziska. She’s quickly turning into a beam and floor star for SEMO, something the team sorely needs. After the meet, her floor average is a 9.817, and come RQS she should shoot up in rankings on both events when she can drop her less-than-stellar debut. Look for her to qualify to regionals as an individual on those events if she continues at this pace.
Implications: San Jose State put up its third low-193 in three meets, trailing only UC Davis in the MPSF. Davis is far out in front, but San Jose’s position in second feels secure. It will need to inch toward 194 to start making noise though. For SEMO, this is a season high, but the team has still not hit 190, always an early-season goal for the lower DI teams.
Records: Taylor Chan’s 9.825 on bars was a career-best, as were Mackenzie Slee’s 9.700 and 9.750 on vault and floor.
| No. 20 Washington at No. 29 Arizona | ||||
| Full Results | Washington: 196.525 | Arizona: 195.650 | ||
| VT: Thompson, Copiak 9.800 | UB: Berg, Copiak 9.900 | BB: Roberson 9.950 | FX: Berg 9.900 | AA: Leydin 39.150 |
The Big Storyline: The Huskies had a great day in Tucson and got their season on track after a bit of a false start last week at Nebraska. They were imperious on beam, scoring a 49.400 with confidence that approached their postseason form of the last few years, and got encouraging performances from several newcomers. Meanwhile, Arizona set a season high by almost a point on the power of a great day by junior Christina Berg.
Implications: Washington jumps up to No. 11 nationally in the new rankings and No. 3 in the Pac-12. Arizona will also receive a bit of a boost up to No. 23.
Records: Numerous gymnasts set individual career highs during the meet, including Sydney Freidin on beam and Courtney Cowles, Maddi Leydin and Christina Berg on floor. Evanni Roberson’s 9.950 on beam for the Huskies was a career high and the highest beam score by a Husky since 2004.
READ THIS NEXT: The Dismount: Week Three MAG
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Article by the editors of College Gym News
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Just want to point out that LSU, itself, cannot inflate scores on any event. I would recommend changing the wording of that line. Whenever scores are inflated at schools, it is a reflection of the judges only, not the gymnasts or the schools they represent (as you point out in many of your articles, excluding this one).