While week five was all about perfect 10s (there were some of those this week too!), program records highlighted week six of the 2022 season. Catch up on everything that went down, from upsets to 10s to records, in the superlatives, results and recaps below.
Exhibition Routine of the Week
Sarah Shire Brown, Penn State, bars
During warm-ups before their meet at Michigan, the Nittany Lions’ head coach showed her team that she’s still got impressive skills.
The Ursinus junior’s routine is chock-full of cool skills and combinations, but her beat jump to pike three-quarter is an absolute stunner!
Coolest Under Pressure
Steve Schlanger
You thought this would be about a gymnast didn’t you? But when Ashley Miles Greig had technical difficulties to start the fourth rotation of Missouri at Auburn, he was forced to commentate the final six routines from each team on his own, holding his own in the process. However, while this is a rarity, it does beg the question: Should color commentators be more prepared for the sport they’re covering in the event their more knowledgeable play-by-play co-host dips out unexpectedly?
After a frustrating fall on bars, Smith rebounded on beam with a thoroughly calm and collected routine that tied her career high and set the pace for a program record 49.625.
Most Emphatic No
Chellsie Memmel
Presented without commentary
Social Media Fail of the Week
Georgia’s Scheduled (?) Meet Tweets
A “pre-beam fun fact” was Tweeted on the Georgia account a good 30 minutes after the meet had completely wrapped up and about an hour after the Gymdogs started their beam rotation at Alabama on Friday, leading us to believe the team scheduled some of its mid-meet tweets and got the timezone wrong in the process. Doh!
BTN+ Fail of the Week
Ohio State at Minnesota, floor
Another week, another misspelling! We don’t know who Hooter is but good for her on her lineup debut for Minnesota. Look, we say this tongue in cheek, but gymnasts’ names really ought to be spelled correctly. Get it together, BTN+.
Retirement Goals
Whatever This Is
Presented without commentary. BRB, setting this as our phone wallpapers.
The Big Storyline: This was touted as the most anticipated regular season SEC match-up of the season, and it lived up to the hype. The Tigers lead the Gators by 0.025 heading to the final rotation after Florida was forced to count Trinity Thomas’s 9.700 on beam. Florida put the meet out of reach, however, with an unbelievable 49.800 on floor. While the final scores are debatable (see the controversies section below), this meet proved that these are two evenly matched teams that could be very tough to beat come postseason.
Implications: Florida and LSU will hang on to the first and second spots in the SEC, but Florida will move up to second nationally. Haleigh Bryant, who has been struggling with plantar fasciitis this season, was pulled from the beam lineup after a short landing on floor. The Tigers’ path to postseason glory will be much more difficult if Bryant is limited.
Records: Kiya Johnson scored a career-high 9.950 on vault. Thanks to her second career 10, Reed has scored 9.925 or higher on her last 18 floor routines.
Controversies: To absolutely no one’s surprise, the scoring ranged from “plausible” to “mathematically impossible,” and the resulting fan discourse has been every bit as intense as you’d expect from two such passionate fan bases.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 5 LSU at No. 4 Florida
Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: The most anticipated SEC meet of the season has arrived. And while this season the pressure from other conference rivals is more intense than ever, LSU and Florida remain the top two teams in the conference based on current scoring averages. The arena will be loud, the pressure will be on and it may just foreshadow a few postseason lineups as the stakes are high. Both programs have been resting athletes to prioritize health for postseason.
What We’re Watching: While this could be a glimpse at the SEC championship title, it’s also an opportunity for both teams to hit pressure sets in a big competition setting. In prior years the programs have faltered when the lights shone bright, and with Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri and Alabama coming up the rankings, it’s important for both teams to perform at new heights when the pressure is at its highest.
What Else You Should Know Before Tuning In: Trinity Thomas and Kiya Johnson are expected to make their second appearances in the all-around. Kiya Johnson scored a perfect 10 in her first appearance on floor last week, and Trinity Thomas completed the gym slam earlier this season.
The Big Storyline: West Virginia narrowly missed the 196 mark for the second week in a row after counting multiple mistakes on beam. The other three events surpassed 49, so the Mountaineers are moving in the right direction despite missing powerhouse Abbie Pierson due to injury. Pittsburgh couldn’t quite keep the momentum rolling from last weekend after counting mistakes on floor and beam. Jordyn Ewing made her season all around debut with a 39.000. Texas Woman’s posted its second 194-plus team score in the last two weeks. Led by Madeline Gose’s two event victories, the Pioneers nearly bested Division I Pittsburgh. In fact, the team was in the lead heading into the final rotation. Bars still gave the team some trouble, though.
Implications: West Virginia is currently No. 30 in the country, but its average is less than three tenths from being out of the regional qualifying spots. The Mountaineers need to figure out how to consistently put an entire meet together or risk missing the cut. Pittsburgh shouldn’t make any drastic moves up or down this week. Texas Woman’s will springboard over Yale and West Chester to land in fourth in the in-progress USAG rankings. The Pioneers are picking up speed with more room to grow as they continue through midseason. It’s looking like the team will peak just in time for postseason, but time will tell.
The Big Storyline: Iowa and Kent State kept it close while Rutgers put the pressure on—the top three teams finishing with less than five tenths between them. Back to full strength, Ursinus showed its opening meet of nearly 186.000 wasn’t a fluke after hitting over a 185.000, notching a season high on vault and coming close on beam and floor.
Implications: Ursinus should see its ranking improve after making a strong return this meet, wiggling back into nearly the top ten, depending on how the remaining teams perform over the weekend. For Iowa, it should hold strong in its fourth place spot while Rutgers sits in tenth after Friday night in a competitive Big Ten conference. Kent State’s season-high means it should stay safely in second in its own conference.
Records: Madison Zimmerman scored a career-high 9.675 on beam and Alyssa DeLorme scored a person best of 9.500.
The Big Storyline: The Spartans came out on top in this one by the slimmest margin possible in NCAA gym after counting a low number on bars and seeing more 9.700s than they would prefer on vault. Central Michigan finally put together a complete meet to join the 196 club on the season. The Broncos have fallen fully back to Earth so far this month after a stunning January, also after an increase in low numbers on vault and bars.
Implications: Western Michigan did enough to stay ahead of Kent State on a superb night for the Flashes and will remain atop the MAC. Central Michigan will move ahead of idle Eastern Michigan but will still be looking to climb higher in the conference ranks. The Spartans proved that even an off night can go mid-196 and will remain solidly in third in the Big Ten. However, keep in mind the conference seeds the championship by conference win-loss, not by standing.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 15 Michigan State and No. 23 Western Michigan at No. 49 Central Michigan
Why You Should Make Time to Tune in: Look at that Broncos ranking. Just look at it! Western Michigan is having itself a year. Never mind Michigan State, which has sat comfortably at No. 15 for weeks now. Both teams are on a mission. Western Michigan will be hoping to bounce back from a rocky day at Kentucky last week. Central Michigan will be in the opposite position, looking to build on a season-best last week and push toward 196.
Need More Proof? The Spartans have stacked lineups, from Gabi Stephen’s 9.950-capable Yurchenko full to Jori Jackard’s stellar bar work and Skyla Schulte’s dynamic floor routine. That doesn’t even include Baleigh Garcia’s impeccable beam set! The list is endless. For Western Michigan, all-arounder and freshman Sarah Moravansky has emerged as a star, and Payton Murphy is back to her winning ways. Ronni Binstock can also be excellent on floor. The Chippewas’ duo of Sierra Demarinis and Hannah DeMers do can’t-miss gymnastics.
The Big Storyline: Though Alabama won the meet by over half a point, Georgia put together its most complete performance of the season. The Crimson Tide performed well, but lacked the power and precision on vault and beam they demonstrated in last week’s win over North Carolina and Western Michigan. They also lost junior Makarri Doggette to an unspecified injury on floor (though coach Dana Duckworth later confirmed that it was not an Achilles tear).
Implications: The Gymdogs continue to climb the rankings, cracking the top 30 for the first time this season, but they remain well behind the rest of the SEC.
Records: Georgia posted 49 or higher on every event for the first time this season.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 30 Georgia at No. 8 Alabama
Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: Georgia is ranked last in the SEC and on the verge of having its worst season in program history. Head coach Courtney Kupets-Carter is on the hot seat, and the team will have to perform at another level against Alabama. The duo have a storied rivalry, so it’s bound to be an exciting meet.
You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: Rachel Baumann is having a career year in her senior season with personal bests on vault, beam and floor. Classmate Megan Roberts has a nice Yurchenko one and a half, and Alabama’s Makarri Doggette made her floor debut last week and has the potential to score well in the all-around if she competes on all four events.
The Big Storyline: Lindenwood defeated SEMO for the third time in a row this season off the back of matching 9.900s from Gayla Griswold on vault and floor. The Lions’ vault and floor teams were on fire with the vault team hitting the 49 mark for the first time in 2022. SEMO’s team total was limited by decreased vault scoring potential and counting a fall on beam. However, this meet was just a half tenth short of the season high total from last week. With room to grow, the Redhawks continued to move in the right direction. Anna Kaziska was back to doing what she does best, capturing both the beam and floor event titles.
Implications: Lindenwood’s second 195 of the year will allow it to continue to comfortably sit atop the USAG and MIC rankings for another week. A second 195 means this one will still count when NQS goes into effect. SEMO will move past Yale for the time being. However, Jordan Jones’ 1.000 on floor could be the sign of an injury mid-routine. If that’s the case, that could spell a major loss for the Redhawks as she’s been consistently contributing on three events. Depth has already been an ongoing issue for this team, and that would just add insult to injury. SEMO and Lindenwood will meet the final time this regular season on Feb. 18.
Records: Anna Kaziska tied her career high 9.925 on floor to take the event victory while teammate Madison Greene matched that total. Griswold’s 9.9s on vault and floor were also career highs.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 51 Lindenwood at No. 58 SEMO
Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: Lindenwood and SEMO have had a brewing rivalry over the last several seasons. These teams each own the last two USAG national titles. Lindenwood brought home the victory in 2019 while SEMO had a quick rise to the top to sit atop the program in 2021. Just because these teams are not in the top-10 does not mean there won’t be big gymnastics. Lindenwood’s Gayla Griswold has an upgraded Yurchenko one and a half while SEMO’s Jolie Miller has a unique piked Tkatchev to Ezhova bar combination.
What We’re Watching: This very well could be a preview of this year’s MIC and USAG championships. This weekend’s competition will be the third meeting of these two teams this season. They last met Jan. 29 where host Lindenwood took the victory after SEMO had an uncharacteristic performance on bars. Both Lindenwood and SEMO tend to peak at the end of the season, so now is about the time things start ramping up. With this being SEMO’s first home competition of the season, the Redhawks will look for redemption from two weeks ago. After posting a season high last weekend that would’ve bested Lindenwood’s week five score, SEMO will feel more ready than ever.
What Else You Should Know Before Tuning In: Pay attention to the first half of the meet. Whoever is up at halftime will likely have the upper hand. Last week, SEMO had to put up only five athletes on bars. Let’s see if this week brings a bit more depth on that event or if the Redhawks are willing to test the five-up-five-count approach yet again. Watch out for Lydia Webb as she posted matching 9.825s on all three of her events last weekend. If you’re looking for fun floor choreography, look no further than Jordan Jones. Lindenwood has a season high of 195.475 this year. Will it be able to hit that number while on the road this week? The team will live or die by strong scores from its freshman class. The potential for greatness is there, but will the Lions be able to hit when it counts?
The Big Storyline: With some uncharacteristic mistakes on vault and beam, Oklahoma did not put up the huge number it was hoping for. Ragan Smith’s second-straight 10.0 on beam was a highlight in a rotation with a counted fall. George Washington did not have to count any falls, but too many counted scores in the 9.6s kept the total down.
Implications: Oklahoma will be passed by Florida again this week but still sits ahead of Utah and solidly in the top three. George Washington was not able to replicate its 196 from last week and will drop slightly in the EAGL standings. With the exception of one, all of the Colonials’ scores have been in the 194 range, which is not what they want with NQS kicking in next week.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 38 George Washington at No. 2 Oklahoma
Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: The Sooners have scored above a 198 for two straight weeks and will be looking to post another big number at home against a talented George Washington team.
You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: OU’s bars lineup is ranked No. 1 in the nation and is anchored by sophomore Audrey Davis, who has scored a 9.975 in the last two meets. George Washington senior Deja Chambliss could also be a highlight on vault, where she received a perfect 9.950 for her Yurchenko full last week.
The Big Storyline: Auburn continued to break records, scoring a program best 49.625 on beam en route to a definitive victory over Missouri. Shannon Welker’s Tigers looked uncharacteristically nervy and posted their first sub-49 event total of the season on vault. Both teams relied heavily on their star freshmen duos—Auburn’s Sunisa Lee and Sophia Groth, Missouri’s Amari Celestine and Jocelyn Moore—and they delivered yet again, contributing a collective eight scores of 9.900 or higher.
Implications: Auburn has cemented itself as one of the top teams in the SEC and a legitimate postseason threat, holding strong at No. 7 nationally. Obviously, this wasn’t the away meet score Missouri was hoping for, but it was by no means a disastrous meet (Note: The Tigers hadn’t even broken 196 at this point in the 2021 season).
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 9 Missouri at No. 7 Auburn
Why You Should Make Time to Tune in: It’s the meet of the Tigers (again, but with a different second Tiger), and both Tigers are fighting their way to having a record breaking program finish. Missouri has a strong freshman class led by Amari Celestine and Jocelyn Moore who have added strong tumbling and difficult vaults to a top beam team. Auburn has exceeded all expectations and currently sits at No. 3 in the SEC with big performances from Sunisa Lee, SOphia Groth and Derrian Gobourne.
Need More Proof? The meet will be a tight one and has high stakes for SEC championship seeding. Missouri, Auburn and Alabama are in a tight race for the night session. Auburn’s Sunisa Lee is currently tied for No. 1 in the all-around with Olympic teammate and Oregon State freshman Jade Carey. Tens were flying last week, and this meet could see even more.
The Big Storyline: Air Force took a step backward this week, counting falls on bars and beam in its loss to conference foe San Jose State. There were some uncharacteristic mistakes from the Falcons’ freshman class. San Jose State posted its highest total of the season led by a huge all-around performance by Jada Mazury and a school record bar rotation.
Implications: The Falcon’s success this year mainly depends on the consistency of the bars and beam lineups. When those events are firing on all cylinders, Air Force is destined for a large team total. However, if the Falcons have to count a fall on either of those events, the vault and floor team totals are not quite enough to salvage the situation. The team will hold onto its second spot in the USAG rankings for the third straight week. The Falcons did lose some ground on No. 1 Lindenwood, though, after the Lions posted another 195-plus. Expect West Chester, Texas Woman’s and SEMO to continue to apply the pressure in the coming weeks. Now is not the time for the Falcons to take their foot off the gas.
Records: Genevieve Sabado posted a 9.900 to better her beam career high and tie for the title. Jaden Mazury increased her career high on floor to 9.925 en route to a career high all-around total. San Jose State’s 49.350 on bars is a new program record.
The Big Storyline: Both teams had a difficult time staying on the equipment as Alaska just outpaced Centenary to take the win. Consistency was questionable across the board, but Rachel Decious and Kendall Sanders proved to be the rocks of their individual teams. Alyssa Manley’s bars impressed yet again this week. Considering she’s only a freshman, the sky is the limit for her success in college gymnastics. Leilani Johnson proved that sometimes clean form can beat high difficulty, taking a share of the vault win for her near-stuck Yurchenko layout.
Implications: Neither team’s performance will help their causes in moving up the rankings. Alaska and Centenary will look to their second matchup of the weekend to seek some redemption from multiple uncharacteristic performances. Kendall Sanders posted a season high all-around total, jumping to the top of Division III. She will look to continue to put together consistent performances on all events to qualify for her fourth straight USAG national championships. Several individuals on the Ladies’ roster are not able to compete right now due to short term injuries, so the rest of the team will need to pick it up to fill in the gaps. Madison McCary made her collegiate debut on bars while Taylor Ann Wilson competed beam for the first time in her career. Both were among the top performers on the team. They should increase the amount of depth moving forward.
Records: Kendall Sanders achieved a career high 9.775 on beam for her upgraded BHS layout two-feet series and stuck dismount.
The Big Storyline: Floor was the tricky event of this dual meet. Southern Connecticut dropped just over a full point from last week, but continued to chug through the season finding its groove on every event except for beam, which continues to plague it with inconsistency. Floor did prove to be a challenge for the Owls, a bit of a fluke for them. However, this left room for Rhode Island to claim the highest floor score of the meet, led by Olivia Keyes and Kelsey Gates. The Anchorwomen achieved or tied a season-high on every single event, except for floor. But based on how they’ve been looking, should be a score they’ll easily leave in the dust.
Implications: The Owls will most likely continue to hold tight in seventh place in the GEC, edging closer to topping Cornell and Brown to move up through the rankings. Rhode Island will continue to defend its third-place ranking in the NCGA-East after scoring a new season-high of 184.650. If they continue on the current trajectory, Ithaca could find Rhode Island knocking on its door for second place.
Records: Southern Connecticut set a new program record on vault with a 48.475 and Hannah Stahlbrodt and Hanna Zebdi both scored career highs of 9.775 as well. Rhode Island rewrote history again with a new team beam high of 47.350.
The Big Storyline: West Chester overcame beam demons to hit for the first time this season, and Jessica Meakim notched a 9.900 on floor for the second week in a row while Kiah Johnson made an appearance for the first time in three weeks and claimed first on vault. William & Mary found itself on track with a season-high on beam and several team members fell just shy of tying or setting new personal bests. Overall, both teams continue to look well-paced and prepared for the second half of the season.
Implications: After notching 193.100 or higher over the past three meets, West Chester sits comfortably in the GEC and USAG standings. William & Mary doesn’t lack in consistency after scoring within a margin of nine tenths over the past four meets but would want to break back in the 190s for the remainders of the season to see it move up in the GEC.
Records: Lily McFarland and Caroline Cascadden of West Chester both set career highs on beam, with a 9.850 and 9.800, respectively. Samantha Kelly scored a new personal best of 9.775 on bars. William & Mary’s Sarah Wozniak set a career-best of 9.775 on bars, and Sarah Kuper beat her own record in the all-around with a personal best of 38.375.
The Big Storyline: Ona Loper led the Gophers to a huge total on a career day, which also featured near-perfection from Lexy Ramler and Mya Hooten. Minnesota has proven that it is on fire at home, and now just needs to replicate a performance like this away. Ohio State was just off, counting a low number on each of vault, bars and beam. We did see the return of Emma Pritchard to the beam lineup, which will be a boost to the Buckeyes moving forward.
Implications: Big Tens are seeded by win/loss. Minnesota and Ohio State are each now 3-1 in conference play, meaning they are well on their way to night session berths at the championship (along with Michigan and Iowa, which are each undefeated). There is some pressure on both teams going into Big Fives next week, though: Minnesota reallyneeds a mid-197 away number before we hit NQS on Feb. 21, and Ohio State will need a mid-to-high placement in its Big Five session to ensure that night session berth.
Records: Loper set a new career high all-around number with her 39.750.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 22 Ohio State at No. 6 Minnesota
Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: The Buckeyes have excelled despite some injuries and COVID protocols to start the year. They just keep finding a way to put up enough solid routines to get good numbers. It finally all came together last week when a program-best team score propelled Ohio State to a huge 196.675. Minnesota, of course, has been flying to start the year, keeping pace with nationals stalwarts. Last week at Illinois was a bit of a hiccup, with a nervy bar lineup and Mya Hooten skipping floor, but the Gophers should get back on track at home.
You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: You already know Minnesota’s big names, so we’ll leave it at this: Lexy Ramler has no 10.0s this year but a 9.975 on each of vault, beam and floor. Some others to watch include Emily Koch, whose beam and floor work is excellent, and Maddie Quarles, who added floor for the first time last week. For the Buckeyes, Jenna Hlavach is a breakout star on vault and floor, and Elexis Edwards has come close to perfection on her Yurchenko full. Claire Gagliardi’s floor is always a fan favorite, and if she’s back in the lineup, freshman Tory Vetter is a superb bar worker.
The Big Storyline: In a shocking upset, Stanford upped its season-high by over half a point to fend off a road high from UCLA to beat the Bruins and earn its first dual meet win of the season. Senior Kyla Bryant closed out the meet with a clutch floor routine to seal the deal and earn herself the floor and all around titles while leading the Cardinal to season high event totals on three events (vault, bars, floor). UCLA improved on its season-best away total by over half a point, highlighted by Jordan Chiles’ second perfect 10.
Implications: The Pac-12 conference regular season standings got a shake-up, with the Cardinal now tied for fourth and the Bruins sliding to sixth. UCLA will also have additional injury concerns moving forward, with Norah Flatley and Sara Ulias going down with injury during the meet.
Records: Two Stanford freshmen upped their career-best marks to 9.900, with Brenna Neault doing so on bars and Anapaula Gutierrez doing so on floor. UCLA freshman Emma Malabuyo set a new career-high all-around score with a 39.475.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 16 UCLA at No. 19 Stanford
Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: With the Bruins currently ranked fourth and Stanford fifth among Pac-12 schools, this matchup sets up a great battle between two teams fighting for a spot in the evening session of the conference championship. Although UCLA’s season best is well over a point higher than Stanford’s, the inconsistency on the road from the Bruins this season means anything can happen.
What We’re Watching: Stanford senior Kyla Bryant will help make for an incredible all-around battle between her and UCLA’s roster of talent, including Chae Campbell, Jordan Chiles, and Norah Flatley. A cast of Canadians have both these teams ranked highest on beam, so make sure to watch for the Cardinal’s Isabela Onyshko and the Bruins’ Ana Padurariu.
The Big Storyline: New Hampshire roared into the meet, and Alyssa Worthington finds herself leading the EAGL conference on beam heading into Sunday, with a 9.888 average. New Hampshire proved its previous week’s score was just a fluke as it knocked on the door of a 196.000. Brown dropped nearly a point and a half from last week, with bars and floor presenting a few challenges to the team as it was forced to count two scores under 9.500 on bars and a pair of low scores on floor.
Implications: Brown will stay fairly locked within sixth place in the GEC and ninth in USAG, however it still lays claim to the second-highest vault score in the GEC as of now. New Hampshire should continue to cruise along in seventh place in a competitive EAGL conference, but don’t overlook its current standings with the highest beam score.
Records: Brown’s Taylor Schulze set a new career-high of 9.675 on bars and Angela Xing scored a personal best of 9.650 on vault, as did Lauren Kramer with a 9.625. Gracy Mowers scored a new personal best on vault with a 9.900, as did Kylie Gorgenyi with a 9.875, who also bested her previous score on bars with a 9.900. Kenadi Brown pocketed a 9.800 for her own personal high on bars.
The Big Storyline: In the biggest upset of the season so far, California topped Pac-12 favorite Utah behind a career all-around day from sophomore Andi Li, beating the Utes for only the third time ever. Li captured the all-around and bars titles while the Golden Bears notched season-high event totals on vault and floor to open and close their strong performance. Despite dropping their first conference meet since 2019, Utah had two near-perfect scores as highlights from Jaedyn Rucker and Sydney Soloski.
Implications: Still undefeated on the season, California is now the frontrunner for the Pac-12 regular season title, likely needing to lose twice to fall from the top spot. Unfortunately, after setting a new career-high on vault with a 9.900, Utah’s Jillian Hoffman tore her Achilles and will miss the rest of the season.
Records: California’s Nevaeh DeSouza hit 9.950 on vault for a new career-best while teammate Gabby Perea made her collegiate debut with a 9.900 on bars.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 3 Utah at No. 11 California
Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: The Pac-12’s top two and final undefeated teams will square off with a clear path to the regular season conference title on the line. The Utes come in as a top 10 team and clear favorite, but the Golden Bears have been improving all season and will undoubtedly put up a fight at home.
What We’re Watching: California’s heavy all-arounder strategy versus Utah’s primarily specialist game plan will be fascinating to watch. Grace McCallum, the usual lone all-arounder for the Utes, will face tough competition from four-event stalwarts Maya Bordas, Andi Li and Nevaeh DeSouza for California. That trio leads a bars rotation that will need to have its best outing of the year if it wants to outpace Utah on beam.
What Else You Should Know Before Tuning In: Somehow this meet was not picked up for the Pac-12 Network broadcast, so it will be live streamed for free!
The Big Storyline: It wasn’t a perfect meet for either team, but it showed just how competitive these two teams could be if they are competing at their highest level. Boise State faltered on bars, where it had to count a fall, but was able to maintain less than a half point deficit between it and BYU. BYU had another meet where it didn’t count a fall but suffered uncharacteristic mistakes on bars and beam.
Implications: At the end of the day, it was a good showcase of the competitiveness and parity in the MRGC. At the conference championships in about a month, we should be in for a treat with these teams; add in Utah State and Southern Utah, and it’ll be a good one. BYU notched a good road score which will be critical in a couple weeks when NQS kicks in; it now has a calculable NQS as well. BYU ultimately drops one place in the national rankings to No. 19, while Boise State retains its No. 24 overall ranking. In the conference standings, BYU overtook Utah State for No. 1 overall.
Records: Alexis Stokes set a career high 9.975 on bars; that mark also ties the Boise State program record on bars.
Controversies: Can we talk about the format of this meet for a second? It was WILD. Despite being a dual meet, vault and bars ran simultaneously, and they only decided it was a good idea to alternate for beam and floor.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 18 BYU at No. 24 Boise State
Why You Should Make Time to Tune in: This should be another close MRGC meet and is a rematch of last week’s meet at BYU. Last week, BYU defeated the Broncos in a thriller, 196.700 to 196.525. This time, Boise State will have the home crowd on its side as it looks for a quality MRGC win and another solid score.
Need More Proof? Boise State senior Emily Muhlenhaupt has been chasing a perfect score on bars for years and is currently ranked No. 4 nationally on the event. BYU senior Sadie Miner-Van Tassell continues to impress in her first season competing in the all-around. Also keep an eye out for BYU’s engaging routines on floor where the Cougars scored a 49.400 to take the meet last weekend.
The Big Storyline: Brockport took Tompkins County by storm, toppling Division I Cornell by a margin of nearly a full point, while Ithaca was close on Cornell’s heels. The Golden Eagles notched a new season high, ecplising the previous score by just over a tenth, slowly inching closer to a 193. In addition, Brockport scored a new season high on beam with a team score of 48.600 as well as floor with a 48.525, boosted by Lexi Castellaneta’s 9.900. Fellow NCGA member Ithaca notched a sky high 48.025 on bars, its highest since 1998.
Implications: Within the past four meets, the Big Red has scored between a 191.600 and 191.600, proving its strength is in its consistency. But it’ll still want to increase that score to up its place in the rankings, otherwise it’ll continue to sit tight where it is. Brockport’s upward trajectory means it continues to easily defend its first place rank in both the NCGA and NCGA-East, and Ithaca stays securely in second in the East and in the middle of the pack in the NCGA overall. Cortland’s consistency means its rank will remain unchanged, as well. Records: Brockport set a new team beam record with a 48.600, and Lexi Castellaneta and Natalie Galioto tied the school beam record with 9.800s. Sydney Schumaker scored a new personal high of 9.800 on vault. Kirsten Paultre set a new career high on floor with a 9.775. Representing the Big Red, Calista Brady scored a career high on floor with a 9.900. As for Cortland, Samantha Nothnagel scored a personal best of 9.750 on beam. Ithaca College broke two program records, on bars with a 48.025 and beam with a 48.300. Skye Cohen set a personal-record in the all around with a 37.900.
The Big Storyline: Perhaps not as a strong of a performance as last week, Yale still showed up strong with a season high on vault and bars including falling just shy of an all-time bar record, but a few hiccups on beam held the Bulldogs back from their full team score potential. The Owls had a few struggles on floor, plagued by some tumbling short passes, relying on strong scores from Noely Macias and Hanna Zebdi to get the job done. Bridgeport filled out its lineups, including a vault appearance from Kat Doran good enough for a 9.400. Springfield posted the second highest team total on floor today, also its season high, second only to Yale by a margin of just over half a point, with Bridgeport just a tenth behind.
Implications: Springfield will stay in the middle of the NCGA-East pack and the division as a whole. Despite a solid showing, Yale will slid into second in the standings, as well as sliding into fourth in USAG after West Chester stormed its way through the weekend. Southern Connecticut and Bridgeport will see no changes, just yet, for any of their standings. Going forward, West Chester and Yale will be neck and neck for top places.
Records: Hanna Zebdi scored a career-best of 9.750 on floor, for the Owls. For Springfield, MacKenzie MacLeod scored a new career high of 9.775 on floor.
Records: LIU set program records in total team score (195.050), team floor score (49.175) and tied its team beam score (48.800). In addition, Amanda Loo set a new individual floor record with a 9.925 and Cael Bixler set a new beam record with a 9.875.
The Big Storyline: Behind another incredible day from freshman Jade Carey and a season-high 49.675 on floor, Oregon State earned a home win over Washington. The Huskies broke 49 on their first three events and were in contention heading into the final rotation, but counting several falls on beam widened the gap for the final total. Following up her first career perfect score on bars last week, Carey earned her first floor 10.0.
Implications: With the win, Oregon State is now tied with Utah for second in the Pac-12 regular season standings and is looking favorable for a spot in the evening session of the championship meet. Now with three conference losses, the Huskies are most likely bound for the earlier session and will finish in the bottom half of the conference. They’re also still on the regionals bubble.
Records: Despite still having a great meet, a few of Carey’s streaks were broken. She ended with 18-straight routines of 9.9 or better and won the first 20 individual titles possible of her career.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 34 Washington at No. 13 Oregon State
Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: This matchup gives us two great storylines to watch, with Washington needing a strong road score to stay on the good side of the regionals bubble abd the phenomenal start to Jade Carey’s Oregon State career.
You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: Through four all-around performances, Carey has yet to score below 9.9 on a single routine, leads the nation in the all around and earned the first perfect 10.0 of her career last weekend on bars. She’s been the leader of a major resurgence for the Beavers, who are also getting great floor and vault numbers from super senior Kaitlyn Yanish. The Huskies are coming off a season best score last week, with Skylar Killough-Wilhelm leading the way for Washington, ranking in the top 20 on beam.
The Big Storyline: Denver rebounded from last week’s performance and proved it could hold its own without Lynnzee Brown. Jessica Hutchinson helped with that. Iowa State maintained composure despite a few mistakes en route to its second-best score of the season.
Implications: As the switch to NQS nears, this is a step in the right direction for both teams. Iowa State still needs another good road score to avoid counting an early season 194.075; that will be critical for the Cyclones’ regional aspirations, as they currently sit just outside regional qualification. The chance to drop that score won’t come until next Sunday since this is Iowa State’s fifth score and it has a double header this weekend. Denver now has enough meets to calculate an NQS, but it currently includes last week’s 196.125. This score is a step toward not counting that score, but the Pioneers will want to put up another one like this or better at Metroplex to erase that 196.125 from the NQS picture.
Records: Jessica Hutchinson’s 39.625 in the all-around is a career high; her 9.950 on beam is also a personal best. Callie Schlottman re-entered the Denver beam lineup with a career-high 9.875.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 37 Iowa State at No. 12 Denver
Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: Iowa State had a rocky start to the season but is undefeated in the Big 12 so far, posting a season high 196.225 last time out. Denver has potential and a home advantage but could be vulnerable as it continues to adjust its lineups after the loss of Lynnzee Brown to a season-ending Achilles injury.
You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: Denver sophomore Jessica Hutchinson returned to the all-around for the first time last week, posting a big 39.450 with 9.9-plus on beam and floor. The Pioneers have a stellar beam lineup featuring four gymnasts who have gone 9.9 or above this season. Iowa State is a powerful team on vault and floor. Keep an eye out for Makayla Maxwell’s Yurchenko one and a half, as well as the dynamic floor routines from Laura Cooke and Maddie Diab.
The Big Storyline: This one went just fine. Michigan—which rested Naomi Morrison completely and Gabby Wilson on leg events—put up a solid number on a slightly off day. Jacey Vore’s beam routine was the revelation of the meet; her 9.925 will put pressure on lineup stalwarts next week at Elevate the Stage Toledo. Penn State bounced back from two off meets and will be pleased with a near-196 away number as we approach NQS. This was also a complete meet for the Nittany Lions, without the beam woes we’ve seen from the team.
Implications: Michigan remains comfortably at national No. 1. Penn State is sitting as a regional bubble team at No. 35, though we shouldn’t fret too much about those teams until we see how NQS shakes things up. The Big Ten championship is seeded by win-loss: Michigan is undefeated and will be in the night session almost regardless of how Big Fives go next week. Penn State, on the other hand, is winless in conference play and is all but guaranteed an afternoon session berth.
Preview
Current Rankings: No. 32 Penn State at No. 1 Michigan
Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: The Wolverines are on a tear, and while we have every reason to believe Bev Plocki will keep rotating the gymnasts she’s resting, every Michigan meet is required watching at this point. The Wolverines are officially on best NCAA score ever watch, and this is the team’s annual Flip for Chip meet, which historically indicates it will be a good performance. Penn State had an excellent January, led by both newcomers and veterans, and will want to use the tough competition to push back into the 196s.
You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: Don’t take your eyes off a single vault Michigan puts up. Any one of them might be a 10.0. Naomi Morrison will be the next gymnast looking to join the party; she has 9.975s on vault and floor so far this year. For Penn State, fifth-year veterans Alissa Bonsall and Lauren Bridgens have extremely clean bar work, and freshman Bella Salcedo is a breakout floor star—don’t miss her double front.
The Big Storyline: Led by its best bar rotation of the season, Alaska bounced back from its disappointing home debut on Friday. Alyssa Manley’s perfect toe point wowed the judges while Rachel Decious captured her second beam title of the weekend. The young Seawolves team is still trying to find its way, which is to be expected of a roster with 11 freshman and three returners. However, there is some beautiful gymnastics in the bunch that will be exciting to watch develop. Centenary posted another 187 score after counting falls on all four events. Senior Kendall Sanders had herself a day, putting together the second best all around performance of her career. She was steady as they come, unwavering amidst adversity.
Implications: With another sub-190 score in the books, it will be an uphill battle the rest of the season as the Ladies try to creep their way into an NQS that resembles its performances in recent seasons. The team will remain sixth among Division III teams this week. Senior Xian Baumgartner was out this weekend, but hopefully that will be a short term hiatus. Moreover, Centenary is in desperate need of the return of Chloe Armentor whose Jaeger stunned in the first meet of the season but hasn’t been seen since due to an ankle injury. In general, the Ladies seem to be lacking the confidence in their training to put together a complete meet. The Seawolves will look to take the lessons learned this weekend and continue to improve in the coming weeks. The 191.500 from Sunday’s meet should be an encouragement that this team is capable when it puts everything together on the same day.
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