It’s fun to watch rankings change every week, but they only tell us so much about the status of a team. Which teams are on the rise and which are barely hanging on? Which ones have a competitive ranking by the grace of their RQS drop scores and which will pose a real threat in postseason? I’ll dig into the real dynamics of NCAA gymnastics in this biweekly column that’s part power ranking, part high school yearbook awards—all serious analysis.
Just kidding, almost zero serious analysis.
NQS happened this week! Are the rankings real right now? No! Are they fun and exciting? Yes! Is everyone on Twitter going to lose their minds in the very realistic scenario that Michigan loses the No. 1 ranking next weekend? Absolutely!
Flames Emoji
I don’t think we’ve processed just how big a deal it is that Ohio State and Michigan State will both be in the night session of Big Tens. These two teams have made such strides this year, and I hope hype is coming along soon for them.
On the Struggle Bus
AAI, which managed to misplace three of its nominees (not for the first time) and almost cause an international incident on Twitter in the process. Everything was sorted out in the end, though.
Glad You’re Having Fun
We had several Pride meets and several fantastic makeup jobs this weekend, but Pitt’s Kiley Robatin led the way. This kind of eyeshadow work takes serious technique.
You’re Beautiful but Please Hit
I received a nomination for Jaedyn Rucker for this one. It’s far from a disaster season for Rucker, but there have also been a number of opportunities missed in tense moments. I imagine this feels more critical if she’s on your fantasy team.
Why Is This Happening
Denver does not have the depth to sustain two Achilles tears from major contributors. Not even close.
Won Twitter for the Week
Dubs the dog has been an unexpected star this week.
Quietly Cruising
Hello, national No. 2 all-arounder Hannah Scharf. Shout-out to No. 3 Sienna Schreiber. Who predicted this? Yeah, yeah, some of the top gymnasts don’t have an NQS yet. Shhh… Let me have my fun.
In Memoriam
The entire MAC. NQS was not kind to that conference after a fairly strong start to the season. There’s still a lot to play for, but time is running out, and the regionals bubble is going to be very claustrophobic.
Next Week, I Swear
The introduction of NQS gives us all sorts of theoreticals to get excited about, but I’ve got my eye on Maryland in particular. The Terps might be outside of regionals position right now, but there’s still a 192 averaged in there. Major rankings jump coming… soon. Hopefully.
I Don’t Know Who Needs to Hear This, but…
You and I have VERY different definitions of the word “stuck” sometimes.
Fall of the Week
I have two different beam options for you this week.
Article by Rebecca Scally
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