The Mount: Conference Championships

at Iowa

at Iowa

Recap

The Big Storyline: TWU’s victory snapped Lindenwood’s six-year winning streak at the conference championship. The Pioneers started the meet on bars tied for the lead and didn’t look back. Lindenwood’s chances for the title were thwarted by a sub-normal vault rotation with several very short landings. Illinois State counted mistakes on both bars and beam. However, the Redbirds’ vault rotation was a highlight of the meet with Laster’s stuck Yurchenko one and a half. SEMO fought from beginning to end, avoiding counting any falls. Anna Speller, typically a beam specialist, stepped up to compete bars this week so her team would have six scores. Her routine counted toward the team total. Jolie Miller and Lindsay Ockler closed the meet by tying for the bars event title with near-perfect routines. Centenary started strong on vault but could not keep the momentum going after the bye rotation. Taylor Ann Wilson’s bar routine was a highlight thanks to her textbook Maloney to Pak salto connection. 

Postseason Implications: Illinois State will not make regionals this year, but some individuals will be waiting through the weekend to see if they made the cut. Angelica Labat is pretty well locked at the moment. Jaye Mack and Anna Kaziska are currently tied with a 9.900 NQS on floor and are slated to advance as well. TWU will be the front runner heading into USAG nationals after its victory today. Considering Texas Woman’s has been scoring more consistently at home than on the road this season, will the Pioneers be able to replicate this performance at Cornell in three weeks time? Lindenwood will be out for redemption at nationals. Don’t expect the Lions to let the gap get quite that large next time out. The team total tonight moved the Lions tentatively into the second spot in the USAG, just above Air Force. The Falcons have yet to have their conference championship, so time will tell if that ranking will hold. SEMO will enter nationals ranked No. 5. Technically, that makes the Redhawks on the outside looking in for those teams expected to advance to the final. Figuring out the bars situation will be a must if there’s any chance of SEMO being in the final with a chance to defend its national title. Centenary’s individuals will have to wait until the end of the GEC championship to know for sure who will advance to USAGs. Tentatively, qualifiers are Kendall Sanders (AA), Kendall Huff (VT) and Taylor Ann Wilson (UB). 

Records: A six-year conference winning streak was snapped. TWU had a duo of career highs with Mara Johnson’s 9.850 on bars and Alix Pierce’s event-title-tying 9.875 on floor. 

Controversies: The judging at this meet was sporadic to say the least with lack of score differentiation between routines. Ultimately the team winner was correct based purely on the gymnastics, so it all came out in the wash. Anna Kaziska’s 9.700 on beam could’ve easily been higher and land her on the podium. 

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Angelica Labat (ISU)
• Senior Athlete of the Year: Anna Kaziska (SEMO)
• Newcomer of the Year: Alana Laster (ISU)
• Woman of the Year: Isabel Goyco (TWU)
• Sylvia Keiter Memorial Award: Makenzie Marciniak (SEMO)
• Coach of the Year: Bob Conkling (ISU)
• Assistant Coach of the Year: Kristen Harrold (TWU)

Preview

• No. 49 Illinois State, 195.230 NQS, 195.875 season high
• No. 50 Texas Woman’s, 194.995 NQS, 195.725 season high
• No. 54 Lindenwood, 194.555 NQS, 195.475 season high
• No. 59 S.E. Missouri, 193.625 NQS, 194.200 season high
• No. 72 Centenary, 187.690 NQS, 191.575 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

Luckily the MIC championship is the only conference meet taking place on Friday night, so you have no excuses not to watch. There are three teams that have a realistic chance of walking away with the title this year: Illinois State, TWU and Lindenwood. All three teams have a season high in the mid-195s. However, no one has escaped 2022 without a low meet or two due to inconsistency. That makes this conference championship that much more interesting, as the team who can hit when it counts will capture the title. Illinois State comes in as the front runner, but the team also entered the 2021 championship as the No. 1 seed at home and did not quite get the job done. Lindenwood will look to earn its seventh-straight conference championship. 

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Lindenwood’s and Illinois State’s vault rotations are can’t-miss gymnastics. The top-three vaulters in the conference, Angelica Labat, Gayla Griswold and Alana Laster, all sport sky-high Yurchenko one and a halves. Griswold’s has gone as high as 9.975 this season. The reigning MIC vault champion J’Chelle Heard is also featured in the Illinois State vault rotation, so don’t blink. The race for the vault title is going to be a close one. TWU’s Madeline Gose and Isabel Goyco are a duo to keep an eye on. Both are strong floor performers who have gone over 9.900 this season. Traditionally, both rise to the occasion in the postseason. If you’re interested in some unique skills, look for Jolie Miller on bars. She does an Ezhova that is very rarely seen in NCAA gymnastics, and she earned a share of the SEMO program record on bars at the end of February. Centenary’s Taylor Ann Wilson came away with the 2021 USAG national title after not competing during the regular season. This will be her first time competing at MICs. Will she be able to rise to the challenge yet again on the big stage? 

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

Despite a strong 2022 season, ISU is already mathematically out of the team regionals picture. However, individuals are still vying for a regional berth of their own, including Angelica Labat and Jaye Mack. This competition will also be a preview of the fast-approaching USAG national championships. SEMO, Lindenwood and TWU have earned one of the last three national titles. Whoever comes out on top will have a confidence boost heading into USAGs. 

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Illinois State: 2 titles, last won in 2012
• Texas Woman’s: 2 titles, last won in 2010
• Lindenwood: 6 titles, last won in 2021
• S.E. Missouri: 6 titles, last won in 2014
• Centenary: 0 titles

Records Watch

• Team: 196.575 (UIC, 2003) 
• Vault: 49.500 (Lindenwood, 2015) 
• Bars: 49.425 (UIC, 1997) 
• Beam: 49.375 (SEMO, 2003) 
• Floor: 49.575 (TWU, 2015)

Last Time Out

After entering the meet as the second seed, Lindenwood snuck away with its sixth consecutive conference title on the back of a season high performance. The individual titles went to J’Chelle Heard on vault (9.875), Sofia Iribarren on bars (9.900), Madeline Gose on beam (9.925) and the trio of Gayla Griswold, Aleah Leman and Madeline Gose on floor (9.875). Angelica Labat of Illinois State was the all-around champion. All but Leman are in the field for the 2022 championship.

Recap

The Big Storyline: Michigan put up a solid performance and its most complete hit since January to win its 26th conference title. Minnesota fell to fourth after counting a 9.0 on beam, opening the door for Michigan State to cap its strong night with a runner-up finish. Ohio State had a tough beam rotation after a solid start and fell to fifth. Iowa’s 196.950 from the early session held strong enough for third. 

Postseason Implications: Penn State didn’t do enough to secure a regionals spot. Ohio State fell out of the seeded spots and will be placed geographically along with Iowa, Illinois and Maryland. Michigan State, meanwhile, secured a three-seed while Minnesota will be a two-seed and Michigan a one-seed.

Records: Sierra Brooks joins the conference meet record books with her 10.0 on vault.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Sierra Brooks, Michigan
• Newcomer of the Year: Skyla Schulte, Michigan State
• Coach of the Year: Mike Rowe, Michigan State

Preview

• No. 19 Illinois | 196.775 NQS | 197.350 season high
• No. 20 Maryland | 196.665 NQS | 197.175 season high
• No. 23 Iowa | 196.465 NQS | 196.825 season high
• No. 37 Penn State | 196.060 NQS | 196.550 season high
• No. 41 Nebraska | 195.895 NQS | 196.750 season high
• No. 44 Rutgers | 195.680 NQS | 196.400 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

The Big Ten has been thrilling this year. While it’s the evening session top four group that has rightfully run away with accolades, Illinois is peaking at the right time with three-straight 197-plus numbers, including one away. If one team from this group can upset an evening session team, it’s likely the Illini. Nebraska also has a good chance to outperform its seeding, especially after its strong showing at Big Fives where it upset Minnesota. It will take mistakes or an off day from the top group to allow any team from this session to sneak into the top four, but it’s not by any means out of the question.

Seeding information, including starting events and byes, can be found on the Big Ten website.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Iowa hits floor in the fifth rotation, and that’s can’t-miss gymnastics. Tune in around 2 p.m. ET to catch Lauren Guerin and JerQuavia Henderson chase elusive 10.0s and fight to repeat as co-floor champions. In rotation six, just a bit later in the afternoon, Illini Mia Takekawa takes to the beam where she’s been perfect this year and on a roll in recent weeks. She has a reasonable shot at challenging the likes of Lexy Ramler and Natalie Wojcik for that title.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

If the Nittany Lions are going to have a shot at regionals, they need to put up an excellent number here. They’ll be chasing their season best. Nebraska’s Emma Spence could also join the all-around qualification group if she has a strong day. 

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Nebraska: 2 titles, last won in 2013
• Illinois: 1 title, last won in 1990

Records Watch

• Team: 197.850 (Michigan, 2000) | Vault: 49.725 (Nebraska, 2012) | Bars: 49.625 (Michigan, 2004) | Beam: 49.550 (Penn State, 2000) | Floor: 49.700 (Michigan, 2014)
• All Around: 39.800 (Ray) | Vault: 10.000 (Wymer, Kabnick, K. Rowland, Mable, Wojcik) | Bars: 10.000 (Peters, Ray) | Beam: 10.000 (N. Smith) | Floor: 10.000 (Sampson, Wong)

Last Time Out

Minnesota dramatically topped Michigan for the Big Ten title in 2021. Illinois and Iowa joined them in the evening session, where they finished third and fourth overall, respectively. Lauren Guerin and JerQuavia Henderson nabbed shares of the floor title with 9.950s. Adeline Kenlin also walked away with newcomer of the year honors, and Iowa’s Larissa Libby took the coach of the year nod.

Recap

Recap

The Big Storyline: It was a rough meet for everyone but Temple, who notched its second 196 of the season to finish first in the early session and eventually land in third place.

Postseason Implications: LIU’s Mara Titarsolej qualified to regionals on bars, while Pitt’s Katie Chamberlain qualified on bars and teammate Hallie Copperwheat qualified on bars and beam. Kylie Gorgenyi from New Hampshire qualified on vault and bars, and teammates Hailey Lui and Alyssa Worthington qualified on beam. Brooke Donabedian and Julianna Roland from Temple qualified on floor and vault respectively.

Controversies: There were an unusual number of falls and missteps on beam in this meet. Ten out of 24 routines had a fall and just 10 routines scored above a 9.700. It’s unknown what the cause was, but it makes us wonder if the podium was shaky or if the beam hadn’t been set up correctly. Also, vault scoring was very tight throughout the meet, which caused a heated discussion between the Pitt coaches and the vault judges.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Deja Chambliss (George Washington)
• Event Specialist of the Year: Mara Titarsolej (LIU)
• Newcomer of the Year: Hallie Copperwheat (Pittsburgh)
• Coach of the Year: Jay Ramirez (Towson)

Preview

• No. 42 Pittsburgh | 195.860 NQS | 196.775 season high
• No. 45 New Hampshire | 195.625 NQS | 196.450 season high
• No. 46 Temple | 195.595 NQS | 196.675 season high
• No. 55 LIU | 194.300 NQS | 195.075 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

While the favorites for the title are in the evening session, it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see the winner come from this session. Pittsburgh has the second-highest season high of any of the teams in the conference, and the Panthers have been steadily improving all season. Temple is the defending champion and is also capable of scoring into the mid-196s. New Hampshire has been inconsistent all year, but if the Wildcats can put everything together, their scoring potential is right up there with everyone else. On top of that, the Wildcats have been unable to compete at the EAGL championship since 2019—the year they won.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

LIU’s Mara Titarsolej is currently ranked No. 1 in the EAGL and No. 12 in the country on bars and has scored a perfect 10 this year. Pittsburgh freshman Hallie Copperwheat has had a stellar season and will likely qualify to regionals as an individual if the Panthers don’t as a team. Look for her on beam in particular. Teammate Katie Chamberlain has had a breakout year with 9.9-plus scores on both bars and beam. Temple’s Ariana Castrence recently started competing in the all-around again and is one of the contenders for that title. Hailey Lui and Alyssa Worthington will be ones to watch on beam, as both have achieved near-perfect scores of 9.975. 

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

All of the teams in this session are mathematically eliminated from regionals, but there are a few individuals to keep an eye on who could potentially qualify with a good score—Julianna Roland and Ariana Castrence on vault, Jordyn Ewing on bars and Brooke Donabedian on floor. 

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• N.C. State: 6 titles, last won in 2018
• North Carolina: 5 titles, last won in 2011
• New Hampshire: 3 titles, last won in 2019
• George Washington: 2 titles, last won in 2017
• Pittsburgh: 1 title, last won in 2016
• Temple: 1 title, last won in 2021
• Towson: 0 titles
• LIU: 0 titles

Records Watch

• Team: 196.750 (New Hampshire, 2003)
• Vault: 49.525 (West Virginia, 2004) 
• Bars: 49.325 (N.C. State, 2003)
• Beam: 49.325 (New Hampshire, 2003; N.C. State, 1998; Maryland, 1999)
• Floor: 49.575 (West Virginia, 2002)

Last Time Out

Temple pulled out the upset to take home the title in its first year of competition in the EAGL.

Recap

The Big Storyline: In the first session, Cornell lead for the entire meet until the last routine of the when Biana Leon’s 9.825 on beam was enough to take the lead by 0.025. Cornell was forced to count a low bar score, putting the Big Red in that perilous second position. The Owls, Big Red and the Tribe all either set program records or season highs—or both. Bridgeport’s small squad went out fighting, with its fourth-highest beam score of the season, led by Kiana Session who tied for the top spot on floor while distinguishing herself as the top all-arounder in the first session. William & Mary scored its season high by just over a point and a half. Boosted by its season high on bars, nearly a point higher than its previous high, and an extra half-point on floor for another new high. Cornell’s team score was a season high, also adding nearly a point and a half to its previous mark.    

Postseason Implications: We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the draw on Tuesday, but Bridgeport’s Kat Doran may have done enough to qualify to NCAA regionals. After such a great performance, it’s tough to see SCSU unable to qualify to USAGs as a team, but unfortunately that was mathematically impossible before the meet started. 

Records: Southern Connecticut established a new program record with a 194.200, as well as on vault with a 48.575 and bars with a 48.425, a bar record that has stood since 2019. Chelsea Baker scored a career high 9.875 on bars. Ciana Rios posted a career best 9.750 on floor as did Ava Boyd with a 9.625. Sidney Wilson notched a new high of 9.775 on vault. For Cornell, Sydney Beers scored a new best of 9.850 on vault. Sarah Wozniak and Sarah Kuper scored new bests on bars for Willaim & Mary, with a 9.850 and 9.800 respectively. Chloe Campbell and Emma Wiley notched bests on beam with 9.725s. Chloe Campbell added a new high on floor with a 9.850, as did Abby Carpenter with a 9.825. 

Controversies: Scoring felt particularly strict in the first session with not much distinction in the second session, as there were several ties across top competitors in the second session. Still, three out of four of these teams scored season highs, so things obviously weren’t too strict.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Lindsay Chia (Yale)
• Performance of the Year: Mei Li Costa (Brown)
• Newcomer of the Year: Sydney Beers (Cornell) and Sherry Wang (Yale)
• Woman of the Year: Jessica Meakim (West Chester)
• Assistant Coach of the Year: Morgan Ross (Yale)
• Coach of the Year: Andy Leis (Yale)

Preview

• No. 64 Cornell | 191.685 NQS | 193.525 season high
• No. 65 Southern Connecticut | 190.985 NQS | 192.025 season high
• No. 68 William & Mary | 190.010 NQS | 191.075 season high
• No. 70 Bridgeport | 188.515 NQS | 189.925 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one… 

It’s a brand new conference championship that’s never been contested before! What could be more exciting? We’ve finally abandoned the split-division format of the ECAC and now we have one single eight-team conference with four teams in each session. 

In this session, we’ll have two DII and two DI teams. Cornell is a strong favorite, with an NQS advantage of around nine tenths. The Big Red has superior difficulty and is the only team in this session to score higher than 193.000 this year. At the bottom, plucky Bridgeport is finding a way to continue filling lineups with only eight healthy gymnasts.

While Bridgeport may not have a ton of pressure to put on William & Mary, the Tribe can certainly come within striking distance of Southern Connecticut. The Owls are just shy of being a full point ahead of the Tribe. To make things extra interesting, the Owls average a 189.342 on their last three meets on the road, and the Tribe is just five tenths behind that. That’s just a single counted fall separating the two teams. But, no pressure.       

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this… 

Arguably the best single routine in this session is Bridgeport super-senior Kat Doran on bars. She tied her career-best of 9.925 last weekend, and this is a great opportunity for her to pick up some more individual hardware before she graduates. 

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on? 

William & Mary doesn’t compete at USAG nationals, so the Tribe’s season will likely end here, but the others will be looking ahead to that meet. According to our math, Cornell has locked in the final team qualifying spot while SCSU and Bridgeport will not qualify, but the two Connecticut teams can still advance individuals. 

By the Numbers

Since the Gymnastics East Conference is in its very first year of existence, we don’t have a lot of historical stats to share with you! Everything that happens in Providence will be a conference record.

Check out our feature about the formation of the GEC.

Last Time Out

The last ECAC-I champion was Temple, which now competes in the EAGL. The last ECAC-II champion was Bridgeport.

Recap

Recap

The Big Storyline: Central Michigan once again proved why it is considered the team to beat in the MAC by walking away with its 17th championship title. Western Michigan was on a tear during the first half, setting a 197 pace, but some uncharacteristic mistakes ended up costing the Broncos too many tenths to maintain their lead. Northern Illinois had itself quite a day, falling just shy of catching the Chippewas but still finishing in an impressive second place. 

Postseason Implications: Western Michigan was the only team in the MAC to qualify to regionals. The conference will likely see quite a few individual qualifiers, though, so there will be more to come from these teams.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Hannah DeMers, Central Michigan
• Event Specialist of the Year: Suki Pfister, Ball State
• Newcomer of the Year: Ella Chemotti, Eastern Michigan
• Coach of the Year: Christine MacDonald, Central Michigan

Preview

• No. 36 Western Michigan | 196.150 NQS | 196.725 season high
• No. 38 Kent State | 196.055 NQS | 196.850 season high
• No. 40 Central Michigan | 195.915 NQS | 196.650 season high
• No. 47 Northern Illinois | 195.475 NQS | 196.350 season high
• No. 48 Ball State | 195.410 NQS | 196.325 season high
• No. 52 Eastern Michigan | 194.695 NQS | 195.375 season high
• No. 56 Bowling Green | 194.245 NQS | 195.700 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

Realistically any of Western Michigan, Kent State or Central Michigan could walk away with this one, but any of the seven teams has an outside shot; the MAC has more parity than maybe any other conference in college gymnastics, which always makes this marathon three-bye meet a real treat. While Central Michigan is the longstanding team to beat and can absolutely walk away with this one, the Broncos and Golden Flashes have each been on a tear of mid- to high-196s in March. Every event and every tenth will matter, so don’t step away from this one.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Ball State shines on vault and shouldn’t be missed there. This is a strong floor conference, where Kent State and Central Michigan in particular are fantastic. Northern Illinois shouldn’t be missed on beam.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

Western Michigan, Kent State and Central Michigan are all still in the regionals hunt. The Chippewas stand to gain the most ground with a solid number since they have a 195.150 still to drop. The bubble cutoff is brutal this year, and there are scenarios where all or none of the three teams qualify depending on the days had by the other eight teams still neither mathematically in nor out. The situation is going to be fluid throughout championship Saturday. 

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Central Michigan: 16 titles, last won in 2018
• Kent State: 12 titles, last won in 2015
• Eastern Michigan: 4 titles, last won in 2021
• Western Michigan: 4 titles, last won in 2013*
• Bowling Green: 3 titles, last won in 1985
• Northern Illinois: 1 title, last won in 2019
• Ball State: 1 title, last won in 2002

*Co-champion with Central Michigan

Records Watch

Team: 197.525 (Central Michigan, 2004) | Vault: 49.450 (Central Michigan, 2004) | Bars: 49.550 (Central Michigan, 2003) | Beam: 49.475 (Central Michigan, 2018) | Floor: 49.575 (Central Michigan, 2003)

Last Time Out

Eastern Michigan stole the show in 2021, topping 2019 champ Northern Illinois by almost half a point. Perennial favorite Central Michigan fell to fourth behind Kent State. All seven teams were within 1.300 of each other. The Broncos’ Payton Murphy took home gymnast of the year honors, and teammate Sarah Moravansky was named newcomer of the year. Ball State’s Joanna Saleem won the coaching honors while specialist was shared between Eastern Michigan’s Caitlin Satler and Northern Illinois’ Natalie Hamp.

Recap

The Big Storyline: With an impressive final two rotations, the fifth-seeded Bruins pulled away from the rest of the pack to notch a first place showing in the afternoon session and fourth place finish overall. Norah Flatley led the way for UCLA with her fifth-place all-around finish and led beam after the session. Arizona’s Malia Hargrove took fourth in the all-around and almost pushed the Wildcats for sixth.

Postseason Implications: Although it was determined prior to the meet, both Arizona and Washington posted scores high enough to lock themselves into regionals this season. With that, all eight Pac-12 schools will be competing in the postseason. UCLA’s total was high enough to earn itself a regionals seed, finishing ranked No. 14.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Jade Carey (Oregon State)
• Event Specialist of the Year: Maile O’Keefe (Utah)
• Freshman of the Year: Jade Carey (Oregon State)
• Coach of the Year: Tanya Chaplin (Oregon State)

Preview

• No. 18 UCLA | 196.795 NQS | 198.050 season high
• No. 27 Stanford | 196.415 NQS | 196.975 season high
• No. 29 Washington | 196.290 NQS | 197.275 season high
• No. 32 Arizona | 196.230 NQS | 196.850 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

If you’ve ever wanted to see a team potentially win a conference championship while not competing in the evening session, this is your meet. A rocky season relegated the Bruins to the afternoon, but their roster full of talent culminated in the conference’s second-best score of any team and makes UCLA a title contender. A conference championship may be a long-shot for this session’s other three foes, but they’re all in postseason contention and are in need of big totals to secure their spots.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Anchoring the Bruins’ vault lineup to open the meet will likely be Chae Campbell, who has stuck for a perfect 9.95 in her last two vaults of the regular season. She and Jordan Chiles have also combined for a few 10s on floor, meaning UCLA will also likely end the meet with strong performances capable of making up deficits. Speaking of floor, Stanford’s Kyla Bryant has had a stellar super senior season and will contend for the floor title again as one of the reigning champs. She could find herself on the podium in the all-around as well. Arizona’s Maila Hargrove has also been a standout on floor, as has Washington’s Skylar Killough-Wilhelm on beam.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

The Huskies and Wildcats are the only Pac-12 teams not locked into a regionals bid, meaning both schools will need big scores to maintain their current postseason positioning. UCLA is also currently sitting outside of the top 16 seeded positions for regionals but has a great shot at nabbing one with a score in the high 196s or better.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• UCLA: 19 titles, last won in 2019
• Oregon State: 6 titles, last won in 2013
• Stanford: 5 titles, last won in 2008
• Utah: 4 titles, last won in 2021

Records Watch

• Team: 198.400 (UCLA, 2019) | Vault: 49.675 (Utah, 2015) | Bars: 49.675 (Oregon State, 2013) | Beam: 49.675 (Utah, 2021) | Floor: 49.775 (UCLA, 2019)
• All Around: 39.825 (Richardson, UCLA, 2004) | Vault: 10.000 (Basaldua, Arizona, 1992) | Bars: 10.000 (Fenton, UCLA, 1993) | Beam: 10.000 (Ross, UCLA, 2017) | Floor: 10.000 (Brinkman, Arizona State, 1992)

Last Time Out

Utah and Maile O’Keefe got their postseasons off to a great start as she captured the all-around win en route to leading the Utes to their fifth Pac-12 title in only 10 years of competing in the conference. California and UCLA rounded out the team podium, and 11 athletes combined for ties to take home shares of event titles, led by O’Keefe’s three (bars, beam, floor).

Recap

The Big Storyline: Missouri had its best SEC championship performance to date, winning the first session by over four tenths and finishing fourth overall. Arkansas capitalized on beam struggles from both Kentucky and Georgia to finish second in the session and sixth overall. 

Postseason Implications: All four teams had previously secured bids to regionals, but Kentucky and Missouri formalized their status as three-seeds while Arkansas and Georgia remain unseeded.

Records: Missouri posted a program-best championship score as well as its highest finish since joining the SEC in 2013. Jocelyn Moore earned her third consecutive 9.950 on vault for a share of second place on the event. Teammate Sienna Schreiber also scored 9.950 for second place on beam. 

Controversies: Scoring is typically tighter in the earlier session of championships, and this meet was no exception with just a handful of scores of 9.9 or higher. 

Preview

• No. 9 Kentucky | 197.650 NQS | 197.650 season high
• No. 11 Missouri | 197.190 NQS | 197.675 season high
• No. 17 Arkansas | 196.820 NQS | 197.200 season high
• No. 22 Georgia| 196.575 NQS | 197.175 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

Top to bottom this is arguably the most competitive afternoon session of the weekend (certainly the only one to feature four top 25 teams). There’s an outside chance that Kentucky and Missouri could challenge the evening session teams, and it’s absolutely plausible that gymnasts from all four teams will factor into the individual titles. 

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

The third rotation is the one to watch: Georgia will be on its highest-ranked event, vault, while Arkansas and Kentucky will be on their respective make-or-break events, bars and beam. The Gymdogs could pick up numerous valuable tenths with a strong rotation, putting extra pressure on the Razorbacks and Wildcats to hit. Finally, Missouri will be on floor, where it’s scored 49.475 or higher in four of its last six meets, culminating in last week’s program-high 49.650.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

All four teams have secured their spots at regionals, and Missouri and Kentucky will be seeded regardless of their performances this weekend. The Wildcats are currently the top-ranked three seed and could make the jump to two seed with a strong score. Similarly, Arkansas is currently unseeded but could move as high as 14th if it meets or exceed its season high. 

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Georgia: 16 titles, last won in 2008
• Alabama: 10 titles, last won in 2021
• Florida: 10 titles, last won in 2016
• LSU: 4 titles, last won in 2019

Records Watch

• Team: 198.375 | Vault: 49.800 | Bars: 49.700 | Beam: 49.625 | Floor: 49.725
• All Around: 39.850 | Vault: 10.000 | Bars: 10.000 | Beam: 10.000 | Floor: 10.000

Last Time Out

Eighth-ranked Alabama upset heavy favorites Florida and LSU for the championship, thanks in no small part to a stellar performance by sophomore Luisa Blanco in which she took the all-around crown outright and earned shares of the vault, bars and beam titles.

Recap

The Big Storyline: Appropriately, San Jose State capped off its historic season with a straightforward win in Davis on Saturday. The Spartans became one of only 13 teams in the country to go 49-plus on all four events at the conference championship and also swept the individual titles. UC Davis freshman Megan Ray was the only non-Spartan to win an event title, walking away with a share of the floor crown. 

Postseason Implications: The Spartans were qualified to regionals before this meet started thanks to outcomes from other meets earlier in the day, but they were able to finish in style and secure the No. 34 spot in this year’s final NQS ranking. Air Force secured the No. 3 seed to USAG nationals. While individual qualifiers to NCAA regionals haven’t been announced yet, we expect some individuals from this conference, including Kyla Kessler (Davis) in the all-around and Amber Koeth (Sac State) on beam, to advance.

Records: SJSU’s 196.425 becomes the new conference championship record. Emma Milne’s 9.925 on beam ties a conference record as well as SJSU’s team record. The Spartans’ 49.325 on floor was the fourth-best in program history.

Controversies: A series of judging conferences at the end of Alaska’s floor rotation slowed down the flow of the meet substantially. This also wasn’t the easiest meet to watch: It was a quad box with no commentary and no labels or audible announcements for names, so while we had a great time watching, if you didn’t already have a high level of MPSF literacy it would have been quite challenging.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Kyla Kessler (UC Davis)
• Freshman of the Year: Genevieve Sabado (Air Force
• Head Coach of the Year: Joanne Bowers (SJSU)
• Assistant Coach of the Year: James Williams (SJSU)

Preview

• No. 35 San Jose State | 196.165 NQS | 196.625 season high
• No. 43 UC Davis | 195.720 NQS | 196.325 season high
• No. 53 Air Force | 194.670 NQS | 195.700 season high
• No. 57 Sacramento State | 193.855 NQS | 195.400 season high
• No. 63 Alaska | 191.695 NQS | 192.250 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one… 

San Jose State is one of the great Cinderella stories of the 2022 season, delivering the four best team scores in program history. Prior to this year the Spartans had never scored 196-plus in program history, and now they boast a NQS of 196.165. It’s been a truly astounding journey.

This meet won’t be uncontested, though. UC Davis has also had an incredible, historic season, with an NQS just four tenths below San Jose State’s and a tally of three 196-plus scores to SJSU’s four. The Aggies lead the conference on the leg events. A clean rotation on their weakest event, beam, could spell trouble for the Spartans.

Meanwhile Air Force, a breakout star of 2022 in its own right, doesn’t have quite the peak scores of the other two but is more than prepared to step in if others falter, much as it did in 2019.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this… 

San Jose State’s floor rotation is a blast, with tons of creative music choices you’ll recognize, but it’s the nationally ranked bars team that has really driven the Spartans up the standings. For UC Davis, the can’t-miss rotation is vault. If we’re lucky, we’ll see the Aggies performing six different vaults.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on? 

SJSU, currently No. 35, is one of the teams that will go right down to the wire with regionals qualification. At this point, we can’t even project a score that would guarantee the Spartans will be safe. We’ll be sure to update you through the day on social media.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Air Force: 1 title, last won in 2019
• Alaska: 1 title, last won in 2009
• San Jose State: 3 titles, last won in 2018
• Sacramento State: 5 titles, last won in 2016
• UC Davis: 6 titles, last won in 2015

Records Watch

• Team: 196.300 | Vault: 49.150 | Bars: 49.325 | Beam: 49.275 | Floor: 49.550
• All Around: 39.450 | Vault: 9.950 | Bars: 9.950 | Beam: 9.925 | Floor: 10.000

Last Time Out

The MPSF championship hasn’t been held since 2019 since most of these teams did not compete in 2021. In 2019, UC Davis had dominated all season in the MPSF and entered with an NQS advantage of over a point but faltered at the championship to finish third despite a respectable 195.200 total. Meanwhile, San Jose State surged to second, but it was Air Force that walked away with the title, scoring a program record 195.725. Fourth-place Alaska also set a program record of 194.200.

Since then, of course, this conference has lost 2019’s sixth-place finisher Seattle Pacific. The team was unfortunately cut in 2020. One member of that team will return to the championship, though: Former Falcon Kylie Reese transferred to Alaska. 

Recap

The Big Storyline: Michigan put up a solid performance and its most complete hit since January to win its 26th conference title. Minnesota fell to fourth after counting a 9.0 on beam, opening the door for Michigan State to cap its strong night with a runner-up finish. Ohio State had a tough beam rotation after a solid start and fell to fifth. Iowa’s 196.950 from the early session held strong enough for third. 

Postseason Implications: Penn State didn’t do enough to secure a regionals spot. Ohio State fell out of the seeded spots and will be placed geographically along with Iowa, Illinois and Maryland. Michigan State, meanwhile, secured a three-seed while Minnesota will be a two-seed and Michigan a one-seed.

Records: Sierra Brooks joins the conference meet record books with her 10.0 on vault.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Sierra Brooks, Michigan
• Newcomer of the Year: Skyla Schulte, Michigan State
• Coach of the Year: Mike Rowe, Michigan State

Preview

• No. 3 Michigan | 197.960 NQS | 198.525 season high
• No. 8 Minnesota | 197.395 NQS | 198.025 season high
• No. 12 Michigan State | 197.125 NQS | 197.575 season high
• No. 16 Ohio State | 196.775 NQS | 197.525 season high

You can find seeding information and rotation order on the Big Ten website.

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

This meet will feature some of the best gymnastics being done in the country. It’s both a rematch of the 2021 Minnesota upset over Michigan and a big stage for surging Michigan State and Ohio State programs. It will take mistakes from Michigan to open the door, but Minnesota is capable of beating all of the Wolverines’ scores since mid-February. Michigan hasn’t put up a 198-plus number since its program record at Rutgers on February 4, and dropped to 196.475 at Nebraska. The latter is a number any team in this session, and several from the afternoon, could top. Of course, it’s unlikely the Wolverines falter that much, and they are far and away the heavy favorites. 

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Minnesota is a lovely beam team. If you want to catch the Gophers and Lexy Ramler there, tune in around 6 p.m. ET. Michigan does must-watch gymnastics top to bottom, but vault is especially spectacular. The Wolverines hit vault in rotation three, around 6:30 p.m. In the same rotation, Ohio State will be on bars, an event that has been a breakout strength the second half of the season. Don’t miss Michigan State on floor, either, in the fourth rotation around 7 p.m.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

Michigan is able to head into regionals anywhere from tied for No. 1 to No. 4, thus guaranteed a one-seed. Minnesota can’t join the top four but will want a big away number here to lock down a two-seed and not slip into the third tier. Michigan State is just hanging on to a three-seed with Oregon State looming while the Buckeyes are teetering right on the edge of the seeded slots. A big number could help fend off Arkansas and UCLA from below. Note that for NQS purposes the meet counts as away for all teams, including host Ohio State.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Michigan: 25 titles, last won in 2019
• Minnesota: 6 titles, last won in 2021
• Ohio State: 5 titles, last won in 1987

Records Watch

• Team: 197.850 (Michigan, 2000) | Vault: 49.725 (Nebraska, 2012) | Bars: 49.625 (Michigan, 2004) | Beam: 49.550 (Penn State, 2000) | Floor: 49.700 (Michigan, 2014)
• All Around: 39.800 (Ray) | Vault: 10.000 (Wymer, Kabnick, K. Rowland, Mable, Wojcik) | Bars: 10.000 (Peters, Ray) | Beam: 10.000 (N. Smith) | Floor: 10.000 (Sampson, Wong)

Last Time Out

A sub-par floor rotation from the Wolverines opened the door for Minnesota last year, and the Gophers sailed through it to win their first championship title since 2006. Michigan State didn’t compete due to the ongoing pandemic, and Ohio State had a disappointing showing for an eighth-place finish. Lexy Ramler took the all-around, bars and beam titles while Natalie Wojcik was perfect on vault to become the champion there. Ona Loper and Gabby Wilson won shares of the floor title. Ramler was also named gymnast of the year.

Recap

The Big Storyline: Brown lead after the first rotation, starting its GEC championship off with a bang and its biggest event score in history on bars, counting four scores of 9.850 or higher and season highs on every single event. Penn quickly swept into first for the remainder of the meet, posting sky-high scores rotation after rotation, ultimately shattering Ivy League records and sweeping into first by a margin just shy of one point. West Chester had a strong meet, as well, adding just over a point and a half to its previous season high and record, helped by a monumental showing on bars, where it counted four scores of a 9.800 or better, good enough for a season high. Jessica Meakim finished with her second-best all-around total in her career. The Tribe rose to the occasion on beam as well with a new season high. Yale started off with a difficult floor rotation, counting a handful of low scores in a competitive session. However, Yale bounced back with a big bar rotation. Notably, closing out the meet for Penn on floor was Sara Kenefick’s 9.975.   

Postseason Implications: Despite the amazing scores in this session, these teams weren’t able to make major moves in the rankings. Penn will, fittingly, finish the season with its best national ranking in program history (No. 50). Yale has meanwhile locked in the No. 4 seed for USAG nationals while Brown will be a very dangerous No. 5 and West Chester will be No. 7.

Records: Penn’s 196.950 is a program record and Ivy League record, toppling the previous record set just last weekend by nearly eight tenths. Penn also set a team record on bars with a 49.325, previously set in 2017. The Quakers also set a record on beam with a 49.250 and floor with a 49.475. Kiersten Belkoff scored a career high 9.875 on beam and Sara Kenefick’s 9.850 on beam and 9.975 on floor are career bests. Connie Hsu scored a new career high on floor with a 9.925. Sydney Kraez scored a career high 9.875 on bars. Emma Davies notched a new best of 9.900 on floor as did Olivia Vanhorn with a 9.825.

Brown set a new team record with a 195.975, a record previously established in 2016 with a 195.175. Brown also set a record on bars with a 49.225, the highest score on any event in team history. Abby Contello set a career best on bars with a 9.925, as did Paige Richter with a 9.850, Taylor Schulze with a 9.850, and Ella Poley with a 9.875. Taylor Schulze also set a new high on beam with a 9.875. Angel Xing did so as well with a 9.800 and Abby Contello with a 9.700. Brown broke a program record on floor with a 49.200. Maya Davis and Julia Bedell set new personal bests with 9.900s. Carolanne Van Zandt followed suit with a 9.875. On vault, Ella Poley scored a new high of 9.775.

West Chester scored a new program record of 195.250, smashing the previous record of 194.400 set in 2017. Jessica Meakim tied her career best 9.925 on floor. Natalie Marshall scored a new high of 9.850 on beam. Hyla Betts and Lauren Wicker scored new highs on bars with 9.825s. Lindsay Chia established a new all around mark for the GEC Championship with a 39.275, averaging just over a 9.800 on each event. Yale set a new record on bars with a 49.175. Raegan Walker scored a new best and program record with a 9.950 on bars. 

Controversies: Scoring felt particularly strict in the first session with not much distinction in the second session, as there were several ties across top competitors in the second session. 

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Lindsay Chia (Yale)
• Performance of the Year: Mei Li Costa (Brown)
• Newcomer of the Year: Sydney Beers (Cornell) and Sherry Wang (Yale)
• Woman of the Year: Jessica Meakim (West Chester)
• Assistant Coach of the Year: Morgan Ross (Yale)
• Coach of the Year: Andy Leis (Yale)

Preview

• No. 51 Pennsylvania, 194.875 NQS, 196.225 season high
• No. 58 Yale, 193.760 NQS, 195.050 season high
• No. 60 Brown, 193.405 NQS, 194.675 season high
• No. 61 West Chester, 193.105 NQS, 193.625 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one… 

It’s a brand new conference championship that’s never been contested before! What could be more exciting?

It’s been a record-setting year for many teams in the GEC. Penn has dominated this conference all year, crushing its old program record by over a point and becoming the first Ivy League team ever to score above 196.000. Brown and West Chester have flipped their team’s narratives, becoming top conference contenders and secure USAG qualifiers while Yale shocked at the Ivy Classic with an upset win over Penn. 

Brown has been pacing itself extraordinary well, coming in with its second-best program scores three times in the past three meets, ending on a high note last weekend. Had Brown posted that score at the Ivy Classic, Penn would’ve fallen into third place. If Penn doesn’t bring its 195 or 196 game to this conference championship, Yale and Brown will be swarming to take the inaugural title.

Yale’s last outing was unusually low, although the Bulldogs haven’t found as much consistency over this season, so if low Yale shows up, Brown will easily overtake it this weekend. If the Bulldogs come charging at full strength, they could easily clear Brown by a half point or more. It all depends who shows up that day. 

Penn should be the heavy favorite, with a NQS margin of 1.115 over the field, but we said that at Ivy Classic too. A surging Yale can still be a big problem for the Quakers. West Chester has been much more consistent than Brown this year, but Brown has a higher peak. It’ll be interesting to see how things shake out between those two.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this… 

Brown recently received its first single-judge 10.0 score in program history for Mei Li Costa’s bars routine, and freshman powerhouse (and YouTube star) Julia Bedell has brought big numbers for the Bears too. Penn’s record-breaking vault rotation features two different gymnasts who have scored 9.9-plus this year, Kiersten Belkoff and Ariyana Agarwala, while program record-holder McCaleigh Marr and fan favorite Natalie Yang are incredible on beam. For West Chester it’s all about the floor rotation, with Jessica Meakim and McKenna Kissinger ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the conference. Yale upperclassmen Lindsay Chia and Raegan Walker define the Bulldogs on bars and beam.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on? 

While Yale, Brown and West Chester are all locked into USAG nationals as teams, the seeding is still an open question. Yale is currently in line to receive the No. 4 seed, but it doesn’t have a great deal of margin over No. 5 SEMO.

By the Numbers

Since the Gymnastics East Conference is in its very first year of existence, we don’t have a lot of historical stats to share with you! Everything that happens in Providence will be a conference record.

Check out our feature about the formation of the GEC.

Last Time Out

The last ECAC-I champion was Temple, which now competes in the EAGL. The last ECAC-II champion was Bridgeport.

Recap

The Big Storyline: Host team George Washington had one of its best meets of the season to pull off the upset for the EAGL championship. Towson put up a good fight to finish in second but ultimately had too many 9.700s to come out with the victory

Postseason Implications: While it had already been decided before the meet began, Towson and North Carolina officially punched their tickets to regionals—Towson for the second year in a row and North Carolina for the first time since 2017. George Washington was already mathematically out heading into the meet, but Deja Chambliss qualified to regionals in the all-around and Kendall Whitman qualified on floor. 

Records: Meredith Robinson recorded a career high 9.900 on bars.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Deja Chambliss (George Washington)
• Event Specialist of the Year: Mara Titarsolej (LIU)
• Newcomer of the Year: Hallie Copperwheat (Pittsburgh)
• Coach of the Year: Jay Ramirez (Towson)

Preview

• No. 28 NC State | 196.330 NQS | 196.925 season high
• No. 30 Towson | 196.245 NQS | 196.700 season high
• No. 33 North Carolina | 196.225 NQS | 196.625 season high
• No. 39 George Washington  195.925 NQS | 196.375 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

The favorites for the EAGL title are in this session. N.C. State is the highest ranked team coming in with the highest season high, but the path to the title will not be easy. Towson has had another record-breaking year and will be hungry to earn its first EAGL title. North Carolina is coming in fresh off winning the EAGL regular season championship. While the Tar Heels don’t have as high of a season high as the others, don’t count them out of the picture. 

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Emily Shepard now has more 9.9-plus scores than any other N.C. State gymnast in school history. She recently added back vault after just competing bars, beam and floor to start the season, so she could be a spoiler for the all-around title. North Carolina’s Elizabeth Culton is currently ranked No. 2 on bars and beam in the EAGL and is the defending champion on bars, beam and in the all-around. While she probably won’t contend for the all-around title in 2022 after not having competed vault to this point, bars and beam will be ones to watch. Deja Chambliss from George Washington has been one of the EAGL’s top all-arounders and is another favorite to take home the title. 

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

George Washington is mathematically eliminated from regionals, but the other three teams are still alive. N.C. State is the only team that has mathematically clinched, but both Towson and North Carolina can clinch with scores of 196.275 and 196.100, respectively. However, with both teams competing later than most of the others on the bubble, there’s a chance those numbers will be even lower when the time comes to actually compete.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• N.C. State: 6 titles, last won in 2018
• North Carolina: 5 titles, last won in 2011
• New Hampshire: 3 titles, last won in 2019
• George Washington: 2 titles, last won in 2017
• Pittsburgh: 1 title, last won in 2016
• Temple: 1 title, last won in 2021
• Towson: 0 titles
• LIU: 0 titles

Records Watch

• Team: 196.750 (New Hampshire, 2003)
• Vault: 49.525 (West Virginia, 2004) 
• Bars: 49.325 (N.C. State, 2003)
• Beam: 49.325 (New Hampshire, 2003; N.C. State, 1998; Maryland, 1999)
• Floor: 49.575 (West Virginia, 2002)

Last Time Out

Temple pulled out the upset to take home the title in its first year of competition in the EAGL.

Recap

The Big Storyline: Oklahoma dominated to reclaim the Big 12 title while Denver posted season-bests on bars and beam to take second.

Postseason Implications: Oklahoma clinched the overall No. 1 seed heading into regionals and will host in Norman. Denver remained in the top 16 with its performance, securing a top 4 seed. Iowa State and West Virginia also qualified, with the Mountaineers squeaking into the top 32 based on performances this weekend.

Records: Oklahoma’s winning score of 198.200 is the highest team score in Big 12 championship history. Denver’s 49.500 on bars was a season high and 49.550 on beam tied its season high. Denver freshman Momoko Iwai posted a season best 9.950 to tie for the beam title while Oklahoma freshman Danielle Sievers set a new season high of 9.950 to tie for the floor title. Denver sophomore Jessica Hutchinson matched her career high of 39.625 to win the all-around title.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Jessica Hutchinson (Denver)
• Event Specialist of the Year: Carly Woodard (Oklahoma)
• Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Bowers (Oklahoma)
• Coach of the Year: K.J. Kindler (Oklahoma)

Preview

• No. 1 Oklahoma | 198.080 NQS | 198.475 season high
• No. 15 Denver | 196.870 NQS | 197.600 season high
• No. 26 Iowa State | 196.430 NQS | 196.875 season high
• No. 34 West Virginia | 196.185 NQS | 196.575 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

Last year’s Big 12 championship provided one of the most shocking upsets of the postseason, as Denver took down top-ranked Oklahoma to win its first title in the conference. This year, the Pioneers will host the event for the first time, and after a season of devastating injuries, they will fight hard to repeat. Iowa State hit its stride in recent weeks and could be a potential spoiler for second place or even the trophy if the stars align. Don’t count out West Virginia, either. The Mountaineers have scored above 196 in five straight meets and boast an exciting floor lineup that could challenge for individual accolades.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Oklahoma has climbed into the top five on all events but is the nation’s top-ranked team on bars. Against Michigan a few weeks ago the Sooners crushed their school record with a 49.825, and the team averages over 49.500. Oklahoma also has a share of the No. 1 individual ranking on three of four events, with freshman Jordan Bowers leading vault, sophomore Audrey Davis tied for the bars lead and junior Ragan Smith tied for the top spot on beam. Iowa State is the only other team in the Big 12 that has received a perfect score this year, with juniors Makayla Maxwell and Maddie Diab posting 10s on vault and floor, respectively. West Virginia’s No. 18 ranking on floor is also worth mentioning. The Mountaineers have big tumbling and clean form, scoring as high as 49.525 this season.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

Oklahoma, Denver and Iowa State are pretty much locked into regionals, but at No. 34, West Virginia is on the bubble. The Mountaineers will have to score above a 195.925 to raise their NQS, and perhaps score even higher to guarantee a spot in the top 36 with teams behind pushing to make the final cut as well. Also keep an eye on Denver’s depth. After losing all of their returning seniors to Achilles injuries, the Pioneers only put up five athletes on vault, bars and floor in last weekend’s regular season finale. If Denver can’t find a sixth athlete to add to each lineup, the pressure will be on to perform perfectly if it wants to finish well in 2022.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Oklahoma: 12 titles, last won in 2019
• Iowa State: 2 titles, last won in 2006
• Denver: 1 title, last won in 2021
• West Virginia: 0 titles

Records Watch

• Team: 198.050 (Oklahoma, 2016) | Vault: 49.575 (Oklahoma, 2014) | Bars: 49.725 (Oklahoma, 2016) | Beam: 49.650 (Oklahoma, 2015) | Floor: 49.650 (Nebraska, 2003)
• All Around: 39.80 (Richelle Simpson, Nebraska, 2003) | Vault: 10.000 (Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma, 2017) | Bars: 10.000 (Bree Dority, Nebraska, 2001 & 2003; Keeley Kmieciak, Oklahoma, 2016; Lynnzee Brown, Denver, 2021) | Beam: 9.975 (Richelle Simpson, Nebraska, 2003; Chayse Capps & Erica Brewer, Oklahoma, 2016) | Floor: 10.000 (Kim Mazza, Iowa State, 1997; Richelle Simpson, Nebraska, 2003)

Last Time Out

Denver won its first Big 12 championship in 2021, snapping Oklahoma’s streak of eight-consecutive titles. The Pioneers’ Lynnzee Brown scored a perfect 10.000 on bars to seal the victory and secure the all-around crown.

Recap

The Big Storyline: Utah State posted its first 197 of the season to capture its first MRGC title and first conference championship in any conference since 2005. The Aggies posted 49.3-plus scores on three events and came in clutch on bars after counting a fall on the event in their last two meets. It was a different story for BYU, as the Cougars counted a fall on bars. Less than two tenths separated second place Boise State and fourth place BYU—this meet definitely delivered as promised!

Postseason Implications: Assuming the selection committee is logical and doesn’t do what it did to N.C. State last year, all four MRGC teams should avoid play-ins. Southern Utah ended up clinching a regionals spot by way of other teams’ results before the meet started. However, its 196.500 was enough to raise it to No. 27 nationally, just below Utah State. 

Records: Utah State’s 197.025 is its second-highest score in school history. The Aggies’ 49.375 on beam is their best score on the event at a conference championship. BYU’s Sadie Miner-Van Tassell notched a career high 9.950 on vault to take the event title.

Controversies: One judge gave Haley Pitou a 9.500 for a bars fall while the rest were around 9.0. Guess judge four really thought the routine was perfect otherwise?

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Sadie Miner-Van Tassell (BYU)
• Vault Specialist of the Year: Sadie Miner-Van Tassell (BYU)
• Bars Specialist of the Year: Emily Muhlenhaupt (Boise State)
• Beam Specialist of the Year: Elease Rollins (BYU)
• Floor Specialist of the Year: Brie Clark (Utah State)
• Newcomer of the Year: Brie Clark (Utah State)
• Coach of the Year: Guard Young (BYU)
• Assistant Coach of the Year: Ivan Alexov (Boise State)

Preview

• No. 21 BYU | 196.640 NQS | 197.225 season high
• No. 24 Boise State | 196.445 NQS | 197.000 season high
• No. 25 Utah State | 196.435 NQS | 196.800 season high
• No. 31 Southern Utah | 196.235 NQS | 197.000 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

The four MRGC teams all have similar potentials that hover around the 197 mark. Three of the four teams occupy three of the six spots from No. 20 to No. 25, with Southern Utah being the only team currently out of the top 25. The theoretical ability of these teams is very similar, and it will come down to which team can execute the best meet. That’ll make for a particularly exciting meet and one worth watching. BYU enters as the current conference leader, but don’t sleep on host Boise State. At the end of the day, this meet is anyone’s game.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Boise State’s bars lineup is ranked No. 8 nationally and is a treat to watch. Fifth-year Emily Muhlenhaupt highlights the lineup with her exquisite set, but don’t let that overshadow the likes of Alexis Stokes and Emily Lopez. Muhlenhaupt has only gone below 9.9 once this season; she’s still on the 10 hunt. Similarly, bars is Southern Utah’s best event, highlighted by Shylen Murakami. The Thunderbirds had miscues two weeks ago at Penn State, though by and large it’s a good event. Utah State excels on beam. Floor is its second-best event, where the real routine to watch for is Brie Clark; her floor routine may just be the highlight of the meet. BYU is also great on floor; Sadie Miner-Van Tassell and Brittney Vitkauskas are ones to watch in particular. Southern Utah’s start on floor could be indicative of its performance, but the meet won’t be over until it finishes on beam. There’s a reason BYU head coach Guard Young calls competition on that event “beamfense.”

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

Southern Utah needs a good score. It’s already guaranteed to count a road 195.550, but erasing another 195 would go a long way for its regionals hopes, especially given the fact that it’s not currently guaranteed qualification. Currently sitting at No. 31, Southern Utah is part of a group of teams ranked Nos. 30 to 33 with NQS scores currently separated by 0.025. Further, a good score would help the Thunderbirds’ chances to stay out of a potential play-in. A 196-flat will get Southern Utah’s NQS up to Utah State’s current NQS; if the cards fall right, it could eclipse Utah State for the third-highest ranked team in the conference. The other three teams will look to this as a chance to fine-tune their performances before regionals. None of them can move up into a seeded spot, but all are guaranteed to make regionals.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• BYU: 2 titles, last won in 2021
• Boise State: 5 titles, last won in 2019
• Utah State: 0 titles (4 titles in former conferences)
• Southern Utah: 0 titles (1 title in former conferences)

Note: The MRGC was formed in 2013

Records Watch

Team: 197.050 | Vault: 49.325 (Boise State, 2021) | Bars: 49.475 (Boise State, 2019) | Beam: 49.475 (Boise State, 2019) | Floor: 49.575 (Boise State, 2017)

Last Time Out

BYU took home its first conference title from a conference championship meet and second overall, narrowly edging out Boise State. In 2020, the Cougars were named regular season conference champions for the first time.

Recap

The Big Storyline: All around runner-up Grace McCallum’s perfect 10 on bars picked the Utes up after an average vault rotation and propelled them to their second-straight Pac-12 title. Utah claimed at least a share of every event title, with standout Jade Carey of Oregon State expectedly taking the all-around and helping boost the Beavers to third. California’s big start on its best event, bars, helped it edge the Beavers for second, with Arizona State’s total good enough for fifth overall.

Postseason Implications: All four teams in this session were able to lock themselves into seeded spots for regionals, with Utah hanging on to the final No. 1 seed and California nabbing the top three-seed.

Records: The Golden Bears notched their best-ever score at the Pac-12 championship with freshman Maddie Williams upping her bars career high to a 9.925.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Jade Carey (Oregon State)
• Event Specialist of the Year: Maile O’Keefe (Utah)
• Freshman of the Year: Jade Carey (Oregon State)
• Coach of the Year: Tanya Chaplin (Oregon State)

Preview

• No. 4 Utah | 197.870 NQS | 198.575 season high
• No. 10 California | 197.220 NQS | 197.900 season high
• No. 13 Oregon State | 197.040 NQS | 197.375 season high
• No. 14 Arizona State | 196.880 NQS | 197.800 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

In an extremely rare feat, the evening session of Pac-12s will be a showdown between the four teams who all claimed a share of the regular season title. While the Utes enter as the favorite, they’ve fallen victim to upsets from conference foes throughout the season, with the parody of this conference making for an exciting championship meet.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Beam has primarily been the reason why Utah won or lost each of its regular season matchups, so make sure to watch the third rotation to see if two-time NCAA champion Maile O’Keefe is leading the lineup to 10s or not. Expect a possible California lead after rotation one as the Golden Bears, led by returning bars national champion Maya Bordas, start on their best event. Jade Carey, who anchors the Beavers on every event, has been stellar this season and is the easy favorite for the all-around title but could be pushed by Sun Devil Hannah Scharf, who also ranks in the top 15 nationally. All four programs also have key injury comebacks in process as well, with Kara Eaker (Utah), Kyana George (California), Kaitlyn Yanish (Oregon State) and Anaya Smith (Arizona State) all capable of positively changing the scoring landscape for their teams.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

All four schools are locked into a regionals spot for the 2022 postseason but are all still eyeing big totals to jockey for positioning amongst the seeded teams. Anything 198 or better keeps Utah among the top four and a one-seed at regionals, California and Oregon State need mid-197s to maintain similar spots and Arizona State needs a 197.325 to guarantee a top 16 finish and seed for regionals.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• UCLA: 19 titles, last won in 2019
• Oregon State: 6 titles, last won in 2013
• Stanford: 5 titles, last won in 2008
• Utah: 4 titles, last won in 2021

Records Watch

• Team: 198.400 (UCLA, 2019) | Vault: 49.675 (Utah, 2015) | Bars: 49.675 (Oregon State, 2013) | Beam: 49.675 (Utah, 2021) | Floor: 49.775 (UCLA, 2019)
• All Around: 39.825 (Richardson, UCLA, 2004) | Vault: 10.000 (Basaldua, Arizona, 1992) | Bars: 10.000 (Fenton, UCLA, 1993) | Beam: 10.000 (Ross, UCLA, 2017) | Floor: 10.000 (Brinkman, Arizona State, 1992)

Last Time Out

Utah and Maile O’Keefe got their postseasons off to a great start as she captured the all-around win en route to leading the Utes to their fifth Pac-12 title in only 10 years of competing in the conference. California and UCLA rounded out the team podium, and 11 athletes combined for ties to take home shares of event titles, led by O’Keefe’s three (bars, beam, floor).

Recap

The Big Storyline: Florida turned in one of its best performances of the season to win its first SEC championship since 2016. Despite a few hiccups, Alabama kept the meet close through three rotations while early mistakes from Auburn and LSU kept it from challenging the Gators. Sixth seed Missouri snagged fourth place after an impressive performance in the afternoon session.

Postseason Implications: Florida has secured its place as the overall two-seed heading into regionals. Alabama’s competition ended on a somber note with an injury to beam anchor Luisa Blanco. The extent of her injury is unknown at this time, but it does not bode well for the Crimson Tide’s postseason prospects. 

Records: The Gators’ 198.200 is the second-highest total in the championship’s 41-year history. Despite a disappointing performance, LSU’s 49.550 on beam is its best single event total at an SEC championship. Suni Lee became the first Auburn gymnast to score a 10 at the championships while both Auburn and Missouri posted program-best championship scores and finishes.

Preview

• No. 2 Florida | 198.050 NQS | 198.575 season high
• No. 5 LSU | 197.735 | 198.125 season high
• No. 6T Auburn | 197.650 NQS | 198.575 season high
• No. 6T Alabama | 197.650 | 198.075 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

Hands down, this is the marquee session of this conference championship weekend. The SEC night session is typically competitive and unpredictable, as evidenced by Alabama’s upset victory last season. Legitimately any one of these four teams could walk away with the 2022 title. 

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

On both the team and individual title fronts, the final rotation is guaranteed to be a nail biter! Tune in around 9:30 p.m. ET to see the drama unfold. Worst case scenario, you’ll get to see Haleigh Bryant on vault, Suni Lee on bars, Luisa Blanco on beam and Trinity Thomas and Nya Reed on floor. 

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

All four teams are locked into being a two seed or better for regionals, but Auburn and LSU could earn top seeding if they can match or exceed their season high performances—a tough task but not impossible.  

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Georgia: 16 titles, last won in 2008
• Alabama: 10 titles, last won in 2021
• Florida: 10 titles, last won in 2016
• LSU: 4 titles, last won in 2019

Records Watch

• Team: 198.375 | Vault: 49.800 | Bars: 49.700 | Beam: 49.625 | Floor: 49.725
• All Around: 39.850 | Vault: 10.000 | Bars: 10.000 | Beam: 10.000 | Floor: 10.000

Last Time Out

Eighth-ranked Alabama upset heavy favorites Florida and LSU for the championship, thanks in no small part to a stellar performance by sophomore Luisa Blanco in which she took the all-around crown outright and earned shares of the vault, bars and beam titles.