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.
Regionals is a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of endings. Retirement post season can be emotionally taxing, so let’s cope with that by doing low-effort analysis and making dumb jokes.
Flames Emoji
Trinity Thomas and the rare quadruple-10.0 weekend. It’s hard for Trinity to accomplish something that meaningfully improves her resume at this point, but she managed it at Auburn.
(Of course, we shouldn’t forget that the one thing her resume really lacks is a national title. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.)
On the Struggle Bus
Several people’s coaching careers, by the looks of things. Several unsigned contract extensions are destined for the shredder. I’m almost more excited for this than I am for nationals.
Glad You’re Having Fun
Stanford selects a new stick stick at every destination, and they keep getting bigger.
Why Is This Happening
I dare you to explain to me how Denver got those results with that number of healthy gymnasts. You can’t. It’s not possible.
Won Twitter for the Week
Amari Celestine is exactly what I invented this category for. God bless.
Quietly Cruising
Alabama hasn’t gone below 197.800 once since February and came just a quarter-tenth short of Utah in Seattle’s regional final. The Crimson Tide is the clear fifth-best team in the country now and poses a very real threat to the Utes in the national semifinal.
In Memoriam
One of the biggest disappointments of the regionals weekend was Alex Theodorou’s ankle. We don’t know why she was suddenly in a boot and unable to compete on Thursday, but that was the fastest we saw a team’s hopes die all weekend.
Next Week, I Swear
The only thing happening this weekend is USAG Nationals, and I’m manifesting a 196. Nobody’s gotten there yet this season, but three teams have gone 195.700-plus, and I just think it would be nice.
Fall of the Week
Wheeeeee.
Article by Rebecca Scally
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