Judge’s Inquiry: Breaking Down January’s Perfect 10s

Each month, I’m going to take a look at all the 10.0 routines in NCAA Women’s Gymnastics. To be clear, each and every one of these gymnasts is an incredible athlete, performing world-class gymnastics, but if we are honest with ourselves, sometimes the judges overlook small or blatantly obvious errors that really should have put the athlete at a 9.950 or a 9.900. In this article, I’m going to point out the obvious—and not so so obvious—errors that the judges missed, then rate the “10-iest” of each routine on a five-star scale.

⭐ This was clearly not a 10.0 routine (but still very good!)

⭐⭐ There was definitely a deduction there, but maybe the judges blinked?

⭐⭐⭐ 10.0 vibes, but not actually perfect

⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was a “college 10”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 100% a perfect routine

Trinity Thomas, Beam (January 6)

Watch the full routine

Deductions:

Full turn (A)

Lack of precision in dance value parts (-0.050)

Failure to perform turns in high relevé (-0.050)

Front Aerial to two feet (E)

Small balance error (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

If it weren’t for the wobble on the front aerial, I’d give it a “college 10,” but she was obviously off a smidge.

Sunisa Lee, Beam (January 7)

Half turn

Balance error (-0.050) 

Notice as she steps forward out of her turn, her hips sway to the right before she quickly corrects them back to center.

Switch leap half (E)

Knee bend prior to switch (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Definitely a college 10. If the panel missed the bent leg on the switch half (to be fair, it happened very quickly and would have been hard to see for the judge on Lee’s back side), I can see why they wouldn’t have deducted for a slight wobble on something that’s not even a skill.

Leanne Wong, Bars (January 13)

Double layout dismount (E)

Body posture on landing (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s more like 4.5 stars. I really wanted to pretend like I didn’t see this deduction because it was an absolutely gorgeous routine with beautiful rhythm, amplitude and execution. 

Leanne Wong, Beam (January 13)

Layout double full dismount (D)

Legs Crossed (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This had 10.0 vibes, especially since this was her second potential 10 of the competition in a row, plus she’s competing at Florida. But the judges definitely should have seen and taken this deduction, especially since it’s such a common error in twisting elements.

Trinity Thomas, Floor (January 13)

Leap pass: Tour-jete half (C), straddle full (C), straddle full (C)

Incomplete turn (second straddle full) (-0.050)

Please bear with me on this one, especially with the change in camera angles, since it makes it hard to track the turn completion in her leaps. When she takes off for her tour-jete, her take-off foot and hips are angled toward the corner of the floor, and when she finishes her jumps, she is facing square to the side of the floor. If you watch her feet closely, she slightly under turns her second straddle full. I know I’m being very picky, but I am a stickler for dance passes on floor, and Thomas was slightly under turned on this pass. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Definitely a college 10. That double layout would make me forget to watch her feet on her dance pass, too.

Kara Eaker, Beam (January 13)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+

This is the most perfect 10 that I have seen so far this season! This was an absolutely stunning routine. The constant flow and artistry of her choreography from her fingers to her toes is one of a kind. She made everything look so easy and beautiful. All hail beam queen, Kara Eaker!

Jade Carey, Vault (January 14)

Yurchenko double full (10.0 SV)

Hop on landing (-0.050)

Legs crossed (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐

You don’t have to be an experienced judge to see that she hopped her feet back on her landing, and although the camera person almost missed it in the shot, the judges should not have missed the landing deduction. It also looks like she may have crossed her legs in the twist, but it’s hard to tell with the video quality. 

Jade Carey, Floor (January 14)

Double twisting double back (E)

Step on landing (-0.050)

Straddle Full (C) 

Incomplete turn (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐

After a highly impressive double double, Carey steps back to a large lunge, which I would judge as not a “controlled step” backward, and her front foot shifts slightly as well. Although, NCAA judges have definitely forgiven worse floor landings than this. What made this obviously not a 10.0 routine to me was her leap pass. She clearly overturns her switch leap half, leading to an under turn of her straddle full. Both are deductions, but looking at the leap pass holistically, NCAA judges likely would only take one or the other, not both. 

Haleigh Bryant, Vault (January 20)

Hop on landing? (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bryant is one of the most beautiful and powerful vaulters in the NCAA, and her form, amplitude, and control on this vault are unmatched. Judging this is real time, I would give her the stick as the movement of her feet is to close her heels together, which is expected for a stuck landing. However, it also looks like by closing her heels she was able to avoid taking a step back, as she never shows control of her initial landing, so I would also understand a 9.950 on this vault as well.

Trinity Thomas, Vault (January 27)

Height? (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This 10.0 is also like a 4.5 star rating for me, as her form, control, and landing are textbook, and she shows great control of her stick. From the video, the vault looks a little flat, and lacks that explosiveness up into the air that we know she is capable of. However, I can imagine the hip rise is likely much better appreciated in person (and from a side angle), and I would likely have no problem giving the vault a 10.0 if I were sitting on the panel in the arena. 

Makarri Doggette, Bars (January 27)

Tkachev (D)

Leg separation (-0.050)

Tkachev (D)

Arm bend (-0.050)

Pac Salto (D)

Leg separation (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This routine had a lot of what college judges look for: clean lines, hit handstands, stuck landing, and great form. The leg separation on the tap into the Tkachev, as well as the Pak salto, may not have been easily seen by the panel, but it does look like her legs are staggered a bit, so it may have been possible to see this deduction. What made it not a 10.0 for me was that she has a pretty obvious arm bend on the catch of her Tkachev. She was a little too close and slightly under-rotated, despite her impressive height above the bar.

Ragan Smith, Beam (January 29)

Back handspring (B)

Arm bend (-0.050)

Full Turn (A)

Lack of precision in dance value parts (-0.050)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This routine has “stuck beam routine” written all over it, and while there are a couple deductions, they are the ones that we usually pretend don’t exist in NCAA, like bent arms on back handsprings, or leg/arm position in full turns. Technically in her turn, she should show some definitive arm/leg position. Her positions are fluid throughout the turn, making it hard to tell what shape she was going for. That said, I do want to publicly thank her for the beautiful example of what a mixed connection should look like with her straddle half to back handspring swing down. It’s absolutely perfect, and she deserves a 10.0 on beam just for that connection alone. 

READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Comparing Yurchenko Fulls Across the Country

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Article by Rhiannon Franck

Rhiannon Franck is a former national-rated NAWGJ women’s gymnastics judge with over 15 years of USAG judging experience and nine seasons judging NCAA gymnastics. Outside of gymnastics, Franck works at a university as a nursing professor and loves to travel. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

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