For full scores and results for every meet, check out Week 3 Results.
Week three came and went and brought renewed debates about scoring across collegiate gymnastics with it. This week was full of surprises and what can safely be called questionable judging. It was also the first week of in-conference play for the Power Five conferences, which means we’ve arrived at the heart of the season.
10-essee and the Degradation of Collegiate Judging
The Tennessee Collegiate Challenge was definitely the talk of the gymnastics universe on Friday. The two-session neutral site invitational saw all seven teams that competed set new program record team totals. The event also had five perfect scores, for Lindsay Ockler (SEMO), Suki Pfister (vault, Ball State), Megan Teter (bars, Ball State), Zoe Middleton (bars, Ball State), and Karlie Franz (floor, Kent State). Ball State put up the first 198 of the season, beating LSU to the mark by less than an hour. Oklahoma then topped both with a 198.325 on Sunday.
The number of records set at the event was immense.
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While the gymnasts at this meet undoubtedly had good days, and the 10s were thrown for strong routines, the judging is a disgrace. Our resident judge Rhiannon Franck is working to break down routine scores, but on the whole, no event should see that many records for every team present. Unfortunately, because the meet was also not streamed, we have no way to know just how bad it was.
Was Teter’s bar set very good? Yes. But was it better than Raena Worley’s? The purpose of scores is to make different routines comparable. This is how we rank gymnasts and teams and separate good from great from perfect. It is at the heart of the sport. This Ball State squad is very capable of its school’s first-ever 197 this year on a good and normally-scored day. Now does this out-of-line record take something away from that moment, if it happens? It’s messy for fans, but it’s messy for gymnasts, too. UW-Whitewater set an entire DIII gymnastics record. Will any DIII team ever come close to that number? Is it fun and fair if a wildly-judged meet makes ever breaking a record all but impossible?
It’s worth noting that bad judging happens everywhere; this meet was egregious but the larger problem is endemic. Haleigh Bryant is one of the best vaulters in the history of NCAA gymnastics, easily capable of near-weekly 10s, and yet one judge threw a 10 for this vault? Why? LeBron James has bad days. So does Patrick Mahomes. It just happens in sports. We don’t need to throw big numbers when the gymnastics isn’t there to back them up. Certainly, Bryant knows that wasn’t her best vault. Scoring correctly is not a reflection on the gymnast as a person, or what they may be capable of. It is, or it’s meant to be, an assessment of their performance in the moment in front of the judges.
If the scoring system is this broken, how do we call gymnastics a sport? Do basketball players shoot for potatoes? Is a touchdown worth pickles? That’s what the scoring at this meet feels like, and it’s so frustrating that judges are not ever held accountable. There is nothing comparable to the NBA’s two-minute report or NFL’s referee observations. Judges are simply evaluated by coaches, who are certainly biased toward high scores. Hopefully, this week will encourage change in the way NAWGJ and the NCAA approach collegiate scoring, because it has become nothing short of a disaster for the sport.
SEC In-Conference Play Indicates an Exciting Season Ahead
Friday was chaotic in the SEC, too, but in a more positive way. Arkansas proved that it is here to make noise in the conference, tying Alabama in Coleman Coliseum. That’s no easy task, especially considering that scores went a little off the rails in the second half, as is the wont of SEC teams at home. Gabby Gladieux didn’t compete and Jamison Sears only showed floor; their status is unclear and the broadcast was vague. The Razorbacks’ 197.525 is a new program record and puts them firmly in the SEC night session conversation.
Meanwhile, up the road in Auburn, the Gators had an okay day that still bested the Tigers 197.325 to 197.025. Notably, Paige Zancan made her beam debut for Auburn, for a 9.825. Both teams are showing some early-season errors; there’s still plenty of time to sort them through, but surging Arkansas and Kentucky, as well as a strong LSU, are going to make the conference rankings very interesting this year.
In Baton Rouge, the PMAC beam remains undefeated. This week it allowed LSU through the third rotation cleanly, to the relief of Jay Clark’s water cup, but it bested the Wildcats, who otherwise had a brilliant day. This time, the beam cap wasn’t involved. Bailey Bunn had an incredible save on her series that resulted in a large deduction, so Kentucky had to count some shakiness from Cadence Gormley. Meanwhile, Kiya Johnson was perfect on floor for LSU—an event where the Tigers are incredibly sharp this year—pushing the Tigers over the edge to the second 198 of the evening. Konnor McClain debuted on the event, where we didn’t see Aleah Finnegan; she only competed beam due to a sore wrist.
Ashley Miles Greig Era in Full Swing at Iowa State
Iowa State’s 196.900 win over BYU is the Cyclones’ highest score since March 2021, and the highest number at home since 2006, when none other than KJ Kindler led the squad. The team has improved each week so far this season, and is putting up clean, solid gymnastics. When Greig was hired, questions swirled about her ability to step in with no prior coaching experience, but Iowa State’s performances so far are quickly putting those worries to rest.
Aly Raisman is Really Good at This
Week three saw Aly Raisman make her debut as ESPN’s newest commentator, joining John Roethlisberger on the call for Kentucky at LSU. She was impeccably prepared, sailing through name pronunciations with ease and pointing out improvements and story arcs in the way only someone who has watched a lot of college gymnastics could. She named and described skills, resolutely not watering the sport down, and pointed out deductions. She was funny, personable, and a delight to listen to. Maybe most importantly, she was clearly having fun. In a sport that is constantly fighting for good coverage, we’re lucky to have her.
Michigan Tops Ohio State in Rivalry Bout
The Wolverines headed to the Covelli Center looking to continue to put a shaky week one in the rearview and hit a solid total on the road. No better place to do it than your rival’s arena. The Buckeyes had the lead after two rotations, but a few small beam bobbles gave Michigan an opening, and the Wovlerines took it with a solid floor rotation and then went lights-out on beam to hold off a strong floor rotation from the Buckeyes. Both teams also showed great depth, with McCaleigh Marr adding bars to her exhibition docket, which last week only included beam, and Mallory Gregory debuting an exhibition Yurchenko one and a half after showing a full in the seven spot last week. Ultimately, both teams will be happy with their scores, 197.400-197.050. The foes are now separated by only 0.017 in the national rankings at Nos. 10 and 11.
Notably elsewhere in the Big Ten, Michigan State competed closer to its potential, besting Penn State with a 197.475, the highest number in the conference for the week.
California Is Already a Final Four Favorite
The Golden Bears came out of the gates running week one and haven’t slowed down. A 197.875 at Washington this week matched their total from the collegiate quad in week two and was enough to hold off LSU and its 198 to keep Cal at No. 2 in the national rankings going into week four. Mya Lauzon is leading the way, and the junior is certainly in the early national all-around title conversation.
Clemson Sells Out Littlejohn in Its Second Meet
The Tigers made their ACC in-conference competition debut in resounding fashion, besting Pittsburgh in a close contest in front of Clemson’s first sell-out crowd. The back-and-forth meet came down to Clemson on floor and Pitt on beam, an event that has not been good so far this year for the Panthers. Despite a slight improvement on the piece for a 48.300, the Tigers had an excellent outing on floor to overtake Pitt and secure their first ACC win with a 196.200. This Clemson program has already made a huge impact on collegiate gymnastics just weeks into its competitive existence.
READ THIS NEXT: Questions, Comments, Concerns: Week 2
Article by Emily Minehart
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