With regionals behind us, let’s take a look at the seven perfect 10s of the weekend. In the regular season, the two judges both have to agree that a routine was deduction-free to earn a 10.0. At regionals, there is a four-judge panel, where the high and low scores are dropped and the middle two scores averaged. It can be even more challenging to earn a perfect 10.0, as you have to convince three out of the four judges on the panel that the routine was flawless. Given these circumstances, I would hope that the 10s from the weekend are all four- to five-star 10s, so let’s take a look!
As a reminder, here’s my rating 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
Vault
Haleigh Bryant, LSU (April 6)
Deductions
Foot form (-0.05)
OK, so her toes were a bit crossed in the air, but this was otherwise the textbook-perfect Bryant vault that we’ve all come to love and enjoy.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mya Lauzon, California (April 7)
Deductions
Balance error (-0.05)
Out of the dozens of Yurchenko one and a half vaults that were performed this weekend, this is the only one that got a perfect 10.0. Her feet are a bit wide on the landing, but they don’t appear to be more than hip-width apart. The camera angle doesn’t show her closing her feet when she salutes, but I’ll take the judges’ opinion on this one that she did. She has great form, dynamics, and control on this vault. You can see her lean forward and come up on her toes to hold the stick, which could be taken as a deduction; however, it’s very subtle and flows with her movement from the vault into the landing, so I’m not upset that this was marked perfect.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bars
Haleigh Bryant, LSU (April 6)
This is the best Bryant bar routine I’ve seen all season. Her usual deductions with catching her release too close or her leg form on her dismount weren’t there this time. She hit all her handstands, had good rhythm, and was an absolute pleasure to watch.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beam
Ragan Smith, Oklahoma (April 4)
Deductions
Arm bend (-0.05)
Leg bend (-0.05)
Body posture? (-0.05)
Smith cranks out 10.0s on beam like no one else this season. For this routine, she has her typical bent arms on her back handspring and bent leg on her front aerial that never get deducted. But, she was also a little off on her back handspring swing down. She moves through it quickly, but you can see she’s a little off to one side. I’m not exactly sure which deduction would apply, which makes sense why the judges didn’t take it, but it was an error.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Floor
Jade Carey, Oregon State (April 4)
Deductions
Small front foot hop (-0.05)
Precision in jumps (-0.1)
Carey has some of the hardest tumbling in the NCAA, but she consistently over-turns her switch half, which means she under-rotates her straddle full. She also had a small front foot adjustment, which could have easily been missed due to the mat or angle and the fact that she just did a gorgeous full-twisting double layout.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aleah Finnegan, LSU (April 4)
It’s a 10.0 from me!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chloe Widner, Stanford (April 7)
Deductions
Under rotation of turn (-0.05)
Precision of turn (-0.05)
Widner’s clutch performance secured Stanford’s spot at nationals with this routine. She has some issues with the rotation of her leaps (as do most NCAA gymnasts), but otherwise it was a great routine, with great extension in her dance and powerful, controlled tumbling.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Breaking Down March’s Perfect 10s
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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