NCGA Regionals, Historic Senior Night Performances Headline Penultimate Weekend of Regular Season
A lot of exciting gymnastics happened this week, including two record-breaking senior-night stands from LSU and Missouri. The highlight of the week, though, were the performances at both NCGA regionals; from record-breaking scores to a heroic return to the national stage, you need to catch up on DIII gymnastics.
Meet of the Week
NCGA-East and WIAC Division III Regionals
The NCGA-East and WIAC DIII regionals were thrilling. Brockport and Cortland took the top two spots in the East, qualifying to nationals, while UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse did the same at the WIAC meet. The at-large spots unofficially belong to Rhode Island and UW-Whitewater. This is Rhode Island’s first trip to the big dance since 1998.
Five teams set new program vault records (Gustavus, 48.025; UW-Eau Claire, 48.075; UW-La Crosse, 48.525; UW-Stout, 48.475; and Winona State, 48.650), while Ursinus set a new floor record (48.700).
Three individuals set or tied program records as well: Olivia Keyes (Rhode Island, floor, 9.900), Cadence Cordova (UW-Eau Claire, vault, 9.750), and Gillian Cummins (UW-Stout, all-around, 38.625.
Headlining the entire weekend, though, was Winona State’s new team record, a 191.900.
Other contenders: West Virginia at Pittsburgh, Elevate the Stage
Gymnast of the Week
Avery Neff, Utah
Gymnastics fans everywhere feared the worst after Avery Neff took a horrible, ankle-crushing fall on January 17. She announced both of her ankles were sprained, but it was widely assumed she’d be out the remainder of the season. She stunned everyone by competing bars on February 7, added beam on February 21, and this week she was back in the all-around in a courageous, incredible comeback.
Other contenders: Gillian Cummins, Olivia Keyes
Performance of the Week
Double the Tigers, Double the Records- LSU and Missouri
A new program record on senior night? Say less. Two teams did it this week, and they’re both Tigers. LSU’s national-leading 198.575 was headlined by Aleah Finnegan’s 10.0 on beam on Friday. Meanwhile, Amari Celestine’s 9.975 on floor helped Missouri to a program-best 198.100, those Tigers’ first-ever 198, on Saturday.
Other contenders: Isabella Magnelli, Iowa, Skyelar Kerico
Outrageous Moment of the Week
Arkansas at Kentucky was a wild ride top to bottom (see the Viral Moment of the Week below) that included the entire Razorback bar lineup receiving the same score: 9.850s. YOU get a 9.850 and YOU get a 9.850. It’s extremely difficult to believe that judges couldn’t find a single thing to distinguish between six different routines.
Other contenders: The Arkansas broadcast’s lack of knowledge of current bracketology
Hidden Gem of the Week
Yale
Yale went to Maryland with LIU and had itself a day. The Bulldogs tied up their third-best program number, 195.125, and tied their fifth-best bars and floor scores. Penn still leads the GEC by a healthy margin, but Yale is going to make the conference meet interesting.
Other contenders: Utica, Greenville
Viral Moment of the Week
Not every former coach or athlete makes a successful broadcaster. Former Wildcat head coach Leah Little commentated Arkansas at Kentucky this week and it didn’t go great.
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Article by Emily Minehart
Gymnast & Performance of the Week = Kailin Chio. 39.80, nuff said.