Upsets Abound
With several members of the top 10 competing twice over the weekend, double-meet schedules were the headline heading into Friday. However, upsets in the SEC and in an ACC-Big Ten bout stole the show, as the weekend’s marquee matchups lived up to their billing. Plus, history was made at the Division III level, with NCGA regionals bringing plenty of intrigue.
Meet of the Week
Georgia at Missouri
With a come-from-behind victory on the road, the GymDogs were able to win a momentum-building matchup over the Tigers, as the pair both float on the nationals bubble. All eyes were on Georgia after losing star Lily Smith for the season to injury, and they were treated to multiple near-perfect scores from CaMarah Williams and one from fellow freshman Kelise Woolford to showcase how the rookie class is ready to step up in Smith’s absence and keep the GymDogs in contention for a trip to Fort Worth.
Other contenders: North Carolina’s upset over Minnesota, Florida’s upset over LSU
Gymnast of the Week
JJ Coleman (Ohio State)
Highlighting a home quad meet victory over N.C. State, Eastern Michigan, and an upset over Penn State, JJ Coleman soared for a perfect score on floor for the Buckeyes’ first 10.0 since 2003. Ohio State’s second 197-plus score of the season ensures it remains a dark horse in the hunt for a regionals seed and a podium finish at the Big Ten championship in a few weeks.
Other contenders: Azaraya Ra-Akbar (Alabama) notching her first perfect 10 on bars
Performance of the Week
Florida
Finishing off the weekend with an upset over visiting LSU was Florida, which also finally put it all together to score the nation’s highest total of the season at 198.450. That fended off a strong 198.325 from the Tigers, as the Gators put their vault woes behind them to show off the deep roster of elite talent that they have. With Oklahoma taking home the regular-season SEC title, taking down the second-ranked team in the country was the best thing Florida could do to seize momentum ahead of the conference championship meet. Selena Harris-Miranda went 10.0 for a stunning beam set, which could also start the standout senior and multiple-time perfect score earner on a streak.
Other contenders: Air Force, North Carolina, Arkansas’ fans
Hidden Gem of the Week
UW-Oshkosh’s Record Score
Ome Ellis’s school-record 9.925 on beam was the highlight individual performance of UW-Oshkosh’s team-forward day, as the Titans became the first Division III team to ever break 195.000 en route to their sixth straight WIAC title. UW-Oshkosh’s record-setting 195.175 saw them qualify for NCGA nationals, as this meet serves as the western qualifier, while also setting new program bests on vault and beam. Ellis’ beam total also broke the longest-standing school record, a 9.9 back in 1998.
Other contenders: UW-Eau Claire qualifying for NCGA nationals for the first time in 13 years
Outrageous Moment of the Week
Not to take away from UW-Oshkosh’s historic outing, but high-scoring was prevalent at both the east and west NCGA regionals. By our count, at least 33 new entries into program record books were recorded between two meets. While great gymnastics was performed, an outrageous amount of record-breaking totals raises some questions.
Viral Moment of the Week
While plenty of fans were tuned in to UCLA at Stanford for the great gymnastics, a dramatic plotline also drew intrigue, as it marked the first time Jordan Chiles and Ana Bǎrbosu faced off collegiately after their Olympic floor final fiasco. With Bǎrbosu’s mom seen filming Chiles’ routine and Chiles doing Bǎrbosu’s choreography with her on the sidelines, it’s safe to say any beef between the pair of Olympians has been squashed. We love to see it.
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Article by Brandis Heffner
