It’s fun to watch rankings change every week, but they only tell us so much about the status of a team. Which teams are on the rise and which are barely hanging on? Which ones have a competitive ranking by the grace of their RQS drop scores and which will pose a real threat in postseason? I’ll dig into the real dynamics of NCAA gymnastics in this biweekly column that’s part power ranking, part high school yearbook awards—all serious analysis.
Just kidding, almost zero serious analysis.
Postseason is starting to feel extremely real. Fourteen teams are already locked into regionals, four are confirmed for USAG nationals and the NCGA nationals field is already set. According to that Road to Nationals chart that I check literally every day, there are likely only seven regionals spots still in play. SEVEN OF THEM. ILLINOIS IS CURRENTLY OUTSIDE THAT SEVEN. It’s a lot. Let’s remember to breathe.
Flames Emoji
MINNESOTA. The Gophers’ renaissance this year has been overshadowed by that of Denver four ranking spots above, but don’t forget that only two years ago they scraped into regionals in the very last spot. Their strength across all lineups is incredible this year, and they’re a real nationals threat.
Flames Emoji, Part II
The MIC had a ridiculous weekend. UIC beat Illinois at the State of Illinois meet, which Illinois had won a bajillion years in a row. Lindenwood upset a not-even-all-that-bad Missouri at the State of Missouri.
Great Except for That One Event
Losing Emily Schild for the rest of the season is the last thing the already-ailing Georgia bars lineup needed. The core routines are gorgeous, but the prospect of counting Lukacs’ score every time someone else makes a mistake makes me nervous.
Quietly Cruising
Michigan had an erratic start to the season, but it’s very quietly gotten it together. Now the Wolverines are vaulting four 10.0 starts and could jump as high as No. 5 in the country this week.
Just When You Thought They’d Done It
California’s bars is much better than it was last year, but it’s still a meltdown risk. The Bears had a season best two weeks ago and came within a hair’s breadth of a 197, but last week they remembered that falling on bars is fun and decided to do some of that.
Do You Have a Seventh Routine
See also: Great Except for That One Event. Georgia on bars, and no, we’re pretty sure it doesn’t have one.
Was That Just a Fluke
Arkansas hit bars.
Like, really well.
Was That Just a Fluke, Part II
Sac State set a season high at Washington by more than two points. I live blogged the meet and still have no real idea how the Hornets swung that thanks to the profoundly jumbled stream, but I’ll go with it.
Next Week, I Swear
All Brown needs is one good meet to jump into qualifying position for USAG nationals and basically lock itself in there. Unfortunately for the Bears, that’s been true for about a month and they haven’t pulled it off yet. But it has to happen eventually, right?
Why Is This Happening
Scores seem to be increasing from top to bottom this year—six Division III programs have set program records just this month—but there are still holdouts where things are as strict or stricter than before. This week one head coach was overheard asking another, “What the f*** is up with this scoring?” and honestly I love that.
Please Never Leave
EVERYONE. Senior meet season is in full swing, and it’s too much.
Glad You’re Having Fun
Alaska is in the middle of Spirit Week, and Monday’s theme was memes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu5RqJuHe2o/
Glad You’re Having Fun, Part II
In the week leading up to senior night the Kentucky seniors had a prank battle with head coach Tim Garrison. As well as this mild defacement of the team offices, Garrison’s car was covered in plastic wrap. In return, he visited the drug store and bought gas medication and other old-people-typical meds for the seniors’ lockers.
Fall of the Week
I can’t think of a better note on which to end than that. Honestly. See you guys in postseason.
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 10
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Article by Rebecca Scally
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