The Mount: Week 10

It’s the last weekend of the regular season and teams are running out of time to drop bad scores and move up in the rankings to secure a good seed for regionals or even qualify past the conference championships. It’s also an emotional weekend for many teams with senior nights and last performances. But senior night doesn’t necessarily mean meets that aren’t exciting. Oklahoma will travel to California for a showdown, Utah will take on Georgia in Athens and the Big 10’s Big Five meets will take place to determine conference championship seeding in a week’s time. As always, find an updated injury report, previews of the upcoming meets, our predictions on the top matchups and all the links you could possibly need.

Out of Action or Questionable for Week 10

• Alabama: Mackenzie Brannan (bone chip removal surgery, seen training bars on Snapchat 2/14 but no dismount), Keely McNeer (broken pinky, out at least two weeks)
• Arizona: Skyler Sheppard (hyperextended knees, back on FX last week)
• Arkansas: Amanda Wellick (torn Achilles), Sarah Shaffer (elbow injury, according to Arkansas meet notes), Mia Bargiacchi (potential knee injury last week, unable to complete floor), Sydney McGlone (rumored to be nursing injury due to vault fall two weeks ago)
• Auburn: Telah Black (unknown, out for 2017 season), Sarah Garcia (hip surgery), Abby Milliet (knee injury, out for 2017 season according to SEC Network)
• Boise State: Sandra Collantes (working through knee injury, back on UB and FX)
• California: Dana Ho (torn ACL/MCL, out for 2017 season), Cassidy Keelen (dislocated kneecap, questionable for rest of season), Sylvie Seilnacht (broken foot tripping over backpack), Toni-Ann Williams (torn Achilles tendon, out for 2017 season)
• Florida: Kennedy Baker (ankle injury, competed only on bars in recent meets)
• Michigan: Brianna Brown (unknown, has not competed in past seven meets, performed in exhibition against OU)
• Missouri: Morgan Porter (torn Achilles, out for season)
• New Hampshire: Makenzie Kerouac (ankle surgery)
• Sacramento State: Annie Juarez (ankle)
• SEMO: Kenna Skepnek (left knee brace – Oct. 2016)
• West Virginia: Tiara Wright (knee injury)

No. 12 Kentucky at No. 15 Missouri: Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET
Kentucky is the better team, at least based off of this season’s results so far. However, Missouri is at home with the Wildcats being weaker on the road. So that should balance out the two and make for an exciting matchup for fans. Kentucky is still in search of one last solid road score to potentially push it ahead of Georgia in the fight for the night session at the SEC Championship. And if the Wildcats are going to make it into the top four in the conference, it’s this meet or wait until next year. Missouri has slowly improved since losing Morgan Porter, thanks to Britney Ward’s uncanny ability to stick vault and stay on the beam to not only score decent but 9.9 or higher nearly every time out. With the outcome really able to fall either way, this meet is one fans should tune in for.Caroline: Kentucky all the way! I’m hoping they can make one last push in the regular season.
Christina: I’ll give the upset to Missouri! The Tigers have been killing it at home, while Kentucky has started to show some fatigue in the recent meets, even at home.
Elizabeth: I’m going UK. Although I think it’ll be a super close meet what with it in Columbia.

No. 8 Denver at No. 10 Boise State: Friday, March 10 at 9 p.m. ET
Boise State will get a much desired rematch with Denver, but this time the Broncos have the home floor advantage. Last time out, Denver narrowly beat Boise State after being neck-and-neck during the first three rotations of the competition. But slightly better floor scores and a few average routines on beam for Boise swayed the result in Denver’s favor. But this time, with the Broncos poised to move up further into the top 10, the team will have a fire in its belly—and not to mention the crowd on its side. But Denver has placement in the top 10 on the line as well. Raise your hand if you thought the Pioneers would be sitting just outside the Super Six picture the year after Nina McGee graduated? Denver fans don’t count… But still with depth a bit of an issue and the house of cards precariously balanced.Caroline: Hmmm… I’m gonna go with the Broncos! I think they have what it takes.
Christina: Ooooh exciting one… I’ll go with Denver, although I predict Boise State is going to be right up there for its last home meet.
Elizabeth: I’m excited for this one! While I think it’ll be another down-to-the-wire meet, I’m going with Boise State.

Big 10 Qualifier: No. 32 Maryland, No. 39 Michigan State, No. 13 Nebraska, No. 24 Ohio State at No. 19 Illinois: Saturday, March 11 at 3 p.m. ET
The Big 10, for the past few years now, is giving fans a treat and starting the postseason a bit early with the Big Five meets that can be considered conference championship semifinals. In the first of two, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State and Illinois will take the floor in Champaign. If Nebraska performs as it has as of late (no more early-season meltdowns, please!) and Illinois stays steady as well, those two teams should sail through to the night session of Big 10s in a week’s time. Ohio State is likely to claim the last of the three advancing spots in this meet. But any errors, or a stellar meet from Maryland or Michigan State, could send them through instead. All three have shown 195 capabilities at some point in the season, so the battle will be real on Saturday.Caroline: I’m gonna go with Nebraska on this one, but Ohio State will be right in there too, and since they’re at home, I wouldn’t count out Illinois either.
Christina: Nebraska. It just had a bye week, so I think the team will be fresh and renewed and should put up a strong performance here.
Elizabeth: Nebraska will win it but I see Illinois and Ohio State also advancing to the night session of Big 10s.

Big 10 Qualifier: No. 11 Michigan, No. 34 Minnesota, No. 36 Penn State, No. 46 Rutgers at No. 16 Iowa: Saturday, March 11 at 4 p.m. ET
Things are equally as unclear for that last spot, or even the two spots, in the second of the Big Five meets. Michigan is a lock. Even with one of its mediocre road meets, it should still sail through to the night session. But the rest of the picture isn’t as easy to predict. Minnesota, Penn State and Iowa have all shown signs of good gymnastics throughout the season but all have also had hardships. Iowa, however, is the host of this competition and should have a leg up because of it. Minnesota and Penn State both have had some very bad meets but also come good ones. So the fight for the last qualifying spot should be a tight one with Minnesota shaping up in recent weeks and Penn State finally rid of Jeff Thompson. Rutgers will look to do as well as it can before hosting the big championship in a week. But if it’s performing well and other teams falter, the Scarlet Knights could take advantage.Caroline: Michigan, easy. I like Iowa’s chances to advance to the night session, but as far as the third, I think it’s a tossup.
Christina: Michigan. It should be able to win that one easily with all its potential and the performances we’ve seen these last few meets.
Elizabeth: Michigan wins, hands down, and Penn State and Iowa advance to the second session of the conference championship.

No. 5 Utah at No. 7 Georgia: Saturday, March 11 at 4 p.m. ET
Georgia showed it’s a team to watch out for last weekend with a 197.3+ at home against Alabama. Utah is also capable of putting up big numbers, making this meet an exciting matchup to look forward to. However, aside from the high-scoring meet at Arizona State, Utah’s away scores have topped out at the low 197s, giving Georgia the chance for an upset Saturday in Athens. The meet will also honor Georgia’s five senior in Lauren Johnson, Morgan Reynolds, Rachel Schick, Beth Roberts and Ashlyn Broussard who all contribute on two or more events. Senior night scores typically go high, and the Gymdogs will hope that trend continues and comes packaged with a nice win over the out-of-conference rival Utes. Utah won’t go quietly though. MyKayla Skinner will look to build off her perfect success from last weekend’s meet and test whether she’s capable of getting the 9.95 type of scores in the SEC as well.Caroline: As much as I hate to bet against the home team, I have to go with Utah. They’ve been way more consistent, even with their depth issues.
Christina: Senior night in Athens? I’m going with Georgia on that one.
Elizabeth: I’m going to take a gamble and choose Georgia. I think scores will go high but Utah won’t be given the benefit of the doubt in the SEC like it is at home.

Other Notable Matchups
No. 22 ​West Virginia at No. 3 Florida: Friday, March 10 at 7 p.m. ET
Florida’s final home meet of the season will see it face the Mountaineers, which should give it a guaranteed win for their Senior Night. The Gators will honor lone senior Claire Boyce, who medically retired a few weeks ago and has been student coaching since then. However, if they want to keep their No. 3 ranking, they’ll need another big score, preferably a season-high, to try to stay ahead of Utah and UCLA. As for WVU, its No. 22 ranking puts it just shy of a regionals seed. While being seeded is probably out of reach, a good performance at Florida will set it up very nicely to become a potential upset team at regionals, especially as a host. Taking advantage of the higher scoring common at Florida could be the first step toward creating an upswing to pull off that upset.No. 49 Pittsburgh at No. 20 Auburn: Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET
Auburn finally has a better-than-good chance of winning a meet this season. With Pittsburgh averaging scores in the 194-range in 2017, the Tigers are set to gain their first win of the season in one of the last opportunities. But as we all know, wins mean little in gymnastics, so putting up a strong score—preferably one in the mid-upper 196s—is the goal for this competition. However, what probably more important is preparing for the following weekend’s SEC Championship. A finish at the bottom of the standings wouldn’t be great for the staff or team in the eyes of the administration and athletic department, especially just a couple seasons removed from record-breaking performances at nationals. As for Pitt, ending the season on a high note is all the team can ask for as it is all but out of the regionals picture despite not being mathematically eliminated quite yet. The intention now will be to finish out the regular season and head into the EAGL Championship to put up a good showing and send some individuals to regionals to represent the Panthers in the postseason even though the entire team can’t be there.

No. 30 Iowa State at No. 6 Alabama: Friday, March 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET
It’ll be a homecoming of sorts for many of the Iowa State gymnasts as the team has been a funnel for gymnasts from the southeast in recent years. Injured gymnasts Sydney Converse and Micole O’Dell both hail from Georgia, as well as star upperclassman Haylee Young, who most recently lived in Iowa but whose hometown is also the Peach State. Young, as well as 2016 nationals qualifier Meaghan Sievers, has been a rock for the Cyclones in 2017, posting marks of 9.9 or higher on beam and floor routinely. Hilary Green is also one to watch on bars as her line and form are stunning on the event. Alabama is coming off a win over in-conference rival Georgia and will look to continue the success and put up another big number in the high 197s on senior night as the Tide says goodbye to some stellar competitors over the last four years in Katie Bailey, Amanda Jetter, Keely McNeer, Mary Lillian Sanders, Aja Sims and Mackenzie Valentin. And while McNeer, the Tide’s steady leadoff, is out with a hand injury for at least another week or two, the team seemed to do fine without her the last meet out. While Alabama doesn’t have to be great to beat Iowa State, it won’t want to dip too much with the SEC Championship title on the line in just a week’s time.

No. 26 New Hampshire at No. 2 LSU: Friday, March 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET
LSU, coming off the first regular-season SEC title, the Tigers need to maintain the high-level of gymnastics they put up last weekend, heading into the last meet of the season before the conference championships in a week. In the past two or so years, the Tigers have not lived up to expectations at SECs, finishing second or lower when they were the favorites going into the competition. So putting up another big score, ideally another 198, will be the goal here. New Hampshire is also in search of its own conference title at the EAGL championship March 18. The Wildcats started the season slow but have since put on a streak of 196s that will challenge George Washington for the title. Posting another number in that range, especially on the road at Baton Rouge, will not only be key but an important confidence booster.

No. 21 Southern Utah at No. 23 Utah State: Friday, March 10 at 9 p.m. ET
The Thunderbirds’ biggest competition here isn’t its opponent, it’s their RQS scores. SUU is poised to make a big move up in the rankings if it can drop the 194.325 road score it’s still counting. With another season high like last week’s 197.025, Southern Utah could move well into the lower teens, potentially passing even Kentucky. Utah State, on the other hand, will want to come back from last weekend’s double miss, after some faults in the second half of its meet against Boise State and a dreadful 194 against SJSU. The Aggies will be celebrating Alumni Night as they take on the Thunderbirds.

No. 33 North Carolina at No. 4 UCLA: Sunday, March 12 at 3 p.m. ET
UCLA is closing off its season at home and is coming off an attendance record for its meet against Cal. We can certainly hope the crowd will be just as big for the Bruins’ Senior Night. Will senior Hallie Mossett finally score a 10.0 on floor, especially now that her 9.975 routine has gone viral? Probably. Will this be the night Peng Peng Lee announces she is never leaving us and is competing for a sixth year? We wish. Anyway, the Bruins will want to add another strong 197 score to their RQS and solidify their ranking as No. 1 in the Pac-12 conference heading into the championship meet. The Tar Heels had a bit of a rough performance last weekend, scoring only a 194.075, their second lowest score of the season. Despite a big 9.9 from Kaitlynn Hedelund and a 9.875 from Maddie Nettles on vault, the Tar Heels were forced to count too many low 9.6s and/or falls on each event to hope for another 195+ score. They will definitely want to post a big road score in LA so as to drop one of those low 194 scores from earlier in the season and to thus improve both their RQS and ranking heading into postseason.

No. 1 Oklahoma at No. 17 California: Sunday, March 12 at 5 p.m. ET
The Sooners are coming off a bit of an off meet (for them, so it’s all relative) and an almost-upset at Michigan. Freshman Maggie Nichols was back on the uneven bars and casually scored a 10.000 to wrap up her Gym Slam after being an NCAA gymnast for only two and half months. Easy peasy. Oklahoma may decide to keep resting Nichols again at this meet before postseason starts. Realistically, the Sooners are so deep they don’t *really* need her as we saw at their meet against TWU, but she does add quite a nice little scoring boost on all four events. Another solid road score here could only help boost the Sooners’ RQS to its highest ever. On the other hand, California has been struggling this season with injuries, and has spent the last few meets testing its depth. After Ho, Keelen, Williams and Dudschus, the latest season-ending mishap occurred to Sylvie Seilnacht, who tripped over a backpack and broke her foot. That said, the Bears are coming off their best road score of the season after a solid performance last weekend at UCLA despite still needing to find their landings on vault and floor. Getting a spot in the evening session of the Pac-12 Championship looks plausible although difficult, but Cal will certainly want to post another high score to help its seeding for regionals either way.

These aren’t the only meets happening this weekend! To see all the matchups all in one place, take a look at our master schedule. You can also find live scoring and video links below.

Do you play Fantasy Gymnastics and don’t see a team some of your gymnasts’ teams competing this weekend? See if they’re on a bye this week (or competing twice) below, and check out the entire byes and doubles list here.

Byes

• Alaska
• TWU

Doubles

• BYU
• N.C. State
• Southern Utah
• Temple
• Towson

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