The Dismount: Regionals

Full Results | UCLA: 196.800 | Oregon State: 196.150 | Iowa: 196.050 | Illinois: 195.825 | Ohio State: 195.700 | EMU: 195.400
VT: Dessaints 9.925 | UB: Kocian 9.950 | BB: Metcalf, Kaji 9.950 | FX: Cipra, Kocian, McMillan 9.875 | AA: McMillan 39.400
Nationals Qualifiers: UCLA, Oregon State, Angel Metcalf (AA, Iowa), Alexis Mattern (AA, Ohio State), Clair Kaji (BB, Iowa)
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For a recap, see Ashley Wijangco’s account of the competition.

​The Fayetteville regional was shaping up to be an exciting one, but we certainly didn’t expect it to be so close throughout the entire competition. Utah and Denver qualified to nationals ahead of Auburn, Arkansas, California and Central Michigan, but the final results certainly looked uncertain during most of the meet. The Pioneers put out one of their best performances of the season and were right on Utah’s heels the entire night, even leading at the halfway point. This is only the fourth time in school history that Denver qualified to nationals, and the first since 2008. The Utes had a bit of an underwhelming meet for their standards, especially during the first two rotations.  They probably also had a bit to worry about seeing how everybody else was on top of their game. The Utes did come back strong on floor and vault, and ended up narrowly winning the meet after going 24 for 24. They had to deal with the loss of Kari Lee from the all around as she tweaked her ankle in practice and was only able to compete bars here. Filling in for her on beam and making her debut there was Shannon McNatt, who casually scored the highest score of the rotation and ended up winning the event (9.900).Pressing the Utes and the Pioneers all night were Auburn and Arkansas, and they ended up being tied for third with a 196.600. The Tigers started off the meet lights out on bars and scored their season high on the event, which ended up also being the highest bars total of the night. They hit 24 for 24 routines on their way to scoring their season high team score, peaking at just about the right time after a season of ups and downs, and inconsistencies. Auburn will get to send two individuals to St. Louis: Katie Becker in the all around and Sam Cerio on the uneven bars. Also peaking at the right time was the host team Arkansas that completely shattered everybody’s expectations and scored its season high as well. After a season filled with adversity, it was heartwarming and exciting to see the Razorbacks come out so strong in front of their

Despite early mistakes from the Gators, the Gainesville regional turned out much like many expected. Starting off slow on bars, Florida had to count a 9.425 from Alicia Boren, where she arched over a handstand and had to re-kip, after a devastating fall from Rachel Gowey on her release. However, the team came back strong on beam, culminating in a title-winning 9.9 from Alex McMurtry. At the halfway point, Missouri was actually right on Florida’s heels, only a tenth behind. However, the Gators came into floor rested and raring to go, scoring three back-to-back-to-back 9.925s for a big 49.45 event total. They continued building from there, going into vault and nailing their landings for four scores of 9.9 or higher. Missouri started off on a bye, but came to play on floor, building their scores throughout the rotation to culminate in a 9.875 from anchor Kennedi Harris. Vault was a little more hesitant, having to count a 9.75 from Madeleine Huber, which definitely lost them some ground against Florida. After all arounder Aspen Tucker fell on both bars and beam, it was clear that there wasn’t enough gas left in the tank for Missouri to finish it out. Counting a 9.7 and two 9.75s on beam meant that the Tigers’

It was a regional of highs and lows as Nebraska joyously celebrated its berth to nationals while Boise State left disappointed after a stellar, record-breaking season. The Broncos didn’t really have one moment where things slipped away. It was more that the Huskers were just better that day—posting higher totals on vault and beam to ultimately take the second qualifying spot. Down two tenths heading into the last rotation, Boise State still had a chance but didn’t do quite enough on floor to make up the deficit as had 9.9+ scores on beam to seal the deal. Boise State will still have a representative at nationals, though, as Shani Remme claimed the second individual all around qualifying spot.LSU pretty much breezed through its competition, posting the second-highest score of the weekend and easily advancing to nationals with a mid-197. However, it didn’t look especially solid on all four events as Sydney Ewing fell on beam and Kennedi Edney had just a 9.650 on the event as well. The remaining events, though, were all above 49.350, making up for the off event. Minnesota also had a strong showing despite finishing fourth. But it was the fact that the Gophers finished fourth that was impressive. Coming in having barely made regionals and sitting as the No. 36 and final

What was supposed to be a straightforward regional for Alabama and Michigan got a bit dramatic for the Crimson Tide at the end of the competition as a mediocre vault rotation kept the team total in the mid-196 range. That set up West Virginia and Southern Utah with a chance to upset the No. 6-team in the country and take a trip to nationals. The Thunderbirds needed a feasible, but season high of 49.325 on beam to match Alabama while the Mountaineers needed a less-doable 49.600+ to match. However, two beam falls and only two scores at 9.8 or above spelled the end of the road for Southern Utah. But West Virginia did a better job on its task, having its best bar rotation all season by over a tenth, including two scores at 9.9 or better and five above 9.8. But in the end it wasn’t enough and Alabama was safe and moving on to St. Louis despite a rocky beam rotation and off vault lineup.Michigan, transversely, had a great competition, refusing to let what happened last season happen again. The Wolverines nailed every routine, not scoring below 9.7 on any of them and hitting the third-highest score of the day out of any regional. George Washington also had a solid night despite finishing fourth. The Colonials scored its highest postseason total in program history, advanced its first two-time qualifier to nationals and had its first-ever regional champion on an event as Chelsea Raineri will move on to vault in St. Louis and Cami Drouin-

One of the most anticipated regionals of the weekend saw Oklahoma and Washington come out victorious, with a heated battle for that coveted second spot between the Huskies and the Wildcats. The Sooners cruised through this meet as expected, and they scored the highest score across all regionals with a 198.075. We finally saw the return of Maggie Nichols to the all-around who casually scored a 39.750, and it was like she never left. The Huskies and the Wildcats battled it out for the second spot, and we already knew it would be a historical feat for either teams, but also heartbreaking for us gym fans. Both teams were neck and neck throughout, but the Wildcats were not able to take the big lead they would have needed on uneven bars (one of their best events) to safely stay ahead of the Huskies. The final rotation also ended up being costly for Kentucky on floor, where it had to deal with a few bouncy landings while Washington was on beam, its best event. Beam leadoff Malory Rose also had a very Strug-esque moment where she essentially stuck her landing on one foot, fighting through an injury, and thankfully so since her score ended up counting after a fall from Janik later in the