(GYM) ***CLOSED***Gymnastics 2023 - 2024***CLOSED

Must Watch Meet Today in Las Vegas:

After Oklahoma, NCAA women’s gymnastics looks wide open this season (msn.com)

Oklahoma, Utah, LSU, and UCLA are having a quad meet. OU, LSU, and Utah were my preseason picks for slots 1, 2, and 3 followed by UF at 4. The only way this meet could be better is if UF was there too.

The meet will get the national attention it deserves as it is being televised by ABC at 2 PM MST.

There is a decision to make today, UF basketball or the best gymnastics in the nation in Las Vegas. For me, I choose gymnastics over a group of mercenaries who play lazy defense, make dumb fouls, and shoot free throws poorly. I'll record the basketball game and decide if it is worth watching later.----------EDIT----------West Valley City, Utah, not Las Vegas.

 

Perspective:

The 197.100 quad meet score would have been the lowest score UF recorded in all of the 2023 season. This says a lot about what this team must do to get a chance to get back to the national championship finals.

I said back in the spring when Kayla DiCello decided to sit out a year that this is the season to get some knocks on UF as 2025 will be loaded. I didn't see anything last night to change my view.

 

The problem is UF needs Sloane Blakely to step up and be more consistently good in 2024. I don't think the landing on her bars deserved the large deduction it got, almost treated as if she had fallen down, but she should not still be making these types of mistakes as a junior leader on the team.

Any insight as to why Payton Richards got her 9.750 score on floor? It looked like her usual 9.850+ to me.

You are right about Hurd, Lazzari, and Nguyen. Prior to the meet in an interview, CJR said Nguyen is an all-arounder and Hurd and Lazzari would be in 3 to 4 events. That did not happen in the first meet. CJR went on to say this will be a breakout year for Hurd.

From what I saw of Oklahoma yesterday, it will be the Sooners and the 7 Dwarfs at nationals this year. I hope UF can do better than this. LSU can, but the tiggers have to do better on the balance beam. Cal had a heckuva quad meet out in Utah last night, scored 197.8750.

 

Road to Nationals Top 8 for Week 2:

Standings (roadtonationals.com)

The exception is Denver is performing today against Arizona State. DU has a 196.850 first week score. They could move up the list with a good score today which would knock LSU down to 9 after week 2:

1. Oklahoma 197.8750
2. California 197.3375
3. Alabama 197.1750
4. Arkansas 197.1500
5. Utah 197.1380
6. Kentucky 197.1250
7. Florida 197.1000
8. LSU 197.0630__
9. Denver 196.8500 (Pending Today)

Both UF and Arkansas had their first meets this weekend. The piggies had their highest ever score for an opening meet.

Looking ahead, keep an eye on Michigan. They had the largest one-week turnaround that I can remember:

Teams (roadtonationals.com)

Week 1 Away 195.8750 (Super 16)
Week 2 Home 197.7250
Average 196.8000

 

Full Road to Nationals Rankings After Week 2:

Standings (roadtonationals.com)

It's 7 Florida at 12T Auburn this week. There is a raucous crowd waiting for the Gators at Auburn plus a tigger team that will give its best shot against the young Gators. Get used to it as it will be the theme of the season, teams trying to extract revenge on the Gators as they think they can:

1. Oklahoma 197.875

2. California 197.363

3. Alabama 197.175

4. Arkansas 197.150

5. Utah 197.138

6. Kentucky 197.125

7. Florida 197.100

8. LSU 197.063

9. Ohio State 196.963

10. Denver 196.875

11. UCLA 196.825

12(t). Auburn 196.813

12(t). Missouri 196.813

14. Michigan 196.800

15. Minnesota 196.575

16. Michigan State 196.513

17. Arizona 196.475

18. Iowa 196.400

19. Clemson 196.325

20. Georgia 196.275

21. Oregon State 196.188

22. Illinois 196.163

23. Maryland 196.150

24. Arizona State 196.050

25. Southern Utah 196.025

 

Inaugural MLK Day Meet at Vanderbilt:

Inaugural MLK Day Invitational Makes History in Nashville - College Gym News

The meet will be televised on ESPN+. The universities hope this becomes an annual event. Fisk located in Nashville is the host, but their gym holds 1,400 while Vanderbilt holds 14,000. It will be interesting to see how many people attend the inaugural meet.

 

The MLK Day Meet was cancelled due to the winter storm.

In the Best of Utah quad meet, the Red Rocks scored 197.725. Utah has an outstanding team this year even through the Tom Farden HC change. I had them as my preseason #3, but they could end up #2 if LSU doesn't see significant improvement in their beam performances, the tiggers Achilles heel.

After the Best of Utah Meet, Utah jumped from #5 to #3:

1 Oklahoma 197.875
2 California 197.363
3 Utah 197.333

 

SEC Freshman Gymnast of the Week:

Anya Pilgram is SEC Freshman Gymnast of the Week - Florida Gators

Congratulations to Anya who put up a UF historic performance in her first meet and is recognized by the SEC for doing so.

 

No. 7 Florida Opens SEC Road Action Friday at No. 12 Auburn - Florida Gators

It's going to be interesting to see how the freshmen respond to a raucous home crowd rooting for the tiggers and against the Gators. It's not an environment they have experienced in their elite gym performances. Auburn has an in-your-face crowd for gymnastics.