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

I thought Danie deserved a 10 consideration from at least one of the judges. Her vault was perfection. I can't wait to see Danie strut her stuff in other events too. She started the season behind missing practice when she injured her hand/wrist in early December. We likely won't see more of her potential until next season. Remember, Danie reclassified to 2023/24. She is young, should be a high school senior right now.

 

Friday Night in the SEC Plus Meets of Interest:

Drum roll for highest score this week in the SEC.....Florida.

Season-High Gives No. 6 Florida Link to Pink Win over No. 13 Arkansas - Florida Gators

Florida 197.850
Arkansas 196.050

Arkansas at Florida 240209 - Florida Gators

For a 5th consecutive week from UF's start of the season, the Gators have improved in every meet. The good news is UF still has room for improvement. Scores here and there could be a bit higher, and floor has room for the type of improvement we had last night on the vault. Overall, I think this team is capable of growing into 198 low which will give the Gators a chance for national finals and a puncher's chance to upset Oklahoma. Yeah, I know, there is a lot of gymnastics to yet playout. However, I'm liking this team more each week.

Remaining SEC Scores for Week 6:

Auburn 197.725
Alabama 197.050

LSU 197.625
Georgia 197.075

Kentucky 197.350
Missouri 196.600

Friday scores of interest around the nation:

Oklahoma 198.450
Quad Meet Nobodies - Doesn't Matter
Can't let LSU have the nation's highest score!

Michigan State 197.475
Illinois 196.600

UCLA 197.425
Oregon State 196.700

 

Leanne Wong missed on one of her tumbling pass landings. One judge gave her a 9.900 while the other judge gave her a 9.850 to arrive at her 9.875. Both scores are within reason for Leanne's performance. I'd have given her a 9.900, but I'm admittedly biased.

On both the floor and the beam, I don't think Anya Pilgrim's split jumps are getting to 180 to avoid deductions. She is getting closer on the beam as witnessed by her 9.900 score, one judge scored her 9.950 while the other judge scored her 9.850, but her floor split jumps need improvement, scored 9.85 by both judges. Once Anya improves her split jumps, she will be capable of scoring up to 10 on both floor and beam. Anya may be doing a floor 3-combo split jump that she uses in elite competition. I don't think she would get a deduction for doing a 2-combo split jump and try to get those long legs of hers to 180.

Morgan Hurd missed her first-floor tumbling pass landing for a second consecutive week scoring 9.850, a little worse than Leanne. When Morgan is error free on her landings, she is capable of 9.900+ on the floor.

 

Yes, to have a gym slam, you have to have a 10 on all four events. Regardless of the gym slam, Leanne will likely leave ranked second in number of 10s when she leaves UF. Obviously, Trinity Thomas leads UF in first by a wide margin.

BTW, I didn't see Trinity at the meet last night. She may be away training for the Winter Cup which will be later this month. I can't wait to watch that meet. It should attract the best of the best of those training for the US Olympic Team.

 

Starting the end of Week 7, gymnastics teams will be ranked by their NQS (National Qualifying Score), not simply the average of their meets. What is the NQS as answered by Road to Nationals and GymCastic:

Frequently Asked Questions (roadtonationals.com)

NQS Scores: 2023 NCAA Gymnastics Season - GymCastic

To arrive at a team's NQS, determine a team's highest 3 road/neutral scores and the highest 3 home scores. Eliminate the highest score and the 5-score average is a team's NQS score. It's an average of 5 which will be a rolling change each week as the season scores progresses.

The NQS will be used to determine the 36 teams invited to the NCAAs along with the seeding of said teams. Arkansas, California, Florida, and Michigan are the 2024 regional hosts. Sometimes a minimal work around on seeding has to take place due to the rankings of the regional hosts. Yes, there are special rules for this.

 

Gator N Harlem has been AWOL. Does anyone know anything about the absence? I know lost father and mother last spring, but I last saw posts on the football board back during football season.

 

Saturday Scores of Interest:

Michigan 197.375
Minnesota 197.175

Utah 197.775
Washington 196.425

Sunday Meets of Interest:

12:00 pm PT Arizona at Cal Link FREE
2:00 pm MT Iowa St, SEMO at Denver Link Link

 

Report On California:

I watched Cal host Arizona today. To be fair, I need to say Cal rested one of their best all-around gymnasts today. However, I still have impressions:

1. The attendance was pathetic for a top program for an early afternoon meet, 1211.

2. Cal has to be the shakiest #2 in the nation that I can recall. The bears have two outstanding gymnasts one of which rested today. The rest of the lineup is rather average.

3. I had the meet as a tie. Cal was allowed to pull out a 197.1250 - 196.8500 win over Arizona on the strength of some floor scores home cooking. The biggest example of which was one gymnast who had a scheduled double wolf turn that failed. In the middle of her first turn, the gymnast lost her balance and put both hands on the floor to keep from sitting down. I gave it a .2 deduction. She also only did one split jump that was a .1 deduction for not reaching 180. I had her score at 9.700 which I thought was generous for the failed wolf turn with both hands to the floor. Sitting down would have been a .5 deduction. The home cooking judges gave her 9.875. Come on, get real judges.

4. Bottom line, Cal is a good team with 2 stars who apparently have been dragging the other gymnasts up. I just don't see them as a legitimate #2 team. I like both LSU and Utah better. I will be surprised if Cal makes it to the NCAA Final Four.

Bonus: I tried to watch Denver where they have had two consecutive high scoring home meets in a front-loaded home schedule, but it was behind a pay wall. My gut says home cooking, but I have no evidence to support. They have a rear-loaded away schedule so we will see soon enough.

 

Week 6 Season Average Score Top 10:

Standings (roadtonationals.com)

1. Oklahoma 198.113
2. California 197.604
3. LSU 197.596
4. Utah 197.533
5. Kentucky 197.458
6. Florida 197.435
7. Denver 197.308
8. UCLA 197.254
9. Alabama 197.246
10. Michigan State 197.238

This will be my last report on the season average score as rankings will be based on NQS (National Qualifying Score) with the first ranking being released Monday 2/19.

Looking ahead to the at Missouri Quad Meet in Week 7, UF needs to put up a high 197s road score to replace the high home score recorded against Arkansas which will drop out of the 5 used to average our first NQS score, the difference between coming in with a 193.3+ compared to a 197.4+ and possibly the difference in being ranked 5th or 6th in the NQS ranking. The top 4 spots will go to the top 4 ranked this week by average barring some low week 7 meet scores, but the Gators will have a chance to pass the UK mildcats with a high 197s road score.

 

How UF will get to 198.

National Event Ranks & Event Average Scores:

Vault 5 - 49.340
Bars 8 - 49.330
Beam 3 - 49.400
Floor 16 - 49.365

It's bizarre that the Gators are having so much trouble getting top scores on floor. For most top teams, it is the go-to event to raise their meet scores. I can't help thinking the Gators will get the kinks worked out to improve UF's average floor score, say .2+.

 

Leanne Wong made #5 in Sports Center Top 10:

(1) Gators Gymnastics on X: " sticks the landing on Feb. 9 @SportsCenter Top Plays! #GoGators | ‍♀️ | @leannewong03 https://t.co/AyMQYyd8Tl" / X (twitter.com)

This was the stick on Leanne's 10.0 vault.

 

College Gym Fans - Midway Season Comments:

Midway: Thoughts on a Fast-Moving Season - CollegeGymFans.com

Anya Pilgrim and Skylar Draser drew mention. The article must have been written before Danie Ferris hit a 9.950 vault against the piggies that should have been a 10.0.

California and Kentucky mentioned as now in with top teams. JMO, Michigan State will be there too before the season is over.

Obviously, Oklahoma is the Snow White of the 2024 season.

Much of the article dissects judging which needs to be improved and needs discipline. It goes a step further to cast blame on the coaches too for their input which is part of the judge problem.

Overall, a good read. Enjoy.

 

College Gym News: The Dismount - Week 6

The Dismount: Week 6 - College Gym News

Haleigh Bryant became only the 14th gymnast to have a gym slam. She was scored a 10.0 for a 9.950 vault at UGALY. No, it wasn't perfection as she had a balance check on the beam which should have been a .05 deduction. I watched the recorded meet and thought it was a crock of crapola when the score was posted. Doesn't much matter as she would have been given a 10.0 at home as it has been decreed that Bryant would have the gym slam this season, but the judges are allowing deductions to slide by that they shouldn't. I saw the same judging in the Arizona at Cal meet, clearly in Cal's favor.