(GYM) Gymnastics 2024 - 2025

Both teams performed to their peaks and beyond. It was a very entertaining meet to watch. The recap and stats from floridagators.com:

No. 6 Florida Gymnastics Uses Nation’s High for Win over No. 8 Missouri - Florida Gators

Kudos to a Missouri team that has proven to be a very dangerous team. Not only did the tigers have a season high, but they also scored their second highest score in program history. What Missouri is doing isn't a surprise to me having placed the tigers about where they are now in my preseason top 10. Missouri has a loaded roster and especially so by adding Helen Hu for one final season on the beam. If she hadn't scooched backward slightly on her dismount, she would have had another 10.

The Gators weathered the storm of another poor performance on beam at Oklahoma and the season loss of Sloane Blakely about as well as they could in the week used to adjust and recover.

Taylor Clark showed she is reaching her potential on floor plus she has that same potential on vault.

Ly Bui for a just turned 17-year-old is doing about as well as you could expect plus likely will improve. Her vault was a thing of beauty in the air, but she had that .2 deduction on that big hop on her landing. Stick that and she would have been in the upper 9s.

It sure would be nice to see Skylar Draser get back to 9.85 to 9.875 on beam. She just seems a bit off as much of the team has been since at Arkansas.

What can you say about Leanne Wong and Selena Harris-Miranda. Don't know what has happened around the SEC, but we could be looking at co-SEC Gymnasts of the week.

Skye Blakely except for her slight scooch back on her bars dismount like Helen Hu on the vault would have had a 10. She's getting that world gymnast look about her again. With 2 weeks left in the regular season, I hope UF can get her back on beam if she is physically capable. If so. I'd give her an exhibition to break the ice for her. OU had a gymnast a few years back who was often injured so they only brought her out with her meet changing capabilities in the NCAAs. Having Skye for both bars and beam would be huge heading into post season.

I like the way Alyssa Arana and Gabby Disidore are being mixed into the lineups. I still think Ellie Lazzari is highly capable of scoring well if she is only given one event to work and perform on.

I keep trying to figure out how Riley McCusker is being scored 9.85 for what looks like a 9.90 bars score. Whatever it is, I hope the coaches help her figure it out before post season. Riley has apparently lost her taste or confidence for beam which makes it just that more important that she delivers 9.9+ on bars.

Victoria Nguyen's 9.975 was a thing of beauty on her first vault of the season. Since she performed all around in 2024, let's hope it turns out to be like riding a bicycle for her.

Anya Pilgrim recovered nicely, but she is just too good not to be doing more. She is capable of all around. She continues to get lower scores for not reaching 180 on her split leaps on beam and floor. The coaches had this problem fixed last year but have allowed Anya to get back to the bad habit of doing less than 180 again this season. Anya is capable of 9.9+ on all four events if she will just get her split leaps to 180. It's a .05 deduction for each split leap missed. I think the judges are looking for it with Anya. It was particularly noticeable on the beam last night.

Dani Ferris is capable of being a 3-event performer less beam with her signature being vault. Every time she scores less than 9.9+ on vault she has underperformed in my mind.

Agree with ocala in that this team when performing with confidence and focus is capable of winning a national championship. I liken this season to what LSU went through in 2024 putting up Jekyll & Hyde performances until the post season when the tigers put it all together to win the national championship.

UF was able to drop the opening week 196.675 score against Michigan State, so UF's NQS has gone up from 197.190 to 197.480. All of the other teams are trying to raise their NQS as well, so it is imperative that UF finish strong for NCAA seeding. Oklahoma has been so consistently in the upper 197s that they really don't have bad scores to drop but I expect the sooners to be 198 or at least make that attempt.

UF heads to Alabama this coming week, SEC Network+, with another opportunity to erase 196.625 received at Arkansas and at Oklahoma. Alabama scored 197.650 in a road win at Arkansas last night. Neither LSU nor UF were able to put up good scores and wins at Arkansas. The Gators will have to be at their best again against an Alabama team fighting to make it into the 8 team SEC tournament being ranked at 9 coming into this weekend. To say the tide will be motivated is an understatement.

Overall, UF had an excellent performance against a strong Missouri team. The Gators have now posted the highest score of the season twice, 198.125. Keep it going Gators.

 

The SEC Top 3 Week 9:

Oklahoma at Auburn: 197.925

AAs:
Jordan Bowers 39.675
Faith Torrez 39.625
Lily Pederson 39.400
Addison Fatta 39.325

Audrey Davis is normally the 5th AA. She competed in 3 events not participating on vault. Her scores: bars 9.925; beam 9.825; floor 9.875.

The sooners had 2 meets last weekend so Davis may have needed some rest taking vault off. The freshmen AAs seem to have hit a peak lately at just under 39.500.

I've thought all season that fatigue or injury could become a problem for OU gymnasts as they have remained at #1 even with their combination of lack of depth and inexperience. However, like the 2024 season, fatigue, injuries. or inexperience that could derail a season could pop up later.

LSU at George Washington: 198.125

AAs:
Haleigh Bryant 39.725
Kailin Chio 39.675

Haleigh Bryant is back on all 4 events, but LSU lost 4 gymnasts to injury from 2/16 to 2/24. It goes to show the incredible depth LSU has in scoring 198.125, the tigers highest score of the season which also matches the 198.125 season high that UF has scored twice.

For my money, Kailin Chio is the best freshman in the nation. She performs at a high level every week.

Missouri at Florida: 198.125

AAs:
Leanne Wong 39.750
Selena Harris-Miranda 39.725

It's going to be interesting to see how the SEC hands out their weekly awards. The popular choice for Gymnast of the Week may be Haleigh Bryant at 39.725, but Leanne Wong outscored her at 39.750. To make matters more complicated for the SEC, Selena Harris-Miranda also deserves recognition having matched Bryant's 39.725 score plus having scored a 10 on vault. Maybe we'll see tri-Gymnast of the Week.

Kailin Chio should be the shoo in for Freshman of the Week.

 

Good article on UF after the Gators win over Missouri at College Gym News:

"United As One," Florida Overcomes Emotional Performance to Achieve Season High-Tying Win - College Gym News

Not sure we learn anything new except CGN has the capacity to report favorably on UF when it is due, and that Leanne Wong had a chemistry exam at 8:30 PM on Thursday night before the meet.

 

Road to Nationals Week 9 Top 10:

Standings

1. Oklahoma 197.915
2. LSU 197.710
3. UCLA 197.525
4. Florida 197.480
5. Utah 197.465
6. California 197.345
7. Missouri 197.230
8. Michigan State 197.220
9. Kentucky 197.085
10. Georgia 196.065
14. Alabama 196.940

After week 9 the tide has moved ahead of the piggies for the last slot in the SEC Tournament with 2 weeks remaining in the regular season.

The top 8 have been consistent for most of the season. All 8 were in my preseason top 10. My preseason two misses through the regular season will likely be Arkansas (16) and Denver (18). Hitting .800 ain't too bad.

 

Florida's Road to Nationals rankings in each of the 4 events:

3. Vault 49.430 - tied with LSU
3. Bars 49.410
9. Beam 49.325
5. Floor 49.485

Prior to at Arkansas, the Gators were #1 on beam plus at Oklahoma didn't help either. I'm positive the Gators will improve this score.

Since the season opening meet floor fiasco, the Gators have steadily improved on floor.

 

Ellie is 5th year, so I believe she has worn out her skills. When CJR lets her perform, she lets her perform usually on 2 events and bad things happen.

JMHO, Ellie needs to be a 1-event specialist. Give Ellie one event and let her put up her highest score possible. Me? I'd assign her to either beam or floor where she is capable of hitting 9.9+. Ellie has a chance to break into a lineup if she would be used as a specialist. I wish Anya Pilgrim had Ellie's beautiful 180 split leaps.

I don't know how Ellie is practicing in the gym. If she is not doing well, at least see how she does specializing on one event. If she still isn't able to put up an elite score, Ellie could just be worn out on continuing in gymnastics. She has only performed 6 times this season. Ellie has one elite score of 9.9 on vault at OU, 3 below average scores for UF, and 2 disastrous scores. One out of six scoring an elite score won't get anyone into a UF lineup.