(GYM) Gymnastics 2024 - 2025

Dang! Shoulders and backs are difficult injuries to get over. I hope it isn't too serious.

Speaking of injuries, Konnor McClain performed on bars and beam in LSU's opening meet. Do you get the sense that is what Skye Blakely is working towards or do you think redshirt for 2025?

Haleigh Bryant may be playing with fire with her elbow injury. One report has her as as an attempt to try on beam in the Sprout's Farmers Market meet this weekend.

 

Right now, I'm a bit embarrassed to have put Denver into my preseason top 10. I think UCLA has a better chance to prove it as the season passes. Denver didn't look good, and I don't think they have the athletes for top 10 now that I've seen them, same with Michigan although they have a bit more athleticism than Denver.

We had a discussion during nationals when Jade Carey performed with UF about her hopefully transferring to UF. She is a close friend and was a training mate with Riley McCusker. I can understand her being a big part of the Oregon State team and wanting to finish her final season where she started. The best she can likely hope for is to perform at nationals as an individual again.

Opening with Michigan State ranked 11th and with a meet under their belt will be no typical or easy task. If the Gators don't come in ready to go big, they could be going home with a loss in the O Dome.

Nationally, this is a serious meet, so I hope the meet is performed for a high score and a win. Doing so will also help with getting the Gators ready to go to LSU on the 17th.

 

Week 1 Good Recap from College Gym Fans:

First Week Recap: Early Impressions - CollegeGymFans.com

"SCORE Board" Debuts

The NCAA launched a new judge evaluation process this season, called the SCORE Board. The board is intended to drive feedback and accountability to judges over the scoring they are performing. In the past, the evaluations were completed by Coaches. Now, the judges will be evaluated by video by a panel of SCORE board judges, two per event. The judges will be rated on variance from the posted reference score. Judges that produce "impossible scores", aka scores that exceed the maximum value after all "obvious" errors have been deducted, will have points deducted. The eventual plan, if the system is successful and the system is allowed, is for the judge's selection to score post-season meets will be impacted.

Our First Impossible Score(s)

It did not take long to get our first impossible score. One athlete in the Utah vs. USU meet received a score of 9.7. The range of the two scores was 9.6 (Brevet judge) and 9.8 (National). The athlete performed a front layout (B) to punch Rudi (D, +0.2 Connection Value (CV)) as her first pass. She also had a switch full (D) to sissone (A) in her dance passage, plus a tour jete 1/4 (B) to a kneel. Finally, she dismounted with a front layout (duplicate B) to front layout half (B, +.1 CV). This equates to 0.5 in bonus. The dismount was normally planned to be a front layout (B) to front layout full (C, +0.2 CV), but her landing on her first salto has a bit off. Because she did not have a C salto in her last pass, she lost 0.2 points from her start value due to missing the special requirement for a C in the last acro pass. In addition, because she did not have a C in her last pass, she missed the "Up to the Level" compositional requirement for the NCAA on two fronts: First, there was not a C+bonus in her final pass and second, her two pass routine did not include a pass with a D and another pass with 0.2 in CV. Although she missed on two fronts, only 0.1 points can be deducted. Thus her maximum score on this routine, before execution errors, was a 9.6.

In another example, one in which fans were very confused, an athlete on FX in the American Gold Classic meet received a score of 9.775, with a 9.85 from one judge and 9.7 from the other. The athlete performed a double layout mount (E), then a Strug (C) to wolf full (C, 0.1 CV). She then dismounted with a front tuck stepout (A) to double tuck (D, +0.1 special bonus for D in combination in last pass of two pass routine). There was also a dive roll (A) and an abstract jump half turn to prone (A) in the routine. Gymnasts are required to have 3 A, 3 B and 2 C skills or higher in the routine. This routine was a short of a B, meaning an A had to be counted in its place, leading to a loss of 0.2 points in the maximum score. Thus, 9.8 was the maximum score for this routine. One judge therefore had an "impossible" score.

(Note: Virt.us may not be showing missing Special Requirements deducted from the Start Value as indicated in the NCAA Modification document. We are also making assumptions based on the final score, as we can not definitely say which deductions the judge has taken).

Waiting Times Extend

One change the NCAA made for this season was to narrow the allowable difference between scores produced by the two judges, on routines that average 9.8 or higher. This allowable difference has shrunk from 0.2 to 0.1 points, through the balance of the regular season. As expected, when combined with enhanced judicial accountability via video review, this has produced an increase in the number of judging conferences being held. In at least one case, disagreements between the judges took an extended period to resolve.

Watch those Connections

Fans were left confused by the judges' increased attention on connections, particularly on BB. As explained in this video connections in dance or mixed series should show continuous movement in line with the beam. On dance series, legs that drop and raise again or where trunk movement stop are considered broken. All series are considered broken when there is a stop in movement, loss of balance, deviation of movement not in line with the beam, repositioning of a foot or pivoting, bending and strengthening of a leg, and of course a hop/jump/step. For acro series, raising a free leg above 45 degrees breaks the series. We saw all of the above (except the obvious step/hop/jump) in connections this weekend. In many cases the deductions were taken clearly, in others one or neither of the judges appeared to have taken the potential deduction. To be clear, the deductions are not new (although they changed a few years ago), but potential heightened scrutiny is.

High Variation in Week 1

Looking at meets held coast to coast, we still saw variation between how strictly panels were evaluating routines. In one meet, we saw numerous broken connections taken, including for moments with momentary pauses. In another, we saw clear mistakes and broken connections passing through. We can probably expect that for the next month, as judges get their SCORE board feedback, they will narrow in on just how severe to judge certain aspects of execution.

 

Time to fire up your Watch ESPN App or to make sure your TV provider gives you access to SEC Network+. The quad tomorrow night will be televised by SEC Network+ at 7 PM ET.

Michigan State will be out to improve their performance from when the Spartans underperformed in the 2024 Gainesville Regional being knocked out of the NCAAs by UF and Utah.

Gators Gymnastics Season Opens Friday - Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida gymnastics starts the 2025 season this Friday. Preseason No. 3 Florida opens the campaign with a home quad versus preseason No. 11 Michigan State, No. 23 Nebraska and Northern Illinois for GNV & Club Gym Night presented by Cox.

The meet starts at 6:45 p.m. in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

About Friday's Meet:
Friday's meet is the season opener for Florida and Northern Illinois. Michigan State opened with a 196.85 – 194.675 home dual meet win over Western Michigan on Saturday. Nebraska opened with a 194.475 to take fourth at Saturday's American Gold Collegiate Gymnastics Classic in Nashville versus No. 1 Oklahoma (197.55), No. 17 Auburn (195.55) and BYU (194.625).

Friday's quad includes two defending regular-season conference champions. Florida won its sixth consecutive Southeastern Conference regular-season title in 2024 with a 6-1 record. Michigan State took its second straight Big Ten regular-season title with a 9-0 record and then claimed its first Big Ten Championships meet title at the 2024 league event in East Lansing, Mich. This is Florida's first opening meet versus a top 15 team since its 197.50-195.725 win at then No. 14 Auburn to begin the 2021 campaign.

Arrive Early to Cheer Your Gators
Be in your Exactech Arena seat by 6:45 p.m. to take in the new floor projection show which leads into the Gators first entrance for the 2025 campaign.

 

Miss tonight, miss a lot!

SEC Network+ at 7 PM ET

All Around:

Sloane Blakely
Anya Pilgrim
Leanne Wong

Vault Lineup:

1. Anya Pilgrim
2. Leanne Wong
3. Ly Bui
4. Sloane Blakely
5. Danie Ferris
6. Anya Pilgrim
Exhibition: Skylar Draser

Bars Lineup:

In a huge surprise, Skye Blakely will be in the bars lineup. It isn't an exhibition, Skye is in the lineup. Sisters Skye and Sloane get to perform together:

1. Sloane Blakely
2. Anya Pilgrim
3. Riley McCusker
4. Skye Blakely
5. Selena Harris
6. Leanne Wong
Exhibition: Ly Bui

Beam Lineup:

1. Anya Pilgrim
2. Sloane Blakely
3. Victoria Nguyen
4. Riley McCusker
5. Leanne Wong
6. Selena Harris
Exhibition: Ly Bui

Floor Lineup:

1. Victoria Nguyen
2. Ellie Lazzari
3. Anya Pilgrim
4. Sloane Blakely
5. Taylor Clark
6. Leanne Wong
Exhibition: Gabby Disidore

*Lineups are subject to change before or during the meet*