(GYM) This, That & The Other...

Jenny is playing the long game this year, which I think is good. Trinity is only doing 2 events each week, she’s got freshman and backups all over the lineup getting experience, and they aren’t even doing their full routines yet in some cases.

we have 9 meets left, but I don’t know if they are counting 4 or 6 this year for the National qualifying score. It has always been 6, but last year they made it 4 because of covid.
if it’s 6, given our scores we need to get a few good ones in and then rest people. If it’s 4, we are fine playing around with lineups a few more weeks.

 

Caught some of the Bama and Auburn meets. Both were impressive and scored over 197. Few Covid postponements again too.

 

6 NQS. Still, I worry about the lower scores and taking away from the best who need to adjust to the college team sport and scoring.

Two injuries yesterday also are dropping the depth. The young lady from Tampa who should only be used as a last resort injured both ankles on the floor and is likely out for the rest of her senior season.

Clark was first up on the vault and she posted a 9.725. I cannot get why gymnasts are given time in meets when they can't score at least a 9.80 on this team.

Playing for the long game is fine except UF is accepting 197 when 198 is possible in every meet. At least get the 6 NQSs for the rankings.

 

wow, tough crowd. the goal is, imo, to rest and peak at year's end, something we have not done the last couple of years. scores will come, remember, only 2 meets really count, regionals and nationals. winning the sec is nice, but what does it get you in the big picture?

 

judging is so subjective that it is a mistake to give the impression that you are a lesser team than you are.

 

Yep, top gymnasts and programs get the benefit of the doubt at winning time.

 

Confirmed season ending injuries:

Dr. Sam, PhD (@DrSam_PhD) / Twitter

Ellie Lazzari and Halley Taylor both tore their Achilles on Friday night at Georgia. Ellie tore hers during warmups and Halley tore hers on her first tumbling pass on the floor. Ellie will be back for 23, but I think Halley is done with the way she worded her statement.

Lazzari and Taylor combined with Morgan Hurd's season ending knee surgery, leaves UF with 3 less gymnasts just 2 meets into the season.

 

Wow, that's rough. Best wishes to the girls with their recovery.

 

Sam reported today that both ladies had successful surgery yesterday.

 

Imagine if all four seniors return next year!!!

 

We will see how they feel after a long season, but that wouldn’t suck. Might hurt freshman retention though. We have what four this year and five next year, at some point we have to get them on the floor.
I will say that if Trin in particular wants to come back though, Jenny literally can’t say no.

 

I was not sure if these seniors were also granted an extra COVID year of eligibility "Super" Senior season. But of course they are! Dumb gatornharlem! This is great news!

 

For all of you Gym Nerds, 2 great weekly podcasts on college gymnastics where they break down the top meets of the week, interview gymnasts and coaches, NCAA recruiting, transfers, injury updates, etc. A lot of SEC, B1G 10, PAC-12 and Big 12 gymnastics info!

‎GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast: You Can't Sit on Two Chairs on Apple Podcasts

‎All Things Gymnastics Podcast: Interview with CMU gymnast Hannah DeMers on Apple Podcasts

 

LSU coach speaks about the Alexis Jeffrey transfer. This week's "GymCastic" podcast (see my last post for link) talks in-depth on what happened at UCLA...

(@emilym90) <a href="">January 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Podcast on the UCLA situation regarding racist behavior on former team member who has transferred to LSU: ‎Small Doses with Amanda Seales: Side Effects of Fighting For What's Right at UCLA Gymnastics (with Margzetta Frazier and Sekai Wright) on Apple Podcasts

 

These are the 5 vaults Michigan made that scored a record 49.875. The first 3 vaults scored 10.0. 2 were suspicious- chest down on one vault and the other she stepped forward too soon IMHO. Opinions?


</p>&mdash; Michigan Women’s Gymnastics (@UMichWGym) <a href="">February 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

I can see the first two vaults being 10s, but not the third. On the third, she stepped forward too soon, not a stick. Looked like more than .125 deductions on the last 3 vaults. Still, a good rotation, but only historic in Ann Arbor.

 

On the GymCastic podcast yesterday, they said the score was really more like 49.675-49.700, which is still a great score. They also say comparing Michigan with Florida, Utah and Oklahoma, on Bars, Beam and Floor there's not much of a difference. But with Vault, all 6 (six) Michigan vaulters' start values are 10.000 and unless the other 3 (three) schools catch up, Michigan will win another title. They said "This week both Florida and Oklahoma had 3 (three) Yurchenko Fulls (9.950 start values). It will be a race between Florida and Oklahoma to see if they can get enough difficulty on vault and hit their landings in enough time to catch Michigan. And if they continue to use the same vault lineups then Michigan will win...You won't catch up to what they (Michigan) are doing on vault unless you get more personal in these lineups." Regarding Florida, they are a "mystery" team because they have yet to see a full lineup on all 4 (four) events.

 

College Gym News article on Florida commit Anya Pilgrim about after years of self-doubt, she finds where she belongs:
"In the end, it was her childhood dream that prevailed—she wished to be a Florida Gator."

 

No problem with 49.675.

I have caught flack for saying Jenny Rowland didn't use her best on the vault and floor at Mizzou. It is past time to get UF's best lineups together and to increase difficulty.

I don't want to hear anything more about the long season and saving the gymnasts. Put the peddle to the metal. UF isn't competing with anyone other than themselves at this point, but the higher the NQSs the better and having a squad primed and ready to perform at peak level with the likes of Michigan, Oklahoma, and Utah along with the other top SEC teams should be of high importance.