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Tiger Showdown



I keep telling myself I want to be a sort of LSU hub and then grow into more of an NCAA hub. To do that, though, I need to post. It's gotten to the point where blogger wasn't even in my URL predictions.  Yikes! I've been busy with my last year of residency and looking for jobs but with a fellowship coming up and a big smile on my face, here I am!

The LSU Tigers have finished Week 6 of the NCAA season in 4th place, first of the SEC teams. They had a win against conference rivals Missouri Tigers in a meet that revealed a few areas that still need a little more work.

The LSU Tigers started the meet on bars. Freshman Sami Durante has been a great asset to the lineup. It has certainly been nice to have a bar worker with an easy swing leading off the lineup (probably with hopes of moving back in later years unless she goes the route of beam Erin Macadaeg). Ashlyn Kirby seemed to be having a great routine but unfortunately had a fall. Kennedi Edney was able to pick up after with a sky high release move. Lexie Priessman was also in the lineup. She had some of her usual form issues on her Tkatchev to Pak but had a nice double layout dismount with a small hop.

On vault, Sarah Edwards had an excellent 1.5 twisting Yurchenko. Cannamela had a great full twisting Yurchenko that just seemed to fall right in the perfect spot. The remaining vaults didn't have the usual landings that we've come to expect from LSU.

Floor, as per usual, has been great for LSU. These routines have grown in their performance quality throughout the season and the lineup truly builds in terms of difficulty and choreography, making for exclamation point routines from the last few athletes. Kirby's routine has grown on me each time she performs along with enjoyable choreography just before her last pass. The highlight was Hambrick. She was in place on her 2.5 punch front but made it through with a superb routine to earn a 9.975.

The final score was LSU 197.150 to Missouri's 196.375. Edney and Hambrick won vault with 9.95s with Priessman and Hambrick scoring 9.875s to win vault. Lead off Macadaeg and anchor Finnegan tied with 9.9 to win beam (with an honorable mention to Missouri's Britney Ward who was 3rd with a 9.85). Hambrick and Finnegan won floor with stellar 9.975. Finally, Hambrick won the AA with a 39.625. Though it was a good score with plenty of things to celebrate from the meet, there were a lot of reminders. Beam has been the downfall of LSU in the past and seems to be their nemesis again. The pieces are there - an excellent and steady lead off in Macadeag, stable veterans in Finnegan and Hambrick, strong newcomers in Desiderio and Campbell. Unfortunately, it is easy for "the wheels to come off the wagon," quoting coach D-D Breaux. This meet will serve as as reminder that LSU can indeed be #LSUnstoppable provided they don't let beam get the best of them.

Partial Roster 2017-2018


A running list of rosters. Next year it will contain all 4 years! This is for the Top 20-ish schools and I plan to grow the list with time. Class year determines when the athletes matriculated for their first term as a freshman unless otherwise noted. For example, class of 2016 means the athletes started college in 2016 and first competed January 2017.


Alabama
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Kylie Dickson
Lexi Graber
Bailie Key
Alonza Klopfer		Wynter Childers
Madison Desch
Shea Mahoney 		Abby Armbrecht
Jenna Bresette
Amanda Huang
Avery Rickett
Caitlin ColeAngelina Giancroce
Ariana Guerra
Notes: Amanda Huang transferred to Ohio State for her sophomore year
Avery Rickett ? medical retirement
Bailie Key changed commitment from Florida to Alabama
Bressette, Cole unknown
Arizona
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Payton Bellows
Sydney Freidin
Laura Horton
Adra Parks		Christina Berg
Courtney Cowles
Heather Swanson 		Charlie Dembo
Haylie Hendrickson
Brittany Robertson
Skyler Sheppard
Danielle Spencer

Shannon Farrell
Isabell Hutchins
Jenny Leung
Maddi Leydin		Lauryn Mattson
Notes: Christina Berg '16 was Auburn
Robertson is no longer at Arizona.
Farrell, Dembo, Hutchins unknown
Sheppard transferred to Auburn
Arkansas
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Sophia Carter
Kailey Gillings
Sydney Laird		Michaela Burton
Hailey Garner
Sarah Shaffer
Jessica Yamzon		Mackenzie Anderson
Sydney McGlone
Lakin Legereit
Ellie Wylie		Kirby Rathjen
Notes: Shaffer is a redshirt and will have an additional year
Auburn
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Sydney Bassett
Allie Riddle
Ashley Smith
Meredith Syliva
Drew Watson		Katie Becker
Gracie Day
Kendal Moss		 Samantha Cerio
Emma Engler
Taylor Krippner
Emma Slappey*
Jada Glenn
Telah Black
A'Miracal Phillips
Skyler Sheppard
Notes: Christina Berg '16 switched to Arizona
Slappey is a redshirt and will have an additional year
Skyler Sheppard transferred from Arizona in her junior year.
Boise State
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Tatum Bruden
Emily Muhlenhaupt
Rachel Obmann
Tessa Otuafi		Isabelle Amado
Courtney McGregor
McKinley Pavicic		 Sarah Means
Shani Remme
McKenna Morrell
Maddison Nilson
Notes: Emily Muhlenhaupt '17 was a Utah commit.
Cal
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Kyana George
Alma Kuc
Victoria Salem
Nina Schank		Cassidy Keelen
Rachael Mastrangelo		Emily Howe
Sofie Seilnacht
Sylvie Seilnacht
Chelsea Shu
Maleah Pearson
Mariah Peterson
Lauren Ramirez		Alex Dudschus
Mariah Peterson
Notes: 
Denver
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Lynnzee Brown
Emily Glynn
Mia Sundstrom		Maddie Karr
Courtney Loper
Samantha Ogden		 Claire Kern
Kaitlyn Schou
Grace Broadhurst
Diana Chesnok
Notes: Mia Sundstrom early?
Eastern Michigan
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Megan Benzie
Cali Harden
Brianna Price
Notes:
Florida
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Vanasia Bradley
Jazmyn Foberg
Megan Skaggs		Maegan Chant
Rachel Gowey
Amelia Hundley		 Alicia Boren
Amanda Cheney
Lacy Dagen
Peyton Ernst
Ashley Hiller
Alyssa BaumannSierra Alexander
Nicole Webb
Notes: Chant graduated in 2015, signed NLI in 2016.
Peyton Ernst was medically released
Baumann was c/o 2016 but is deferring a year for medical reasons.
Foberg was c/o 2018 but graduated early
Georgia
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Ashley Foss
Emily Schild
Marissa Oakley		Rachel Dickson
Sabrina Vega		Caroline Bradford
Gracie Cherrey
Sydney Snead
Madison McPhersonJordyn Pedersen
Notes: Pedersen deferred to 2016
Alexis Beucler (2016) changed commitment to NC State.
Samantha Durante was c/o 2017***
Illinois
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Nicole Biondi
Grace Gough
Kylie Noonan		Rae Balthazor
Lindsay Dwyer
Karen Howell
Brittany Jones		Julia Hutcherson
Lizzy LeDuc
Brielle Nguyen
Haylee Roe
Kasey Meeks
Tessa Phillips		Rachael Donovan
Notes:
LSU
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Reagan Campbell
Christina Desiderio
Gracen Standley		Kennedi Edney
Ruby Harrold
Ashlyn Kirby		Julianna Cannamela
Sarah Finnegan
Mckenna Kelley
Lexie Priessman
Kaitlyn Szafranski
Bridget Dean
Notes: Harrold deferred to 2016. Desiderio was c/o 2018, matriculated early
Kaitlyn Szafranski went to Arizona State
Michigan
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Lauren Farley
Sydney Townsend		Lexi Funk
Maggie O'Hara
Madison Osman
Polina Shchennikova		Olivia Karas
Emma McLean
Carly GordonSam Roy
Notes:
Minnesota
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Ona Loper
Lexi Montgomery
Lexy Ramler		Casey Betts
Ivy Lu
Kristen Quaglia
Ryan Stach
Rebecca Taylor		Rachel Cutler
Selena Ung
Julia Huebert
Nicole Rogalski
Notes:
Nebraska
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Anika Dujakovich
Torri Hutchinson
Kynsee Roby		Alexa Clark
Sierra Hassel
Taylor Houchin		Kami Amemiya-Shows*
Sienna Crouse
Catelyn Orel
Megan Schweihofer
Kelsye Kurtiak
Rachel Thompson
Brooke Wrage		Kelli Chung*
Megan Kuo*
Notes: Shows, Chung and Kuo are red shirt freshman
Oklahoma
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Abigail Matthews
Evy Schoepfer
Ellie Wylie		Jade Degouveia
Maggie Nichols
Brehanna Showers		Alex Marks
Nicole Lehrmann
Megan Thompson
Notes:
Oregon State
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Savannah Force
Alexis Gonzalez
Kaitlin Yanish		Isis Lowery
Brianna McCant		Mariana Colussi-Pelaez
McKenna Singley
Sabrina Gill
Halli Briscoe
Kaitlin Campbell
Destinee Davis
Lena Greene
Jaime Law
Maela Lazaro
Alyssa Minyard		Mary Jacobsen
Elizabeth Yu
Notes: Gill deferred to 2016
Brianna McCant passed away summer 2017
Penn State
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Alissa Bonsall
Lauren Bridgens
Kourtney Chinnery
Ava Verdeflor		Tess McCracken
Kristen Politz
Mikayla Waddell		Sabrina Garcia
Mason Hosek
Jessica Jones
Amber Autry
Madi Heckman
Gianna LaGuardia
Peyton Schuller
Notes:
Stanford
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Kyla Bryant
Rachael Flam
Taylor Lawson
Lauren Navarro
Catherine Rogers		Kaylee Cole
Aleeza Yu		Taryn Fitzgerald
Hailee Hoffman
Dare Maxwell
Ashley TaiNicole Hoffman
Notes:
UCLA
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Nia Dennis
Pauline Tratz		Anna Glenn
Grace Glenn
Felicia Hano		Katelyn Ohashi
Madison Preston
Macy Toronjo*
Madison Kocian
Kyla Ross
Savannah Kooyman
Francesca Lawal
Lilia Waller		Maria Caire
Gracie Kramer
Giulianna Pino
Mercedez Sanchez		Matteah Brow
Stella Savvidou (Jan)
Nicki Shapiro
Notes: Kocian and Ross signed with the class of 2015 but deferring to 2016
Biles '15 is a professional athlete
Nica Hults verbally committed but unfortunately has not matriculated
Toronjo is a red shirt freshman
Shapiro and Brow are not on the 2016-2017 roster
Utah
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Alexia Burch
Sydney Soloski		Melissa Reinstadtler
Kim Tessen		Shannon McNatt
MaKenna Merrell
Erika Muhaw
Sabrina Schwab
Mykayla Skinner
Sarah SmithMacey Roberts
Notes: Skinner is deferring to 2016
Hannah Miller '16 was initially verbally committed to Utah but signed NLI for BYU
Roberts is a transfer from Maryland for the 2017 season
Washington
Class of 2017Class of 2016Class of 2015
Jennifer Oh
Geneva Thompson
Rachel Kaplan
Hannah Willmarth
Notes: Skinner is deferring to 2016
Hannah Miller '16 was initially verbally committed to Utah but signed NLI for BYU
Roberts is a transfer from Maryland for the 2017 season

LSU Dominates at Season Opener



The NCAA season is officially upon us. #2 LSU beat #9 Georgia in their season opener with a 197.825, the highest score in LSU opening season history.

The LSU Tigers started off warm on vault but then the fire was unleashed when freshman Kennedi Edney stuck her one and a half twisting Yurchenko and scored a 9.950. The rotation continued with Myia Hambrick sticking her Yurchenko full for a 9.925. Ashleigh Gnat was the anchor with a superb double twisting Yurchenko with excellent height and improved form. She had a hop back for a 9.925.

Bars has a new lead off routine in Canadian senior Shae Zamardi. Due to an injury, the decision was made to take out her unique Markhelov release. Because of this and her difficult to stick double arabian, Zamardi was moved to the start of the lineup. The nice thing is that LSU now has a solid easily 9.8+ gymnast leading their lineup with the hope that scores will only build. Zamardi hit her routine for a 9.850. Hambrick had a great routine for a 9.875. Gnat was next in the lineup and got stuck on her full pirouette and lost her form in a few places to score a 9.775. Edney continued to deliver in her college debut with a beautiful Hindorff and a 9.875. Finnegan showed off her beautiful lines throughout her routine for a 9.9. Lexie Priessman has the anchor spot on bars and earned a 9.875.

Erin Macadaeg is back from a foot fracture to lead the Tigers off on beam. Macadaeg was training the all around but had to pull back for the first meet while recovering from her injury. She had an excellent routine without a single wobble for a 9.9. Lauren Li, transfer from Penn State, made her debut as a Tiger with a wonderful beam routine and a 9.850. Ewing, Finnegan, Gnat closed out the lineup with 9.9, 9.95, 9.875, respectively. Finnegan showed her triple wolf turn.

The Tigers then went to floor, the event for which they are well known for difficult tumbling and unique choreography. Sydney Ewing started things off with a 9.85. Senior Zamardi was 2nd up and mounted with a beautiful double arabian but had to take a large step forward. She earned a 9.850. Priessman had the 3rd slot. Unfortunately, she fell on her double pike dismount and scored a 9.200.  Hambrick was up next with a cute but sassy routine. Her opening double layout was a little short but the remainder of her routine was solid for a 9.9. McKenna Kelley had a phenomenal routine with a double layout mount. Her second pass was a very open and high full in. She dismounted with a double pike and scored a 9.925. Gnat closed out the meet with a lovely double arabian at the start of her routine and scored a 9.950.

Notably missing from the floor was Ruby Harrold. An Olympic alternate in 2012 and an Olympian in 2016 for Great Britain, Harrold is best known for her unique releases on uneven bars. She competed at Gymnastics 101 where they mentioned that she had been ill recently and was working to get her strength back. She is a gymnast that has a Yurchenko 1.5, worth a 10 so I imagine they would want her in that lineup as well.

Myia Hambrick won the all around with a 39.575. Close behind was Ashleigh Gnat with a 39.525. Georgia's Sydney Snead finished 3rd with a 39.225.

Georgia had a rough meet finishing with a 193.600, their lowest opening score since 1999. Beam continued to be rough for Georgia having to count four scores ranging from 9.150-9.625. Highlights of the meet were all arounder Sydney Snead who had a hiccup on floor but finished well everywhere else, including Georgia's team high on beam of 9.800. Sabrina Vega made her return to competition for the first time in almost 4 years. She had some wobbles on balance beam to earn a 9.625. Her floor exercise was lovely, mounted with a full in, and earning a 9.775. Morgan Reynolds returned on 3 events (all but beam) after missing the majority of last year's season due to severe infection with E. coli.

Notably missing for Georgia was Natalie Vaculik who would be a helpful score on beam but especially on bars.


The Tigers will compete again next week against #3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Alabama just suffered a loss against #1 defending National Champions Oklahoma, 196.700-197.750. They will be eager for a win at home.

 Results
Photo by Chris Parent

LSU Ready to Attack



LSU finished the 2016 season with a historic second place finish. They have slowly but surely been creeping up in the ranking and for the past year or two, have had a "this will be the year" vibe. Unfortunately, it hasn't been the year. Not yet. But, the Tigers are proving they'll be in the running. The key for the team this year is depth. The athletes have said that they have more athletes than in the past ready to go on each event. This is pre-season anything can change, but as of right now, these girls are looking fiece.



Vault
Returning athletes: Julianna Cannamela, Sydney Ewing, Sarah Finnegan, Ashleigh Gnat, Myia Hambrick
Watch for: Freshman Ruby Harrold is going to be an asset on every event and threaten for an all around spot as a freshman. In training videos, she shows a very solid 1.5TY vault valued at a 10.0. Kennedi Edney is also shown in the videos doing a 1.5TY. Sophomore Lexie Preissman spent the bulk of last season injured but this may be the year for her to make the lineup with either her FTY or DTY. McKenna Kelley also debuted a front handspring front pike half off vault. It's a new vault for her but I expect her to make the lineup (she may exhibition at first then make the lineup).
Cannamela's spot is likely the one most in danger. Ewing has a 10.0 vault. Finnegan's spot is precarious as well but she would need the spot for the all around. The other 2, Gnat and Hambrick, are most definitely safe. Hambrick has shown an upgraded 1.5TY and Gnat continues to show her strong DTY.

Uneven bars
Returning athletes: Sarah Finnegan, Ashleigh Gnat, Myia Hambrick, Lexie Priessman, Shae Zamardi
Watch for: Ruby Harrold will slay us all with her phenomenal routine complete with her unique van Leeuwen to Zuchold. Kennedi Edney shows a lovely Hindorff. There are also clips of Erin Macadaeg on uneven bars.
The 5 returning athletes are pretty stable barring injury. Gnat is potentially the weakest link in the lineup but needs this for the all around. Harrold will most likely sneak right into this band of 5. Edney would most likely be next in line should any of the girls get injured or need to rest.



Balance Beam
Returning athletes:
Julianna Cannamela, Sydney Ewing, Sarah Finnegan, Ashleigh Gnat, Myia Hambrick, Erin Macadaeg
Watch for: Beam has been LSU's nemesis for the last 2 years causing them a spot in the Super Six and causing them an SEC Championship. So this may be one of the places with lineup changes. They're returning their entire lineup. Again Harrold may be able to make the lineup. There are also clips of Priessman and Lauren Li training on beam. Li reportedly had a 9.9 at the intrasquad with a very impressive routine with split layout stepout and gainer layout full dismount. McKenna Kelley did beam at the most recent intrasquad as well.

Floor Exercise
Returning athletes: Sydney Ewing, Ashleigh Gnat, Myia Hambrick, McKenna Kelley
Watch for: Yes, yes, Ruby Harrold. She has an interesting potential for passes with a double arabian and front double full. Edney showed a lovely floor routine at the most recent intrasquad with a high and well landed double arabian. There are clips of Priessman and Finnegan doing double layouts. In earlier videos, Lauren Li was training a piked full in. The landing was a little low but it was also earlier in preseason. Zamardi has done floor a few times last year and is shown again working her double arabian. Given the strength of tumbling of her teammates, she'll have to work hard to make the lineup. Sophomore Katelyn Szafranski exhibitioned last year on vault and there are videos of her on floor in the intrasquad with a score of 9.9.
In the most recent intrasquad, it actually looks like Kelley is working on a full in dismount which would be all amounts of insane.



All Around
Returning: Myia Hambrick, Ashleigh Gnat
These 2 will most definitely continue with the all around. Gnat may be taken out if for some reason her UB scores are really, truly, significantly hurting the team.
Watch for: Finnegan is probably next in line for me. She did the all around last year but given her past injuries and unsteady balance beam, where she's a crucial member, she went back down to 3 events. She's shown on floor a lot so I think they're grooming her for the all around either for next year or if Gnat for some reason is no longer doing all around. Macadaeg mentioned that she's training all 4 events but despite her excellent floor exercise score last year, she didn't make it into the lineup again. A full twisting Yurchenko will also be tough to break in this current 10.0 vault lineup. Harrold may exhibition on floor and beam and may be able to work into those lineups for injuries or for resting other athletes. She'll definitely need to be groomed for the all around for next year when they lose contributing routines from Ewing, Gnat, and Zamardi.

LSU will have their Gymnastics 101 Showcase on December 12 and their first meet will be January 6 against Georgia.

Partial Roster 2016-2017


A list of freshman from the Top 20-ish schools. I was initially hoping of making full rosters so we could see who signed an NLI, who swapped throughout the years, etc. but that project may have died. I may add the current sophomores to this. Check the college commits page. That will be udpated with the Class of 2020 commits.


Alabama
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Wynter Childers
Madison Desch
Shea Mahoney 		Abby Armbrecht
Jenna Bresette
Amanda Huang
Avery Rickett
Caitlin ColeAngelina Giancroce
Ariana Guerra
Notes: Amanda Huang transferred to Ohio State for her sophomore year
Avery Rickett ? medical retirement
Arizona
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Christina Berg
Courtney Cowles
Heather Swanson 		Charlie Dembo
Haylie Hendrickson
Brittany Robertson
Skyler Sheppard
Danielle Spencer
Shannon Farrell
Isabell Hutchins
Jenny Leung
Maddi Leydin		Lauryn Mattson
Notes: Christina Berg '16 was Auburn
Robertson is no longer at Arizona. Dembo, Hutchins unknown
Arkansas
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Michaela Burton
Hailey Garner
Sarah Shaffer
Jessica Yamzon		Mackenzie Anderson
Sydney McGlone
Kirby Rathjen
Notes:
Auburn
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Katie Becker
Gracie Day
Kendal Moss		 Samantha Cerio
Emma Engler
Taylor Krippner
Emma Slappey*

Telah Black
A'Miracal Phillips
Notes: Christina Berg '16 switched to Arizona
Slappey is a red shirt freshman
Boise State
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Isabelle Amado
Courtney McGregor
McKinley Pavicic		 Sarah Means
Shani Remme
McKenna Morrell
Maddison Nilson
Notes:
Cal
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Cassidy Keelen
Rachael Mastrangelo		Emily Howe
Sofie Seilnacht
Sylvie Seilnacht
Chelsea Shu
Alex Dudschus
Mariah Peterson
Notes: 
Denver
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Maddie Karr
Courtney Loper
Samantha Ogden		 Claire Kern
Kaitlyn Schou

Grace Broadhurst
Diana Chesnok
Notes:
Florida
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Maegan Chant
Rachel Gowey
Amelia Hundley		 Alicia Boren
Amanda Cheney
Lacy Dagen
Peyton Ernst
Ashley Hiller
Sierra Alexander
Notes: Chant graduated in 2015, signed NLI in 2016.
Peyton Ernst was medically released
Georgia
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Rachel Dickson
Sabrina Vega		Caroline Bradford
Gracie Cherrey
Sydney Snead
Jordyn Pedersen
Notes: Pedersen deferred to 2016
Alexis Beucler (2016) changed commitment to NC State.
Illinois
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Rae Balthazor
Lindsay Dwyer
Karen Howell
Brittany Jones		Julia Hutcherson
Lizzy LeDuc
Brielle Nguyen
Haylee Roe
Rachael Donovan
Notes:
LSU
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Kennedi Edney
Ruby Harrold
Ashlyn Kirby		Julianna Cannamela
Sarah Finnegan
Mckenna Kelley
Lexie Priessman
Kaitlyn Szafranski
Notes: Harrold deferred to 2016.
Michigan
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Lexi Funk
Maggie O'Hara
Madison Osman
Polina Shchennikova		Olivia Karas
Emma McLean
Sam Roy
Notes:
Minnesota
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Casey Betts
Ivy Lu
Kristen Quaglia
Ryan Stach
Rebecca Taylor		Rachel Cutler
Selena Ung
Julia Huebert
Nicole Rogalski
Notes:
Nebraska
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Alexa Clark
Sierra Hassel
Taylor Houchin		Kami Amemiya-Shows*
Sienna Crouse
Catelyn Orel
Megan Schweihofer
Kelli Chung*
Megan Kuo*
Notes: Shows, Chung and Kuo are red shirt freshman
Oklahoma
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Jade Degouveia
Maggie Nichols
Brehanna Showers		Alex Marks
Nicole Lehrmann
Megan Thompson
Notes:
Oregon State
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Isis Lowery
Brianna McCant		Mariana Colussi-Pelaez
McKenna Singley
Sabrina Gill
Halli Briscoe
Kaitlin Campbell
Destinee Davis
Lena Greene
Jaime Law
Maela Lazaro
Alyssa Minyard		Mary Jacobsen
Elizabeth Yu
Notes: Gill deferred to 2016
Penn State
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Tess McCracken
Kristen Politz
Mikayla Waddell		Sabrina Garcia
Mason Hosek
Jessica Jones
Amber Autry
Madi Heckman
Gianna LaGuardia
Peyton Schuller
Notes:
Stanford
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Kaylee Cole
Aleeza Yu		Taryn Fitzgerald
Hailee Hoffman
Dare Maxwell
Ashley TaiNicole Hoffman
Notes:
UCLA
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Anna Glenn
Grace Glenn
Felicia Hano		Katelyn Ohashi
Madison Preston
Macy Toronjo*
Madison Kocian
Kyla Ross
Maria Caire
Gracie Kramer
Giulianna Pino
Mercedez Sanchez		Matteah Brow
Stella Savvidou (Jan)
Nicki Shapiro
Nica Hults*
Notes: Kocian and Ross signed with the class of 2015 but deferring to 2016
Biles '15 is a professional athlete
*Nica Hults to start in Jan of 2017 (or the mystery continues)
Toronjo is a red shirt freshman
Shapiro and Brow are not on the 2016-2017 roster
Utah
Class of 2016Class of 2015
Melissa Reinstadtler
Kim Tessen		Shannon McNatt
MaKenna Merrell
Erika Muhaw
Sabrina Schwab
Mykayla Skinner
Macey Roberts
Notes: Skinner is deferring to 2016
Hannah Miller '16 was initially verbally committed to Utah but signed NLI for BYU
Roberts is a transfer from Maryland for the 2017 season

NCAA Gym Month 1 Recap

Chris Parent/LSUSports.net

The first month of NCAA Gymnastics 2016 is done and what a month it has been! We've had six perfect 10s. SIX. This certainly makes for an exciting season. We've also had quite a few gymnasts that have returned from injuries and are making huge contributions to their respective teams.

We had 3 perfect 10s in one meet by Florida - Alex McMurtry on uneven bars, Bridget Sloan on balance beam, and Kennedy Baker on FX. An early perfect 10 was from Nina McGee of Denver on the floor exercise where she does not hold back in the least. The 2 perfect 10s on vault have been from Ashleigh Gnat. For the most part, it seems like scoring has been appropriate this season though these tens were not created equally. Some with bent knees, short landings or leg separations, but the accomplishment of these athletes can't be ignored. I truly enjoyed Ashleigh Gnat's DTY at Metroplex, the height and distance she gets is phenomenal (under gymnastike, here is her 10 from a home meet against Kentucky). Kennedy Baker's double arabian has been amazing since her elite days and continues to be.


Some of the highlight stories of this first month have been elite gymnasts making comebacks. Two elites that have been out for nearly 2 years following surgeries are Peyton Ernst (Florida) and Lexie Priessman (LSU). Ernst has been quick to help the Gators on beam where her flexibility is a huge asset. Priessman has made the Tiger lineup on the uneven bars but the coaching staff is hopeful that she will be able to add more events as time goes on. Priessman was one of the elites that competed the coveted Amanar vault. She has shown her FTY already and could potentially add more difficulty since the current college code rewards that.

Two other spectacular stories are in Sarah Finnegan, also of LSU, and Kaitlyn Hofland, an Ohio State Buckeye. Finnegan has been a star for the Tigers on both UB and BB. She has recently added floor exercise and adding vault will make her a true all around threat. The Tiger vault lineup, however, is probably one of the toughest to break into. We'll see if she remains in the vault lineup as she scored a 9.775 just recently and LSU currently has 2 strong all arounders. Finnegan, an alternate to the US 2012 Olympic Team, is recovering from an elbow surgery that nearly took her out of the sport entirely. She is back now with continued passion for the sport. Hofland is a Canadian elite gymnast that really caught my eye after the 2012 Olympics. She attended World Cup meets and graced many with her flexibility and unique skills on balance beam. Hofland did decide to start her career as a Buckeye in the 2014-2015 season, however, multiple injuries kept her out of her first season as she decided to redshirt that year. She is finally healthy enough to compete and is now competing vault, uneven bars, and balance beam for her team with a recent career and season high score of 9.925 on beam.

Honorable mention goes to Ariana Guerra of Alabama who had Dana Duckworth (and maybe me) in tears after her first floor routine back from back surgery!


The "team on the rise" for me is currently Arkansas. They have had a loaded season so far with wins against #4 Alabama and #9 Auburn. They are ranked in 9th place currently (week 5), 7th on vault, and 10th on floor. Star all around gymnast Amanda Wellick is ranked 8th on vault with Sydney Dillard ranked 17th on beam. They're a young team with a lot of potential. They show great quality vaults with great blocks and form in the air, with continued progress to having more stuck landings. They show great variety on uneven bars and beam. My one critique is on floor where some routines are perfect and really draw you in and others still seem to have a bit of step step pose choreography associated with them though that is certainly not the majority. As a whole, this team is phenomenal and, at the moment, they're my dark horse for the Super Six.


Super Six picture - right now is very blurry. I do think the championship is Florida's to lose. I'd say Florida and Oklahoma will make it to the Super Six. Then Utah is likely. UCLA is proving to be very strong and they're also showing depth we haven't seen in years. The floor lineup, for example, has changed multiple times, but they haven't really missed a beat. Replace one gymnast with a new 9.925. Sure! Why not?! We'll see what happens as the season progresses and we see the return of injured gymnasts to more event lineups. Alabama is also making a strong surge and could certainly make the Super Six if they continue to progress as they have been.

 What do you think? Which was your favorite 10? Who has your favorite comeback story? What does your Super Six picture look like right now?

College Freshmen 2015-2016

Madison Preston (UCLA)

If you haven't seen it, I have a College Commits page for the next few classes but already need room for the class of 2019 and potentially 2020. I figure I'll start making a table with the current freshman and this will eventually grow to include the entire roster... eventually. This is the top 20-ish schools. The number of schools will grow with time. Make sure to check the Commits page!

Alabama
Class of 2015
Abby Armbrecht
Jenna Bresette
Ariana Guerra
Amanda Huang
Avery Rickett
Arizona
Class of 2015
Charlie Dembo
Haylie Hendrickson
Brittany Robertson
Skyler Sheppard
Danielle Spencer
Arkansas
Class of 2015
Mackenzie Anderson
Sydney McGlone
Auburn
Class of 2015
Samantha Cerio
Emma Engler
Taylor Krippner
Emma Slappey
Boise State
Class of 2015
Sarah Means
Shani Remme
Cal
Class of 2015
Emily Howe
Sofie Seilnacht
Sylvie Seilnacht
Chelsea Shu
Jessica Wang
Denver
Class of 2015
Claire Kern
Kaitlyn Schou
Florida
Class of 2015
Alicia Boren
Amanda Cheney
Lacy Dagen
Peyton Ernst
Ashley Hiller
Georgia
Class of 2015
Caroline Bradford
Gracie Cherrey
Sydney Snead
Illinois
Class of 2015
Julia Hutcherson
Lizzy LeDuc
Brielle Nguyen
Haylee Roe
LSU
Class of 2015
Julianna Cannamela
Sarah Finnegan
Mckenna Kelley
Lexie Priessman
Kaitlyn Szafranski
Michigan
Class of 2015
Olivia Karas
Emma McLean
Minnesota
Class of 2015
Rachel Cutler
Selena Ung
Nebraska
Class of 2015
Kami Amemiya-Shows
Kelli Chung
Sienna Crouse
Megan Kuo
Catelyn Orel
Megan Schweihofer
Oklahoma
Class of 2015
Nicole Lehrmann
Megan Thompson
Oregon State
Class of 2015
Mariana Colussi-Pelaez
McKenna Singley
Mary Jacobsen
Elizabeth Yu
Penn State
Class of 2015
Sabrina Garcia
Madi Heckman
Mason Hosek
Jessica Jones
Gianna Laguarda
Stanford
Class of 2015
Taryn Fitzgerald
Hailee Hoffman
Dare Maxwell
UCLA
Class of 2015
Matteah Brow
Katelyn Ohashi
Madison Preston
Stella Savvidou (Jan)
Nicki Shapiro
Macy Toronjo
Utah
Class of 2015
Shannon McNatt
MaKenna Merrell
Erika Muhaw
Sabrina Schwab

Faehn Resigns, Rowland's Reign Begins

Photo Credit: Mark Almond


I'm still trying to wrap my head around the changes that have happened since they came on so suddenly and still don't really make sense to me.

Well, there's Greg Marsden's retirement which makes sense and was bound to happen. I found myself asking often "Who is Tom Farden and why is nobody talking about him?" Well, now we know. He and Megan Marsden were seen more on the floor while Greg Marsden stepped aside, allowing for a seamless transition. He's done excellent work with Utah on bars and vault as evidenced by the numerous 10s the Utes received this season. 

Then there's this Rhonda Faehn change which makes close to zero sense to me. 

Just a few days after returning home with a national championship, the three time national champion coach has decided to leave Florida for a job at USA Gymnastics. Her technical title is Senior Vice President of Women's Program. This position currently doesn't exist but Luan Peszek, mother of Samantha Peszek, will now report to Faehn it seems. Faehn will be dealing with club membership from the recreational level up to elite. I have no clue what that really means. She will also be working closely with Martha Karolyi but not sure in what capacity.

Faehn said: “This amazing opportunity with USA Gymnastics provides a new and different way for me to impact young lives. I will always love the University of Florida and will treasure my time here. But my passion and excitement for Elite gymnastics is pulling me a different direction and the timing is right for me and my family. I want to have a positive influence on the athletes and coaches that will represent our country at the highest level.”

It just doesn't make sense to me to go from a successful coaching career to an administrative role. Something must have changed or something better will be coming along. Since she was working closely with Martha and she's a successful coach, we jumped to the possibility of her taking Martha's job. However, I still believe that position is Valeri's. Instead, what if she's in line for Steve Penny's job? I have no clue. There's clearly something bigger than what we're all privy to which is fine. 

Florida has since announced that Jenny Rowland, former Auburn associate head coach, will be Faehn's replacement. Like Faehn, Rowland has experience at the highest level in gymnastics. She was a National Team member from 1985-1990 and was a member of the 1989 US World Championship team. She later competed for Arizona State and earned the school's first 10.0 on the uneven bars. Rowland has great experience as both an elite and college coach. At Auburn, she was primarily responsible for recruiting and served as their beam coach. She also has experience as a judge which helps when considering routine construction. Rowland turning Auburn into a very strong beam team is something that will be useful for Florida. Although Florida remained a top team throughout the season, beam was often the event that they faltered on and Rowland's expertise will only help as they lose 2 senior routines - Kytra Hunter and Rachel Spicer.

Then the other question: what will happen to the recruits? Florida has a steady group of recruits coming in, all of elite caliber. Was that intentional? Was there some bigger plan?  All in all, I still think most gymnasts will stay with Florida because they are 3-time defending champion, the 2 assistant coaches are still there, and the ladies that make up the team they fell in love with are still there. I think Florida's legacy is enough to keep people interested in the same way many gymnasts are still choosing UCLA despite their slow decline in the ranks.

Overall, I think Florida and Jenny Rowland will be fine. I think they have a strong group of athletes that staying at the top in the nation is entirely possible and still to be expected. I'm excited to see what will happen next season.

Nansy Damianova: I Would Do It All Over Again

Nansy Damianova in one of her favorite Utah leotards
Photo Credit: Gym Shark Photo


Canadian gymnast Nansy Damianova just finished her four year gymnastics experience at the University of Utah. Born in France to Bulgarian parents, Damianova moved to Montreal, Canada at just 4 months old. Both of her parents were on the Bulgarian National Team for different sports - her mother in rowing and her father in taekwondo. They decided to enroll their daughter in gymnastics, hoping to find a safer option for the toddler who loved jumping on their bed.

Damianova's earliest memories of wanting to pursue elite gymnastics and possibly compete at the Olympics started after watching the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. "There were 2 girls from my club Gymnix, Julie Beaulieu and Emilie Fournier, that competed there and I was able to watch them on TV. [I] remember watching Khorkina." Damianova recalls another teammate, Amelie Plante, that competed in Athens 2004. "I just remember from that moment watching them and I really wanted to be like them and go to the Olympics and be on TV one day and that [lit] the fire. I didn’t know I had the potential but that moment definitely made me want to strive towards that. I guess once I made it to the National Team and I realized I'm getting slowly better, I think I can have the chance to eventually have my dream come true."

In 2007, Damianova helped Team Canada to a 14th place finish at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. She contributed on both vault and floor exercise. Her dream did come true as Damianova was selected to represent Canada at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. "That year was just a crazy year. We had so many competitions. We traveled a lot just to qualify for the Olympics." And qualify to the Olympics, she did. Damianova competed in the all around in qualifications where she finished 38th and was 4th reserve to the all-around final.

"My coaches back home, they had a few Olympians go from our club to the Olympics. They just told me you have 4 minutes out there once you compete. No matter what happens, just enjoy every moment there because you've worked your whole life for 4 minutes pretty much. Definitely competing on floor, being there with my leotard having the Olympic rings on one side and the Canadian flag on the other one. The moment I really realized I was at the Olympics was the Closing Ceremony because I've watched it so many times on TV. Just being in the middle of the crowd, that was really breathtaking. I just remember everything like it was almost yesterday."

Damianova continued to compete elite in 2009 but things did not go as planned. "It’s just that after the Olympics, just going there was my biggest goal and suddenly when I came back home, I didn't have another goal and the Olympics were in another four years. It was such a fun event. So much hype. So much energy that when I went back to my old gym I didn't feel the same. I missed that energy. It was hard to train. I gained weight a little too after the Olympics so that changed all my movement, my technique. I realized that I didn't have energy to train as much. Things weren't really going as I was hoping. I was hoping to, right after 2009, go for World Cups and continue on with the National competitions but I got injured a little bit, my shoulder. It was time for me to try something new."

Different collegiate coaches had been in contact with Damianova's coach but her focus had always been on her elite career and making it to the Olympics. It wasn't until her post-Olympic experience that Damianova decided to look into NCAA gymnastics. "I wasn't ready to quit gymnastics because I loved it so much. I thought I needed something new so I contacted Utah in 2010, at the beginning of the year, asking them if they still had a spot available for me for that year and they said yes. I went to visit. I knew Gael Mackie so I was able to get a lot of reference from her just telling me how things are going there, [about] her experience. So, when I came to visit [Utah] I felt good about it. I saw myself training with the team. I liked the coaches. I liked the environment. So I didn't even bother looking at other schools after that because I just thought it was a good feel for me."

Nansy Damianova after receiving her Perfect 10 (in her other favorite Utah leo)

Nansy Damianova went on to have a successful NCAA career. During her freshman season, she scored season highs of 9.9 on vault and floor and was also the Regional Champion on those two events. As a sophomore, she scored a season high 9.925 on floor and was the Pac-12 runner up on floor exercise. In her junior year, Damianova scored a season high of 9.925 on not only floor exercise but also the uneven bars. She also qualified to the NCAA event finals for bars and floor where she placed 9th and 8th respectively. As a senior, Damianova had an excellent season. She helped her team to win their first Pac-12 Championship and was the Pac-12 floor champion. One of the biggest highlights of Damianova's final year competing as a Ute was her perfect 10 on floor exercise. You can watch clips of that routine and meet here.

"Greg [Marsden] kept telling us our senior night is not going to be perfect, it’s not going to be a fairy tale and that was true because vault went fine and then bars I made a mistake. Greg just reminded me to have fun on floor because he knows that whenever I try too hard, I end up not doing as well as I could. He came and talked to me before and at that point, in my head, I was like 'Well, it’s my last time at home. My family’s here. My coaches from home came to visit. So just have fun.' I ended up being in the right mindset… I ended the way I really wanted to end. I had tears at the end because it was the last time and I was just really happy that the team won and that I finally got a 10 which was something I've always wanted in my career."

Throughout both her elite and collegiate career, Damianova has often been praised for her artistry and presence. She mentions her ballet training as a major source of her elegance. "When I was much younger, my mom involved me in ballet for 2 or 3 years. She just knew that it was a good thing because she knew European gymnasts back home did a lot of ballet and had good posture, and being more elegant when you dance. I think all of it helps [a gymnast] become more graceful... The lady that choreographed my routines for the Olympics taught me how to interact with the crowd and look at the judges and not just dance and look at the floor. She works for Cirque du Soleil but she was also a coach in my club before. She definitely taught me how to move differently."

Currently, Damianova is at Utah doing an internship with the marketing department which she enjoys as it keeps her actively involved in sports. "Whatever marketing promotions we have for sports, I’m helping out with that – for example, choosing pictures for our gymnastics posters. I’m finishing up school and I’ll be graduating in May and I’ll have to figure out what I do afterwards but, for now, I go to gym pretty much every week. I go jump on the trampoline and things like that. I try to keep my gymnastics shape to an extent because I’m considering trying out for Cirque du Soleil either next year or the following year after."

Since Damianova has been around the gym, she's had some time to see the new freshman and how they fit into the 2014-2015 Utah team. "I met the new freshman and I think they look classic, they look amazing. They're all healthy and that’s really fun to have. I think that they're going to replace the 4 seniors that left really well. I think they have as good of a chance as we’ve had to win another Pac 12 and be very competitive."

When asked what she'll remember most of her career at Utah, Damianova mentions four things: winning Pac-12s, building bonds with her teammates for the last 4 years, performing at home in the Hunstman arena, and her Perfect 10 on floor. "I had a great experience at The U and it’s definitely one of the best decisions I've made. Just coming there, I was a little worried because, you know, I was never away from home for more than a couple of weeks but the fans are so so nice and appreciative of us that it really made me feel like I was at home when I was here. That really helped a lot. I definitely thank all of our fans because most of the memories that I have are because of them too."

"The coaches – just having to deal with me [laughs] because I was pretty hard headed towards the beginning, so just being really patient with me. And I have a really great relationship with them right now. So I’m just happy about the whole experience and really thank them for making me a part of it and giving me a scholarship. It’s definitely something, if I could relive it again, I would. Before leaving for summer back home, I had that dream where NCAA rules changed and you had a fifth year and I told Greg [laughs] and he was just laughing because he knows that I love it, I had a great time. If I could go back, I would do it all over again because it was so much fun."

Thank you, Nansy, so much for the interview and we wish you the best of luck in the future!

NCAA Most Successful Freshman: Follower Edition

Ashleigh Gnat, LSU // Photo Credit: The GymShark

Earlier in the week, I posted who I thought was Most Successful Freshman for the 2014 season and a few Honorable Mentions. You can read that post here. Here are a few freshman that you all suggested.


Fan favorite would have to go to Oklahoma's Chayse Capps. Three different people recommended her routines, especially floor and with good reason. Capps was a staple in the Oklahoma lineup on vault, beam, and floor averaging above 9.8. She was the only freshman to finish the regular season in the Top 10 and ranked 8th in the balance beam event finals at NCAA Championships.



Nicolette McNair of Stanford is another stable and steady young competitor. Like Hallie Mossett, when teammates were making errors, freshman McNair could be relied upon to hit. She was also a 3-eventer competing vault, bars, and beam. She tried floor exercise a few times but didn't have successful performances. I'm sure this is something she will be working on this year and also breaking into better lineup positions.

The two that I feel like an idiot for forgetting are Ashleigh Gnat of LSU and Katie Bailey of Alabama. Affectionately called "Bugs," Gnat was a solid competitor for LSU. She is one of a handful of gymnasts to compete a 1.5 twisting Yurchenko. Because of the blind landing, this vault is hard to stick. She fought for the stick for a good portion of the season and eventually switched to a full twisting Yurchenko a few times. It will be interesting to see what she vaults this year. LSU posted an update video and Gnat is looking very strong.

The three athletes that have been mentioned so far are all 3-eventers. Alabama's Katie Bailey was one of the few freshman who managed to compete all around for the majority of the season, including NCAA Semifinals and Finals. She's a strong all around gymnast and I had a hard time picking one event to highlight. Kerstin reminds me of Bailey's floor exercise - it's a jazz routine full of sass. Bailey is an excellent performer and just draws you in whether it's beam or floor. This will continue to grow throughout her college career.

Ashlyn Broussard had some trouble finding a commanding place in the Georgia lineup. At the beginning of the season, she competed on vault and balance beam. Georgia had some trouble finding a balance beam lineup order that worked and Broussard was taken out of the lineup for one meet after scoring an 8.4. Around this time, there was an injury, and Broussard came back as a much needed 6th person on floor exercise. She competed again on floor exercise and balance beam in both NCAA semifinals and finals. Twitter user LoveGymnastics04 reminds us that Broussard was able to hit her Nationals beam routine after 2 other teammates fell. She was a vital contributor to the team in the championship season.

Nicole Artz, Michigan, was another freshman that had a few opportunities to compete in the all around. She was a constant on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise, and added vault a few times during the season. Most notably, she competed all around at NCAA Championships earning a 39.375 for 13th place. At the Athens Regional, she won the all around with a 39.325 and tied for first on balance beam with a 9.850.

Amanda Wellick joined Arkansas teammate Katherine Grable as the only 2 Razorback gymnasts to qualify to Nationals. Throughout the regular season, Wellick competed all around 10 times. She earned her spot to NCAA Championships after scoring a 39 even in the all around at the Fayetteville Regional. Unfortunately, errors on uneven bars kept her from getting a higher ranking in the all around final. Now that Grable has graduated, Wellick rely on her her experience to help guide the team.

Thank you for your input Abbey, Cordelia, Daniel, Kerstin, April, Gina, and LoveGymnastics04!

Any others? Who are you most excited to watch as sophomores?

NCAA Most Successful Freshmen

Photo Credit: Andy Cripe | Corvallis Gazette-Times

Now that the school year is gearing back into session with official practices and the height of the elite season is over, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at some of last year's NCAA women's gymnastics freshman. Here's a list of freshman that appeared on the College Commits page.

Class of 2013
*Amanda Jetter - University of Alabama
*Dominique Pegg - University of Alabama
*Silvia Colussi-Pelaez (ESP) - University of Florida Oregon State University
*Talia Chiarelli (CAN) - University of Michigan   
*Ashley Lambert - University of Nebraska - c/o 2014, start Jan 2014 season
*Charity Jones - University of Oklahoma
*McKenzie Wofford - University of Oklahoma
*Maddie Gardiner - Oregon State University
*Mikaela Gerber (CAN) - UCLA
*Hallie Mossett - UCLA


In my opinion, hands down, most successful freshman goes to Madeline Gardiner of Oregon State University. It's difficult to break into any school's competitive lineup, and by the end of the year, Gardiner managed to do that as an all arounder. Although OSU didn't qualify a team to the National Championships, Maddie Gardiner earned a spot with a 39.350. She scored a 39.225 in the AA at NCAA Championships and made the beam finals with a 9.925. Maddie was one of the first few up in the beam final and her score of 9.8875 kept her in first place for quite some time. Eventually, she was bumped to 3rd place which is still an amazing accomplishment for a gymnast attending Nationals without her team as a freshman. I'll be curious to see how she grows into her role at OSU as the seasons continue.



Honorable Mentions
The following gymnasts may not have managed to break the AA lineup but they showed that they were consistent and were much needed.

Talia Chiarelli was the lead beamer for Michigan. She often started the apparatus with a 9.8+ beam routine that helped set the stage for many successful Michigan lineups. Also strong on vault and floor, Chiarelli was able to provide clean tumbling with scores also around 9.8+.

Amanda Jetter was a stable competitor for Alabama. She was often later in the lineup and found herself tying scores of senior athletes with more competitive NCAA experience. Injury has hampered much of Jetter's elite career  so hopefully we get a few more years to enjoy her gymnastics.

Hallie Mossett
UCLA struggled quite a bit last year with consistency issues. More often than not, however, Mossett was able to deliver a solid performance that tried to set the pace, even on the most trying apparatus: the balance beam. For the majority of the season, she scored above 9.8 on beam and managed to compete successfully in the all around a few times.


Who else do you think belongs on this list?

Former Gymnast Kacy Catanzaro Makes History on American Ninja Warrior

American Ninja Warrior Twitter

Kacy Catanzaro is a former Towson University gymnast that became the first female to complete an American Ninja Warrior qualifying course. Watching the video, it's clear that her gymnastics background helped her with amazing abdominal strength, agility, and air awareness. Multiple Olympians and professional athletes have attempted the ANW course and few complete it. Catanzaro has competed at other ANW courses but this is the one that will go down in history.




Below is her submission video with clips of her gymnastics career along with what other activities she does to stay fit and prepared for whatever is thrown at her.



Congratulations, Kacy, and good luck with whatever comes at you next!

The Gator Experience

Gymnasts Alaina Johnson and Claire Boyce celebrate after a meet
Photo Credit: Erin: Gator Gym Photographer on instagram

Florida Athletic Department has made two montages for the Gator gymnasts. The most recent, Doesn't Get Better Than This, was shown at the Florida vs. Auburn meet held on February 14.



The other is called The Spark.

The Gator Athletics Department has also posted this recent video of swimmers and football players attempting to do what the gymnasts do. Watch it! You're in for a good laugh.



FLGatorsAthletics has an entire playlist dedicated to the gymnasts here. Who knew?!

NCAA Gymnastics and Social Media

Credit: LSUsports.net


Social media has become very important to the world of gymnastics, particularly in the NCAA. Schools are now able to live tweet meets that aren't available to watch live. The fans are able to enjoy videos that let them know a team better or learn what skills they're working on competing this season. We've also had the pleasure of enjoying meet recaps and interviews all within a few days of the meet. Twitter, Vine, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube have helped gymnastics fans stay in the know with their favorite teams. Here are a few examples

UCLA
Danusia Francis sideways side aerial to back layout full.

Post by UCLA Gymnastics.


Utah
Leotard reveal featuring senior gymnasts. I thought this was really well done and even though we've seen plenty of these leotard styles before, the color placement was perfect! I also believe this was a great way of recognizing and honoring the seniors.



Stanford
Stanford did a meet the team feature on Youtube that proved itself to be pretty funny.


Before their recent meet, they posted a clip of their athletes warming up floor.



LSU
LSU has done a great job posting post-meet interviews and recaps of their meets. They have two youtube accounts: LSUGymnastics (official) and LSU Gymnastics



Oregon State University
Not all Pac-12 meets are free this season and with the help of Snappy TV, OSU was able to make gifs immediately available of the OSU at UCLA meet last weekend.


Thank you to all the teams that use social media to keep us gymnastics fans involved!

Montage Monday: NCAA Montages

These are a bit belated because I was working on this post, waiting for more montages, and then had exams. Sorry about that. Hope these let you relive a little of the NCAA season!

The list includes Florida, Utah, SUU, and UCLA.

Florida Gators Gymnastics - War of Inches
Chris Saccullo made a great edit to Al Pacino's Inch by Inch speech from the movie Any Given Sunday. Full quote can be found here. Coach Rhonda Faehn and the Gator gymnasts loved the montage so much, they even played it at their banquet.

"You find out that life is just a game of inches. Because in the game of life, the margin for error is so small. I mean one half step too late or too early you don't quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches that's going to make the difference between WINNING and LOSING between LIVING and DYING."



2013 Utah Gymnastics Highlights
I really enjoyed this one because of the music and how they mixed some serious team moments with clips of just showing teammates having fun. Everything was so creatively done including the brief pauses, going to black and white, and zooming in on the "picture." It almost seems like a trailer - here's to a great next season!


Pursue Your Passion - Life of a Gymnast - Michaela Chernoch
This video was made for Michaela, a senior at Southern Utah University. I don't even know her and this video brought me close to tears! It's another video by Parker Walbeck who made the other videos for SUU during the season so make sure to check out the channel.


UCLA State of Mind (link)
Sometimes people ask the question, "if you were a collegiate gymnast and could compete at any school, which school would it be?" My answer is usually UCLA. It's not just because of the beautiful gymnastics but also because they seem like a group of girls that I could easily get along with. This video embodies that. Miss Val's talks about her philosophy and the video also includes thoughts from Vanessa Zamarippa and Samantha Peszek. There are also a few priceless Mattie Larson moments which always help.


Which one is your favorite? Any other montages you would include?

College Fantasy Gymnastics: Impress to Handstand

Photo Credit: Erin long for Gymnastike


The last in the installment on College Fantasy Gymnastics by Emma at Impress To Handstand.


Why did you sign up for fantasy gymnastics?
I signed up for fantasy gymnastics because I wanted to learn more about NCAA gymnastics. I also needed something to help get me through the winter months with few if any elite meets.



What was your thought process in picking your gymnasts? And what did
you learn about the gymnasts you may not have chosen.
I picked gymnasts who a) based on previous results consistently contributed high (9.8+) scores on at least 3 events, b) could contribute on 2 events with one consistently 9.9+, or  c) in the case of freshman consistently scored well in JO meets according to mymeetscores.com. I also looked at what BBS was saying about certain gymnasts and tried to find video or check out their websites when possible.



Tell us a little bit about your lineups 
My lineup was pretty heavy on the freshman. I had 8 freshman on my 20 gymnast team, luckily all but one competed frequently and well.




MVP - most valuable player

I think my MVP would have to be Mackenzie Caquatto of Florida, mainly because my lineup was weakest on bars and beam. Mackenzie's high scores helped keep my weekly event totals over 49 on those events, and once she started to do vault she did well there too (though I was more than ok without her). Caitlyn Atkinson of Auburn was also very consistent on all four events, even if she didn't always have 9.9s everywhere I knew I could count on her to have a score worth counting.


Mackenzie scores a perfect 10 on UB

College Fantasy Gymnastics: Gina



Alina Weinstein of Illinois
Credit: Erin Long for Gymnastike

A new series on College Fantasy Gymnastics! This analysis is brought to you by Gina.

Why did you sign up for fantasy gymnastics?
I signed up for Fantasy Gymnastics mainly because I wanted to learn more about NCAA gymnastics. I had followed some of NCAA for a few years, but I wanted to get more involved in the action!

What was your thought process in picking your gymnasts? And what did you learn about the gymnasts you may not have chosen. 
My main goal while drafting my gymnasts was to have primarily individuals who did the all-around or three events. I was honestly afraid that I would have lots of injuries during the season and run out of gymnasts to put on each event! In the end, I accomplished my goal, with all but five of my gymnasts meeting my original criteria. I was very hesitant to pick freshmen, so I did not have some of the exciting talent that this year brought (Danusia! Bridget!). However, one freshman I took a chance on was Brandie Jay – who had an amazing season and is now one of my favorite gymnasts in the NCAA!



Tell us a little bit about your lineups
My lineups definitely had a mixture of reliability and instability! People like Alina Weinstein, Chelsea Davis, Katherine Grable, Brandie Jay and Erica Brewer were almost always dependable. My beam lineup was where most of the moving went on – due to early season inconsistency by “beamers” like Jessie Jordan, Sarah Persinger, Shona Morgan and Erin Freier. Thankfully most of the mistakes were cleaned up by the end of the season…but my beam scores still struggled!

MVP - Most Valuable Player
There are a few girls on my team who are completely deserving of this title, but I believe Alina Weinstein is my true MVP. It was her senior season at Illinois and she certainly did not hold anything back! Alina scored a 9.9 or higher on vault five times this season, including a perfect 10.0 on vault in week 11. Additionally, her incredibly difficult floor routine earned her 10 scores of 9.9 or higher. She was extremely consistent and is without a doubt a huge reason the Illinois team qualified a full team to the NCAA Championships.
Perfect 10 on VT
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