Manual on Handstands

If I Ran the SEC Championships...

2012-02-08T20:51:00.006-05:00

I always look forward to the end of March because it brings warmer weather...and the SEC Championships. The SEC Championships is an exciting event because the level of competition is equal to that of the National Championships, and winning the SEC title is a prestigious accomplishment.

If I was in charge of the event, I would want to maximize the level of excitement for the fans, and to give each of the top teams the chance to reach their maximum scoring potential. How would I do this? By rigging the rotation draw, of course.
(This idea is just for fun, I certainly am not affiliated with organizing the SEC Championships, and would never rig anything of which I was actually in charge.)

First of all, I think the fans would want to see the four best teams in the SEC (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia) competing in the last rotation and not sitting out on a bye. In addition, having the four top teams all competing in the last rotation makes the outcome more fair.

As far as maximizing the scoring potential of the top four teams, I would assign each team a rotation order which gives them the best chance of maximizing their score, provided they delivered polished and hit routines.

In past blog entries, I have mentioned my theory that a team can maximize their score in a championship event by starting on their worst event and finishing on their best. It is advantageous for a team to start on their worst event for two reasons. First of all, when the team competes on that event, the judges will not be directly comparing those routines to the routines of a stronger team which competed directly before them. For example, if a team had weak vault amplitude overall, and vaulted after a team with excellent amplitude, the scores would go down in comparison. If the team with weaker vault amplitude went first, it would help their score not to follow a significantly better team. The second reason it can be advantageous for a team to start on their weakest event is that if they hit the event, they will be flooded with confidence for the rest of the meet, knowing that only their stronger events remain.

Additionally, scores tend to rise overall as each rotation is completed. So, teams ending on their best event can pull in a monster score if they end on the event and turn in the overall best performance of the championships on that event.

How does this theory apply to an ideal rotation order for the SEC Championships?
It just so happens that each of the top four SEC teams has a different weaker event. Therefore, the rotation draw could be set up to maximize the scoring potential of all four teams by starting them on their weakest event, as follows:

Florida (start on bye before vault, end on floor):
At this point in the season, Florida's weakest event is vault. The Gators have not put together a high-scoring performance on that event this year. They do have room for improvement as the season progresses, as they didn't start practicing hard landings until right before the season started in an effort to peak later in the season. However, for now, vault is Florida's lowest-scoring event, and they are ranked last of the top 4 SEC teams.

In addition, it is also advantageous for Florida to start on vault, because (as an observant poster pointed out on the message board) they tend to get off to a shaky start in the first rotation of championship events. If a team is going to have a tentative start on their first event, I think vault is the event where the team is likely to get through it without a major error. (Example: Florida started shakily on vault in the 2010 SEC Championships and pulled it together to come from behind and win.)

If Florida starts on vault, they end on floor, which has been their strongest event in the last two postseasons. By the SEC Championships, Florida will have polished their floor routines and they will (arguably) exhibit the best combination of difficulty and presentation of the top 4 SEC teams, giving them an opportunity for a huge score on that event.
Here is Florida's floor rotation from their meet against Arkansas, which shows what the Gators are capable of on that event (note the 5 E passes).

Alabama (start on bye before bars, end on vault):
Alabama's scores so far in 2012 indicate that bars is their weakest event, and they are ranked last on bars out of the top 4 SEC teams. If they start on bars and hit, the team will be fueled by the fact that only their strongest events remain, and move on to hit beam and floor. Furthermore, if Alabama starts on bars, they will end on vault, where they are ranked first in the SEC and have been sticking well-executed vaults throughout the season.

Vault has tended to be Alabama's competitive edge in championships. When Alabama won the 2011 NCAA title, they scored 49.575 on vault, which was their highest-scoring event in the team final, and the best vault score of the final six teams. Additionally, it is interesting to note that Alabama won the 2011 SEC Championships when they started on bars and ended on vault.
Here is Alabama's vault rotation from their meet against Florida (starts at 0:42), capped off by Diandra Milliner's 10.0 on a Yurchenko 1.5:

Arkansas (start on beam, end on bars):
Someone has to start on beam, and it's possible that Arkansas could use starting on beam to their advantage. Arkansas is currently ranked last on beam out of the top 4 SEC teams, and I am concerned about their scoring potential on beam even when they hit six routines. So far, aside from Katherine Grable's difficult set, their beam routines don't seem to have the flow of movement or polish that we've seen from other SEC teams. If Arkansas starts on beam and stays on, their beam performances won't be compared to any other teams who may have better scoring potential. In addition, if Arkansas can hit beam, they gain a competitive edge for the rest of the meet, knowing that they've gotten beam out of the way and the rest of their competitors still have to face the four-inch-wide pressure cooker.
If Arkansas starts on beam, they will end on bars. The Razorbacks have been scoring well on bars and are currently ranked first in the SEC. Anchor Mariah Howdeshell's routine is impressive because it contains two major release moves, and will be scored well based on its risk and difficulty:
Here is Howdeshell's bar routine from the 2011 SEC Championships. Note: She has upgraded her dismount to a double layout for 2012.

Georgia (start on bye before floor, end on beam):
For Georgia to have a shot to win the SEC Championships in front of their home crowd, I think they have to start on floor. Georgia is ranked last on floor of the top four SEC teams. They do not have the tumbling difficulty that Florida, Alabama, and even upgrade-driven Arkansas have. If Georgia follows one of these three teams on floor, their scores might take a hit as a result. In addition, Georgia is the home team for the event, as they are the closest team to Duluth, GA. If Georgia starts on floor, their fans will be drawn in and cheering from the very beginning of the meet.
For Georgia, starting on floor means ending on beam, an event where the Gym Dogs have historically turned in hit performances and good scores under pressure. Anchor Shayla Worley has the potential to score 9.9+ if the team needs a big score to pull out a narrow victory.
Here is the end of Georgia's beam rotation from the meet against Alabama, culminating in Shayla Worley's 9.950.

It's unlikely that this rotation draw will actually occur, but I'd love to see what would happen if this was the draw. I have no idea who would win if the teams competed in this order.
Realistically, while Alabama and Florida have the best shot to win, it's possible that Georgia could use their home-team advantage to their benefit and pull out a victory. Also, Arkansas could be a dark horse to win, because they won't have the pressure of meeting expectations that the other three teams have, and might turn in the most hit routines of the day as a result. I think the SEC Championships will be a nailbiter, and that the rotation draw will be a big factor in who ends up winning. I can't wait to see how the event plays out!

Question: Who is your pick to win the SEC title and why?

Picks for Nationals
Note: After the Monday rankings were published, I recompiled the matchups for Regionals based on how the pairings would be if Regionals were tomorrow. There were minor changes to the pairings, but I am still predicting the same 12 teams to make it to Nationals as I did in my prior prediction post. Six teams from the SEC at Nationals still looks like a possibility, which only adds to the intrigue of the 2012 SEC Championships:

Utah
Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Oklahoma
Georgia
UCLA
Nebraska
Oregon State
Penn State
Auburn
LSU

NCAA Gymnastics History 2003: UCLA Wins Third Title in Four Years

2012-02-07T19:40:00.000-05:00

property of http://www.uclabruins.com/

At the 2003 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, held in Lincoln, Nebraska, UCLA won their third title in four years.

property of http://www.huskers.com/

UCLA scored 49.350 on vault, 49.450 on bars, 49.525 on beam, and 49.500 on floor for a total score of 197.825. UCLA's victory over second-place Alabama was by more than half a point. What was even more impressive about UCLA's scores on vault, bars, and floor was that they overcame a fall in each of those rotations, meaning that the high event totals resulted from counting the five remaining scores.

Jamie Dantzscher's all-around total of 39.725 was integral in the Bruins' victory.

above images property of http://www.uclabruins.com/

You can watch the 2003 Gymnastics Championships here:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12

If the Postseason Started Tomorrow...

2012-02-03T17:14:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer: This analysis discusses what might happen if the postseason started tomorrow. It is not meant to be read as legitimate postseason predictions. It’s too early for those. However, it will be interesting to look back at this analysis in two months to see how accurate (or not) it was.

If the postseason started tomorrow, we would have conference championships first. Let’s take a look at who might win and why.

Big 12:
Oklahoma will win. No discussion or analysis needed. Next.

Big Ten:
One of the goals of my blog is to show that the gymnastics landscape within the Big Ten is just as exciting as it is within the Pac-12 and the SEC. However, based on the Big Ten meets from last weekend, I’m hesitant about that claim. Ohio State posted a 195.600 score at Pitt last weekend which was not their best performance of the season, but ended up being the highest score a Big Ten team got all weekend.
So, I find myself wondering. Will any Big Ten team score over 196 this weekend? Does any team want to win the Big Ten? Let’s see who might pull it off:

Nebraska:
Before the season began, I was sure Nebraska would run away with a Big Ten title. I still think they have the highest scoring potential of any team in the conference, but consistency on beam and overall depth are emerging as issues for them that may become obstacles in the postseason. If Nebraska hits, I think they’ll win the Big Ten title, but that’s no guarantee.

Penn State:
At this point in the season, Penn State is showing the best combination of both scoring potential and consistency of the Big Ten teams. Penn State is ranked sixth in the country on beam, and consistent beam performances are always an asset in the postseason. If conference championships were tomorrow, Penn State would be my pick as a surprise winner.
However, though Penn State’s lineup hasn’t raised as many depth concerns as Nebraska’s, it is important to note that Penn State used five all-arounders in their meet last weekend. Could a lack of depth also affect this team come the postseason?

Ohio State:

Ohio State has continued their trend of improvement which they began last season, and has an outside shot to win this title. The Buckeyes haven’t put together a complete meet yet. With a put-together performance, they have the ability to score in the mid-196 range. They have been scoring well on vault, and the floor routines are packed with difficulty which could help their score in comparison to other teams. On the other hand, bars is a weaker event, and Ohio State hasn’t put together a solid beam rotation yet.
Ohio State seems to have the best depth among the top four Big Ten teams, as they only used one all-arounder in last weekend’s meet. This increased depth could be an asset come the postseason.
Yet, for Ohio State to have a chance at the title, the team needs to believe they can win. I will be interested to see if their routines show more confidence and aggressiveness as the season continues.

Michigan:

While it seems wrong to entertain a discussion about the Big Ten title without including Michigan, defending their title will be an uphill battle for the Wolverines this season due to their lack of depth. If they do pull it off, it would be an incredible yet unexpected accomplishment.

Pac-12:
I think we can agree that UCLA or Utah will win this title, and the competition will be intriguing due to the contrasting styles of the two teams. UCLA shines with their artistry and talent, while Utah’s strength is a rare combination of consistency and difficulty. I think the two teams are evenly matched based on what we’ve seen so far. Utah is my pick to win because they are hosting the event.

SEC:
Realistically, I think Alabama, Florida, and even Georgia could win. Arkansas has a great chance to finish in the top 3. At this point, I think Florida has shown that they have the best scoring potential in the SEC because they are the only one of the four teams without a weak event. I remain concerned about Alabama’s scoring potential on bars, Arkansas’ scoring potential on beam, and Georgia’s scoring potential on floor even if each team hits six routines on their respective weaker event.
So, Florida is my pick to win the SEC title if they hit to the best of their ability. And besides, this analysis is based on what would happen if the postseason started in February. If the postseason really started in February, Florida might have multiple national titles by now. :)

Another interesting fact about the SEC Championships: In 2010, the event was in Jacksonville, and Florida came from behind and won. In 2011, the event was in Birmingham, and Alabama won. In 2012, the event is in Duluth, GA. Could Georgia maximize their home-team advantage and pull off an unexpected win?

Regionals Matchups:
I know it’s too early to look at these, but it seems like the ESPN analysts start looking at the “bracketology” for basketball in November. So, I’m going to analyze Regionals matchups anyway. If Regionals started tomorrow, the pairings would likely look like this:
Note: I followed the regular assignment pattern for the top 18 teams, and then made switches to avoid two hosts competing against each other.

Salt Lake City Regional:

(1) Utah (host)
(11) Ohio State
(14) LSU

Prediction: Utah and LSU will advance. I would love for Ohio State to make Nationals, but at this point LSU has shown more scoring potential. I told you I was unbiased. :)

Fayetteville Regional:

(2) Arkansas (host)
(10) Penn State
(15) Denver

Prediction: Arkansas and Penn State will advance.

Auburn Regional:

(3) Florida
(12) Stanford
(13) Auburn (host)

Prediction: Florida and Auburn will advance. I don’t see how Stanford makes Nationals in this matchup. Keep your eye on Auburn as the season progresses, they have a chance for a magical season where they capitalize on hosting a regional to make it to Nationals. I also think it’s possible that the SEC will qualify six teams to Nationals.

Raleigh Regional:

(4) Georgia
(9) Nebraska
(16) Boise State
NC State (host)

Prediction: Georgia and Nebraska will advance.

Seattle Regional:

(5) Oklahoma
(8) Oregon State
(17) Missouri
Washington (host)

Prediction: Oklahoma and Oregon State will advance. Washington does have an opportunity to sneak in, but I think they will need “help” from teams seeded above them to get there.

Champaign Regional:

(6) Alabama
(7) UCLA
(18) Arizona
Illinois (host)

Prediction: Alabama and UCLA will definitely advance.

National Title Winner:

Again, it’s too early. While I think we know who the top teams are, none of those teams has made a compelling case to be the frontrunner for the national title. Yet, I’m forcing myself to predict someone.

My best guess for the winner would be Utah, for two reasons:
1. For the past two seasons, I don’t feel Utah has had the talent level of the top teams. Yet, due to their consistency and ability to perform well in the postseason, they pulled off a Super Six appearance both times. Utah’s talent has significantly increased this year, so that increase combined with a track record of excellent postseason performances makes this team a threat.
2. Of the top teams, Utah has the easiest path to Nationals. They are hosting Pac-12 championships and regionals and will come into Nationals well-rested due to less postseason travel. (UCLA and Alabama hosted regionals in the year they each won their most recent title.) However, if Utah gets too accustomed to competing at home during the first portion of the postseason, they may not adjust well to Nationals being in a hostile road environment.

Can Utah pull of their first title since 1995? Only time will tell. I can’t wait to find out what happens!

Good luck to all teams as they compete this weekend and write the next chapter of the 2012 season!

Illinois at Michigan Report (01/27/12)

2012-01-28T03:28:00.001-05:00

Michigan and Illinois both made Nationals last year, and Michigan made the Super Six with leadership from 2011 NCAA all-around champion Kylee Botterman. Tonight, the inconsistency in the performances from both Michigan and Illinois cast some doubt as to whether both of these teams can return to Nationals in 2012. Michigan's performance also made the case that 2012 may be the year that another team breaks their streak of Big Ten titles.

What happened at the meet to raise these doubts? Read on.

Michigan Vault:
Michigan got off to a good start on vault, scoring 49.050. However, they only put up five vaulters, again raising concerns about their depth now that Natalie Beilstein is out for the season. Do they have a sixth vaulter? If not, having only five vaulters lowers scoring potential and puts pressure on every girl in the lineup.

Illinois Bars:
Illinois also got off to a reasonable start on bars, scoring 48.950. Alina Weinstein led the bar scores with 9.875.

Michigan Bars:
Bars is definitely one of Michigan's better events, featuring aggressive swing and nice amplitude on release moves across the lineup. Joanna Sampson had a low landing on a full-twisting double layout, which makes me wonder if she needs to throw such a difficult dismount. Every time Britnee Martinez does her Tkatchev, I worry she'll hit the ceiling of the arena, but that's a good thing.
After posting 49.125 on bars, Michigan appeared on pace for a good meet...

Illinois Vault:
Vault is definitely a concern for Illinois. They scored 48.600 and it was their highest vault score of the season. Their leadoff vaulter and their last vaulter only competed a Yurchenko layout, which does not start from a 10.0 score. This essentially means that Illinois will be counting a low vault score in every meet, putting them at a great disadvantage. They will be lucky to get a 9.6 on those Yurchenko layouts. Will the team be able to increase difficulty on this event? If not, I don't see a Nationals appearance as a possibility.

Michigan Beam:
Another lackluster beam rotation for Michigan which resulted in three falls and a total score of 47.675. There seemed to be a general lack of intensity and attack across the lineup as they competed on beam. Shelby Gies had a good leadoff routine, yet Reema Zakharia again fell on her roundoff-layout series. Beam anchor Katie Zurales also fell on her series. I actually gasped when she came off the beam, since she landed with both feet off the beam. She has done well on beam so far this season and I think she'll hit next week. Hopefully the rest of the lineup will as well.

Illinois Floor:
Floor is definitely Illinois' best event. I was about to say how much I like the choreography that assistant coach Amy Kruse does on the event, but then I looked at Illinois' website and realized she's no longer on their coaching staff. Hmm. Anyway, I still liked the floor choreography, and appreciated dynamic music selections that drew me into the routine. Kelsey Joannides, Alina Weinstein, and Amber See had very nice polish and routine presentation. The Illini scored 49.100 on the event, and put themselves in a great position to win on the road...

Michigan Floor:
Michigan posted four scores over 9.8 on floor. However, they were forced to count an 8.950 from Stephanie Colbert after their last performer, Kristin Nagle, was unable to finish her routine due to injury. Had Beilstein been in the lineup, Michigan's floor score would have easily been over 49. Now, it's not clear whether they have a sixth floor routine, so each girl in the floor lineup will be under tremendous pressure to hit as the season progresses.

Illinois Beam:
After having been handed a great opportunity to beat Michigan, Illinois started off their beam rotation with an 8.650. Their beam scores also included an 8.600 and a 9.050, so they were forced to count two falls and a score below an 9. This was disappointing to see after Illinois posted an encouraging 49.000 on the beam last week. I think that Illinois is a good beam team overall, but they will need to show they can hit beam in a pressure situation.

Overall, Michigan's lack of the depth on the power events coupled with continuing issues on beam raised doubts about their potential for the rest of the season. Yet, Michigan proved me wrong when they competed against Ohio State, so they can definitely prove me wrong again.

As for Illinois, their lack of difficulty on vault as well as their inability to hit beam to capitalize on a great opportunity raised doubts. In order to have a chance at Nationals, regionals host Illinois will likely face a similar situation where they will feel pressure to hit in order to take advantage of mistakes by another team. They didn't seize the opportunity tonight. Can they do it down the road when it counts?

Note: Gymnastike already has video coverage of this meet uploaded here.
Final scores: Michigan: 194.225, Illinois: 193.700

NCAA Gymnastics History 2002: Alabama Wins at Home

2012-01-27T17:16:00.000-05:00

In 2002, Alabama hosted the NCAA Championships, and their home-field advantage sprung them to their fourth title.

Alabama's 2002 championship made the Crimson Tide 3 for 3 in winning championships at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.

You can re-live the 2002 Super Six finals in the videos below. Joining Alabama in the Super Six were perennial powers Utah, UCLA, and Georgia. Nebraska also makes an appearance. Rounding out the Super Six was Stanford. 2002 was Kristen Smyth's first year as Stanford's head coach, and she led Stanford to the school's first-ever Super Six appearance.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Alabama, after a bye, started their competition on the floor and scored 49.425 in front of the home crowd. This excellent start and the backing of the crowd likely gave them the momentum needed to pull off the win.

Part 5

This part features a segment explaning that only four schools had ever won the NCAA title, followed by an interview with Nebraska head coach Dan Kendig where he is asked when he thinks a fifth school will win the title. He predicts that a fifth team will win the title "soon." Not sure what Kendig's definition of soon is, but it's ten years later and we're still waiting for that fifth team.

Part 6

At the halfway point, Alabama had the lead with a total of 98.750 after competing on floor and vault. Georgia had 98.575, UCLA had 98.525, Utah had 98.300, and Nebraska and Stanford were tied for last with 97.925.

Part 7

In Part 7, there is a segment on Jamie Dantzscher which recounts the fact that she scored seven straight perfect 10s on floor during the regular season. Wow. (She scored 9.95 here.)

Part 8
Part 9

After five rotations, UCLA finished their competition with a score of 197.150, making the Bruins the current leader. Of the four teams competing in rotation six, Alabama held the lead. They only needed a score of 48.950 on their last event to pass UCLA. Yet, their last event was the supenseful balance beam. (Yet, Alabama was confident, after setting a record beam score of 49.725 at regionals.)

Part 10

Alabama needed a 9.75 or higher from Kristin Sterner, the fifth beam performer. She easily surpassed this score, putting up a 9.85. The crowd and the Alabama team explode in jubilation as Alabama wins with a total score of 197.575.

Note: images in this post are property of http://www.rolltide.com/.

Reflections on Oklahoma, UCLA, Stanford, and Washington

2012-01-24T07:39:00.000-05:00

Oklahoma (197.450 at TWU):
Last week, I reminded you not to worry that Oklahoma hadn't scored over 196 yet. I was right. This week, they had a great meet and scored 197.450. This score is significant for two reasons:

Although there has been a high number of 197+ scores for January (Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas, UCLA, Oklahoma), Oklahoma is the first team to post a 197+ score on the road, which bodes well for their ability to do this later in the season. That said, I think their fan support at TWU may be fairly good for a road meet.

The score is also important because it includes a total of 49.450 on floor. If Oklahoma has an event which they have been less strong on in the past, it would be floor, based on the level of diffculty in the routines. In the 2011 NCAA finals, Oklahoma scored 49.175 on floor. Floor was Oklahoma's lowest rotation score of the Super Six, and they also had the second-lowest floor score of the teams in the Super Six. Therefore, a floor score of 49.450 this early in the season is great to see.

On Friday, Oklahoma FINALLY has their home opener against NC State. Can they follow up the performance from this week with another 197+ score?

UCLA (197.575 vs. San Jose State):
I watched this meet online. What struck me when watching this meet was the Bruins' demeanor. They seemed calm, relaxed, and nonchalant, even as they put up the highest score total of the 2012 season. This calm demeanor will serve them well as the postseason approaches. I was also struck by the amount of depth the team has. It seems that they have multiple lineup combinations capable of a 197+ score. While Nebraska only used 7 gymnasts to get a 197+ score, UCLA used 10. If UCLA can post big scores while rotating the lineup, they have the potential to put up scores in the 197 range every week, as long as they hit.
The Balance Beam Situation blog has more in-depth UCLA analysis from Sunday's meet.

Washington (195.725) at Stanford (195.925)
In a battle of the Pac-12 bubble teams, Washington and Stanford both improved significantly this week, but still didn't make it into the 196 score range. Stanford was strong on bars and beam and weak on vault. Washington was strong on vault, bars, and beam and weak on floor.
FACT: Despite two low meet scores to start the season, Washington has hit all of their beam routines in all three meets so far. I'm impressed with this. Can they keep this up?

I would like to see both teams start scoring in the mid-196 range before I become more confident about their chances to make Nationals. Yes, both Stanford and Washington have a chance. Stanford has a talented roster and normally shows excellent, polished routines in the postseason, though they will have to improve upon their performance at last year's regionals.
I wouldn't think Washington has a chance for Nationals, except for one thing, They're hosting a regional. (Remember what happened when Missouri hosted a regional in 2010? They won, and knocked out Georgia.) A host with reasonable potential to score over 196 has a shot.

Friday night, we will be able to get a sense of Washington's scoring potential at home when they have their home opener against UCLA. Washington has done free broadcasts in the past, so make sure to tune in!

Guest Blog Posts:
I received a comment from a reader asking if I would be interested in having guest posts. (It got marked as spam, so I just saw it.)
I would love to have a guest poster! It would be great for this blog to offer other perspectives, and it would allow me to keep the blog updated even when I don't have time to post due to my work schedule. If you are the person who made that comment, or are interested in guest posting, send me an e-mail!
The link to my e-mail address is here.

State of the Big Ten: Meets from Friday 01/20 and Saturday 01/21

2012-01-23T20:47:00.001-05:00

Nebraska (195.775 at Iowa State):
I promised I'd get to Nebraska, so let's talk about them first. Nebraska headed on the road to Iowa State and scored 195.775. The highlights were a 9.9 from Jessie DeZiel on beam, and a 9.9 from Lora Evenstad on floor. The issues were that they counted a score of 9.25 on beam and still put up only five floor routines.
The total from this meet is in stark contrast to the 197.375 performance from Nebraska last week.
It is this contrast which makes Nebraska interesting, because we can't be sure which Nebraska team will show up each week, and come the postseason.
Will we see a talented team rise above their lack of depth and hit beam to challenge for a Big Ten title and a Super Six appearance? Or, will issues on beam and the lack of depth (particularly on floor) cause issues later in the season?
Next up: Home meet against Missouri Saturday. It will be interesting to see if Nebraska scores close to or above 197 again.

Ohio State (195.900 vs. George Washington):
Ohio State posted an encouraging 195.900 in their first home meet. In this article, head coach Carey Fagan said that "[Ohio State] fell just short of our goal of 196.000 but the girls are stepping up." While a 196 is an important milestone mentally for the team to reach, it's early in the season to be this specific about a numerical result. The Buckeyes have significant room for improvement on this score, so I think they're right where they need to be for this point in the season.
Let's take a look at where they can improve:
Ohio State needs to find a way to break the 49 mark on bars. New addition to the team Aly Marohn (read her interesting story) has great lines and difficulty, and I think she has the potential to score 9.8+ on bars and beam when she starts hitting. She seemed to have too much power in her bar routine, so she was too far away from the bar to catch her release move, and she rolled out of her dismount. On beam, little wobbles distracted from great lines and form.
Considering beam as a whole, it seems that the scores the Buckeyes are getting are a bit too low for the quality of the routines. I think the reason for this is that their leadoff beam performer is not starting the score off high enough to boost the scores of the later routines. Next week, look for their leadoff routine to score in the 9.7 range.
Floor was excellent. Ohio State got a score of 49.225 and didn't even have to count Sarah Miller's floor score to do it. I appreciate the difficulty in the tumbling and really enjoy some of the music selections. For example, Melanie Shaffer has a mix of "Jack and Diane" and "Footloose." I always find myself humming those songs after watching an Ohio State meet, and then I remember the routine.
Here's the routine from a meet last year- the music is the same:

Ohio State is now ranked #11 after their meet on Saturday, and I think this ranking is important for the team's confidence. It will help them believe they can be a top 12 team. If they are scoring in the mid-196 range by March, they could be a top 12 team when it counts. (Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll stop.)

Penn State (196.100) vs. Alabama (196.175)
In what was an unexpectedly close meet, Alabama beat Penn State in State College Saturday night. Alabama scored 196.175 in what seemed to be an off meet for them. Penn State put up another solid score over 196, making me think that this team is a contender for the Big Ten title and a Nationals appearance. I will have to pay more attention, which I will definitely do when I go see Penn State compete against Ohio State in Columbus on February 25th. When Ohio State and Penn State competed last year, the meet was a contrast of styles. Ohio State seemed to have more difficulty and exciting routines, but the performance was rough around the edges. Penn State seemed to take less risk, but the routines were polished and consistent, and Penn State won that meet at home. Will the result be different in Columbus?

Michigan (193.150) at Minnesota (193.000)
Initially, I'd thought I would write about the implications of Michigan's low score this week as the season progresses. But I can't do it. I watched this meet online, and Michigan's floor rotation had a moment which reminded me of the incredible risks that NCAA gymnastics take everyday, and how scores, rankings, wins, and losses don't matter when injuries occur.
On her double Arabian pass in her floor routine, Natalie Beilstein landed short and her feet came out from under her. She didn't finish the routine and was carried off the floor. I don't know anything about the details of this injury, but let's face it. It's never a good sign when a gymnast is carried off. I hope she is okay, but it looked serious.
The first gymnastics meet I ever saw in person was the 2010 Big Ten Championships in Columbus, and I still remember Beilstein's floor routine from that day. She seemed to complete the full rotation for the double arabian while in the air and higher than the scoreboard. Here's a video of her routine from that day (not my video), though it's hard to see the height she got from the camera angle.

Illinois at Iowa (195.075 tie)
Didn't see this one, but keep your eye on Illinois. They have a knack for turning in their best performance of the year at regionals and knocking another team out (think 2009 and 2011). To add to Illinois' chances, they are hosting a regional. If I do decide to attend a regional in person as I did last year, I will go to this one in Champaign.

Next Post: Quick Reflections on Oklahoma, UCLA, Stanford, and Washington.

Reflections from Friday's Meets: 01/20/12

2012-01-22T20:50:00.007-05:00

Let's start off the Friday reflections by playing the NCAA Gymnastics version of "Blind Resume." "Blind Resume" is a segment I've seen on ESPN where the analysts list the record and accomplishments of a particular college team without naming the team, and then discuss which record makes a better case for getting a BCS bowl bid or an at-large berth in the basketball tournament.

Here's the "blind resume" of two gymnastics teams that competed on Friday (not against each other):

Team One: (results through Friday 01/20)

Week One: 196.450 (A)
Week Two: 196.650 (H)
Week Three: 197.225 (H)
Ranked 1st (tie) as of Monday 01/23 (ranking unofficial)

Team Two: (results through Friday 01/20)

Week One: 196.025 (A)
Week Two: 196.175 (H)
Week Three: 196.275 (A)
Ranked 8th as of Monday 01/23 (ranking unofficial)

Based on past seasons, team one resembles traditional Florida in January, starting at a breakneck pace which becomes difficult to maintain throughout the season. Team two looks more like traditional Arkansas, hovering in the lower end of the top ten early in the season, before they may or may not make a push to crack the Super Six come April. Right?

WRONG. Everything we know about Arkansas (who is Team One) and Florida (who is Team Two) has flipped this season. It feels like the gymnastics version of "bizarro world." While Florida has been starting slowly in an effort to peak at the right time, Arkansas appears to be on a mission to make a statement about their team's ability and has gotten off to a hot start. This comparison is important because these two teams are meeting Friday in Gainesville, with Arkansas ranked higher than Florida. Let's look at the implications of this meet for both teams:

Arkansas:

If Arkansas beats Florida in Gainesville (easier said than done), the win could give them the momentum they need to have a breakout season where they end up making a statement that they too could be the next team to win an NCAA title. An undefeated regular season is one of the hallmarks of a breakout year.

To win, Arkansas will need another weekend of huge scores from Jaime Pisani and Katherine Grable. Pisani scored 39.575 this weekend and Grable scored 39.725. Did anyone else think of Courtney Kupets when they saw Grable's scores come in? I did.

This meet is also an opportunity for Arkansas to prove that this "hot start" is for real. An obstacle for Arkansas could be the loss of the adrenaline they had on Friday in Fayetteville, where they celebrated the program's 10-year anniversary and set a school attendance record. It will be difficult to avoid a letdown after such an electric night.

Florida:

As for Florida, last week I raised the following questions about their approach to the Arkansas meet:

Question One:

Is it more important for Florida to remain focused on the "start slow, peak later" strategy or to beat Arkansas?

While a meet win in January doesn't really matter, I think the results of this meet could have implications for the team's confidence down the road. Arkansas beat Florida twice in 2011, which may have affected Florida's confidence come Nationals. A loss to Arkansas again in 2012 (especially at home) could also affect their confidence, especially if Florida is the team that gets stuck with the unpleasant chore of heading to Fayetteville for regionals. Conversely, a big score and a big win will buoy Florida's confidence before they travel to Tuscaloosa on February 3rd.

Question Two:

Does Florida need to use their best lineup to beat Arkansas?
Since Arkansas just put up a 197, I think so. Look to see if Florida's top four floor routines are all in the lineup: Johnson, Dickerson, King, and Hunter. If they all hit, the score of each routine will likely build, the crowd will get progressively louder, and a big floor score could ensue.
Overall, Florida absolutely has the talent, scoring potential (and the home-team advantage) to win this meet. However, the outcome isn't certain since Florida has started slower than Arkansas. I can't wait for this meet Friday night- I may actually go home and watch in a focused way, rather than following my normal Friday night routine of staying late at work doing catch-up and following scores with the meet video in the background.

Other Observations from Friday's Meets (01/20):

Penn:

In my season preview for Penn, I mentioned that Penn needed to be targeting scores right around 192 to have a chance to win the Ivy League title and the ECAC title. In a thriller Friday night, Penn notched a razor-thin victory over Rutgers in Philadelphia, scoring 191.975. It was Penn's highest team score since 2008. The Quakers have room to build on this score, especially because top all-arounder Dana Bonincontri still only competed one event. Their other top all-arounder, Kirsten Strasbaugh, competed four events and scored 9.775 on bars and 9.750 on floor. Next step for Penn- to get a similar score (in the high 191 range) on the road.

Georgia:

Georgia went to Auburn and scored 195.975. Once again, Georgia had a reasonably solid meet but failed to pass the 49 mark on floor. I hate to say this, but I am not going to talk about Georgia's chances for a Super Six appearance until we see them pass the 49 mark on floor. (According to the scores I looked at, they haven't had a single floor routine score 9.9 yet.)

Also, 195.600 is a good score for Auburn, who also set an attendance record on Friday night.

California:

And, in the feel-good story of the night, new Cal head coach Danna Durante coached her team to a 194.050 score, which is an excellent score for Cal in the third week of the season. Do you think Cal can make an appearance at regionals this year? They need to finish the season ranked in the top 36, so this number is something to watch. Cal was ranked 39th this week, and their score from this week should move them up in the rankings. Read Cal's recap of the meet here.

Note: Nebraska, I didn't forget. I plan to include you in a "State of the Big Ten" post which primarily talks about Saturday's meets.

Penn Gymnastics: Season Preview 2012

2012-01-19T18:36:00.005-05:00

I feel I missed out. When I was in college at Penn, I never attended a gymnastics meet. Since I was just getting into following the sport, I didn’t actually realize that Penn had a team. (Yes, I lived only a few blocks from Hutchinson Gym where they practice and compete. I guess I was stuck in a figurative version of the “Penn bubble.”)

New athletic field at Penn Park enclosed by a bubble to conserve heat.
I took this picture in November 2011 from an Amtrak train.

If I’d known more about the team, I would have definitely come to meets and gotten involved in supporting them. I’m sorry, Penn Gymnastics.

Anyway, now that I’m informed, I wanted to preview Penn’s 2012 gymnastics season, as there are some incredibly exciting storylines surfacing.

The Penn gymnastics team had a strong season in 2011 and are looking to build on that success in 2012. The Quakers have two big goals for this season, according to head coach John Ceralde:

The first goal is to defend their title at the Ivy Classic at Cornell on February 26th. Penn hosted this event when they won last year, so winning on the road would be a big accomplishment.
Their second goal is to win the ECAC title on March 24th, otherwise known as Conference Championship Saturday. The team finished second at this event last year. Penn will be hosting the event at the Palestra and will be looking to maximize their home team advantage and pull off a victory.

A way to gauge whether the team is on track for meeting these goals is to look at the scores from their regular season meets. Last season, Penn’s best team scores at meets were just under the 192 mark. (A 192 is a total of 48.00 on each event.) They will likely need scores at least in the high 191 range to earn both the Ivy and the ECAC titles.

Penn scored a 189.025 in their first meet on Sunday, of which the highlight was a 48.250 total on vault. Dana Bonincontri, the team’s top all-arounder from 2011, only competed on bars. I saw her compete at the Ann Arbor regional last year, where she qualified as an individual and turned in one of the best performances of her career, scoring 38.900. Hopefully, she will be able to compete in the all-around as the season progresses.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the Quakers’ season goes and am wishing the team good luck. Unfortunately, I no longer live in Philadelphia, so I won’t be able to attend their meets in person. However, if you do live in the Philadelphia area, I hope this information encourages you to check out a meet! Penn has their first home meet on Friday, January 20th at 7pm against Rutgers. Here's a link to their schedule.
Go Quakers!

Here are some videos to get to know the team:

Season Outlook with Head Coach John Ceralde:

Highlights from First 2012 Meet at Lindsey Ferris Invitational:

Video Introducing the 2011-2012 Freshman Class: (link)
I enjoyed hearing the girls explain why they chose Penn.

Reflections from Week 2: 01/13-01/15

2012-01-16T17:44:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday! Here are my (long) thoughts from the weekend.

ALABAMA:
After only one home meet, it remains early to determine how Alabama will do in their quest to defend their NCAA title, which the Crimson Tide have never done. The team looked good in their home opener, scoring 196.475, but scoring potential and consistency on bars may be an issue. Marissa Gutierrez's double layout on floor looked great. By the way, the attendance for Friday's meet against Georgia was 14,501.

ARKANSAS:
I haven't seen Arkansas compete yet, but they followed up their 196.450 performance last week with a 196.650 performance at home. These scores prove that Arkansas is not to be taken lightly, and I am curious to see what this team's scoring potential is. Could they be a possible dark horse to make the Super Six?

FLORIDA:
Florida scored 196.175 at home on Friday, and they counted a fall on floor in that total. The fall is nothing to worry about- floor is this team's best event and the lineup used on Friday was only one of their possible 4,275 floor lineups.

In a way, watching the Gators' first two meets has felt a bit like watching intrasquad videos. Because the team has a strategy this year of starting slower and has not yet faced a tough competitor, this is not a bad thing. I have seen great routines on each event and am excited about what the team can do, but haven't seen a complete meet yet with their best lineup. Because of this strategy of getting off to a slower start, I don't feel that I can fully assess the team yet. However, I think they have the potential to score highly on every event once they put in their best lineup, and there is nothing I've seen which is a concern.

Florida Beam:
Florida's beam rotation quieted my concern from last week about their scoring potential on beam. If all the girls hit polished routines, I think they can score well (9.85+ on each routine). Their rotation score was 49.250 on Friday. Rachel Spicer's routine looked very good and I also thought that Alaina Johnson's confidence has improved from last year. Johnson changed her dismount into an aerial-layout full. Kytra Hunter does a high, clean punch front mount that I think she can hit every time- it got a big reaction from the crowd. However, Hunter did fall on her series, setting up a test for Marissa King as the beam anchor...

With this routine, King proved that she is a great choice for the beam anchor, hitting one of the best beam routines I've seen her do. I raised the question last week about whether her beam routine had a "wow factor," and I thought the "wow factor" in her routine this week, aside from the precision of each skill, was her determination and confidence.

Florida Floor:
I don't have too many observations, since the lineup seen Friday night is not the lineup which will be used later in the season. Randy Stageberg did a whip-double full that was nice, and Alaina Johnson looked good in her 2012 debut. Kytra Hunter's double layout was effortless. As a side note, I sometimes wish that Florida would use more engaging or memorable music choices in the floor routines. However, everyone likes different floor music- just my perspective.

Overall, I think we'll learn more about the Gators in two weeks when they face Arkansas at home. I have the following questions about this meet:

Is it more important for them to remain focused on the "start slow, peak later" strategy or to beat Arkansas? While I like the strategy overall, I think that beating Arkansas at home will be important for the team's confidence. Arkansas beat Florida twice last year, which may have contributed to their doubting themselves a bit towards the end of the season.
Does Florida need to use their best lineup to beat Arkansas, who has posted two scores in the mid-196 range to start the season? Or, can they still rest people and pull out the win at home?

GEORGIA:
Overall, I have been impressed with Georgia's start so far. Although they didn't beat Alabama, they kept the score close, which is in itself a big accomplishment when in Tuscaloosa. I mentioned last week that I needed to see a road meet to start assessing the team, and Georgia showed strong focus and scored well on vault, bars, and beam. Sarah Persinger and Shayla Worley showed that they have the ability to put up strong routines on beam that Georgia needs.

As has already been discussed in general, the concern for Georgia is floor. For the second week in a row, they did not score over 49 on the event. Georgia is, essentially, the "home team" for SEC Championships and Nationals this year, and strong floor routines are essential for rallying the crowd behind them and maximizing this "home team" advantage.

MICHIGAN:
I watched Michigan's win over Ohio State on Friday and my reflections are below.

Michigan Bars:
I liked the bar rotation as a whole- the routines featured an agressive swing and great amplitude on the release moves.

Michigan Beam:
As has been the case in past seasons, beam appears to be an early-season issue for Michigan, as they failed to score above 48. Reema Zakharia is doing a roundoff-layout series, which in general can be tricky.
Katie Zurales, who seems to be emerging as a team leader, did a lovely routine to anchor the beam lineup. All of Zurales' skills seemed to have a "floaty, airy" quality. She was very light on her feet, which was nice to see.

Michigan Floor:
Overall, Michigan's floor rotation was excellent. Michigan actually needed a big score to pull out the win after their beam rotation, and they pulled it off. The tumbling looked good and some of the girls had really nice expression and presentation. Stephanie Colbert did a double layout that was lovely in the air, but she landed a bit short.I enjoyed Joanna Sampson's music, which I think was an instrumental version of "The Time" by the Black Eyed Peas.

Overall, Michigan's issues are their lack of depth and beam, but vault, bars, and floor were excellent. It remains early to tell how they stack up against other teams.

NEBRASKA:
I think everyone has the same questions about Nebraska that I do.
WHAT? How did they score 197.375 in their home opener competing seven gymnasts and five all-arounders? Can they keep this up throughout the season to win a Big Ten title and make the Super Six? Or, will this lack of depth become a serious issue?

from www.troester.com/gym

By the way, after seeing freshman Jessie DeZiel compete at the Pan Am games this fall, I noticed that (in addition to her talent) her excitement came through in her routines, making them stand out. This is a quality which serves a gymast very well in NCAA, and Friday night she proved that she will indeed provide the "star quality" Nebraska needs.

OKLAHOMA:
Do not worry that Oklahoma hasn't posted a score over 196 yet. Oklahoma is the only one of the top teams who hasn't had a home meet, and I think this explains the lower scores. The Sooners have looked good. Once they have their home opener, I think we'll have a better sense of what the team's potential is for this year. If you attend or watch the home opener, you can look forward to seeing Megan Ferguson's floor routine, which I think is one of the best routines I've seen from the Sooners overall. (Ferguson's beam routine is also excellent.)

I can't wait to see this routine (and alll of their beam and floor routines) in person when Oklahoma comes to Columbus to compete in March.

OHIO STATE:
The team posted a highlight video from the weekend, and my thoughts from watching the meet are below.

Ohio State Bars:
Overall, bars is the team's weakest event in terms of consistency and difficulty. A score of 49 flat would be fantastic for them, and I think they will need to rely on vault, beam, and floor to bring in higher team scores as the season progresses.

Ohio State Beam:
This is an event where Ohio State has tremendous potential, but they will need to figure out who the beam leadoff is that can hit and get the rotation off to a good start. They have had two girls in that spot in each of their two meets, and the routines have had a fall and a big wobble respectively.
Melanie Shaffer hit her beam routine and stuck her double tuck dismount. I believe she was the leadoff last year, perhaps they could put her in this spot again. Alyssa Marohn had very nice form on beam and fought to stay on in her routine, and if she can hit this routine cleanly it will score well. Nicole Krauter has very nice form as well and hit, scoring 9.775.

As a side note, I'm all for team spirit, but I have no idea why the girls do the O-H-I-O cheer each time a girl lands her series. I'm pretty sure that if I was on the beam and they did that, I'd get distracted and fall off, after hitting the series. (Perhaps that's why I didn't make it to college gymnastics, though.)

Ohio State Floor:
The rotation featured routines with clean and difficult tumbling. However, after seeing their floor routines in comparison to Michigan's, I think that Ohio State needs to work on selling and presenting the routines in order to pull in the 9.9 scores. This would mean more smiling and more eye contact with the crowd (and the judges). I understand this may be difficult to do in enemy territory in Ann Arbor, but they can definitely do this at home meets.

Speaking of home meets, I think it's important that Ohio State has a crowd there to cheer them on! As long as my work schedule permits, so far I am planning to go to the Penn State meet on 02/25 and the Oklahoma meet on 03/17. Can't wait!

UCLA:
To understand UCLA, all you need to do is look at their beam and floor scores from Sunday.

from www.troester.com/gym

At any moment, UCLA is capable of championship greatness or capable of counting a fall. Yet, it is partly this suspense that keeps UCLA charismatic and interesting. Without the fall on floor, UCLA would have easily scored 197+, so they are a serious title contender.

UTAH:
Utah scored 197.400 for their first 197+ score since 2009. This is to be taken seriously, since Utah has spent the past two years proving that even when they don't have the most talented team, they have one of the most consistent teams and can hit when it counts. For the past two years I've been convinced that Utah wouldn't make Super Six, but they snagged a spot both times. Utah has a significantly more talented team in 2012, and I also think that competing in the Pac-12 will make the team even more competitive and prepared in April. Can they snag a conference title and a national title?

Florida update...

2012-01-13T20:25:00.001-05:00

Just a quick update now that Florida has completed beam. Good, solid routines from Stageberg, Spicer, Johnson, and Dickerson. Kytra Hunter wowed the crowd with her punch front mount, but then fell on her series. Hunter's fall set up a perfect opportunity to "test" Marissa King as the beam anchor...

She scored 9.925. Her routine was quick and precise, and she stuck her double full dismount. Seems like a good choice for the anchor to me. I will update with video of the routine when it is posted.

Beam score: 49.250. Total score after 3 rotations: 147.650.

Ohio State at Michigan Update

2012-01-13T18:51:00.001-05:00

Final Score: Michigan 195.500, Ohio State 195.175
Congrats to Michigan! (I apologize for my prediction). Michigan did a great job tonight on vault, bars, and floor. The mistakes on beam can easily be fixed. Despite the small roster, many of the girls have stepped up and this team's potential looks great for the rest of the season. If not for the mistakes on beam, Michigan would have easily scored in the mid-196 range.

Ohio State also has room to improve on their score and there were many highlights from tonight.

I will be back with full reflections on the meet. I took notes.

What to Watch For in Friday's Meets

2012-01-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'm back with a quick preview of specific things that I will be looking for as the scores from tonight's meets start rolling in.

Ohio State at Michigan
I said in my previous post that I think this meet will be closer than expected and that Ohio State has a chance to pull the upset. If Ohio State wants to win, they will need good scores on both beam and floor, which are emerging as the team's strengths.

Ohio State showed a beam set last week packed with difficulty, but they counted a fall in the rotation. They will need to hit five routines to have a chance at the win. What adjustments will they make to the beam rotation from last week? Will the lineup change? Will any difficult skills be removed? Can they hit? Nicole Krauter and Sarah Miller have the routines to watch- both scored 9.85 last week. Ohio State's floor rotation should also be interesting- they didn't have to count a score below 9.8 last week, for a rotation total of 49.075.

I will also be looking to see what Michigan's scoring potential might be as the season evolves. According to collegegymfans.com, Michigan has only 11 of their starting routines returning, including 4 lost routines on uneven bars. Michigan is tied for the lowest number of returning routines among last year's top 25 and has a small incoming freshman class, so they will have to make a huge adjustment. I do not expect them to contend for a Super Six spot again this year.

Illinois-Chicago at Florida
The last time Illinois-Chicago competed in Gainesville, they didn't break 190. So, this meet is essentially an exhibition for Florida. Rhonda mentioned in her press conference this week that she is using these early-season meets to evaluate the scoring potential of the freshmen while resting some upperclassmen for later in the season. Kytra Hunter won the all-around in last week's meet, so look for another strong performance from her, specifically on vault and floor. Rachel Spicer and Kiersten Wang didn't pull in a score higher than the 9.7 range last week, so it will be interesting to see what improvements these two make.

Kentucky at Arkansas
This meet is an opportunity for Arkansas to show that their 196.450 score from last week (the second-best score of the weekend) wasn't a fluke. If they put up another score in the mid-196 range, they will make a case that they will be a competitive threat at the SEC championships and at Nationals.

Auburn at LSU
When the Thompsons were in charge at Auburn, I wasn't particularly interested in following the team. New coach Jeff Graba seems to be focused on improving his team, and I'm starting to pay attention. Look to see if Auburn, who scored 194.775 last week, can bring in a score over 195 this week.

As for LSU, many felt that this team would be much improved from last year due to a strong freshman class. Their score of 192.500 from last week did not showcase an upgraded team. However, this total score included a counted routine of 9.0 on bars, and counted routines of 8.875, 9.05, and 9.125 on beam. Yikes. Obviously, LSU has significant room for improvement, and I expect a significantly higher score from them since they are competing at home. If they hit beam, they have a good chance to win the meet.

Georgia at Alabama
I expect Alabama to win this meet and get off to a strong start. However, this meet is an opportunity to really understand Georgia's potential for the rest of the season. They will be out of their comfort zone on the road, and I assume they will use their best possible lineup to give Alabama a run for their money. How will this lineup score? I will be impressed if Georgia puts up a score of 196+ on the road this early in the season. Georgia's road opener last year was 195.575, so a 196+ score would suggest an improved team that will be competitive in the postseason.

Utah State at Utah
I was impressed by Utah last week. After the first two rotations last week at UCLA, they were down by almost a point. Strong beam and floor rotations allowed Utah to claw their way back and finish less than a tenth behind UCLA. (Yes, UCLA opened the door for this comeback, but Utah gets the credit for taking advantage of the mistakes.)
Utah showed last week that bars might be a weak event for them (48.450), so it will be interesting to see if they can raise the bars score this week while continuing to do well on the other events.

Oklahoma at Oregon State
I don't think I'll be able to watch this one, but I am very interested in the outcome and will watch the scores come in. As for Oklahoma, it will be particularly interesting to watch their beam and floor. For Oklahoma to be a contender this year, their beam routines will need to continue to be top-notch and they will need to improve on floor. Oklahoma hit six beam routines last week, though only one routine scored over a 9.8. On the other hand, they had four floor scores over 9.8, which is a very good sign.

As for Oregon State, this team confuses me. For the past two years, their regular-season performances have convinced me that they would be the surprise team stealing a spot in the Super Six at the end of the season. I have been wrong so far, so I am certainly not making that prediction this year. It will be interesting to see how Oregon State starts the season and how they stack up. They will need strong performances from Leslie Mak, Makayla Stambaugh, and Olivia Vivian to earn the win at home.

Not sure who will win this one. I think Oklahoma is the better team overall, and they already have one meet under their belt this season. On the other hand, Oregon State is at home, and Oklahoma will have to compete well after a long travel day and an adjustment to the time difference.

Hope everyone has a great Friday- enjoy the meets! Good luck to all the teams!

Oh, and I hope you like the new template. I've spent the work week analyzing strategies for optimal visual presentation of content- so I figured I could update the presentation of the blog as well.

Quick Reflections from Week One (01/06-01/08)

2012-01-11T21:22:00.004-05:00

Washington (193.175 at Michigan State)
This was not a great start from a team with the goal of finishing in the top 18, if not higher. Yet, since this score included multiple falls on floor, there is much room for improvement. At the end of January, Washington will host UCLA in their first home meet, which will be a good time to evaluate their progress. If you haven't watched the broadcast of a Washington meet, I highly recommend it. The broadcasts are thorough and informative. Night owls in Eastern Time such as myself like the 10PM start time, too.

Florida (196.025 at NC State)
This was a good start from Florida in a tightly scored meet. They hit all 24 routines while leaving room for improvement. I'm going to skip talking about the first three rotations and move to the rotation everyone was waiting to see- beam.

Randy Stageberg seems to be a great choice for the leadoff routine. While Florida's beam issues at the end of last season were often discussed, it was not often mentioned that Stageberg hit every single beam routine she was asked to do last year. She mounts with a press handstand which sets the expectation that all six upcoming routines will be impressive.

Marissa King was the anchor. She has both the leadership ability and consistency to be the beam anchor, but does her routine have the 'wow' factor that we will see from some anchors on other teams? While she may not have the flexibility and lines that other beam anchors do, I think her routine is often dynamic and exciting due to her quick and precise tumbling.

In Florida's upcoming meets, I want to look at which of the Florida beam routines have a "wow" factor capable of a big score. My concern about their beam routines last year wasn't the falls. They happen. My concern was that even when the Gators hit beam, their total score for the rotation was never as high as on the other events. Looking forward to seeing how they do in Friday's home opener!

Georgia (196.525 vs. Denver)
In a critical year for the program where they are the home team for SEC Championships and Nationals, Georgia fans have reason to be encouraged. Considering that I didn't see the meet, Georgia's strong start raised a few important questions:

1) It is important to note that their lowest-scoring event was floor, which was a weak event for the team last year. What is the team's scoring potential on floor? Is it comparable to the top teams or not?

2) Will the strong start at home lead to strong scores on the road? I've learned over the past few years that it's easier to tell how Georgia stacks up when they compete on the road. Their first road meet of the season is Friday against Alabama, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the two teams compare.

Oklahoma (195.875 at Kentucky)
It seems like they got off to a good start, but I didn't see the meet. I did, however, watch the post-meet interview with KJ Kindler where she was asked one of the things I've always wanted to know more about- what she and the coaching staff are doing to make the beam routines stand out. Oklahoma heads to Corvallis to compete against Oregon State on Friday.

Ohio State (195.375 at Minnesota)
Yes, I'm from Ohio. But I'm also an objective analyst of college gymnastics. I really think Ohio State is the best up-and-coming team in the NCAA, and the best team you're not watching. Here's why:
1) The beam routines are unique and packed with difficulty, and they did at least 5 E passes on floor.

Watch more video of #18 Ohio State at #22 Minnesota on gymnastike.org

2) Their score this week was the highest season opener total in their program history...AND they counted a fall in that total. This shows that Ohio State is capable of scoring close to 196 at this point. They have all season to improve further.

3) Ohio State heads to Ann Arbor this Friday to take on Michigan. I am putting Michigan on "upset alert." Ohio State seems to have improved since last year, while Michigan lost an extremely talented senior class including NCAA all-around champion Kylee Botterman. In addition, Ohio State has a huge advantage in this meet because they have already competed once. Friday is Michigan's first meet. I hope it's a nailbiter.

Utah (196.025) at UCLA (196.075)
Didn't see this one, but watching the scores come is was suspenseful enough. This was a great preview of the battle for the PAC-12 title. Will UCLA win due to their artistry and deep, talented roster? Or, will Utah prevail due to their consistency and newly upgraded tumbling?

Blog Updates
I would love to spend all day writing about gymnastics, and I apologize for not updating this blog as much as I would like. However, my work always comes first, and that's why I sometimes can't get to blogging. I do tweet when I've added a new post, so if you'd like to know when the blog is updated, follow me on Twitter!

Can't wait to see what happens at Friday's meets!

NCAA Gymnastics History 2001: UCLA Edges Georgia in Athens

2012-01-05T22:31:00.000-05:00

property of uclabruins.com

The 2001 NCAA Gymnastics Championship featured a close and exciting battle between UCLA and Georgia for the title. Heading to the final rotation, UCLA had the lead with a score of 148.00. With a score of 147.900, Georgia entered their last rotation only a tenth behind.

Georgia appeared to have a better chance at the title, as they were the home team and their final rotation was on vault. If UCLA was going to hold off Georgia, they would have to do it on the balance beam.

You can watch the exciting final rotations of the 2001 Championship in the videos below. UCLA and Georgia both finished on a bye, so the suspenseful conclusion takes place in Rotation 5. To start after Rotation 4, skip to 6:20 in the video. The video includes a passionate speech from Suzanne Yoculan in the Georgia locker room.

UCLA's second beam performer, Malia Jones, fell, leaving no room for error among the four final competitors. With the pressure on, UCLA tallied beam scores of 9.95 from Yvonne Tousek, 9.9 from Onnie Willis (not shown), and 9.925 from Kristen Maloney.

Georgia finished on vault first and posted a team total of 49.500, forcing UCLA to score above 49.400 on the beam to win the title.

Mohini Bhardwaj anchored the UCLA beam lineup with a score of 9.9. UCLA's final beam total of 49.575 secured the Bruins' third NCAA title after a nailbiter of a rotation that was worth watching more than ten years later.

I can't believe the 2012 season starts tomorrow- will UCLA win another title this year?

Good luck to all teams as they begin competition!

2000 Flashback: How I Started Following NCAA Gymnastics

2012-01-04T19:19:00.002-05:00

If any of you are wondering what my background is in gymnastics and how I started following college gymnastics, wonder no more!

I was a gymnast when I was younger. I always looked forward to my next gymnastics class so I could do back handsprings on the trampoline. I would proudly show off my rips from bars to my friends in school. I was never great at gymnastics, but I loved the sport so much that it didn't matter to me whether I was good or not. I loved falling off the beam as much as I loved doing a beam skill correctly- what mattered to me was that I was doing gymnastics.

Years later, I made the difficult and heart-wrenching decision to quit gymnastics. Deep down, quitting was the last thing I wanted to do, but there were reasons why I felt I had to. After I gave up the sport, I also stopped following gymnastics completely because watching gymnastics routines and competitions made me sad. (Confession: I didn't watch the 1996 Summer Olympics where the Magnificent Seven won the gold medal. I read about their win in the paper.)

Fast forward to September 2000- the start of my sophomore year in college. I was one of the only ones of my friends to have a TV in my dorm room. One night, my friends came by and asked if we could watch the Olympic gymnastics competition, and I tentatively agreed.
When we got to Russian gymnast Svetlana Khorkina's floor routine in the team finals, my friend Steve jubilantly exclaimed "She looks like an ostrich!"

We all cracked up. It was at that moment that I realized that watching gymnastics no longer made me feel sad and wistful, but content and happy because I was watching with a great group of friends. Following the team finals, Steve would ask me when "Ostrich" was going to be on TV again, and we all watched the all-around and event finals together.

Since I no longer felt sad when watching gymnastics, I couldn't wait to watch more and reconnect with the sport I loved so much. While watching the U.S. gymnastics team compete in the Olympics, the announcers mentioned that U.S. Olympic team members Jamie Dantzscher and Kristen Maloney were planning to compete in college gymnastics at UCLA. After hearing that, I made a note to pay attention to the UCLA team in the 2001 season.

Jamie Dantzscher:

Not sure what her intent was with the first pass, but it almost looks like double layout to punch front layout. Wow.

Kristen Maloney:

Note: Even though my friend's comparison between Svetlana Khorkina and an ostrich was funny, I didn't think there was much truth to it...until I read the same comparison on Get A Grip Gym Blog.
For the record, I also think that Khorkina is an artistic and charismatic gymnast who added intrigue to the sport during the years she competed.

NCAA Gymnastics History 2000: UCLA Wins in Boise

2011-12-22T18:00:00.001-05:00

In 2000, the NCAA gymnastics championships were held in Boise, ID.

Photo courtesy of the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau

Led by future U.S. Olympian Mohini Bhardwaj, UCLA hits all 24 routines to win their second national title.

*all images property of uclabruins.com

1999 Flashback: Choosing the University of Pennsylvania

2011-12-21T01:56:00.011-05:00

Looking back and reflecting on the history of college gymnastics has also caused me to reflect on my own life. When I write about the gymnastics history for each year, I automatically think back on what was going on in my life during that year, especially since I am the same age as the sport. (I was born in 1981, and women's college gymnastics became an NCAA sport less than a year later.)

property of http://www.upenn.edu/

Therefore, in addition to discussing the history of the college gymnastics teams, I wanted to share a little bit about my college experience. I was lucky enough to attend the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, PA, and being there was one of the happiest times of my life.

I'll start with what I was thinking back in my senior of high school when I made my decision about where to apply to college.

Hopefully, these reflections are timely, as December is the time of year when high school seniors receive decisions on their early decision applications and make final selections of where to apply during the regular decision process.

Back in April 2011 (which was when I began writing this entry), I saw the following post on Penn's Facebook page:

However, when I applied to Penn, Facebook didn't exist (yes, I feel old) and we found out our acceptance decisions by checking the mailbox rather than checking online. Despite that, I think some of my reflections on the college process are still applicable now.

When I was applying to colleges, the first thing I decided was to apply early decision somewhere. I loved the idea of being done with the college process in December. I had also read that at certain schools, you had a better chance of getting in if you applied early decision, and I wanted to take advantage of this. (I do not know how true this is now.) So, I looked for a school with the qualifications listed below. The more I searched, the more I felt that Penn was the right school for me:

Urban Environment and Public Transportation
This was important to me because I didn't have a car, yet I am fiercely independence and didn't want to depend on anyone for rides. Philadelphia is a walkable city with great public transportation.

Strong Academics with Flexibility in the Curriculum
I wasn't sure what I wanted to study. I wanted a college with strong academics, but was wary of schools with a large amount of required general eduction classes, or schools where it was difficult to change your major. Compared to other schools I visited, Penn seemed to have more flexibility in the general education requirements and changing your major seemed relatively easy to do.

Larger Student Body
I loved the idea of being able to meet new people every day, and not feeling that you "knew everyone" or that everyone "knew you." (Penn has approximately 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students.)

School Spirit and Involvement in NCAA Sports
I wasn't a college gymnast, though I have always been a fantastic college sports spectator. While I was aware that Penn wasn't usually in the mix for national titles, Penn is often a contender in the race for a conference title, and the students are passionate about the teams. The fact that Penn had made frequent appearance in the NCAA basketball tournament around the time I was applying did play a part in my decision to apply there.

Ranking
I admit it. At the time, I was honestly convinced that the prestige of the school I could get in to (according to the oracle that is US News and World Report) would actually make a statement about my value or worth as a person. As an insecure seventeen-year-old raised in the stressful environment of a New England prep school, I didn't know how to think differently.
(And don't worry- I no longer equate self-worth and college rankings, and I think the 'fit' of the school is more important than the ranking when choosing where to apply.)

Feel
Most importantly, I wanted a school that "felt right." I visited many schools and Penn's admissions presentation stood out from the others. At every admissions session I attended, there was always the high-strung parent that would ask:
"What grades and SAT scores does my child need to get into this school?
Usually, the admissions officer would give the same boring answer by stating the range of SAT scores and GPAs held by accepted students. At Penn, the answer was strikingly different:
"SAT scores and grades are important; that goes without saying. However, we look at more than grades and scores. We consider the person behind the application and what the person can bring to the school.
That answer pleasantly surprised me and said a lot about Penn. I've never forgotten it.

Receiving my acceptance letter to Penn was one of the happiest days of my life, and I feel very appreciative and grateful to have had the opportunity to go there.

I wish everyone going through the college process the best of luck. There are many college possibilities out there, and everyone can have many schools that are right for them, rather than just one. Feel free to contact me by e-mail if you want to know more about my experience at Penn.

Entries Coming Up Next:

Resuming the NCAA Gymnastics History with the 2000 season
Now that I've started writing about my own experience at Penn, I plan to do a quick profile of the 2012 Penn gymnastics team, who could be headed for one of their strongest seasons in recent years.

University of Pennsylvania (Not Penn State)

2011-12-21T01:52:00.022-05:00

property of http://www.upenn.edu/

In addition to discussing the history of the college gymnastics teams, I wanted to share a little bit about my college experience. I was lucky enough to attend the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, PA, and being there was one of the happiest times of my life. (I was not a college gymnast.)

from http://www.underthebutton.com/

As I share my college experience, I do want to mention that the University of Pennsylvania is at times confused with Penn State University. The schools are unaffiliated despite their similar names.

Due to the events that transpired at Penn State in the fall of 2011, the confusion between Penn and Penn State has received more attention than normal.

So, here are some quick facts about each school:

	University of Pennsylvania	The Pennsylvania State University
Nickname	Penn	Penn State
Location	Philadelphia, PA	University Park, PA
Mascot	Quaker	Nittany Lion
President	Amy Gutmann	Graham Spanier Rodney Erickson
Enrollment (undergraduate and graduate)	21, 203	44, 817
Conference	Ivy/ECAC	Big Ten
Football Coach	Al Bagnoli	Joe Paterno Tom Bradley
Postseason Plans of Football Team	Final exams (Ivy League does not participate in NCAA football postseason)	Ticket City Bowl vs. Houston (and final exams)
Gymnastics Coach(es)	John Ceralde	Jeff & Rachelle Thompson
Notable Campus Landmark	The Button	The Creamery

Note: My intent of this post is to clarify which school I am talking about when I share my college experience at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn State is also a great school (my mom went there). My thoughts are with the children and families affected by the events, and the Penn State students, athletes, faculty, staff, and alumni as they, in the words of new Penn State President Rodney Erickson, "work to rebuild [their] sense of community" stronger than ever.

NCAA Gymnastics History 1999: Georgia's Dominance Repeats

2011-12-17T15:51:00.002-05:00

1999: Nationals are held at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

Georgia wins their fifth national title.

*image property of http://www.georgiadogs.com/

With the win, the Gym Dogs completed a second consecutive undefeated season with a record of 32-0.

*image property of http://www.georgiadogs.com/

NCAA Gymnastics History 1998: Georgia's Dominant Season

2011-12-15T15:07:00.003-05:00

1998: Nationals are held at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Georgia wins their fourth national title by the largest margin of victory in ten years. Georgia won the title with a total score of 197.725, a margin of 1.375 points over second-place Florida.

*image property of http://www.georgiadogs.com/

With the win, the Gym Dogs completed an undefeated season with a record of 35-0.

*image property of http://www.georgiadogs.com/

NCAA Gymnastics History: The Backgrounds of the Winning Coaches

2011-12-13T00:38:00.004-05:00

Now that the NCAA Gymnastics History entries have ‘introduced’ the four college gymnastics coaches who have won NCAA titles, I wanted to learn more about their backgrounds and stories. The interviews below (from Gymnastike) illuminate the stories of the four coaches- in their own words.

Note: As some of the coaches mention in their interviews, college gymnastics was around prior to 1982. I began documenting the history in 1982, as that was the year that women’s college gymnastics became an official NCAA sport.

Greg Marsden, Utah
In this interview, Coach Greg Marsden explains how the Utah gymnastics program was started and how he became the head coach of the team. Interestingly, he says in this interview that he never set out with the specific goal of becoming a college gymnastics coach. Yet, the opportunity came his way. When Marsden realized how successful he was at running the program, he stuck with it.

The 2012 season will be Marsden’s 37th as the head coach at Utah. His wife, Megan Marsden, is now the co-head coach. His story shows the value of pursuing opportunities that come to you, even if those opportunities differ from your goal at the time.

Suzanne Yoculan, Georgia
In this interview, Coach Suzanne Yoculan shares her gymnastics and coaching background and how she became the head coach at Georgia. Like Marsden at Utah, Yoculan also found her way into college coaching somewhat by chance, when a mentor encouraged her that she would be a fit as a college coach.
Find out which college rejected Yoculan as a head coaching applicant before she was hired at Georgia, and how she made the decision to come to Georgia. Interestingly, the coaching candidate hired by the school which rejected Yoculan was the head coach at Georgia, and that hire opened up the Georgia position.

Yoculan also shared her (initial) reticence to pursue another head coaching job after being rejected for one head coaching job. Her story underlies the point that despite rejection, it’s always worth trying again. Had she not tried again, the Georgia gymnastics program, and NCAA gymnastics as a whole, likely would not have been the same today. Yoculan’s coaching established Georgia as one of the programs that set the standard in NCAA gymnastics.

Sarah Patterson, Alabama
In this interview, coach Sarah Patterson shares how she became the head coach at Alabama and how she built the program from one that was perceived as unsuccessful to one with multiple national titles and over 10,000 fans in attendance per meet.

Patterson was offered the opportunity to become the head coach at age 22, being paid 5,000 dollars per year. She accepted the offer without even having seen the gymnastics facilities at the university. She built the program along with David Patterson, her husband and co-head coach for many years. He is now a volunteer coach with the Alabama program. Her story shows how sometimes taking a risk and jumping into the unknown can lead to tremendous success and reward.

Valorie Kondos Field, UCLA
In this interview, “Miss Val” shares how she initially became involved in gymnastics coaching by playing piano for floor routines. Once she began playing the piano, she used her background as a professional dancer to point out corrections in routines. She initially became involved with UCLA as a dance coach and choreographer, and then began coaching beam even though she had never been a gymnast. After many years coaching at UCLA, she was offered the head coaching position.

Her journey shows that in certain situations, it can be worth jumping into an opportunity even if you don’t have the traditional background for that opportunity, as long as you bring passion and a willingness to learn. In addition, your background may bring different valuable aspects to the job. Though she was never a gymnast, the her dance background gave her the experience to create intricate and detailed choreography for UCLA’s floor and beam routines. As a result, UCLA’s routine presentation has always stood out and given the Bruins a competitive edge.

Again, I want to mention that these insightful interviews came from the Gymnastike website, without which this blog entry would not have been possible.

NCAA Gymnastics History 1997: UCLA joins the club

2011-12-08T18:23:00.004-05:00

1997: Nationals are hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville

Dancer-turned gymnastics head coach Valorie Kondos Field wins UCLA's first national title.

UCLA becomes the fourth overall school to win...

*all images in this post property of uclabruins.com

No new team has won since 1997

NCAA Gymnastics History 1996: Alabama Wins at Home

2011-12-08T17:16:00.001-05:00

1996: Alabama hosts their second championship in Tuscaloosa.

*image property of rolltide.com

Home field advantage bouys the team to their third title with a record score of 198.025.

*property of Rome News-Tribune

*property of rolltide.com

NCAA Gymnastics History: Part Four

2011-11-28T17:57:00.002-05:00

1993-1995: The final years of Utah's dynasty

1993: The NCAA Championships return to Corvallis, OR.

Georgia defeats Alabama to win their third title, recording the first championship total over 198.
*image property of georgiadogs.com

Georgia: 198.000
Alabama: 196.825

1994: History repeats as Utah wins another title in the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
*image property of utahutes.com

Utah defeats Alabama by five hundredths of a point, tying the closest finish in championship history.

Utah: 196.400
Alabama: 196.350

1995: Championships are held in Athens, GA, where Utah wins their ninth overall title.

Utah has not won a title since 1995

Miss anything? NCAA Gymnastics History Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Part 5 coming up next! With Utah's dominant years over, which team will emerge next as an NCAA gymnastics powerhouse?