Advancing to Saturday’s Super Six from NCAA semifinal I: UCLA 197.40, Utah 197.20, Stanford 197.125.
4th Oklahoma 196.925
5th Nebraska 196.625
6th LSU 196.550
The Card rocked Beam
JOTS taken live during the competition:
_____ 1st rotation:
Good start. The only fall was Minnesota’s Slechta on Bars. Oklahoma looks to have a good chance to get through after hitting 6/6 on Beam. Some very smart, safe routines.
Megan Ferguson layout layout to knee scale. Cool.
Utah has strong tumbling this season. Their choreography is not special enough to get the BIG numbers, however.
Dan Kendig’s Bar team is SWEET. Nebraska girls all look ELITE in terms of execution and technique.
I wasn’t super impressed with UCLA’s Vault rotation. Neither was Miss Val. Only De La Torre stuck.
_____ 2nd rotation:
Nebraska should get through, too, after a strong Beam rotation. Emily Wong one of the favourites for Finals with 9.90. De Ziel’s stuck dismount superb! Unfortunately Busacker wobbled her way to a 9.25.
LSU is out of it, I think. Bars was weak. Hall fell.
Utah was quite strong on Vault. Stanford good on Floor, but not great. Hanset fell.
_____ 3rd rotation:
UCLA on Bars. Zamarippa superb warm-up routine. Talk about handstands. Tiny hop on double layout. She should probably win this Final. Scored 9.9.
Yet Aisha Gerber anchoring scored 9.925 sticking double Arabian dismount.
EHH was replaced by Mattie Larson. Mattie missed a little.
The numbers don’t looks bad for LSU on Beam. But it really wasn’t a strong performance.
Oklahoma is well coached. Period. Smart Floor routines with less difficulty than any other team. More twisting, fewer doubles. Megan Ferguson is SO CUTE. A fan favourite, for sure.
_____ 4th rotation:
UCLA should seal their qualification on Beam. They’re the best team in the NCAA, I’d say. Especially with Gerber 9.875 starting, a rock like Anna Li of old.
But Matie Larson wobbles to 9.775. And the goddess Vanessa falls on Aerial walkover. … They need thank EHH 9.90 and 2011 Beam Champ Pezek 9.90 for closing strong.
Nebraska had some good Floor. Love DeZiel and Evanstad.
Oklahoma did not particularly impress on Vault. Not much power amongst all those petite bodies.
Utah OK on Bars.
_____ 5th rotation:
LSU’s best event is FX. But it didn’t go nearly as well as they hoped. Maliah Mathis is a fantastic tumbler, but went OB on her double layout.
Hall was not as spectacular as usual and may not make finals with 9.875. I felt another power tumbler is even better on Floor — Bri Guy from Auburn: double layout, double twisting fwd layout, double pike. Sadly she over-rotated that double pike.
Utah had a fall on Beam from Robarts. But it didn’t hurt. They got through finishing 197.200. Somehow Utah always gets through to the Super 6.
Nebraska knew they needed to make up ground. Before Vault there was a team powwow — “We must STICK.” Unfortunately, only Janelle Giblin stuck for 9.925. Lora Evenstad nearly stuck and was underscored at 9.85, I thought.
Stanford is fun to watch on Bars. Some gorgeous form and line. Anchor Nicole Pechanec should have made finals, but did not stick her dismount.
_____ 6th rotation:
Dramatic.
Stanford HIT Beam to pull in to the top 3. Wow.
UCLA is my favourite team on Floor. Love Sam Pezek’s Welcome to the Jungle music — but (shockingly) she over-rotated double pike dismount.
Oklahoma showed some gorgeous Bars. I really thought they might get back into the top three. But it was not to be.
_____ Summary:
Oklahoma and Nebraska have nothing to be ashamed of. They looked great and either could easily have been 3rd.
LSU did miss. Congratulations to Rheagan Courville who leads the AA half way through prelims. When Savona joins the Tigers next season they’ll almost certainly have the strongest tumblers in College gym. And LSU had the best tailgate party today. 🙂
6 teams, 2 on byes. I still don’t like it. The flashed scores still leave the audience confused. Why don’t they show running average routine score? … Or running projected Team scores?
Miss Val:
“You have to be a savant to follow this scoring.”
Gymnastike – Semifinal 1 Coaches Press Conference (UCLA, Utah, Stanford)
And delayed TV coverage? In 2012? … That’s just SAD.
The first round was sparsely attended. If this meet had been hosted in Athens, Georgia, the arena would have been full.
I fear scores will escalate in the second session … Once the Georgia throng gets noisy.
related – Examiner – Quick hits: Women’s qualifying at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships (session I)
Gymnastics Coaching.com 