Author: Rick Mc

Double Front was at the podium competition:

Oklahoma Women’s Gymnastics placed first at the Perfect 10 Challenge, remaining undefeated in 2013.

… Oklahoma won every event title of the night. Brie Olson claimed the all around and uneven bars titles with 39.550 and 9.95 respectively. Haley Scaman won vault with a 9.9 for her Yurchenko one-and-a-half.. Sophomore Erica Brewer scored a career best of 9.95 on beam to win that event. Taylor Spears took home the floor title with 9.90. …

Click PLAY or watch Erica Brewer’s Beam on YouTube. (L.O. L.O, double tuck dismount_

Oklahoma—197.450
Boise State—195.575
Brigham Young—194.175
Texas Women’s—191.425

Nebraska 195.625 over University of Arizona 195.400.

full results

It was an off night for Nebraska.

Bars warm-ups looked sharp. Much attention to hitting handstands. Then Jennifer Lauer, first routine, fell on a huge Tkachev. Unexpectedly.

Always the worst way to start a competition.

Nebraska did not have to count that fall, nor any fall. …

“It wasn’t our best day, but …,” Head Coach Dan Kendig said.

Emily Wong is a lovely gymnast, though. Sweet. Petite. Elite quality. Very appealing.

By comparison, Arizona looked better than their score. The home crowd left happy.

… the floor team came back to smash out a 49.275 to wrap up the meet and win the event by three tenths. Sangston opened her second event of the night, starting off with a 9.775. The scores only went up from there, with the Cats taking the 1, 2, and 3 podium spots. In third place was junior Jordan Williams who returned to the lineup after a one meet hiatus to earn a 9.825. Silver went to the double Arabian twins Klarenbach and Cristello who both totaled scores of 9.875. The highlight of the event, however, was a second consecutive floor title for freshman Jessie Sisler who earned a near perfect 9.925.

“Jessie is legit; she is a legitimate floor star. The end of our floor lineup is very exciting, it’s fun to sit back and watch and Jessie’s floor score was well deserved. She’s got a national level routine, her twisting technique is some of the best in the nation bar none and when she’s on there is literally no deductions to take,” Ryden said. …

Arizona Wildcats

Amber Womba was underscored on Beam, I felt, at 9.800. (VIDEO)

The Wildcats do some big, entertaining routines.

Congratulations.

Aunt Joyce:

There was so much hype for this meet and it started with so much energy, but it is difficult to leave it feeling anything other than a tad bummed out.

A 197.300 for Florida is fine, but they are capable of so much more. This certainly shows that Oklahoma is really in the mix for the post season, as they can easily best a 197.300.

196.175 for UGA– seriously weak for this point in the season. The Gym Dogs may lose a big meet at home, but they rarely ever blow it like this after such a strong start. Noel falling off beam?!

What a day.

Live Blog: Florida @ Georgia

Balance Beam Situation:

I’m totally a psychic genius for mentioning a 197.300 for Florida in the intro. I said it would feel like a letdown, and it does. This was just OK, and the landings were not up to expected level. It’s February, so that’s fine, but this team looked rather beatable today …

I’m ready to declare that Georgia has developed a full-on balance beam situation. They’ve hit this event to capability once this season, and it carried over into floor where several of the routines had flat, blah tumbling landings. They are developing the reputation of being a two-event team and haven’t yet proven that they don’t deserve that reputation. This team still has the potential to be a Super Six team …

[1] Florida @ [9] Georgia Live Blog

After watching the Stanford Men’s version, … I still have no idea. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Colin Christ updated Cal Men’s Gymnastics Donors, Alumni and Families:

… we would like to inform you that Head Coach Tim McNeill is currently on leave for the remainder of the season. We understand there may be questions and concerns, but we hope you would understand and respect our decision in putting this behind us for the time being so we can focus on the immediate future and what is best for this team and this program.

Furthermore, we have added JT (Jonathan) Okada, Cal Sports’ Psychologist and a long time supporter of Cal Gymnastics, to the coaching staff to help with some administrative and coaching duties for the conclusion of the season.

To make things clear, there will be no head coach title for the time being. The current assistant coach, Colin Christ, will be the “lead” coach, followed by JT Okada, Bryan del Castillo (Volunteer Assistant Coach) and Kyle Bunthuwong (Volunteer Assistant Coach). …

we are in the process of changing the team culture inside and outside the gym. I can proudly say that the team has never been more focused than they are right now. Not only is the coaching staff giving their undivided attention to the team, everyone in the gym is doing their part, or as former Head Coach Barry Weiner would put it, “grabbing an axe and chopping”. …

read more

via @OnoNoKomachi1

Top 10 All-Around

1. Jake Dalton
2. Adrian De Los Angeles
3. Danell Leyva
4. Eddie Penev
5. Sean Melton
6. Akash Modi
7. Glen Ishino
8. Paul Ruggieri
9. Matthew Felleman
10. Marvin Kimble

I was most impressed with Adrian De Los Angeles. He has competed the past couple of weekends during the NCAA season just as he did here: clean, consistent and strong. … could be a surprise dark horse this quad.

Another gymnast I was super impressed with was Sean Melton. This being his big senior elite debut, he proved he is ready to hang with the big boys. …

Using this competition as the first step of the bigger picture, World Championships, I will use a ranking of the Top 6 guys for a shot at a spot on this team …

1. Jake Dalton.
2. Danell Leyva.
3. Adrian De Los Angeles.
4. Alex Naddour. Only because of pommel horse.
5. Paul Ruggeri.
6. Sam Mikulak.

Brian Taylor for Couch Gymnast

Uncle Tim was there too.

Here’s his funny post on the current state of Men’s Floor Exercise. Still a mess. But not quite as bad nor dangerous as the last quadrennial.

Near compulsory elements:

• Arabian varations
• Twisting series
• wide arm handstand
• layout Thomas
• triple twist dismount

Epic Speed Pong

Damien Walters & Tim Shieff are back with ‘Epic Speed Pong’ – episode three of Walters and Shieff, the BRAND NEW series … Don’t miss future episodes – Subscribe!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jed Mildon has absolutely stunned the BMX and action sports world by landing the first ever double backflip tailwhip – a trick that many thought impossible before Saturday night.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

He did the 1st triple back May 28th, 2011.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Michael Jacki on Facebook.)

GYMNAST CROSSING:

Christy Linder was a former Michigan State University gymnast who I worked with at Broadway Gymnastics School.

She now has a gig as a professional photographer with a floor pass at Bruin meets. Last Sunday, her musician boyfriend Jason Sharp was also on floor at Pauley Pavilion, filming some of the sights in HD video. He’s since edited and added original music …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

UCLA hosts Championships April 19-21, 2013.

Episode 20 is really a treat. With Uncle Tim away at Winter Cup, this edition has much banter between Spanny and Jessica O’Beirne.

Jenni’s a charmer. 🙂

British Olympian Jenni Pinches … talks to us about butt glue, working on-air with Olga Korbut for the BBC, life at the Lilleshall national training center, being coached by Amanda Reddin alongside living legend Beth Tweddle, and living a purposeful NerdFighter life.

If you don’t know her, watch this short British Gymnastics intro.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – JenniferPinches.com