Author: Rick Mc

I’ll be at Starbucks between sessions, 1400 Euclid Avenue, within walking distance of the venue. Meet-up.

@gymnastike is doing a great job on Twitter. If you don’t use twitter, the same content is posted here.

I’ll post just a few notes.

Georgia – starts on Bars.

Shayla Worley is cursed in College gymnastics. She nicked the low bar on giant, and under-rotated double layout dismount.

… Georgia had looked great on Bars up to that point. Happily, Kat Ding saved the rotation (whew) as anchor, sticking double layout (9.90). I hope she wins Bars finals. She’s a rock star.

Love UCLA Floor NCAA Champion 2010 Brittani McCullough as anchor goes 9.925, the girl to beat in Finals. EHH was terrific too, but took a big step on her first tumbling pass.

Both Georgia and Michigan are unhappy with how this meet has started for them.

McCullough stuck vault in warm-up. And stuck in the competition for 9.95. … And she’s only 4th in the UCLA line-up, after Peszek.

@gymnastike: “This looks like the UCLA of last year.”

Michelle Stout is crooked on Blind change, and, as a result, misses Jaeger. What a shame. She’s a wonderful gymnast. … With 2 falls on Bars now, I predict Arkansas is OUT of the Super 6. Too bad. They are such a pretty, petite team.

Wow. Nice vault for Michigan’s Joanna Sampson (9.90)

Oklahoma looking strong on Bars. Fantastic landings. They and UCLA have the momentum … but both are yet to get to BEAM.

Surprise, surprise … Shayla Worley falls on Floor. I’m starting to feel rotten for her, one of my favourite gymnasts, as an Elite. Nuccio’s OOB and near fall. Mauro falls on double front. Georgia will not move on. McComb (9.90) had an excellent routine and has a shot to win the Floor final.

… Kat Ding misses vault, badly. Georgia really has to do something for next season. This is a terrible day for a talented team. Winners ‘find a way to win’.

Kylee Botterman’s looking like the AA Champion, so far.

Barring disaster on Beam (always possible) I see UCLA, Oklahoma and Michigan getting through to the Super 6. Four of the six flights are complete.

9.925 for Monique DeLaTorre was too high. But UCLA did keep it rolling on Bars. Hit 6 for 6.

Peszek’s Geinger is monster HIGH.

Oklahoma 6 for 6 on Beam. They are through to the Super 6 for sure. (196.775) … I’m surprised that number’s not higher.

Lukewarm response to ‘colour’ commentary by Dominique Moceanu from the small, very knowledgeable crowd at prelims. She’s a bit of a polarizing personality.

Hello from Cleveland.

Friday, Apr. 15
Semifinal 1 (Noon ET)
Semifinal 2 (6 pm)

There’s PLENTY of coverage online. I’ll not be posting from the meet LIVE (likely) as I don’t have a media credential this year. There are pros and cons with that … the NCAA imposes all sorts of rules and restrictions. UPDATE: There’s free wifi in the arena – what a nice surprise.

Who will win team?

Aunt Joyce likes Alabama, and thinks UCLA could finish high, if they HIT.

Others are predicting Oklahoma.

I still think this meet is Florida’s to lose. But really anyone who qualifies to the Super 6 could win if they have a perfect meet.

… First priority, however, is finishing top 3 in today’s qualification preliminaries.

I love these viral videos. Supposedly informal camcorder footage … where Beckham happens to be holding a Pepsi.

Click PLAY or watch David Beckham on YouTube.

Why can’t we have more featuring gymnasts?

The best special effects gymnastics commercial so far has been the Adidas Impossible is Nothing ad featuring Nastia and Nadia.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Tumblr is a microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use …

Tumblr makes a painfully limited alternative to WordPress, but a fantastic alternative to Twitter.

People love it.

As of January 7, 2011 Tumblr included more than 2.6 billion total posts and nearly 12 million total blogs. …

Gymnastics Tumblrs (there are many) pass on interesting videos and photos. This one of the Russian women’s team, for example:

I tracked back that image to see where it had come from via WHAT MY REVERIES ARE MADE OF and aliyamustafina and It’s About Artistic Gymnastics. And others on Tumblr.

Turns out it was originally taken from AliyaMustafina.ru. (not online as I post)

Tumblr looks like fun. But very quickly the original source of material will be lost.

It’s free if you want to try it – Tumblr.com

Many felt that use of IRCOS (Instant Replay and Control System) video review was being overused at World Championships 2010, Rotterdam. That the Superior Jury, at least on the WAG side, was abusing use of the technology.

From a March 30, 2011 FIG post:

The Executive Board has decided that during competition, the IRCOS by FIG system will be used by judges and technical delegates in cases of inquiry only. This rule applies to all disciplines.

In that same report the FIG Marketing Commission presented a comprehensive report on Vision, objectives and missions.

The NCAA Team Finals for Men go tonight at 7:00 p.m. PT.

I think Stanford will win. … But don’t bet the mortgage on it.
(I’ve been wrong before.)

They looked calm, confident and prepared last night during the qualifying round. I have no reason to believe they won’t do exactly the same thing tonight. Their season best 366.100 was comfortably ahead of Oklahoma.

Apparently they did have one fall, but I didn’t see it.

Six teams advanced from the National Collegiate Men’s Gymnastics National Qualifier into the finals of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships at St. John Arena on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus.

Session 1
1. University of Oklahoma, 363.500
2. Pennsylvania State University, 356.000
3. University of Illinois, 356.000

Session II
4. Stanford University, 366.100
5. University of California-Berkeley, 361.800
6. University of Michigan, 360.650

Individual Qualifiers

All-Around
Kris Done, Ohio State University
Andrew Folk, U.S. Naval Academy
Andreas Hofer, University of Nebraska
DJ Repp, University of Minnesota
Brandon Wynn, Ohio State University
Kyle Voissem, University of Illinois-Chicago

Floor Exercise
Misha Koudinov, Ohio State University
Adam LaFleur, University of Minnesota
Dylan Parrott, U.S. Naval Academy
Sean Regan, Ohio State University
Kip Webber, U.S. Military Academy
James Zaiser, U.S. Air Force Academy

Pommel Horse
Ty Echard, Ohio State University
Joseph Hodges, University of Illinois-Chicago
Michael Jiang, University of Iowa
Ben Ketelsen, University of Iowa
James Okamoto, U.S. Air Force Academy
John Scallon, University of Minnesota

Still Rings
Mike Behles, Ohio State University
Landon Funiciello, College of William & Mary
Anton Gryshayev, University of Iowa
Anthony Ingrelli, University of Nebraska
Devin Menefee, U.S. Air Force Academy
Neal Thompson, University of Illinois-Chicago

Vault
Tory Brown, U.S. Air Force Academy
Matt Frey, University of Minnesota
Adam Kern, University of Minnesota
Matt McGrath, University of Iowa
Jeff Treleaven, Ohio State University
Kip Webber, U.S. Military Academy

Parallel Bars
Javier Balboa, University of Iowa
Ross Cameratta, University of Minnesota
Patrick McLaughlin, Temple University
Dylan Parrott, U.S. Naval Academy
Neal Thompson, University of Illinois-Chicago
Alex Tighe, Temple University

Horizontal Bar
Ali Aleiou, University of Minnesota
Bear Danley, University of Nebraska
Patrick McLaughlin, Temple University
Dylan Parrott, U.S. Naval Academy
Sam Wright, University of Iowa
Colton Wulf, U.S. Air Force Academy

read more on USAG

related:

• Gymnastics Examiner – Stanford leads Oklahoma after day one of NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships

• Stick It Media – Top Six Advance to 2011 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Finals

Here are the 6 teams that qualified to finals:
unofficial

Stanford 366.100
University of Oklahoma, 363.500
Cal 361.800
Michigan 360.650
Penn State University, 356.000
University of Illinois, 356.000

Official results will be posted here.

Stanford killed it tonight, so far as I could see while simultaneously watching 5 other apparatus. If the Cardinal wins in the Team Final it would be the 100th NCAA sports championship for that University. (Only UCLA has more.)

#1 ranked Oklahoma went 363.500 earlier in the day.

WOW.

I don’t know what to say first.

It’s a thrill and an honour to be in the same building with so many good gymnasts. Routines in 2011 are incredibly difficult. And there were surprisingly few falls, not even on Pommels.

The GOAL, of course, is to get a high start score, not necessarily to do good gymnastics. Nor clean gymnastics.

Bruno Grandi did not intend the 2006 rules changes to result in difficulty superseding execution in importance. But it’s the reality in 2011.

I’m driving late night cross State to the Women’s NCAA Championships in Cleveland.

Click PLAY or watch a preview on YouTube.

@jdixon08

One tumbler who impresses me every time I see him is Stanford’s Josh Dixon. Great height.

Click PLAY or watch him on YouTube. (Winter Cup)

Stanford has an amazing Floor team anchored by Eddie Penev.

… It’s IMPOSSIBLE to follow the action at Men’s NCAA Championships. Six teams competing simultaneously. Very fast judging. Long, complicated routines with start values one can only wildly guess at …

Some good news – Nebraska’s Jim Hartung is on the floor coaching, back from illness earlier in the season. His temporary replacement, retired Francis Allen, is in the stands enjoying the meet. And planning a fishing trip to northern Saskatchewan.

Greetings from the Men’s NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

Follow LIVE @StickItMedia.

Inside Gymnastics is LIVE blogging on Facebook.

Men’s Qualification, Session 1 of 2

In the first of two prelim rounds where the top three teams in each round advance, the University of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania State University and University of Illinois qualified to Finals.

1.University of Oklahoma, 363.500
2T.Penn State University, 356.000
2T.University of Illinois, 356.000
4.University of Minnesota, 346.850
5.U.S. Air Force Academy, 340.700
6.University of Illinois-Chicago, 340.000

read more …

New this year is a 2min warm-up for each team, each apparatus. So far it hasn’t seemed to slow down the competition. Coaches wanted to experiment with the concept as routines are now getting so long and difficult. Famously NCAA MAG gymnasts had no one touch in the past, except for Pommel Horse.

This meet is awesome. But one dark cloud looms – Men’s gymnastics: College programs dwindling to a precious few

The second of two preliminary sessions is just about to start …

The 2011 qualifying teams:

Team Competition

School Qualifying Score
Oklahoma 359.683
Stanford 359.042
California 354.904
Illinois 354.600
Penn State 351.283
Michigan 350.708
Ohio State 345.800
Minnesota 345.367
Air Force 344.200
Nebraska 342.442
Iowa 341.025
Illinois-Chicago 340.800

NCAA via USAG – Men’s NCAA Gymnastics Championship selections announced