Author: Rick Mc

January 18 – 24, 2010

details and links – Gymnastics Canada – National Gymnastics Week 2010

First report on the Utah competition was from Lya Wodraska:

Utah’s gymnastics team kept its promise. Spurred by its disappointing season-opening loss at UCLA a week ago, the No. 11 Utes brought the intensity that was lacking in the first meet to the floor Friday just as they said they’d do.

The result was a 196.3-195.35 win over Iowa State in front of 12,605 at the Huntsman Center.

While the Utes still aren’t where they want to be, the home opener was much more satisfying than their 196.6-195.125 loss to the Bruins.

Good thing the Utes improved, since No. 21 Iowa State proved to be a tough foe never trailing the Utes by more than a couple tenths of a points. If the Utes had counted a fall, they could easily have lost their second meet in a row, something that hasn’t happened to them since the 2007 season. The Utes have never started a season with two losses.

Salt Lake Tribune

Jamie Deetscreek won the AA – 39.425.

UPDATE: Utah videos from this meet.

The LSU anchor put a great meet together.

But her Tigers (195.350) finished behind Missouri (195.625) and Kentucky (195.525).

Susan Jackson bio

Florida had the highest score in NCAA competition tonight, 196.575 over Arkansas 195.925.

Florida Rookie Ashanée Dickerson won the AA, Floor and Vault.

… Last week, she turned in the nation’s second-highest all-around total (39.35) of this very young season. Tonight she raised that total to 39.475. …

Gator Zone

Click PLAY or watch her vault on YouTube.

Plenty of power.

Who is this new College superstar?

… Dickerson’s hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., is just 72 miles northeast of Gainesville. …

“It was amazing,” Dickerson said. “I have been coming here since I was eight years old to watch the Gators and just to be out on the floor in a Gator leotard was a dream come true.”

Dickerson said she could hear and see the large contingent from her club gym, as well as the many friends and family, while she was performing on floor.

She’s a 5′-5″ freshman who competed Level 10 for Gymnastics Unlimited.

Ashanée Dickerson bio

The Alabama Gymnastics team opened its 2010 home schedule in grand fashion, knocking off the defending NCAA Champion Georgia Bulldogs, 196.225-195.45 in front of a near-sellout crowd of 14,220.

Roll Tide

Sooners hit 24-of-24.

The No. 2 Oklahoma women’s gymnastics squad posted its second straight win over an SEC opponent with a 196.300-195.325 victory at Auburn …

Second-Ranked OU Gymnastics Bests No. 9 Auburn

Sooners win second straight over top-10 foe as Oklahoma swept all four event titles.

This fast start for OK is giving me plenty of chances to post photos of Hollie Vise. Keep it up!

Gymnastics Examiner has a concise overview of all the meets on the women’ side.

Can’t-miss competition of the week: Georgia at Alabama, hands down. Like last week’s UCLA-Utah matchup, these SEC superstar teams are well-matched and probably thinking about what happened last season, when the Gym Dogs and Crimson Tide went 1-2 at the NCAA Championships. Alabama hasn’t had an NCAA gymnastics title since 2002, but along with Utah, it has been the school that has most consistently challenged Georgia during the past five years.

read more – NCAA gymnastics: Week two matchups

The other match-up I’ll be following is Auburn v Oklahoma. Hollie Vise and the Sooners find themselves ranked #2 in the nation. Can they stay in the top 4 after this weekend?

The No. 9 Auburn gymnastics team welcomes No. 2 Oklahoma to Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum Friday at 7 p.m. in a clash of SEC and Big 12 powers. …

Auburn Tigers

Another great clip from GymSmarts – The Gymnastics Minute.

When you start twisting gymnastic skills, determining which way you are twisting is extremely important. Here George Hery show how he figures out which way a gymnast is twisting. He’s used this method for over 20 years.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

This can be confusing for the athlete. And sometimes the coach.

Men’s competitive coaches are rarely confused as they’ve trained or coached Kasumatsu vault. (1/4 on, 3/4 off)

But since most female gymnasts do not train “Kaz”, twist direction of the round-off can generate arguments. If some coach disagrees with coach Hery, wrap a rope around his waist and have him do a round-off on Floor. … Then check the direction of twist of the rope.

The rope doesn’t lie.

related posts:

• confusion about twisting

• preventing Barani Confusion

Did you know Al Fong, personal coach of 2004 Olympians Terin Humphrey and Courtney McCool, has a blog?

Ask Al Fong – Dragon Gymnastics

It’s not at all dedicated to Elite gymnastics. Surprising considering Al’s reputation.

For example, Al dedicates one post to the under appreciated forward hip circle on bars. (I like the second drill, the “sneeze”.)

Another post recommends weight training as a supplement. No surprise there.

What caught my eye was how his girls condition with perfect form.

Most coaches ask their kids to keep form and position while conditioning, but how many actually do?

Al Fong’s gymnasts do.

Click through to see that post for yourself – When it comes to strength—the Dragons use weights!

related post – good memories of gymnastics coach Al Fong

Tonight we’ll see if Georgia can rebound from a poor performance last weekend.

Arguably the biggest rivalry in collegiate gymnastics, the Alabama-Georgia dynamic has changed a bit this year, with long-time UGA head coach Suzanne Yoculan retiring at the end of last season and Jay Clark, a 17-year veteran of the Bulldog staff, taking over the reins of the program. Despite the change, Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson doesn’t expect much to change in terms of the Bulldog team.

“As Jay says, he’s not wearing heels and a skirt, but I don’t think their blueprint changes that much, especially when you have that kind of success,” Patterson said. “I feel the program is in great hands and I really don’t feel like they’ll skip a beat this season. They were preseason ranked No. 1 for a reason.”

GymTide

Click PLAY or watch an Alabama promo video on YouTube.