Top-ranked UCLA improved to 2-0 with a 196.125-194.875 dual meet victory over 19th-ranked Washington in Seattle on Friday night. Bruin gymnasts took first place on every event, and senior Anna Li tied for first in the all-around, along with earning first-place honors on bars and beam. …
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.
… 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.
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.
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.
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. …
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.
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.