2024 Week 9: 2/26/24- 3/3/24

[irichluck21]

Monday, February 26
7:00 pm	Bridgeport 193.0250 @ Centenary College 188.0500
9:00 pm	Iowa State 195.7000 @ Southern Utah 196.5000

Thursday, February 29
7:00 pm	UW-La Crosse, UW-Stout @ UW-Oshkosh - Live Stats | Video

Friday, March 1
6:00 pm	Utica @ Brockport
6:00 pm	Ball State, Towson, West Virginia @ Penn State
6:30 pm	Bowling Green, Illinois, Kent State @ Ohio State - Live Stats | Video (BIG+)
7:00 pm	Simpson @ Winona State
7:00 pm	Hamline @ UW-Eau Claire
7:00 pm	Auburn @ Georgia - Live Stats | Video (SEC)
7:00 pm	Central Michigan, George Washington, William & Mary @ Maryland - Live Stats | Video (BIG+)
7:00 pm	New Hampshire @ Michigan State - Live Stats | Video (BIG+)
7:15 pm	Michigan @ Oklahoma - Live Stats
8:00 pm	UCLA @ Stanford - Live Stats | Video (Pac 12)
8:30 pm	Alabama @ LSU - Live Stats | Video (ESPN2)
9:00 pm	San Jose State, Utah State @ Air Force
9:00 pm	Southern Utah @ BYU - Live Stats | Video (ESPN+)
9:00 pm	Minnesota, UC Davis, Washington @ Boise State - Live Stats | Video
10:00 pm	Arizona State @ Oregon State

Saturday, March 2
2:00 pm	Cornell, Ursinus College, West Chester @ Rutgers - Live Stats | Video (BIG+)
4:00 pm	Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Temple @ North Carolina State
5:00 pm	Utah @ California
5:00 pm	Gustavus Adolphus @ UW-Whitewater

Sunday, March 3
1:00 pm	Utica @ Cortland State - Live Stats | Video
1:00 pm	Eastern Michigan @ Kent State - Live Stats | Video
1:00 pm	Ithaca College @ Springfield College
1:00 pm	Maryland, New Hampshire, Southern Conn. @ Yale
2:00 pm	Illinois State, North Carolina, S.E. Missouri @ Nebraska
2:00 pm	Brown, Rhode Island College, Talladega @ Bridgeport - Live Stats | Video
2:00 pm	Florida @ Kentucky
2:00 pm	Pittsburgh, Towson, Western Michigan @ West Virginia - Live Stats | Video (ESPN+)
3:00 pm	Bowling Green @ Illinois - Live Stats | Video (BIG+)
3:00 pm	Clemson, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania @ Texas Woman's
4:00 pm	Iowa @ Sacramento State - Live Stats | Video
4:00 pm	Arizona @ Washington
4:00 pm	Air Force, Lindenwood, San Jose State @ Denver - Live Stats | Video
6:00 pm	Arkansas @ Missouri

www.RoadToNationals.com

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

UCLA is going to be lucky to make day 2 of regional finals, the way this is going.

I don’t see how you can pin the blame anymore on the depleted roster. I never expected them to contend for the championship, but their consistency has deteriorated significantly throughout the course of the year.

 

[Beamer]

UCLA has really suffered in the rankings from not putting up good road scores. They were counting a 197.425, 197.100, and a 196.550 before this week.

This week was one of their last chances to put up a great road score, and they put up only 197.100, which is better than their 196.550, but leaves them far behind the top teams.

Who would have thought prior to the season that UCLA's highest ranked event would be vault (where they are ranked fourth)? They are fifth on floor, eighth on beam, and tenth on bars.

 

[Beamer]

I went to the Utah @ Cal meet today.

Grace McCallum's last FX pass of front layout punch rudi turned into a front layout/tuck into a nothing to score 8.675. Only having two passes, she really needed the pass for her SV and to get her two salto pass. She was, however, fantastic on UB.

Cal won and put up 198.100. Mya Lauzon looked great everywhere but UB, where she was decent.

eMjae Frazier was fantastic and won the AA with a 39.750. The only medium-sized error she had was a massive step back on her DTY. However, the vault itself was better than some of her attempts where she's very twisted on the table and misses her block. She nailed her DLO on FX.

Andi Li's straddled Jaeger drew a very audible wow/gasp from the crowd because it was so high.

Gabby Perea again had trouble on her series on beam, this time falling on the first element. But she was outstanding on UB for a 9.975.

I don't think it'll happen but I'm all for Cal winning NCAAs. If not Cal, I'll take LSU.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

UCLA has really suffered in the rankings from not putting up good road scores. They were counting a 197.425, 197.100, and a 196.550 before this week.

This week was one of their last chances to put up a great road score, and they put up only 197.100, which is better than their 196.550, but leaves them far behind the top teams.

Who would have thought prior to the season that UCLA's highest ranked event would be vault (where they are ranked fourth)? They are fifth on floor, eighth on beam, and tenth on bars.

They have inexplicably rested key gymnasts on important events on these road meets. Nya Reed sat out a couple of weeks ago, and Rosen was rested on VT/FX last night, neither seemed to be because of an injury. I’m all
For resting gymnasts as needed, but when you need critical road scores for NQS, the time to do that is at home.

 

[Beamer]

They have inexplicably rested key gymnasts on important events on these road meets. Nya Reed sat out a couple of weeks ago, and Rosen was rested on VT/FX last night, neither seemed to be because of an injury. I’m all
For resting gymnasts as needed, but when you need critical road scores for NQS, the time to do that is at home.

I was thinking the same thing. They put up Chloe Lashbrooke, Emma Andres, and Alex Irvine on FX this meet and scored only 49.275. And they did the same with the previous road meet, taking out big scorers, only to put them in for the home meets. What is going on there? They already have fine home meet scores. It's the away meets that are killing them and going to end up forcing them to go against harder teams at Regionals.

 

[irichluck21]

It is exciting to see how far Divisions 2 and 3 are coming along and how competitive they are becoming.
Brockport went 194.325 Friday night for a program best team record.

Lots of others have broken team scores this year. Plenty of teams getting up in the 194 mark.
SCSU, West Chester, UW Whitewater, UW Oshkosh.

Several other teams have put up 193s as well.

Great stuff to see.

Division 3 nationals will be a great meet to watch and also USAG nationals.

 

[RedBirdie]

Audrey Davis finally got her 10.

 

[Sasha]

Audrey Davis finally got her 10.

It's about time!!

 

[irichluck21]

Yay for Audrey Davis!

Also Kentucky finally went 198. Program record!

I feel like half the NCAA had program team records this season.

 

[blake]

Projected cutoffs for regionals after this week:
4: 197.765
16: 196.975
28: 196.410
36: 196.125

For reference, in 2018 and 2020, the cutoff for top 36 was a low 195 at week 9.

 

[Beamer]

And Cal retakes 2nd place in the rankings.

eMjae Frazier shoots up to no. 4 in the AA.

Ragan Smith scores her fourth consecutive 10.000 on beam.

OU's NQS is a monstrous 198.420. Have they broken the NQS record yet?

 

[RedBirdie]

Yep, Oklahoma broke the record. They set it last year with an NQS of 198.355.

 

[cuuf]

Florida wins their 6 straight SEC title, going on the road against a senior night Kentucky was pretty impressive. Still dont think UF has a shot at the title, but if they continue this trend, they are scratching the top 4. Of course their streak will end here with OU coming in next year lol.

 

[blake]

Yep, Oklahoma broke the record. They set it last year with an NQS of 198.355.

Of the 12 198+ NQS all time, Oklahoma has 6 of them and the top 3 all time in 3 consecutive seasons. Michigan, Florida, and UCLA are the only other teams to break 198 NQS with UCLA being the first.

LSU could break the 198 barrier with a big meet this weekend since they have a road 197.225 itching to get dropped.

 

[jezmerallia]

Anya Pilgrim's reaction to her 10 might be my all time fave

 

[irichluck21]

Regionals after week 9

Michigan
1 Oklahoma
8 Michigan State 7 Michigan
9 Alabama
16 Oregon State

California
2 California
7 Michigan 8 Michigan State
10 UCLA
15 Ohio State

Arkansas
3 LSU
6 Kentucky
11 Denver 12 Arkansas
14 Auburn

Florida
4 Florida
5 Utah
12 Arkansas 11 Denver
13 Missouri

2 swaps due to hosts. These two swaps are fairly straight forward.
Really no regional that is the "safer" regional. On paper the Florida regional is currently the most dangerous one, although, the Cal regional is right there as well.

 

[irichluck21]

Also due to the new regionals rules in terms of being able to host, we are likely to see future issues with having to switch seeds based on regional hosts being in the top 16.

2025 might not be as bad as this year since Washington and Penn State host next year (along with Alabama and Utah) Washington's last time in the top 16 was in 2020 and before that 2018.
Penn State has not been in the top 16 since 2014.

2026 will have LSU, Kentucky, Oregon State, and Arizona State. All are capable of being seeded and hosting, just some consistency concerns with Oregon State and Arizona State into making into top 16.

 

[cuuf]

There are no easy regionals, unless you are OU, all teams will have to be reasonably on their game to advance. That being said, I see the Florida regional being one of the easiest regionals. UF at home is huge, I can't see them stumbling that bad at home and what will be an overwhelming home crowd (Gainesville is 2 hours from any metropolitan area) and Utah always advances. Denver could make it interesting I guess. Arky has already beaten Kentucky at home so no reason to believe it cant happen again and Auburn can top both Arky and UK. That would be a fight. All 4 teams in that Cal regional are within striking of each other, so another fight. Maybe the Michigan regional is the easiest? Depends on which Alabama shows up although given Dogette's injury they are depleted a bit.