What We’re Talking About
We’re in the dog days of NCAA just as the elite season is kicking into gear. This week marked the halfway point of the gymnastics regular season. Up until now, it’s been Oklahoma and everyone else. When many teams were pacing their starters, the Sooners are all gas no brakes. Oklahoma casually dropped a 198.450, which tied for the 5th highest score in program history. If this was any other team we’d probably start asking questions of whether or not they’re peaking too early… but this is a team that simply operates at a different level.
Moving over to elite, we have the Cairo World Cup this upcoming weekend, which will be the first Olympic qualifier for 2024. NCAA star Emma Malabuyo will be trying to earn a spot representing the Philippines, and will be participating alongside a noteworthy roster that includes Nina Derwael, Levi Jung Ruivivar, Dipa Karmakar, Isabella Ajalla, and the legend herself, Oksana Chusovitina. And while we were digging into the chips and dips that accompanied Taylor Swift’s boyfriends game, USAG dropped a few more names who will be competing at Winter Cup: Reese Esponda, Kayla DiCello, Maliha Tressel, Camie Westerman, Kelise Woolford, Lexi Zeiss. Then as we were writing this column they added one more: Sunisa Lee! Yep, two all-around Olympic Champions in one meet. Eeeeee!
Feelings
- After posting a mid-season 198.450 moving their season average to 198.113… we think this might be the best Oklahoma team in the dynasty
- Maybe goat’s milk is the secret to Haleigh Bryant’s success
- Katherine LeVasseur is no longer under the radar as an all-arounder after her 39.725
- We were excited to see Jade Carey compete in the all-around for the first time this season.
- It doesn’t look like anyone is enjoying college gymnastics as much as Grace McCallum
- We’re star-struck looking at the Winter Cup roster
- Grateful to we still get to watch Chuso compete on the weekends
- We’re very interested to see how Dipa Karmakar looks now that her suspension is up
- If the NCAA season were to end today, Alabama, Michigan State and Michigan would be outside of the top 8 teams that qualify for Nationals and that makes us nervous
- We only bring up the NCAA scoring so frequently because we care
Facts
- Haleigh Bryant is the 14th NCAA gymnast to complete the gym slam
- Jessica Hutchinson has tied Lynnzee Brown’s Denver all-around record: 39.825
- Talledega nabbed first place in their tri-meet, which was an HBCU first
- Oklahoma posted their second highest floor score in program history
- Minnesota tied their fifth best floor score in program history
- Minnesota is now referring to Mya as Mya HooTen and it fits
- Two Olympic All-Around Champions will be competing against each other at Winter Cup
- The Paris Olympic medals include a piece of the Eiffel Tower
- It’s not just Melanie, 12 members of the French team made its way to Texas to train at WCC
- Next week NQS kicks in and then that’s when things get really exciting
Award(s)
- Best Gator Chomp: Victoria Nguyen
- Best 10 Hand Sign: Selena Harris
What’s On the Socials?
Mya HooTEN does it again ⭐⭐
That's the EIGHTH Perfect 🔟 of her career on floor!
💻: https://t.co/D7lOnfizSJ #Team50 x #TogetherWeRise pic.twitter.com/jKrwV2j6dJ
— Minnesota Women’s Gym (@GopherWGym) February 10, 2024
https://twitter.com/lsugym/status/1756113780134875363?s=46&t=00sa69UjHslC93adw0GrIQ
🐊 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴 sticks the landing on Feb. 9 @SportsCenter Top 🔟 Plays!#GoGators | 🐊🤸♀️ | @leannewong03 pic.twitter.com/AyMQYyd8Tl
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) February 11, 2024
PERFECTION FROM SELENA HARRIS.@selena_harriss scores her second career 10 on vault!
📺: Pac-12 Oregon
📲: https://t.co/Lq1DO8AHay#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/NUgrrCilcI— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) February 10, 2024
A record day for Jessica Hutchinson, capped with the second perfect 10.0 on floor of her career!#GoPios | #NCAAGym pic.twitter.com/sGQE8qIp61
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) February 11, 2024
Quotes
“It’s more of a balancing act. They’re still monkeying with the medication to try to get it so she reacts the same way each day. As they’re adjusting the medication, then some days aren’t very good so we have to adjust our training and sometimes we don’t train that day.” ~ Jess Graba, Suni’s Longtime Coach
Suni’s longtime coach sheds a little light on how Suni’s comeback is still a work in progress.
♦
“I’d just love to go back out there and represent [the] USA one more time.”
~ Gabby Douglas, 3x Olympian?
When looking toward her goal of making the Paris Olympic team, Gabby Douglas shared her desire to represent the US for a third time on the biggest stage.
♦
“We say that we want to be so prepared that we can walk into any arena knowing that it’s ours to defend as long as we just do our job, and tonight, we just gave away too many things.”
~ Ashley Johnston, Crimson Coach
The Alabama head coach shared her thoughts after Alabama fell on beam twice, and ultimately succumbing to Auburn.
♦
“I was most proud of how we handled some adversity and then really had a lights out performance from everyone on floor.” ~ Justin Howell, Bear Coach
The Cal co-head coach reflected on the team’s performance in a week where the lineups were a little shuffled so athletes could get a little rest.
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College & Cocktails
Listen to this past week’s bonus episode: College & Cocktails: Post-Camp Debrief
Cocktail of the Week:
Flood of Tens
Aloe and tequila are known to help with digestion, which will come in handy to survive the season’s Flood of 10’s
Boozy
2.5 oz of Aloe juice
1.5 oz lime juice
.75 oz honey syrup
2 oz tequila
Make Your Drink:
Shake all your ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with ice to chill. Strain into your glass of choice over fresh ice.
Stick the Landing:
Garnish with fresh aloe leaves
Full Recipes & Entire Season Cocktail Menu Available Here (Thank You Linzerz!).
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What? You want even more? Join Club Gym Nerd and you get a bonus episode, College & Cocktails, every Friday after our meet of the week. Once the NCAA season is over you continue to get a weekly bonus episode every Friday afternoon. Plus you get access to all of our archives, exclusive content and more. Then we give the sober analysis on Monday (or Tuesday) after we’ve allowed the data to penetrate our feelings.
This column was composed and compiled by Steve Cooper, Editor, GymCastic; as performed by hosts Jessica O’Beirne and Spencer Barnes.
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