What We’re Talking About
We continue to be in awe of Oklahoma this season, but they won’t win this thing without a fight. Currently ranked No. 2 in the nation is LSU, who have already posted their highest NQS in program history with a 198.125. And just on their heels is perhaps the hottest school in the nation right now, Cal. Cal just won the Pac-12 Championship outright for the first time in program history–sadly it will also be their last (RIP Pac-12). If there was any doubt, Cal knocked it out of the park by posting the highest score in program history (198.550), which puts it just outside of the top 10 highest team scores of all time!
This is looking like a three-way battle and when you look at each apparatus separately it gets more exciting.
Vault: Oklahoma (1), LSU (2), Cal (6).
Uneven bars: Oklahoma (1), Cal (2), LSU (3)
Balance beam: Oklahoma (1), Cal (2), LSU (5)
Floor exercise: LSU (1), Oklahoma (2), Cal (4)
Of course, this is sports and upsets can and will happen. The question is who and when will it happen? Will someone crack the top 8 who wasn’t expected to advance? Will we see a team like Utah or Kentucky make the final four? Will LSU or Cal hoist the championship trophy for the first time? In just over a month we’ll know for sure. Until then, keep an eye on these three teams as they continue to rewrite the record books.
Feelings
- This is fun. More ball sports guys should watch gymnastics
- Gymnasts need way more than 800 calories to be at their peak
- For the first time and last time Cal are outright Pac-12 Champions
- Congratulations to Mark Williams on 25 seasons
- Before you make change you make noise–more coaches need to call it out like Owen Field did
- Stanford is rising and just posted their 2nd best score in school history
- Mizzou got bars–they set a program record
- Ava Siegfeldt is pretty good. One balance beam routine and one perfect 10
- Four dreams will be realized in Doha
- Beam caps are not meant to be stepped on
Facts
- Gabby Douglas is back at WOGA
- The Downies MBEs officially got their medals and titles
- Nina Derwael is heading to Paris
- Haleigh Bryant has the season gym slam
- 39.925: A personal best for Haleigh and the 4th best all-around score ever
- Emma Malabuyo grabs another 25 points
- Towson’s 36th place NQS is currently 196.320, meaning regardless of what happens we will have the highest regionals cutoff NQS score ever
- Cal has posted the best score in team history
- The also recorded their highest floor score ever
- LSU’s 49.695 is the highest floor NQS ever for any school
Award(s)
- Season Slam: Haleigh Bryant
- Best Debut Ever: Ava Siegfeldt
What’s On the Socials?
This Luisa Blanco 🔟 on vault is STUNNING 😍#ThatsaW I @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/vAWCqQbHS4
— ESPN (@espn) March 9, 2024
𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄‼️
Grace McCallum scores a 🔟 on bars 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OD4erj84tw
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) March 9, 2024
10 watch is over.
It happened.
In her last ever appearance in Maples.
Perfect storybook ending for Chloe Widner.
📺: Pac-12 Network #OWNIt | #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/qswGzelXDy
— Stanford Gymnastics (@StanfordWGym) March 10, 2024
MYA LAUZON IS PERFECT **AGAIN** pic.twitter.com/3Zw2VGwPup
— Cal Women’s Gymnastics (@CalWGym) March 10, 2024
ABSOLUTE PERFECTION#WeAreUK | #Team50 pic.twitter.com/Fezu8gFk1N
— Kentucky Gymnastics (@UKGymnastics) March 9, 2024
Quotes
“She’s hoping for an invite to the April camp. If we get the invite, she hopes to compete in the all-around at the April verification.” ~ Anna Liukin, Gabby’s Coach
In a follow-up interview with the Olympic Channel, Anna confirmed Gabby has returned to the gym to train.
♦
“High scores are fun and all… but IMO this definitely adds to the discussion that it might be time for some legitimate rule changes?”
~ Owen Field, Gator Disrupter
After Drew Porche on X shared data that “13 teams set or tied their school record NQS,” Owen offered the following reply.
♦
“I just thought, if this is something that I still love and that my body is still allowing me to do, then why not?”
~ Trinity Thomas, Elite Gator
In an interview with Penn Live, Trinity shared her thoughts on returning to elite.
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College & Cocktails
Listen to this past week’s bonus episode: College & Cocktails: The Quad
Cocktail of the Week:
Double Maldonado
Two shots worth of coffee components! Not necessarily a dangerous amount of caffeine, but definitely needed at this point in the season.
Boozy
1.5 oz Cold Brew Coffee 150z Coffee Liqueur
1 oz Cardamon Syrup
.5 oz Lemon Juice
2-3 Fresh Mint Leaves
Soda Water
Make Your Drink:
Combine coffee, liqueur (if using). syrup, lemon, and mint in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to chill. Double-strain over fresh ice, top with soda water.
Stick the Landing:
Garnish with a lemon twist.
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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