What We’re Talking About
We have Conference Champions: Oklahoma (Big 12), Florida (SEC), Michigan (Big Ten), Utah (Pac-12), George Washington (EAGL), Pennsylvania (GEC), Central Michigan (MAC), Texas Woman’s (MIC), San Jose State (MPSF), and Utah State (MRGC). During those championships, three gymnasts were perfect: Grace McCallum, Sierra Brooks, and Sunisa Lee. And now the gymnasts have a week of rest before the Regionals begin where only two teams advance out of each of the four regions. We’ll be particularly interested in the Oklahoma regional where Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Cal will be competing; the North Carolina State regional with Michigan, LSU and UCLA; and the Auburn regional with Florida, Auburn, Kentucky and Denver. So basically we’re excited about all of them. To round it out the Washington regional features Utah and Alabama as the top seeds. Penn State will miss regionals for the first time ever and Nebraska has now missed regionals for the second year in a row.
Feelings
- We love that Larissa Libby took to Twitter to highlight how her gymnast deserved a 10.
- Although the tweet has now been deleted… you’re not wrong.
- We’re obsessed with West Virginia’s beam, especially Agatha Handono’s standing front to back handspring.
- Helen Hu’s bars are perfection, we don’t care what the scores say for the Mizzou Tiger.
- Her teammate, Alisa Sheremeta, is one of the best beam workers in the country.
- And the senior is coming back for one more year.
- Don’t sleep on Victoria Nguyen and her Onodi at Georgia either.
- NCAA > Elite for perfection and sticks: Leah Smith’s stuck Yurchenko Full.
- If you can do the all your floor choreography on the beam, your floor routine should not be eligible for a 10.
- Veronica Mandriota of Italy is someone you need to watch on floor.
Facts
- Utah posted a 198+ during the conference championships. This was the third 198+ this season, which is the first time that’s happened since 2015. They were second at the NCAA Championships that year to Florida.
- UCLA is the only team in the top 16 that hasn’t posted a 197+ on the road this season.
- Suni scored only the second perfect 10 on bars in SEC Championship history.
- Bridget Sloan performed the first 10 in 2015.
- 197.225: The final score for Auburn, their best score in SEC Championship history.
- Oklahoma set an all-time NQS record with 198.140.
- For the first time in her career Trinity Thomas is the SEC all-around champion.
- Jade Carey and Suni are ranked No. 1 and 2 in the country.
Award(s)
- Best Use of Gymnastics for Your Master’s Thesis (we assume): Megan Skaggs’ Tiny Bows Project
What’s On the Socials?
https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1505340576006557697?s=20&t=a7Mip7EjtnAsW6U7YXkjEg
Everyone made it home safely. pic.twitter.com/BoZh3mMc52
— lmhatc (@lmhatc) March 20, 2022
They will not be corralled! #Big12Champs #NCAAGym pic.twitter.com/RUptnh8BcI
— Maria (@mcsmaria28) March 20, 2022
Quotes
“Looking back at my career, I wish I did a lot of things different. I wish I didn’t come back so fast after the Olympics… I had nobody telling me otherwise so I just didn’t know any better.” ~ McKayla Maroney, One of the Greatest Vaulters of All Time
MyKayla shared some wisdom and offered a reflection of her career on Instagram.
♦
“I think our youth showed at the beginning of the meet a little bit, but it was nice to see them settle down and get back on track.” ~ Jeff Graba, Auburn Head Coach
Jeff describing how the Tigers roared back in the standings after posting a season-low beam score in the opening rotation and then finishing the Championships with a program record score (49.675) in the final rotation on bars.
♦
“‘Three nights before a competition do not eat dinner and you will feel very light. And start weighing yourself…’ I started anorexia that night.” ~ Andrea Orris, Former WOGA gymnast
Andrea recounting the advice she received as a 12-year-old from her coach, Valeri Liukin, and then explaining to the OC Register how she has been battling an eating disorder for decades since.
♦♦♦
What? You want even more? Be sure to check out our new College & Cocktails episodes for Club Gym Nerd members on Friday nights right after the competition. (This week we’ll return to our normal noon Pacific Behind the Scenes episode for club members.) 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.