Congratulations to our week 2 champion, Britney Ward’s vault, which ran to victory ahead of Peng Peng Lee’s beam in second and Myia Hambrick’s floor in third.
| ROUTINE OF THE WEEK | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Week 1 | Skinner, FX | Edney, VT | Nichols, UB |
| Week 2 | Ward, VT | Lee, BB | Hambrick, FX |
| Week 3 |
Who will take the title for week 3, a week peppered with 10s and 9.975s? (Usual disclaimer: If you don’t make videos of full routines available, I can’t nominate them. Even if they got 9.975. Cough cough, Pac-12 Network.)
1. Nicole Artz, Michigan – Floor (10.000)
2. Wynter Childers, Alabama – Beam (9.925)
3. Khazia Hislop, North Carolina – Floor (9.925)
4. Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma – Beam (9.975)
5. Paige Zaziski, Michigan – Bars (9.975)
6. Kirah Koshinski, West Virginia – Floor (9.950)
7. Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma – Vault (10.000)
Maggie Nichols dropping dimes at WVU. @MagsGotSwag12 records her first perfect 1️⃣0️⃣ in her @OU_WGymnastics career! pic.twitter.com/rBgPQ5L0Ve
— Sooner Sports Network (@SoonerSportsTV) January 22, 2017
8. Rachel Slocum, Florida – Vault (9.925)
9. MyKayla Skinner, Utah – Vault (9.975)
10. Alicia Boren, Florida – Floor (9.950)
11. Sarah Finnegan, LSU – Bars (9.925)
12. Sidney Dukes, Kentucky – Beam (9.950)
13. Alex McMurtry, Florida – Vault (9.950)
Voting time!
Okay if Maggie Nichol’s vault got a ten this week, and Ashleigh Gnat got a ten last week, Britney Ward should’ve gotten a 10 on her stuck omelianchik last week. (This is probably on the wrong post… but….)
Went with Finney’s bars, because LINES. But I must say, Hislop was lovely and Koshinski’s performance value was impressive.
Koshinski’s and Childer’s routines were so unique and cool 😍
I think people see ‘Nichols’ and vote without watching the videos 😒, don’t get me wrong, she’s awesome/amazing/WOW and I adore her, but both routines had one clearly noticeable error.
THANK YOU. ESPECIALLY THE VAULT, I’m more okay with her beam. But like, she TOOK A STEP.
Okay I’m done.
I voted for Nichols’ beam and I watched all the videos! I’m very impressed for her difficulty… just have a harder time being impressed by a flawless routine with low difficulty than a one with a small error and a front tuck <3 (Although actually, I didn't see a noticeable error on her beam? What was it?)
Surprised Artz is winning. No obvious error in the routine….but it was kinda boring. Nothing special about it to me.
For me, it was special because it was a long time coming. She’s come so close so many times, and she finally got it!
I’ve noticed in weeks 1&2 that there was generally a bias towards voting for routines earlier in the list. I wonder if some people watch the first few videos fully, get a favorite in mind, and then skip/skim the rest.
I found her form in the piked tumbling elements to be particularly beautiful.
Stopped watching after the leap series
I just can’t warm up to Skinner’s gymnastics…her form always seems awkward to me.
How is Skinner winning? It’s a decent DTY, but she clearly hopped, preflight legs, and always has a slight pike.
I’m always on the side of more difficult things winning, but I do wonder what’s going on there, bc early on Skinner had far fewer votes than Artz and now has rocketed up to the top.
That’s my point on Skinner…she always has some wonky form issue, and gets a 9.975 or other such ridiculous score. Not saying she doesn’t have the “difficulty” but the presentation on her gymnastics is always lacking for me…
And she is probably winning because , of the 13,000 fans that pack the Huntsman, I’m sure a lot of them are voting here, and they’re definitely going to vote for their own gymnast…
I think you mean 15,000…just saying
God, I’ve watched McMurtry do her FTY hundreds of times and it NEVER gets old.The extension, the lift, the line, perfect. Best full ever.
For more drooling over lovely vaults, check out Laschenova 1989 worlds. I
Clearly Utah has more fans than any other program. Which, let’s be honest, that’s what a poll like this is for. It’s a vote for the most popular gymnast. So if you want to win a poll like this, maybe you should go to the school with the greatest and most fans in the country?
I feel like Skinner gets a bad rap from everyone because of her elite days, but if you actually watch her perform IN LIVE TIME you will notice a marked improvement in all facets of gymnastics. So please, do us all a favor and get off her back! She’s not being scored more leniently than any other gymnast in women’s college gymnastics today.
I just don’t like Skinner. It’s not just her form, it’s her genera attitude. I’ve tried to separate her gymnastics from her personal life and attitude but I just can’t. I normally don’t have that problem but with her I can’t. Her form also has ALWAYS bothered me because it’s so bad and she used to just chuck hard skills. I would also find it funny when Kyla Ross would have like a 5.6, 5.7 start value on floor and STILL outscore Mykayla on floor. I do appreciate difficulty but not when it’s just done sloppy. Now all that being said, her DTY and double double are actually done pretty well. I picked McMurty’s vault because her flair in the air is just obscene. Like, I don’t care if it’s just a FTY. It is perfect.
Do you know Skinner personaly? Has she wronged you in some way? Did she hurt your feelings?
If you’re basing your assessment of her personality entirely off her social media presence, then maybe you should just not follow her? Then you would know nothing of her besides her gymnastics…which is much improved.
Also, please remember that we are talking about actual people who have feelings and can read. These aren’t cartoon characters or action figures or Pokémon you catch on your phone. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, wrong as it may be, but that doesn’t mean you should post hurtful things to try to justify your inability to objectively look at what’s happening on the floor.
@utefan
I’m sorry but your comment reminds me of mean girls — “I’m sorry people are jealous of me, but I can’t help it that I’m popular.”
I love this site and check it daily, but this is a fun poll and a great way to see excellent routines that you may have missed over the weekend. Please don’t think a vote against Skinner is somehow a vote against Utah because people are somehow jealous of the Utes.
Skinner’s attitude? Do explain. I’ve personally met Skinner and she’s one of the sweetest girls out there. She loves her fans and she loves what she does. Sure, she may have some form breaks her and there but she’s also throwing legit skills and loves to put on a show. There are many gymnast who do the minimal skill sets for that 10 start value and they’re praised as being the best in the nation. People really need to stop degrading this young woman for doing what she loves, especially if you can’t do the skills yourself nor provide more detailed feedback then “sloppy legs” and “bad form”.
Everyone appreciates different gymnasts and teams for their own reasons but I’ve continually seen people attack Mykayla and the Utah fan base. Y’all need to get a life. I agree with Utefan, it’s not Utah’s fault that they have the best fan base in that national that supports their team through good and bad. Maybe y’all need to focus on yourself more and stop getting angry when an open poll doesn’t go in your favor.
Also, y’all can dislike Myk all you want, she’ll still be collecting those accolades and is still loved by thousands. Unlike yourself.
Few things. One, I already don’t follow her on social media. Two, yes my assessment is based off the things she has said on social media which are then talked about on Gymcastic. Three, never said I was angry that the poll didn’t go my way. It’s literally just a poll. Four, for FlipIt: and how exactly would you know if I have accolades or not? That comment was completely uncalled for. Five, technically an opinion can’t be wrong, it’s just how I feel. And I did say that her form has gotten better. I was simply expressing how I have a hard time getting over the things she says and just watching her gymnastics for the sake of gymnastics. Which is what I would rather do. It’s all great that you know her and she’s sweet to you. For me and thousands of other people, we don’t get to meet her personally. We base our opinions on things that she says and her presence on social media. So maybe she should watch the things she says if she doesn’t want all the hate from people or even better: just make her account private. That way she can say and do what she wants and we don’t have to know about it.
So you follow her on social media or you don’t?
Pot meet kettle! The three posts I’ve seen from you have been mean-spirited.
1st. Artz – nothing special
2nd. Skinner – “wonky”, etc.
3rd. Your rant
👏👏👏👏
@Anonymous.
I literally said i don’t follow her. Also said that the reason I hear about it is because I listen to Gymcastic. All this back and forth is getting pretty ridiculous and honestly this just isn’t the place for it. And I’m sure everyone is over all this arguing. It’s actually pretty funny at this point now. Anyway I’m done. ✌🏿
@Caroline
I’m curious, what is your gymnastic background? You seem to have an incredibly strong opinion about an individuals personal character and their gymnastic ability. I can take your comment and formulate an opinion of you, and it’s not a good one. Does that mean it’s accurate, absolutely not.
Why is it funny that Kyla Ross had lower difficulty, but higher scores? There’s an execution score and a difficulty score, you add them together to get the final result. European gymnasts largely criticize Americans for “ruining” the art of gymnastics because they believe the US has ruined the grace and beauty of the sport.
I’d like to think it’s personal preference and cultural difference. Some gymnasts focus on the execution and others enjoy challenging themselves on the difficulty. A few are able to do both.
It’s time to separate the JO and elite careers and focus on the gymnasts growth in college, because there will be tremendous growth; both personal and competitive.
Also, if you haven’t noticed Skinner’s improved lines and form since arriving at Utah, then you’re not really paying attention, you’re just judging based on your unfounded hatred of an individual, I’m guessing you don’t even know.
@Meangirls
Never said I hated her. And I USED to laugh at the fact Kyla got higher scores. That was a few years ago and I’ve grown past that. I’ll admit, rereading that part of my comment does sound rather mean. Not my intention but regardless, it sounds really rude and I honestly do apologize for that. And once again, I did say her form improved. I said her DTY and double double are pretty great. And I know personal character doesn’t equate to their gymnastics ability. I really do appreciate that your reply to my comment wasn’t attacking me and your point came across really well.
@Caroline
Thanks, Caroline!
I’ve wanted to say something about the treatment of athletes on this forum for awhile, and Skinner has been a prime target for many, so I took the opportunity.
If I sat down and tried to pick apart things I dislike about each gymnast competing, I’m sure I could; however, that’s not productive and it takes away some of the joy I get from watching gymnastics.
I’d just like to see this forum move toward a more positive note. Still have an opinion, but be cognizant of the way we use our words. 😊
@meangirls
I can agree with that. At the end of the day it should just be about the gymnastics. Opinions aren’t bad, just gotta be careful about how you say them 😅. Thanks for keeping a cool head through all this, pretty awesome 😊
I wasn’t a huge fan of Skinner in her elite career, primarily because her style just wasn’t for me. But I have to give it to Skinner for improving so much over her first semester in college. Her form is better and she has maintained good difficulty. It sort of reminds me of Brandie Jay. I wasn’t a huge fan of her in her elite days, but by the time she was an upperclassman at UGA she was one of my favorites to watch. She never gave up and was always improving and pushing herself.
I also hope that as the season progresses fans of a particular team will start voting for the routine they appreciate and love the most, not just the routine of the gymnast at their school. There are so many amazing gymnasts out there. It’s okay to love a routine from another school. I’m a UGA fan, but Hambrick is my current favorite in NCAA (although I still love and appreciate the UGA team).
Very well-said! Completely agree!
Utefan, I thought the poll was for best routine of the week, not who has the biggest fan base (which I’ll concede, although when I was there for a meet a few years ago the fire marshall was present saying 13,000 fans were the most he’d let in, but maybe the capacity has increased)
And if the utah fans and the Oklahoma fans think Skinner and Nichols have the best routines, well, you’re probably in the ballpark ….but as those 2 talented gymnasts seem to be getting all the accolades, I kind of think of this poll as who besides them (as that’s a given) , has the best routine of the week.
And I like the comparison someone made of Skinner to Jay…Jay was sloppy sloppy in elite but really cleaned it up at UGA…and Skinner has had some improvements since Utah got ahold of her so hopefully it continues. And there are other high scores one can take issue with with steps or form breaks so it’s not just a Utah thing…
When I compare Skinner to Nichols, I can’t help but remember how they each responded to missing out on their olympic dream: Nichols with the utmost of class, meanwhile…
And I know this colors how I watch them now in NCAA. I celebrate Nichols’ success all the more because of her class. Her displays of strength of character make me want the best for her and feel joy to see her hit such beautiful gymnastics.
Also, the height on her Y1.5 is pretty spectacular. That vault got my vote today.
@Robin
So a snapshot of what you saw on tv is how you’ve determined who has “class” and who doesn’t? Interesting. I pray no one catches you on a difficult day, lest they judge your “class” too.
The experiences were not comparable. Nichols was recovering from major surgery, and her expectations had been tempered by the injury. (Btw, I wanted Nichols on that team!)
Skinner was coming off her best and most consistent perfomance, finishing 4th. She was also asked to walk back out onto that floor, immediately after discovering her fate. Did she handle it as well as we all would have liked, maybe not; however, it was a learning moment and one she’ll grow from. After all, these are teenagers.
Meangirls, I took Robin’s comment on Skinner and the Olympics as referencing what she posted on Twitter (the picture with her in it) versus what happened immediately after selection…heck, Smith was crying because she missed out too…and you only ever hear how she’s cute.
From what I’ve seen, it appears like there’s been a more retained social media from Skinner, and I’m sure the folks at Utah gave the whole team a little chat on what should and should not be posted out there.
It’s unfortunate that despite some crazy skills, skinner is judged by past behaviors by some, but that’s not to say she’s not a good gymnast. It just may take time for others to appreciate the whole package..
Thanks! I think I missed the reference.
Ultimately, I’ve seen this forum take a turn for the worst and it’s too bad because I really enjoy a lot of aspects about it.
I’m tired of seeing people lambaste great gymnasts, and not just Skinner, over petty things. I’d like to see people comment on why they voted for Nichols, Skinner, Hambrick, etc.
and leave the negativity out of it.
I love college gymnastics; the quality of athlete we get is phenomenal and the growth of the sport excites me. I felt inspired to stand up for Skinner today, and I really hope it signals a change in direction on how we treat all the gymnasts competing.
I will now stepdown from my soapbox 😂
@Anon – Thank you, and yes, that is what I was referring to, though I wanted to only directly speak to the positive.
But, I will say this – Skinner’s tweet of the photoshopped team was 1) On her twitter page – how she communicates to the public. So, yeah, she positions herself to be judged on account of what she says in that forum. And 2) Was a classic display of bad sportspersonship. And, really, in NCAA gymnastics, I think that is relevant. She may be growing as a person, she may refrain from such displays of bad judgment, and in my mind, she will always be tarnished by those decisions. It is too much a reflection of who she is.
Meanwhile, Maggie had posted a beautiful and heartfelt retirement announcement through USAG that was all gratitude and looking forward to her NCAA career. So, yeah, I’m on team Maggie, with her positive attitude and thoughtfulness.
As for emotions responding to not making the team – there is a difference between tears and bitter tweets. Having visible feelings is far different than taking immature and malicious action.
“Restrained”….stupid auto correct..
Meangirls, I totally agree with the hope that people stop lambasting gymnasts and stick to the objective comment on the performance…a hop, a step, crossed legs, leg separation etc ….
To clarify based on what I’m seeing in this thread, is it really considered ‘mean-spirited’ or ‘lambasting gymnasts’ if a commenter says that an element has wonky form, or that a routine didn’t stand out to them? While not ‘positive’ comments per se, they don’t attack the gymnast, just the form/composition of the routine.
Also, it doesn’t seem surprising to me that someone might feel that an athlete’s behavior affects how they view them when they’re watching them compete. Skinner has been rather noteworthy in terms of people being aware of her conduct outside the gym (to my understanding, retweeting photos where she had replaced Gabby Douglas on the olympic team, previous tweets with racially charged language), and for some it makes it harder to root for her, though I doubt they wish her ill either. What would be wrong would be for judges to score a gymnast differently and penalize them based on factors unrelated to their routine, which in my opinion doesn’t seem to happen. For someone to change their website poll vote based on a gymnast’s behavior seems silly, but so does being influenced by their team/popularity, and in the end there is no real-world consequence to the poll.
Absolutely correct!Yea I took her racially charged language personally since I am African American. So like you said, I don’t wish her will ill, I just find it hard to root for her. Basically you said what I’ve been trying to say but clearly you have a much better knack for words than I do lol.
… and to follow up with something purely positive, I thought Wynter Childer’s full turn on balance beam was extremely lovely.
I can’t see the appeal of Artz’s floor routine. Where are the stuck landings? The leaps don’t hit 180 and not great amplitude. The choreography is meh.
You don’t have to stick landings on floor in NCAA. They are allowed to take a controlled step. So I never even look at that as an issue in college gymnastics.
What I love about Skinner is that she is really great performer. We see gymnasts smile and do some other facial expressions during their routine (ok, only on BB and FX) but there are not that many gymnasts who can actually perform in a way that you feel their energy coming and you enjoy the fact that they are enjoying it so much. Skinner certainly has that.
Agreed! Her floor performance/expression is awesome; it got my vote week 1. Vault doesn’t let her show off that quality as much, and I suspect we’ll see even better vaults from her this season so I’m still holding out : )
This comment thread just made Alexa Phillips barf again.
McMurtry HAS to win week 4. That DTY was insane! Probably with a better perfomance of the lineup she would have scored a 10
I really hate the comments about attitude -pick a team and you’ll find attitude. UCLA is loaded with it starting with their coach and her “stalking” the judgin g tables alabama and Duckworth’s loud obnoxious behavior it is rampant we have to remember these are “kids” very talelan ted ones but they are still finding themselves as people and not coached robots. Celebrate them and forgive the lapses. Look at the behavior of other sports and be grateful for our boun cin g girls. Skkinner LOVE YOU TO BITS MAGGIE YOU ROCK KOCIAN HEY DOC what a future and Kyla have loved you for years. FLIPS to all of you