Explained: The New NCAA Championship Format

December 30, 2018 balancebeamsituation 31 Comments

We’re five days away from the start of the NCAA season, so even though you’ve valiantly put off understanding the new championship format for as long as possible (and I’m so proud of you for it), it’s time to buckle down and do the thing.

The new postseason format instituted for 2019 is an improvement over the previous system in many ways, most notably because of the elimination of those bloated and interminable six-team meets with bye rotations. It still has its faults and problems from the previous format that have gone unresolved, which we’ll all be sure to complain about at every possible moment, but it’s a step. So here’s how it will go.

The season itself will progress as before. The teams will compete every weekend, they’ll all get overscored, you’ll be furious about it, and everything will be fine and normal. Following the conference championships, the top 36 teams will still advance to the elimination meets, as per usual, while the season ends for everyone else. After that, it gets new and different.

ELIMINATION ROUNDS

Previously, the 36 advancing teams would be divided among 6 regional sites—6 teams at each site—for a single day of elimination competition from which the top 2 teams at each site advanced to the national championship.

This year, the 36 advancing teams will be divided among 4 regional sites—9 teams at each site—for three days of elimination competition after which the top 2 teams at each site will advance to the national championship. Continue reading Explained: The New NCAA Championship Format →

Season Preview

2019 Preview – UCLA Bruins

December 28, 2018 balancebeamsituation 23 Comments

UCLA
*Seniors*
Brielle Nguyen	BB FX	Competed 13 BB routines in 2018 following transfer from Illinois — RQS of 9.850 Competed weekly FX in ’17 for Illinois
Katelyn Ohashi	VT UB BB FX	Ranked #1 in nation on FX, #3 on BB in 2018 RQS of 9.970 on FX, 9.945 on BB Competed 12 UB routines for 9.696 avg (scored 9.8+ on 7 of 12) VTed 4 times for 9.831 average
Stella Savvidou		Did not compete in 2018 due to injury Further wrist surgery in October Made final UB lineup in 2017
Macy Toronjo	UB FX	Did not compete in 2018 due to injury Is no longer listed as taking a redshirt year Competed 8 FXs in 2017, peaking at 9.950
*Juniors*
Anna Glenn	VT UB BB	Returned from 2017 labrum injury to make final VT, UB lineups in 2018 – VT RQS of 9.825 Competed 5 UB routines, peak of 9.875 Competed one BB routine for 9.900
Grace Glenn	BB	Returned from 2017 labrum injury to compete BB in every meet in 2018 Hit 15 for 15 routines — RQS of 9.925
Felicia Hano	VT BB FX	Competed weekly VT, FX in 2018 — ranked #7 nationally on FX RQS of 9.935 on FX, 9.900 on VT for Y1.5 Competed 2 BB routines (9.775 avg) and one UB routine (9.025) in 2018
Madison Kocian	VT UB BB FX	Returned from shoulder surgery to compete 13 BBs, 8 FXs, and 3 UBs in 2018 RQS of 9.875 on BB Average of 9.861 on FX, 9.863 on UB Also competed weekly VT in 2017 for 9.860 RQS
Gracie Kramer	VT FX	Competed 13 FXs in 2018 for 9.890 RQS Has 10.0 start VT, competed twice in 2018, hitting once VTed 10 times in 2017 for 9.810 RQS
Giulianna Pino		Did not compete in first two seasons
Kyla Ross	VT UB BB FX	Competed AA in 10 of 15 meets in 2018 Ranked #1 nationally on UB RQS of 9.960 on UB, 9.910 on BB, 9.895 on VT, 9.890 on FX
Mercedez Sanchez		Did not compete in first two seasons
*Sophomores*
Nia Dennis	VT UB BB FX	Competed VT, UB every week in 2018 Competed 11 FX routines and 3 BB routines RQS of 9.885 on VT, 9.880 on UB, 9.860 on FX Average of 9.792 on BB
Savannah Kooyman	UB FX	Provided backup routines on UB, FX in 2018 Competed 3 UBs (9.800 avg) and 1 BB (9.825)
Kendal Poston		Did not compete in first season
Pauline Tratz	VT FX	Competed VT, FX in 14 of 15 meets in 2018 RQS of 9.910 on FX, 9.875 on VT Has potential 10.0 start on VT
*Freshmen*
Norah Flatley	UB BB FX	Chow’s 3rd at 2014 Junior P&G Championships Expected to be replacement-Peng on UB and BB
Margzetta Frazier	VT UB BB FX	Parkettes Is continuing to train DTY on VT Will be counted on for VT, FX, and UB. Can provide BB as needed
Sara Taubman		Head over Heels 12th AA, 2018 Region 1s
Sekai Wright	VT FX	Will miss beginning of 2019 with injury AGA Long Beach 1st on VT, 2018 JO Nationals Has Yurchenko 1.5

FINAL SEASON RANKINGS
2018 – 1st
2017 – 4th
2016 – 5th
2015 – 11th
2014 – 8th
2013 – 4th
2012 – 3rd
2011 – 2nd
2010 – 1st
2009 – 7th

THE STORY
Let’s be honest, for all of UCLA’s improvements in the 2018 season, none of us actually expected the Bruins to win the championship. They were supposed to finish 2nd or 3rd, make great strides to set up a title run in 2019, do a life lesson or two, and close the book on an altogether successful season. That’s not what happened. Christmas came early.

Winning a title bestows de facto favorite status the following year, yet UCLA will know that the 2018 victory did in fact come early. It was an upset, a phenomenal two-event performance on the day but an untenable strategy to maintain if this is to become a dynasty. “We’ll be ranked 3rd all year long, be kind of blah in the first two rotations of the final, and then Peng will get a 20, and wheeee!” isn’t exactly how you draw it up.

Now that this UCLA group has won a title, there’s no going back in terms of expectations, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t improvements to be made. The 2019 roster was always supposed to be better than 2018’s team and does have realistic areas where it can aim higher, scoring weaknesses from 2018 to resolve, and lost meets from last season to win this time around so that a potential title this year would not be an upset. It would be normal.

VAULT 2019
Lineup locks: Marz Frazier, Felicia Hano, Nia Dennis, Kyla Ross
Lineup options: Pauline Tratz, Sekai Wright, Anna Glenn, Gracie Kramer, Kendal Poston, Norah Flatley, Katelyn Ohashi, Madison Kocian

You guys, a tradition is over. We can’t talk about Kyla Ross’s mythical 10.0 start on vault in the UCLA preview this year because it’s not mythical anymore. We saw it for realsies at Meet the Bruins as part of what will be an upgraded vault lineup in 2019. With just two 10.0s, UCLA’s 2018 vault team didn’t have the start values to get the necessary 49.4s in a postseason-scoring context, but this year’s lineup looks significantly more competitive. Continue reading 2019 Preview – UCLA Bruins →

Season Preview

2019 Preview – Oklahoma Sooners

December 27, 2018 balancebeamsituation 9 Comments

OKLAHOMA
*Seniors*
Brenna Dowell	VT UB BB FX	Competed VT, UB, FX every meet in 2018 Hit 45-for-45 routines RQS of 9.945 on VT, 9.915 on FX, 9.910 on UB Performed 1 exhibition on BB in 2018
Ashley Hiller	FX	Did not compete in 2018 following transfer from Florida Competed 4 FXs, 1 VT in first two years at UF
Nicole Lehrmann	VT UB BB FX	Competed VT, UB, BB every meet in 2018 Ranked #5 nationally on UB RQS of 9.955 on UB, 9.885 on BB, 9.870 on VT Competed 4 FXs in 2018 for 9.806 avg Training Y1.5
Alex Marks	VT	Competed 7 VTs in 2018 for 9.835 RQS
*Juniors*
Jade DeGouveia	VT UB FX	Missed majority of 2018 season with injury Returned on VT at nationals for 9.894 avg Vaults 10.0-start Y1.5 Hit 1 of 2 FX routines in 2018
Maggie Nichols	VT UB BB FX	Ranked #1 nationally in AA in 2018 Ranked #1 nationally on VT, #2 on BB, #3 on FX, and #7 on UB No RQS lower than 9.950 in 2018 season
Brehanna Showers	VT UB BB FX	Returned from injury in 2018 to make all four postseason lineups RQS of 9.910 on BB, 9.875 on FX, 9.845 on VT Average of 9.854 on UB
*Sophomores*
Jordan Draper	FX	Competed 1 FX in 2018 for 9.775
Evy Schoepfer	VT FX	Competed 10 FXs for 9.855 RQS in 2018 Performed 2 VTs for 9.813 avg Trained Y1.5 on VT
Karrie Thomas	UB BB FX	Transfer from Maryland Competed weekly UB, BB, FX for Maryland in 2018 RQS of 9.850 FX, 9.820 UB, 9.795 BB
Anastasia Webb	VT UB BB FX	Competed AA in 10 of 15 meets in 2018 Made final S6 lineups on UB, BB, FX RQS of 9.915 FX, 9.910 BB, 9.900 UB, 9.890 VT Can VT 10.0 start Omelianchik or Y1.5
Carly Woodard	BB	Competed 5 BBs in 2018, hitting 4 Peak score of 9.950
*Freshmen*
Emma LaPinta		Kurt Thomas 20th AA, 2018 JO Nationals
Allie Stern	VT FX	Perfect Balance 1st place VT, 2017 JO Nationals
Olivia Trautman	VT UB BB FX	Twin City 3rd AA, 1st FX – 2018 JO Nationals Has Y1.5 on VT

FINAL SEASON RANKINGS
2018 – 2nd
2017 – 1st
2016 – 1st
2015 – 3rd
2014 – 1st
2013 – 2nd
2012 – 7th
2011 – 3rd
2010 – 2nd
2009 – 10th

THE STORY
Oklahoma is really thrilled about finishing second last year. So much fun with second place. La la la. Everything’s great.

Obviously, they’ve been accidentally shattering wine glasses about it all offseason—after spending the entire 2018 season as the best team in the country, breaking the all-time RQS mark, and then recording the 6th-best score in Super Six history only to be defeated on the day by the smallest of margins. As such, it’s not really a postseason that Oklahoma will look back on in a “what went wrong” kind of way—other than the mistake not to hack the NCAA in the dead of night so that they could have ended on beam instead of UCLA.

The finish in 2018 also makes the story for Oklahoma’s 2019 season fairly straightforward. The Sooners did everything except win the title last season, so this year, rectifying that with a championship will be the only satisfying result, as well as a very attainable one. Anything less will feel like a letdown.

VAULT 2019
Lineup locks: Maggie Nichols, Brenna Dowell
Lineup options: Olivia Trautman, Anastasia Webb, Nicole Lehrmann, Jade DeGouveia, Brehanna Showers, Allie Stern, Evy Schoepfer, Alex Marks

In 2019, Oklahoma will once again march toward that long-sought holy grail, a postseason vault lineup of entirely 10.0 starts. It hasn’t ever happened before but once again looks possible for Oklahoma this season. Continue reading 2019 Preview – Oklahoma Sooners →

Code of Points

WTF Is NCAA Scoring – Floor Edition

December 23, 2018 balancebeamsituation 9 Comments

Before the NCAA season begins, it’s time for the now-annual venture into the murky world of NCAA scoring for those who might want to know a little more about what’s going on. Fair warning: you’ll be saner if you don’t.

For the full experience, be sure to check out of the previous posts on vault, bars, and beam.

Composing a routine

Routine requirements

At minimum, an NCAA routine must include 3 A-valued elements, 3 B-valued elements, and 2 C-valued elements.

You don’t have to worry about this part. It’s basic and every routine you see in NCAA will have been designed specifically to meet this standard. Otherwise, you wouldn’t see it in competition.

Gymnasts must also fulfill a series of special composition requirements, each worth 0.2. On floor, those four requirements are

1 – One acrobatic combination, featuring 2 saltos. The 2 saltos can be directly connected to each other or indirectly connected to each other within a single tumbling pass, but they must appear in the same line of acrobatic skills.

2 – Three different saltos within the exercise. Because the majority of gymnasts perform three tumbling passes, one of which must be a combination pass, they tend to have four different saltos in their routines anyway, easily fulfilling the minimum requirement of three.

Some will not have four, either because they are performing a routine with just two passes, or because they are repeating a skill in one of the passes, but they must have at least three.

Continue reading WTF Is NCAA Scoring – Floor Edition →

Balance Beam Situation

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