Polls

Best Routine of Week 7 Poll

60 Comments

Your instructions
1. Vote for the best routine
2. Don’t get upset when this inevitably devolves into a twitter popularity contest. It’s not that important.

Criteria
1. Only routines scoring 9.950+ will be included in the poll
2. There must be video available of that routine so that the voters can, you know, watch it.
3. Each gymnast may appear only once per week. The higher score (or my discretion in the event of a tie) is used. This is why you don’t see the DTYs from Price and Skinner here. It wasn’t their highest-scoring event of the day.

1st 2nd 3rd
Wk 1 Price (STAN) – UB Lee (UCLA) – UB Finnegan (LSU) – UB
Wk 2 Crouse (NEB) – VT Price (STAN) – VT Gowey (UF) – BB
Wk 3 Glenn (UCLA) – BB Ramler (MIN) – BB Hambrick (LSU) – FX
Wk 4 McMurtry (UF)-BB Lee (UCLA) – BB Carter (ARK) – BB
Wk 5 Hano (UCLA) – FX Lee (UCLA) – BB Dowell (OU) – VT
Wk 6 Baker (UF) – FX Hambrick (LSU) – FX Lane (UNC) – BB

This week, we had enough 10s and 9.975s to make up an entire poll, so only those routines are used.

1. Maddie Karr (Denver) – Vault

https://twitter.com/byutvsports/status/964717562045939712

2. Alex McMurtry (Florida) – Bars

3. Shea Mahoney (Alabama) – Bars

4. Lexie Priessman (LSU) – Bars

5. Ivy Lu (Minnesota) – Beam

6. Sarah Finnegan (LSU) – Beam

7. Elizabeth Price (Stanford) – Floor

8. Sydney Snead (Georgia) – Floor

9. Myia Hambrick (LSU) – Floor

10. Katelyn Ohashi (UCLA) – Floor

11. Felicia Hano (UCLA) – Floor

12. MyKayla Skinner (Utah) – Floor

60 thoughts on “Best Routine of Week 7 Poll”

  2. What exactly does MyKayla Skinner have to do to get a 10? I would have voted for her vault, but she got robbed on it for a 9.95. Myk on floor is my vote.

      1. Lol you say that like there’s a cap on the number of 10s a gymnast can get. She’s doing things equally well to other gymnasts and not getting rewarded for it.

      2. There’s no cap and that’s certainly not what I meant. But Skinner has had countless 9.95s and 9.975s over her two seasons. Should some of those been 10s? Probably. Should some of those been 9.9s? Probably.

        People just seem to make it sound like Skinner is chronically underscored and that’s not the case.

    2. agreed – that was highway robbery. She stuck that dty and based on the other vault scores of the meet, superior.

      1. Jessie-It was an outrage. Dennis with blatant flaws on the landing of a 9.95 vault getting no deductions, and Skinner getting dinged for the best vault she’s done in NCAA, so far as I know. ugh.

      3. Yeah. Skinner is obviously not The Most Popular Girl On The Floor, as can be seen just by the comments here, LOL, but that should have nothing to do with scoring–in theory.

      1. I disagree about the 10 for Skinner. Comparing her stuck DTY to Elizabeth Price who got a 9.975, there are much more deductions in terms of amplitude and form for Skinner compared to Ebee who is cleaner and gets way more distance. 9.95 seemed appropriate, not ‘highway robbery’. But the fact that Skinner got deducted for something and not Nia is insane.

      2. Skinner and Price both should have gotten 10’s this week for their DTY’s, based on how that vault is scored.
        That said, Price’s was the superior, thereby more underscored, vault of the two.

        And, yes, Dennis was over scored.

      3. However, Ebee wasn’t at the same meet. Mykayla got the same score at the same meet as Nia Dennis, who had obvious errors in her vault, much more than Mykayla and didn’t get deducted for any of those. Ebee should’ve gotten a 10 as well, but from the scoring at the meet Mykayla was in and how it compares to other routines that day, it should’ve been a 10.

  3. Also – can we talk about how Kathy Johnson Clarke is the worst NCAA gym commentator out there? She kisses ass for teams like Florida, ignoring major mistakes and just salivating over them (in a completely unprofessional and biased way). Then when she comments on other teams she says shit like “Well her back toe could have been more pointed.” She absolutely has favorites and once you notice that her commentating becomes impossible to listen to.

    1. I’m always afraid to say anything negative about KJC because she has some fiercely loyal fans on her. I’m glad to see this comment because she has become more biased over these last few seasons. I much prefer to listen to Amanda Borden or even the Alicia/John combo. They point out mistakes for every team, but also provide equal praise.

      1. Alicia/John are awesome – the right blend of serious and fun. They’re not perfect either and they know it. Both have made awkward comments that don’t really go over well, but somehow they know how to just brush over it and continue with the meet and not dwell on the miscue.

      2. Alicia/John are a good balance. Alicia sees a step on a dismount and says that could be a .3 tenths deduction (never happens in NCAA) and John sees a routine without any huge breaks and starts asking for a 10. It’s a good blend.

      3. Love Amanda B. She is politically correct in her comments but her voice inflection tells the real story. She also talks about athletes who have improved but may not be the stars. She’s a class act. As to KJC – notice how her non-favs get the split protractor but many others don’t. If they are her top favs they get it and also the ones she obviously finds unworthy. Oh well, we have to overlook some things and enjoy the sport

  4. I think most NCAA gym are doing a good job. Just can’t stand listening to KJC because of how one-sided and biased she is.

    Also – it drives me up a wall when commentators talk through the floor routine. One or two brief comments is OK, but I hate them talking over the music of the floor routine. I’m looking at you, Jim Watson.

    1. I don’t think KJC necessarily favors any one team, but she has a certain style of gymnast she prefers. The top teams will always get more favorable coverage and commentators tend to know more about former elites, so they talk about them a lot more than lesser known athletes.

      I just prefer Amanda, John, Alicia, and Bridget Sloan over KJC. Sam Peszek is pretty good too.

      KJC gets to me after awhile and Carly Patterson always seems like she has no idea what is going on.

    2. I mute all meets with Jim Watson. All of his comments are unnecessary. Plus he always projects feelings onto the athletes and it’s weird. It sucks during floor by I can’t hear the music but it’s gotten to the point that his commentary make me cringe.

      1. I find this comment bizarre. I’ve heard it several places and it makes no sense. I’m not saying it’s not true (because I think I might have even heard the original source of the comment) but that television producer must not know what they are talking about, which I just find absurd. Competition use of music falls under an exception for the use of music. I’ve seen plenty of commentary-free figure skating without there being issues related to the music rights.

      4. That’s just not the way copyright works. Talking over music doesn’t somehow override infringement.

        The fact that a commentator or journalist would even make such a claim is a bit shocking. I mean watch the Olympics — they don’t talk the entire time through a skating routine. I’m sorry, but that answer is complete BS. Please don’t keep that rumor going.

  5. I’ll do the job of defending KJC. I watch Friday Night Heights almost every week and haven’t noticed any bias towards Florida, which is strange because I’m not the biggest fan of Florida’s gymnastics in general. It’s very clear that she has favorite gymnasts (Erin Macadaeg, Baumann recently), but I definitely don’t think she pulls for one team over another. She certainly pointed out the flaws in Baumann’s FX that gave them the outrageous win over OU back in January.

    I think she ends up commentating for Florida more than any other team, so perhaps she just has a familiarity? I think she’s far and away the best commentator in gymnastics, and probably one of the best across all sports. Feel free to disagree!

    1. KJC knows gymnastics, no doubt about it. Just the way she fawns over some teams and nitpicks others is grating to me as a viewer.

      1. I notice no one has mentioned Kelly Garrison’s commentary of OU meets… Hmm, wonder why? 😉

        I wish UGA commentators Kevin Copp and Cat Hires would do other teams that didn’t involved their former school. Kevin has always been very good and since leaving UGA he’s less excitable and more impartial when covering a UGA meet. Cat has a long way to go and several things she needs to work on, but I wish the SEC network would let her cut her teeth during a Missouri/Arkansas meet or Auburn/Kentucky. Not sure if she actually works in sports broadcasting full time or if she has another job in Athens and therefore can’t really travel…

        Though with the coaching change, both Copp and Hires have less connection with the team then in the past which helps their objectivity. I believe Lauren Johnson is the only gymnast who was on the team the last year Hires competed and Copp did the Gymdogs Show.

        KJC is fine for me. Sometimes I agree with her comments and other times I don’t. She also fawned over Aja Sims 190+ splits on beam and floor.

        Amanda Bordan is good – she seems to call it like it is though the guy she usually works with has obvious deficits when it comes to women’s gymnastics, and it’s always obvious she’s trying hard to not to say anything to embarrass him on TV. Sometimes though she lets him get away with too much.

        I haven’t heard Sloan enough to comment on her, and Sam is good but her UCLA bias comes across – Pac 12 really should keep her away from their meets until she has more experience.

      2. Kevin Copp is excellent! ESPN should totally give him a gig.

        I never think of Kelly Garrison, primarily because I no longer get the regional fox station that covers OU. They are so hard to actually watch! The Big 12 needs to get its act together for TV coverage!

  6. I love Lexie, but there’s no way she should’ve gotten a higher score than Sarah on bars. The scoring all weekend seemed to be building to give Sarah her 10 and it NEVER HAPPENED. Sure, there might be a few tiny things to nitpick but with the way scoring was at both meets she should’ve gotten one.

  7. It is so obvious who are throwing the criticisms at Kathy Johnson Clarke in this comment section.

    The rest of us know exactly what’s up and it just makes the vast majority of gymnastics fans more likely to root against your perpetually overscored program.

    The school/gymnast (and her family) claim to be victims always. Lol.

    1. I don’t know what you are talking about?!?! Please elaborate.

      I’m one of the anonymous posters above and I’m just not a huge fan of KJC. She knows her stuff, but her comments get really repetitive.

    2. I’m not into the gymternet drama, but “perpetually overscored” makes me think Florida, UCLA, Utah, and maybe LSU (but less so).

    3. I’ll guess UGA, since the last meet Florida had was at UGA and KJC was the commentator on it. Though I do feel the last two season UGA has been over scored at home meets (they haven’t cracked a 197 on the road in two seasons, I believe) – not sure I would call them perpetually over scored and have no idea what “gymnast” or “family” would hold a grudge.

      Please enlighten us…

      1. I don’t think are grossly over scored, even at home. Watch their home meets — maybe floor goes high a bit. Although, Snead, Dickson, and Vega all are 9.9 + floor workers. They certainly haven’t received crazy scoring the likes of the top 5.

        Also, under Durante you could clearly see they were a different team away than at home, especially on beam.

        I can’t imagine UGA being the team the person referenced. I was thinking Skinner/Utah just because of the “victim” statement.

    4. Reference to the family makes me think you’re talking about Skinner or Ernst. Both families have been salty about how things have shaken out in the past.

      1. Ah, I forgot about Ernst. Although, I don’t understand what KJC has to do with either Skinner or Ernst.

  8. I have to turn the sound off whenever Alex McMurtry performs. She’s a fantastic gymnast, but I can’t bear to listen to KJC fawn so excessively over her. Her bias toward that particular gymnast is egregious.

    1. If you listen to the nuances of what KJC says regarding McMurtry, she isn’t completely gushing over her. She praises her technique on vault, her ray, and her triple twist. When McMurtry got the vault 10 VS OU, Kathy said her technique was perfect, and distinctly didn’t say her vault was perfect overall. She really doesn’t criticize anyone, often her critique lies in what she doesn’t say.

  9. Ivy Lu’s routine was lovely. One of the smoothest multiple turns I’ve seen, and such poise. I voted for Lu, but Snead’s floor was effervescent and I loved Finnegan’s beam as usual (it’s true she should have had 10s by now.) Ohashi just sells that floor routine incredibly–a pleasure to watch every time.

    1. I voted for her as well. Hands down, one of the most flawless routines I’ve ever seen. She is brilliant.

    3. That was one of the most stunning routines I’ve seen in a long time. Nailing a double turn like that is a feat in and of itself but to nail the entire routine was truly special. Hope she can keep repeating that!

    4. I went with Lu– that double spin was the wow moment of the week from these routines for me!

  10. Damn some of you guys complain way too much. Thank God NCAA season is only 4 months long. I’d hate to sit next to some of you at a meet.

  11. I’ll admit I’m not a huge Skinner fan, primarily because of comments she made during elite. With that being said, there is no doubting she is one of the best gymnasts and one of the most consistent, if not the most consistent, in all of NCAA. She deserved a 10 for the vault last weekend.

  12. I’m not sure why the immediate response in this community to a legitimate question regarding the apparent impossibility for Sarah Finnegan to be awarded a ten was for MyKayla Skinner to be brought up. Certainly, Skinner’s vault score this week merits serious discussion, but it is a different issue entirely. MyKayla has number of defensible tens under her belt. Sarah does not, despite performances that also have very strong arguments for earning a ten.

    Additionally, Skinner and Finnegan are wildly different types of gymnasts. They compete on different teams in different conferences. This last week, they performed at different meets. Concerns over their respective scoring inconsistencies arise from different technical and political considerations. We can focus on each of these incredible athletes independently.

    So, does anyone have some insight as to why Finnegan, individually and on the merits of her performances, has not recieved a ten? What deductions did I miss in this week’s beam routine? I am honestly flummoxed and would love to be enlightened.

    1. Here’s an observation:
      The only 10s awarded to LSU since 2015 were to Gnat.
      This year, I don’t think a 10 was given at any meet LSU attended, with maybe one exception? Not sure. But it does seem the trend in overall LSU scoring that 9.9-9.975 are easy to come to, and unless you’re Gnat, 10’s just don’t happen.

      This is just to understand the trends in scoring. Because I think most of us agree FInney is one of the most perfect gymnasts in ncaa today, and when she hits flawlessly, she deserves a 10 at least as much as everyone who actually gets them.

      But maybe the judges don’t differentiate between *perfect* form and pretty good form with some minor breaks. I sure do, and that’s why I, too, am perplexed by Finnegans lack of 10s.

  13. Thanks so much Robin! I took a gander at LSU’s top scores and you are correct. The entire team has not scored a ten this year. 2016 and 2017 indeed only saw Gnat awarded a perfect score. This baffles me even more, since Hambrick in particular has performed spectacularly this year as well. I have no concept of the politics in NCAA gymnastics, though. Maybe I’ll never understand. I just hope the athletes know fans see the beauty and power in their routines independent of the judges!

    1. I think Finnegan, Hambrick, and Priessman are all capable of 10s and I believe they have all scored 9.975s multiple times. I guess LSU should just schedule more road meets to Florida and UCLA. Haha

      2. They have received 9.975s and then the person made a joke. Why are you calling them a nitwit? Good lord, people are crazy in Internet comment sections.

Comments are closed.