The NCAA made a solid choice with this year’s entirely unnecessary selection show by prerecording it instead of doing it live. And by solid choice, I mean terrible choice, as we were denied all of the “Lymeenis Hall” and “Jillian Wistingly” mispronunciation goodies of past seasons. What’s even the point then?
On the other hand, we did get this definitely complete “sentence” because of the words and the putting them together.
And a five-year-old picture of Macko. BECAUSE RECENT.
So that makes it a little better.
Here’s what we know…
Rotation order is as follows:
Team #1 – begin on floor, end on bye
Team #2 – begin on beam, end on bars
Team #3 – begin on bye, end on beam
Team #4 – begin on bye, end on vault
Team #5 – begin on bars, end on bye
Team #6 – begin on vault, end on floor
SEMIFINAL #2:
MINNESOTA Regional – 4:00 CT
[1] Oklahoma
[12] Kentucky
[13] Denver
Minnesota
Iowa State
Iowa
All-Around
Lisa O’Donnell, UW-Whitwater
Tori Erickson, UW-Eau Claire
Brooke Terry, UW-Stout
Samantha Wiekamp, UW-La Crosse
Vault
Mikaela Meyer, Utah State
Madison Ward, Utah State
Bars
Anna Salamone, Air Force
Brittany Jeppesen, Utah State
Beam
Autumn DeHarde, Utah State
Emily Briones, Utah State
Floor
Madison Ward, Utah State
Autumn Deharde, Utah State
Thankfully, this season we have avoided the scenario from last year where the entire Air Force team made a regional as individuals because they were the only eligible gymnasts. This year, it’s slightly the entire Utah State team, but with a little Air Force and UW thrown in. The DIII Championship is already over for this season, so there’s no conflict for the UW gymnasts as there has been in years past.
This is a high-quality regional. Be excited. Kentucky v. Denver v. Minnesota at home.
PENN STATE Regional – 4:00 ET
[5] Florida
[8] Washington
[17] Arizona State
West Virginia
Penn State
New Hampshire
All-Around
Jacey Baldovino, Yale
Jade Buford, Yale
Kelsey Campbell, Bridgeport
Libby Groden, Rutgers
Vault
Sahara Gipson, Temple
Jaylene Everett, Temple
Bars
Jessica Wang, Yale
Kelli Tereshko, Bridgeport
Beam
Makenzey Shank, Rutgers
Kathryn Doran, Bridgeport
Floor
Maya Reimers, Bridgeport
Alex Hartke, Penn
This is probably the softest of the six regionals, so Florida won’t really mind that #5 ranking after all. I’d definitely rather have Florida’s regional than LSU’s regional, which makes a ton of sense.
*whispers to self* this is the last year of it, this is the last year of it, this is the last year of it.
UTAH Regional – 4:00 MT
[4] Utah
[9[ Cal
[16] Auburn
BYU
Stanford
Southern Utah
All-Around
Kelley Hebert, UC Davis
Annie Juarez, Sacramento State
Alexis Brown, UC Davis
Caitlin Soliwoda, Sacramento State
Vault
Ellie Pascoe-Long, San Jose State
Taylor Chan, San Jose State
Bars
Kaitlin Won, San Jose State
Gabby Landess, UC Davis
Beam
Courtney Soliwoda, Sacramento State
Stephanie Reolva, San Jose State
Floor
Taylor Chan, San Jose State
Ellie Pascoe-Long, San Jose State
The top seeds in these first three regionals are probably pretty happy with the semifinal placement because this looks like it will be the softer of the two semifinals if everything goes according to the seedings.
Semifinal #1:
NC STATE Regional – 4:00 ET
[2} LSU
[11] Nebraska
[14] Oregon State
George Washington
NC State
Maryland
All-Around
Morgan Lane, North Carolina
Mary Elle Arduino, Towson
Katie Waldman, William & Mary
Taylor White, William & Mary
Vault
Khazia Hislop, North Carolina
Madison Nettles, North Carolina
Bars
Tyra McKellar, Towson
Kaitlynn Hedelund, North Carolina
Beam
Khazia Hislop, North Carolina
Gabriella Yarussi, Towson
Floor
Khazia Hislop, North Carolina
Mikayla Robinson, North Carolina
I’d say this is the deepest and most challenging regional, not just because of Nebraska and Oregon State but also George Washington and NC State, the two highest-ranked unseeded teams (19 and 20), which both got placed in the same regional because of TEH GEOGRAPHY.
Compare this to the Penn State regional, which doesn’t have an unseeded team ranked above 27. Or Ohio State, where the three unseeded teams are 25, 33, 34.
ALABAMA Regional – 4:00 CT
[6] Alabama
[7] Michigan
[18] Georgia
Missouri
Illinois
Central Michigan
All-Around
Ashley Potts, Northern Illinois
Katherine Prentice, Northern Illinois
Madison Cindric, Arizona
Mikailla Northern, Illinois-Chicago
Vault
Kierstin Sokolowksi, Lindenwood
Schyler Jones, TWU
Bars
Christina Berg, Arizona
Serena Baker, Illinois-Chicago
Beam
Kierstin Sokolowksi, Lindenwood
Mallory Moredock, TWU
Floor
Anna Martucci, Northern Illinois
Alexis Brawner, SEMO
Eeeeeeee. This was already going to be a fun one, but add in Missouri and Illinois, two very 196-capable teams, and it gets even better. Now, the most likely scenario is still that Alabama and Michigan run away with it, but it MIGHT not be boring. And we’ll take that.
Also, Central Michigan has to go to Alabama. Because of geography.
OHIO STATE Regional – 6:00 ET
[3] UCLA
[10] Arkansas
[15] Boise State
Ohio State
Pitt
Kent State
All-Around
Jovannah East, Bowling Green
Emili Dobronics, Eastern Michigan
Lea Mitchell, Michigan State
Morgan Spence, Western Michigan
Vault
Rachael Underwood, Western Michigan
Lauren DeMeno, Bowling Green
Bars
Hailee Westney, Michigan State
Kendall Valentin, Eastern Michigan
Beam
Laura Mitchell, Bowling Green
India McPeak, Bowling Green
Floor
Rachael Underwood, Western Michigan
Tia Kiaku, Ball State
Ohio State has scored really well at home this season, so watch out for that. The second spot in this one could get real.
How did Stanford end up at Utah? I thought the point was to avoid so many teams from the same conference at a regional.
They rarely send unseeded teams across the country. It’s generally whichever location is closest.
That being said, the individual qualifier competition at the Utah regional could get interesting.
how so? Ebee’s a heavy favorite. If Cal doesn’t make it it will likely be Toni-Ann as the second. If Cal makes it then I’d think Shannon (BYU) or Kyla (Stanford) could get the second spot.
Don’t count out at Auburn in this regional as a team or as individuals.
Kyla Bryant would also be in the mix for an AA spot.
I never realized how many unseeded teams are in the upper Midwest and Atlantic Coast. I thought it was odd to see CMU at Alabama, but with Pitt, Kent St, WVU, and UNH all in the mix, I guess it makes sense.
Is the NCAA incapable of spreading out the times so fans could watch more than one regional? Two start at 1:00 PST, two at 2:00 PST, and two at 3:00 PST. Could they not spread the start times out a little more than that? Heck, just start Utah at 6:00 instead of 4:00.
This drives me crazy every year. I’m interested to see how scheduling and coverage might change with the new format next year.
These are all going to be amazing regionals because the 13-18 seeds are so much stronger than in the past and there are many unranked teams within the top 36 that could do some damage. GW, CMU, Minnesota, NC State, Ohio State, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa all have potential to upset.
I will have eyes glued to the Alabama regional. Alabama (6), Michigan (7) with Georgia (18) IN ALABAMA. Oh sweet Jesus!!! I wish I could be there to see Suzanne walk into Stegeman as a number 18 seed. Not to mention that Illinois have come on strong at the end of the season and Missouri, while one of the weaker SEC teams is no slouch, and Central Michigan scored a 197 (at home). This has got to be the most brutal regional of all 6 IMO.
UCLA and Florida are fine if they hit-those are softer regionals. But Nebraska, Oregon State, NC State, and GW could get tight for #2 Arkansas and Boise State will be battling it out for #2 and have to deal with Ohio State at home.
I have to say this is the deepest regionals we have ever seen. The seeded teams are not guaranteed a spot at Nationals and there are a few unseeded teams that could spoil.
OOOPS I said Stegeman but I meant Coleman!! HAHA
Suzanne has already been to Coleman this year and nothing happened.
The Minnesota Regional scares me. It would be an upset for both Kentucky and Denver if they beat each other out. Kentucky needs an SEC Championshipsesque competition with a great beam rotation to really fight for #2.
Watch Ramler and Lu lead the host Minnesota Gophers to a 197+ and an upset of both Kentucky and Denver.
What if there is a tie? What if they have the same score with all 6 scores counting too? What will that do? Higher RQS (Kentucky) ?
Poor Kentucky! Starting on beam and needing to beat Denver. 😐
Isn’t the first/second semifinal the other way around?
I also think that Minnesota regional will be brutal – just looking at the conference champ scores, it looks like Kentucky, Denver and Iowa all went mid-196 and with Minnesota at home, they could get there, too. Brutal.
Looking at the NC State regional and realizing only 2 AAers can go on to nationals…ugh.
2 All arounders from teams not proceeding as a whole? How many specialists for each event? Sorry just trying to understand how this works. Thanks!
No, 2 AAers from each regional not on a qualifying team will advance to nationals (so 12 total). I said I was sad because at that NC State regional alone will be Morgan Lane, Chelsea Knight, and the GW girls + whoever from the Nebraska/OSU team. For specialists to advance to nationals they have to win their event outright (so above even the qualifying teams’ top performances on the event).
My bracket will be screwed thanks to Tuscaloosa, Ohio State, NC and Minnesota…
Hey Spencer, I might just be too sensitive, but when you use the word “soft” to imply that one regional is less challenging, it reminds me of how that’s also a word that people throw at men who don’t fit in with masculine, heterosexual norms. So, no big deal, but every time you use it, it takes me back to the days of being bullied in middle school because I liked women’s gymnastics. Just something to be aware of.
OMFG. You need therapy. STAT
LOL. Maybe (probably?) but I thought I’d just put it out there since he uses it so much.
Soft is a synonym for easy. Hard is a synonym for difficult. It’s nothing more than that and in no way reflects any gender/societal norms.
I know Spencer is a language guy, so I trust his judgment when it comes to vocabulary. However, it is true that soft is also a slang word/euphemism that means “gay” or “pussy.” And when I hear football coaches say things like “Our defense played soft today” I think it’s dripping with homophobia. That’s where I was coming from with my original comment, but I’m happy to discuss it with my therapist. 🙂
Out of curiousity, what should a football coach say instead? “Our defense didn’t play with intensity or aggressiveness?”
I’m not trying to be rude at all. I’m curious. I sometimes use soft in that type of context (talking about teams, not coaching). I wouldn’t want to offend someone, so I’d love suggestions.
@Anon – I think you could just say “our defense played poorly” or “they played weak.” I think “weak” is a great substitute for soft in that example, and it doesn’t have any negative connotations. In my view, pillows are soft; people are not.
Hi, Anonymous. How do you like the fucking trolls that responded to your intelligent, observant comment? “wordz don mean nuttin cause I’m a MO-ron, I am, and there ain’t no such thang as semantics….”
For the ‘Anonymous’ so stupid it talks in weary, exhausted cliches like ‘OMFG’ and ‘STAT’: You need your lobotomy FINISHED. STAT.
Ha ha. 🙂 I know the feeling. I’m a woman who loves women’s gymnastics and all my peers in the hockey-football-basketball sports seem to look down on me for loving women’s gym. Hey I can love hockey, football and women’s gymnastics at the same time.
Hockey players and women’s gymnasts are the fiercest athletes – playing through injury and broken bones to win.
So you’re asking Spencer to refrain from using the word soft, which is correctly used in the circumstances he is speaking about, on his own blog, because it happens to trigger a feeling in you that you experienced from a situation that has nothing to do with the 2018 regionals? Yes, you are being too sensitive.
The Ohio State regional is intriguing. Arkansas and Boise St are both capable of high 196s, maybe a 197. But if their scores stay in the low to mid 196 range, Ohio State has a definite chance, especially with them ending on floor and vault.
Also, UCLA starting on floor is interesting. They have great routines, but could come out either flat or with too much adrenaline. Ending on beam, though, is great for them!
I’m really hoping Haley Brechwald of Pitt qualifies as an all arounder to nationals! It would be huge for the program, and given the relatively sparse field of all arounders at the Ohio State regional, she definitely has a shot.