Yippee and hooray and whatnot. The selection-show-that-could-have-been-an-email (and was also almost completely secret until the last second this year for some reason) has now revealed all of the “geographical” and individual regionals placements, so we know everyone who is competing at each regional in less than two weeks time.
I have to say at the beginning I was a little disappointed because the guy definitely did some pronunciation research and practice this year and nailed some of the hardest names. Thankfully, the mistakes really crept in about halfway through the meet and we were treated to the exaltation of Dahry-Daryhan Go-Born. And then it was sheer poetry from there.
Courtney Kewputs-Carters
Kylie Queeto (still no idea)
Sorroray Hawthrone
Abby High-Scale
Maddie Degdiab
Some instant classics. Kewputs-Carters will live forever.
The announcement also included Chloe Negrete as a vault qualifier for both NC State and North Carolina at different regionals. Now, seeing as she goes to NC State, we can comfortably assume that the North Carolina one was a mistake. But was that just added accidentally, or is there some poor vaulter out there who didn’t get announced because they accidentally put Negrete in twice? Anyway…
Format review: The winner of each play-in joins the evening semifinal. The top 2 teams in each regional semifinal advance to the regional final. The top two teams in the regional final advance to nationals. There is a day off between the regional semifinal and the regional final.
In each regional semifinal, the #4-ranked team starts on vault, #3 on bars, #1 on beam, and #2 on floor, which was decided by random draw.
OKLAHOMA REGIONAL
Play-in (Wednesday March 29, 2pm CT)
NC State vs. Ball State
Afternoon Semifinal (Thursday, March 30, 2pm CT)
[8] Alabama
[9] Kentucky
Illinois
Iowa
Evening Semifinal (Thursday, March 30, 7pm CT)
[1] Oklahoma
[16] Ohio State
Arkansas
Play-in
AA Individuals
Rachel Decavitch – Kent State
Hannah Ruthberg – Ball State
Emily Shepard – NC State
Hannah Joyner – Rutgers
Event Individuals
VT – Victoria Henry (Ball St), Suki Pfister (Ball St), Alana Laster (Illinois St), Chloe Negrete (NC State), Emily Leese (Rutgers)
UB – Megan Teter (Ball St), Kylie Gorgenyi (New Hampshire)
BB – Grace Sumner (Ball St), Alyssa Worthington (New Hampshire), Chloe Negrete (NC State), Robyn Kelley (New Hampshire), Stephanie Zannella (Rutgers)
FX – Megan Teter (Ball St), Jaye Mack (Illinois St), Karlie Franz (Kent St), Alyssa Guns (Kent St), Chloe Negrete (NC State)
**Event individuals include those from play-in teams so that if they happen to be eliminated in the play-in, they can still compete the next day in the hope of advancing to nationals since individual qualification to nationals is based on the regional semifinal results.
PITTSBURGH REGIONAL
Play-in (Thursday, March 30, 2pm ET)
Towson vs Penn State
Afternoon Semifinal (Friday, March 31, 2pm ET)
[7] Cal
[10] Michigan State
Western Michigan
West Virginia
Evening Semifinal (Friday, March 31, 7pm ET)
[2] Florida
[15] Arizona State
Maryland
Play-in Winner
AA Individuals
Hallie Copperwheat – Pittsburgh
Maddie Johnston – Penn State
Ava Piedrahita – Penn State
Event Individuals
VT – Katrina Mendez (Bowling Green), Polina Belanovski (Towson), Keanna Abraham (UC Davis), Megan Ray (UC Davis)
UB – Cassidy Rushlow (Penn St), Natalia Pawlak (Pitt), Isabella Minervini (Towson), Grace Vaillancourt (Towson), Brianna Brooks (Utah St)
BB – Ella Chemotti (Eastern Michigan), Reyna Garvey (Pitt), Sofi Sullivan (Utah St),
FX – Brooke Donabedian (Temple), Renee Schugman (Temple), Keanna Abraham (UC Davis), Megan Ray (UC Davis)
DENVER REGIONAL
Play-in (Thursday, March 30, 2pm MT)
Arizona vs North Carolina
Afternoon Semifinal (Friday, March 31, 2pm MT)
[6] LSU
[11] Oregon State
Georgia
Nebraska
Evening Semifinal (Friday, March 31, 7pm MT)
[3] Michigan
[13] Denver
Minnesota
Play-in Winner
AA Individuals
Deja Chambliss – George Washington
Julia Knower – North Carolina
Event Individuals
VT – Malia Hargrove (Arizona), Lali Dekanoidze (North Carolina)
UB – Alysen Fears (Arizona), Lali Dekanoidze (North Carolina), Alyssa Al-Ashari (Northern Illinois), Natalie Hamp (Norther Illinois)
BB – Jessica Castles (Arizona), Malia Hargrove (Arizona), Sirena Linton (Arizona), Alyssa Al-Ashari (Northern Illinois),
FX – Malia Hargrove (Arizona), Kendall Whitman (George Washington), Maddie Diab (Iowa State), Emmalise Nock (Northern Illinois)
UCLA REGIONAL
Play-in (Wednesday, March 29, 2pm PT)
BYU vs Boise State
Afternoon Semifinal (Thursday, March 30, 2pm PT)
[5] Utah
[12] Auburn
Southern Utah
Washington
Evening Semifinal (Thursday, March 30, 7pm PT)
[4] UCLA
[14] Missouri
Stanford
Play-in Winner
AA Individuals
Hannah Demers – Central Michigan
Syd Morris – LIU
Lauren Macpherson – San Jose St
Event Individuals
VT – Emily Lopez (Boise State), Sydney Benson (BYU), Kylie Eaquinto (BYU), Jaudai Lopes (San Jose St)
UB – Courtney Blackson (Boise St), Emily Lopez (Boise St), Anyssa Alvarado (BYU), Mara Titarsolej (LIU), Emma Milne (San Jose St)
BB – Elease Rollins (BYU), Ilka Juk (LIU), Amber Koeth (Sacramento St), Emma Milne (San Jose St)
FX – Courtney Blackson (Boise St), Taylor Pitchell (Central Michigan), Jada Mazury (San Jose St)
THOUGHTS:
- So first of all, our annual “royally fucked for no reason” team is Arizona, which finished the season ranked #28, yet has to compete in a play-in meet in Denver, while #29 West Virginia gets to advance straight to the regional semifinal in Pittsburgh. So glad the season matters more than what state you happen to be in. I’m going to need John Court to assemble the local lords and storm a castle somewhere.
- Also, because geography is SO SO IMPORTANT and must obviously be respected over competitive integrity, the Long Island individuals will be traveling to UCLA for regionals, while the UC Davis individuals will be traveling to Pittsburgh. Yes, yes, geography. I’m not saying Randy Lane should show up to the UCLA regional wearing a shirt that says, “You could have had me.” That’s not what I’m arguing for in any way. At all.
As for the actual regional team placements:
- As expected, Arkansas has gone into the Oklahoma regional to face Ohio State in the semifinal, which could really go either way. They’re within 1-2 tenths of each other most weeks.
- I’d be kind of annoyed if I were Illinois and Iowa because there are some semifinals where they could challenge, but Alabama/Kentucky is a tough one. Basically, we’ll expect it to take a mid-197 to get out of that one.
- The Denver regional also has some pretty tough unseeded teams. Getting Minnesota in the semifinal is no…fun hosting reward for Denver. Definitely not a given. LSU and Oregon State will feel like a 197 will be enough to get out of that semifinal, but not a cakewalk.
- The Pitt and UCLA regional semifinals look more straightforward than the Oklahoma and Denver ones. I’d prefer to be in those semifinals, but they’re both going to get 100% intense once we get to the regional finals, particularly that UCLA regional when Auburn is fighting to take out a big name.