NCAA Schedule

The 2023 Regionals Draw Is Here!

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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.

7 thoughts on “The 2023 Regionals Draw Is Here!”

  1. How is a team ranked higher than 29 having to compete in a play-in a problem that lasted beyond the first year of this format? How has that not been addressed by now?

    1. Because they still insist on “regional” distribution. Which clearly does not work. As Spencer mentioned UC Davis is going to Pittsburgh and LIU is going to UCLA for individuals.

      They need to go with a flat out distribution of 1-36 and 29-36 are automatically play in.

      Then distribute individuals to regions right back around by NQS, of course, all individuals from a team need to be together. As in the example of Syd Morris (AA), Ilka Juk (BB) and Mara Titarsolej (UB)

      Side note: the Pitt regional final is going to be a nail biter with Florida, Michigan State, Cal, and Arizona State. The last three being personal favorites of mine.

      The one positive note about NCAA gymnastics is that there is “parity” without a doubt. #3 seeds are dangerous and even the #4 seeds could make a run for it. ASU, Missouri, Denver, and Ohio State are all capable of making it to nationals if they have the met of their lives and others make mistakes.

      Of course the UCLA regional is the toughest IMO. UCLA, Utah, Auburn, Missouri is going to be a blood bath. If Missouri gets hot and Auburn has Suni back it could be trouble for Utah and UCLA. Both teams need to be vaulting well.

      1. Issues with geographic placement aside, I still don’t see why geographic placement precludes including a rule that the 29-36 ranked teams are the ones in the play-ins and distributed as their own category separately from teams 17-28, whether that be by seeding the play-ins as well or doing “geographic” placement among the 8 teams. Full seeding of all 36 teams might be the most reasonable option, but I don’t see why it’s necessary to make sure you don’t have a higher-ranked team placed in a play-in while a lower-ranked team goes straight to semis.

        I always enjoy finding another fan of the Gym Devils!

  2. The UCLA one has a date and time for play-in, but not for afternoon or evening semifinals. When are those?

    2. I think, because the UCLA regional has a Wednesday play-in (like the Oklahoma regional), their semifinals will be on Thursday.

      1. Yes. Semi-Finals are on Thursday and Finals are on Saturday.

        Due to having BYU in this specific regional, they have to compete Thursday and Saturday (not Friday/Sunday) because BYU does not compete on Sunday due to religious reasons.

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