1. Oklahoma Sooners
RQS: 197.995
Previous ranking: 1
Oklahoma went 198 for the sixth time this season, a feat that essentially (though not yet mathematically) locks up the regular-season #1 ranking for the 4th consecutive year. We still have yet not seen truly peak Oklahoma—in this 198, there was a beam fall, some non-ideal floor landings, hopping on vault—which will give the Sooners hope that they can continue improving and achieve real-life 198s, even in the postseason. We’re all looking forward to seeing what these teams actually score when going against each other in sober circumstances. (AH HA HA like those exist.) Let’s get a move on already.
2. LSU Tigers
RQS: 197.755
Previous ranking: 2
LSU holds onto #2 after a 197.575, a meet the team will be kind of meh about but that also did not feature several of the most important routines, particularly on floor. It’s a performance that may not be too representative of LSU’s current level, a maneuvering-for-postseason-health-and-lineup-answers kind of meet. I don’t think any of the backups who competed on floor got themselves into the main lineup with their showings in this meet, though we did see Cannamela on vault score better for her full than she did for the 1.5 last week, which may be an answer to that question. As of this point, the full looks the score-smart decision, even if that feels like playing it safe.
3. UCLA Bruins
RQS: 197.725
Previous ranking: 3
With a big 197 at Stanford, UCLA makes a slight move closer to LSU this week and will have a chance to pass, at least temporarily, after Tuesday night’s meet. Tuesday is supposed to feature backups, but it’s also senior night so 10s for everyone. Much of the focus of UCLA’s performance against Stanford will be on the bars 10s and how apparently Elizabeth Price doesn’t get the same consideration, but the real highlight of the Bruins’ performance was improvement in vault landings. This is still not a particularly Super Six-competitive vault lineup, which makes the landings all the more important. Now, about those early bars routines. UCLA is starting to hint that Kocian may come in on bars at the last minute. It’s a race against time, but at this point, go for it.
4. Utah Utes
RQS: 197.415
Previous ranking: 4
Utah stays 4th after a 196.800 in a loss to Michigan, a score that is dropped for RQS and a meet that will end up being more memorable for the internet controversy of MyKayla Skinner adding new gun-fingers at the Michigan team as her ending pose on floor (oopsers!) than anything Utah did during the routines. Now, it was still perfectly acceptable performance that would advance from a regional, but it featured uncharacteristically uncertain landings and tentative work, especially once the team moved to beam to end a close contest. By not being able to use this score, enough of a gap has opened up that it’s unlikely Utah will move higher than fourth as we go to regionals, though that’s still solid and would equal last year’s regular-season performance.