Category Archives: Meet Results

American Classic and Elite Qualifier

You may now rest easy. I have returned from the wilderness. (Metaphorical wilderness, obviously. Like I would do a wilderness.) While I was sans gymnastics, everyone decided to gather at the ranch for the worst-timed competition of each season, the American Classic.

The American Classic is basically a poor woman’s U.S. Classic, which is a poor women’s national championship. It’s the smallest nesting doll. It’s the complementary appetizer. Still interesting, though. Especially this year. Certain people made some certain grand entrances.

Gymnasts competing at the American Classic have already achieved the qualifying score to the U.S. Classic (51 AA for seniors, 50 AA for juniors) but can use this meet to achieve the nationals qualification score (52 AA for seniors, 50.5 AA for juniors). All elite qualifying scores for this season have been lowered two points from last year to account for the reduction in D scores.

Detour: Can we please stop naming everything Classic? It’s so unnecessarily confusing. You hold 1.3 competitions per year, and yet all of them are “the Classic.” Other words exist.

Also note that Secret doesn’t have title sponsorship of the U.S. Classic anymore, so it’s not the Secret Classic. It’s the U.S. Classic because we’re partying like it’s 2007.

Anyway, here’s what we learned from the Flag Pants Classic last week. Continue reading American Classic and Elite Qualifier

2017 JO Nationals Results

The full scores can be found here, but I’ll be tracking the leaderboards and major results throughout the weekend and including them as they come in along with my NCAA-based comments.

SENIOR F – Top 10 AA & Notables

Sunday, May 7 – 6:30pm ET

Rk Name NCAA VT UB BB FX Total
 1 Nia
Dennis
UCLA 2018 9.775 (8) 9.675 (6) 9.675 (2) 9.675 (4) 38.800
Obviously, it’s going to be important for UCLA to invent a time machine to go back and put Dennis into every floor lineup. She’ll be a contender for each lineup, but it’s the potential bigness on floor (as well as vault, we hope) that will be her most valuable contributions to moving UCLA closer to the title next season.
 2 Lynnzee Brown Denver 2018  9.850 (3) 9.725 (2)  9.425 (16) 9.700 (2) 38.700
The exciting part about having another JO star coming in next season for Denver is that she doesn’t have to replace the whole world. It’s mostly building on what’s already there, though that bars total is exciting in terms of the need to replace Julia Ross’s score, along with Brown’s lineup boosting vault and floor sets.
 3 Kyana George Cal 2018 9.725 (10) 9.500 (16) 9.600 (3) 9.825 (1) 38.650
Lots of work to do for the Cal freshmen next season to make up for all the routines lost, but it’s a big and talented group capable of the task. George made waves for her floor routine at JOs last year and followed it up with a win this year. She’s going to be a favorite there.
 4 Lexi Graber Alabama 2018 10.000 (1) 9.500 (16) 9.550 (6) 9.575 (11) 38.625
A 10? You mean like…a 10? We kind of whined about Alabama’s vaulting this past season being OK but not quite…Alabama vaulting, losing out in the start-value race to the other SEC powers. The very clean 1.5 that Graber typically performs will be a boost.
 5 Lea Mitchell Michigan State 2018 9.800 (6) 9.575 (11) 9.475 (12) 9.700 (2) 38.550
Nice to see an unknown interloper among the favored and recognizable names here. It was a solid little JOs for the new Michigan State class, with Maxim getting two top-10 finishes of her own in Senior E. Competitive scores. The new coach will have some fresh pieces to work with in the quest to get back to regionals.
 6 Drew Watson Auburn 2018 9.850 (3) 9.675 (6) 9.275 (27) 9.500 (18) 38.300
It’s a big class for Auburn next year with a number of varied contributors, and it needs to be, coming off what was always going to be a lull season. The vaulting in particular dropped off to a significant degree (and won’t appreciate the loss of Rott either), so I like the look of that 9.850.
 7 Lexy Ramler Minnesota 2018 9.725 (10) 9.100 (39) 9.800 (1) 9.650 (6) 38.275
It’s a shame about the bars. That’s the event we know her for most of all from elite because of that Comaneci. Might have won the title with her normal hit there. She’ll be the critical part of Operation Not Bars-Horrifying next season, along with becoming the team’s huge all-around star. No pressure or anything.
 7 Tra’Vanni Jacobs Kentucky 2018 9.550 (26) 9.700 (4) 9.525 (10) 9.500 (18) 38.275
 9 Nina Schank Cal 2018 9.625 (17) 9.750 (1) 9.375 (17) 9.500 (18) 38.250
Another key part of Cal’s reinvigorating mission. I like to see that bars win.  Expect a new identity in the bars lineup (the team’s lowest-scoring event last season), with the likes of Schank as well as Alma Kuc’s L-grip pirouetting that the judges definitely won’t know the symbols for.
 10 Sophia Carter Arkansas 2018 9.700 (12) 9.575 (11) 9.550 (6) 9.400 (35) 38.225
A good solid result all-around, which is the most important feature of this performance. Arkansas was, through injury, left clutching at the shredded rags of depth last season, so simply bringing events is the first mission for the new gymnasts.
11 Payton Bellows Arizona 2018 9.850 (3) 9.650 (8) 9.025 (41) 9.650 (5) 38.175
Another in the long line of gymnasts who would have finished exceptionally well if not for beam. Arizona is another that had a very good JOs all told. Lots of high finishes.
12 Kelley Hebert UC Davis 2018 9.600 (21) 9.500 (16)  9.575 (5) 9.475 (25) 38.150
19 Kylie Dickson Alabama 2018 9.800 (6) 9.725 (2) 8.875 (44) 9.275 (45) 37.675
A mixed bag of a meet for Miss Dicksonenka, but this new Alabama class is going to bring a lot of routines. That means we won’t have to retire the “Alabama depth depth depth” nugget just yet.
25 Charlotte Cooperman Maryland 2018 9.675 (13) 8.800 (47) 9.600 (3) 9.475 (25) 37.550
31 Lauren Bridgens Penn State 2018 9.875 (2) 8.550 (53) 9.325 (22) 9.625 (8) 37.375
41 Jordan Boogerd Lindenwood 2018 9.475 (33) 9.000 (43) 8.675 (50) 9.650 (5) 36.800

SENIOR E – Top 10 AA & Notables

Sunday, May 7 – 1:45pm ET

Rk Name NCAA VT UB BB FX Total
1 Rachel Flam Stanford 2018 9.900 (1) 9.575 (11) 9.425 (20) 9.725 (1)  38.625
So basically, the plan for Stanford next season is going to be all the freshmen and Elizabeth Price. I MADE YOUR LINEUPS, KRISTEN! Those gigantic vault and floor scores are particular music because…you’ve seen those vault and floor rotations, I don’t have to explain.
2 Evy Schoepfer Oklahoma 2018 9.775 (4) 9.625 (7) 9.475 (11) 9.725 (1) 38.600
Oklahoma has lost a fairly significant chunk of routines after 2017 (about two per event), and while there will be some replacements coming from the current roster, this freshman class of L10 stars will see time and will need to bring a good two events apiece to maintain the same depth.
2 Kaitlyn Yanish Oregon State 2018 9.775 (4) 9.675 (5) 9.450 (13) 9.700 (4)  38.600
The sheer number and quality of routines Oregon State has lost post-2017 (15 of 24 nationals routines) cannot be replaced by this incoming class alone, but there will be pressure on a standout like Yanish not just to contribute but to bring four whole events to bolster those lineups right away. We needed to see something from the newbies, and this counts as something.
4 Alonza Klopfer Alabama 2018 9.675 (13) 9.625 (7) 9.500 (5) 9.575 (10) 38.375
Anyone coming in with the same class as Bailie Key is going to be overshadowed by the expectations for her, but Alabama’s quest to regain more competitiveness than just “solid third in the SEC,” which we got in 2017, will be more about the class than the Key. It’s a lot of gymnasts to replace just to get back to last year’s level (two and three 9.850+ scores per event), let alone improve on that, and Klopfer will be a necessary L10 cog with multiple events.
5 Ona Loper Minnesota 2018 9.775 (4) 9.350 (30) 9.450 (13) 9.725 (1) 38.300
The 2017 season was always going to be a down year for Minnesota after losing all the gymnasts and all the Lindsay Mable the year before, though I don’t think we expected it to be quite so “you almost didn’t make regionals.” The big hope has been Lexy Ramler entering for the 2018 season, but if she’s getting help from another top JO finisher, that’s even more cause for optimism, re: some manner of resurgence. (Why did your low score have to be bars, though? Haven’t we been through enough?)
6 Belle Huang Rutgers 2018 9.550 (22) 9.525 (13) 9.600 (1) 9.575 (10) 38.250
Rutgers! I know, right?! Rutgers has settled into the role of “the other one” in the Big Ten, but with one more year of Shank and Groden, who tend to get the team’s best scores, along with Huang, maybe there’s hope of getting a little bit closer to regionals contention.
7 Anastasia Webb Oklahoma 2018 9.900 (1) 9.150 (35) 9.475 (11) 9.700 (4) 38.225
Webb came in as one of the favorites in this session, didn’t get the bars score for a top, top finish, but still placed well on floor and, getting the most attention, won vault with an Omelianchik. People with NCAA-10.0 vaults are basically JO catnip now. While a couple teams came close, we didn’t see anyone field a lineup of six 10.0 starts last season. Webb could get Oklahoma there for 2018.
8 Megan Verceles Carr Nebraska 9.675 (13) 9.425 (26) 9.525 (3) 9.550 (15) 38.175
Carr wasn’t in Nebraska’s release for the new 2017-2018 gymnasts, so…?
9 Lauren Farley Michigan 2018 9.375 (27) 9.525 (13) 9.575 (2) 9.625 (8) 38.100
Cool it, Michigan. Could end up being the big winner of JOs this year.
10 Mikayla Magee Utah 2019 9.725 (8) 9.200 (34) 9.525 (3) 9.625 (8) 38.075
Competing in the senior E session but won’t be NCAA until the season after next, so there’s still time. We’ll see this one again next year.
10 Jamie Panchak UC Davis 2018 9.650 (16) 9.475 (16) 9.450 (13) 9.500 (20) 38.075
Good consistent showing. Please do the AA every day.
12 Anne Maxim Michigan State 2018 9.550 (22) 9.700 (3) 9.025 (43) 9.650 (7) 37.925
Bars was a fairly weak piece for MSU last season, so that 9.700 stands out.
13 Kennedy Johnson Central Michigan 2018 9.650 (16) 9.725 (1) 9.050 (41) 9.450 (25) 37.875
15 Emma Hartzler Iowa 2018 9.200 (40)  9.725 (1) 9.500 (5) 9.375 (36) 37.800
Some serious bars specialists rolling around outside the top 10 in this session. Hartzler also wasn’t in Iowa’s 2017-2018 class announcement but is apparently walking on.
17 Haley Pitou BYU 2018 9.625 (19) 9.700 (3) 9.400 (21) 9.025 (48) 37.750
20 Geneva Thompson Washington 2018 9.800 (3) 9.075 (38) 9.500 (5) 9.350 (37) 37.725
To the commenter looking for vaults for Washington, Geneva Thompson has some notes.
25 Yolanda Nodarse West
Chester 2018
9.100 (44) 9.375 (29) 9.500 (5) 9.425 (27) 37.400
35 McKenna Linnen West
Virginia 2018
9.250 (36) 9.475 (16) 9.500 (5) 8.850 (52) 37.075
39 Samantha Durante Georgia? 2018 9.325 (32) 9.650 (6) 9.450 (13) 8.500 (54) 36.925
Good thing her life has been so calm and uninteresting lately.

SENIOR D – Top 10 AA & Notables

Sunday, May 7 – 9:00am ET

Rk Name NCAA VT UB BB FX Total
1 Abby Brenner Michigan 2019 9.825 (2) 9.700 (1)  9.425 (15) 9.800 (1) 38.750
The Michigan 2019 crew of Brenner, Wojcik, Mariani, and Heiskell has been cleaning up in JO this year, three of the four qualifying to the Nastia and combining for nine top-5 event placements here (along with Farley’s 2nd on beam in Senior E). This was perhaps the deepest session of all at JOs this year, so winning it is no joke. Michigan has lost a ton of critical routines after 2017, but help is coming.
2 Lauren Navarro Stanford 2018 9.750 (4) 9.450 (15) 9.675 (1) 9.725 (2) 38.600
All eyes on this huge and talented class of Stanford freshmen because the 2018 season is a critical year for Stanford coming off a bleak 2017. It will be the last year of Price (WHAT?), plus all of these high-quality, allegedly-can-actually-compete-four-events freshmen like Navarro (and Bryant and Flam and Lawson). If you can’t succeed with this group…
3 Madison Dagen Oregon State 2019 9.750 (4) 9.500 (11) 9.550 (5) 9.650 (7) 38.450
When Madison Dagen committed, I joked that Oregon State’s entire recruiting strategy has become getting the younger sisters of Florida gymnasts and then luring the older sisters away.

Anyway…

4 Rachel Lukacs Georgia 2019 9.725 (7) 9.400 (21) 9.550 (5) 9.675 (5) 38.350
Lukacs is one of the dominant forces in L10 right now, completing the Nastia-Nationals double in 2016 and placing fairly well at both in 2017 (though I think she was probably the favorite coming into this session). Locking Lukacs down will be one of the keys for the new head as she’s on track to be at least a three-event star.
4 Madison Mariani Michigan 2019 9.650 (10) 9.600 (5) 9.450 (10) 9.650 (7) 38.350
More from Michigan’s 2019 JO army. That class will be tasked with replacing the Brown, Zaziski, and Marinez routines, but should have the numbers to do it.
6 Mikaela Meyer Utah State 2018 9.800 (3) 9.500 (11) 9.500 (7) 9.525 (21) 38.325
Kind of overlooked in the postseason rush was what a significant season this turned out to be for Utah State, emerging as a top-25 power for the time being. With two top vault scores leaving in McIntire and Brown, that 9.800 looks juicy in the quest to keep the trajectory moving upward.
7 Natalie Wojcik Michigan 2019 9.850 (1) 9.100 (42) 9.650 (2) 9.700 (4) 38.300
Wojcik was running away with this one until bars, but the other members of this class all got top-5 placements on bars. Combined, they’re a solid 2.5-3 all-around gymnasts. Wojcik’s highlight is her exceptionally clean 1.5 on vault.
8 Jenna Swartzentruber Ohio State 2018 9.750 (4) 9.600 (5) 9.350 (24) 9.575 (12) 38.275
9 Abby
Boden
BYU 2018 9.575 (22) 9.625 (3) 9.450 (10) 9.600 (10) 38.250
10 Taylor Lawson Stanford 2018 9.625 (11) 9.375 (23) 9.400 (19) 9.725 (2) 38.125
Can you be the whole floor lineup, please? Lawson, Lawson, Flam, Lawson, Lawson, Price.
10 Lex Burch Utah 2018 9.625 (11) 9.250 (35) 9.575 (4) 9.675 (5) 38.125
There won’t be too much pressure on next season’s Utah freshman to have a bunch of competition routines since the only sets that need replacing are from Rowe and the injury returns of Schwab and Tessen will be expected to take care of that and more. But, to truly improve on 2017, extra options will need to come from the likes of Burch.
12 Ella
Warren
Kentucky 2019 9.700 (8) 9.275 (32) 9.625 (3) 9.475 (24) 38.075
Kentucky won’t have any new gymnasts for a bit (not losing any seniors after 2017), but I’m interested to see if this streak of JO stars over the last two classes is a thing now, where the best JO gymnasts are starting to look at Kentucky.
16 Abigail Matthews Oklahoma 2018 9.350 (34) 9.600 (5) 9.250 (29) 9.575 (12) 37.775
An Oklahoma gymnast who didn’t finish in the top 1 of places? OFF THE TEAM.
19 Karrie Thomas Maryland 2018 9.250 (41) 9.675 (2) 9.150 (36) 9.575 (21) 37.650
Maryland! That’s really all I have to say.
43 Hope Masiado Boise State 2019 9.100 (48) 9.625 (3) 9.000 (44) 8.775 (53) 36.500
Now THAT’s a Boise State line-score. Kidding. But, you know…BARS.

SENIOR C – Top 10 AA & Notables

Saturday, May 6 – 6:30pm ET

Rk Name NCAA VT UB BB FX Total
1 Milan Clausi Cal 2019  9.675 (11) 9.575 (6) 9.600 (3) 9.575 (8) 38.425
This session didn’t really have a standout favorite, so the top positions were always going to the opportunistic few who hit on the day, and Clausi, who finished 23rd last year, fit the bill this time around. Cal’s next two classes have been cleaning up at the JO level the last couple season, which is good because every single gymnast who was ever born just left.
1 Maya
Bordas
 Illinois 2019 9.725 (7)  9.650 (2)  9.400 (15)  9.650 (3)  38.425
We have a tie! (Inappropriate use of exclamation mark.) With so many coaching changes—and possibly more on the way—a lot of these verbal commitments have been thrown into some level of disarray, but this is an excellent sign for a program that needs its other events to catch up with its beam.
3 Sarah Hargrove Nebraska 2019 9.525 (26) 9.550 (9) 9.600 (3) 9.600 (4)  38.275
Nebraska cleaned up during the Senior C session with five total top-5 event finishes across three incoming gymnasts. More than half of Nebraska’s current routines are coming from gymnasts who won’t be there in 2019, so the novel idea of a large class of gymnasts with multiple areas of contribution is quite appealing.
4 Derrian Gobourne  Auburn 2019 9.825 (3) 9.525 (11) 9.300 (22) 9.575 (8) 38.225
Not being able to come up with the big totals on vault and floor anymore in the wake of the losses of Atkinson and Demers brought Auburn low too many times this season, so over the next couple seasons, eyes will be on who can bring vault and floor scores of more than a 9.825 (though there’s hope in the 2018 group as well).
5 Haley Brechwald Pitt 2019 9.675 (11) 9.650 (2) 9.375 (17) 9.500 (18) 38.200
Like Nebraska, Pitt was another winner in the Senior C session with a couple of high-ranking verbals like Brechwald and Chamberlain below. It has been quite a while since Pitt was even in contention for a regionals birth, so with a new coach coming in this season and a couple of top JO finishers the year after, should we start thinking about words like rebirth?
6 Adrienne Randall Utah 2019 9.300 (43) 9.500 (16) 9.650 (1) 9.600 (4) 38.050
A hefty crop of Utah’s expected contributors next season will be underclasswomen with multiple years of eligibility left, so there’s reason for future optimism coming off the good-not-great 2017 season. This beam victory is nice to see for a gymnast in the class tasked with replacing Maddy Stover’s set.
7 Katie Chamberlain Pitt 2019 9.450 (31) 9.525 (11) 9.475 (7) 9.575 (8) 38.025
8 Nya Reed  ??? 9.775 (5) 9.050 (37) 9.500 (6) 9.675 (2) 38.000
9 Eve Micco  ??? 9.575 (22) 9.475 (17) 9.425 (11) 9.475 (21) 37.950
It’s somewhat unusual to have “uncommitted” (unannounced) gymnasts in the Senior C group since this session contains only gymnasts who are 17. It’s almost like they didn’t commit during kindergarten graduation or something.
10 Abby Heiskell Michigan 2019 9.850 (1) 9.600 (4) 8.900 (40) 9.550 (11) 37.900
Heiskell was probably the favorite coming into this session (and would have needed just 9.450 on beam to win it) since she finished 5th at the Nastia this year. That’s what beam will do to you. She remains one of the noteworthy 2019ers in JO.
10 Kaylee Quinn Nebraska 2019 9.800 (4) 9.450 (19) 8.950 (37) 9.700 (1) 37.900
16 Abigail Johnston Nebraska 2019 9.675 (11) 8.875 (40) 9.575 (5) 9.550 (11) 37.675
More high finishes from Team Nebraska. Like Heiskell, Quinn would have been in this for the win with a beam hit.
18 Kaitlin Harvey ??? 9.150 (51) 9.450 (19) 9.625 (2) 9.375 (34) 37.600
24 Deja Chambliss ??? 9.775 (5) 9.325 (26) 8.900 (40) 9.350 (39) 37.350
28 Amara Cunningham Temple 9.675 (11) 9.075 (35) 8.850 (43) 9.600 (4) 37.200
29 Samantha Smith Boise State 2019 9.725 (7) 9.050 (37) 8.800 (44) 9.600 (4) 37.175
37th on bars? Are you sure you have the right school? Boise State doesn’t get out of bed for worse than 8th.
30 Allie Stern ??? 9.850 (1) 9.025 (39) 8.700 (47) 9.550 (11) 37.125
43 Aleysia Kolyanova Air Force 2019 9.400 (37) 9.600 (4) 9.425 (11) 7.900 (57) 36.325
 With that kind of Russian name, you better have finished top-5 on bars.
46 Colby Miller Ohio State 2019 8.725 (57) 9.800 (1) 9.225 (26) 8.350 (55) 36.100
A couple event champions with 9.800 finished rather low down the standings at this one because of a batch of 9.8s.

SENIOR B – Top 10 AA & Notables

Saturday, May 6 – 1:45pm ET

Rk Name NCAA VT UB BB FX Total
1 Makarri Doggette Alabama 2020  9.850 (1) 9.650 (2) 9.500 (4) 9.750 (1) 38.750
We’re still a few years away from seeing Doggette in NCAA, but she’s shaping up to be one of the top JO recruits in her year along with the highest finishers from the senior A division. In the class she’ll come in to replace, Alabama has a lot of gymnasts but not that many lineup routines so far, so they’ll be looking toward an upgrade that year.
2 Rachel Baumann  Georgia 2020 9.625 (10) 9.500 (12) 9.725 (1) 9.675 (6) 38.525
We’re all up in the air with regard to Georgia’s everything right now, but Baumann is presumably part of the crop of exciting recruits for the next couple seasons, as Georgia was beginning to reinvent itself as a hot-spot for ninja L10s. We’ll see. Rachel elected not to pursue senior elite like Alyssa did, but she did win beam here, meaning she’s allowed to remain part of the family. Baumanns win beam.
3 Cristal Isa Arizona 2019 9.625 (10) 9.700 (1) 9.525 (2) 9.625 (8) 38.475
Arizona is among the big winners from day 1, with top-3 finishes in both Senior A and Senior B. For a team that has the ability to be right up with the likes of Washington and Cal right now (but isn’t), these results are an encouraging sign.
4 Samantha Davis Georgia 2019 9.750 (5) 9.575 (6) 9.500 (4) 9.625 (8) 38.450
Another solid result for a Georgia gymnast. Davis is set to come in with the same class as Lukacs and Megan Roberts, one that will be tasked with replacing the Marino/Babalis routines but seems like it should be up to the challenge. Of course, everyone will still have to be locked in with the new administration.
5 Madilyn Quarles Denver 2019 9.600 (13) 9.625 (3) 9.275 (18) 9.700 (2) 38.200
High scores on multiple events are making day 1 look like a win for Denver as well—with four total top-5 event finishes across senior B and senior A, along with the news that Amanar-fetus and junior elite Jaymes Marshall has verbally committed for 2185.
5 Karley
McClain
S Utah 2019 9.575 (18) 9.425 (17) 9.500 (4) 9.700 (2) 38.200
SUU’s finish at 22nd this season did not reflect the true quality of the year, which saw them challenge the perennial stalwarts in the teens, though with the potential of the 2017 freshman class and JO finishes from future gymnasts from the same gym like McClain seem to indicate that wasn’t a one-off season.
7 Sekai Wright  ??? 9.825 (2) 9.400 (19) 9.350 (16) 9.500 (20) 38.075
Anyone need a vault?
8 Alexandra Greenwald Iowa 2019 9.575 (18) 9.600 (4) 9.275 (18) 9.525 (17) 37.975
Bars has been a strong piece for Iowa the last few seasons, but the heavy majority of their lineup and top scores are from upperclasswomen (next season will be interesting…), so this 9.600 on bars is one to put a star next to.
9 Julie Wiest Ball State 2019 9.600 (13) 9.375 (21) 9.450 (10) 9.525 (17) 37.950
Nice to see a top finish from a commit to one of the lower-ranked teams. These things don’t always carry through to NCAA, but that’s a very consistent and encouraging result.
10 Makayla Maxwell ??? 9.700 (6) 9.225 (32) 9.400 (14) 9.600 (12) 37.925
10 Anna Kaziska SEMO 9.275 (37) 9.525 (10) 9.425 (11) 9.700 (2) 37.925
14 Kendra Combs West
Virginia
9.400 (31) 9.600 (4) 9.500 (4) 9.225 (42) 37.725
Started on bars and beam and was way out ahead of the rest of the field through two events.
16 Jacey
Baldovino
Yale 9.500 (25) 9.125 (38) 9.525 (2) 9.500 (20) 37.650
21 Griffin James Alabama 2019 9.775 (4) 9.450 (15) 8.600 (52) 9.625 (8) 37.450
Had a solid meet going there and was in it for a top-10 spot if not for beam. I feel like someone needs a “you are beautiful, you are lovely, go out there and enjoy this.”
28 Rachel
DeCavitch
??? 9.275 (37) 8.950 (42) 9.225 (26) 9.700 (2) 37.150
29 Amanda Elswick Arkansas 2019 9.800 (3) 8.200 (52) 9.500 (4) 9.600 (12) 37.100
Arkansas will be refilling the Elswick bucket in due course, so it’s all OK. Not competing bars can be like a family tradition.

SENIOR A – Top 10 AA & Notables

Saturday, May 6 – 9:00am ET

Rk Name NCAA VT UB BB FX Total
1 Kai Rivers  LSU 2020 9.875 (1) 9.700 (1)  9.300 (11)  9.650 (3) 38.525
Rivers won the Nastia Pink Parade earlier this year with her DTY and DLO, and like Rachel Lukacs last year, followed that up by winning senior A as well. Rivers and Edney will overlap at LSU by one season, so I feel like vault is probably going to be fine. For the foreseeable forever.
2 Chloe Widner Arizona 2020 9.750 (2) 9.550 (4) 9.450 (4) 9.675 (1) 38.425
Those high finishes on vault and floor in particular will be music to the ears of a team that has struggled to stay competitive on those events in recent seasons, although it’s in the extension and toe point on beam where she really excels. The last few rave-review “Arizona” verbals at JO Nationals were Kari Lee (went to Utah), Mackenzie Valentin (transferred to Alabama) and Taylor Lawson (signed with Stanford), so here’s hoping.
3 Payton Richards Florida 2020 9.650 (5) 9.650 (2) 9.525 (1) 9.600 (5) 38.425
Richards is slated to enter in the same class as Morgan Hurd and Riley McCusker (those no-names). Right now, both elites are at least on the “defer to the 2020-2021 season” track, which makes Richards all the more important as she could end up being the one who actually shows up.
4 Adela Stoncecipher  ??? 9.625 (6) 9.475 (8) 9.400 (6) 9.675 (1) 38.175
No clue. Awesome name though.
5 Nicoletta Koulos UCLA 2020 9.400 (22) 9.550 (4) 9.375 (7) 9.575 (8) 37.900
Winner of the Miss Val Greek Heritage Scholarship for Having Greek Heritage. Fortunately, she’s also successful at gymnastics. Good how that worked out.
6 Talitha Jones Cal 2019 9.600 (8) 9.400 (13) 9.250 (12) 9.625 (4) 37.875
Most of these Senior As are still a couple years away from NCAA, but Jones is closer, which makes her results a little more relevant for our purposes. She’ll be coming in as Ariana Robinson departs, so those higher scores on vault and floor are appealing.
7 Kylie Piringer Nebraska 2020 9.525 (12) 9.250 (20) 9.350 (8) 9.525 (10) 37.650
8 Robyn Kelley UNH 2020 9.525 (12) 9.100 (31) 9.425 (5) 9.450 (15) 37.500
A New Hampshire gymnast who excelled on beam? Well, I’ll be. Join your sisters. You’re supposed to be finding the new vault and floor stars!
9 Jane Poniewaz Oregon State 2020 9.425 (20) 9.200 (24) 9.250 (12) 9.475 (12) 37.350
10 Kayla Bird Oregon State 2020 9.525 (12) 8.800 (39) 9.475 (3) 9.475 (12) 37.275
Two Oregon States round out the top 10. I’m a little worried about Oregon State in the more immediate future because of every single routine leaving after this season, but I’ll take a high finish on beam any day.
12 Kylie Gorgenyi UNH 2020 9.700 (3) 9.475 (8) 8.725 (39) 9.300 (32) 37.200
There’s your vault! Gorgenyi would have finished well into the top 10 with a hit beam.
19 Chloe Lashbrooke  ??? 9.600 (8) 9.400 (13) 8.200 (49) 9.600 (5) 36.800
26 AK
Subject
Denver 2020 9.450 (18) 9.450 (11) 8.150 (50) 9.600 (5) 36.650
When I first saw her name on the start list, I thought it was some kind of formatting error or Kyla Roos-style placeholder, but it turns out she’s a person. One who’s good at floor and who rounds out the “would have been finished really well if not for beam” along with her future teammate below.
27 Emma Brown Denver 2020 9.250 (31) 9.550 (4) 8.675 (41) 9.100 (42) 36.575
33 Jenna Dunn ??? 8.950 (49) 8.650 (42) 9.525 (1) 9.275 (34) 36.400
36 Megan Teter ??? 9.350 (25) 9.575 (3)  8.550 (45) 8.625 (53) 36.100
38 Brenna Brooks  Washington 2020 9.700 (3) 8.325 (53)  8.575 (44) 9.350 (27) 35.950
 Vault vault vault vault.
39 Ariana Agrapides  Iowa 2020 9.625 (6) 7.850 (57) 9.200 (16) 9.250 (35) 35.925
Former MG Elite elite. The one who was always at junior nationals with Hernandez and Foberg.

JUNIOR F – Top 10 AA

Continue reading 2017 JO Nationals Results

JO Nationals Results

The seventillion bajillion JO Nationals competitors are trampling Fort Worth like a herd of bison this weekend. Juniors and seniors in groups A, B, and C compete Saturday, while groups D, E, and F compete Sunday. Those senior D, E, and Fers are the most relevant for upcoming NCAA purposes, but there are developments worth storing in the memory bank nearly all around.

Full results can be found at the new-ish MyUSAGym scoring app, but I’ll put the significant results, along with my notes about them here.

Senior F – Top 10 AA & Notables

Rk Name NCAA VT UB BB FX Total
1 Maddie Karr Denver 2017 9.875 (1) 9.700 (1) 9.775 (1) 9.675 (2) 39.025
This is the main reason I’ve remained high on Denver’s future postseason chances even post-McGee, because Karr is perhaps the top JO gymnast in this recruiting class. She won the Nastia last year, and now she’s a JO nastional champion who recorded the highest score of any gymnast in any session, junior or senior. She’s expected to be a top AAer next season who should deliver the replacement scores Denver desperately needs.
2 Cassidy Keelen Cal 2017 9.675 (3) 9.500 (14) 9.750 (3) 9.650 (4) 38.575
Denver and Cal were the two significant “the status quo is dead, long live the status quo” teams last season, so it’s particularly encouraging that their incoming gymnasts are placing so well at JO Nationals, giving credence to the hope that they will at least remain competitive, if not improve in coming seasons. Cal returns all 24 postseason routines from 2016 and now will be able to add a gymnast like Keelen to bolster those lineups.
3 Rachel Dickson Georgia 2017 9.625 (4) 9.700 (1) 9.700 (4) 9.450 (18) 38.475
Georgia has a monumental routine-replacement task in front of it next season, and part of the concern about relying on Sabrina Vega to do the heavy lifting next year is…how much is she…gymnastics…anymore? It will take several villages to replace their two (or three) best routines on each event, and this result helps prove that Dickson can be at least one of those villages. More than anything else, it will be L10s like Dickson, Schick, Marino, and Cherrey who will dictate who kind of team Georgia becomes in 2017.
4 Christina Berg Arizona 2017 9.525 (14) 9.625 (5) 9.525 (15) 9.575 (6) 38.250
I’m pleased to see how many future Arizona gymnasts have placed well in this competition, and how many top-10 floor placements they’ve brought with them. Arizona’s performance last season was largely par for the course and not different enough from what was happening before, though that is natural in the first year of a new dynasty. Tabitha’s era will be defined by the next couple seasons and what she is able to get out of these new gymnasts.
5 Madison Osman Michigan 2017 9.500 (16) 9.550 (10) 9.500 (18) 9.675 (2) 38.225
Michigan’s incoming class is laregely a bars and beam group, which is fine because they’ll still have Artz, Chiarelli, and Karas to do the major lifting in the power department, but Osman could be an essential piece as the gymnast in the 2017 class who brings a high-level, likely floor routine.
6 Katie Becker Auburn 2017 9.575 (9) 9.550 (10) 9.550 (10) 9.500 (13) 38.175
We know that Auburn’s incoming class brings a number of solid gymnasts, and these 9.5s for a sixth-place finish are reflective of that and of a gymnast who can certainly contribute to lineups. The question we won’t really have an answer to until next January is where the team stands without Atkinson. Will they feel the lack of the big star, or will these solid JO gymnasts do a Captain Planet “by your powers combined” to render the sailing as smooth as it can be?
7 Evanni Roberson Washington 2017 9.400 (27) 9.700 (1) 9.550 (10) 9.450 (18) 38.100
Vaulters, I said! We need VAULTERS! Still, Washington had a very nice 2016 season and a somewhat unexpected resurgance for a program that had been getting a little too 7th-in-the-Pac-12 lately. The judges at regionals thought Washington’s bars rotation was garbage, which is why the Huskies were not able to challenge a fall from UCLA, so someone who wins bars at JOs is more than welcome. Washington is losing the signifciance of Northey, but just Northey, so if Copiak and gymnasts like Roberson deliver, there’s still reason to hope for continued improvement next year.
7 Isabella Amado Boise State 2017 9.600 (6) 9.575 (7) 9.375 (26) 9.550 (7) 38.100
Boise State is really becoming the international house of gymnastics these days, with Collantes contributing an essential AA already and now Amado, who competes internationally for Panama, and Courtney McGregor joining for next season. We know BSU has great bars, but at regionals, Boise State ultimately proved not as competitive on vault and floor as it would have seemed based on the season’s results, who makes Amado’s solid finishes enticing.
7 Olivia Aepli Ohio State 2017 9.425 (22) 9.600 (6) 9.575 (9) 9.500 (13) 38.100
Ohio State hasn’t really been the same since the previous Aepli’s class left, so while it may just be nominative nostalgia since Victoria Aepli was on the OSU team that made nationals, we’ll take what we can get at this point. That 6th-place finish does seem to indiciate that bars routines run in the family.
10 Melissa Brooker NC State 2017 9.475 (21) 9.575 (7) 9.425 (21) 9.550 (7) 38.025
While NC State hasn’t had a ton of high AA placements in this event, a number of the incoming gymnasts have managed top-10 finishes here and there on events, including Alexis Beucler of “hi, your nickname is also a homophobic slur” fame, who finished 13th here. NC State is brining in a class of usabel AAers with a notably competitive event or two.
11 Michaela Burton Arkansas 2017 9.425 (22) 9.350 (20) 9.700 (4) 9.525 (11) 38.000
You broke the Arkansas bars streak! But I had a narrative going! A narrative!
12 Chloe Cluchey WVU 2017 9.600 (6) 9.300 (22) 9.625 (6) 9.225 (32) 37.750
17 Aspen Tucker Missouri 2017 9.625 (4) 8.750 (43) 9.625 (6) 9.550 (7) 37.550
It was almost a good meet, and then it went very, very wrong. Still, she would have been top-5 with a hit bars, and Missouri is another program dropping very little after last season that looks to continue improving with an infusion of yet more competitive L10s.
27 Elle Golison Utah State 2017 9.750 (2) 8.700 (44) 8.875 (42) 9.625 (5) 36.950
N/A Wynter Childers Alabama 2017 9.600 (6) 0.000 (-) 9.775 (1) 9.700 (1) N/A
Did something happen, or did she just pass bars? Because I thought she was going to win this session. She’ll be yet another significant gain for an Alabama team that keeps being almost good enough.

Senior E – Top 10 AA & Notables

Continue reading JO Nationals Results