FINAL SEASON RANKINGS
2018 – 5th
2017 – 5th
2016 – 9th
2015 – 2nd
2014 – 7th
2013 – 9th
2012 – 5th
2011 – 5th
2010 – 6th
2009 – 3rd

THE STORY
Utah is Utah. Always toward the top. Always a contender. An evergreen selection to make Super Six. The constant in college gymnastics. Everything about 2019 points to Utah occupying the same position in the college gymnastics pantheon that is has for the last 10 years or so.

But this year, Utah is not immune from the moment of truth imposed by the new postseason format. Not so much in terms of advancing to nationals as one of the 8 (the team that has never missed nationals is favored to keep that streak alive in 2019), but shrinking the final-day field from 6 teams to 4 teams has major ramifications for a team that finished 5th each of the last two seasons. Utah will know it must improve (even if just by a little) this season to attain that eternal goal of being in it with a shot on the last day of the season.

At the very least, expect Utah to maintain its scoring level from 2018. This team hasn’t lost enough to be truly worried about a dip in performance. These lineups are almost entirely intact, with an opportunity for some upgrades depending on how the freshmen come through. In several cases, Utah is losing one routine but gaining three legitimate possibilities, so there’s every reason to expect increased competition for spots that can help Utah improve the standard by inches and bits here and there on most events, especially in those early halves of lineups.

Vault delivered Utah’s best ranking in 2018, the Utes finishing up as the #3 team in the country, an impressive feat considering Utah didn’t have the absolute most 10.0 starts to work with. Continue reading 2019 Preview – Utah Utes →

FINAL SEASON RANKINGS
2018 – 9th
2017 – 16th
2016 – 7th
2015 – 18th
2014 – 16th
2013 – 28th
2012 – 49th
2011 – 50th
2010 – 55th
2009 – 57th

THE STORY
Cal’s ascent has been remarkable in its speed and slope. From a “you could try Sears”-style punchline when I started this site, Cal has risen to become the #3 team in the Pac-12 and a no-longer-shocking entrant in the national top 10.

For this upcoming season, the question is whether Cal will stay in the same position or make that next leap into the top tier, and in that regard, the new postseason format presents a sort of artificially imposed moment of truth (and we know how I’m all about those). For those teams nestled in the 7-12 ranking group, some will rise and continue to reach nationals, and others just won’t be able to keep pace. Which group are you in?

In that race, Cal remains an underdog against the more nationally established, been-good-forever programs like Michigan and Nebraska, but for a team that finished 9th last season and will get markedly better in 2019, reaching nationals remains an utterly realistic aim.

Cal is ramping up its supply of 10.0 starts for 2019 and will use those vaults to improve on an event that was already its best-scoring piece last season. Most important in that batch of new 10.0s will be the gorgeous Y1.5 from Milan Clausi, a vault that has the form to be a lineup leader and earn weekly 9.9s. Expect Clausi to be joined by Abi Solari with her handspring front tuck 1/1, a supremely difficult vault to land but one that has been looking increasingly impressive in preseason training. Continue reading 2019 Preview – Cal Golden Bears →

FINAL SEASON RANKINGS
2018 – 6th
2017 – 7th
2016 – 8th
2015 – 8th
2014 – 6th
2013 – 14th
2012 – 8th
2011 – 4th
2010 – 7th
2009 – 17th

THE STORY
2018 was such a Nebraska season. We all spent three months not really talking about this team as a true challenger. They finished the regular season ranked 11th—even that was a significant improvement over the weeks previously—and then suddenly showed up to nationals to go, “What up turds, we’re making Super Six.”

That’s not an anomaly for the Huskers. Nebraska has outperformed its preseason ranking for five consecutive seasons now, so however you think Nebraska is going to do in 2019 right this second, it will probably end up being better than that. This year, I again don’t anticipate that Nebraska will be placed in the top 8 in the coaches poll, but Nebraska has nonetheless finished the year in the (now-coveted) top 8 each of the last five seasons. The only other schools to have achieved that are Oklahoma, Florida, and Alabama.

Yet this is also an age of transition for Nebraska. Dan Kendig abruptly retired during preseason because of compliance issues, meaning Heather Brink has taken over as interim head coach. This year’s team will also be without 13 of the 24 routines that appeared in the Super Six lineup last year. That’s…not a small number. If Nebraska is to make nationals this year, it will be another season of against-the-odds results.

Vault has always been Nebraska’s showcase event, and though Kendig is no longer coaching the team, I don’t expect that reputation to dissipate any time soon. The big vaults are there. Continue reading 2019 Preview – Nebraska Cornhuskers →

FINAL SEASON RANKINGS
2018 – 13th
2017 – 10th
2016 – 13th
2015 – 7th
2014 – 10th
2013 – 7th
2012 – 13th
2011 – 6th
2010 – 10th
2009 – 14th

THE STORY
Michigan’s recent history has been defined by achieving the expected, solid results during the regular season but underperforming upon reaching the elimination meets.

For the last three years, Michigan has been the 7th-best team in the NCAA on both talent and January-March scores, but Michigan has nonetheless missed nationals in two of those three years—and in the other year, counted a fall on beam in the semifinal to finish 10th. Over the last five seasons, only two top-10 teams have failed to advance to nationals, and they’re both Michigan.

The realistic goal in 2019 will once again be to reach that coveted golden goose called nationals, but it’s so much harder now that only the top eight teams can make it. Some big programs will be left out, even with postseason hits. Expect Michigan to advance comfortably to the regional finals (top 16), but this team cannot afford to underperform its 7th-place talent in the postseason even a little bit this time around and still make it to nationals.

Michigan’s best opportunity to improve on last season’s scoring potential comes on vault, with a roster that is clearly superior to 2018’s lineup—especially the 2018 lineup put out after Karas’s injury. Continue reading 2019 Preview – Michigan Wolverines →

I’ll have deep previews of the top schools coming in December, but for now—and with fantasy gym drafts open—check out the team roster notes to aid with all your lineup preparation and prognostication needs. (More teams to be added.)

Continue reading 2019 NCAA Roster Notes →

Recent History
2017 – 1st
2016 – 1st
2015 – 3rd
2014 – 1st
2013 – 2nd
2012 – 7th
2011 – 3rd
2010 – 2nd

Is it possible to go up from here? We’ll see.

For the two-time defending champions, with three titles in the last four years, the only as-yet-unachieved goal is dynasty status. With another championship this season, Oklahoma would match the standards set by both the recent Florida teams (3 straight titles—2013-2015) and the early 2000s UCLA teams (4 titles in 5 years—2000, 2001, 2003, 2004) and would then be able to set sights on the records of the late 2000s Georgia teams (5 straight titles—2005-2009) and the early 1980s Utah teams (6 straight titles—1981-1986). Things be getting historic ’round here.

The challenge facing the Sooners will be the loss of 7 routines from last season’s final 24. The roster is poised to be able to replace those routines without too much angst, but the lingering question is whether those replacements will result in a slight dip in scoring potential, making Oklahoma more vulnerable to an improving team like Florida.

Vault
Lineup locks
Nichols (9.955), Dowell (9.935), Jackson (9.900), Degouveia (9.830)
Lineup options
Webb (FR), Schoepfer (FR), Showers (-), Marks (9.815), Lehrmann (9.812 in 2016), Catour (-)

Vault was the only event where Oklahoma did not finish ranked #1 in the country last season, and preseason evidence suggests the team will improve there in 2018. The big 3 Yurchenko 1.5s—Nichols, Dowell, and Jackson—all return and will once again do the heavy lifting for what should be weekly 9.900s. Degouveia added a fourth Y1.5 to the slate in the middle of last season, a vault that was typically a little more 9.850 than Oklahoma would prefer, but one that has continued to develop and looks excellent so far in preseason. Expect it to be back.

In 2017, Oklahoma went with fulls in the first two spots. This season, the Sooners are looking to add Webb‘s Omelianchik to the mix for a fifth 10.0 start and are currently working on a Y1.5 for Schoepfer in an effort to achieve Mission Six 10.0s. That may still be a slight reach, at least at the beginning of the year, but we’ll see at least five. Continue reading 2018 Outlook – Oklahoma Sooners →

Recent History
2017 – 3rd
2016 – 4th
2015 – 1st
2014 – 1st
2013 – 1st
2012 – 2nd
2011 – 7th
2010 – 5th

Florida has now gone two whole seasons without a title, which is like eight seasons, which is like a thousand seasons. The 2016-2017 journey was one of relative upheaval, with a new coaching staff and the departure of program-defining stars, excusing such lowly finishes as 3rd and 4th. (Scandal! Outrage!) But to most observers, if there’s going to be a Florida year again in the near future, 2018 is that year.

With all 24 postseason routines from 2017 retained, and two high-profile elite stars joining the program, Florida 2018 has no excuse not to outshine last year’s 3rd-place team was. It’s a title-or-bust season for the Gators.

Vault
Lineup locks
McMurtry (9.950), Slocum (9.945), Boren (9.925), Baker (9.900)
Lineup options
Skaggs (FR), Baumann (FR), Foberg (FR), Hundley (9.850), Chant (9.831), Gowey (9.800), Alexander (9.800), Cheney (9.750)

Among teams contending for the national championship, the goal on vault is a little different. It’s not simply about pulling together some 10.0 starts; it’s about having a whole lineup of 10.0s. That’s the Golden Fleece of current college gymnastics. No team has achieved a final lineup of six 10.0 starts so far in the new start-value era, but a few teams have a shot this year, of which Florida is one.

The core four from last season will return in McMurtry (DTY), Slocum (handspring pike 1/2), Boren (Y1.5), and Baker (Y1.5). For those four, it’s a disappointment when they score under 9.900, meaning that Florida will have realistic 49.5+ goals this year in most meets.

In terms of new routines, Florida is looking to get Skaggs and her very comfortable Y1.5 into the lineup as a fifth 10.0 start. That’s the vault project of greatest importance, and preseason showings from her have been very lineup-worthy.

We’re then left with a mad rush for the 6th spot. Of note, Hundley is attempting to add back the Y1.5 for 2017. It wasn’t competition-ready yet as of mid-December, but we’ll see if that project develops. We also know from their elite days that Foberg and Baumann are capable of 10.0 difficulty. So far, we haven’t seen that (Foberg showed an excellent full at the December intrasquad), but the possibility is there. Chant has a 10.0 start Tsuk 1/1, but she made the lineup with it only sporadically in 2017 for 9.8s, which won’t outscore the Yfull options. Continue reading 2018 Outlook – Florida Gators →