Congratulations to the week 4 champion, Kyla Ross’s 10.000 on bars, which strolled to victory ahead of Alex McMurtry’s DTY in second and Peng-Peng Lee’s bars in third. I hope you’re pleased with yourselves because Ross falling on bars this week is 100% your fault. Lee joins Skinner as the only two gymnasts to have finished in the top three twice this year, both on two separate events.
Over the last four seasons, Oregon State has settled into a pattern. The Beavs will spend the year hanging around sort-of-kind-of close to nationals with their chances of advancing largely dependent upon the kindness of the regionals draw. In 2016, Oregon State was OK at regionals, hitting 196 with a performance that would have advanced from at least one other regional if not two, but they got a tough draw and had little chance of getting past LSU and Georgia in Georgia.
The Beavs are not going to suddenly break out of that pattern and wow the world this season, but there are some signs (largely concerning the health of key upperclassmen) that they can improve their scoring potential and control their own destiny more in 2017 than in 2016. Making nationals may remain a borderline prospect, but I’d characterize the chance as better than possible. Continue reading Oregon State 2017→