April 27, 2014

Notes on Things and Stuff and Things

A week. We've already had a week to recover from the non-stop binge of Yurchenko fulls and 9.950s that is the NCAA season. Just, what, eight months to go until next season? But of course, there will be much elite action to satiate us in the intervening period. For now, a few random thoughts on what has been happening.


  • Elizabeth Price is off to Stanford for the 2014-2015 year. Kristen Smyth should put out a press release saying, "Boom. Nailed it. The end. Your move, Marsden." Price is the exact definition of what Stanford was missing this season, and I'm giddy for their team next year.  Price? Hong? Vaculik? Shapiro? McNair x 2? Rice? Daum? That's a killer roster, but with great talent comes great responsibility. No one is settling for 9th place next year for a team with that much potential. If they can't win with this roster, when can they win?
  • Price's decision to forgo elite possibilities in favor of NCAA in the middle of an Olympic quad is a rare and exciting choice. We don't usually see someone who is right in the conversation as one of the top AAers in the world and at the peak of her talents decide to go to NCAA, but that's just what she has done, which is great for NCAA and great for gymnastics in general. People often talk about shifting the rhetoric of gymnastic dreams away from the Olympics and toward the college scholarship, which is the true and attainable pot of gold at the end of a gymnastics career. That Elizabeth Price has elected to go to Stanford instead of going for Worlds (or beyond) sends a great message that it's not all about the Olympics. The Olympics are not the be all, end all of everything. There are other worthy aspirations.
  • I had the pleasure of chatting with all-time gems of the world Jessica and Uncle Tim for this week's episode of Gymcastic, breaking down all the action from the NCAA Championships. If you haven't listened to the episode yet, then get on that. Where have you been?

  •  On Wednesday, ESPNU will be showing the delayed broadcast of Super Six, which usually contains several important routines that were missed during the live broadcast, so that should be worth checking out. But, to make sure we tune in, the competition will be preceded by "Sarah & Suzanne" an hour-long SEC Storied documentary highlighting the rivalry between Sarah and Suzanne (hence the name). I'm sure I'll have upwards of six thoughts about it.
  • In other commitment news, in addition to bringing in Natalie Vaculik next year, Georgia has another Canadian, Vivi Babalis entering for 2014-2015. Getting on that Canadian pipeline is a crucial move for Danna and Georgia. Georgia isn't getting the top US elites like they did during the Suzanne/Jay recruiting era, but if they can become one of the key destinations for Canadians, they'll be in great shape for years to come. With their strong basics and less burnt-out bodies, Canadian elites are gold in NCAA.
  • Have I missed anything? I'm sure I have.
  • Another year, another NastiaFan101 youtube account taken down, and the Great Gymnastike/NastiaFan101 Gymternet Affair of 2014 has been raging. NastiaFan101 is basically the source for NCAA competition videos on youtube, and we would see so few routines if not for his weekly uploading. I certainly would have nothing to add into any of my posts without those videos. A great thank you for all the work.
  • And of course, we're a week out of the season, so I'm already absentmindedly and accidentally envisioning lineups for next season. Stop it, I tell myself. There's so much time still to wait. It doesn't matter. The cycle continues.

13 comments:

  1. I am so excited to see what routines Ebee does in NCAA! I would love for her to keep the double double on floor, however I realistically see her doing the DLO even though see always nails her first pass and sometimes goes out of bounds on the DLO.

    Thank you so much for all of your hard work and I will continue to read your blog throughout the year even though NCAA gymnastics will be over for a little:(

    And one last thought... GYMNASTIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:( -Jacob

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  2. I'm very sad that Ebee is retiring from elite, but I'm stoked for her NCAA career. I'm very torn.

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  3. I respect Ebee for her choice to go to Stanford and start at one of the best collegiate educations in the world. I think she will make next year very interesting.

    But oh, how I wanted a healthy Ebee to compete against a healthy Simone. And now that may never be. *sobs*

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  4. The AA champion race for 2015 just got more interesting with Price vs. Sloan... And, if they both falter under the pressure a surprise winner like this year... Do Florida and Stanford meet during the regular season? When do skeds for 2015 get released?

    Based on info we have right now I'm thinking Stanford and Minnesota will both make Super Six next year, along with Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU. Auburn and UCLA will make nationals but not the final. LSU wins it all. (I'm sure I'll change my mind in January.)

    CGF

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  5. Lizzy Leduc is off to LSU but idk if she is starting in the fall or not. She confirmed it on her Istagram. -Jacob

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  6. For some reason I thought Kristina Vaculik was graduating this year. Has that ever happened in NCAA before, sisters competing AGAINST one another? (I'm sure I'm forgetting someone(s) obvious.) Assuming, of course, that UGA and Stanford continue to schedule each other.

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    1. I thought Kristina was too... did she not give up a year of eligibility when she took a year off for the Olympics? She's been listed as a senior all year.

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    2. Lena Degteva at UCLA and Marina at LSU.

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  7. Yvonne (UCLA) and Chantelle (Florida) Tousek: http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20040312/GATORS18/203120333
    Chantelle was a freshman the year Yvonne was a senior, and the link is a preview of the UCLA-Florida matchup that year, at Florida.

    I think there may have been others, but that was the first that came to mind.

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    1. And wow, I just looked up that meet. UCLA 198.25 to Florida 198.225 - Yvonne competed bars, beam and floor (9.925, 9.95, 9.85), and Chantelle vault & beam (9.9, 9.1). Errin Dooley (39.75) edged out Antolin, (39.7), Richardson (39.7), and Maloney (39.65) in the AA.
      Stats: http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewContent.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=30500&CONTENT_ID=739376
      UCLA recap: http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=207885711

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  8. I think you should attend Championships 2015.

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    1. I think I might be! 2013 was so awesome I want to go again! -Jacob

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  9. Kylee Botterman (Michigan) competed several times against her sister Marjika (Illinois Urbana-Champaign). Papa Botterman famously wore a shirt that was half Michigan and half Illinois at those meets to support both of them. I wish I could find a picture of that shirt -- it was seriously awesome!

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