Monday Live Blog - [24] Stanford @ [9] Georgia + Ranking Notes

#24 Stanford. So, you know, there's that. Stanford has some assets compared to Georgia, particularly on bars and beam, but if we don't see fully competitive lineups on vault and floor, it's going to be a long old day.

It's also Monday, so before the meet gets going, let's jump into the rankings and important notes from the weekend just passed.

The top score was a 9.975 on bars recorded by Bridget Sloan, getting a Sloan10 from one of the judges. This angle particularly illuminates the bail, which is why this isn't one of her stronger 9.975s. (The fact that that's a comment.) Sloan Bail is very dependent on angle and usually goes through ups and downs during the course of a season, but if that were crisper, this would have been a legit 10 since we know that NCAA gym takes a see-no-evil approach to flexed feet on single-bar releases.



For your stat note of the week, so far on floor we have seen 13 scores of 9.950 or higher, compared to 5 on beam, 4 on bars, and 2 on vault. So that's new.

Week 2 ranking

1. Florida – 197.250
Week 2: 197.675
Week 2 leaders: AA - Sloan 39.650; VT - Baker, McMurtry 9.925; UB - Sloan 9.975; BB - Sloan, McMurtry 9.925; FX - Baker 9.950

2. Oklahoma – 196.967
Week 2 A: 197.125
Week 2 A leaders: AA - Kmieciak 39.425; VT - Jackson, Scaman 9.900; UB - Wofford, Capps 9.925; BB - Lovan 9.925; FX - Jackson 9.925

Week 2 B: 197.050
Week 2 B leaders: AA - Kmieciak 39.400; VT - Jackson 9.950; UB - Wofford 9.900; BB - Capps 9.925; FX - Scaman 9.900

3. Michigan – 196.950
Week 2: 196.950
Week 2 leaders: AA - Karas 39.425; VT - Karas 9.875; UB - Brown 9.900; BB - Chiarelli 9.950; FX - Artz 9.900

4. Alabama – 196.783
Week 2 A: 197.175
Week 2 A leaders: AA - None; VT - Beers 9.900; UB - Jetter 9.875; BB - Beers, McNeer 9.850; FX - Jetter, Beers 9.950

Week 2 B: 196.875
Week 2 B leaders: AA - None; VT - Brannan 9.875; UB - McNeer, Winston 9.875; BB - Beers 9.900; FX - Bailey, Brannan, Giancroce 9.850

5. UCLA – 196.738
Week 2: 196.925
Week 2 leaders: AA - None; VT - Hall 9.900; UB - DeJesus 9.925; BB - Francis 9.950; FX - Cipra, Bynum 9.900

6. Utah – 196.450
Week 2: 196.725
Week 2 leaders: AA - Lee 38.775; VT - Hughes 9.900; UB - Lopez, Hughes 9.925; BB - Lee, Partyka 9.900; FX - Hughes 9.875

7. LSU – 196.388
Week 2: 195.825
Week 2 leaders: AA - Gnat 38.975; VT - Ewing 9.925; UB - Finnegan 9.950; BB - Macadaeg 9.875; FX - Macadaeg 9.950

8. Auburn – 196.175
Week 2 A: 196.275
Week 2 A leaders: AA - None; VT - Demers 9.900; UB - Atkinson 9.900; BB - Atkinson, Demers, Milliet 9.850; FX - Rott 9.800

Week 2 B: 196.075
Week 2 B leaders: AA - Atkinson 39.375; VT - Demers 9.875; UB - Arkinson 9.875; BB - Milliet 9.850; FX - Atkinson 9.825

9. Georgia – 195.988
Week 2: 196.775
Week 2 leaders: AA - Rogers 39.425; VT - Jay 9.950; UB - Rogers 9.900; BB - Rogers 9.900; FX - Jay 9.875

10. Arkansas – 195.917
Week 2 A: 196.700
Week 2 A leaders: AA - Wellick 39.150; VT - Wellick 9.850; UB - Zaziski, Canizaro, Speed 9.875; BB - Dillard, Zaziski 9.875; FX - Wellick 9.900

Week 2 B: 195.900
Week 2 B leaders: AA - Wellick 39.125; VT - Wellick 9.900; UB - Zaziski 9.900; BB - Zaziski 9.875; FX - McGlone 9.825
11. Oregon State – 195.888
Week 2: 196.350
Week 2 leaders: AA - Gardiner 39.300; VT - Gardiner 9.875; UB - McMillan 9.875; BB - Gardiner 9.850; FX - Radermacher 9.900

12. George Washington – 195.800
Week 2: 195.425
Week 2 leaders: AA - Drouin-Allaire 39.300; VT - Winstanley 9.825; UB - Winstanley, Drouin-Allaire 9.875; BB - DeMoura, Pfeiler 9.775; FX - Raineri, Drouin-Allaire 9.900

13. Boise State – 195.700
Week 2: 195.700
Week 2 leaders: AA - Jacobsen 39.125; VT - Bir 9.800; UB - Jacobsen 9.875; BB - Remme 9.800; FX - Collantes 9.900

14. Missouri – 195.533
Week 2: 196.050
Week 2 leaders: AA - Porter 39.200; VT - Ward 9.925; UB - Porter 9.850; BB - Ward 9.900; FX - Harris, Turner 9.850

15. New Hampshire – 195.467
Week 2 A: 196.075
Week 2 A leaders: AA - Doolin 39.025; VT - Mahoney 9.875; UB - Mulligan 9.875; BB - Lauter, Pflieger 9.875; FX - Aucoin, Doolin 9.850

Week 2 B: 195.225
Week 2 B leaders: AA - Lauter 39.075; VT - Mahoney 9.775; UB - Mulligan 9.850; BB - Lauter 9.950; FX - Doolin 9.850

16. Denver – 195.375
Week 2: Monday meet

17. Illinois – 195.288
Week 2: 195.500
Week 2 leaders: AA - O'Connor 39.325; VT - O'Connor 9.825; UB - O'Connor 9.825; BB - Horth 9.850; FX - O'Connor 9.875

18. Nebraska – 195.100
Week 2: 196.150
Week 2 leaders: AA - Blanske 39.300; VT - Schweihofer 9.800; UB - Laeng 9.875; BB - Williams 9.925; FX - Blanske 9.875

19. Minnesota – 195.063
Week 2: 195.425
Week 2 leaders: AA - Mable 39.400; VT - Mable 9.800; UB - Mable 9.850; BB - Mable, Nordquist 9.850; FX - Mable 9.900

20. Kentucky – 195.000
Week 2: 195.175
Week 2 leaders: AA - Dukes 39.125; VT - Dukes 9.825; UB - Stuart 9.825; BB - Rechenmacher 9.850; FX - Dukes, Puryear 9.825

21. Eastern Michigan – 194.963
Week 2: 195.050
Week 2 leaders: AA - Valentin 39.025; VT - Conrad, Slocum 9.775; UB - Valentin 9.825; BB - Conrad 9.850; FX - Solcum 9.825

22. Cal – 194.900
Week 2: 194.225
Week 2 leaders: AA - None; VT - Seilnacht 9.825; UB - Williams 9.800; BB - Howe, Palomares 9.825; FX - Williams 9.900

23. Southern Utah – 194.850
Week 2: 195.600
Week 2 leaders: AA - Ramirez 37.775; VT - Webb 9.850; UB - Kessel, Yee 9.850; BB - Webb 9.875; FX - Blake 9.900

24. Stanford – 194.800
Week 2: Monday meet

25. Ohio State – 194.775
Week 2: 195.275
Week 2 leaders: AA - Harrison 39.075; VT - Mattern 9.825; UB - Mattern 9.750; BB - Harrison 9.900; FX - Harrison, Mattern 9.850

-Florida put together the best meet of the season for any team so far with a relatively fictional 197.675, which far outpaces any other score recorded so far this year. We've seen teams on similar pace, like Oklahoma and LSU, but they both suffered implosions to get back to pedestrian levels. The last few seasons have been marked by several 198s, and in spite of the downgrade on vault, I see no reason to think that this season won't put up a similar amount of 198s.

-On the topic of vault, the overall impression last week that scores were conservative for Yfulls must have gotten back to the judges because I didn't see that being the case in the second week at all in the meets I watched enough of to have an impression. Scores for yfulls at UCLA/Florida, Georgia/Arkansas, and Oklahoma/Arkansas were closer to the usual amount of enthusiastic, almost to the point of...that's the same score that vault would have received last year.

-New Hampshire looked at George Washington and went, "We can do that too, monkeys" and became the newest 196 darling with a home 196.075 on Thursday, though the scores did not maintain in the second meet of the weekend.

-No falls for Alabama through three meets.

-To the meet! Stanford and Georgia will begin at 2:00 ET/11:00 PT.

First good news of the day, Chuang is back in on floor for Stanford, so that should be a step up. She was a consistent 9.800-9.825 back when her legs worked.

Stanford going for the rarely-seen mid-lineup strength strategy on bars with Hong and Price going 3rd and 4th.

"Players." You'll never be Kevin Copp.

ROTATION 1
Broussard - VT - Well done to start with a stick - legs apart on the stick, but her vault has improved each time out. 10 hands. Ugh. Really?

N McNair - UB - high piked jaeger - clean legs on the bail - nice ampltiude on the shoot back up - squatty landing on tuck full with a hop back but a good one other than that.

Vaculik - VT - Medium to minor hop back on her yfull, with the usual amount of piking.

Rice - UB - good amplitude on shoot to high bar, perhaps a little close but works the handstand well out of it - jaeger is high and excellent form and height on the pak - full to double back with a step, flung the double back just a little but very clean routine.

Snead - VT - great height on her full - small hop back, but she gets good height and maintains form throughout.

D McNair - UB - moved around the lineup a little after all - Pec-12 things - hits jaeger into overshoot doesn't have the amp of her sister - had to do a crazy-rough shoot back to the high bar, so it won't be the high score of the others.

Marino - VT - She has worked out the landing on that 1.5 - good stick, also legs apart on stick and the mushy knees but well done.

Maxwell - UB - my stream is having some emotional needs, but I see her chalking up here in the middle of her routine, so that's probably not a good sign.

Rogers - VT - Just a small step forward on her 1.5, but by far her best of the season to this point. They are controlling the landings quite well in this meet so far. Jay did pretty much the same thing with her vault. Absolutely nailed landings. This is probably the strongest vault rotation I've seen this year, so we'll see how the scores go. Should be excellent.  9.975.

It's a 49.500 for Georgia on vault.

My stream had severe emotional trauma during that rotation, so apologizes for not getting to every routine. Of course I would miss Ebee and Ivana on bars. But it looks like Ebee did Ebee things to save the rotation score and keep it over 49. Stanford needed higher, though, since bars should be a strength.

One judge goes 10 for Jay's vault. Hrm. You can always argue the 10 for Jay's vault because of some tendency toward a crazy-legs block. The other thing I noticed about Georgia's vaults there is that, to get those tremendous sticks, they are not remotely caring about the "immediately sliding legs together on the controlled extend" thing we were really into watching at the beginning of last season. They are holding those sticks with legs apart. Seems to be working out fine.

STATUE OF SUZANNE. Just like my house.

ROTATION 2
McNair - VT - Which one, no one can tell - Good form on her full, not as much distance as the better ones from Georgia, and a hop back.

Vaculik - UB - solid piked jaeger - legs together on bail, precise on the handstands throughout - sticks the tuck full with the usual floppy legs, but one of her most composed bars routines of the last couple years. Good day so far for Georgia.

Rice - VT - Full looked pretty good, just a little off to the side. Medium distance. Controlled landing.

Cherrey - UB - Strong Ray with just some Sloan feet, pulls her handstand together to prevent an arch - mostly clean - small step forward with the leg break. More areas of sloppy legs than in Vaculik's, so should score lower.

N McNair - VT - Better distance than the other two so far, good direction, small hop back -

Snead - UB - pulls around tkatchev, not the most beautiful but hit - small leg break on the bail - hop back on DLO, they're having a bit more issue with keeping the form and hitting the landings than on vault, but getting through.

Fitzgerald - VT - Eeeeeeeeh. Tucked her full. Intentional? And then landed very very short with a lunge forward. They'll have to drop that.

Schick - UB - Excellent tkatchev and composed piked jaeger - working quickly and hitting these handstands - hate all these straddled toe ons - very nice landing on the DLO though. Better dismount than the last couple and cleaner throughout.

Price - VT - Save us. GET OUT. JUST HOW. She did hop back on her full, but come on. Still should get a 9.900. Now, let's upgrade that. Because, you're Elizabeth Price. 9.875. OK, judge who went 9.850, what is your deal?

Jay - UB - clean bail - borderline handstand in there - strong shush, as strong as the shush can be - DLO 1/1 with a small step - looked a little less piked than the first couple? But maybe that was just the angle? Yeah, I think she was a little more extended this week. Probably her cleanest of the year so far.

Chuang - VT - Oh, Stanford. Yurchenko layouts in the lineup. Step back, but they don't have the vaults to start the year again. Still scores higher than Fitzgerald's, so they needed it.

Rogers - UB - Ricna to pak is more fluid this time - lovely stalders obviously - catches shap 1/2 - poh, and just sticks the DLO. Beautiful. 9.925. Deserved that, at the very least. It was a little sloppy in parts for Georgia on bars, but Jay and Rogers both had their strongest bars routines of the season to save a very good 49.350. There are some form issues in the beginning of the lineup, so Jay and Rogers will have to do that a lot this season. Mid 197 pace so far for Georgia. 

OH I LOVE WHEN WE GO TO COMMERCIAL RIGHT AS AN EXHIBITION IS ABOUT TO START. 

Stanford gets a 9.875 for Price on vault but nothing significant from anyone else. With a tucked full and a layout among the 6, the score was never going to be anything. 48.850 is all they could have hoped for.

After 2: Georgia 98.850, Stanford 97.875
Now, Georgia goes to beam and Stanford goes to floor.

Saw the replay of Price's vault. How do you not give that a 9.900? Starts from a 9.950, then 0.050 for that tiny step.

ROTATION 3:
Broussard - BB - secure on the one-arm bhs to loso - switch and straddle 1/4 are solidly landed - solid side aerial and just a little short in the back leg on the split jump - sticks gainer full - very comfortable opening routine.

Frowein - FX - secure landing on double pike with low chest - completes her double L pretty close to two full turns, Afan would have received credit - loses her leg form a bit on twisting but keeps her front pike in bounds on the middle pass - also 1.5 to front pike final pass. Repetitive tumbling and form but no major breaks.

Babalis - BB - Clean walkover to loso combo - well hit switch leap - just a tiny correction on the kickover front - sticks front full - most confident she has looked on beam this year, maybe ever. A couple small breaks, but looked easy peasy and comfortable.

Fitzgerald - FX -low chest on double back with a larger than ideal slide back but not a major bounce - front full front lay middle pass - loses her knees and arches a bit in the layout, but secure - 1.5 to front pike, best pass of her routine, good form and controlled - she lost something off her person in the middle of that final pass - something white went flying out her hair.

Schick - BB - Falls right away on loso series. Just when we were starting to feel comfortable, Georgia beam is like, "MWAHAHAHAHA." Schick is very pretty on beam, though. Extended legs and definitely hit splits.Great side aerial and sticks gainer full. When she's comfortable, this can be a 9.9 routine at some point.

Rice - FX - "This one's definitely a performer. She reminds me a little bit of Lady Gaga." TAYLOR. Short on double pike opening pass with a lunge forward - half to full middle pass, loses knees a bit in the half but solid landing - "She's little but spunky." LOL. Low chest on double back with a slide. She'll get 9.9s later, but not there yet with the landings.

Cherrey - BB - I was getting ready to praise her for saving her loso series since she was a little off but pulled it back, but then she's off on the front aerial. Georgia beam. Counting a fall now. The saga continues.

Our male commentator has already referred to gymnasts as players and called the beam "the bar."

Spector - FX - Large bounce back out of double pike - hits switch side and popa well - small stumble out of front layout to full - very very short on double tuck landing and falls. Oh, this rotation.

"So a fall is considered on the floor when you have to put your hands down to touch."

Rogers - BB -Pretty wlakover to bhs - small checks on both the switch half and the jump - another tight correction on bhs 1/1 - nothing major, but three definite balance checks so far - and now falls on loso series. NO MY LIFE. Nice 1.5 to finish. BUT sigh. Two counting falls for Georgia.

Price - FX - Opens with a double tuck that she finished in the early 50s - strong switch side and popa - slides forward out of her front layout to full middle pass - comfortable double pike, possible low chest but not much. Very nice. Several tenths better than the rest of the routines in this rotation.

Box - BB - Oh Mary Beth, just save everything. No big deal. good tuck jump full - huge break on loso series and falls - tries her everything to save it but can't - four falls in a row. Fine switch and straddles - hits walkover well - hop forward on 1.5. BLEAK.

Chuang - FX - And now she's returning to the lineup after not competing on floor in forever in this situation - solid double pike with somewhat low chest - front lay front full is slightly uncontrolled but fine - whips around the layout out of her 1.5 in the final pass to pull it around, but it's a hit returning to the lineup.

Jay exhibition on BB - wobble on full turn - good side aerial - secure kickover front to bhs, feet flexed but secure, so at this point - GET IT IN THE LINEUP - switch down to hip circle - small check on side somi - hop forward on 1.5.

DEAR. Just....DEAR. That was a depressing little 25 minutes of gymnastics there.

After 3: Stanford 146.675, Georgia 146.450
The saddest part is that Georgia just fell four times on beam and is probably still going to win.

The less said about that rotation the better. Ebee's floor was very nice. Thank you, Ebee.

ROTATION 4:
N McNair - BB - secure loso series - hits side somi - small correction finishing full turn - large wobble and bend at the hips on loso series - excellent switch and straddle 1/4 - slightly short on 2/1 dismount with a hop.

"Stanford didn't exactly blow things away on floor." Yes.

Snead - FX -bounces back on whip to double back - rudi to split middle pass - switch to wolf full to straddle full, wolf position was a little low as it often is on turning wolfs, but otherwise it was great - low chest on double pike but mostly controlled.

Fitzgerald - BB - tentative but hit full turn - aerial to back is secure - hits switch and wolf, nice positions - short on her walkover to two feet (!) but pulls it out - step forward on 1.5.

Babalis - FX - bounce back on round off double back - well-hit splits - "It's a physical sport, you don't think about it" - What? - just slightly ragged on the twisting on the middle pass but better control - squatty on double pike with a slide back.

Rice - BB - good straddle to a real sheep - very comfortable full turn - secure kickover front - "A little arm wave there on the beam" - COME ON - check on loso series but covers - sticks slightly staggered gainer full - best beam routines of the meet so far. I mean...but still. It was really strong.

Marino - FX - small bounce on her DLO but it is worlds improved this season - split position was borderline - clean and secure 1..5 to layout - also secure on double pike - a few low chest moments and the bounce on the mount, but nice. 9.900. Oh, right, Georgia is at home on floor. One of the judges went 9.950. Yeah. Mmhmm. Sure.

Hong - BB - Effortlessly gorgeous, obviously - pretty onodi to bhs - slow in connection but Ivie, so whatever - high and extended in loso series - split to sheep, best sheep in NCAA - hop back on gainer pike.

Box - FX - double pike is just as high as always but landed a little short this time with a step forward - oppostie of earlier in the weekend so perhaps over-correcting, clean middle pass, secure landing and tight legs - hit straddle positions - high on double tuck as well with a foot quiver.

Price - BB - excellent walkover - two footed layout is very high - bends to save much of a wobble but a slight check there - switch and split are fine - AYYYY, lands short on her double pike with a lunge forward - they needed a big score from her and that will take away the score.

Rogers - FX - excellent on the double arabian this time - hops forward on her 1.5 to layout but very clean form - secure on double pike as well - by FAR her best landings of the season - still just a 9.825, though compared to the 9.950s they've been throwing out so far.

Chuang - BB - good loso series, comfortable - she hasn't competed this event much at all before this seeason, but this looks strong - good switch - did Cat Hires just call a double stag a yang bo? - comfortable side aerial - looks like someone has become a beamer... - sticks gainer full. Good routine. Helps save the meet for a higher 195. So...improvement.

Jay - FX -bounces back on her full out, just does stay in bounds to save the meet - I'm happy with the passes they've chosen for her this season, it improves her chances of a hit score each time - small stutter bounce out of her middle pass - stumbles on the landing of her front full at the end, not a major thing but definitely not what they needed.

Well...Chuang just got a 9.900 for beam and Jay got a 9.825 for floor, meaning Stanford wins after looking like this was going Georgia's way through most of the rotation.

FINAL: Stanford 195.875, Georgia 195.750
Not really a meet we're going to remember for good reasons. Stanford will be pleased since it's such an improvement over the first score, but the vault and floor rotations are a real problem. And actually, filling out bars with six usable scores may be a problem as well. Floor and vault need a lot of time.

Georgia was great on vault, had a couple excellent bars routines and a couple excellent floor routines, and then was abjectly miserable on beam. The old story.

Well, we're all an hour and a half older. So there's that.