2017 Women's Gymnastics National Championship

[Deleted]

In Friday round 1, Oklahoma showed they are mortal when they were shaky on the uneven bars, their best gymnast fell off the beam, and they failed to score 198 finishing with 197.725. Let that happen in the Super 6 tomorrow and LSU plus another team or 2 could make the Super 6 very interesting when most thought the national championship was already wrapped up with a neat ribbon and bow for the defending national champion sooners. The first 3 into the Super 6 are Oklahoma, UCLA, and Utah:

www.ncaa.com/sports/gymnastics-women/nc

In round 2 tonight, 4 SEC teams will be competing. I suspect that 2 or 3 SEC teams will advance to the Super 6, LSU for sure, likely Florida, and possibly Alabama. Georgia would have to perform at a level they haven't performed at all season to advance to the Super 6. I think Michigan has a better chance at the top 3 of round 2 over Nebraska.  

[AlaCowboy]

Apr 14, 2017 17:16:59 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

In Friday round 1, Oklahoma showed they are mortal when they were shaky on the uneven bars, their best gymnast fell off the beam, and they failed to score 198 finishing with 197.725. Let that happen in the Super 6 tomorrow and LSU plus another team or 2 could make the Super 6 very interesting when most thought the national championship was already wrapped up with a neat ribbon and bow for the defending national champion sooners. The first 3 into the Super 6 are Oklahoma, UCLA, and Utah:

www.ncaa.com/sports/gymnastics-women/nc

In round 2 tonight, 4 SEC teams will be competing. I suspect that 2 or 3 SEC teams will advance to the Super 6, LSU for sure, likely Florida, and possibly Alabama. Georgia would have to perform at a level they haven't performed at all season to advance to the Super 6. I think Michigan has a better chance at the top 3 of round 2 over Nebraska.  

Georgia dropped out of the Gymnastics elite after Suzanne Yoculan retired. From 1983 through 2009, Georgia women won 16 SEC Championships, 10 NCAA Championships, including 5 in a row her last 5 years, and she was NCAA coach of the year 5 times.

[Deleted]

The top 3 scores going into the Super 6 belong to LSU followed by UF followed by OU. JMHO, I think the national champion will come from one of these three teams. Based on the season, it should come down to OU and LSU, but I have a hunch UF isn't out of it if they can put up a 198 score. LSU will be hard pressed to be perfect 2 days in a row while both OU and UF have room to improve in the Super 6. The updated bracket:

www.ncaa.com/2017-womens-gymnastics-bracket

[Deleted]

Apr 14, 2017 19:01:00 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

Apr 14, 2017 17:16:59 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

In Friday round 1, Oklahoma showed they are mortal when they were shaky on the uneven bars, their best gymnast fell off the beam, and they failed to score 198 finishing with 197.725. Let that happen in the Super 6 tomorrow and LSU plus another team or 2 could make the Super 6 very interesting when most thought the national championship was already wrapped up with a neat ribbon and bow for the defending national champion sooners. The first 3 into the Super 6 are Oklahoma, UCLA, and Utah:

www.ncaa.com/sports/gymnastics-women/nc

In round 2 tonight, 4 SEC teams will be competing. I suspect that 2 or 3 SEC teams will advance to the Super 6, LSU for sure, likely Florida, and possibly Alabama. Georgia would have to perform at a level they haven't performed at all season to advance to the Super 6. I think Michigan has a better chance at the top 3 of round 2 over Nebraska.  

Georgia dropped out of the Gymnastics elite after Suzanne Yoculan retired. From 1983 through 2009, Georgia women won 16 SEC Championships, 10 NCAA Championships, including 5 in a row her last 5 years, and she was NCAA coach of the year 5 times.

No doubt what Georgia accomplished was impressive. The SEC is just so good and deep now. LSU, UF, and bama will represent the conference in the 2017 Super 6.

The Gators have a lone senior so 2018 and beyond looks to be pretty good too.

[Deleted]

The all-around national championship went to Florida's Alex McMurtry:

It's Real: Big Dream, Big Payoff for McMurtry

Florida's Alex McMurtry won the all-around national championship on Friday night to lead the Gators to a Super Six berth at the NCAA Championships.

By Scott Carter, Senior Writer | Saturday, April 15, 2017



ST. LOUIS – An hour had passed since Alex McMurtry capped the best performance of her life on the biggest stage in college gymnastics.

McMurtry, following a dip in the cold tank somewhere in the bowels of Chaifetz Arena, finally walked into a warm Missouri night as she left the arena and headed for the team bus, where most of her teammates waited for the star of the evening.

She didn't expect sleep to pay her a visit anytime soon.

"That was incredible,'' McMurtry said. "This has been the best year of my life so far."

The 2017 SEC Gymnast of the Year, McMurtry stepped onto the floor with the credentials to do what she did Friday night in the second semifinal here at the NCAA Championships. What made the difference was she had the confidence, too.

Prior to landing a 9.9750 on vault in Florida's first event Friday, McMurtry entered the event coming off all-around titles at the SEC Championships and Gainesville Regional in the past month.

She was on a roll and everyone could see it.

Still, the mere suggestion at potentially winning the all-around national title in a preseason meeting with Gators head coach Jenny Rowland had frightened McMurtry, a junior from Midlothian, Va.

"I really didn't think that was my potential," she said.

In her first two seasons at Florida, McMurtry played a supporting role behind headliners Kytra Hunter and Bridget Sloan. But with Hunter's departure after the 2015 season and Sloan's last year, Rowland envisioned more from McMurtry.

Rowland offered two words: "Dream Big."

McMurtry's mental transformation started slow. Limited by a lingering back injury her first two seasons at UF, McMurtry did not compete on floor as a freshman and did so sparingly as a sophomore.

To help ease her cranky back, McMurtry reduced some of the dance moves in her floor routine at practice.

She made her debut on the floor exercise this season Feb. 17 against Arkansas. She didn't execute a pair of tumbling passes to her liking and scored 9.275. Afterward, she texted friends and family that perhaps competing in the all-around was not for her.

The following week against Missouri, McMurtry nailed her first career 10 on floor, setting the stage for what has been a spectacular run over the past six meets.

It was time to dream big.

"Alex never says no,'' Rowland said. "Huge heart. Will carry the team on her shoulders. Will do anything for everybody else. And to see it all come together tonight was so rewarding."

Led by McMurtry's team-best score, the Gators opened Friday's meet with a 49.5125 on vault, the program's second-highest score in history on the routine at the NCAA Championships.

McMurtry never let up as the Gators advanced to the Super Six for a sixth consecutive year, placing second behind Southeastern Conference rival LSU in Friday's Semifinal II. Florida will attempt to win its fourth national title in five years on Saturday in a field that also includes defending national champion Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Utah and UCLA.

McMurtry scored 9.9375 on beam, the third-highest score ever for a Gator at the NCAA semifinals, and she added a 9.9500 on uneven bars to share the national title. As for the floor, McMurtry posted a 9.9500, matching the program's top score in NCAA semifinals action.

Add them all up, and McMurtry's all-around score of 39.8125 is the highest score in the history of the NCAA semifinals, surpassing the 39.8000 set by Kentucky's Jenny Hansen in 1995 and equaled by Georgia's Courtney Kupets in 2009.

"If you could have a microphone on my brain, the thoughts that were going through my head, nothing but confidence,'' she said. "The second I had a doubt, you know what, you're the best. That took me so far.

"It's been an amazing ride my junior year. There's been some lows, but this is definitely the highest high."

McMurtry sensed early on that it could be a special night.

If she needed any reminders, all she had to do was look in the stands where her parents, Christine and David, and younger brother Mitchell cheered on wildly.

"When I stuck my vault, I kind of had that occur to me, 'hey, I could win this national championship.' It would keep reoccurring,'' she said. "I didn't know if I should push it out of my head or reach for it. I put it all out there on the floor."

She immediately reminded Rowland of the preseason conversation when she finished floor and realized she was the all-around national champion ahead of second-place MyKayla Skinner (39.6125) of Utah.

Rowland was overjoyed.

"I got goose bumps, really just seeing everything come together, all her hard work,'' Rowland said. "Every detail in her life came together. I was just amazing to see such a special young lady win this."

Sometimes, big dreams come true.

"It doesn't feel real yet,'' McMurtry said.

LSU coach D-D Breaux confirmed it for McMurtry.

"It's real. I saw it."

[Deleted]

Strangest scoring I've ever seen. Bobbles on the beam followed by a bounce on the landing gets certain teams 9.95. No wonder OU scored the highest ever in the NCAA championships and both OU and LSU broke the highest marks ever on the beam. I know there is a pecking order to judging coming in, but this season has taken that pecking order to a new level.

Congratulations to OU for going back to back. Having 6 seniors participating on the sooner squad was a huge advantage all season.

Final scores of the Super 6:

[oujour76]

Apr 16, 2017 8:17:30 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

Strangest scoring I've ever seen. Bobbles on the beam followed by a bounce on the landing gets certain teams 9.95. No wonder OU scored the highest ever in the NCAA championships and both OU and LSU broke the highest marks ever on the beam. I know there is a pecking order to judging coming in, but this season has taken that pecking order to a new level.

Congratulations to OU for going back to back. Having 6 seniors participating on the sooner squad was a huge advantage all season.

Final scores of the Super 6:

View Attachment

Backhanded congratulations is better than none, I guess. Good Lord Terry...is Florida ever treated fairly by refs and judges? In any sport? The constant bitching gets real old. And before you ask...yes, I watched the meet.

[Deleted]

Apr 16, 2017 11:09:48 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Apr 16, 2017 8:17:30 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

Strangest scoring I've ever seen. Bobbles on the beam followed by a bounce on the landing gets certain teams 9.95. No wonder OU scored the highest ever in the NCAA championships and both OU and LSU broke the highest marks ever on the beam. I know there is a pecking order to judging coming in, but this season has taken that pecking order to a new level.

Congratulations to OU for going back to back. Having 6 seniors participating on the sooner squad was a huge advantage all season.

Final scores of the Super 6:

Backhanded congratulations is better than none, I guess. Good Lord Terry...is Florida ever treated fairly by refs and judges? In any sport? The constant bitching gets real old. And before you ask...yes, I watched the meet.

The OU congrats stands alone. There is nothing backhanded about it.

I said all season that OU was the head and shoulders best team in the nation. You'd know that if you ever read the UF gymnastics team thread. However, I watched OU in the semifinal and the Super 6. The OU score in the Super 6 says best team of all time. Sorry, I'm not buying that to be the case. I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

My complaining about gymnastic judging is nothing new. I didn't like it when UF was the 1 seed either. I particularly don't like it in SEC meets as it produces favoritism for the meet host. Gymnastics judging is too subjective and political. I do like the sport, but the judging is hard to stomach. Both OU and LSU had the highest scores ever on the beam. Again, I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

Since you watched the meet which I did as well, you would know if you watched anything past OU that UF should have finished second, not third. It's a small thing since it didn't affect the national championship, but that doesn't make it any less relevant. On LSU's last routine, senior Ashley Gnat received a 9.95 on the beam after she had to cover a bobble on the beam and didn't stick her dismount when she took a hop step backwards. It was a make the 2 & 3 seeds stand up score. Score that properly as a 9.90 and UF finishes second even with the loose beam judging given out to the 1 & 2 seeds.

I disagree with you stating I constantly bitch about officiating and judging, but I do comment when I think it is warranted. It's up to you to accept the congrats along with my comments directed towards the judges. It's your choice.



  

[oujour76]

Apr 16, 2017 15:23:57 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

The OU congrats stands alone. There is nothing backhanded about it.

I said all season that OU was the head and shoulders best team in the nation. You'd know that if you ever read the UF gymnastics team thread. However, I watched OU in the semifinal and the Super 6. The OU score in the Super 6 says best team of all time. Sorry, I'm not buying that to be the case. I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

My complaining about gymnastic judging is nothing new. I didn't like it when UF was the 1 seed either. I particularly don't like it in SEC meets as it produces favoritism for the meet host. Gymnastics judging is too subjective and political. I do like the sport, but the judging is hard to stomach. Both OU and LSU had the highest scores ever on the beam. Again, I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

Since you watched the meet which I did as well, you would know if you watched anything past OU that UF should have finished second, not third. It's a small thing since it didn't affect the national championship, but that doesn't make it any less relevant. On LSU's last routine, senior Ashley Gnat received a 9.95 on the beam after she had to cover a bobble on the beam and didn't stick her dismount when she took a hop step backwards. It was a make the 2 & 3 seeds stand up score. Score that properly as a 9.90 and UF finishes second even with the loose beam judging given out to the 1 & 2 seeds.

I disagree with you stating I constantly bitch about officiating and judging, but I do comment when I think it is warranted. It's up to you to accept the congrats along with my comments directed towards the judges. It's your choice

  

All well and good, but my "lying eyes" see backhanded compliment. And it's not the first time. Rarely do you give credit to other teams...it's almost always a congratulations "but" kind of deal. Congratulations, "but" the refs were the strangest I've ever seen is a great example.

[mscott59]

Apr 17, 2017 10:28:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Apr 16, 2017 15:23:57 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

The OU congrats stands alone. There is nothing backhanded about it.

I said all season that OU was the head and shoulders best team in the nation. You'd know that if you ever read the UF gymnastics team thread. However, I watched OU in the semifinal and the Super 6. The OU score in the Super 6 says best team of all time. Sorry, I'm not buying that to be the case. I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

My complaining about gymnastic judging is nothing new. I didn't like it when UF was the 1 seed either. I particularly don't like it in SEC meets as it produces favoritism for the meet host. Gymnastics judging is too subjective and political. I do like the sport, but the judging is hard to stomach. Both OU and LSU had the highest scores ever on the beam. Again, I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

Since you watched the meet which I did as well, you would know if you watched anything past OU that UF should have finished second, not third. It's a small thing since it didn't affect the national championship, but that doesn't make it any less relevant. On LSU's last routine, senior Ashley Gnat received a 9.95 on the beam after she had to cover a bobble on the beam and didn't stick her dismount when she took a hop step backwards. It was a make the 2 & 3 seeds stand up score. Score that properly as a 9.90 and UF finishes second even with the loose beam judging given out to the 1 & 2 seeds.

I disagree with you stating I constantly bitch about officiating and judging, but I do comment when I think it is warranted. It's up to you to accept the congrats along with my comments directed towards the judges. It's your choice

  

All well and good, but my "lying eyes" see backhanded compliment. And it's not the first time. Rarely do you give credit to other teams...it's almost always a congratulations "but" kind of deal. Congratulations, "but" the refs were the strangest I've ever seen is a great example.

sssshhhh. he thinks its just tosu bias...

[oujour76]

Apr 17, 2017 12:39:14 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

Apr 17, 2017 10:28:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

All well and good, but my "lying eyes" see backhanded compliment. And it's not the first time. Rarely do you give credit to other teams...it's almost always a congratulations "but" kind of deal. Congratulations, "but" the refs were the strangest I've ever seen is a great example.

sssshhhh. he thinks its just tosu bias...

Hell, after any contest, you can dissect refs and judges until the cows come home. That said, I do get that a ref or judge can decide a game or a match...but, it rarely happens. In all the years I have watched OU football I can only think of one game that OU lost because of the refs. And the last time I looked, OU still "won" that game but for some reason none of the record books say so.

[mscott59]

Apr 17, 2017 13:16:10 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Apr 17, 2017 12:39:14 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

sssshhhh. he thinks its just tosu bias...

Hell, after any contest, you can dissect refs and judges until the cows come home. That said, I do get that a ref or judge can decide a game or a match...but, it rarely happens. In all the years I have watched OU football I can only think of one game that OU lost because of the refs. And the last time I looked, OU still "won" that game but for some reason none of the record books say so.

it is a human element that imho is necessary in sports. i want technology to enhance the humans officiating the games, not to replace them. being a referee, judge, official is a thankless job, which is why i consider the people who do those jobs to be among the most dedicated professionals (and amateurs) in sports. they make mistakes just like the athletes do, but whether they do it for a living, a hobby or just to help out, the overwhelming majority do it because they love that sport and the people who play them.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2017 10:28:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Apr 16, 2017 15:23:57 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

The OU congrats stands alone. There is nothing backhanded about it.

I said all season that OU was the head and shoulders best team in the nation. You'd know that if you ever read the UF gymnastics team thread. However, I watched OU in the semifinal and the Super 6. The OU score in the Super 6 says best team of all time. Sorry, I'm not buying that to be the case. I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

My complaining about gymnastic judging is nothing new. I didn't like it when UF was the 1 seed either. I particularly don't like it in SEC meets as it produces favoritism for the meet host. Gymnastics judging is too subjective and political. I do like the sport, but the judging is hard to stomach. Both OU and LSU had the highest scores ever on the beam. Again, I trust my lying eyes, not the judges.

Since you watched the meet which I did as well, you would know if you watched anything past OU that UF should have finished second, not third. It's a small thing since it didn't affect the national championship, but that doesn't make it any less relevant. On LSU's last routine, senior Ashley Gnat received a 9.95 on the beam after she had to cover a bobble on the beam and didn't stick her dismount when she took a hop step backwards. It was a make the 2 & 3 seeds stand up score. Score that properly as a 9.90 and UF finishes second even with the loose beam judging given out to the 1 & 2 seeds.

I disagree with you stating I constantly bitch about officiating and judging, but I do comment when I think it is warranted. It's up to you to accept the congrats along with my comments directed towards the judges. It's your choice

  

All well and good, but my "lying eyes" see backhanded compliment. And it's not the first time. Rarely do you give credit to other teams...it's almost always a congratulations "but" kind of deal. Congratulations, "but" the refs were the strangest I've ever seen is a great example.

I watched the playback again today. I paid particular attention to what was shown on the balance beam. The judging there was off the chain irregular. UF had two scores, Alicia Boren at 9.875 and Alex McMurtry at 9.9125 that would have been between 9.95 and 9.9875 had they been wearing the purple of LSU or the red of OU.

The score that pissed me off the most though continues to be LSU's Ashley Gnat. She covered several out of her out of balance moves, it isn't called the balance beam for nothing, and then took a bounce back on her landing instead of sticking. That 9.50 would have been a 9.875 had she been wearing Gator blue. Earlier in the meet, Bart Connor said as a matter of fact that a bounce on the landing like that is a .1 automatic deduction. That didn't happen in the Ashley Gnat routine. 

Both LSU and OU got balance beam scores that were in meet and historically too high. It wouldn't have made a difference for OU finishing first, but it made a difference to keep a deserving UF team out of second place. LSU should have been third.

The backhanded compliment is the best I'm willing to give in light of the irregular balance beam judging.

[oujour76]

Apr 17, 2017 17:16:00 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

Apr 17, 2017 10:28:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

All well and good, but my "lying eyes" see backhanded compliment. And it's not the first time. Rarely do you give credit to other teams...it's almost always a congratulations "but" kind of deal. Congratulations, "but" the refs were the strangest I've ever seen is a great example.

I watched the playback again today. I paid particular attention to what was shown on the balance beam. The judging there was off the chain irregular. UF had two scores, Alicia Boren at 9.875 and Alex McMurtry at 9.9125 that would have been between 9.95 and 9.9875 had they been wearing the purple of LSU or the red of OU.

The score that pissed me off the most though continues to be LSU's Ashley Gnat. She covered several out of her out of balance moves, it isn't called the balance beam for nothing, and then took a bounce back on her landing instead of sticking. That 9.50 would have been a 9.875 had she been wearing Gator blue. Earlier in the meet, Bart Connor said as a matter of fact that a bounce on the landing like that is a .1 automatic deduction. That didn't happen in the Ashley Gnat routine. 

Both LSU and OU got balance beam scores that were in meet and historically too high. It wouldn't have made a difference for OU finishing first, but it made a difference to keep a deserving UF team out of second place. LSU should have been third.

The backhanded compliment is the best I'm willing to give in light of the irregular balance beam judging.

Kind of funny...UF finished ahead of LSU in vault, bars and floor and you clearly had no issues with the judging. But, when LSU finishes ahead of UF on the beam, you do have issues.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2017 17:55:47 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Apr 17, 2017 17:16:00 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

I watched the playback again today. I paid particular attention to what was shown on the balance beam. The judging there was off the chain irregular. UF had two scores, Alicia Boren at 9.875 and Alex McMurtry at 9.9125 that would have been between 9.95 and 9.9875 had they been wearing the purple of LSU or the red of OU.

The score that pissed me off the most though continues to be LSU's Ashley Gnat. She covered several out of her out of balance moves, it isn't called the balance beam for nothing, and then took a bounce back on her landing instead of sticking. That 9.50 would have been a 9.875 had she been wearing Gator blue. Earlier in the meet, Bart Connor said as a matter of fact that a bounce on the landing like that is a .1 automatic deduction. That didn't happen in the Ashley Gnat routine. 

Both LSU and OU got balance beam scores that were in meet and historically too high. It wouldn't have made a difference for OU finishing first, but it made a difference to keep a deserving UF team out of second place. LSU should have been third.

The backhanded compliment is the best I'm willing to give in light of the irregular balance beam judging.

Kind of funny...UF finished ahead of LSU in vault, bars and floor and you clearly had no issues with the judging. But, when LSU finishes ahead of UF on the beam, you do have issues.

Never in the history of the Super 6 has any team scored that high on the beam let alone two. Take off your sooner glasses so you can see what was going on with the beam judges. Why the beam? It could be so simple that the beam judges knew what LSU had to do in their finish on the beam to finish second to match up with their season body of work and NCAA tournament seed. Surely, you understand this crapola happens in the sport of gymnastics. I've seen UF on both ends of this situation and likely will again in the near future, but that doesn't mean I have to like the judging tactics on either end.