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There was palpable pleasure getting into the 2022 faculty gymnastics season, and for good purpose.
In a post-Olympics 12 months, curiosity in gymnastics is as excessive as ever, plus a number of Olympians made the choice to proceed their careers on the collegiate stage, together with Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, Brooklyn Moors and Amelie Morgan, amongst others.
Throw in the truth that the NCAA allowed gymnasts whose eligibility would in any other case have been exhausted to return for an extra season — a consequence of the pandemic — and the 2022 gymnastics season was primed to be as aggressive and entertaining as any that got here earlier than it.
Three weeks in, the joy has confirmed justified. Right here’s what we all know to this point.
Michigan is pretty much as good as marketed
The Wolverines are the defending NCAA champions and entered the season as the favourite to win the 2022 nationwide title. These projections appear spot on proper now, and Michigan may even be higher than anticipated.
The Wolverines have the very best single meet rating this season (197.950), the very best common staff rating (197.850), and are the top-ranked staff within the nation on vault and ground train, No. 3 on uneven bars and No. 4 on steadiness beam.
Whereas we journey again to Ann Arbor, try the entire highlights from our win over No. 7 Minnesota ⤵️#GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/EJTdpxpjTj
— Michigan Ladies’s Gymnastics (@UMichWGym) January 25, 2022
The Wolverines aren’t as deep as among the different title contenders on the market, however with gymnasts resembling Natalie Wojcik, Gabby Wilson, Sierra Brooks, Abby Brenner and Abby Heiskell (the record may go on), Michigan is the staff to beat this season, till somebody proves in any other case.
No Olympian has impressed like Jade Carey
That is by no means a slight of Lee, Chiles, McCallum or any of the opposite Olympians at the moment competing on the NCAA stage.
With two meets underneath her belt, although, Carey has merely been excellent. Already, she has damaged an Oregon State all-around file that had stood since 1993, is the top-ranked all-around gymnast within the nation and has the Beavers off their finest begin to a season since 2016.
Oh, and he or she was lately named Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week and Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in the identical week.
Lee has accomplished wonders at Auburn — the Tigers are No. 8 within the nation — McCallum has had her moments for No. 2 Utah and Chiles is beginning to make an affect at No. 24 UCLA, however Carey has been at one other stage.
“(Jade) has been doing so properly. I’m so pleased with her,” McCallum mentioned (Carey and McCallum are finest associates). “She is doing superb. It's superior watching her succeed and accomplish that properly within the faculty world. I can’t wait to see what the season brings for her.”
Utah is off to arguably its finest begin ever
The Crimson Rocks have been an influence in faculty gymnastics for years, although the staff’s final nationwide title got here in 1995.
This may — key phrase being may — be the 12 months Utah ends its title drought, although.
Just one different time at school historical past has Utah began a season with scores of 197 in back-to-back-to-back meets, the opposite occasion coming in 2018-19.
These MyKayla Skinner-led Crimson Rocks scored a 197 or higher in 12 consecutive meets that 12 months, earlier than falling quick within the NCAA semifinals.
Already, the 2022 Crimson Rocks have reached scoring heights that it took months for the 2019 Utah staff to achieve, with the plain potential for larger scores (particularly as soon as the injured Kara Eaker returns to the lineup).
When Florida places all of it collectively, be careful
The Florida Gators entered the 12 months with one of many deepest and most gifted rosters within the sport, and expectations had been by the roof consequently.
To this point, Florida has disillusioned — consider disappointment on this case means being ranked No. 4 within the nation — and far of that has been because of perceived underachieving by the freshman class.
With gymnasts resembling Leanne Wong, Riley McCusker and Sloane Blakely, Florida’s incoming class was thought-about to be on par with anybody’s, together with UCLA’s top-ranked class and Utah’s Olympian-laden group.
In opposition to Georgia final weekend, nevertheless, solely Wong managed to attain a 9.90 or higher on an occasion, and he or she, McCusker and Blakely mixed to compete seven routines.
When these three develop extra snug with faculty gymnastics, Florida will certainly to be a staff to observe.
The golden period of UCLA is waning, for now
From 2016 by 2020, UCLA gymnastics was a pressure to be reckoned with. The Bruins completed within the prime 5 for 5 consecutive seasons, profitable the nationwide title in 2018.
It was actually a golden period of Bruins gymnastics, with gymnasts resembling Kyla Ross, Madison Kocian, Peng-Peng Lee, Katelyn Ohashi and plenty of extra taking the nation by storm.
These glory days appear distant now, a minimum of in the meanwhile. Final season, UCLA was only a strong staff, ending the 12 months ranked No. 12 within the nation, and to date this season, the Bruins are a fringe prime 25 staff, at No. 24.
Within the season opener in opposition to Minnesota and Iowa, UCLA scored a 194.850, the Bruins’ lowest rating since 2015.
UCLA bounced again in a giant manner the next week in opposition to Oregon State and UC Davis with a 196.300, however that was nonetheless far faraway from what repeatedly occurred within the not so distant previous.
UCLA has expertise — the Bruins had the top-ranked incoming freshmen class — however to date it hasn’t paid off.
Making issues a lot worse are the allegations of racism and bullying which have arisen throughout the program, allegations which have clearly impacted the gymnasts negatively on and off the competitors ground.
(Particulars could be heard on the podcast Small Doses with Amanda Seales, with a visitor appearances by UCLA seniors Margzetta Frazier and Sekai Wright).
UCLA seemingly gained’t keep down for lengthy, however proper now issues are usually not going properly in Los Angeles.
How does the Pac-12 look?
Most seasons, a have a look at gymnastics by conferences goes as follows: No. 1 SEC, No. 2 Pac-12, No. 3 Massive 12 (relying on how good Denver is) and No. 4 Massive Ten.
To this point this season, issues haven't seemed as nice for the Pac-12.
Utah, at No. 2, is holding up, however the place the convention usually has two or three prime 10 groups, proper now it is just the Utes.
The SEC, by comparability, has 5 prime 10 groups (Florida, LSU, Auburn, Alabama and Missouri). The Massive Ten has two groups within the prime 10 (Michigan and Minnesota), whereas the Massive 12 has two prime 5 groups (Oklahoma and Denver).
Cal is No. 11, however the Bears have began slower than many anticipated given how shut they had been to creating it to the ultimate day of the NCAA championships final season.
Oregon State is No. 14, and with Carey, the Beavers will seemingly rise. Then there may be No. 16 Arizona State, No. 19 Stanford and No. 24 UCLA.
Gymnastics stays a power of the Pac-12, of that there is no such thing as a doubt, however early on this season, the convention has taken a slight step again.