Recapping The Action: NCAA Gymnastics Week 9

Recapping The Action: NCAA Gymnastics Week 9

Catch up on all of the Week 9 action in NCAA gymnastics, including six perfect 10s.

Mar 7, 2017 by Lauren Green
Recapping The Action: NCAA Gymnastics Week 9
Catch up on all of the action from Week 9, including six perfect 10s, an SEC title, and a big number out in Utah.

Perfection reaches new levels

Six gymnasts earned perfect 10s this weekend, with two each earning her first perfect score. Utah freshman phenom MyKayla Skinner grabbed a 10.0 on floor while UCLA sophomore Katelyn Ohashi joined the Bruins' 10.0 club with perfection on the balance beam.

(Video courtesy of Utah Athletics)

Chayse Capps notched her second career perfect 10 on balance beam in Oklahoma's road meet Saturday against Michigan. Maggie Nichols, who was rested on all events except uneven bars, scored her fifth 10.0 of the season to complete the "Gym Slam." Nichols is the first gymnast to notch a 10.0 on all four events since former Florida gymnast Bridget Sloan in 2015.

LSU's Ashleigh Gnat and UF's Alex McMurtry each put up a perfect 10 on vault in Sunday's SEC duel. For Gnat, it marked the eighth perfect score of her career and her second of the season. It is the third 10.0 of the season for McMurtry, but the first for the junior on vault since the Yurchenko full was devalued. Both gymnasts competed a Yurchenko double.

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(Video courtesy of Florida Gators)

SEC champs

Second-ranked LSU topped No. 3 Florida 198.150 to 196.600 to earn the SEC regular-season title during Sunday's meet. The Tigers put up huge scores on both vault and floor exercise with matching 49.625s to start and close the meet. LSU was bolstered by six strong vaults that did not score below a 9.875. Four of those vaults were a 9.900 or better, with Ruby Harrold's stuck Yurchenko 1 1/2 and Gnat's 10.0 being some of the highlights.

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Sarah Finnegan bounced back from a fall on balance beam to score a season-high 9.925 on floor exercise. She also tied a season-best on the uneven bars with a 9.925.


Gators struggle in Baton Rouge

Florida struggled in its meeting with LSU with breaks on the uneven bars and on floor exercise. Maegan Chant had an uncharacteristic and scary fall on her uneven bars dismount while McMurtry, who was going for perfection, arched over on a handstand at the top of her routine. The Gators were forced to count McMurtry's low 9.450 after the fall.

Florida could not find its landings on vault and had a wobbly final rotation on balance beam, with only three gymnasts scoring better than a 9.850. The Gators will get another shot at the second-ranked team in the country during the SEC championships on March 18.

They will hope to get Kennedy Baker back into the all-around by that point. Baker, who was a mainstay in the all-around the past two years, has a nagging ankle injury that has limited her to mainly bars over the last month.

Southern Utah cracks 197

The Thunderbirds cracked the 197 mark for the first time this season when they topped NC State 197.025 to 191.625 on Friday night. Southern Utah was stellar on all four events but was particularly impressive on both uneven bars and floor exercise with scores of 49.300 and 49.375, respectively. And the meet total wasn't just a season best but also a new school record.

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The Thunderbirds did not have a gymnast compete on all four events but did not have a score below 9.725 on any apparatus. They were led by a trio of 9.900s on floor from Madyson Blake-Howard, Tyly Bozzuto, and Autumn Jorgensen. Jorgensen has been a stellar freshman addition for the Thunderbirds.

Southern Utah will close the season on the road against Utah State on Friday and BYU on Monday.

Georgia nets season-high in SEC clash

The Gymdogs put up a season-best 197.325 at home against rival Alabama on Sunday. It's the second time this season that Georgia has scored above 197. The Gymdogs had a great day on floor exercise, with five scores hitting the 9.875 mark or better, highlighted by GiGi Marino's 9.950 and Rachel Dickson's 9.900.

After struggling early in the season, Georgia has had a great comeback and steadily improved and gained consistency.

Sydney Snead was also back in the lineup on floor exercise for the first time in several weeks. The Gymdogs will be hoping that Snead is back on all four events as the postseason approaches. Georgia's season does not get any easier as the Gymdogs host Utah in its season finale on Friday.