The SEC Gymnastics Championships will take place this Saturday, May 19th, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Two sessions will take place: the first at 1:00pm CT, and the second at 5:00pm CT.

The first session will consist of the teams seeded 5-8, including No. 5 seed Georgia (196.990 RQS), No. 6 seed Arkansas (196.505 RQS), No. 7 seed Missouri (196.235 RQS), and No. 8 seed Kentucky (196.115 RQS).

The second session will be headlined by top seed Florida (197.655 RQS), joined by No. 2 seed LSU (197.555 RQS), No. 3 seed Alabama (197.325 RQS), and No. 4 seed Auburn (197.120 RQS).

The top seeded teams in each session will start on vault, with the events rotating in Olympic order. Below we’ve summarized what you can expect from this exciting conference championships.

Vault - the Perfect 10 Club

On vault, everyone will be watching the top two ranked teams in the country most closely - LSU and Georgia, ranked #1 and #2, respectively. LSU has a stacked vault lineup, with gymnasts like Ashleigh Gnat, ranked #1 in the country, who performs a double twisting Yurchenko and has two 10.0s under her belt. Sydney Ewing is also a strong performer for the team, competing a Yurchenko 1 ½ - she has gone 9.9 in the past three meets. Georgia’s two strongest vaulters are seniors Brandie Jay and Brittany Rogers, who are currently tied for 4th place nationally. Rogers is also a member of the 10.0 club on this event, and Jay has not scored below a 9.85 since the first meet of the season. Another gymnast ranked in the top 10 is Alabama’s Lauren Beers, who scored a 10.0 a few weeks ago on her Yurchenko 1 ½.

Other gymnasts to watch on this event include Florida’s Alex McMurtry, who performs a sky-high Yurchenko full. Although only valued out of a 9.95, she has scored 9.875 or above in the last six meets. Teammate Bridget Sloan is also very strong on this event and often goes for the stick on her Yurchenko full to minimize deductions. Arkansas’s Amanda Wellick puts up big numbers for the team on all four, with vault being one of her strongest. She’ll often post around a 9.9 on this event.

Bars - Florida’s Strong Suit

Florida has the strongest bar lineup in the SEC right now when looking at rankings - they’re currently sitting at #2 behind Oklahoma. The Bridget Sloan / Alex McMurtry duo is a big contributor to this. Both are currently ranked in the top five, with Sloan sitting at #3 in the nation, the highest in the SEC. Sloan has only scored below 9.9 twice on this event all season - and both scores were 9.875. McMurtry, meanwhile, has scored a 10.0 twice. Teammate Bridgette Caquatto is also great on bars - she has excellent form and has gone 9.9 or higher in the last six meets.

Apart from Florida, each other team in the SEC has one or two gymnasts ranked in the top 20. LSU will be relying on freshmen Sarah Finnegan and Lexie Priessman. Finnegan is tied for 8th place in the nation, the highest for her team, and she can be relied upon to put up those 9.9+ scores. Priessman has not competed much due to injury, but she’s capable of big numbers and scored a 9.925 in her first meet back. Myia Hambrick is also strong on bars and usually puts up high numbers for the Tigers. Georgia’s stars on this event are again Brittany Rogers and Brandie Jay, both of whom perform very difficult routines and perform them very well. For Alabama, Kiana Winston is their key performer along with Mackenzie Brannan, though bars is a weaker event for the Tide.

The Beamers

The main teams to watch on beam will be Florida, Alabama and LSU, all ranked within the top five in the nation. Florida’s clutch performers are once again Bridget Sloan and Alex McMurtry. #3 ranked McMurtry has been so solid all season, with no falls and scoring 9.9+ eight times. Sloan, ranked #6, has already scored two 10.0s this season on beam and clearly strives for that score every time she goes up.

LSU has improved tremendously on beam this year. Sarah Finnegan is their strongest competitor and the team relies on her for their highest scores. Myia Hambrick and Erin Macadaeg are also crucial for the lineup, with both capable of hitting that 9.9 mark. Gymnasts to watch for from Alabama include Aja Sims, whose season high is a 9.975. Nickie Guerrero is also counted on for putting up big numbers for the team, and Keely McNeer is super consistent on this event, having scored no lower than a 9.825 all season.

Other gymnasts to watch out for at these championships include Georgia’s Mary Beth Box, who is tied for #7 in the nation and scored 9.95 in her last two competitions, and Missouri’s Britney Ward, a standout freshman who is tied for 9th place in the rankings. Auburn’s Caitlin Atkinson, who is strong on all four, is an important contributor for the team on beam and can be counted on for the big numbers.

Floor - Another Perfect 10 Club

The SEC has five teams ranked in the top 10 on floor, with LSU at the top at #2. Florida falls just behind at #3, followed by Auburn (#6), Alabama (#8), and Georgia (#9). The battle for the event title will be a tough one. One of the top contenders is LSU’s Ashleigh Gnat, tied for 1st place in the country and with three perfect 10.0s under her belt. Another strong athlete on floor is Florida’s Bridget Sloan, who herself has a perfect 10.0 on the event which she scored last weekend. Teammate Kennedy Baker is also capable of big numbers on this event, including a 10.0 she scored earlier in the season, and she hasn’t scored below a 9.9 yet.

Other top performers include a group of seniors - Auburn’s Caitlin Atkinson, Georgia’s Mary Beth Box, and Alabama’s Lauren Beers. All three are the top performers on floor for their respective teams, and they will be relied upon to bring the energy to the rotation on Saturday.

The Conference Title - Will it be a 3-Peat?

It’s going to be a tight race to win the conference title. The most likely scenario will be a close competition between Florida, LSU and Alabama, who have all performed extremely well this season. Alabama comes in as the defending champion, having won the title in 2014 and 2015. Prior to that, Florida won in both 2012 and 2013, though they surprisingly finished in 3rd place last year. Georgia has historically won the most conference championships, but they have not clinched a title win since 2008. LSU comes in hoping to make history. The team has not won a SEC Championship title since the first competition in 1981. Meanwhile, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri have never claimed the title.

Who do you think will clinch the victory? Let us know what you think, and be sure to tune in to the SEC Championships on Saturday on ESPNU and SEC Network.


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