Florida just missed the 197 mark in their season opener, as both teams avoided a major mistake. Gator Ashanee Dickerson was dominant, winning VT, BB, FX and the AA (39.55). Right behind her was frosh Alaina Johnson, who won UB and posted a 39.425 in her debut.
Link: NU Release
Michigan won their opening quad, led by senior Kylee Botterman's 39.4 AA win. Botterman also won VT and BB. Teammate Sarah Curtis tied with Michigan State's Jackie Berg for the UB title. On FX, Wolverine Natalie Beilstein tied with Iowa's Rebecca Simbhudas for the win.
Link: MSU Release
MSU has released an update on Kathryn Mahoney, who injured her spine last week during training. She has been transferred out of the Neuro ICU and into a rehabilitation center closer to her home. There is an address to send cards, and an address to send a donation to her recovery expense fund.
Link: MSU Release
The season kicks off this weekend!. As always, surf over to CollegeGymFans.com. Each weekend during the season, we'll replace our feature section with our "Meet Time" collection of live links to stats, audio, commentary and more. The chat room is also open, so stop by and chat with fellow fans as you watch the meets. If you are on the go, check out our Twitter feed and get live updates as scores come in from across the country. Also, in the news section, you can subscribe to our RSS feed to get results and recaps as their posted. In the Events calendar in the Community section, we'll put a TV calendar as well as times for our Weekly chat. Here's a preview on some key meets this weekend, with a particular focus on the Top 25 teams:
Lauren Brodie, L10 from Gymnastics World in Ohio, has committed to New Hampshire. Brodie had numerous top 5 finishes in 2010, including 1st place AA finishes at the Magical Classic (1st UB), the Queen City Classic (1st UB/BB), and the Ohio state meet (1st UB).
Fans and athletes alike can benefit from checking out the new videos and scripts released online by the National Association of Women's Gymnastics Judges (NAWGJ) and the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches - Women (NACGC-W). "Armchair" judges can test their knowledge of the code, and everyone can benefit by learning more about how routines can be evaluated.
Taylor Madison, L9 from Airborne in California, has committed to Cornell for next season. Her 2010 season was highlighted by 3rd place finishes at the Spirit of the Flame (1st UB) and the Malibu Coast Meet. She finished her season at the NorCal meet, placing 9th AA (2nd UB; 3rd V).
We've brought back the strength of schedule analysis for 2011. Each year, we've calculated the relative strength of the schedule (relative schedule difficulty) for the Top 10 Teams, as determined by the Preseason Coaches' Poll. Read on to find out who has the toughest schedule.
Happy New Year!
With the season just around the corner, we'd like to add a few wishes on what we are hoping to see this season:
Sara Skammer has signed with Rutgers, according to the Times Leader newspaper. The United Sports Academy trained L10 was 11th AA at the 2009 Region VII L10 Regionals.
Ariel Martin, L10 at IGI in Illinois, has committed to Ohio State according to her CGF user profile. During the 2010 season, she finished in the top six at nearly all of her meets, including a 3rd AA (2nd V; 4th FX) finish at JO Nationals.
Mahoney is listed in serious condition following surgery to stabilize the injury to the C-6 vertebrae, which occured in practice. Per the team's Facebook page, she is set to be released from the Neuro ICU tomorrow and is sitting up and eating on her own. You can read more and send your well-wishes via the team's Facebook page, and find an address to send her cards and words of encouragement.
Alyssa Gale has been unable to overcome an injury from her club competition days. She'll retire, but remain involved with the team as a manager.
Alexis Cappalli, L10 at IGI in Illinois, has committed to North Carolina. As a first year Level 10 in 2010, she placed in the top five AA at most of her meets and picked up several individual honors, winning floor at the Sports Fest and Tampa Bay Turners meets and vault at the King Arthur meet. She placed 8th AA at her state meet (5th V/UB; 6th FX), 5th AA (2nd V) at regionals and 29th AA (14th V) at JO Nationals. Academically, she maintains a 4.6 GPA, and is a member of the National Honors Society.
Lauren Rose reportedly will graduate early and enroll in Florida for January. The L10 trains at Orlando Metro. In 2010, she placed 5th AA, 3rd UB and 4th on VT at the Region VIII L10 Regionals. She also placed 39th AA at the 2009 JO Nationals.
Link: YouTube.com Channel
Randii Wyrick, L10 at Brown's in Nevada, has committed to LSU according to her club's Facebook page. Wyrick's 2010 season highlights include wins at the Lady Luck Invite (1st AA; 1st UB) and Wine Country Classic (1st AA; 1st V) and several top 3 finishes throughout the season. She placed 3rd AA at her state meet, 4th AA (1st FX) at regionals, and 4th AA at JO Nationals.