College gymnastics Week 4 preview: Perfect 10 floodgates have been opened, last men’s Winter Cup qualifier
The longest month of the year is winding down, but college gymnastics is just heating up. With the 10 floodgates open and the men vying for the last qualifying spots to Winter Cup, there are plenty of storylines to follow this weekend.
College gymnastics schedules & scores
Latest college gymnastics rankings
Fierce Friday slate
Friday will see a slew of the top women’s teams compete, making for hours of must-see TV. Here are the top meets to follow:
- #13 Georgia vs. #3 Florida
- #4 Michigan State vs. #14 Ohio State
- #22 NC State vs. #23 North Carolina
- #2 LSU vs. #17 Arkansas
- #9 Oregon State vs. #12 Auburn
- #1 Oklahoma vs. #10 Alabama
Best of the Rest
What other meets should you watch this weekend? Well, while there is no shortage of options (see the full schedule and how to watch here), here are our recommendations.
Saturday
No. 26 Illinois travels to face new Big Ten opponent No. 8 UCLA on Saturday evening. It’s the Bruins’ home opener, and they’re offering 1,000 tickets to those impacted by the California wildfires.
Jordan Chiles is coming off a perfect 10 on bars against Maryland last weekend and her first all-around appearance. She’s bound to bring the heat on floor in front of the crowd at Pauley, so keep an eye there for another potential 10.
| Saturday, January 25 |
| 5:00 pm | Illinois @ UCLA – Live Stats | Video (BIG+) |
No. 6 Kentucky will face No. 11 Missouri to close the weekend slate.
Although still looking for their first 197 of the season, the Tigers are coming off a momentum building meet against Oklahoma. They posted their best score so far with a 196.750, and Helen Hu earned the first perfect 10 in the country this season with her flawless set on beam. Another gymnast on 10 watch: Jocelyn Moore on vault. She owns the highest score on vault this season with a 9.975.
Kentucky earned its first 197 of the season in an impressive 197.300-196.100 win over Alabama last weekend. The team’s depth was on display, with four gymnasts taking home individual titles. Washington transfer Skylar Killough-Wilhelm has had an immediate impact and tied for the bars (9.925) title against Alabama.
| Sunday, January 26 |
| 6:00 pm | Kentucky @ Missouri – Live Stats | Video (SEC) |
Final opportunity for Winter Cup qualifying at Stanford Open, Illinois travels to Oklahoma
The Stanford Open is the final Winter Cup qualifier ahead of the February elite meet, which is set for February 21-23. It will also see California, Ohio State, and the Cardinal face off.
| Saturday, January 25 |
The top two (2) non-qualified all-around athletes from each of the four (4) designated qualifier events will qualify to the USA Gymnastics meet. After all qualifying meets, the next three (3) all-around athletes from the combined rank order all-around results from all four Winter Cup qualifier events who are not already qualified will earn spots. In addition, there are other ways athletes can qualify for the meet. See below for the pre-qualified athletes and other qualification and entry procedures.
Last week, Windy City and the Rocky Mountain Open saw four men book their tickets to Louisville. Illinois’ Sam Phillips and club gymnast Sasha Bogonosiuk earned the all-around spots at Windy City. Air Force’s Erich Upton and Nebraska’s Alex Nitache earned the berths from the Rocky Mountain Open.
Illinois travels to Oklahoma for a battle between two NCAA powerhouses. The Illini are coming off an impressive 321.700-316.600 win over Michigan, and Oklahoma put up a 327.200 in a narrow loss to Stanford (328.850) at Rocky Mountain.
| Saturday, January 25 |
| 7:00 pm | Illinois @ Oklahoma – Live Stats | Video (ESPN+) |
