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Stanford Gymnastics - stan01 - 03-23-2012

Any gymnastics fans? 

The Pac 12 Gymnastics Championships will take place Saturday at 6pm PT in Salt Lake City.  Stanford is ranked 11th nationally and forth in the conference, behind UCLA, host Utah and Oregon State.  Back in February, Stanford lost at Utah by two tenths of a point, when our last gymnast fell off the beam while 14,000 spectators were loudly booing the score of a Utah gymnast. 

While this year's team is young and not expected to win, it features beautiful and varied gymnastics, and talent that represented the US, Canada, Australia, England and the Czech Republic at the Olympics and Worlds.  Last year's team looked ready for nationals in January and burned out by March, not even qualifying.  This year's team has been smartly paced to assure that the girls avoid injury and peak in the post season. 

The competition will be tape delayed (a sure way to kill the sport), but Stanford will upload its routines almost immediately on Stanford Women's Gymnastics Facebook page. 


Here are a couple of my favorite routines:
Nicole Pechanec on bars (with a release she invented, the "Pechancova"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWtJ0ARCMh0

Nicole Pechanec on floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hThGUkMCSk

Ivana Hong on floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ1jGpq5OcE


Re: Stanford Gymnastics - akiddoc - 03-23-2012

I follow men's gymnastics. Women aren't that good anymore. Men having a down year.

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - fullmetal - 03-23-2012

Is gymnastic success largely predicated on recruiting?

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - stan01 - 03-24-2012

Not necessarily.  Some of the most successful NCAA gymnasts were recruited from level 10 gymnastics (below the elite level required for representing the United States in international competitions), had clean, consistent, albeit less difficult gymnastics, and arrived at college with less injuries.  Arkansas' Jaime Pisani, who leads the country in the all-around, was a level 10 gymnast with moderate success.  The most successful NCAA gymnast in history, Georgia's Courtney Kupets, was a world champion on bars for the US. 

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - akiddoc - 03-24-2012

In general though, recruiting is incredibly important. Just like any other sport.

On the women's side, collegiate gymnastics is seldom at the highest level. Girls usually peak between 16 and 18. (Or even 14 or 15. Therefore, the controversy over age limits and the Olympics.) Occasionally, Olympians are 19 to 21. Once a young woman's body fully matures, it becomes incredibly difficult to do the highest level routines. Only those few blessed with a specific body type can do international level gymnastics in their 20's. The time required to do Olympic level routines is ridiculous. We're talking 40 hours a week. Not enough time in college. The best recruiting grounds for collegiate teams are between the high level 10 and lower echelon senior national team level. These kids realize that they are not going to get to the Olympics, but they can leverage their skills onto a collegiate team. There is a fair amount of attrition during college. On rare occasions, you might see a collegiate gymnast go to the Olympics, but more likely it is an older gymnast who is going to college but training with a club team.

On the men's side, most Olympians are 21 to 26. There are only 17 D1A teams, and most of the best 18 to 21 year old gymnasts in the nation are on the best collegiate teams. Nine of those teams have the majority of the top guys. Including Stanford and The School near Oakland. The scores for most teams are down this year. Probably some guys taking a year off from school to try to get to the Olympics. Stanford lost a really top group of gymnasts to graduation last June.

There aren't that many boys in age group gymnastics in the US. Northern California, which is its own state for gymnastics purposes, has about 200 level 4 male gymnasts, 160 level 5 gymnasts, 70 level 6 gymnasts, 50 level 7 gymnasts, 45 level 8's, 50 level 9's, and 50 level 10 gymnasts. Steep pyramid. Training is really hard, injuries are many, bodies change in puberty, and social sacrifices have to be made. No money and no glory.

The boy's state championships are this weekend in Berkeley, by the way. My son is competing tomorrow.

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - Nan3cy - 03-24-2012

Best of luck to your son, Akiddoc!  :)

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - stan01 - 03-24-2012

Stanford is leading after two events, scoring season highs on beam (five 9.9s!) and floor.  Routines can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/user/StanfordGymnastics12?feature=mhee
Live scoring is here: http://utahutes.cstv.com/livestats/gym/gym_stats_2.html

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - stan01 - 03-24-2012

Well, it was nice while it lasted.  After three rotations (all with season highs), Stanford was leading UCLA by over .3 and going into its statistically best event, uneven bars, while UCLA was on beam.  A freshman fell, then a senior fell, then our anchor stumbled on her landing, and the team placed forth.  Even so, the team improved its season best by a mile and showed it has the potential to score a 197.45.  Regionals are in two weeks and now none wants 11th ranked Stanford in their regional.



Re: Stanford Gymnastics - akiddoc - 03-25-2012

I guess the good luck wish worked. 1st place, level 6, 12 and up, Northern California State Champion. Sounds better than it is, since he should have been in level 7 this year. Too many injuries last year prevented him from being ready for 7 this year. (Guess where the meet was held. That is him on the parallel bars today.) (If you can't see the photo, you are not logged in.)

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Speaking of "older" female competitors - akiddoc - 04-05-2012

Shawn Johnson trying to make the Olympic team at 20.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/7780204/johnson-takes-us-training-camp

Re: Speaking of "older" female competitors - stan01 - 04-06-2012

(04-05-2012, 11:08 PM)akiddoc link Wrote:Shawn Johnson trying to make the Olympic team at 20.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/7780204/johnson-takes-us-training-camp

With only five (down from six) spots on the US Olympic team, the competition is going to be tough and Shawn has not been receiving the international assignments that Marta Karolyi uses to aid in the selection.  Elsewhere in the world, 24 year old triple Olympic champion Catalina Ponor of Romania is a shoe in for her team, and 23 year old Olympic champion Cheng Fei is a long shot to make China's team. 

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - stan01 - 04-06-2012

Back on topic: Stanford women's gymnastics is headed to the Champaign Regional to compete against Oklahoma, Denver, host Illinois, Kentucky, and Illinois-Chicago.  The top two teams qualify to nationals. 

I am particularly excited about this meet because, for the first time ever in the history of the sport, the live internet broadcast will allow fans to choose which event to watch.  Imagine if gymnastics and track and field offered that option at the Olympics, you would never miss your favorite athlete or event again.

Broadcast: http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=313973
Vault: http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=313978
Uneven Bars: http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=313977
Balance Beam: http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=313974
Floor Exercise: http://ulive.cbssports.com/index-ncaa.html?media=313976
Live Scoring: http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/w-gym/livestats.html

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - akiddoc - 04-07-2012

What day is the meet?

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - Leftcoast - 04-07-2012

Congrats Akkidoc - it's no small task to raise a son (or daughter) with the kind of dedication required to succeed at a sport like gymnastics.  Were you a gymnast as well?

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - stan01 - 04-07-2012

[quote author=akiddoc link=topic=5742.msg42730#msg42730 date=1333782459]
What day is the meet?
[/quote

The meet is today (Saturday) at 2pm Pacific.  Go Card!

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - Spiny_Norman - 04-07-2012

Looks like Stanford finished 2nd to Oklahoma and has advanced to the NCAA championship meet.

http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/w-gym/livestats.html

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - fullmetal - 04-07-2012

Are those considered slim margins...?  Congrats to the team!  Here's hoping for a post-season peak!

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - stan01 - 04-07-2012

Not a slim margin.  Thankfully we did not have to count a fall.  Going into the last rotation, we were in second place and around .6 ahead of host Illinois.  However, we were headed to beam, while Illinois was on floor.  It's a lot easier to mess up beam.  After our second gymnast, Nicole Pechanec, fell, the rest of the lineup felt the pressure to hit to make sure we would advance (6 up, 5 scores count).  The girls hit beautifully and opened up a brobdingnagian lead over Illinois.

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/w-gym/recaps/040712aaa.html

Nationals are in two weeks in Duluth, Georgia.  The top 12 teams all advanced: Florida, UCLA, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Utah, Nebraska, Oregon State, Arkansas, Stanford, Ohio State and LSU.  Washington was one beam fall away from edging LSU. 

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - akiddoc - 04-07-2012

Stanford men came second in MPSF championship. Stanford is ranked 3rd in the NCAA, Oklahoma 2nd. Unfortunately, we lost decisively. Cal was 3rd, far behind Stanford. On to NCAA's.

Re: Stanford Gymnastics - akiddoc - 04-07-2012

In reply to Leftcoast: No, I was not a gymnast. Way too hard a sport for me. I was a lousy competitive swimmer. I did win intramural weightlifting one year at Stanford for 67.5 kg weight class. One of my friends on the gymnastics team took me to the gym to try the rings since I thought I was strong. I never recovered properly from that experience.

It's hard to explain how demanding it is, even for young kids. I've been ambivalent about the sacrifices my son has had to make, but he loves the sport. 18 hours of training per week for level 7 and 8 guys. 14 hours for level 5 and 6. 20 hours for level 9 and 10. Constant little injuries. Occasional big injuries. He has a t-shirt that says "if gymnastics was easier, they would have to call it football."