Kat Ding of Georgia won bars and floor to lead all athletes at the NCAA Women's Event Finals for 2012. AA champ Kytra Hunter added a title on vault, while Bama's Geralen Stack-Eaton won the beam.
Eddie Penev of Stanford won floor and tied for the Vault title with Illini Paul Ruggeri to set the pace the event finals at the 2012 Men's NCAA Championships. Cal' Glen Ishino won PH, while Illini CJ Maestas scored the win on Rings. AA champ Jake Dalton won the PH, while the 2001 champ, Michigan's Sam Mikulak, won HB.
Floor
1. Eddie Penev (Stanford) 16.1
2. Jake Dalton (OU) 15.95
3. Stacey Ervin (Mich) 15.45
PH
1. Glen Ishino (Cal) 15.6
2. Craig Hernandez (PSU) 15.35
3. Michael Newburger (OSU) 15.1
Rings
1. CJ Maestas (Ill) 15.3
2. Scott Rosenthal (PSU) 15.25
3. Jake Dalton (OU) 15.1
Vault
1. Penev and Paul Ruggeri (Ill) 15.5
3. Presten Ellsworth (OU) 15.2
Parallel Bars
1. Jake Dalton (OU) 15.25
2. Paul Ruggeri (Ill) 15.0
3. Danny Berardini (OU) and Misha Koudinov (Ohio State) 14.95
High Bar
1. Sam Mikulak (Mich) 15.45
2. Glen Ishino (Cal) 15.05
3. Jake Dalton (OU) 14.9
Link: Results
In a thrilling finish, defending National Champion Alabama edged Florida and UCLA to successfully defend their crown.
Bama started strong, posting the night's top marks on floor (49.45) and vault (49.625), highlighted by Geralen Stack-Eaton's stuck Yurchenko Layout Full (9.975). Then, on UB, perhaps their weakest event, Sarah DeMeo had a problem and small errors kept the Tide to a 49.275 tally. With UCLA already done and posting a 197.75, Bama needed a 49.425 on beam to win. Bama opened strongly with Kim Jacob hitting a 9.9. Then, DeMeo had a large break on her series. Following that small break, seniors Geralen Stack-Eaton and Ashley Priess delivered nearly flawless routines, with Priess sticking her dismount to seal the win.
Florida opened on vault with a 49.475 and then ran into issues on UB when Ashanee Dickerson fell on her Ray. But a 9.95 from Alaina Johnson and a 9.9 from Mackenzie Caquatto lifted the Gators to a 49.425 on the event. The Gators then moved to beam, where problems have derailed them in the past. But not tonight Led by Johnson's 9.925, the Gators posted a big 49.475 on the event ,setting them up for floor. They entered floor knowing they needed a 49.4 to pass UCLA. On floor, Florida kept their power under control, hitting their sets for a 49.4, slipping past UCLA -- only to be passed one routine later by Bama. All weekend long, scores above 9.9 on floor were far and few between.
UCLA started off with a 49.35 on floor and then moved to a series of stuck vaults, highlighted by Vanessa Zamarripa's 10.0. After a low dismount from Monique De La Torre, UCLA posted a 49.475 on bars, led by Zamarripa's 9.95. Then, the Bruins moved to beam, finishing the meet one round ahead of the rest of the field. After a problem from leadoff Aisha Gerber, the Bruins rebounded with solid sets until senior Ellyse Hopfner-Hibbs fell on her side aerial-back layout series. Recovering strongly, Sam Peszek closed out the meet with a 9.95, pushing UCLA to a 197.75 as Florida and Bama went to their last event.
Stanford hit their best meet of the year to post a 197.5 and finish fourth. They hit a 49.55 on vault, including a 9.975 from Ivana Hong, to pass by Utah. A few lower scores in the 5 & 6 positions kept Stanford a half step back from the leaders. Utah posted a 197.375, hitting their sets but held back by small errors and the resulting lack of 9.9 plus scores (just five, compared to 12 for Bama, 10 for UF and 11 for UCLA). Arkansas ran into problems on floor, posting a 196.3.
| Place | Team | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1 | Alabama | 49.625 | 49.275 | 49.5 | 49.45 | 197.85 |
| 2 | Florida | 49.475 | 49.425 | 49.475 | 49.4 | 197.775 |
| 3 | UCLA | 49.525 | 49.475 | 49.4 | 49.35 | 197.75 |
| 4 | Stanford | 49.55 | 49.35 | 49.325 | 49.275 | 197.5 |
| 5 | Utah | 49.4 | 49.3 | 49.35 | 49.325 | 197.375 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 49.45 | 49.175 | 49.225 | 48.45 | 196.3 |
Link: Results
Illinois won the 2012 Men's NCAA Team title on Friday night, posting a solid overall performance to defeat host OU. PSU was third.
OU was led by AA champ Jake Dalton, who was unstoppable with a 91.0 tally. Tied for 2nd at 89.7 were Michigan's Sam Mikulak and Illini CJ Maestas.
| 1 | Illinois | 358.85 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 357.45 |
| 3 | Penn State |
354.8 |
| 4 | U.C. Berkeley - California | 353. |
| 5 | Stanford |
352.65 |
| 6 | Michigan | 351.05 |
Link: Results
Alabama edged Florida to take the evening session of the NCAA Women's Preliminaries. Bama opened the meet with a huge 49.6 on beam and then battled back and forth with Florida all night long. A 49.4 on bars was enough to pass Florida, who managed a 49.275 on floor after a few small stumbles. The Gators tied or outscored Bama on every event but Beam. But solid 49.4 scores on vault and bars to close out the meet was just enough to edge the Gators, and set up a battle for the title tomorrow night.
Arkansas took third, fueled by the return of key gymnasts back from injury. After encountering an early fall on their last event, their two stars Jaime Pisani and Katherine Grable hit for 9.95s to close out the event. They were helped along by two counting falls on beam by UGA. The GymDogs finished fifth, just behind Ohio State in fourth. If not for the two falls, UGA would have challenged Bama and UF for the session win. Ohio State came back with solid performances after opening on their weakest event, uneven bars. Oregon State was just behind UGA with a 196.475, after a slow start caused by a few problems on floor.
In the AA race, Florida frosh Kytra Hunter was unstoppable, posting a 39.725 for the win. In second was senior Kat Ding of UGA (39.65), just ahead of Arkansas senior Jaime Pisani (39.625).
The results set up a Pac-12 vs. SEC showdown in the finals, with three squads from each conference battling it out.
Link: Results
UCLA, Utah and Stanford advanced out of Session I of the NCAA Preliminaries, making it an excellent afternoon for the Pac 12 squads. UCLA powered to a 197.4 to win the session, despite noncounting mistakes from stars Samantha Peszek (overcooked her closing double pike on FX) and Vanessa Zamarripa (Fall on BB). Utah used an explosive vault rotation (meet high 49.525) to take second in the session. Frosh Kassandra Lopez wavered on her punch front on BB but held on to post a solid score, after Senior Kyndal Robarts wavered in her set.
Stanford worked through a few wavers on floor to start, powering through vault, bars and beam to pass by OU. With the pressure on, the Cardinal posted a meet-high 49.375 to pass by OU. Favored OU and NU showed signs of the impact of their injuries, coming up short. OU lagged on vault, while NU battled wobbles on BB. LSU started slowly on their weakest event, UB, but closed out strongly.
LSU frosh Reaghan Courville posted the session's highest AA score, a 39.475. Utah's Stephanie McAllister was 2nd, while teammate Corrie Lothrop tied with NU frosh Jessie DeZiel for third.
| 1 | UCLA | 197.4 |
| 2 | Utah | 197.2 |
| 3 | Stanford | 197.125 |
| 4 | OU | 196.925 |
| 5 | NU | 196.625 |
| 6 | LSU | 196.55 |
(Based on unofficial results)
Link: Results
Illinois edged Oklahoma for the top spot in the evening session at the Men's NCAA Championships. Cal claimed the third spot. They will be joined by Michigan, PSU and Stanford in the finals.
| FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | Total | |
| Illinois | 59.50 | 58.80 | 58.15 | 59.55 | 60.15 | 60.10 | 356.25 |
| Oklahoma | 60.15 | 59.10 | 59.25 | 59.50 | 60.05 | 57.55 | 356.20 |
| California | 59.15 | 56.50 | 56.50 | 59.70 | 59.45 | 59.85 | 351.15 |
| Minnesota | 57.20 | 55.05 | 56.75 | 59.75 | 58.45 | 56.15 | 343.35 |
| Temple | 57.30 | 56.20 | 55.85 | 58.15 | 56.30 | 55.55 | 339.45 |
| Air Force | 56.35 | 56.10 | 53.15 | 57.35 | 56.40 | 54.40 | 333.75 |
Cal's Dennis Mannhart posted the top AA score for the round with an 85.55.
Link: OU Release
The AAI Award is issued to the nation's top female senior gymnast.
Here are the unofficial results from the preliminary Session 1 at the Men's NCAA Championships in Norman:
| 1 | Univ. Of Michigan | 353.45 |
| 2 | Penn State Univ. | 353 |
| 3 | Stanford Univ. | 348.5 |
| 4 | Ohio State Univ. | 345.35 |
| 5 | Univ. Of Nebraska | 340.55 |
| 6 | Univ. Of Iowa | 336.65 |
Michigan's Sam Mikulak was the top AAer in Session I, posting an 89.3.
Link: Results
Illinois gymnast Paul Ruggeri has been awarded this year's Nissen-Emery Award. The award, sometimes reffered to as the gymnastics equivalent of the Heismman Trophy, is awarded to the country's top senior male gymnast.
Kiersten Graber has signed with Washington, according to a school release. The early graduate's commit was covered in a prior news item.
Link: UW Release
As previously reported at the site, Pitt has announced the signing of Jacqueline Lucci and Maebelle Pacheco.
Link: Pitt Release
Brooke Graham, L10 from National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics in Oregon, has committed to Boise State. In her first season as a level 10, she placed 2nd AA at the MAC Open and recently placed 3rd AA at her regional meet.
Alexa Okamura, L10 from Gym East in Washington, will join the Seattle Pacific team this fall. This season she placed 1st on beam at the Charity Choice and Battle in Seattle and 1st on floor at the Seattle Invitational. She recently placed 2nd on beam at her state meet. She qualified to the 2011 JOs and she was an L9 Western qualifier in 2009 and 2010.
Jordan Widener, L10 from Leading Edge Gymnastics in Washington, will sign with Cal and join the team this fall. The three-time JO qualifier won this season's Seattle Open (1st AA, 1st V) and placed 2nd AA (1st FX) at her regional meet last weekend.
The fields are set for the 2012 Women's NCAA Championships in Duluth, GA. Located outside of Atlanta, the site will be filled with UGA devotees (and other fans, especially from the SEC), rooting for the 12 teams that will battle it out for the coveted spots in the Super Six Finals. #1 Florida (and 7 others) will be looking to break into the exclusive club of four squads that have ever won an NCAA Team title: Alabama, Georgia, UCLA and Utah.