2021 #NCAAMGym Conference Championships Preview
The 2021 regular season came to a close this past week. In any other year, this would be an unsurprising statement, but the past 12+ months have been challenging for everyone and NCAA Men’s Gymnastics has been no exception. Following the onset of the pandemic, the 2019 season was cancelled, robbing a class of seniors the opportunity to compete at the highest level once more. The outlook got bleaker as three schools announced that they would be dropping their programs following the conclusion of one more season.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 season kicked off in January and took a relatively smooth course, thanks to the help of stringent safety protocols and Virtius. There were bumps along the way, including a two week pause on athletic activities at Michigan and recent issues sidelining Navy for the past few weeks. None of these were enough to halt the season and additional great news has recently arrived; William & Mary announcing the reinstatement of their program. The 2021 conference championship weekend is now here, our first since 2019 and sure to be just as exciting as we remember.
B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS (LINCOLN, NE)
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (2019 FINISH: 2ND)
What’s going for them: History. Every year, no matter their regular season performance, Illinois almost always seems to find themselves in the top three at Big Ten Championships. Before their 2019 second place finish, they took the title in 2018. It seems foolish at this point to count this team out in April.
What’s going against them: Injuries. The Illini entered the season with one of the more talented rosters in the Big Ten. They now head into the postseason with two of their best gymnasts on the sideline as Justin Spring is forced to reach deep into his roster for options. Since Clay Stephens went down in January, Hamish Carter stepped up in a big way. Now Carter’s status is in doubt as well.
X-Factor gymnast: Michael Fletcher. With Carter and Stephens likely out, the third star will need to step up and carry much of the workload. Fletcher will compete on all six events and set the tone for this young team. Illinois’ performance will likely hinge on whether or not he can compete on the same level as some of the other top talent in the Big Ten.
X-Factor event: Rings. This event is arguably the weakest it has ever been in recent memory across the NCAA. Fortunately for Illinois, they have the potential to beat the other teams in the Big Ten outside of Michigan on this rotation by a sizable margin. Danny Graham will surely have podium potential here for the Illini.
IOWA HAWKEYES (2019 FINISH: 7TH)
What’s going for them: A trio of all-arounders. Bennet Huang, Evan Davis, and Stewart Brown have been putting up impressive six event performances in 2021. The three of them will likely compete all-around once again and fill out the majority of Iowa’s lineups. If they compete at their full potential, they will have put their team in great shape for a top three finish.
What’s going against them: Postseason woes. Iowa has been excellent during the regular season the past few years but seem to run out of steam by the time championships roll around. Despite a share of the Big Ten regular season title in 2019, they failed to convert at championships and finished seventh.
X-Factor gymnast: James Friedman. With just three gymnasts carrying the bulk of the workload, little has been said about the rest of this team. It has been Friedman behind the trio making up the next largest portion of the lineups. He will compete up to four events and be a key cog in Iowa’s plan for Saturday.
X-Factor event: Vault. Behind Stewart Brown, Iowa is capable of scoring as high as 72+ on this event. If they are able to execute one of their better rotations, they can gain a substantial advantage over the rest of the field.
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (2019 FINISH: 3RD)
What’s going for them: Paul Juda. The sophomore standout has been spectacular this year and outside of Brody Malone’s fantastic week 11 performance, no one has come close to matching Juda this year. He has the ability to score above the 14 mark on every single event and will pace this Michigan team on Saturday night.
What’s going against them: Pressure. Michigan has been untouchable this year and their 6-0 Big Ten regular season record proves that. They are the heavy favorite to win this competition. This combined with the fact that Michigan has not won Big Ten Championships since 2014 can make for a heavy burden even for the best of teams.
X-Factor gymnast: Jacob Moore. The aforementioned Juda, along with Cameron Bock, have carried the bulk of the workload for their team this year. They will likely be joined by Moore in a deeper role for Big Ten Championships. The senior has been quiet this year but a big performance from him could all but seal the victory for the Wolverines.
X-Factor event: Pommel horse. If they hit five routines, no one else in the competition will be able touch Michigan on this event. Anything can happen on pommel horse however, and if one of the other six teams wants to find an opening, they will have to hope the Wolverines run into issues in this rotation.
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (2019 FINISH: 5TH)
What’s going for them: The return of Shane Wiskus. The olympic hopeful has been away from campus for much of the year, training in Colorado to prepare for a Tokyo bid. Wiskus is expected to return to his team to compete this weekend and may have the highest ceiling of any single competitor in the competition. It is not a reach to say that he could add as many as 10+ points to Minnesota’s team total.
What’s going against them: Pommel horse. The Gophers have struggled mightily on this event this year and it could hold them back on Saturday. The return of Wiskus is helpful, but given that this is arguably his worst event, the returns may not be as great here as they will be on the other five.
X-Factor gymnast: Mike Moran. Moran has carried a heavy burden this year, competing all around in all but one meet. He will need to put up big scores on floor, pommel horse, and rings to keep this team in the running.
X-Factor event: Floor. Minnesota has almost always found themselves as one of the best on this event for the past ten years. Strangely, they have struggled in 2021 and are ranked tenth in the nation heading into postseason. If we see some reversion to the mean, the Gophers may be a better team than we have seen on paper thus far this year.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (2019 FINISH: 4TH)
What’s going for them: Consistency. Nebraska had an incredibly solid regular season, never dipping below the 400 mark even once and ranking in the top six in the country on every single event. This trend should continue into the weekend as the Huskers battle for a top three spot in the Big Ten.
What’s going against them: Injuries. Unlike Illinois’ in season injuries, Nebraska is still feeling the pain from previous years. Star performers have been limited in 2021; Khalil Young has yet to compete on high bar and Griffin Kehler has not been in the floor lineup. Just a few routines can add up in the end and missing these big sets has been hurting this team.
X-Factor gymnast: Taylor Christopulos. The freshman had a standout regular season and captured Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Postseason can have an entirely different feel and the pressure will be on Christopulos to continue producing in his biggest competition thus far.
X-Factor event: Parallel bars. While this has been one of their worse events this year, heading into Big Tens with a sixth place ranking in the country, the potential is there. Nebraska can be great on p bars and a well executed rotation will go a long way for them on Saturday.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (2019 FINISH: 6TH)
What’s going for them: Jesse Tyndall. The Canada native has emerged this year as the leader of this Buckeye team. Tyndall has cracked the 80 mark in the all-around twice and emerged as one of the top gymnasts in the Big Ten on floor, p bars, and high bar. Expect more of the same from him as he paces this team and builds on their successful regular season.
What’s going against them: A tough finish. Ohio State has not competed since March 17th when Michigan beat them handily and they were unable to crack the 400 mark. Hopefully they are able to wipe the slate clean and start fresh at Big Ten Championships.
X-Factor gymnast: Justin Ah Chow. Ah Chow has massive potential. He did not have a bad regular season by any means, but it was certainly not indicative of what he is capable of. The Georgia native will be relied on heavily on Saturday and his performance should foreshadow Ohio State’s final finish as a team.
X-Factor event: High bar. By far their worst event this year, the Buckeyes head into postseason with a ninth place rank on High Bar. The potential is there, however, and they are capable of changing this narrative. The aforementioned Tyndall will set the tone on this rotation.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (2019 FINISH: 1ST)
What’s going for them: Freshman talent. Behind a loaded freshman class, Penn State has one of the highest ceilings of anyone in the field. Michael Jaroh and Matt Cormier will be counted on heavily to lift this team on Saturday. If they do their job, the Nittany Lions will find themselves in a good spot at the end of the night.
What’s going against them: A rough regular season. Randy Jepson’s young team had a disappointing regular season. They were handed some tough losses to Big Ten teams and only broke the 400 mark four times. There is concern that February and March woes could carry into championships.
X-Factor gymnast: Andres Perez Gines. Gines has huge potential on pommel horse and even more on parallel bars and high bar. If he can set the tone on these three events, Penn State could surprise a lot of people this weekend.
X-Factor event: Pommel Horse. Penn State’s sixth place ranking on this event does not do their massive potential justice. Nick Mock and Jack Baldwin both have podium potential and the rest of the lineup can put up great scores as well. If the Nittany Lions can reach their ceiling on Pommel Horse, they could quite easily be one of the best in the Big Ten on this event.
Predictions:
ECAC CHAMPIONSHIPS (WEST POINT, NY)
ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS (2019 FINISH: 2ND)
What’s going for them: A strong showing against Stanford without the help of standout, Mathew Davis, shows that Army can keep their head above water in the ECAC. The hopeful return of Davis will increase Army’s chance of challenging William & Mary and Navy who currently sit atop the ECAC standings. One other factor that Army has going for them this year is that they have managed to compete more than any other team in the ECAC this year. That competitive experience, especially for their freshman, could prove consequential at ECAC championships.
What’s going against them: A difficult series of quarantines impacting various team members throughout the season has forced Army to handle adversity that wouldn’t be present in any other year. The most recent quarantine of their superstar, Mathew Davis, has kept him out of the gym for at least 10 days in the month leading up to ECAC’s. Army will need Davis in the lineup and at his best if they want any chance at challenging for the top spot in the conference.
X-Factor gymnast: Mathew Davis. Davis has been the backbone of this Army team for the past three years. He’s the best gymnast to come through Army since Nissen-Emery Award winner, Jesse Glenn and he will have to pull off Nissen-Emery worthy heroics in order to launch Army over ECAC foes William & Mary and Navy. Without Davis at his best, Army will undoubtedly be relegated to the bottom half of the ECAC.
X-Factor event: Parallel bars. A typically weak event for Army, p bars has been a relatively strong apparatus this season. Army is currently ranked 14th in the country on this event and will need to show their full potential there to challenge for a top spot in the conference. A strong parallel bars performance for Army could propel them to a 2nd place finish at ECAC Championships.
NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (2019 FINISH: 1ST)
What’s going for them: Navy is the deepest and most talented team in the ECAC by far and is ranked top ten in the country on four events. Their season high score is 13 points higher than what any other team in the ECAC has put up this year. This Navy team is poised to take home the ECAC crown even if they are not in peak form. Navy has myriad multiple event guys who can fill in extremely competent routines if they are in a situation in which some of their top athletes are unable to compete.
What’s going against them: A series of quarantines and canceled meets. Navy hasn’t competed in over a month and has practiced sparsely in that time. If Navy can overcome their COVID related adversity, they will easily take home the ECAC title. As of right now, only Kip Simons and his team know where they stand in terms of ability to continue their ECAC championship winning streak.
X-Factor gymnast: Travis Keller. Keller has been a consistent performer for Navy over the past four years and brings a wealth of experience and talent. He has put in upgrades on floor, vault, and parallel bars this year even with the lack of training due to COVID and has been a star for the Midshipmen. A strong showing from Keller will likely be indicative of a strong Navy performance.
X-Factor event: High Bar. Navy has been pushing big high bar routines over the last few years and now has a lineup filled with high value releases and upgraded start values. They are currently ranked 11th on the event and if they are able to hit high bar cleanly, they will be in a good position to break through the 400 barrier and blow the rest of the ECAC out of the water. However, William & Mary also has a strong high bar lineup. If the Tribe have a strong day on high bar and the Midshipmen falter on the event, it is possible for William & Mary to take home the ECAC title over Navy.
SPRINGFIELD PRIDE (2019 FINISH: 4TH)
What’s going for them: Springfield College had a slow start to the season, but since their debut, the Pride have had a consistent slate of competitions against some extremely formidable foes, including reigning national champion Stanford. The consistent competitive experience this year will help make this young Springfield team feel more comfortable in a contest against teams that have not had as much consistency since opening their season.
What’s going against them: The Pride are a very young squad and will rely on Freshman talent and underclassman leadership to challenge the top of the ECAC. Lower start values than the rest of the conference will also hamper the chance that Springfield has at claiming a spot on the podium.
X-Factor gymnast: Dominic Ramalho. Ramalho has been a stalwart in the lineup for Matt Davis since he got to campus. Ramalho is a consistent all-arounder who has yet to compete at a championship event due to COVID but is poised to make some noise this year. He will need to be on top of his game at ECACs if the Pride want any shot at even rounding out the top three in the conference.
X-Factor event: Pommel Horse. Matt Davis has done an incredible job recruiting pommel horse talent over the last couple of years and now has an extremely competent group of swingers to lift his team on the event. Freshman, Colton O’Brien, will need to be at his best and the rest of the horse lineup will need to have strong showings in order for the Pride to make a splash at the conference championship.
WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (2019 FINISH: 3RD)
What’s going for them: Consistent performances throughout the year. William & Mary has scored between a 380 and 385 in nearly all of their contests this year. With this in mind, we have a pretty good understanding of how Mike Powell’s Tribe will do come championships. Scoring in the low to mid 380s gives William & Mary a pretty clear second spot in the conference, as Navy’s lowest scores are in that range and neither Army nor Springfield has broken the 380 mark.
What’s going against them: A year of distractions. William & Mary’s former Athletic Director announced last summer that the university would be dropping the men’s gymnastics team at the end of this season. Since that moment, the entire William & Mary men’s gymnastics community has been hellbent on reinstating the program and were able to do so. The amount of time and effort put into saving Tribe gymnastics was clearly necessary and it was an extremely successful effort but might’ve taken away from some of the time that would have otherwise been spent on helping this year’s team reach its potential.
X-Factor gymnast: Andrew Lyubovsky. Lyubovsky is an extremely talented all arounder with huge routines on parallel bars and high bar. He will need to hit at his best with his full start values in order for the Tribe to have any shot at taking down Navy.
X-Factor event: High bar. Head Coach Mike Powell loves high bar. His team is really good on this event and if they can hit their routines, they can easily challenge the best of the best in the ECAC. The only problem is that high bar can be an inconsistent event, especially when athletes are tired at the end of a meet. If William & Mary can put it together and have the rotation that they are capable of, they might be able to break into the higher 380s, which will put them within a stone’s throw of Navy.
Predictions:
MPSF CHAMPIONSHIPS (AIR FORCE ACADEMY, CO)
AIR FORCE FALCONS (2019 FINISH: 4TH)
What’s going for them: Frankie Valentin. Valentin looks to be hitting his stride as we head into the postseason. In Air Force’s last competition, he led the Falcons on three events. Hopefully Valentin can use his upperclassmen experience to rally his team for a strong performance in the conference championship.
What’s going against them: Consistency. The Falcons haven’t been able to put together a consistent competition all year which has landed them last in the MPSF. A big contributor to this is that they haven’t been able to find their one event where the whole lineup executes. Air Force has some strong talent and routines, but their lack of execution is holding them back.
X-Factor gymnast: Garrett Braunton. Braunton was one of the top recruits of this year's freshman class, but we’ve only seen glimpses of greatness from him a few times. He has the potential to significantly help the Falcons, and he will need a strong competition if the team wants to make a run at Cal this weekend.
X-Factor event: Parallel Bars. The Falcons have posted a 67.00 this year on parallel bars and will be looking to do this again to offset some of their worse events like floor and pommel horse.
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (2019 FINISH: 3RD)
What’s going for them: They are on the up. Cal started the season in the low 380s, made their way to the mid 380s, and now have been near or above the 390 mark in their past two competitions. They will be looking to up this mark this weekend to ensure Air Force doesn’t pass them in the competition.
What’s going against them: Slow improvement. It has taken the Golden Bears all year to reach the 390 mark. Because of this, it’s hard to say whether they can show that much more improvement in the postseason. On top of that, their scores have been much lower than last year where they were pushing close to the 400 mark.
X-Factor gymnast: Yu-Chen Lee. Lee has been a consistent five event man for Cal all season making him their most valuable asset. Lee needs to execute his strongest events (floor and parallel bars) if Cal wants to push for that mid-high 390 mark.
X-Factor event: Pommel Horse. Cal has a high score of a 64.70 on the event. A score of this caliber will significantly help their team score because they are only averaging a 62.694 on the season. Pommel horse could be a potential 2-point swing for the Golden Bears.
OKLAHOMA SOONERS (2019 FINISH: 1ST)
What’s going for them: The OU style. Clean hit routines is what OU has been doing for years, and they are doing it again this season. It is rare to watch the Sooners compete and see more than one to two falls. Many teams get jittery and have uncharacteristic falls in the postseason, but you can bet that OU won’t fall into this trap.
What’s going against them: Stanford. The Sooners faced off against the Cardinal at home a few weeks back and tied them. A problem OU discovered from this competition is that the Cardinal tied them with more than a handful of falls while the Sooners only counted a couple of missed sets. OU’s difficulty does not rival Stanford’s and it can pose a huge problem if Stanford has a consistent competition.
X-Factor gymnast: Gage Dyer. Dyer is arguably the best floor and vault man in the NCAA, if not the whole country. He has the chance to put up two scores for the Sooners in the high 14s or low 15s which will give OU some dangerous energy as they take on the Cardinal.
X-Factor event: Floor. OU has been consistently scoring in the 70+ range and this is where they can gain the most ground on Stanford. In their first match-up, floor helped OU gain a two point lead on Stanford early on in the meet which gave them the upperhand for most of the competition.
STANFORD CARDINAL (2019 FINISH: 2ND)
What’s going for them: Talent. For starters, the Cardinal have Brody Malone. His 86.50 this past weekend didn’t just turn the heads of the NCAA but probably USA Gymnastics as a strong candidate for Tokyo. Right behind Malone are Brandon Briones and Riley Loos, who have also shown strong contributions in the all around. Stanford doesn’t just have the big all around hitters, but some of the top specialists in the NCAA including Blake Sun, Curran Phillips and Brandon Nguyen. Coach Glielmi has his hands full of talent and you can guarantee that he will put out a roster that the Cardinal can trust to hit whether some of the big hitters are in the lineup or not.
What’s going against them: A late start. Stanford has only been training as a whole team for about a month and a half now after their late arrival to campus due to COVID restrictions. As a result, their consistency has not been to par of what we usually see from the Cardinal. Stanford has been displaying some big gymnastics, but if they can’t hit, it won’t be of much value against a consistent team like OU.
X-Factor gymnast: Brandon Briones. The talented sophomore is packed with power, difficulty, and an international look which convinces everyone that gymnastics is easy. Briones has been overlooked this year with Brody Malone and Riley Loos leading the way, but on a good day, he can challenge or pass up either one of them.
X-Factor event: Parallel Bars. The Cardinal have the potential to put up a line-up with five routines all starting close to a 16.00. If they properly execute, they can push a potential 71-72 on the event. If Stanford does this, the Sooners chances of winning the MPSF title will quickly diminish.
Predictions:
Contributions from Bailey Perez, Max Soifer, and Ben Cooperman.