2021 NCAA Championships Preview
Two years ago we saw Stanford pull off the improbable, upsetting Oklahoma to take the 2019 NCAA title, putting an end to an era of dominance and ushering in a new one. The road to the 2021 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota since then has been anything but smooth for Stanford and the rest of the country. The 2020 season was cut short by the pandemic and has lingered into the current year, causing interruptions in scheduling and sidelining athletes from training and competing.
After a tumultuous start to the year for Stanford that included a multitude of pandemic related challenges, their newfound dynasty is now threatened by an always steady Sooner team and a surging Wolverine program. The 2021 NCAA Championships will likely be a close battle between these three teams at the top with Oklahoma and Michigan looking to dethrone the Cardinal. We will also see a new face in William & Mary, who qualified as a team this year after a terrific season. Read on below for an overview of the twelve teams, predictions, and a list of the individual qualifiers.
Schedule & How to Watch: (CT time zone)
Friday, April 15
Session 1 @ 1:00PM on BTN+ for FREE
Session 2 @ 7:00PM on BTN+ for FREE
https://www.btnplus.com/schedule?day=2021-04-16 (will be able to watch per event)
Saturday, April 16
Finals @ 7:00PM on Big Ten Network
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Conference Championship Finish: 1st - MPSF
2021 High/Average: 414.15/412.30
The Story So Far: The Sooners jumped out to a hot start in January, quickly racking up three scores of 413 plus. After having the entire month of February off, they returned to competition and tapered off a bit by their standards, notching three scores below 410 and tying Stanford at home. OU returned to their typical form at MPSF Championships, posting a 412.75 en route to their ninth straight conference title. While it was an atypical season for everyone, Mark Williams’ team has seemed largely unaffected by the pandemic and look to be peaking at the perfect time.
Who/What to Watch Out For: We are used to seeing the Sooners dominate on just about every event; that has not been the case on pommel horse this year. They are currently ranked fourth in the country here and have had some fairly serious struggles in a couple of competitions. Matt Wenske and Vitaliy Guimaraes will carry the bulk of the workload and this team’s final score will largely hinge on the performance of these two.
Best Case Outcome: We can pretty much guarantee that the Sooners will execute their sets and keep disastrous routines almost entirely out of the equation, typical of every Mark Williams coached team. This year’s roster, however, is arguably the weakest it has been in quite some time from a talent standpoint. Oklahoma’s projected start value for NCAAs is over two points lower than Michigans and just more than seven points behind Stanford. They will have to rely on mistakes from Stanford and Michigan to make it happen, but the title is a possibility for OU.
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Conference Championship Finish: 1st - Big Ten
2021 High/Average: 414.20/411.525
The Story So Far: Michigan has been on fire since their first outing this season in which they put up a 409 and have scored over the 410 mark in more than half of their contests since, including their Big Ten winning performance. The Wolverines have been led largely by two extremely talented and consistent all-arounders in Paul Juda and Cameron Bock. This one-two combo might be the best such pairing in the NCAA right now. A mid-season pause in athletic activity at Michigan due to COVID-19 did not seem to phase the Wolverines, who are poised to make a serious push for the NCAA title for the first time since the Sam Mikulak era in Ann Arbor (2011-2014).
Who/What to Watch Out For: Michigan’s supporting cast are vital to this team’s success. We can expect Paul Juda and Cameron Bock to put up big numbers, but without the likes of Jacob Moore, Thomas Paul, Nick Guy, and James Read, to name a few, this Michigan team would not be in the position that they are in. Watch for the front-of-lineup guys in Michigan’s pursuit of the coveted NCAA crown.
Best Case Outcome: An NCAA title. Kurt Golder and his team are not afraid to talk about their expectations for themselves this year. Michigan is situated well to be a serious contender for the national crown. That being said, they will need to execute. We can expect Oklahoma and Stanford to bring their A-game. While the Sooners have slightly lower start values, it is not often that they have major errors. Stanford is also going to be a challenging team to beat as their start values are roughly 5 points higher than Michigans. Needless to say, the Wolverines will need to have a stellar day in order to fulfill their goal of standing atop the podium.
STANFORD CARDINAL
Conference Championship Finish: 2nd - MPSF
2021 High/Average: 412.50/409.40
The Story So Far: The Cardinal had a slow beginning of the season after a mid February start and many key team members not on campus. However, as the season progressed and the lineup filled, Stanford got back to business. For their first competition with a full lineup again, they faced off against OU and ended the competition in a tie. They had the opportunity to overtake OU at the MPSF championship, but fell short after they struggled to execute their sets. Stanford’s loss might have been the wake up call the Cardinal needed going into the championship that will give them the hunger to put out a championship run performance.
Who/What to Watch Out For: Parallel bars will be the event to watch for the Cardinal. Start values breaching the 16.0 mark gives their lineup the opportunity to push a 72 on the event, a score no other team will be able to match. Brody Malone, Brandon Briones, and Riley Loos are going to greatly impact the outcome for the Cardinal. These seasoned competitors will be looking to execute some high level gymnastics and Malone will be in the hunt to win the individual title.
Best Case Outcome: The Cardinal have had some ups and downs throughout the season but their eyes have been set on one competition all season, and that’s the NCAA team finals. Stanford’s total difficulty is five points higher than the next highest team, Michigan, and they will be looking to use this in their favor. If Coach Glielmi’s team does their job and has a consistent competition, their odds of walking away with another championship trophy are high.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Conference Championship Finish: 2nd - Big Ten
2021 High/Average: 411.10/403.85
The Story So Far: In the pandemic impacted season, Nebraska had one of the lighter schedules, competing just six teams on the year. The lack of opportunity seemed to have no impact as the Huskers scored above the 400 mark in all but one meet, which happened to be Big Ten Championships where their second place finish was their best ever. They have also found a star in freshman, Taylor Christopulos. He garnered Big Ten Freshman of the year honors, has been a rock in the all-around, and has put up big scores on vault.
Who/What to Watch Out For: With much of the hype surrounding Christopulos, many of Nebraska’s seasoned veterans have flown under the radar. Jake Bonnay, Evan Hymanson, Khalil Jackson, Griffin Kehler, and Dillan King all have all-american potential. This roster is deep and their upperclassmen fill out the lineups to form one of the most complete Husker teams we have seen in quite some time.
Best Case Outcome: A spot on the podium is surely in reach. They have staked their claim as the clear standout behind the top three teams. The Huskers should qualify into the team final with ease and any slip ups from OU, Michigan, or Stanford will open the door for a top three finish for Nebraska.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Conference Championship Finish: 7th - Big Ten
2021 High/Average: 406.70/401.888
The Story So Far: Ohio State has had a roller coaster of performances this season. Some of their showings indicated that they would be knocking on Michigan’s door at Big Tens. As it turned out for the Buckeyes however, they finished at the very bottom of the pile at the conference championship. Head Coach, Rustam Sharipov, has a highly skilled team but they will need to put together a consistent performance in order to squeak into the six team final.
Who/What to Watch Out For: Jesse Tyndall and Justin Ah Chow. These two are the cornerstone of Buckeye gymnastics right now and both need to show out in order for Ohio State to have any semblance of a chance at qualifying for the team final for the first time since Sean Melton and Alec Yoder were the one-two punch at OSU.
Best Case Outcome: A team final birth would be more than what is expected from the Buckeyes at this point in the season. A less than ideal day at Big Ten championships put a damper on the hopes for Ohio State to contend this year. However, this team has some serious firepower and could surprise us all. The highest that we can see the Buckeyes finishing is fourth in the country. That would require beating strong Big Ten foe, Nebraska, whom they lost to during the regular season.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Conference Championship Finish: 5th - Big Ten
2021 High/Average: 406.90/401.213
The Story So Far: Penn State’s freshman class has been the backbone of the team this year and have been putting out quality gymnastics. However, inconsistency along with many ups and downs comes with such a young roster . We’ve seen them hit highs close to the 407 mark and lows around 393. These ups and downs have made it difficult for Penn State to break into the top five all season.
Who/What to Watch Out For: Penn State has traditionally been a strong rings team, but this year, they are making their mark on the floor exercise. They are the third ranked floor team in the country and will be looking to execute on it to push their team into day two of competition. The Nittany Lions will be looking for Matt Cormier and Michael Jaroh to step up to the plate and put out the big scores needed for a successful championship run.
Best Case Outcome: Penn State will be in a tight battle day one fighting against Iowa, who nudged them out in the B1G championship by nine tenths, for the third spot that makes it into team finals from their session. Once in the team finals, a flustered performance from Michigan, Oklahoma or Stanford could quite easily open up a podium spot for the Nittany Lions.
IOWA HAWKEYES
Conference Championship Finish: 3rd - Big Ten
2021 High/Average: 406.70/399.30
The Story So Far: The Iowa Mens Gymnastics team went into the 2021 season knowing it would be their last and they took that to heart. All year, the Hawkeyes have churned out consistent performances led by the trio of Bennet Huang, Evan Davis, and Stewart Brown. They have defied almost everyone’s expectations, highlighted by a third place finish at Big Ten Championships, their best placing in fifteen years.
Who/What to Watch Out For: The rings field in 2021 is weak by historical standards and Iowa is a team that can capitalize on this. They are currently ranked fifth on this event but have the potential to be a top three team here at championships. The fourth Hawkeye behind their primary trio, James Friedman, is a name to keep an eye on. He will help fill out the remainder of the lineups for JD Reive and his performance can bring this team to another level.
Best Case Outcome: The Hawkeyes could beat out Penn State in session two for a spot in the team final and from there could find themselves a top five team in the country. Any of their three top gymnasts have the potential to capture all-american honors in the all-around and could to do the same on multiple events.
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
Conference Championship Finish: 4th - Big Ten
2021 High/Average: 405.55/398.438
The Story So Far: Illinois has had a rough season. The Illini have been plagued by injuries to their top athletes and have been relying heavily on their depth. Other than a disastrous parallel bars rotation, Illinois looked on track to finish second behind Michigan at Big Ten championships. A clean and consistent day in prelims could easily land Illinois in the super six, which would be a remarkable feat without the help of Hamish Carter, Clay Mason-Stephens, and Will Hauke.
Who/What to Watch Out For: Michael Fletcher needs to shine in order for Illinois to have a shot at qualifying into finals this year. He is easily Illinois’ best gymnast right now. Beyond the team effort, Illinois has some standout event specialists in Connor McCool on floor, Ian Skirkey on pommel horse, Daniel Graham on Rings, and Evan Manivong on vault. These individuals all have a shot at taking home All-American awards on their respective events.
Best Case Outcome: Similar to everyone who isn’t Stanford, Oklahoma, or Michigan, Illinois’ best hope is to finish fourth this year. Doing so will require exquisite performances from the Illini up and down the lineups for two days in a row. Another good outcome for Justin Spring’s Illinois team would be a solid list of individual All-Americans to celebrate on the bus ride home to Champaign.
NAVY MIDSHIPMEN
Conference Championship Finish: 1st - ECAC
2021 High/Average: 398.60/396.60
The Story So Far: Navy was one of the first teams in the NCAA to get the season started. They went on a five week run of competitions from January to the end of February, but then were suddenly halted due to COVID protocols. After over a month without competition, the Midshipmen were still able to post a 397.80 at their conference championship. Although this season has been an unprecedented one for Navy, Head Coach Kip Simons seems to have his team perfectly peaking going into the Championship.
Who/What to Watch Out For: High bar has been the strongest event for Navy this season. They are ranked seventh in the nation and it could ultimately be the wildcard event that either puts them into team finals or causes them to fall short. Not only will the potential success of Josh Williams be a key asset to Navy’s performance, but he also has the opportunity to become an All-American on a few events. Also, consistent performances from seniors David Toussaint, Travis Keller, and Ryan McVay will be critical in the Midshipmen’s advancement to the team finals.
Best Case Outcome: With a strong day one competition, Navy could find themselves advancing into the team finals. They will be in a tight battle with Nebraska, Ohio State, and Illinois for the second and third spot but their ECAC score proves that they have the potential to beat these B1G teams. If the Midshipmen find their way into the top three day one, their advancement to the team finals will be a huge success for their program.
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS
Conference Championship Finish: 6th - Big Ten
2021 High/Average: 404.30/393.45
The Story So Far: The news hit Mike Burns and his team before the season kicked off that it would be their last. Shocking for a program that took second place in the country in 2018 and features a seemingly likely olympian on their roster in Shane Wiskus. Wiskus competed seldomly during the season as he was training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, but returned for Big Ten Championships. He was dominant, capturing a share of the all-around title, but it wasn't enough to lift Minnesota past a sixth place finish.
Who/What to Watch Out For: The Gophers will complete their last competition as an NCAA team ever in Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis. This will likely be an emotional meet for them and the hope is that this can push them to defy expectations. While they have had a rough year, they have specifically struggled on events they can and historically have been great on. Keep an eye on Minnesota’s floor rotation where they are currently ranked tenth but can be much better than that.
Best Case Outcome: It is going to be extremely challenging for Minnesota to qualify to the team final and realistically, all eyes are on Shane Wiskus. The olympic hopeful can inflict a painful departure of the men’s gymnastics team for Minnesota’s Athletic Department, assuming that this is possible. The homegrown Minnesota native can easily finish as the 2021 NCAA All-Around Champion and take titles on multiple individual events.
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
Conference Championship Finish: 4th - MPSF
2021 High/Average: 390.60/387.513
The Story So Far: Cal has been exceedingly consistent this year. They have a group of all-around athletes who do a bulk of the production for the team and have designed routines that exploit the code of points in their favor. Cal’s most recent outing landed them at a predictable mid-to-high 380 score (386.95). This is what we can expect from Cal at NCAAs as well.
Who/What to Watch Out For: Yu-Chen Lee has been a stalwart for Cal this year. He is capable of putting up scores on floor and parallel bars that could land him All-American citations and has been reliable on every other event baring pommel horse. Captain, Caleb Rickard, is another Cal gymnast to watch out for. His vault runs this year have been massive and he is solidly in contention for All-American status on that event. If Will Lavanakul can hit his full start value on pommel horse, he could put himself in the field for a high finish on that event as well.
Best Case Outcome: Cal does not seem to have a shot at qualifying into the team final this year. Qualifying will require Cal to have a performance significantly beyond their season high of 390.60 and other teams in their qualifying session to falter. However, they have a slew of gymnasts who could put up big performances and might even have the ability to garner All-American status.
WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE
Conference Championship Finish: 2nd - ECAC
2021 High/Average: 392.10/384.713
The Story So Far: The Tribe have gone from having their program cut to making the NCAA Championships all in the matter of about half a year. Their fight to reinstate their program and successful season has brought energy to the gymnastics community. In competition, W&M consistently scored in the 380s all season, but recently broke into the low 390s at the ECAC championships.
Who/What to Watch Out For: As a team, W&M will be looking to execute their parallel bars run. It has been their strongest event this season and they will be looking to challenge some of the other teams here. As for individuals, Andrew Lyubovsky will be one to watch. Lyubovsky has been a key competitor for the Tribe all year, strongly contributing on parallel bars (ranked 19th in the nation) and highbar.
Best Case Outcome: W&M will be looking to post their highest score of the season in their day one competition. With their highest score being a 392.10, it is very unlikely that they could take one of the three spots advancing to team finals given that the other teams in their session can score well above that on a bad day.
Predictions:
Finals Qualifiers:
Finals Top 3:
All-Around and Event Winners:
Potential All-American Sleepers:
Individual Qualifiers:
All-Around Individual Qualifiers
Floor Exercise Individual Qualifiers
Pommel Horse Individual Qualifiers
Still Rings Individual Qualifiers
Vault Individual Qualifiers
Parallel Bars Individual Qualifiers
High Bar Individual Qualifiers
Contributions from Bailey Perez, Max Soifer, and Ben Cooperman.