#NCAAMGym Week 3 Power Rankings
Every week we’ll be releasing a “Power Rankings” which aim to provide a fluid picture of how each team across the NCAA is doing at the moment. The idea is to try not to focus too much on scores and look more at the current state of the team. The (+) or (-) next to each team's name relates to how far they rose or fell from last week's power rankings.
This year’s power rankings are an average based off of the individual rankings of five individuals:
Logan Bradley (former Illinois gymnast)
Ben Cooperman (former Penn State gymnast)
Alex Wittenberg (former Minnesota gymnast)
Andrew Misiolek (former Stanford gymnast)
Jessica Frankl (CGA gymnastics expert/photographer)
To see a list of each individual’s rankings, scroll all the way to the bottom of this page.
1. Oklahoma Sooners (-)
There is no question that Yul Moldauer is the best gymnast on Oklahoma, or in the NCAA for that matter. Despite the apparent resting of their top performer, OU has been able to remain dominant. Their depth has allowed for a new regular season MVP to emerge: Genki Suzuki. His transformation from mostly competing as a pommel horse specialist to an all-around stud has been astounding. As long as Moldauer remains out of the all-around, it’s Suzuki who paces No. 1 Oklahoma. -- Ben Cooperman
2. Stanford Cardinal (-)
Stanford again performed well enough to give legitimacy to the claim that they’re OU’s top contender — although their 406.3 was a far cry from the Sooners’ 418.55. Stanford needs to be hitting consistently above 410 to remain relevant in the NCAA-upset conversation. Better showings on pommels and high bar will help get them there. -- Alex Wittenberg
3. Illinois Fighting Illini (-)
There has been a lot of talk about freshmen this season, a conversation that should be started with Illinois. After Michael Fletcher shined in week two, it was Clay Stephens showing out in week three. It is quite possible that Hamish Carter jumps into the conversation as well. The Fighting Illini could have three gymnasts in the conversation for freshman of the year – that’s scary. -- Ben Cooperman
4. Michigan Wolverines (+1)
We finally got to see what to expect from Michigan last Saturday, and the takeaway was still somewhat uncertain. While star sophomore Cameron Bock shone, freshman Kevin Penev stumbled. Still, Michigan was right on Illinois’ heels, and if Penev can clean it up, they could be quite good. We’ll know a lot more about the team after seeing how they fare against Minnesota this weekend, in each team’s first Big Ten regular-season championships face-off. -- Alex Wittenberg
5. Nebraska Cornhuskers (+2)
Nebraska didn’t compete in week three but will open up their B1G slate this weekend on the road against Penn State.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions (-2)
Was this week’s issues on PB (60.9) and HB (61.35) the result of an off afternoon, or does it signal a deeper problem for the Nittany Lions? That remains to be seen, but meltdowns aren’t going to fly once Penn State dives into its conference slate, starting this weekend. -- Logan Bradley
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (-1)
What Minnesota has done so far this year is a testament to how far their program has come. After a second place NCAA finish, the Gophers still look hungry even after losing an outstanding group of seniors. Still, the Gophers won’t truly reach their full potential unless they can shake early season struggles on pommel horse and rings. -- Ben Cooperman
8. Ohio State Buckeyes (-)
Ohio State didn’t compete last weekend, but the Buckeyes are looking to improve upon their performance at the Rocky Mountain Open, where they were beat by conference foes Nebraska and Minnesota. They face OU in Norman this weekend, an especially tough atmosphere in which to compete. How Ohio manages that challenge will lend insight into how they’ll make out this season. -- Alex Wittenberg
9. California Golden Bears (+2)
Darren Wong and Aaron Mah led Cal to a solid Week 3 showing that was an improvement over Week 2. But Cal was still about four points away from 400. A big question this season will be whether Cal can consistently hit 400+ and secure themselves in the top 10. -- Alex Wittenberg
10. Iowa Hawkeyes (-1)
The Hawkeyes made their debut this past weekend with a fourth place finish in Chicago. The bright spot for them came on high bar where they posted a 66.550, good enough for the current No. 3 spot in the country. Iowa will head back to the state of Illinois to take on the Fighting Illini this coming weekend. -- Ben Cooperman
11. Navy Midshipmen (-1)
It took Navy until Feb. 3 to reach the 400-point mark in 2018. In 2019? Jan. 19. Granted, it’s early, but the Midshipmen look like they’ll have a strong grip on the ECAC this season. There’s room to grow, too. As a team they’ve averaged just a 63.375 on PB through two weeks of competition. -- Logan Bradley
12. Army Black Knights (+1)
It’s clear that Army is an improved team. If I’m the Black Knights, I’m happy having ended last week’s competition within six points of Penn State. It should be a lot of fun watching freshman Matt Davis grow this season and learn alongside fellow all-arounder, and senior, Cole Casanova. -- Logan Bradley
13. Air Force Falcons (+1)
The deeper NCAA field does not bode well for Air Force. The Falcons have been a consistent top-12 team for several years. With the reemergence of Army, this team is going to be in a tough race to stamp their ticket to the NCAA Championships in April. -- Ben Cooperman
14. Arizona State Sun Devils (-2)
ASU notched a 392.5 in Week 3, which wasn’t good enough to beat Air Force. Kiwan Watts had another good day, however, putting up an all-around score of 82.25. Arizona State is a legitimate competitor, and if they can overcome some struggles, like last week’s pommels, they could inch closer to 395. -- Alex Wittenberg
15. William & Mary Tribe (-)
The Tribe has a high bar problem and it was evident this past weekend when they lost nearly nine points to Navy on the single event alone. One William & Mary gymnast enjoying a nice early part of the year is David Watkins. The senior is No. 4 nationally on SR based off average score. -- Logan Bradley
16. Springfield Pride (-)
The Pride showed great improvement last week at the Navy Open and were able to continue to develop their young team. Springfield has their first home meet this coming weekend against Army where they will look to continue the positive trend. -- Ben Cooperman
17. Washington Huskies (-)
Washington scored a 370.15 at Windy City last Saturday to beat UIC. It’s becoming an old refrain here, but Washington struggled severely on pommels, scoring a 55.45. Washington should focus on getting pommels and high bar above 60 and continue nourishing Nathan Tsuji to jump up in the rankings. -- Alex Wittenberg
18. UIC Flames (-)
The Flames are obviously reeling from losing valuable gymnasts to transfer, but they’ve still got young gymnasts stepping up. Xan Weaver and Sam Montague (freshman and sophomore, respectively) both cracked the top-20 in the all-around at the Windy City Invite. -- Logan Bradley
