We kick things off a bit early this week, with #1 Oklahoma traveling to #20 Denver after their explosive meet this past weekend. It’ll be an easy night for the Sooners, who average more than two points higher than the Pioneers, though they’re looking at a big match-up this weekend at the Metroplex Challenge against two other top ten squads, so think of this as rehearsal.
Friday night gets started right away with an SEC battle between #3 Florida and #11 Georgia in Gainesville. Georgia had a rough start to their season, though proved last week to be super capable of big scores if they just stay consistent and hit. Florida has the clear edge, but expect the Gym Dogs to compete with a new sense of confidence.
There’s another SEC match between #6 Alabama and #24 Kentucky; the Wildcats unfortunately lost two strong competitors to knee injuries last weekend and will need everyone to step it up a notch if they want the win in front of a home crowd. But it won’t be easy, as Bama’s been on a roll this season and doesn’t look to be backing down.
Also on Friday, #10 Oregon State will host #17 Washington as well as Sacramento State and the DIII squad from Hamline.
Look out for the Big 10 battle on Saturday afternoon between #4 Michigan and #7 Nebraska. Michigan has the higher average, but the Huskers have shown consistency this season and have a secret weapon in their explosive vault lineup, and Ashley Lambert is looking to notch her third perfect 10 on the event.
Also in the Big 10 is #14 Illinois hosting #9 Penn State. PSU has done shockingly well thus far in 2015 but the road is never as friendly as home turf, so this match could shake up the rankings a bit.
For the first Pac 12 duel of the weekend, #5 Utah will travel to #18 Arizona. Utah’s average and high score are nearly identical thanks to this season’s surprising consistency; though beam has been a problem for the Utes in the past, they’re sailing through their performances with only minor issues this year and should easily take down the Wildcats.
The other big Pac 12 meet will be #19 Stanford at the unranked Arizona State. Stanford struggled in their first meet of the season, but has since gained control and earned a big 197.0 on Monday night, bumping them up the rankings quite a bit. If they stay steady on the road, it’ll be an easy meet against ASU.
This week’s biggest meet is the Metroplex Challenge, featuring #1 Oklahoma and #2 LSU at the top in what could be a preview of the big fight for the team title at this year’s Super Six. Every tenth will count on Saturday night, so both squads will need to be in postseason form if they want to earn the win. As part of the invitational hosted by Metroplex Gymnastics, the meet is on neutral ground and offers some of the least-biased judging outside of postseason. #8 Arkansas and Iowa State will also compete.
Sunday is a bit slow, though #15 UCLA is back at home after last week’s disaster in Utah. The Bruins will host Pac-12 rival #23 Cal, and should have the edge but with the way they’ve been competing lately, anything’s possible.
We’ll update links to live stats and streams as we get them. All times listed are in EST.
THURSDAY JANUARY 29 | ||||
9:00 pm | Denver | Oklahoma | Stats | Stream |
FRIDAY JANUARY 30 | ||||
6:45 pm | Florida | Georgia | Stats | Stream |
7:00 pm | Kent State | Pittsburgh | Stats | Stream |
Kentucky | Alabama | Stats | Stream | |
7:30 pm | La Crosse | Gustavus, Stout, Winona State | Stream | |
SEMO | Lindenwood, Missouri | Stats | Stream | |
8:00 pm | Auburn | Air Force | Stats | Stream |
Iowa | Maryland | |||
9:00 pm | Utah State | Boise State, UC Davis | ||
10:00 pm | Oregon State | Hamline, Sacramento State, Washington | Stats | Stream |
Seattle Pacific | Alaska | Stats | Stream | |
Southern Utah | Brigham Young | Stats | ||
SATURDAY JANUARY 31 | ||||
1:00 pm | Cortland | Springfield | ||
Yale | Bridgeport, Rhode Island, SCSU | Stream | ||
4:00 pm | Michigan | Nebraska | Stats | Stream |
Rutgers | Brown, Michigan State, Oshkosh | |||
5:00 pm | Illinois | Penn State | Stream | |
Illinois State | Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, UIC | |||
Whitewater | Eau Claire | Stats | Stream | |
6:00 pm | Arizona | Utah | Stream | |
7:00 pm | Minnesota | Ohio State | Stream | |
NC State | North Carolina, West Virginia, William & Mary | Stats | Stream | |
New Hampshire | Temple | Stream | ||
8:00 pm | METROPLEX CHALLENGE | Arkansas, Iowa State, LSU, Oklahoma | Stats | Stream |
9:00 pm | Arizona State | Stanford | Stream | |
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1 | ||||
1:00 pm | George Washington | Bowling Green | Stats | Stream |
Ithaca | Brockport | |||
Penn | Cornell, Ursinus, West Chester | Stream | ||
UCLA | Cal | Stats | Stream | |
2:00 pm | Western Michigan | Northern Illinois | Stream | |
Texas Woman’s | Centenary, San Jose State, Towson | Stats | Stream | |
MONDAY FEBRUARY 2 | ||||
7:00 pm | Southern Utah | Ball State |