Judge Well, Lest ye be Judged

Although she was 4 years older than me, my cousin Jennifer and I grew up doing just about everything together. When I was 11, I remember forcing her to watch 2004 Olympic Event Finals again and again with me. We always ended up laughing hysterically at Cheng Fei's floor choreography, making fun of Svetlana Khorkina's cheek bones and cringing during Allana Slater's beam fall. While we both had fun, I was undoubtedly way more interested in the sport than she was. When the scoring system changed, I attempted to explain the changes to her and was shocked by how she responded.

"Well, does it really matter?" she asked me. "Like, obviously they're not going to win if they fall or whatever, but the judges really can just give them whatever score they want, right?"

As a moody tween and an avid gymnastics fan, I was outraged that Jennifer just didn't understand the ins and outs of our complex sport. I grew older and I realized that this is quite a popular view amongst the general public. You may remember this summer, when Yahoo! tried to rank the difficulty of each Olympic Event, the columnist claimed that gymnastics was not a sport and asked "how tough can it be to ... wink at some French judges?"

We, as fans, are outraged by the ridiculous notion that judges just arbitrarily "choose" who wins. But on some level, could this supposed misconception be correct? Clearly, there's a code of points in place which judges are supposed to follow. But what happens when they choose not to?

Kim Raff

On Saturday night, the University of Utah Red Rocks faced off against the Florida Gators in a meet that will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. The Utes beat their season high by nearly 8 tenths. Judges scored 7 individual 10s, several of which included hops on landings. Georgia Dabritz nearly fell off of the beam and received a 9.8. "Home cooking" is always abundant in the NCAA. But, there's a difference between giving someone's slightly bent knees the benefit of the doubt and giving gymnasts who have significant errors a perfect score.

While the sport is, and will always be, somewhat subjective, there are rules. And as snarky as I was on twitter about the scoring at this meet, it's important to recognize that when judges make the choice to disregard the rules, they make a mockery of the sport. You can sugarcoat it in any way that you want, but the bottom line is : awarding gymnasts scores that they did not earn is cheating. The sport doesn't just lose fans when its judges so blatantly cheat, it loses the public's respect. And frankly, with age falsifications, public abuse scandals and the typical glitter and glam involved in the sport, gymnastics can't afford to lose any more respect.

Ravell Call

In my mind, the most imperative question to ask is : what can we do to change this? It seems to me that this is a unique problem in NCAA that we don't see consistently in the JO, Elite or International Elite programs. The NCAA actually does a fairly good job of making sure that judges work a maximum of 2 home meets and 2 away meets per school, per season. The biggest flaw that I see is within the code. Judges can score .2 higher or lower in than their fellow judge when scoring above 9.6 and still have their scores "in range". This means that it is acceptable by the code for one judge can award a 9.8 and another a 10 for the same routine. In a competition where all 12 competitors are regularly fewer than 2 or 3 tenths apart, this should not be acceptable. I wish that the NCAA Code would change to become more like the elite code and narrow the acceptable range. To expect scores above 9.6 to only be .1 apart seems reasonable to me. If this range is not met, NCAA judges should be forced to reevaluate.

Something has to change. Utah's scoring was an embarrassment. I encourage you to watch routines, particularly Tory's Vault and Bars and Georgia's Beam and ask yourself, "Did judges award scores based on how they TRULY thought the gymnasts performed, or did they disregard the rules to gain approval from 16,000 fans?" I know what I think.

Congrats Class of 2014! :D

Lots of college commits lately! I'd like to say congrats to all of the girls who have committed and take a closer look at the top 6 ranked teams!


1. Florida

Property of Kennedy Baker

Kennedy Baker - Texas Dreams
As 2 time US National Team Member and 2009 Jr. Bars Champ, Kennedy is possibly one of the most underrated gymnasts in the country. I'm interested to see a "Gator Chomp" in her floor routines, which have been notoriously unique.

Ericha Fassbender - Stars
Ericha was a member of the 2010 US National Team and competed at Top Gym there earning 4th place all around. Ericha has clean lines on bars and big skills on beam.

Grace McLaughlin - WOGA

Grace, who was Chellsie Memmel's replacement on the 2011 Pan American Games team and has had a decent Elite career overall. Like many of the other girls, she's had strong execution with not as strong difficulty. Her lines on bars are strong and has pretty skills on beam. 

2.Oklahoma
Stefani Catour  - Desert Lights
Stefani qualified to US Championships in 2010 and was named to the National Team Training squad in 2009. Stefani has very pretty floor and beam routines but struggles on bars, particularly in hitting handstands.


3. UCLA
If Miss Val's recruited any of these girls, she's keeping it well under wraps. I haven't been able to find anyone committed to UCLA for the 2013-2014 Season.

4. Alabama

Property of Ryan Schulz 

Mack Brannan - Capital 
The victim of Tim Dagget's unintentional creepiness, Mackenzie has phenomenal lines on bars and beautiful tumbling on floor. Although she's never had the most difficult routines her gorgeous gymnastics is likely to earn her college acclaim.

Kiana Winston - Texas Dreams
Kiana is the definition of a power gymnast, except her bars don't suck. She's got huge skills on beam and is solid on all four events. I can't wait to see her compete for Bama, where I feel like she fits well.

Aja-Monet Sims - Brandy Johnson
Aja-Monet Sims is one of those elites not a lot of people know about. She wasn't shown on TV at the 2012 Classics, but her bars totally stood out. That Wieler-Comaneci combo of her's is worth remembering.



5. Nebraska
Kamerin Moore - Geddert's Twistars 

Property of Kamerin Moore 

Many people remember Kami as the "girl with glasses" who competed alongside Jordyn Wieber in her junior years. That "little girl" now has contacts, has overcome a whole host of health issues, and is kicking ass in Level 10. She's fairly strong all around and will be a force to be reckoned with as long as her body doesn't rebel against her.

Grace Williams - Geddert's Twistars 
Grace, 2011 Nastia Liukin Cup Champion, 2012 Bronze Medalist and former Elite has a fabulous floor and beam set. She's looked like a college gymnast since she made it big on the gymnastics scene and could be a standout for Nebraska.

6. Georgia
Brianna Brown - Cincinnati Gymnastics

Property of CGA

Pretty, pretty, pretty gymnastics from this one. She's got pretty bars, a decent beam and a fun floor. Like Brannan, she's never had the most difficult routines, but she's got strong execution.

Chanen Raygoza - Wildfire Gymnastics 
She was one of the ninety-hundred-million Jr. Intl Elites from GymMax in 2009, she qualified to Nationals in 2010 and then decided to compete Level 10 in 2011. She's a pretty dancer and has All Around potential.

Uncommited Big Names

Gabrielle Douglas - Chow's 

Most likely, she hasn't gone pro, and in my opinion should head to UCLA stat.

Napualani Hall - KGDC 
Who as of September was looking into all of the top 6 schools with the exception of Georgia. I'm hoping to see her at Utah.

Brenna Dowell - GAGE 
I'd bet money that Al Fong is wanting this National Team Member to wait until after the Olympics to go on college visits. I could see her at Oklahoma with former teammate Rebecca Clark.

Elizabeth Price - Parkettes 
Fabulous on Bars, yet still super powerful. I could see her at Florida, UCLA or Bama. I have heard that she'd love to go to Stanford, though.

Lauren Marinez - Orlando Metro 
Lauren placed 4th on beam at last year's nationals and could end up at Georgia (with former gym mate Shayla Worley), or somewhere less prominent like Missouri, Michigan or even Denver.

(Can anyone confirm one way or another if Vega & Maroney are pro?)

The college girl who needs to make an elite comeback

I've been thinking a lot about the Olympic team lately, and this morning, I realized how much stronger a potential team could be with one retired elite: Shayla Worley.

Property of Online Athens.com

As I've been watching more and more of Shayla's college work, I keep thinking that she'd be better off quitting school and competing for the USA, rather than Georgia.

As a bars and beam specialist, Shayla could fit on the team in place of Liukin, Bross or even Ross. After all, she's healthy right now, right? While Bross has been rehabbing and Liukin's been out, Shayla's been successfully competing for Georgia. As one of Georgia's most consistent gymnasts, Shayla's one of the sole reasons that Georgia's been maintaining their strong reputation over the last  few years.

Shayla maintains such strong focus when competing, that I'm really not sure why she didn't win the SEC All Around title this year. She's got wonderful skills, amazing power and never seems to miss a beat. I feel that those qualities should have earned her a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team, and should most definitely earn her a spot on the 2012 team. Maybe she could even win that AA Gold! Wieber's starting to look shaky.

To conclude, SHAYLA WORLEY FOR THE 2012 OLYMPIC TEAM! Who knows, with Shayla's history of staying healthy, maybe she could even make it to 2016!

10 Weekly Tidbits - 3/17-3/23

Pac Rim Event Finals

Property of Jennifer Buchanan

Pac Rims concluded last Saturday with the American Women earning every gold with the exception of Senior Vault, which no one attempted to earn. (Do any of those girls even have a second Vault?) Arguably, the biggest disappointment of the meet was Victoria Moors of Canada, who many expected to contend for floor gold, who struggled on her final two passes. You can check out USAG Coverage of both Junior and Senior Event Finals on Youtube. 

Spanny tells us "How (she) Learned to Dougie"

Spanny Tampson posted a remarkable tribute this week to Gabrielle Douglas. If you haven't read it yet, you should certainly check it out.

Property of Ryan Schulz

Kamerin Moore to Nebraska, Kiana Winston to Alabama 
The Recruiting Class of 2014 lost two high profile recruits after both Kamerin Moore of Twistars and Kiana Winston of Texas Dreams committed to Division I schools. McKenzie Wofford of 2014 also previously committed to Oklahoma, and Chanen Raygoza to Georgia, but many 2014 recruits remain uncommitted.

Casey Jo Magee Continues to Upgrade

Casey Jo Magee, who Marta seemed to count out for quite a while has been making major upgrades and has the Facebook Videos to prove it. Most impressively, she's got a roundoff-full-beat jump combo on beam. CJM, who looks as fit as ever, could legitimately factor in to this Olympic Picture.

Aliya Mustafina takes Russian Championship
Not shockingly, with Komova out due to an ankle injury and the reigning champion Dementyeva home sick with tonsillitis, Mustafina took the All Around Gold Medal at the Russian Championships. Long time veteran Afansnasyeva and first year senior Grishina earned silver and bronze respectively. Kristina Goryunova, who is unable to compete in London due to testing positive for illegal substances earlier this quad, topped the beam rankings with a 14.933.

Dare Maxwell Returns to Dynamo

Property of Gym Examiner

After Sara Maxwell posted videos of her daughter Dare at Level 10 Oklahoma States, I asked around and discovered that Dare returned home about two weeks ago to train at Dynamo. I've been reassured that although she'll compete Level 10 this season, she will compete both Level 10 and Elite Bars and Beam next year. She's already been working on upgrades on those two events. No word on the reason for Dare's move.

Double Front brings fundraiser to a close

Kristal Bolden of Double Front gained a press pass to this years European Championship and is still looking to raise a little bit of money to get there. If you can help at all and enjoy top notch blog coverage, please help support her!

Cottubus Qualifiers

The Cottubus Cup is underway and qualifications have concluded. Big names on the women's side include Brittany Rogers and Dominique Pegg of Canada who are both returning from injury, He Kexin and Elisabeth Seitz on Bars and Diana Chelaru who qualified to three event finals. 

Ellie Black of Canada is a BAMF

I got a link on Twitter showing "Canadian Olympic Hopeful" Ellie Black's superb combo on beam. She's fairly good on Vault, Beam and Floor and could possibly factor into that picture. But with at least 12 Canadian girls with a legitimate shot, anything could happen.

NCAA Regionals

Property of UGA Gymnastics

Women's NCAA Conference Meets begin this weekend. Keep you eyes peeled on Twitter to see all of the fun  unfold and check out College Gym Fans for links to results and live coverage.

A Day in the Life of Casey Jo Magee

As Get a Grip reported several weeks ago, Elite gymnast Casey Jo Magee moved from Capital Gymnastics in Texas to Western Michigan to train and work as an assistant coach! 


Casey Jo's day of coaching and training provides for an interesting Day in the Life! 

(Property of Razorback Photos) 

8:15 AM: "Wake up, brush my teeth, and head to the kitchen. Every day I have my power smoothie (you can get my recipe on my website) and lately I’ve been having some sort of egg scramble with onions, bell peppers, spinach, and Canadian bacon. Sometimes with toast or an English muffin. I start a small pot of coffee while breakfast is in the works so it’s ready when my food is. Right now I’m drinking Marzipan flavored coffee, a World Market holiday seasonal. Although I think I like non-flavored better since I put a little creamer in it. Might have to ask my boyfriend Scott to mail me some Ruta Maya coffee from Austin."

9:15-9:45 AM: "By now I’m done eating with [the] dishes washed so I get my stuff together for practice. Fill up my sweet REI water bottle with Brita water (because the tap water here in Kalamazoo isn’t my favorite). Pull together a snack of sorts…string cheese and a tuna to-go or apple, baby carrots and hummus, sometimes leftovers from dinner the night before. Get dressed for gym and the semi-cold weather outside, which will soon be really cold and probably snowing. Here come the gloves, scarf, boots, and winter jacket!"

10 AM-12 PM: "Get to the gym and start warming up. Morning practice I’ll do one event hard and basics on another, switching between bars and beam. Now I’ll eat my snack as the girls start warming up for their workout."

12 PM-3 PM: "Western girls practice. With season approaching quickly I’ll be primarily coaching floor, paying special attention to the details like expression, leaps and jumps, and landings on passes. Although I really just move around to wherever I’m needed. Dave helps coach everything and wants me to shout out a correction or comment if I have one, no matter the event. Sara Kelly, the other assistant, works mostly with beam but she choreographed all the floor routines so she helps there as well."

2:30-5:15 PM: "Usually the last couple girls are finishing up their last event by 2:30 so I start warming up again for practice number two. Here I’ll do three events, as I alternate the days I flip vaults and tumble. On the days I tumble, I do uphill vault timers, and the days I flip vaults I do floor endurance and some basic tumbling. I’ll finish with some conditioning and stretching before I head home."

5:30 PM: "Home and tired. I take a shower and relax for a bit before I make myself some dinner."

6:30-7:30 PM: "Make and eat some dinner…I try to get a good source of lean protein, carbs, and veggies of some sort. Lately I’ve had rice and beans or spaghetti with meat sauce and a salad, or top a salad with sliced grilled chicken".

7:30-10 PMish: "I’ll ice a body part if it’s bothering me. Then most of my evenings are spent watching gymnastics videos, playing words with friends, surfing the Internet, and checking Facebook and Twitter. But now that I’m more settled into my apartment I plan to update my website more often. I also have been reading a lot lately. This summer I read the Hunger Games series, which was sad but so well written. So excited for the movie! And I just finished The Magicians. If anyone has any books or authors they love, please send them my way! I’m always looking for new books to read."

10 PMish: "I start getting ready for bed. I ... brush my teeth then wash my face and put on this awesome Burt’s Bees nighttime face lotion. So smooth! Then it is off to bed for me!"

This schedule is what I’m doing this week because the Western team is in finals so their practices are quite a bit shorter and lighter. Once school starts for the spring semester in January however, my days will be a bit longer.

The Lindenwood Lions - About the Program

A few months ago, I was pleased to find out that a new NCAA Eligible Gymnastics team would be launched near my hometown of St. Louis, MO. Lindenwood University, a private liberal arts college based in "Judeo-Christian Values", will begin its new gymnastics program in the 2012-2013 school year.

Get a Grip will be following the Lady Lions through their inaugural year, beginning now, working to learn more about the program, its coaches and its recruits all the way through the conclusion their 2013 season, and possibly even beyond!

I recently spoke with the head coach of the Lindenwood Lions, Gretchen Goerlitz, who competed for Utah State & University of Denver, was later a graduate coaching assistant at Texas Women's University and went on to coach Centenary College's Division III Team.

(Property of Gretchen Goerlitz)

Coming from Centenary, how did you make the decision to move to Lindenwood to build a program from the bottom up? 
"When I heard there was a university adding the sport of gymnastics I was immediately fascinated and excited.  I became enthralled with the idea of being able to be a part of making history for the sport of gymnastics. Growing the sport is something that I am completely passionate about; to be able to increase the opportunities for young women and give them a positive experience to help prepare each student-athlete for the battles of life is an incredible gift that inspires me.  The actual decision to leave Centenary and pursue the journey at Lindenwood University was one of faith.  I believe that all my past experiences have prepared me for this next challenge – and because of that , this is where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing.  I have faith that I am prepared for it and that I am the right leader for the job."

How does a coach begin to recruit gymnasts to a program without any history what so ever? 

"Just like anything, you begin with the end in mind and take it one step at a time to reach your end goals!  After the school announced the addition of the program there was a trickle of interest and I began from there, from answering all the emails and phone calls that I received and it has continued to gain momentum from there!  When it’s time to make a decision of what girls are the perfect fit for this program, I look at the end goal of where I want this program to be in five years and get my answer from that.  As a whole, I think the more we can promote the addition of a gymnastics program at a university the better off our sport is going to be.  I hope this will be a springboard for other schools to add gymnastics. I am looking at this as a building process as something that will benefit the entire sport of gymnastics and those involved in it.  Going into club gyms is great exposure and once recruits come onto campus they really feel and understand the excitement and uniqueness of Lindenwood University and the opportunity that there is here.  After an offer is made, it really comes down to the type of person that I am recruiting for them to make a decision.  I look for girls that are inspired by challenges and who thrive in an environment where hard work and great team chemistry is the norm.  I pay close attention to the character of each girl. I try to fit them all together like puzzle pieces to ensure we have a phenomenal environment where we can have fun, grow together, and push each other on a daily basis."

What should draw gymnasts looking for a school to Lindenwood both academically and athletically? 

"Lindenwood University offers a first class education of a small private school with the amenities of a larger university.  Our class sizes do not exceed 35 students, with the average ratio being 17:1 yet we have 27 NCAA sports, excellent facilities, and 84 programs of study that are offered at the undergraduate level.  What’s different about us is that we are in a building phase rather than a maintenance phase.  Many schools are scaling back on programs and resources and we are actually on the other end of the spectrum.   There is an excitement here with all the growth and there is an expectation for greatness.  We are in an ideal location – 10 miles from an international airport, in a safe community yet close to a big city – there is always something going on and definitely something for everyone, and we reside in the middle of the country making team travel convenient!  The athletic department as a whole is on a mission for greatness and the gymnastics program is going to be a great addition to that quest for success.  Being a spectator sport located in the St. Louis metro area I believe we will have fantastic fans and support.  I expect the team to grow into a close knit family unit. We get to be the history makers; it’s going to be quite the ride!"

Lindenwood is still looking for 2 recruits for its first season, so if you're looking to become involved in college gymnastics and you think that Lindenwood could be a good fit for you, fill out their recruiting questionnaire!

Next stop on this feature, we'll be talking to many of the recruits on Lindenwood's Squad, as well as showing you the inside of their gymnastics facility.

NCAA Loses the next Courtney Kupets

Annnnd, Aly Raisman is apparently going Pro. I'm upset. She could have been the next Courtney Kupets in my opinion, but instead she'll spend the post Olympic year doing "beam routines" to Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.

(Property of Brigid Couch Gymnast McCarthy)

There are other rumors circulating the internet about all of the Worlds Team Members being "coerced" into going pro... great. Three more fabulous potential NCAA Athletes who will make all of $1000 on tours, GK Ads and some Kellogg's promotion.

As far a where I officially heard about Aly: I was sent a message by a person who has given me consistently reliable information over the years. She's asked me not to reveal who she is, so I won't. As I said on Twitter: the day I start announcing who talked is the day that people stop talking.

Happy Signing Day! - Where the 2012 Elites are headed

Today is National Signing Day where athletes headed into the NCAA sign their letters of intent! (There's another day in the spring as well, but most gymnasts will sign today.) Here's where some of our favorite elites and former elites are headed!

Lauren Beers (Southern Tier) - Alabama
 2 Time Championship Qualifier, TOPs Team Member, good on bars.

Lily Hardin (WOGA) - Arkansas 
Qualifier to 2009 US Classics, Multiple time JO National Qualifier, has an insane amount of strength!

Caitlin Atkinson (Cypress) - Auburn 
 3 Time US Classic Qualifer, 1 Time Championships Qualifier, Strong All Arounder.

(Property of Ryan W Shulz)

Asi Peko (Brown's) - UCLA
 2008 National Team Member, NLSC Qualifier, Qualified to JO Nationals 4 times!


Sophina Dejesus - UCLA
2009 National Team Member, 2009 Jr. Japan Intl Floor Champion, Fabulous Dancer!


Bridgey Caquatto (Legacy Elite) - Florida 
 Reigning Pan American All Around Champion, 3 Time National Team Member, Great on bars and vault!

Brandie Jay (GK) - Georgia
Pan Am Games Vault Champion, 3 time US Vault Medalist,  has a good bar set!

Madeline Hanley (Parkettes) - Minnesota 
3 Time Championships Qualifier, Competed at Gymnix International, Good Beam Woker.

Congrats Class of 2012!!!

NCAA Commits: Class of 2013 Elites

The Class of 2013 who are currently Juniors in high school: Where are they headed? 

Claire Boyce - Florida
Gym: Texas Dreams
About: Nationals in 09-10, Back Injury in 2011. She has beautiful lines!

Briley Casanova - Michigan
Gym: WOGA
About: Former Jr. National Team Member, Great on Bars, Injury in 2011.

Amanda Jetter - Alabama 
Gym: CGA
About: A 3 time National Team Member, Perpetually injured but insanely talented.

Emma Sibson - Penn State
Gym: Zenith
About: Sibson is a strong "power gymnast" who's been an elite for 2 years now.

Morgan Smith - Michigan

Gym: Brandy Johnson's 

About: Morgan was a 3 time national team member who's a strong all arounder. She didn't compete in at Championships in 2011. (She was considered to be class of 2012, but is is now class of 2013 per her website & GymDivas.) 

What about the Elites who haven't committed?: 


Jessica Howe
Gym: WOGA
About: Qualified as an elite in 2011, competed at Championships.
Prediction: According to someone cool in the comments below, she is " fielding offers from UF, UCLA a

Sophia Lee
Gym: WOGA
About: Great on Bars, she's been an elite since '09. May have a foot injury currently.
Prediction: Utah. Maybe because she has a Corrie Lothrop quality to her, or maybe because I just have a hunch, but I can see Sophia at Utah!

Hallie Mossett
Gym: WCEG
About: She was an Alternate for the Pan Ams team, a 2 time National Team Member and a strong floor worker!
Predictions: As she's a Califonia Native, my first instinct says that Hallie would go to UCLA. She's visited along with UCLA commit Asi Peko and rumored commit DeJesus.

Sabrina Vega 
Gym: Dynamic
About: World Team Member, 4 time national team member, great lines and artistry.
Predictions: I can't picture Vega on many NCAA Teams, but I could see her at Stanford where gymnasts like Ivana Hong, Allyse Ishino and Sami Shaprio have gone.

Jordyn Wieber Goes Pro

(Photo Property of Intl Gymnast, Debbie Poe)

Wow. Jordyn Wieber announced to the Detroit Free Press this morning that she will be forfeiting her College Eligibility. I'm kind of surprised by this news as she said at Visa Championships that she wanted to compete in College. I could have seen her at UCLA, Florida, or even Michigan, but today, she gave that up. Geddert made a good point by saying that he couldn't really see her competing watered down routines 14 weekends in a row. That definitely sounds true.

Shawn turned Pro in 2007 after she won worlds, never looked back and look how much she's earned. I just hope that this doesn't turn into a Jana Bieger, "I'm going to earn 143 dollars" type thing. Ordinarily, I wouldn't think Jordyn in that light, but her mom said in the article:

"We want to keep distractions at a minimum as she trains for the Olympics. In the future we might look into representation." 


What?! I want Jordyn on my McDonald's cup! Why are you giving up your eligibility then?! There isn't that much prize money out there. I'm happy she turned pro and can't wait to see what sponsorships she receives. I just hope that she doesn't wait to get an agent until her biggest opportunities are over. For Jordyn's sake, hopefully those biggest opportunities won't come until after the 2012 Olympics.