SEC Gymnastics Championships preview: Missouri lineup analysis

We are hours away from Session One of the SEC Gymnastics Championships where the Missouri Tigers will compete alongside Georgia, Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky.

Lineups have been posted on Virtuis, the official live statistics website of NCAA Gymnastics, so I thought I would give my thoughts on these projected rotations and how they should impact Missouri.

Rotation One: Bars

• Makayla Green

• Lauren Macpherson

• Olivia Kelly

• Maiya Terry

• Hannah Horton
• Kimarra Echols

It’s no secret that this lineup has been workshopped all year long, at times producing subpar results. However, the most recent iteration has worked out pretty well over the last few weeks. Green’s stint as the leadoff started out shaky with a 9.700 at Kentucky, but posting a 9.850 or better in three out of her last four routines gives the Tigers a solid foundation. Terry has also looked really impressive with back-to-back 9.925s and a 9.900 over the last three. While Echols had a three-week dip in scores, last week’s 9.925 brought her back to the early-season form that closed this lineup out in strong fashion.

Here’s how the other teams’ bars lineups are set:

In my Session One preview, I noted that the bars are weak spots for Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky. This is great news for the Tigers who should only have to worry about Georgia for this rotation. The back half of the Bulldogs lineup is packed, however, with Woolford, Scott and Reingold all capable of 9.900-plus. The lineup posted a season-high 49.625 two weekends ago and is on an upward trajectory. While I believe the Tigers have stronger individual consistency from start to finish, the high-scoring anchors of Georgia’s lineup will be tough to contest.

Rotation Two: Beam

• Railey Jackson

• Hayli Westerlind

• Kaia Tanskanen

• Olivia Kelly

• Lauren Macpherson
• Addison Lawrence

The uncertainty surrounding this week’s beam workers leads me to believe it will be the biggest point of contention. That isn’t to say there isn’t a high floor for how the Tigers could compete. After all, they were one of the only programs in the nation to install a beam podium inside their training facility. The biggest impact on this week’s lineup is the loss of Amy Wier, who suffered a leg injury right as she seemed to be performing at her full potential. Jackson has done very well in her place, but new leadoffs can sometimes inflict struggles upon the middle performers. With this being Jackson’s third week leading off though, I think the group has had ample time to adjust. Last week, the Tigers competed both Westerlind and Grace Anne Davis, the latter of which scored a 9.175 after a fall. Westerlind has looked solid throughout the week, but her lack of experience in competition could affect her on a big-time stage. A huge break for Missouri is Lawrence’s anticipated return after missing last week due to a concussion. Her five 9.950s this year demonstrates her potential, and her routine being preceded by an ascending Macpherson should provide a cushion should the Tigers score lower in their first four routines.

Beam lineups for the other four:

In its head-to-head matchup with Missouri on the first of the month, Arkansas outscored the Tigers in both vault and beam, the latter being by a larger margin. Klein, Weaver and Roberson all scored 9.900 or higher in the last competition, and everyone in the lineup has reached that mark at some point during the season. While Arkansas has the strongest total lineup, an individual performer to look out for is Kentucky’s Rodriguez, who has posted 9.900-plus in each of her last four routines. Arkansas is my favorite to win this event based on their consistency and recent outings, and it should be a tight battle between Roberson and Rodriguez for the individual crown.

Rotation Three: Floor

• Railey Jackson

• Elise Tisler

• Ayla Acevedo

• Kaia Tanskanen

• Kennedy Griffin
• Hannah Horton

The “Fab Floor” is far and away Missouri’s bread and butter. Up until the final competition, the Tigers joined Alabama as one of two teams nationwide to score at least 49.350 in every competition. They also have a good problem in that there are more deserving routines than lineup spots. Echols and Terry have done great in both competition and exhibition this year, but likely won’t compete. The only likely scenario in which the above lineup could change would be if Echols is substituted for Acevedo during the warmup period. Jackson and Tisler have brought great energy to start out the rotation, both of them getting a chance at the leadoff spot this year. I expect both of them to fall within the high 9.800 range. For the middle of the lineup, Acevedo is coming off of a routine in which she recorded a fall during a tumbling pass, but Tanskanen has been very consistent in the high 9.800 to low 9.900 range. And of course, the highlight of most meets come at the end of this rotation, with Griffin and Horton finishing things off. I also mentioned in my earlier preview that I believe Horton has been underscored this season, so I’m interested to see how her act will fare on the largest stage to date.

The other four floors:

The lineup to watch out for during Rotation Four will be the Georgia Bulldogs. They have incredible strength from start to finish, with every athlete recording at least a 9.900 with Tomlin and Williams doing so on a weekly basis. This lineup has been so impressive down the stretch, especially given the fact that their usual anchor Lily Smith suffered a season-ending injury a few weeks ago. Bacskay stepped into the lineup with ease, recording a 9.850 and 9.900, and Williams has continued to shine in her newfound anchor spot. Auburn’s floor rotation is also the strongest out of their four events, with a 49.300 average. If Neal and a few others bring their strongest performances, the Tigers could feasibly have some individuals rank near the top in the event totals. Kentucky is also not to be overlooked, having posted four scores of 9.900-plus last weekend against Florida. Rodriguez consistently puts up high numbers on floor, contributing to her many all-around titles, and Brose has only recorded three routines under 9.900 throughout her college career. 

Rotation Four: Vault

• Kaia Tanskanen

• Railey Jackson

• Kennedy Griffin

• Hannah Horton

• Kimarra Echols

• Elise Tisler

The vault lineup hasn’t been played with too much this year, but Tanskanen transitioning into a leadoff spot is an interesting decision. Like they have also done on the floor event, Jackson and Tisler have both been strong leadoffs, so I’m curious as to what the appeal of Tanskanen in the one spot is to the overall rotation. Regardless, she is the only gymnast on the Missouri lineup (and one of few in the NCAA) that doesn’t compete a Yurchenko vault, bringing variety to an otherwise standardized event. The biggest thing to watch out for throughout the lineup will be stuck landings. If Missouri can stick four out of six landings, I would venture to guess most fans would be pretty pleased. 

Total list of vaulters:

There aren’t any standout rotations as a whole in Session One, but there are a few gymnasts fans should keep in mind. Arkansas’ Price recently made history as the first Arkansas gymnast to score a perfect ten on any event, doing so on vault on Feb. 20. Auburn’s Zancan has been on a tear recently, scoring at or above 9.900 in three out of her last four attempts, and Kentucky’s Rizo and Noonan both matched career-high 9.900s on the road this season.