2016-2017Alyssa Baumann: Florida
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By Caroline Medley Part three of our potential lineups series goes back to Alabama but turns to the Tigers on the rise. Auburn, like Arkansas, also lost a number of key seniors at the end of last season. Caitlin Atkinson, Lexus Demers and Kait Kluz all contributed on at least three events, with Atkinson frequently performing as the team’s only all-arounder. This leaves three large holes in lineups for vault and floor and two apiece on bars and beam, so coach Jeff Graba will be looking for girls to fill in those gaps. On vault, Taylor Krippner, MJ Rott and Kelsey Kopec should continue to contribute heavily with their solid full-twisting Yurchenko vaults. The Tigers should also expect contributions from Emma Engler and A’Miracal Phillips, so long as they’ve both recovered from their respective injuries from last season. Both gymnasts perform the Yurchenko full as well. Telah Black, who served as the vault alternate for much of last season, may also make an appearance. Watch out for incoming freshmen Katie Becker and Gracie Day, though, as both have clean Yurchenko fulls that could contribute well. What Auburn will miss is Atkinson’s Yurchenko 1.5, which was the only 10.0 start value vault on the team last season. Could anyone upgrade? Perhaps. Rott and Krippner are both powerful vaulters who typically have plenty of time to flare out before landing their vaults, so they might have the power and height to throw in an extra half twist. We also have hardly seen what Phillips is capable of, and vault is her specialty. She may surprise us if she’s fully healthy.
By Caroline Medley In part two of our potential lineups analysis of the SEC teams, we take a look at the Razorbacks. Arkansas lost four seniors at the end of the 2016 season, meaning a lot of key routines will need to be replaced. Stephani Canizaro, Sydnie Dillard, Erin Freier and Keara Glover were all part of either the bars or beam lineup (or both), so those will likely become their weak spots. In addition, it’s also now lost three-event star Paige Zaziski to a transfer to Michigan. And the 2015 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year won’t be easy to replace. The vault lineup shouldn’t be too hard to set up — none of the now-alumnae were in the vault lineup. So the only routine missing is Zaziski’s. Two incoming freshmen bring full-twisting Yurchenkos to the table with Jessica Yamzon and Sarah Shaffer. Yamzon has competed the full, so she’s more likely to be ready for the lineup by start of season. Shaffer is definitely training it, but from her YouTube channel it looks like she hasn’t competed it yet. As far as upperclassmen, the lineup should stay pretty much the same. Leah MacMoyle, Braie Speed, Sydney McGlone and Samantha Nelson all have Yurchenko fulls, and Amanda Wellick has the Gymbacks’ only 10.0 vault with a Yurchenko 1.5.
Friday, July 29
It looks like Stefani Catour might have a new beam dismount in the works: tucked gainer full from the end of the beam. Check it out here.
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Days until the 2017 National ChampionshipsArchives
July 2017
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