Monday Gymnastics Update

Here's the Top 10 of the latest official women's gymnastics rankings courtesy of GymInfo.

Rankings as of Jan. 22 by total season average:

1 Florida 196.742
2 Georgia 196.675
3 Utah 196.525
4 Stanford 196.233
5 Alabama 195.675
6 UCLA 195.660
7 Nebraska 195.462
8 Oklahoma 195.313
9 Iowa State 195.150
10 Auburn Univ. 195.000

Here's how Iowa State ranks nationally on all four events (with average score):
Vault - 11th - 48.967
Uneven Bars - 18th - 48.525
Balance Beam - 6th - 48.817
Floor Exercise - 8th - 48.842

Here's Iowa State's top individual perfomer nationally in each event (with average score):
All-Around - Janet Anson - 14th - 39.150
Floor Exercise - Janet Anson - 3rd - 9.900
Balance Beam - Ashley Alden - 11th - 9.842
Vault - Megan Barnes - 10th - 9.867

No Iowa State gymnasts rank in the Top 25 on uneven bars.

Interesting to note that the of the four Big 12 team's, three are in the top 10, while Missouri ranked 22nd with a much lower average of 193.492. Missouri is Iowa State's next opponent in Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 2.

As you saw in yesterday's Daily, sophomore balance beam specialist Ashley Kent's knee injury is much more serious than I originally thought during Friday's meet. Pending x-ray's this week, she might be done for the season. Along with losing her supreme talent on beam, it's shame that Iowa State fans will be unable to see, in my opinion, one of most dynamic uneven bars routines the Cyclones have to offer.

Kent isn't the only Big 12 gymnast feeling injury woes. It's been rumored that Oklahoma star gymnast Brittany Koncak-Schumann suffered an apparent leg injury competing last weekend against Missouri and Central Michigan. Eyewitness accounts report that she was carried off the floor and returned midway through the awards ceremony on crutches with a large ice pack taped to her knee. Keep your eye on this piece of news leading in to the ISU-Oklahoma meet in Ames on Feb. 16.

One of the other big news pieces coming out of Friday's meet was the record crowd at Hilton of 3,429 in ISU head coach Jay Ronayne's home debut as coach of the Cyclones. Contrast that with former-ISU, now-Oklahoma head coach K.J. Kindler's home debut - in front of 729 fans.

Finally, check out this a really impressive video clip of M.I.T. gymnast Cindy Chung's Side Somi mount onto the balance beam: Cindy Chung clip

Thanks for reading. I'll try to post another interesting video tomorrow,
Cody Saveraid