Meet Snapshot week 1
Aiden Li of California performs on the pommel horse
The Big Picture
The major story from the first week of the 2025 men’s NCAA gymnastics season is the impact of the new FIG rules (Down from 10 to 8 counting skills, among many other changes) and the 4-up, 4-count format. While the head-to-head format is no longer required this season, teams have the option to use it if they wish. I’ve included Stanford @ Cal (1/13/25) in the discussion, even though technically that meet is considered part of week 2.
From a spectator’s perspective (at least for dual meets), the 4-up, 4-count format is straightforward to follow. I attended the Stanford vs. Cal meet on Monday, and the streamlined format allowed me to see every routine, with the meet concluding in about an hour and 40 minutes. Adjusting to the new FIG rules and having one fewer athlete per rotation will take some time, but I already have a general sense of what constitutes a “good” score.
As you may have heard, floor now has a scale requirement. According to Syque Caeser in this Neutral Deductions interview, this requirement was added to bring some artistry back men’s floor. It’s not working, at least not yet. It is entertaining though. I suspect this requirement may not last long.
More about how the coaches feel about the 4 up 4 count format can be found here and here. Information about the Code changes can be found here and here.
Week 1 recaps from Gymnastics Now here and from Neutral Deductions here.
Former Cal gymnast Aiden Giusti (of Gymnastics Now) gives his best guesses as to the new “good scores” based on the first few meets. His estimates are a good individual score is 13, a great score is 14+, a good rotation is 50+, a great rotation is 55, a good team score is 312+ and a great is one is 325. Based on the first set of competitions, I agree with these guesses (and with the proviso things could change as the season progresses and teams adjust to the new rules). I would add the goal is not to have a rotation go below 50, and to aim for at least 52. I’m guessing a good AA score is somewhere around 77 - 78, and a great AA score is 80+. A high D score is 5+. As pointed out by Giusti, it will likely take a while for athletes and coaches to settle into the new rules, so these estimates may change. It does appear that vault will still be the highest scoring event.
In the first set of competitions, Stanford and Ohio State are starting off with the highest total team difficulty (119.8 and 118.9 respectively). The leaders in execution are Army, Navy, and Oklahoma who all topped 200 total team E score.
Takeaway from first set of competitions - watch out for Ohio State.
Illinois and Nebraska have yet to compete.
Week 1 rankings are at RoadToNationals.
Please point out errors if you spot any.
Score Stuff
14+ Club
Parker Thackston (Ohio State) PH - 5.8/14.5
Ignacio Yockers (Oklahoma) PH - 5.9/14.45
Patrick Hoopes (Air Force) PH - 5.9/14.35
David Wolma (Michigan) VT - 4.8/14.35
Arthur Ballon (Oklahoma) VT - 4.8/14.3
Landon Blixt (Michigan) VT - 4.8/14.25
Brigham Frentheway (Oklahoma) VT - 4.8/14.2
Ricky Mays (Greenville) VT - 4.8/14.2
Colt Walker (Stanford) FX - 5.2/14.1
Kameron Nelson (Ohio State) VT - 6.2/14.1
Maddox Pabellon (Army) PH -4.9/14.1 (WPO EF)
Maddox Pabellon (Army) PH - 5.1/14.05 (WPO team)
Isiah Drake (Army) VT - 4.8/14.05 (WPO EF)
Drake Andrews (Ohio State) PB - 4.9/14.05
Kellen Ryan (Penn State) VT - 4.8/14 (WPO EF)
Michael Jaroh (Penn State) VT - 4.8/14 (WPO EF)
Asher Hong (Stanford) FX - 4.9/14.00
80 + AA Club
Taylor Burkhart (Stanford) - 80.4
Colt Walker (Stanford) - 80.4
5.2 + Difficulty club (I may change the membership rules as the season progresses and scores come in from international meets).
Caution - may include stick bonus, which I’m not going to sweat as the FIG has it now.
Kameron Nelson (Ohio State) FX - 6.2/13.8
Ignacio Yockers (Oklahoma) PH - 5.9/14.45
Patrick Hoopes (Air Force) PH - 5.9/14.35
Parker Thackston (Ohio State) PH - 5.8/14.5
Aiden Li (California) PH - 5.6/13.85
Asher Hong (Stanford) SR - 5.5/13.8
Asher Hong (Stanford) PH - 5.5/12.85
Marcus Kushner (Stanford) PH - 5.5/12.5
Colt Walker (Stanford) PB - 5.4/13.55
Caden Spencer (Ohio State) HB - 5.4/13.4
Taylor Burkhart (Stanford) HB - 5.4/12.9
Kacper Garnczarek (Penn State) PH - 5.3/13.5
Michael Jaroh (Penn State) PH - 5.3/13.1
Ian Lasic-Ellis (Stanford) PH - 5.3/13.05
Kameron Nelson (Ohio State) SR - 5.3/12.1
Colt Walker (Stanford) FX - 5.2/14.1
Kameron Nelson (Ohio State) VT - 5.2/14.1
Akseli Karsikas (Penn State) FX - 5.2/13.65
Jack Matlock (Air Force) PH - 5.2/13.4
Kyle Walchuck (Michigan) PH - 5.2/13.7
Matthew Underhill (Penn State) SR - 5.2/13.7
Zach Nunez (Oklahoma) PH - 5.2/13.5
Francisco Velez Belendez (Oklahoma) SR - 5.2/12.95
David Shamah (Stanford) PB - 5.2/12.55
Meet Snapshots
Check out the charts below for a snapshot of last weekend’s meets. Home scores are in red. Stick bonus is included in the D score. Neutral deductions are included in the E score.
Neutral deductions for injury and non-performance related deductions are not included in the snapshots. These are meant to be a picture of the gymnastics that happened, not an official document.
Official school press releases, video links (if available) and brief remarks under each snapshot.
West Point Open Team
School reports - Army, Navy, Ohio State, Penn State, Springfield, William and Mary
PDF of West Point Open Individual events
The story goes that the change to 8 skills for men has been considered before, but was rejected because it might encourage some guys to go nuts and throw even crazier skills. Maybe so, because as most readers likely know, Kameron Nelson made gymnastics history by being the first person on earth to perform two triple back skills in one routine (triple back tuck (Liukin) and triple back pike (Nagornyy)) Video can be found in the recaps from Gymnastics Now and Neutral Deductions.
Nelson also did a 5.2 vault (front handspring 2 & 1/2). Kameron Nelson has 3 D scores over 5.2 (FX, SR, and VT), the only gymnast in the first set of competitions to achieve that. If he can get the execution to match, watch out. Even if he downgrades on floor.
Nelson and his teammate Drake Andrews qualified to Winter Cup by being the top two AA at West Point Open. It was sort of a debut for Drake Andrews, as he only competed a total of 3 routines as a freshman last season.
Kellan Ryan made the changeover from GymACT Minnesota to Penn State with a 76.2 AA score, not far behind the 77s of the Winter Cup qualifiers. He also scored 14 on vault to finish second on that event at the WPO event finals.
Greenville and Simpson @ Michigan
School reports - Michigan, Greenville, Simpson
Video - B1G With commentary, All routines
Michigan rested Olympians Paul Juda and Frederick Richard, as well as rings star Javier Alfonso and NCAA PB All American Evgeny Siminiuc. Paul Juda helped with commentary for the Big 10 Network. Michigan seems to like to give their freshman a chance to compete in the first meet of the season. Michigan freshman Carson Eshleman did a triple back dismount on rings. Freshman Solon Chiodi competed all six events for a total of 74.85
Greenville was one of 4 schools to break 55 on vault, continuing their tradition as a good vault school. Jaxon clapper of Greenville won FX with a score of 13.2
Jake Smith of Simpson attempted a Liukin on HB. Of note, one third of Simpsons routines were competed by freshman.
Air Force @ Oklahoma
School reports - Air Force, Oklahoma
Oklahoma sat out 4 All-Americans - Emre Dodanli, Fuzzy Benas, Max Bereznev, and Nico Hamilton.
The highlight of the meet was the pommel horse showdown between Ignacio Yockers of OU and Patty Hoopes of Air Force. Yockers came out ahead - this time. The pair meet again at this weekend’s Rocky Mountain Open.
Oklahoma will be getting help on SR from freshman Francisco Velez on still rings, who competed a 5.2 routine for one of the highest start values in the first set of NCAA competitions. Only Asher Hong and Kameron Nelson competed more difficult routines. They will also be getting help on high bar from freshman Brandon Zepda-Orth who comes out of his debut ranked second in the nation on that event.
Oklahoma had to make an injury substitution after Leo Koike had a hard fall on HB. Ignacio Yockers stepped up and performed his first NCAA high bar routine. He also competed parallel bars at this meet (which he has done in the past).
Note - because of the neutral deduction of 1.0 for injury substitution, the official Oklahoma score is 318.2
Air Force had a rough time on high bar, but Charlie Miles competed a Gaylord 1 and a triple back dismount.
Stanford @ California
School reports - Stanford, California
Stanford achieved the highest score in the nation in the first set of competitions, with a 318.45. Their lineup was a bit like the reverse of Michigan, with big stars Asher Hong, Colt Walker, and Taylor Burkhart competing multiple routines, while Cooper Kim competed the only routine competed by a freshman (vault). Khoi Young did not compete. Burkhart and Walker tied in the AA with scores of 80.4, by far the best scores so far. Asher Hong competed in everything but parallel bars. Hong “only” competed a 4.8 vault. Stanford looks to be stacked on pommel horse and especially parallel bars. Every single man in the Stanford parallel bars line up had a D score over 5, as did 4 out of 5 of their pommel horse lineup.
California has a young team. Cal competed at least one freshman on every event but high bar.
For years, pommel horse was California’s nemesis, but lead by Aiden Li, they have improved greatly and finished ahead of Stanford. Where they now hope to improve is high bar.