WEBVTT - Make It Small with Trinity Thomas 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:03.080 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're celebrating 0:00:03.080 --> 0:00:06.400 this weekend's NC Double A Gymnastics Championships by doing splits 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:09.600 at a party. Okay, fine, fair, I'm always doing the 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:14.120 splitzet parties, but this weekend they'll be extra good. It's Thursday, 0:00:14.200 --> 0:00:16.840 April seventeenth, and on today's show, we'll be chatting with 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:21.280 ESPN Gymnastics commentator and NC DOUBLEA perfect ten record holder 0:00:21.280 --> 0:00:24.279 Trinity Thomas about the top teams and athletes and this 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:28.080 weekend's NC Double A Gymnastics Championships, dealing with pressure and 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.360 how to be a better gymnastics viewer. Plus a goat 0:00:31.360 --> 0:00:34.760 adds a few more records, unrivaled, roster gets a little bigger, 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:38.040 and we checked there's no rule saying backflips have to 0:00:38.040 --> 0:00:40.199 be done in a gym. That's all coming up right 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:49.839 after this. Welcome Max Slices. Here's what you need to 0:00:49.840 --> 0:00:54.360 know today. The US wrapped up the group stage at 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:57.680 the Women's Ice Hockey World Championships by beating Switzerland five 0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:00.840 nothing on Tuesday behind two goals of He's from Tessa 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:04.560 Janicky and Kendall Cooinscofield. Hillary Knight recorded three assists in 0:01:04.600 --> 0:01:07.000 the win to break the all time assists record at 0:01:07.000 --> 0:01:10.520 Women's Worlds. Knight now has fifty one more than previous 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:13.920 record holder Canadian Haley Wickenheiser. Knight is already the most 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:17.279 decorated athlete in Women's World Championship history, owning the record 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:20.759 for most medals with fourteen, most all time goals with 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:23.880 sixty seven, and most points with one hundred and seventeen. 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:26.520 After finishing group play with a four to zero record, 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:29.640 the US will play Germany in the quarterfinals today. We'll 0:01:29.680 --> 0:01:32.440 link to the full World Championship schedule in the show notes. 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:35.600 Also shout out to friend of the show Kendall Coinscofield. 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:38.040 In addition to those two goals, this week, she's also 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:40.840 celebrating a new partnership with our friends at ELF. She 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:43.560 just joined their roster of sponsored athletes. As part of 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:46.080 her partnership, she recently hosted a group of young players 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.760 at a Minnesota Frost game. Love that two hoops. Paige 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:52.320 Beckers has more to celebrate than just being the number 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:55.760 one pick in Monday's WNBA draft. Just ahead of the draft, 0:01:55.800 --> 0:01:57.800 it was announced that Beckers has signed a three year 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:00.680 deal to play in three on three League unrival Per 0:02:00.720 --> 0:02:04.760 the Athletic ESPN, Becker's first year salary and Unrivaled will 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:07.080 exceed what she earns in all four years of her 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:11.799 WNBA rookie contract. Becker's previously signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled, 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.040 which gave her equity in the upstart league as she 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.920 finished her college career. Speaking of Unrivaled, Time has named 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:21.240 Unrivaled co founders Nafisa Collier and Brianna Stewart to the 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:24.320 twenty twenty five Time one hundred, its annual list of 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:28.240 the one hundred most influential people in the world. To softball, 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:31.080 Kim Eng, who joined Athletes Unlimited last summer as a 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:34.880 senior advisor, has been named commissioner of the AUSL ahead 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:37.720 of its June launch, and players are starting to get 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:40.280 the call for the new pro Softball league. Over the 0:02:40.320 --> 0:02:42.960 next few weeks, Golden tickets will be presented to college 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:46.280 softball players across the country, signifying their selection in the 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:49.840 twenty twenty five college Draft. Last Sunday, after her team's 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:53.120 fifteen to one win over Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, pitcher 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:56.840 Emma Lemley was surprised with the very first golden ticket 0:02:56.880 --> 0:02:59.800 the AUSL College Draft Show will reveal which teams the 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:02.880 drafts are selected to. You can watch that on Saturday, 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:07.120 May third at nine pm Eastern on ESPNU. Finally, some 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:10.560 golf news. The International Olympic Committee has approved a mixed 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:13.200 gender golf team event for the twenty twenty eight Los 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:16.720 Angeles Olympics. It'll be a thirty six hole competition split 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:19.840 across two eighteen hole rounds, with teams made up of 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:23.080 one male and one female athlete from the individual competitions, 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:28.079 limited to one team per country. We got to take 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.880 a quick break. When we come back, we talk NCUBLEA 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:35.280 Gymnastics Championships with Trinity Thomas. The two semi finals are today, 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:37.960 with the top two teams in each semi qualifying for 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:40.920 Saturday's final. We caught up with Trinity on Wednesday to 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:43.880 discuss what to expect that's coming up right after this 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:53.680 joining US now, she's a commentator for ESPN. Who was 0:03:53.720 --> 0:03:56.680 a five time member of the USA Gymnastics national team 0:03:56.880 --> 0:03:59.520 and was an eleven time NCUBLEA All American for the 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:03.280 Florida Game College, finishing her career with an NCAA record 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:06.800 tying twenty eight perfect ten scores and a record breaking 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.000 five Jim slams, which are scores of perfect ten on 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:12.960 every apparatus. Since the end of her college career, she's 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:15.240 worked as a student coach for the Gators in addition 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:17.640 to our media work, and this May she'll begin nursing 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:20.800 school at Florida. Her list of accomplishments is so long 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:23.479 it takes up the entire TV screen. Just ask co 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:26.599 anchor Bart Connor who lost his head to the list 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:30.560 of Trinity's many feats. It's Trinity Thomas. Hi, Trinity, Hi, 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:33.719 how are you? I'm good? Thanks for joining us. Before 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:36.440 we get to the excitement of this week, I want 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:38.560 to ask you about the LA Olympics, because I just 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:41.400 said all that in past tense, and in the past 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:43.359 you did attempt to qualify for the twenty twenty and 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:47.359 twenty twenty four Olympics. But today, in this moment, right now, 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:49.680 how are you feeling about giving it one more go 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:51.920 and potentially trying to go to LA twenty eight. 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:57.479 Right now, I'm definitely on a down swing. I have 0:04:57.480 --> 0:05:01.600 a dongymnastics since November, and honestly, I don't I don't 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:05.520 know that I will do gymnastics again, but I'm not 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:09.839 completely closing that door, just kind of we'll see good. 0:05:10.040 --> 0:05:12.400 That's you don't have to you get to decide. Maybe 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:13.200 you'll get the itch. 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:16.840 Yeah, maybe we'll see Okay. 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.200 On to this week's big event in Fort Worth. So, 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:22.080 the semifinal rounds of the twenty twenty five NCAA National 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:25.920 Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships get going Thursday on ESPN two 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:29.240 Semi Final one at four thirty Eastern, Semifinal two at 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:32.000 nine pm Eastern, and then they culminate with the Championship 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:34.839 Final live on ABC on Saturday. I want to start 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:36.719 with the basics. Can you tell us how the eight 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:39.680 competing teams make the cut to get to compete at 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:40.839 this national Championships. 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:44.520 Yes, So they were all at their own regional locations 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:46.840 and they had to be the top two teams out 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:50.320 of the regional location to make it to the national Championships, 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:53.800 which is not easy. There's a play in day where 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:56.839 the bottom two teams one team gets to go, and 0:05:56.880 --> 0:06:00.599 then there are two sessions of four teams and the 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:02.960 top two teams from each session go from Day one 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:06.120 of regionals today two and so then there are four 0:06:06.160 --> 0:06:08.839 teams left and the top two teams from Day two 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:10.120 on the Nationals. 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:13.680 They are individuals competing as well. How did they qualify? 0:06:13.839 --> 0:06:17.640 Yes, So basically, if you're an individual and you place 0:06:17.880 --> 0:06:22.080 at the top of Day one of Regionals, then you 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:24.840 get to qualify to go to Nationals. If you weren't 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.600 on those two teams that already qualified. 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:30.800 Okay, got it? Okay, So semi final one tomorrow is 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:33.960 an all sec showdown. We got number two seed Oklahoma, 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:36.960 number three seed Florida, number seven seed Missouri, and number 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:41.120 eleven seed Alabama. Which team is coming in feeling the 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:44.880 most confident? Which team has most people believing that they'll advance? 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:48.719 Yeah, honestly, I think all of the teams have a 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:52.000 really good shot. They are so good this year. And 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:54.599 I mean I will have to say obviously Oklahoma and 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:58.000 Florida at the top. So I think that those teams 0:06:58.040 --> 0:06:59.320 are definitely. 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:01.640 Like people will assume that they will advance. 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:03.880 But it's a hard yes, but it's a. 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:06.520 Hard competition, and Missouri can bring it like those other 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.039 teams can bring it. So I think it's gonna be 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:12.040 a lot of fun this weekend just watching everyone. It's 0:07:12.080 --> 0:07:15.360 gonna be who's on and it's like mental game. They're 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:19.840 all physically like incredible. All the teams are incredible, but 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:22.320 it just comes down to who can hit and do 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:24.720 no wobbles and hit their cast handstands and stick when 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:25.239 it counts. 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:28.080 Who are some of the standout stars from those teams 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:28.960 that you'll be watching for? 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:35.400 Okay, So Alabama, I'll say Gaby Gladio. She I feel 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:36.160 like she's a big one. 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:36.800 And then Lily. 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:42.320 Hudson their team is pretty awesome. Missouri, Jocelyn Moore, Amari Drayton. Again, 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:46.360 their team is awesome. There's so many and then oh 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.880 you honestly, the freshmen. I think the freshmen for OHU 0:07:50.000 --> 0:07:53.280 have been like incredible for that team and so important, 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:55.560 even though like they've got their Faith tours, they've got 0:07:55.560 --> 0:07:58.000 their Jordan Bauers, they've got those big names, but the 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:01.200 freshmen have done a great job for Oklahoma this year. 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:05.040 So the freshie's for Oklahoma. And then what was the 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:05.600 last one? 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:06.120 Florida? 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:11.760 Florida the Okay so obviously lean long Selena Harris, but again, 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:15.600 their team is so deep this year, so honestly, like 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:19.640 they lean on each other and that's so cool. Obviously, 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:22.960 every team has had adversity this year, and so it's 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:24.720 nice when you have a deep team to be able 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:27.080 to put the next one up and they're just as 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:27.800 good as the last. 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:31.240 So we know you've really moved on to your media 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:33.520 role when you forgot your own team. You're really so 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:36.280 unbiased at this point that you forget your own squad. 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:39.679 So I love the idea of the freshman coming out 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:41.920 of Oklahoma as being one of the stories this weekend. 0:08:41.920 --> 0:08:44.960 Any other great stories, whether that's athletes looking to break 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.600 a record, maybe someone coming back from injury, or something 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:49.560 else for that first semi final you'll be watching for. 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:55.760 I definitely think Helen Who's story is incredible. She didn't 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:58.480 do gymnastics last year, she was doing learning so much 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:01.280 about herself and about the world year and comes back 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:04.320 and I think she's got three perfect tens now on meme, 0:09:05.200 --> 0:09:08.640 so really, look, I mean, she could win that beam title. 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:09.600 She is one of the. 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:12.400 Most incredible beam workers in the NCAA right now, and 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:15.720 so I think her story is really special and it'd 0:09:15.720 --> 0:09:18.520 be so cool to see her walk away with a 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:20.360 national title on TAM. 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:23.800 Yeah, you know, it's so interesting in certain sports, particularly 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:27.600 ones where there's a lot of mental pressure it's about perfection. 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:29.840 It's not about reacting in the moment. It's about having 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:31.320 done it so many times that you can sort of 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:33.160 get out of your head and let it happen. That 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.040 there are athletes like that who step away and when 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.480 they come back with a different perspective, how it changes 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:41.160 their sport as well. And it feels like you've been 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:43.240 on this stage so many times in the past. Can 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:45.760 you talk about the pressure of this point of the 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:48.600 season and how it does come down to not just 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:50.679 physically how great you are, but how much you're ready 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:51.360 to handle it. 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:55.200 Yes, absolutely, I mean the pressure at Nationals is like 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:59.240 nothing else. Obviously, every team's biggest goal, whether like it's 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.080 in the forefront or of their mind or in the 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:03.960 back like is to win a national championship. And so 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:07.280 that's always like that overhanging like dirt cloud. I don't know, 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:10.120 but it's like it's a great thing, but you can't 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:15.040 let it consume you. And so although it's the National Championships, 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:18.160 you've competed at all of these meets this year, and 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:19.960 the National Championships is no different. 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:20.880 It's just another meet. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.400 It's about the way that you approach it and look 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:25.439 at it, and for me, I would always try to 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:29.439 make it small, Like I do this every single day 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:32.400 in the gym. I've worked for this moment. It's just 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:35.079 another beam routine, it's just another bar routine, it's one 0:10:35.080 --> 0:10:37.960 more vault, it's one more floor routine. So it's just 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:40.920 like really breaking it down in your mind to not 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:42.440 make it bigger than what it is. 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:45.320 Yeah, and I feel like Oklahoma, of all the teams, 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:48.320 would be really ready for that kind of approach because 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:51.800 they've been so consistent all season. Their scores have been 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:54.560 across the board like they just don't waiver. So I 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:56.520 would love to be their coach heading into this and 0:10:56.559 --> 0:10:58.800 just be like, listen, you've done it literally every single time. 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:01.079 Just do the exact same thing you've pretty much done 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:05.880 every single time. Semifinal two defending national champ top seeded 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:10.679 LSU alongside number four Utah, number five UCLA, and number 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:14.920 eight Michigan State. Obviously, LSU's coming in number one team 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:17.920 in the nation actually the first time any team other 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.600 than the Oklahoma Sooners has held the number one position 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:24.679 in the postseason for over a decade, which is crazy. 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:27.200 So obviously the Sooners have something to prove because they 0:11:27.200 --> 0:11:30.040 got knocked off their pedestal, but also LSU coming in 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.679 with all those expectations, what are you watching for? Particularly 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:33.520 with that team? 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:37.440 I mean LSU is a great team again, so much 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.720 talent across the board. I honestly think as long as 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:44.920 they come in, just be them, Like they just have 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:47.200 to do their normal. They have to trust their gymnastics. 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:50.440 That team is. I mean, they've gone team of veterans too. 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:52.520 Like, they've got a lot of girls that have been 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:54.720 to several national championships. A lot of them are back 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:57.839 from last year coming off of the national championship, so 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:00.480 they literally, I think, just have to be them. 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.280 What are you watching for in terms of stars from 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:05.160 some of these teams in the second semi final? 0:12:05.600 --> 0:12:08.880 I know Michigan State this is their first time in 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:11.640 I can't remember how many years, A long time coming 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:15.400 to the national championship, but like they cannot be underestimated. 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:20.640 They are incredible, absolutely amazing. Again, They've got some great 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:24.520 veterans on their team, and I definitely think that they 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:28.000 can make it out of this round one of Nationals 0:12:28.040 --> 0:12:31.960 and their I don't know. Oh, I love Nicki Smith. 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:34.880 She's so much fun. She's an incredible gymnast. She brings 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:38.760 all the difficulty, she brings all the energy. But that 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:41.040 team as a whole, I feel like they have an 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:44.319 aura about them when they walk into the room, and 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:47.880 they've been taking ownership of their gymnastics this year, and 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:50.520 I think that they can definitely go all the way. 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:53.160 So I think that's a really cool story with Michigan State. 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:58.760 But obviously Oklahoma they've done it so many times. 0:12:59.200 --> 0:13:02.120 They had that that fault last year. 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:04.600 Didn't quite go the way that they wanted it to, 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:07.200 didn't even make it to four on the floor, which 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:11.760 is like not obviously not normal for OU, And so 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:13.719 I think they're they're coming back. They've got a new 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:17.600 team right mostly like a very a very young team 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:20.839 with a lot of contributing freshmen, like we were saying, 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:27.600 But I think that for them, I feel like their 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.720 overall like team chemistry this year, and kJ has talked 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:34.480 about it. They are so close and they are having 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:38.640 so much fun, and I think that this team right 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:42.280 now literally just needs to like let that last year 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:44.960 stuff roll off of their shoulders and just go out 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:47.600 there and do the gymnastics like you said that they've 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:52.360 been doing all season long. kJ Kidler is the head 0:13:52.360 --> 0:13:58.080 coach of the Oklahoma Sooners gymnastics team. She is I mean, 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:01.680 I can't even remember her accolades, Like she's been insane. 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:05.400 Oklahoma has done She's done a great job at Oklahoma 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:07.240 in an absolutely amazing job. 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:10.040 Yeah, so the big stories heading into the semi finals are, 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:13.160 of course Oklahoma, this team that's been a powerhouse but 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.800 really fell apart last year and is trying to have 0:14:15.880 --> 0:14:19.400 a little revenge tour LSU. They're quote unquote trying to 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:22.800 protect the crown after winning it all last year. And 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:25.040 then like you mentioned, all these upstart teams. There's a 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:26.760 ton of parody this year and a lot of people 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:29.480 see the field is pretty open for this year, like 0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:32.560 anything can happen. The top two teams advanced to the 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:35.600 Championship final on Saturday. If I had to make you 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:39.160 put your money down, who you got? Who you got 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:39.880 for the final two? 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:42.480 Oh my goodness, do you want me to say what 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:44.160 I think is gonna happen or what I hope happened? 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:47.800 Give us both. I'm guessing Florida's in there somewhere. 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:52.640 Obviously, I'm a Florida Gator, so I've gotta have the 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.200 Florida Gators in there, so I think the Gators are 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:55.600 going to go. 0:14:56.520 --> 0:15:01.720 I think, oh, this is so hard. 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:06.160 I'm going to go with the Gators in Missouri, and 0:15:06.200 --> 0:15:09.680 mostly because I really want Missouri making to four on 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:10.120 the floor. 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:11.760 I think that'd be really cool for them. 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:14.520 So the Gators and Missouri out of that first session, 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:21.720 and then the second session LSU and oh gosh, I'm. 0:15:21.640 --> 0:15:23.320 Gonna say, Michigan State. That's what I want. 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:26.600 Okay, all right, Well, we'll know who you're rooting for 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:28.480 at least, or at least what you'd like to see happening. 0:15:30.120 --> 0:15:33.480 There are also the twenty athletes that are competing individually, 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:36.880 including a couple Olympians, two time Olympians and twenty twenty 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:39.840 four Olympic gold medalists Jade Carey who's competing for Oregon 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:43.480 State and Jordan Chiles of UCLA, and then twenty twenty 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:46.360 four US Olympic alternates Leanne Wong that you mentioned from Florida, 0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:51.040 Jocelyn Robertson from Arkansas. Who are you wanting to watch? 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:54.280 Who are you just excited to see? It's always interesting 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:56.720 to me these Olympians who come back to the college game. 0:15:56.760 --> 0:15:58.600 There's still a lot of pressure, but it just feels 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:01.680 like so different to watch them compete for their team 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:04.600 as opposed to on the biggest stage at the Olympics. 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:07.520 Yes, I'm excited for all of them. I'm just glad 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:09.920 that they are. I mean, they bring you so many 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:13.480 more eyes to NC DOUBLEA gymnastics, which is so important. 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:15.880 They've really paved the way and they've done a great job, 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:19.520 and I'm just so glad they're enjoying their collegiate experience 0:16:19.600 --> 0:16:23.680 because me personally, like college gymnastics was like the best 0:16:23.680 --> 0:16:26.920 part of gymnastics for me, it was my favorite part. 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:31.000 And so I love to see these Olympians, incredible athletes 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:34.400 and people get to come back and enjoy their collegiate 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.440 careers as well. So I honestly think that they are 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:41.360 going to do and it's just an absolute amazing job 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:43.560 this weekend, and I'm excited for them. 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:46.680 I think that they're hard to beat, all of them. 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:51.760 Yeah, I definitely think that everyone all eyes are on 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:55.840 them and everyone's excited to just see what happens this weekend. 0:16:55.920 --> 0:16:59.440 I obviously, Jay Carey has been on the top of 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:04.480 the individual rankings all season and so she's definitely want 0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:07.639 to watch for that all around title. So it'll be 0:17:07.680 --> 0:17:11.560 interesting to see how it all pieces together and what 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:12.760 happens this weekend. 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:15.240 Why was college your favorite? What did you like so 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:16.440 much about it? 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:18.960 Oh? Oh, my goodness. I love the team, the team 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:22.840 atmosphere I loved. I obviously was at Florida, so I 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:26.119 loved Gator Nation. I loved competing under all the lights, 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.639 with all of the literally all the seats filled in 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:34.119 the stands, Like that's an unreal feeling. And getting to 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:37.280 like band together with a team that we're working towards 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:39.879 a common goal every single day for four years, and 0:17:39.920 --> 0:17:42.640 just growing closer and closer with my coaches and with 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:47.080 my teammates who have become like my family too. Is 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:53.600 like an experience that I think few people get to 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:57.360 do outside of you know, sports, and so it's it's 0:17:58.040 --> 0:18:01.119 it's something special, and it's my experience at UF is 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:03.480 something that I'll hold near and dear to my heart 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:05.919 and I will for the rest of my life. 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:08.359 You know, for a lot of fans, they're getting into 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:10.520 watching more of the NCAA. You know a lot of 0:18:10.520 --> 0:18:13.240 people come around for the Olympic cycles and you know, 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:15.560 every four years for the big events but more and 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:18.000 more fans are starting to realize how much great gymnastics 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:19.840 is happening at the collegiate level, and to your point, 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:22.720 those Olympiads coming back and competing or helping with that 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:25.119 as well. Is there anything fans should know. Let's say 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:28.879 they're going to dive into this Gymnastics Championship this weekend 0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:31.520 for the first time, what should they know about watching? 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:34.119 How is it different? What makes what would make them 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:34.760 a good viewer? 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:37.119 Oh, that's a good question. 0:18:37.520 --> 0:18:41.640 I think honestly, it's hard to focus when there's four 0:18:41.680 --> 0:18:43.800 teams on the floor at one time. But they do 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:46.760 do two events at a time for viewers, so that 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:49.040 makes it a little bit easy but easier. But just 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:51.119 listen to the commentators. They'll kind of like guide you 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:53.400 to one side of the screen or the other. Sometimes 0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:55.680 it will be full screen if there's the one event 0:18:55.800 --> 0:19:00.040 is done. But honestly, just listen and remember that, like 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:03.000 it's not just the National Championship, Like they're going to 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:06.680 be here next year from January to April, competing weekend 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:09.639 and week out, and there's so much fun gymnastics to 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:12.760 watch other than just the big competition. So I would 0:19:12.760 --> 0:19:15.920 just challenge them to tune in now, but then also 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:20.240 like pick their favorite athletes, their favorite teams and like 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:23.720 follow them like and just that way you can kind 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:26.119 of build that connection and you get to show all 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:29.000 your friends and things like that. But it's it's really 0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:31.120 fun when you get to know a certain team or 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:33.520 a certain athlete and you get to watch their career. 0:19:33.640 --> 0:19:36.679 So I think just like just watch and when you 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:40.240 find like your eyes setting on one gymnast or one team, 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:42.360 like just continue to follow them and see what they 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:44.680 do in the upcoming years, because I think that's what 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:46.439 makes it the most fun, when you get to like 0:19:46.640 --> 0:19:50.679 really really cheer for who you're passionate about watching or whatever. 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:53.119 So for sure, you're going to be part of the 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:56.560 stream team coverage on ESPN Plus. Can you tell us 0:19:56.640 --> 0:19:57.159 more about that. 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:00.720 Yes, So we have a meeting to This is gonna 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:02.960 be my first time being a part of the stream team. 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:06.520 This is my first time covering the national Championships. So 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:08.960 I'm excited to be here in a different role. Last 0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:12.120 year was here as a student assistant coach for the Gators, 0:20:12.119 --> 0:20:14.040 and then previous years I was here as an athlete. 0:20:14.160 --> 0:20:16.159 So just being able to like move into new roles 0:20:16.200 --> 0:20:18.760 and new and learn new things. Has been has been 0:20:18.800 --> 0:20:21.520 really fun, and it's a little bit outside of my 0:20:21.520 --> 0:20:24.399 comfort zone, like doing all of this media stuff, I guess, 0:20:25.320 --> 0:20:27.800 but I've been learning a lot and I've been i 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:30.000 feel like, getting a little bit more confident with it 0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:31.800