For the third installment in our series on the most difficulty in the 2018 NCAA Super Six, we're taking a look at floor exercise. Floor scores are calculated similarly to bars and beam scores: Gymnasts start from a 9.5 and add in difficulty value and connection value in order to get to a 10.0 start value. Gymnasts can add difficulty by performing "E" skills (worth 0.20) and "D" skills (worth 0.10). 

For connection value, gymnasts can add points by connecting both acrobatic skills in their tumbling passes and by connecting dance skills, such as leap passes. In general, gymnasts will typically have at least one acrobatic connection and one dance connection on floor.

Gymnasts are allowed up to 0.40 in bonus for D/E skills as well as up to 0.40 for connection bonus. For the purpose of this exercise, we added in all difficulty included in a routine, even if it went above the max allowed.

Check out our ranking below for the most difficulty on floor out of the teams who competed at the 2018 Super Six. 

1. UCLA

Your 2018 national champions are also the champions of difficulty on floor exercise. UCLA came in well above the other teams, especially with regards to E skills and connection bonus. The Bruins had five total E skills across their lineup: a double layout from Felicia Hano and Katelyn Ohashi, a front double full from Madison Kocian and Gracie Kramer, and a full-in from Pauline Tratz. 

For connection bonus, Kramer had the most, going above what she needed in her routine. She connected her front double full to a front tuck for +0.20, a back 1.5 twist to a front layout for another +0.20, a switch side to a Popa for +0.10, and a Rudi to a straddle jump for +0.10. Ohashi also racked up a lot of bonus in connection with her back 1.5 twist to front half for +0.20, switch ring to switch half for +0.10, and front full to front half for +0.20.

Check out the full breakdown:

"E" Skills - Total: 5 x 0.20 = 1.0

1. Double layout (Hano, Ohashi)
2. Front double full (Kocian, Kramer)
3. Full-in (Tratz)

“D" Skills - Total: 8 x 0.10 = 0.80

1. Double pike (Hano, Kyla Ross)
2. Rudi (Kocian, Kramer)
3. Double tuck (Ross, Tratz)
4. Ferrari (Ross)

Connection Value - Total: 2.5

1. Hano: Front full (C) + Front half (B) = +0.20, Tour jete full (C) + Wolf full (C) = +0.10
2. Kocian: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20, Switch side (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Rudi (D) + Double stag (A) = +0.10 
3. Kramer: Front double full (E) + Front tuck (A) = +0.20, Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20, Switch side (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Rudi (D) + Straddle jump (B) = +0.10
4. Ohashi: Back 1.5 (C) + Front half (B) = +0.20, Switch ring (C) + Switch half (C) = +0.10, Front full (C) + Front half (B) = +0.20
5. Ross: Switch ring (C) + Ferrari (D) = +0.20, Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20
6. Tratz: Back 1.5 (C) + Front full (C) = +0.20, Switch ring (C) + Tour jete half (C) = +0.10

TOTAL BONUS: 4.3

2T. NEBRASKA

The underdog Cornhuskers tied for second place in our ranking. Their floor routines were packed with difficulty, and they are tied with LSU for the most D skills in their lineup. Three gymnasts competed E skills: Sienna Crouse and Abbie Epperson performed a front double full, while Megan Schweihofer performed a full-in. Crouse also had a crazy amount of connections in her routine, especially with skills that are often performed alone. An example is her front double full to a front tuck for +0.20, as well as a Rudi to layout step out for +0.20. 

In addition to Crouse, all the remaining gymnasts in the lineup (with the exception of Epperson) had two connections in their routine which counted for bonus — an acrobatic connection and a dance connection. 

Check out the full breakdown:

"E" Skills - Total: 3 x 0.20 = 0.60

1. Front double full (Crouse, Epperson)
2. Full-in (Megan Schweihofer)

“D" Skills - Total: 11 x 0.10 = 1.1

1. Rudi (Crouse, Epperson, Schweihofer, Grace Williams)
2. Double pike (Catelyn Orel, Kynsee Roby, Williams)
3. Double tuck (Orel, Roby, Schweihofer, Williams)

Connection Value - Total: 2.1

1. Crouse: Front double full (E) + Front tuck (A) = +0.20, Back 1.5 (C) + Front half (B) = +0.20, Switch side (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Rudi (D) + Layout step out (A) = +0.20
2. Epperson: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20
3. Orel: Switch side (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Back 1.5 (C) + Front half (B) = +0.20
4. Roby: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20, Switch half (C) + Wolf 1/1 (C) = +0.10
5. Schweihofer: Front layout (B) + Rudi (D) = +0.20, Switch half (C) + Wolf 1/1 (C) = +0.10
6. Williams: Front layout (B) + Rudi (D) = +0.20, Tour jete half (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10

TOTAL BONUS: 3.8

2T. LSU

Although LSU was in the No. 1 spot in our ranking last year, they have dropped a place this year. As mentioned, in addition to tying in overall ranking, they also tied Nebraska for the most D skills in their lineup, and they had quite a few E skills as well, with four of their gymnasts having competed E skills. Christina Desiderio and Myia Hambrick both competed double layouts, Kennedi Edney competed a double arabian, and Lexie Priessman competed a full-in.

LSU did not have as much connection as the other teams this year, and they rank in the No. 5 spot out of the six teams for connection bonus. Ashlyn Kirby had the most connection bonus, with a front layout to Rudi for +0.20, switch side to Popa for +0.10, and front layout to front full for +0.20. 

Check out the full breakdown:

"E" Skills - Total: 4 x 0.20 = 0.80

1. Double layout (Desiderio, Hambrick)
2. Double arabian (Edney)
3. Full-in (Priessman)

“D" Skills - Total: 11 x 0.10 = 1.1

1. Double tuck (Desiderio, Edney, Kirby, Sarah Finnegan)
2. Double pike (Desiderio, Hambrick, Finnegan, Priessman)
3. Back 2.5 (Finnegan, Hambrick)
4. Rudi (Kirby)

Connection Value - Total: 1.9

1. Desiderio: Front tuck (A) + Double tuck (D) = +0.10, Switch ring (C) + Tour jete half (C) = +0.10
2. Edney: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20, Switch ring (C) + Tour jete half (C) = +0.10
3. Finnegan: Back 1.5 (C) + Back 2.5 (D) = +0.20, Switch ring (C) + Switch half (C) = +0.10
4. Hambrick: Back 2.5 (D) + Front tuck (A) = +0.20, Tour jete half (C) + Wolf 1/1 (C) = +0.10
5. Kirby: Front layout (B) + Rudi (D) = +0.20, Switch side (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Front layout (B) + Front full (C) = +0.20
6. Priessman: Tour jete half (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20

TOTAL BONUS: 3.8

4. OKLAHOMA

The Oklahoma Sooners are tied for fourth place. Like all the teams, the majority of their difficulty bonus came from connections. Brenna Dowell and Brehanna Showers had the most difficulty in their routines. Dowell got +0.20 for both her back 1.5 twist to front layout connection and her front layout to front full connection. She also got +0.10 for her tour jete half to Popa. Similarly, Showers notches +0.20 for two acrobatic connections and also +0.10 for her switch leap to Ferrari.

The Sooners had more E skills in their lineup than D skills, with four out of the five gymnasts in the lineup having competed E skills. They had a lot of variety, as well: Dowell competed a front double tuck, AJ Jackson competed a full-in, Maggie Nichols competed a piked full-in, and Anastasia Webb competed a front double full.

Check out the full breakdown:

"E" Skills - Total: 4 x 0.20 = 0.80

1. Front double tuck (Dowell)
2. Full-in (Jackson)
3. Piked full-in (Nichols)
4. Front double full (Webb)

“D" Skills - Total: 7 x 0.10 = 0.70

1. Double pike (Jackson, Nichols, Showers, Evy Schoepfer)
2. Double tuck (Schoepfer)
3. Ferrari (Showers)
4. Rudi (Webb)

Connection Value - Total: 2.1

1. Dowell: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20, Tour jete half (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Front layout (B) + Front full (C) = +0.20 
2. Jackson: 1/2 whip (B) + Front full (C) = +0.20, Switch side 3/4 (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10
3. Nichols: Front full (C) + Front layout step out (B) = +0.20, Switch ring (C) + Tour jete half (C) = +0.10
4. Schoepfer: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20
5. Showers: Front full (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20, Switch leap (B) + Ferrari (D) = +0.10, Whip 1/2 (B) + Front full (C) = +0.20
6. Webb: Back 1.5 (C) + Front full (C) = +0.20, Tour jete half (C) + Split jump 1/1 (C) = 0.10

TOTAL BONUS: 3.6

5. FLORIDA

In fifth place is Florida, who got almost the same amount of connection bonus as Oklahoma. The main difference in the makeup of their difficulty in the lineup is they had more D skills than E skills. Three gymnasts in the lineup competed E skills — Alicia Boren and Rachel Slocum with their double layouts, and Alex McMurtry with her triple twist. For D skills, the gymnasts who did not compete E skills all competed two D skills. Alyssa Baumann, Rachel Gowey, and Amelia Hundley all competed a double tuck and double pike in their routines.

Check out the full breakdown:

"E" Skills - Total: 3 x 0.20 = 0.60

1. Double layout (Boren)
2. Triple twist (McMurtry)
3. Double layout (Slocum)

“D" Skills - Total: 9 x 0.10 = 0.90

1. Double tuck (Baumann, Gowey, Hundley, Boren, McMurtry)
2. Double pike (Baumann, Gowey, Hundley)
3. Rudi (Slocum)

Connection Value - Total: 2.0

1. Baumann: Back 1.5 (C) + Front full (C) = +0.20, Switch half (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10
2. Boren: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20, Tour jete half (C) + Wolf 1/1 (C) = +0.10
3. Gowey: Switch half (C) + Wolf 1/1 (C) = +0.10, Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20
4. Hundley: Whip (A) + Double pike (D) = +0.20, Switch side (C) + Popa (C) = +0.10, Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20
5. McMurtry: Front layout (B) + Front full (C) = +0.20, Tour jete half (C) + Wolf 1/1 (C) = +0.10
6. Slocum: Tour jete half (C) + Wolf 1/1 (C) = +0.10, Front full (C) + Front pike (B) = +0.20

TOTAL BONUS: 3.5

6. UTAH

Last but not least is Utah, who had a nearly equal amount of D and E skills in their routines. MyKayla Skinner’s routine is an obvious highlight when it comes to difficulty — she not only competed two E skills (a double double and full-in) but she also competed a dance D skill — a tour jete full. 

With connection bonus, every gymnast in the lineup except one notched +0.30 in bonus for connections in their routines. Makenna Merrell-Giles had the most single connections in her routine, with a switch ring to tour jete half, back 1.5 twist to front tuck to front pike, and Rudi to straddle jump. 

Check out the full breakdown:

"E" Skills - Total: 4 x 0.20 = 0.80

1. Piked full-in (Merrell-Giles)
2. Double double (Skinner)
3. Full-in (Skinner)
4. Double layout (Sydney Soloski)

“D" Skills - Total: 7 x 0.10 = 0.70

1. Back 2.5 (Kari Lee)
2. Double pike (Tiffani Lewis, Missy Reinstadtler)
3. Double tuck (Lewis, Reinstadtler)
4. Rudi (Merrell-Giles)
5. Tour jete full (Skinner)

Connection Value - Total: 1.7

1. Lee: Back double full (C) + Layout step out (A) = +0.10, Front layout (B) + Front full (C) = +0.20
2. Lewis: Front layout (B) + Front full (C) = +0.20, Switch side (C) + Split jump 1/1 (C) = +0.10
3. Merrell-Giles: Switch ring (C) + Tour jete half (C) = +0.10, Back 1.5 (C) + Front tuck (A) + Front pike (A) = +0.10, Rudi (D) + Straddle jump (B) = +0.10
4. Reinstadtler: Switch ring (C) + Tour jete half (C) = +0.10, Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20
5. Skinner: Back 1.5 (C) + Back double full (C) = +0.20, Cat leap (A) + Tour jete full (D) = +0.10
6. Soloski: Back 1.5 (C) + Front layout (B) = +0.20

TOTAL BONUS: 3.2

Related:

Most Difficulty in NCAA Super Six: Bars Edition

Most Difficulty in NCAA Super Six: Beam Edition