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Meet Preview: Gophers vs. Washington
2/6/2020 6:02:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
The Minnesota men's gymnastics team returns home this weekend for a dual meet against the University of Washington.
As the No. 10 Gophers host the No. 17 Huskies, it's "Flashback Friday" at Maturi Pavilion. While gymnasts will be judged by traditional FIG scoring and live statistics will be updated with those numbers, scores in the Pav and social media updates will reflect a conversion on the 10.0 scale.
Conversion tables will be available for spectators at the meet, and an online version can be found here. Fans are also encouraged to complete an NCAA survey in person or online (link to follow) to give feedback on the event.
The style of the meet hopes to mesh the simplicity of the 10.0 system with the tradition and skill that the FIG scores encompass.
"Everybody in the world, I believe, understands what a 10.0 is in gymnastics. It's perfection, and we all know perfection is hard to come by, but every so often you get something that just works out the way you want it to, and we have that opportunity," head coach Mike Burns said. "Is it something we're going to do forever? I don't know. It might go over great, it might flop, I don't know, but we're going to try something different and have fun with it."
In order for gymnasts to earn a 10, they must score above 15 in FIG terms and stick their dismount. With a close range of points, the scores will look a bit tighter than they do in FIG meets.
"As an athlete, I feel like it'll be interesting," senior captain Timmy Kutyla said. "It could be very good. It'll definitely bring the meet closer, and could bring future meets closer, so there is some excitement there, winning by a tenth rather than three points."
The meet is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, with tickets still available via Gopher Sports. Fans can follow along with the meet via live stats, watch on BTN+ (subscription required), and follow Gopher Men's Gymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates.
There are a plethora of promotions at the Pav this weekend. For students, those who arrive early will get free sandwiches from Subway and can enter to win a 50 inch smart TV at marketing. It is also Goldy's Kid's Club Day, with members receiving free admission and parents getting a discount. Members will also get to try out equipment with the team post-meet, with waivers available at the marketing table.