And now, may I present your gymnastics coma. It’s regionals day. We start with 36. We end with 12. How dramatic! After a whole season of results mattering zero, today they matter slightly more than zero! If you lose, you don’t get to give an interview about how much valuable experience you’ve gained today. You’re just out. It’s so much better this way.

4:00 ET/1:00 PT – MORGANTOWN – Live scores – Live video
5:00 ET/2:00 PT – NORMAN – Live scores – Live video
5:00 ET/2:00 PT – AMES – Live scores – Live video
6:00 ET/3:00 PT – COLUMBUS – Live scores – Live video (vault) – Live video (bars) – Live video (beam) – Live video (floor)
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – AUBURN – Live scores – Live video (option A – CSL) – Live video (option B – SECN+)
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – BERKELEY – Live scores – Live video

I’m hoping for some real upsets. Last year we got only one technical upset, with Penn State going over Oregon State, but with Penn State at home and those teams so close together in both ranking and quality, it wasn’t that extreme of an upset. I want to see some serious damage today. Or, I mean, I want everyone to have a great time and do their best and learn a lot of life lessons and savor the moment. Yeah. That.

We’ll have a fairly slow start with just the one competition during the first hour, which is helpful for our delicate sensibilities, but one of the most interesting things to watch out for right away will be the first two beam rotations in that Morgantown regional. Illinois has a lower RQS than Stanford on every event, but beam is the closest, and they’ll need to put up an intimidating score to start the challenge. For Florida, the lineup on beam could go several ways. Let’s see if they fixed SECs.

I’ll include the schedule (again) just so everything is all together. There will be a lot of browser windows to deal with today anyway.

Stay tuned!

On twitter, loyal reader Jennifer just mentioned that Price warmed up floor and Hong warmed up vault. It’s so Stanford. Just to unveil these routines at the last minute and be like, oh by the way remember how we said Ivana was doing only bars and beam this season? NOPE.

Really, West Virginia Regional? “Party in the USA”?

RQSs for the teams in the first rotation are — Florida UB – 49.500; Illinois BB – 49.200; West Virginia FX – 49.125; New Hampshire VT – 48.875. So that’s the standard to look out for.

This intro video. The drama. The drama. Now let’s meet the teams. We already met Katarina Broccoli, so my silly name dreams are coming true again this year.

Ivana Hong’s wave to the crowd already won the prize for elegance from this meet.

Guess who’s dancing the most? Spoiler alert: it’s Bridget Sloan.

I love how Sasha Tsikhanovich just laughed when the announcer paused before her name. She’s like, “Yeah, you’re going to butcher this thing. I know. It’s fine.”

Time for warmups now.

We’ve already got some awesome pronunciations of the Florida team. I can’t even. Also, Bridget Sloan is a junior not a senior, people. Still giggling about the Florida pronunciations. I will not be able to pay attention to anything else.  

MORGANTOWN REGIONAL:
Illinois getting started on beam.

Naleway BB – a little short on that straddle 1/4 but hit the dance elements – solid on the loso series with some loose legs – clean aerial – very short on the split 3/4 (?) – solid routine but she will get hit for dance elements – did stick front full. Fine hit though. They’ll take that 9.800 any day.
(Baker hits bars with a hop on the double front)

YES YOU ARE GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH HER NAME BECAUSE IT IS NOT JAM-BUDDHIST.

Jam Buddhist on UB – pretty shpaosh – pretty angled on the bail – legs apart on the DLO as usual but did well to control the landing – looked like she would have to take a large step back but didn’t appear to. Just a 9.775 for her.

Foley clean on beam so far -holds onto her aerial well without a wobble – sticks gainer full.

KYTRA FALL. Buchanan not falling for Illinois.
Kytra back up – clean on the bail – pretty big step back on dismount.

Moments of form in these Illinois beam routines – especially legs in the series – but they’re not giving away wobbles so far.

West Virginia almost had a Kyla-at-Jesolo moment on a pass but held in in bounds.

Caqautto – UB – Good Ray – fine on the bail as well – finishes with an OK DLO wbut another pretty big step. They have not really brought these bars routines so far. Not going to help the pressure going to beam.

O’Connor also hitting beam. They’re getting exactly the scores they wanted so far leading up to Horth and Kato who can go bigger.

SLOAN TIME – UB – Also strong on the Ray – good following hs – really precise – focused on getting those legs together on the bail this time – sticks the DLO. Leave it to Bridget.

Horth BB – Strong on the loso series – good switch to a fine straddle 1/4 – a little slow on the aerial but well done – wobble on her tuck jump full but more refined and precise than the previous competitors – sitcks gainer full.

McMurtry – UB – fine on the full turn – leag break on the bail – sticks her dismount. They got through the Kytra fall, but that was not an ideal rotation for the Gators.

Kato – BB – pretty loso series to start – solid on the aerial as well – very clean routine – and a successful rotation overall.
Tsikhanovich pretty on bars – just a double back dismount with a hop though – great toe point – some short handstands –

AFTER 1: Illinois 49.250, Florida 49.125, WVU 48.925, New Hampshire 48.525
The story there was the weak performance from Florida on bars. Not disastrous by any means right now, but that was not good. In addition to the Kytra fall, there were a bunch of big hops on dismounts and a few crooked elements on the bars. Interesting.

Great start for Illinois. Exceeding their RQS and doing exactly what they needed to put the pressure on Stanford. This is not going to be a walk. I don’t think anyone thought it would be.

This makes Florida beam even more interesting now because they have to resist the urge to try to make up tenths. That usually leads to problems.

Final score for WVU was 48.925 which is fine but two tenths below RQS on their best event.

And now we have to start planning for multiple meets at the same time, all with multiple screens. None of us are going to be able to focus on anything. We’ll all have to work together to keep each other posted.

Stanford starts on bars now in this rotation. It’s Stanford’s best event, and we need to see that performance given Illinois’s strong start. Stanford can get 49.4s on bars and needs to.

Kytra falls on her series in beam warmups. Just to give you all the palpitations.

Rotation 2:

Boyce – BB – Moved her to the leadoff spot to solidify some things I suppose – hits her aerial to bhs series – a little deliberate but didn’t break the connection – pretty big wobble on her loso series – breaks at the hips. Better on the switch – they’ve clearly worked on that – sticks gainer full. OK but did have that check.Still gets some 9.800s seeing from the judges.

WING FALLS ON BARS NOOOO – Thanks for keeping it interesting, Stanford.
Canizaro OOB for Arkansas to start on floor –

Spicer – BB – very solid on her loso series – sticks gainer full – solid routine. That’s what she’s here for.
McNair on UB – looked short on her first cast to handstand but clean on the piked jaeger and the bail – small step on dismount – 

Dillard going on floor for Ark – this is my favorite routine in the Arkansas rotations – really gets those dance elements.

Fassbender moved to the third spot – hitting – improving that sheep jump – hop back on dismount but fine –
Vaculik on UB – Vaculik gienger as always wonderful – they shouldn’t have trouble absorbing the fall from Wing, but it’s still a little terrifying. These are all strong routines. Big leap forward on DLO, though.

Three hits so far for Florida, doing what they need. Huge full from WVU on vault.

Sloan – BB – good aerial – very strong on her switch to split – fluid on the full turn – solid on the side aerial as well – sticks the double full. A Sloan routine.

Shapiro on bars now with her lovely pak – and that floaty DLO – a little too floaty as she had to pike a little at the end to bring it around. Could have landed better, but not a problem.

McMurtry – BB – check on the punch front – right into the loso series which was fine – OK on the switch – just short on her 2.5 with a hop back, but they’re enduring. Five hit routines now.

Price – UB – Good good shposh – piked tkatchev was strong but she was crooked on her bail – did extremely well not to give away more or have a fall – but that was a break on the bail that they will have to count in the team score – hop on the DLO. 

Hunter – BB – High series and solid – cleaned it up from the warmup – good full turn – the usual crookedness on the switch side but no wobble – sticks the double back. There you go, Florida.

Hong – UB – Perfection on her bail – perfection on her DLO as well – whew those skills were lovely. Looked like a short handstand in there, but they’ll need that score.

Tsikhanovich – BB – loverly splits in her opening switch and split – hits her loso series as well – very low on her standing front tuck but pulls it around somehow – small hop on 1.5.

Price got through bars with a score of 9.750, but that means Stanford is counting two 9.7s on bars. No bueno.

49.325 for Florida on beam. 49.025 for Stanford on bars. That’s what Florida needed to get back on track to qualify comfortably, which they should still do.

Arkansas already counting a 9.4 on floor, where they really need a good score. Just struggling to pull around some of these passes.

Also checking in on the NORMAN REGIONAL
 This is an important opening beam rotation for Penn State. Starting with a 9.700 from Medvitz.
 Also an extended look at the inside world of Erica Brewer’s grips.

Brewer – UB – Nice opening tkatchev – hits following hs – solid on her bail – arches final handstand a bit – hop on DLO. Fine – but a couple areas to take there.

Sibson – BB – check on aerial – breaks the connection into the back pike – which was fine – fine swqitch to a very high split jump – tentative full turn but fine – small check on side somi – stiucks gainer full. Fine – a couple breaks – nothing major check-wise. Got a 9.425. I’m assuming breaking the connection into the back pike killed her.
Wofford nailing bars – just bends to hold onto stick.

Missouri overcame a fall to go 49.00 on vault. Solid.

Haven’t been watching LSU’s meet yet but I see a 9.675 from Savona on bars to start.

Sanabria-Robles finishing for Penn State with some very nice height on her leaps – big break on side somi – just looked like she kept it on the beam but comes off. Early disaster for PSU. 

Arkansas’s floor is 48.850. Not what they needed at all to try to challenge the Illinois Stanford fight, which is currently advantage Illinois.

Scaman – UB – good half turn to solid piked jaeger this time – clean enough on the bail – solid stick on her full twisting double tuck – good routine – gave away very little. Oklahoma looks comfortable and fine so far. 9.825. Hmmm.

Welsh – BB – Hits switch side – a little crooked – nice work on side somi – hop back on gaine rfull –

Dowell – UB – Strong on her Church as always – clean on the bail – step back on DLO full. Another solid hit. Not high scores so far – the small form errors like feet and borderline handstands are getting hit I assume, but they should be happy enough with this performance.

I look away from Penn State on beam for one second and it looks like we have a fall from Welsh. Quickly into trouble now for Penn State since they will be counting the routine with lost SV from Sibson. Advantage Oregon State.

At LSU – Wyrick goes over on a handstand and comes off the bars. LSU counting early problems.

WELCOME TO REGIONALS.

McNair on BB for Stanford back in Morgantown – nice on the loso series – and secure on the side somi – hop and a step on the double full.
Jessie Jordan is pulling LSU back together on bars – but does have a pretty big step back on her DLO. Nothing else major. And then Courville is Courville.

Rice – BB -came in low on her kickover front but holds without a wobble – check on her loso series but comes back. Illinois has a couple 9.7s on floor so far, so this is the opening Stanford needs to get back. Good gainer full. Solid routine.

McGee’s amplitude on her straddle jump on beam you guys.
Hanset getting through her beam routine – does well to maintain the connection from her aerial through to the wolf jump – sticks the 1.5. 9.900. Horth looks solid on floor – just layouts as a middle pass –

Vaculik – pretty individual elements in the aerial and rulfova in the air – just tentative in the connection a little bit and then slightly crooked on the rulfova, but nothing major – small check on loso – solid switch – confident full turn – small hop on 2/1.

Buchanan – FX – Illinois – solid 1.5 to layout middle pass – and finishes with a strong double back –

Hong – BB -Because Hong – gorgeous on her traditional mount and the onodi as well – excellent legs on her loso series as well – strong full turn – and a real sheep jump too – sticks aginer pike – just brilliant –

Illinois getting the 9.85s in the second half of this rotation to try to fend off this strong beam performance from Stanford. O’Connor now – front through to double back – very solid landing – bounce on the double pike but not too big – finishes with a rudi – solid tumbling with the one bounce

Rounding things up – Oklahoma went 49.275 on bars, which is just OK – Missouri and NC State went 49.00 on vault and floor respectively, which is big for them.

Courville saved LSU for the moment on bars for a 49.050, but that’s not what they were hoping for. Denver went 48.750 on beam, which is not what they were hoping for either but not a catastrophe.

Illinois goes 49.125 on floor to Stanford 49.325 on beam. Arkansas recovered after floor for a strong vault rotation (but still their two weakest events remain). We have a meet going on in Morgantown, people. Florida 98.450, Stanford 98.400, Illinois 98.375, Arkansas 98.225. 

Oklahoma on beam now bringing those college salutes.

Lovan – BB – excellent switch – into straddle 1/4 – big break on her series – does well to keep in on the beam but a struggle. sticks loso to full dismount.
Tang – UB – Oregon State – rushed through the full turn – but otherwise OK – small hop on tuck full dismount.

Oregon State getting stuck in the 9.7s on bars so far, but bars scoring has been comparatively strict at this meet to what we usually see. These judges are in postseason mode.

McMillan – UB – high jaeger and a solid catch into her overshoot – a little legs but not major – small hop on DLO – good hit again – they’re doing what they need so far with the PSU mistakes –

Clark is hitting beam – just a small step here and there – pulls her side somi back onto the beam to adjust her center of gravity well without giving away a wobble – hop on dismount – good routine –

Great rhythm throughout the bars routine for Aufiero of OSU – short on her final hs before the dismount – small hop on DLO – but strong routine.

Macadaeg alert at the LSU regional -she’s on beam now -nice full turn – and then we cut away in the middle of her routine. YOU DO NOT DO THAT TO MACADAEG KATHY JOHNSON WILL CUT YOU. Back to it, appears to finish well.

Chayse Capps just Chary Capps-ed beam as well. 

Hambrick – BB – L turn is excellent, but she’s off on her side aerial. NOOOO.

Also, I think someone’s floor music is just a recording of smashing plates, but I can’t be sure. Brewer finishes up a solid beam rotation for Oklahoma – just a step on double back.

What we’ve seen of Nebraska’s bars look solid so far for an event that has been a little iffy this season. Thye just have to be solid to get through tis one, so that’s what we’re seeing.

Gnat – BB – small check on her opening aerial but corrects – switch to straddle 1/4 is fine – or at least I assume so because we have this bizarre aerial view for beam – another check on the switch side – hits loso series – a couple small hops on 2/1 – she’s PISSED but they’ll be OK with that routine.

I’m missing SLoan’s comeback floor! – Pretty middle pass into front pike, though – 1.5 to layout to end with a hop – watered down that ending, but just getting the name Bridget Sloan into the lineup is improtant for them, and she looked clean there.

O’Connor saves Illinois’s vault rotation with her 9.900 to go over 49, but in the words of Elfi, “It’s beatable.”

Kytra slides back on her DLO – not the security we’re used to on that one – middle pass is solid – leaps lookggood – perhaps a bit shorter on her double tuck landing but no trouble –

Jessie Jordan to finish things for LSU on beam – hits the side somi – excellent on her loso series as well – switch and straddle 1/4 are strong – hits the aerial – I love Jordan’s beam face – sticks the 1.5. There it is.

LSU survives beam and will now move to the LSU events. Time to breathe. Still, watch out for Iowa State. It’s good to be at home.

Oregon State went 48.975 on a strictly scored bars rotation – putting them behidn the pace of Missouri and NC State. For the moment. Note. For the moment. Still in very good shape after the Penn State disaster.

I chose Jessie Jordan’s beam routine over Bridgey Caquatto’s floor routine, and I’m fine with that decision. Apparently she fell, but they didn’t need the score.

Illinois is on a bye int he next rotation while Stanford goes to floor. Opportunity for Stanford to establish some comfort with a good it after Illinois’s 49.075, but it is Stanford and floor. 

Oregon State going to beam now, which could be interesting. 9.650 from Witherby. Uh oh.SCP up now – good split jump. lands her loso wither her legs a hundred miles apart but solid – short on the full after the side aerial with a hop forward.

We’ve also got a Nebraska beam rotation to watch out for right now. That’s about to start. 

Perez – OSU – BB -solid aerial to bhs – pretty full turn – hits her sheep jump – hop on gainer full –

EVERY TEAM AT THIS OKLAHOMA REGIONAL IS GETTING THE SAME SCORE.Watch out for some crazy here.

Stanford is getting started on an important floor rotation now – Shapiro totally almost fell on her front layouts middle pass – well, not really, but she had to step back to save it and that shouldn’t be happening. Very short on her double pike dismount – buckles but doesn’t put a knee down. –

There’s too much happening!

Oregon State getting trhough beam – nice kickover front from Tang – and solid on the gainer loso as well – nice wolf turn – a little iffy on that straddle 1/4 with a wobble. Sticks gainer full.

Sloan sticks a full. Obviously. 9.975.

Stanford is going to have to step it up on the floor routines to open up a lead here. Vaculik now – this thing should be close going into the last rotation between Stanford and Illinois.Good double back to start – 1.5 to front layout with a leg separation – low chest on double pike but fine –

Oregon State broke 49 on beam. Necessary. Now they just need one of those big floor rotations.
Southern Utah, Oregon State, NC State, and Missouri are all bunched together at teh halfway point. Didn’t see that one coming. 

 Florida finishes with a 197.475 and becomes our first qualifier.

Hanset floor for Stanford now – hits her opening 2.5 to front tuck – front full to front pike is fine as well – connecting out of them well and masking any lack of control – that straddle was a little short – small stumble back on double pike –

One more floor for Stanford, and it’s Spector not Ebee – slides back on her double pike – straddles look fine – steps to the side on front layout front full – got some buffering action on the last pass. Yay or nay?

We’re a bit behind on these Stanford floor scores. We need to know the scenario going to the last rotation!

Michigan gets through a fall from Artz and goes 49.150 on bars. Enough, but not what they wanted from that.

Nebraska survives beam with a 49.000. Still tied with Iowa State after two. Denver has a deficit to make up. 

I guess all eyes to West Virginia shortly for the final rotation, but we’re definitely going to miss something during this rotation because there’s a lot of close action going on.

Scores currently have Stanford up on Illinois by .150 going to the last event, with Arkansas anotther .125 behind Illinois but going to beam. Bars is Illinois’s strongest event, but Stanford has an edge and vault tends to be the higher-scoring event.

Final rotation 
Hanset – nice hanspring pike half – small hop – not bad on the chest position either – good start
Naleway – small hop on double tuck dismount –

D McNair – good height and form on her full but a pretty big hop back –
9.825 for Hanset –

Vaculik – VT – Not huge amplitude on her vault and a little piking – great distance – small hop – 
Wellick falls on her loso series for Arkansas – not just bad because they have a fall but because they desperately needed that score. She’s one of their best if not the best –

Stick from Taylor Rice! That’s the kind of thing that gets you to nationals. 9.950. BUH DAMN.  Scores are rising in this meet.
Bucnhana from Illinois sticks her DLO – bends quite a bit to hold onto it –

N McNair – Good form and dynamics – step back – shouldn’t be a problem.

Of course the scores are pokey so no one even knows what’s going on in this really exciting meet. Thanks so much.

This is very much in Stanford’s control with a lead of over a tenth on Illinois – but Illinois has some great bars workers at the end of this lineup. 

O’Connor – UB – good full turn and tremendous height on the tkatchev – solid straddle back – high DLO but does have a hop back. Not what they needed given some of Stanford’s vault scores.

Kato – UB – good half turn an inverted giant – huge piked jaeger – nice and clean on the pak – great stick on the DLO – 9.950. That’s what they needed. Wish we knew if it mattered.

Horth arches her handstand and has to go over and take an extra swing! – Great gienger and shaposh half though, but that’s exactly what they didn’t need – sticks her full in but she’s pissed about that early mistake. 

Finally we get that Stanford went 49.375 on vault. Meaning that Illinois would have needed a 49.525 on this bars rotation to tie.

Stanford does manage to go 197.000 at this meet. Illinois cannot pass that, so Florida and Stanford will go through.

UCLA goes 49.275 on bars in the first rotation, which is not huge but about what they needed. Michigan getting through beam so far. A couple 9.7s in here but nothing disastrous.

Nebraska can start to pull away along with LSU with a good floor rotation coming up. We’ve also got UCLA’s beam on the schedule now, which is always interesting.

Kara Lovan just did a solid vault in the air, but a pretty big hop back. Things are less interesting for Oklahoma right now after a big floor score, though. Followed by a really strong vault in the air for Kmieciak – tries to pretend it was a pure stick but leans and steps to salute.

Brenna made her vault look the way Brenna makes it look – step forward through – Witherby waiting to go for OSU on floor, but they already have a 9.850 from Radermacher – pretty low landing on her tuck full with a step forward but not monumental – the rest looks pretty solid –

Stick or near stick from Jackson – with just a hop of the legs together on salute of her 1.5. Should be a huge score.

A faraway speck named Sonya Meraz is starting on beam for UCLA – nice punch front – very clean on her loso series as well – very strong work on the beam but comes in way short on her dismount and nearly falls with a large step back –

Perez – FX – OSU – opening pass is strong – she was a little off on her middle pass – overdoing the 1.5 into the half to come in somewhat short, but she goes directly into a straddle so give away nothing in steps – almost the same problem on the last pass, has to pike her final layout half, but neither should show up too tremendously in the score.

Gerber going on beam for UCLA again – that’s new – it had been Williams – nice aerial – clean and extended on the loso series as well – switch and split jump are well hit to 180 – check on side somi – small hop on dismount – good routine –

Tang – FX – really strong double pike – a little bent on the switch ring but solid – has a few blips here and there but another very usable hit – Southern Utah, NC State, and Missouri are all keeping it close, so Oregon State needs a couple big hits from Gardiner and McMillan here.

Gardiner – FX – small untrolled step out of 2.5 but good – not huge amplitude on her twisting elements either and has to pike around but fine – big lunge back on hte double pike but did look like she JUST stayed in bounds.

Francis – BB – Being all Nush, you know. Perfection throughout, including a stick on the dismount. They already went 9.900 for Sophina…

More 9.850s for Oregon State. JUST getting the scores that they need. This thing is still very close.

McMillan – FX – front double full is great to start – very well performed – very nice on her splits and straddles as well – a little slide on her 1.5 to layout and just a tad short on her dismoutn landing, but another good hit –

Peng – BB – wobbles on her layout2ft but not too big – AMAZING exaggerated leg choreography to pretends she didn’t wobble on her double turn. Love it. Sticks the double full. A couple things but still should be a great score. Still goes 9.950 because Peng.

Oregon State goes to the final rotation ahead of Southern Utah by .075, but Oregon State is on vault and Southern Utah is on beam. Missouri also in this. A few tenths back but going to floor.

Also Peszek. She does Peszek. The beamers did what they do for UCLA and delivered.

Nebraska getting the necessary scores on floor to open up an advatnage along with LSU and help make that meet not so interesting. 

Oklahoma goes 197.625. Just waiting to see who joins them in the final rotation. It should be Oregon State as long as they are just normal on vault.

Everyone for UCLA goes 9.950 on beam for a 49.550. That helps.
As expected, Central Michigan is keeping it interesting early, just a touch behind Michigan, but the scary events are still to come for them, and Michigan has the scary events out of the way.

Nebraska now has a half point lead on Denver, going to their strongest event while Denver goes to their weakest.

Also, IMPORTANT THIGH CLOSEUPS IN OKLAHOMA. Because we need these shots?

Dessaints starts vault for Oregon State with an OK half – off line and hop forward.
Jimenez – vault – also a little off to the side and piking with a hop –

Gardiner – VT – pretty strong full – nice control on landing – just a twitch there –

We;ve also got Alabama and Auburn going on now – Katie Bailey is back on bars – nice jaeger with solid height – legs together in the bail – step back on full out – but solid –

And Michigan is on to floor – just trying to pick up some ground on UCLA, who has come out stronger so far, though not by a dramatic degree. Brown is on floor now – solid on the double pike – 1.5 to layout is secure as well – the leaps are the highlight of the routine, though. Just a touch short on doubel back dismount but good –

Minnesota can’t believe they’re hitting beam routines! So excited! Me too!

Solid hit from Aja Sims on bars – the usual legs but nothing else.

WHAT HAPPENED TO KAYTIANNA MCMILLAN? I look away for two seconds.

Lauren Beers sticks her double front. Nice work.

McMillan – just pulled up immediately on her right knee – looked to land OK and then something just WENT. Bad news. Looks like knee injury.

Now THAT’s a DLO from Kaitlyn Clark this time. Great height and stuck. Solid start for Alabama.

Oregon State still finishes with 196.750 and will advance, but that’s an unendurable injury for them.

Lindsay Mable looking marvelous on beam because she is. Finishes with a side aerial to a stuck full. Minnesota is getting through beam. Step one.

It’s Chiarelli time on floor for Michigan – Very big, strong full in – small slide back – another slide on her 1.5 to layout – good finish on the switch side and popa this time – not cheated around – secure double pike – strong work –

Michigan getting it on floor so far.

Artz – FX – Big piked full in as always – just a small slide – “LEAVE THE CAMERA ON THE TRIPOD.” Love hearing this in the background. clean and comfortable front layout and full – a littel short on the double pike with a bounce –

Minnesota went 49.175 on beam. It’s a miracle!

In the two concluding regionals, we have LSU and Nebraska sliding through comfortably. And Oklahoma and Oregon State going through as well, though not so comfortable for Oregon State now.

Michigan goes 49.425 on floor. That’ll do. 

Nina McGee and Caitlin Brown (of Iowa State!) will go through from the ISU regional.

Shockingly Brittni Watkins and Michaela Woodford of NC State will go through from the Oklahoma regional because ALL THREE of the top Penn State AAers had mistakes.

Southern Utah will quality Ana Jaworski on beam and Jamie Armijo on bars!

Now we’re going to need to be on Auburn bars watch, Alabama beam watch, UCLA floor watch, and Michigan vault watch. Just that.

OK full from Brooke Parker on vault but a pretty big bounce back –

Guy – Auburn – UB – good straddle back – her tkatchev is never huge but she catches well and with good enough rhythm – sticks double tuck – solid start –

Love when people vault out of frame, don’t you?

Pinches on floor! She lands basically in a ball landing her full twisting double back, but it’s hit and secure  – good control on middle pass – split and wolf positions look fine – bounces back on double pike –

Stumble landing for Artz on vault, but Chiarelli had some of the best control I’ve seen from her on landing. GREAT landing from Sugiyama as well on her 1.5. 

Gerber – FX -good double back – and 1.5 to front pike is solid as well – she has improved her chest position on landing since the early meets when she was in the lineup. Another solid enough routine.

Sheppard – VT – the height is there as always, but she hasn’t had the time to put it quite to the level it was last season – off to the side a bit and a bounce –

Not getting the score updates for Auburn and Alabama, but from what I’ve seen Alabama is looking very solid on beam.

Auburn doing a good job of acting like they stuck their bars dismounts, and that’s part of the battle. Clean work there from Kluz.

A Sims – BB – lovely loso series – her dance elements are ideal as always – small check on her full turn (come on!) – great double back – just a small step –

Francis – FX – whip to double tuck is low but hit solidly – 2.5 is solid enough, and then the splits are real perfect splits and everything – sticks her double pike – no trouble landing those passes this time –

Walker and Atkinson finish out with some really helpful bars routines for Auburn. Now THAT’S how you land a dismount.

Beers – BB – small check on side somi – no wobble on loso series but if you’ll notice – her back leg wasn’t even touching the beam – sheep is fine – sticks 1.5 – good – 

Peszek – FX – NAILS her DLO – that’s quite a landing there deer – front full to a slightly whipped around front layout – strong double pike as well – good hit – her best floor routine this year? It’s improving each time out.

Michigan finishes with 197 flat and both UCLA and Michigan look well on the way to easy qualification.

Clark – BB – nice loso series – check on her sheep jump – clean and secure kickover front – near stick on 1.5 just a twitch of the foot. Another strong routine –
Bynum – FX – lands short on her DLO with a lunge forward – solid on her double tuck middle pass – and little less control on her next double tuck with a slide.

Scores coming in now. Lots of 9.800s for Auburn until the excellent routines from Atkinson and Walker which received 9.900s. 49.200 for Auburn on bars is OK.

Alabama goes 49.500 on beam, so they’re doing fine.

UCLA needs a 48.825 on vault to go ahead of Michigan. BUT DO WE THINK THEY CAN DO IT?

So after all this, we have three regionals in the books, and the top two seeds advanced from all of them. We’re about to get that with UCLA and Michigan as well. And Alabama looks on their way. We don’t know enough about what Auburn is doing yet to make a prognostication, but it seems fine so far. Iowa had a disaster on floor to be right out of it from the start.

Berkeley regional, it’s going to be down to you!

UCLA is vaulting now – Janay Honest is OK – a little off to the side and a bounce back -Irvin follows with much better direction than usual – but not the stick her had early in the year – bounce back –

THERE’S OUR PENG VAULT. Where has that been all season?

Bynum next and is short on her half with a large lunge back. Not a good day for Bynum –

Auburn beam trouble. No no no no no. Fall in the first spot.

Peszek vaulting now – Gets UCLA back on track – great in the air and a Peszek stick.

Milliet on beam – lovely loso series – check on the layout – holds onto the stick on the 1.5. It’s a hit routine.

Demers on beam now – after a big 9.875 for Milliet – solid loso series – great switch but wobble on the sheep jump, leg flies up – WAY off to the side on her side aerial into dismount – basically lands off the mat with a big step to the side. Just a 9.675. They have to count it.

Guy – BB – missed the beginning but she finishes with a nice aerial and a stick on the gainer pike – hoping everything went perfectly. I’m sure it did. She’s Bri Guy.

Walker – BB – nice kickover front – break on the loso series but pulls it back – this is not the Auburn beam rotation we expect to see, but Minnesota is a struggle bus on floor today so they’re still OK – great sheep jump – sticks gainer full – that one medium-sized break, otherwise fine.

Atkinson – BB – excellent loso series – wobble on her aerial but does well to pretend she’s doing an aerial to scale out of it – switch to split to wolf – probably got a dance element connection out of that somewhere – step forward on 1.5 – they got through it. Counting a not great score, but it should be OK –

Wrapping things up from Ohio State, UCLA finished with 197.500 to Michigan’s 197.000 – both over a point ahead of any of the other teams. 

Individuals are Taylor Harrison and Sydney Waltz. Alyssa Nocella of Bowling Green, whom I mentioned in the preview, missed out on an AA spot by .025. OUCH.

No individual event gymnasts because Peng Peng Lee beat them all.

Lindsay Mable is trying to salvage floor a little bit for Minnesota – just so clean and excellent – even on basic and usual things like 1.5 to layout. It’s so high and clean, much more than the others.

Auburn escapes beam with a 49.100. These are not high scores so far, but they are enough.Currently a 2.5 tenth edge on Minnesota, and Minnesota still has to do bars.

We’re back to see Alabama on floor now – Frost starting – secure DLO – popa and wolf full looked good – secure on front full to layout as well – Alabama looking very comfortable today – does bounce out of her double pike, though.

GW is through their best events and now onto the struggle events – bars and beam – nice to see a DLO 1/1 from Raineri, but not close to pulling it out –

C Gardner – VT – good control on the landing of her full, some notable piking though –
Faller on beam for Maryland – negative a million points to the first person to make a faller joke, and it’s everyone – gets through it with a couple small checks –

Haines a bit short on her yfull with a lunge for Minnesota –
Tomson does her hs pike half – good control on the landing with just a small shift – nice height –  

Brannan on FX – pretty good double arabian – some cowboy but not one of the extreme ones – secure on the double pike – 1.5 to layout is fine – another with the legs apart but solid control and well done –

HUGE full from Covers – great height –
OH DEAR – some dance elements from Maryland on beam that shouldn’t be in that routine.

Mable – VT – YES YOU DID – so clean, great direction, great amplitude, just a hop in place.

Drouin-Allaire has a good piked jaeger – I that was just an overshoot and not intended to be an overshoot to handstand the way John R thinks it was supposed to be – at least I hope not.

49.200 for Minnesota on vault – Auburn looks like they’ll just have to go 49s on the remaining events to be fine –

Beers – FX – solid DLO – sleps back but does well to keep it in – clean position on the front layout to front full – really nice split full – great double tuck –

Intros going on at the Cal regional – you’re our hope for an upset!

This Auburn regional is taking forever. Way behind schedule. Unacceptable.

Thanks for the comment about Brown coming in on beam. Scary, but I’m good with it. You have to go for it at the meets that matter, and she is one of their six highest scorers when she hits.

Carley Sims just did her huge DLO – and the landing position looked better as well – this whole team is continuing to cruise. Strong double pike. 

Cal regional about to start. Our dear Evan already nailing it by knowing what month it is.

First rotation at Cal will have key rotations from Utah on bars and Boise State on beam. If BSU is going to be in this, they’ll need to keep it together on beam to have a chance to pull off the stunner once bars come around. We’ll also have Alabama on vault, but they’re already solid, and Auburn on floor – needing a good position something up in the 49s to feel totally safe going to vault.

Boise State on beam – nice switch split from Mejia – side aerial to side position – nice stick on the 1.5. Useful start –

Walker is starting for Auburn on floor – a little short on her double back with a lunge – fine on the rudi.

Low score for Hughes starting for Utah on bars – in the 9.6s. Josbacher now for BSU on beam – getting through – full turn – large break on loso with a bend at the hips – step back on 1.5.

Lexus Demers – floor – strong piked full in to start – lunges forward out of her front full – small slide on an otherwise strong double pike – good work.
Baely Rowe got through a solid bars routine – hop back on DLO but nothing major. 

Oh the audio problems.

Boise State got just a 9.525 from Josbacher on beam and cannot afford to count that score.

Solid 9.8s in the 2nd and 3rd routines for Utah, which will be fine –
Alabama – not sticking some of these vaults but doing what is necessary. 

We just saw a hop on dismount from Lopez for Utah, but looks like another 9.6. Becoming na important routine for Lothrop now – Nice straddle jaeger – clean legs on the bail – small hop back on the DLO – Evan is not happy with her final handstand, and I agree – Should be a fine score.

MJ Rott is back on floor for Auburn at this meet and all our lives are better because of it -so are Auburn’s

Dabritz sticks her bars dismounts because obviously – 9.950 for her – it makes all the 9.6s go away. 49.075 on bars, which they won’t care so much for.

Alabama finishes 197.575. Just ahead of UCLA for the second-highest score of the day.

Ok, the dobule arabian is back for Hlawek – a little shortof rotation but she got it around. Double pike is solid – barely got her front tuck around on her final pass with a lunge –

Boise State is giving quite a bit away in this beam rotation, making things a little bit more comfortable for Georgia if they have one of those Georgia beam days.

Atkinson – FX – great high full in – a little short on her first split but solid on the wolf jump full – very strong front full to layout to wolf jump – love that combination and she nailed it – sticks double pike – I’ll take it. Just a 9.875. OK. 

Utah State manages to go 48.900 on vault to try to keep things close –

Boise State will not be OK with that 48.450 on beam.

Oddly, just a 49.175 for Auburn on floor, but that’s fine. Going into the final rotation, Auburn is still just .225 ahead of Minnesota, but since Auburn is on vault and Minnesota is on bars, the advantage is actually much larger.

Not a great first rotation from any of the teams at Cal. Utah’s 49.075 shouldn’t be a problem with a hit meet. Utah State is the only team that will be happy with that start, though, and the only team coming close to their RQS. 

Really interested to see Utah on beam coming up.

Auburn regional getting underway in the final rotation – with Trotter of Maryland showing us a pretty strong double pike mount on floor, and comfortable tumbling throughout.

Stuck full from Webster on vault. Followed by Guy – great height but does hop back on landing –

Cal looks to have a fine hit from Ho there on floor – some ragged legs throughout but nothing too significant.
Holst has a fall for Minnesota on bars –
Natalie Vaculik – just a small step on dismount –

Dabritz – BB – solid on loso series – hits her switch half, which is OK – good side aerial – I love that she has become a beamer this year – nice switch – rushed and a bit short on straddle 1/4 – stuck 2/1 – nice – 
Owens – FX – solid 1.5 to layout  to finish –

Delaney – BB – She’s the one who has come into the lineup, going third. Not that we saw it, but apparently she fell.

Minnesota is counting a fall on bars now, so it’s clear for Auburn and Alabama – Atkinson just did a strong 1.5 – good direction, just a small step back.

Kiera Brown – UB – nice pak – one of her weaker half turns on the low bar – rushed this one – hop back on tuck full dismount – a couple small things there, but should be a solid score.

Cal starting with 9.7s on floor, which is not what they needed. Paz ending with a 1.5 to front pike – medium step but fine.

Auburn finished with 196.900.
Getting a look at the end of Chelsea Davis – hop on tuck full. Apparently she’s a former world champion now. On what?

DAYYYUMMM. Kari Lee was just way off on her loso series. Utah counting a fall now. Had two really big scores before this, so if they pull it back, they should still outscore Boise State’s beam – not a disaster quite yet. Quite yet.

Robinson for Cal stumbles on her 1.5 to front layout middle pass, small stumble – low on the double pike landing but secure.

Lindsay Mable still an important bars routine to get her in as an AA competitor – good hit – leg break on pak but solid. That will be good enough.

Rowe – BB – walks out of her full turn – fine switch to straddle 1/4 – secure on her three series – nice – HUGE break on her kickover front – an absolutely essential save there to avoid a fall but that’s still a huge break – they need a Lothrop save. Still got a 9.700? OK? How?

Williams – FX – front layouts to pike middle pass – hope – great amplitude on her straddle jumps – short on double pike with a lunge forward – not quite her best – I’m worried about that getting back to nationals – 

Lothrop – BB – does her switch side 1/2 well – strong loso series – getting through her straddles with no wobbles – step and a lunge-salute on 1.5 –

Gallarzo finishing for Cal – shuffling the lineup – low landing on double pike – front layout is archy to front pike – just pulls around that layout after the 1.5 dismount.

Utah’s beam score still higher than Boise State. Still never got the score for Kari Lee, though.

Georgia got a 49.325 on bars – I still expect better from them on bars, but the way this meet is going, that’s an amazing score.

Cal just a 48.875 on floor. Needed to be much better on one of their strong events. 

It’s a 48.625 on beam for Utah. Not the end of the world with floor and vault still to come, but reason for concern in the future. It would crack me up if after all the talk of Georgia getting upset, they end up being the team to cruise through this meet. Still beam to come right now, though, so continue being terrified for the moment. Cal and Boise State both really needed better opening event scores.

Feed lost. Shutting it down mid rotations to fix technical problems, perhaps? Or just technical problems?

Rotation has started. Awww, it’s like the good old days when we’d just follow live scores together and chat about what we assumed happened. 

Morgan Reynolds already got a 9.625 on beam. So that happened. TERRIBLE BEAM FOR EVERYONE.

Cal getting some 9.850s on vault, but at this point they basically wanted this rotation to be a 49.500.

Utah State just barely getting through bars, a couple counting 9.7s already.

Toni-Ann goes 9.950 on vault, thankfully, to give Cal the momentarily lead over Utah by 0.450, which is a hefty little margin. The problem for Cal is that Cal still has to do beam (scary) and Utah still gets to do vault (not scary). Still a vault result they’ll mostly take.

We’re back – Broussard on beam now – check on the side aerial – sticks gainer full –

Collantes for Boise State on floor – struggles to hit a few of those splits – but nice 1.5 to layout middle pass – low chest on her double pike but secure –

Replay of Matsunami’s Counter Kim – which was hit very well –

Box – Bb – hits her loso series – a little tight on her switch but otherwise fine so far – break on her aerial, leg flies up – they’re just getting through this rotation – hop forward on 1.5. OK – not one of  her good ones, but OK.

Morris – FX – bounces back on double pike – shortness on leaps seems to be a theme in this rotation, which has not been a huge scorer for Boise State this year. But I haven’t seen this floor rotation since the Alabama disaster, so this is an improvement. Steps back out of double tuck.

Brown – BB – Way off on the loso series. Oh Kiera. I guess maybe this wasn’t the right move, but I still do like the approach to put the riskiest, highest-possible-scoring routines in the lineup. But why isn’t Vaculik here? Why? Sticks gainer pike. 

Perkins – FX – way way way short on her tuck full mount and now she’s down. UH OH. Stopping the routine. Can’t afford to lose her for the rest of this meet. She has really struggled with her passes this year, and was out of the lineup for most of the season –

On to the individuals now, but losing Perkins is disastrous. For them and for us. Her two best events were yet to come. Some solid enough work from Won and Herr on beam and floor respectively – hit routines with some sloppiness.

Still missing the score from Broussard on Georgia’s beam. Missing the fourth beam score, just like for Utah with Lee. Is that like a thing? That we withhold the fourth beam score?

48.950 from Georgia. Best beam score so far.

Utah has not been on so far, but they’ve had a chance to regroup. Floor should be a perfectly solid event, even without Wilson, and should get them back on track.

Starting with Lewis for Utah on floor – small stumble on double pike – also on the front layout to full with a step to the side to control herself – slide back on double back –

Wilchuk for BYU does have a Khorkina in her routine – but struggles with most of the handstands – 1.5 dismount.

Utah State on beam, this can be a rally solid event for Utah State. One of the only teams in this competition that doesn’t struggles on beam – Landes small check on her side – side aerial to full with a hop back.

Rowe had a solid finish and already has the 9.850 from Lewis in the first spot –

Good distance from Stockwell on the full for Boise State – pikes a bit and a hop back –

Kari Lee – FX – a little short of rotation on her 3/1 with a hop – layout to full is fine with a step a bit to the side – switch ring, and split half is excellent – solid double tuck –

Good full from Krentz on vault – great stick –
BYU improving the handstands as the bars rotation goes on – just some leg breaks still persisting –
Another high full from Morris for Boise State on vault – if only they had Perkins with them.

Belliston – Utah State – check on loso series – gigantic brace on her leg –

End of Lothrop’s floor – low on her double pike, buckles slightly in the knees with a slide back –
Utah getting exactly the scores they needed to get back into this – Utah State sadly working against a 9.2 already on beam – but mostly solid in this next routine – just one check –

Did Becky Tutka just punch Dabritz on the butt? Sure.

Dabritz triple full looks good -casual 9.950.
Tutka – FX – small stumble on her tuck full – steps to the side, probably was a bit worried about stepping OOB – another stumble on her split jump out of her middle pass, so this will be the dropped score. Still had five very usable ones before – a little short on double tuck – smallish lunge – Still a 9.825 because SOMEHOW? That stumble on the leap on the middle pass was significant. Irrelevant because it’s the dropped score. 

Utah could still be on track for a 196.500 here if vault goes the way it usually does.

Georgia floor, Cal bars, Utah vault in the next rotation.
My mind = gone.
Remember that loss of language/will to live section of the evening that I discussed? I think we’re there. 

Even with just a normal beam rotation for a 48.8 or 48.9, Boise State would be right in this.
A tiny dot named Corrie Lothrop just apparently had a nice vault.
End of Reynolds on floor for UGA – 1.5 to front tuck with a slide to finish –

Widener – UB – very short on first hs – catches tkatchev (barely) to overhsoot – final hs was borderline – step back on tuck full dismount.

Partyka – VT – Good form but a medium hop back –
Poor Evan and Alina are having to give commentary on the Georgia routines that we’re not seeing. Double pike looked fine from Persinger – legs apart but otherwise solid -finishes with a rudi –

Delaney vault had the usual great height but did come in a little short with a hop forward. Nothing has been quite right for Utah today. Just messy, lots of people underperforming their best. Still 9.900.

Near stick on bars for Owens from Cal, bends and then shuffles –

Dabritz does hold onto her stick on the full – does bend though, and does not bring her heels together until very late – Still 9.950.
End of Marino on floor – clean legs on middle pass –  pretty big slide back on final double pike –

Utah finishes with a 196.575. Georgia getting what is necessary on floor right now.

Ho – UB – Nice shoot to high bar – exceptional on the gienger, very very nice – poor landing on the tuck full dismount – large hop forward – it’s going to be a very tough ask anyway, but they could not afford that after what looked like it was about to be a big score.

Babalis ends floor with a solid double pike.
Cal just a 49.150 on bars, which is OK, but could have been better and needed to be better. Gave away too much on those dismounts, but not getting the big floor score early was the really pain for them. With Utah’s mistakes, this was doable, but now they’ve put themselves in a position of needing a 49.300 on beam to move ahead of Utah, and that doesn’t really happen for this team.

Box – Nice double pike as always – 1.5 to layout, has to pull around that layout but manages to, low – nice straddles – secure double tuck –

Georgia is going to need pretty much nothing on vault to ensure qualification –
Jay has one of those low and slightly stumbling landings on her mount – but controls it enough and stays in – very strong full to layout. big bounce back on her double pike – just does stay in –

Mary Beth Box goes 9.875 on floor. As usual.

Cal would seriously need to call upon the home-scoring fairy in the final rotation if they were to pass Utah.

You know that thing where you watch so much gymnastics in one day that your brain turns to a fine powder and then you transform into a liquid like Alex Mack and seep into the ground?

We will definitely see every Utah State floor routine in this rotation.
Apparently Howe was strong on beam?

Krentz on bars just had a disaster on bars for an extra swing after a fall from Bennion. This is supposed to be your good event!

Just a 9.775 from Howe.
Broussard (barely) hangs onto her stick on the full – large bend forward – such a bend that it’s basically worse than taking a small step.

Owens – BB – wobble on stag – hop back on 2/1 –
Ho – BB – Cal already counting a 9.775 after another 9.750 – aerial to bhs – a little short on her switch. Cal still doing pretty well on beam – doing what they can do on the final three events.

Rogers small step on 1.5 -Georgia wins the meet comfortably.

Toni Ann – BB – fine on the switch side – check and step on standing front tuck – another big break on her loso series – sticks front full, but some more significant breaks there –

Getting to see Aufiero Part Deux on the floor for Utah State – just the finish though –
Trotting out Palomares for their last rotation – solid loso series – nice attitude turn – does well not to give away too much on her side aerial – just a small wobble but you can tell she’s a more natural beamer than the rest of the team. Short on gainer full and a hop forward.

Utah, you are so damn lucky that you could throw out that stinker and still get through. Cal, you had a real shot at this. You were in it. Not a great day on any of the events though.

Draghi falls for Cal. Cal and beam. It has been a problem all year.

Georgia officially won beam at this regional. With a sub 49. This really was the bad beam region. They put all of them together.

So in the end, all top 12 seeds go through. Bah. 

One more routine of the day is Matsunami on floor to finish this behemoth – shows us a 2.5 – straddles look fine as well – sticks her layouts middle pass –

And that’s it. And I might be dead. Hope you enjoyed this massive day of gymnastics!

QUALIFIERS:
FLORIDA
STANFORD
OKLAHOMA
OREGON STATE
LSU
NEBRASKA
UCLA
MICHIGAN
ALABAMA
AUBURN
GEORGIA
UTAH