Friday, January 6	Scores	Watch
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – [9] Georgia @ [2] LSU	LINK	SECN
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – [21] Kentucky @ Eastern Michigan	LINK	ESPN3
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Illinois-Chicago @ Michigan State	LINK	BTN+
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Arizona State @ Iowa State	LINK	ISU TV
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [3] Alabama @ [1] Oklahoma	LINK	FSN
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [13] Oregon State @ [8] Auburn	LINK	SECN+
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [24] Illinois, Ball State @ [19] Missouri	LINK	SECN+
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Utah State, TWU @ [18] Arizona	LINK	P12

And so it begins. The live blogging plan is to start with Georgia/LSU for the first hour, then switch major focus to Alabama/Oklahoma while also continuing Georgia/LSU and keeping a quarter of an eye on interesting routines from Oregon State/Auburn. Illinois/Missouri actually should be worthwhile too, but priorities priorities.

Do we think we’ll see the first 10 of the year on the very first day? Who’s your nominee? LSU’s vault rotation will start the season off, so that probably makes Ashleigh Gnat the favorite for first 10.

LSU’s live scores think this meet is taking place on March 3, so we’re off to a great start. The future is now!

Oh gooey gumdrops! Another year of that crotchety turtle who hosts that televised radio show on the SEC network. Please tell me you’re watching the state bird of Alabama right now. This is the best television I’ve seen in years. Never stop, SEC Network.

Some lineup news: Snead, Hambrick, and Gnat going in the AA.

DD and Sydney Snead did the best job with their lines in the intro video.

Oh hey there, Bart and Kathy. Whatcha up to?

LSU introducing its alumns. I had totally forgotten Scarlett Williams transferred to LSU. I don’t remember having watched the LSU intros much before. They have to stand up on an auto-show platform and wave. At least there are flame throwers.

The Ashleigh Gnat introduction length is starting to rival the Bridget Sloan introduction length.

BREAKING: DD is in tiger print tonight.

Please let the banner not work. Please let the banner not work.

WHAT IS ALL THIS CHATTER? We want some gymnastics.

The governor is there? Because DD.

Bart and Kathy are doing Super Six predictions. They’re the same as mine and the coaches. Oh look how that worked out.

Bart just pronounced Kocian with a Romanian accent and it’s the best thing ever to happen to me.

Wait, do we actually get to start gymnasticing soon?

We’re barely going to get any of this done before Oklahoma/Alabama starts. Maybe that was the whole plan. Sinister.

EMU goes 48.375 in opening vault rotation. Straight 9.675s.

Rotation 1:
One of the judges missed the meet with weather.  One judge has to do all the events. FUN DAY!

Cannamela – VT – full – good position, just a slight pike at the end and a hop back, very minorly low coming into the landing. 9.825. I had her at 9.800, so that’s fine.

This poor judge running between the events. They have a camera for her.

No Bart, this is not Broussard.

Sanders – UB – She gets to compete! good line – nice height on piked jaeger – large arch on handstand but saves – missed her hand on her bail, major error. step on double tuck. Well, she got to compete once. 8.700. OK Georgia, herre we go.

This meet is going to take FOREVER. Especially when there are SV issues.

DD is literally shooing the judge along.

Finnegan – VT – lovely form on her full with a stuck landing. Great. Distance and maybe a little chest down, so you could go 9.850 for this one. Which is what it gets. Although it was more than 0.25 better than Cannamela’s.

Reynolds – UB – You bars? OK. Solid jaeger – good hs – clean body shape on pak – good vertical on half turn on low – short final hs – two small shuffles on DLO – but they’ll take it and having her on bars takes pressure off the depth here. 9.775.

I LOVE this handstand angle graphic. Very cool.

Ewing – VT – Y 1.5, much better than the 101. Because you know, hit. Step back after coming in short, and leg break in the air. 9.875.

Johnson – UB – another “you’re not supposed to be bars but you are now” in Georgia’s lineup. She dismounted very well in training videos – VERY short first hs – huge gienger, some Sophina legs – fine bail – hs are an issue though – very floaty DLO but comes in short with a larger lunge. Won’t be a high score either. 9.650. Has to count.

Holly Rowe is having to vamp like crazy. Well done.

Edney – VT – STICKS Y1.5. Pretty similar to what she did in the preview. Tremendous. Knee bend early in the vault, but other than that there’s not much. 9.950. And not a nonsense score, either. Excellent vault.

Dying at the live scores saying her score is a 5.450. No. False.

Dickson – UB – great hit hs – high tkatchev but a little close – good legs together on bail – missed first hs – squatty on the DLO landing with a shuffle back. 9.700.

Hambirck – VT – not doing the 1.5, but the usual gorgeous full and stuck. Could go 9.900 because of the great layout position and the no-doubt stick. 9.925 is what it gets. So one judge went perfect.

Schick – UB – hecht mount – medium first hs – very strong high piked jaeger – good legs together on hs and bail, bail a touch short – nearly sticks DLO, small slide best routine of the rotation so far by a long way. 9.725 seems quite tight for that. This was better than Reynolds.

Judging conference on bars. OH GOODY. Scores were not in range on bars for that 9.725 for Schick. And it goes down to 9.700. ??

Gnat – VT – DTY, hop back. Otherwise it’s her usual with the bit of leg crossing, otherwise excellent. We’ll see if they go 9.900 (deducting for legs) or 9.950 (no deducting for legs). 9.925. So one of each.

Snead – UB – lovely on her bail and her overall hs – floaty DLO and stuck (a little too arched for some tastes, but it’s fine) – excellent routine and better get a real score for it. 9.875.

After 1: LSU 49.525, Georgia 48.700
LSU great start on vault. To me everyone was probably 0.25 too high, but it was not an insane score based on the level of vaulting. Georgia had some rough routines in there on bars. No Vaculik. No Pedersen. Schick was quite underscored to my eye (and possibly Dickson a little), but in most cases the deductions were there, predominately on handstands. It’s early in the season, but there’s a bit of worry about where the big scores will come from in this lineup.

Uh oh, it’s almost time to have to start watching three meets at once.

Michigan State breaks 49 on bars.

The other judge has arrived, but to “stay consistent,” they’re going to keep the same judging setup for the next rotation. I understand why that rule exists and it’s appropriate, but also…like the scoring is so unimpeachable otherwise…

Rotation 2:
Broussard – VT – staying as the leadoff this year – great distance on her full, larger lunge back but good shape and distance, major error just the landing. 9.775.

The Oklahoma meet broadcast is literally starting with a shot of turning a page.

Zamardi – UB – goos shap to pak combo, half turn on low – solid hs – double arabian with a shoulder-width lunge back – couple small breaks, nothing major. 9.850.

Reynolds – VT – no height on her full at all, but she stuck it somehow. Is she a wizard? Will get hit for height and piking. She basically vaulted negative height. 9.725.

Hambrick – UB – great first hs – a bit close on her ray it appeared but whipped it over to pull it together – great shape on bail  – step back on tuck full, which is unusual for her because she can stick. 9.875.

Wait, DD Breaux learned to control her emotions when?

Nice double front bars dismount from Oregon State.

Roberts – VT – Y half, nowhere close and falls – actually was worried that was an injury fall, but she looks fine. One of her legs disappeared for a second, so that was scary. Not remotely close to landing that.

Jones – OU – VT – time to do two meets at a time – solid full –

McNeer – UB – good first hs – solid tkatchev – toe on – short of hs on bail, a bit fo hip angle – one eh handstand – DLO with a small shuffle back.

Milliet debuts on vault for Auburn – Omelianshik – off to the side and very deep landing with large lunge.

Mark s – OU – VT – pretty shape on that full – step forward, but stays laid out quite well.

Aja Sims – UB – she made the lineup – crazy legs on her DLO dismount with a large lunge –

Gnat is going on bars – no Ruby tonight – a little raggedy ann on some of her skills as usual but great stick on DLO. And by some I mean all.

Capps – VT – a little leg break at the end of an otherwise stuck full.

Jetter – UB – good hs and taktatchev to start – terrible camerawork but solid bail – one short hs in there – NICE double front with a small hop. One of her best.

Dowell NEARLY sticks her 1.5 to open the season. Smallest little hop. Will be a great score. 9.950.

Auburn gets a 1.5 from Gracie Day on vault – large lunge but it’s a 1.5.

Kaite Bailey arches her final hs on bars. Step on full out.

Uncle Tim! I can’t respond to texts when I’m live blogging! No time!

Jackson – VT – 1.5 – large lunge forward

Winston – UB – great height on tkatchev, lovely pak as always – great half turn on low – short final hs – sticks DLO – excellent. 9.900.

Edney on bars – second half of routine – nice bail – short hs up to high – great shape on DLO, small hop.

NICHOLS – 1.5 – steps forward, medium sized. But that’s really all that would be taken. A little direction as well. 9.900.

Brannan – UB – good first hs – high jaeger, slow but solid – strong bail – DLO – good stick, pikes down the second salto to land it but it worked. Good routine.

Good full from Dickson. Scores 9.750. Chest down and hop to the side. Pretty low score for that, though –

I missed who this was exhibitioning for Alabama on bars, but it was pretty.

Finnegan hops on DLO dismount – but Ray was gorgeous as always – 9.900.

Snead is going to debut her 1.5 – very pretty, small hop to the side. Kathy compares it to Rogers and I agree. Really just the hop. 9.875. Do we want to play “what would that have gone for LSU?”

Snead is the only Georgia gymnast allowed to go over 9.7.

Priessman – UB – Good tkatchev to pak – arches her 1/2 turn on low bar – very short on her final hs – DLO and stuck – great dismount, a couple too many form errors in there.

After 1: Oklahoma 49.450, Alabama 49.325
Good rotation for both of the ones I saw. We’re getting a little enthusiastic for those Oklahoma vault scores – Dowell a 9.950 for a non-stick, Jackson 9.875 for a large lunge, but it was good. Alabama should be pleased by that bars rotation as well. Some normal January issues like late final handstands, and Sims had a weak dismount, but otherwise on track. There will be other options for this lineup in time, so don’t necessarily settle on this six, but it’s usable.

Auburn and Oregon State currently level at 48.900. Aufiero just had a very low-chest landing on vault, but she’s only recently back to the event.

After 2: LSU 98.900, Georgia 97.550
Not having the 10.0s in today without Marino is an issue for Georgia. I liked what I saw of the fulls from Dickson and Broussard, though.

McNeer – VT – good full, small piking – she’s followed by Desch debuting on vault with solid form and a hop back.

Catour – UB – I missed Capps but she went 9.900. So thwere’s that. Good opening Ray for Catour – one short handstand – strong bail – the hip angle on hs is the main things – hop in place on DLO. Still 9.900.

Armbrecht – VT – She gets to vault again – larger lunge back on the full.

Lehrmann – UB – medium first hs – 1/2 turn to jaeger with good toe point – hs better later on – legs quite together on bail – tuck full and stuck. 9.900.

Macadaeg – BB – Kathy has already used the word “cherish” – so that’s everything we need to know –

Short vault landing with a stumble. Y1/2

Wofford – UB – good finish on full turn – solid jaeger – lean on tuck full along with a step forward.

McMillan is debuting her 1.5 – crazy legs and a hop forward, but she got it around –

Guerrero 1.5 – loose knees with hop to the side but solid

Dowell – UB – great Shap and Church, both wuite solid – nailing handstands – hip angle on the bail, too short, hop back on DLO – 9.900.

Nichols – UB – good first hs – strong Ray – small leg break on pak – handstands look OK – better legs on shap 1/2 than on pak – a bit tight on final hs which is understandable, sticks a wonderful DLO. Magic. 9.975. I mean, I love Maggie, but that’s a bit BS.

Hambrick – BB – hitch kick and side aerial, whips arms back to avoiud a check – straddle 1/4 is well done – loso series smallest slide –  nearly fantastic, but 2/1 dismount is a little short with a hop forward.

Beth Roberts is in on floor for Georgia – lunge on a front full second pass – split full and straddle is OK, only a bit short – chest down on double tuck with a bounce back.

All the Alabama vaults scored lower than all the Oklahoma vaults.

Li – BB – Didn’t see this one coming – pauses in connection in walkover to bhs loso series – switch to loso also secure – some hesitation here and there, but no checks – cat leap to switch side, good switch side, not with the characteristic LSU crooked – sticks gainer full. Good one.

After 2: Oklahoma 99.025, Alabama 98.325.
Alabama’s vault landings not ready. Oklahoma very far along. Also clearly a home.

Babalis on floor (not Marino, guys) – double tuck – front lay to front full with small shuffle – pike jump –  still no bhs in her routine, so that’s an always thing it appears – round off double pike, large stumble backward but stays on her feet.

Ewing – BB – bhs layout, just a lean but nothing more – switch side is a bit better but still crooked – sticks 1.5.
Jones – BB – hits loso series with feet – kickover front to beat jump is good – switch to split, I like that as a dance series for her better than the beginning of last year – small hop on 1.5.

Vega – FX – goes for the full in – chest down with a lunge forward – 1.5 to layout and landing is better there – good switch ring – less so on the split full – “just missed out on a spot at the 2012 Olympics” – Just? – legs apart on double pike but just a controlled step back. Should be solid score.

Finnegan – BB – triple wolf with just a balance arm – excellent loso series – wonderful position on switch 1/2, which NO ONE does – side somi with a bit of a lean but not much – side aerial to a stuck full. Excellent routine.

Kathy LOVES her “Finnegan-egan-egan” joke. Davis Ives fan? Anyone?

Lehrmann with a hop on 1.5.

Marino opens with a double pike, not the DLO –

Desch debuting on floor – double Arabian mount with a larger lunge forward and some cowboy – 1.5 to layout to split to front tuck is excellent – good position on her split leap full – endurance on double tuck, chest down with a step forward.

Gnat – BB – walkover to beat is quite good – switch to straddle 1/4 is very secure – switch side – bhs loso, a bit of legs but secure – 2/1 dismount with a hop back.

Snead – FX – tuck full in, chest a bit down and a step back that just stays in bounds – love that loso out of a 1.5 – switch, wolf full to straddle – some indistinct finish position but not much – low landing on double pike, lunge froward.

Alabama has a fall on a floor dismount. It was Armbrecht.

Brown – BB – walkover to bhs loso is methodical but secure – beat jump to straddle 3/4? insane amount of wobbling to try to stay on and at that point there was literally no point – switch to gainer full finish is nice. What happened to her sliding across the beam like a snake choreo.

Guerra – FX – she gets to be here now – double tuck to start, but it’s nice and high – good height and position on double pike but a bounce backward – switch side to straddle 1.25ish – 1.5 to layout final pass, short on the layout with a step back.

Nichols – BB – walkover, slight lean into beat jump – bhs loso with a balance check – full turn – great switch and split, obviously – punch front with a step to control it – double tuck, nearly stuck, small mini-step. 9.900. If there was any doubt the girl is going to cough tens all season long.

Sims – FX – double pike, bit deep with slide back of front leg – great position on her leaps – literally her routine has police sirens in it – short double tuck with a lunge forward – Danna started celebrating way too early on that pass.

Capps and Vega are both goiung on beam at the same time, which is mean – Vega with a large break on her loso series – Capps with the smallest lean on hers – Capps has to bail out of her walkover to scale because she knew she was going to wobble – like a walkover to scorpion – Vega side aerial to full with a hop.

Winston – FX – a little short on her DLO landing but not too bad – front lay to front full is very clean – great dswitch ring and switch 1/2, really hits those positions – short double tuck with a lunge. That’s the theme of this Alabama floor rotation. Short landings, especially on final passes, indicating not being quite in shape yet.

WOFFORD BEAM EXHIBITION MY STARS. Great split jump, less great straddle 1/4, two bhs to loso – CRAZY short on landing and falls but she seems to be OK.

And Georgia has a fall in the second position on beam from Dickson. Following the 9.625 from Vega for a major break. Huge stumble off to the side on the dismount. 9.150. Is actually charitable given the fall and that disastrous dismount. Oh Georgia beam.

Zamardi – FX – my favorite routine for LSU this season – large lunge out of double Arabian – good position on her leaps – 1.5 to layout with a bit of whipping it around but minorly.

Snead – BB – beautiful bhs loso bhs series – wonderful – short back leg on switch but great rhythm connecting into back tuck – front tuck and saves it well, squatty but stays right on – 2/1 dismount, small shuffle. Necessary hit. 9.800.

Priessman – FX – full in, chest down and a little body ragged but pretty well controlled – front lay to front full, loses her legs in the front full but works into a split jump – great amplitude on leaps – CRAZY short on her double pike from the start, just lands with her feet first instead of her head – that had to hurt.

Broussard falls on her loso series. CHRIST AND A HALF GEORGIA. Again this year? Again.

Hambrick – FX – “ANd you spell this floor routine F-U-………-N.” KATHY. Hambrick’s DLO. 2.5 to front tuck is strong as well.

Natalie Brown is writhing artistically, meanwhile. A little squatty in landing the front 2/1 – front lay front full, short with a small step and a bit of legs in the air – “Her theme is a Syrian refugee escaping.” Some raggedy tumbling –

Some checks from Babalis on beam but she’s staying on so far – Another larger check. Huge stumble back on double tuck – not a fall but as well as. 9.500 is actually charitable.

Childers – BB – nice loso series – good leap form – walkover to scale – small step on 1.5. Good one. She’s carving out a space for herself in this lineup.

Jones – FX – 2.5 to front tuck with very secure “Charity is known to be a powerful tumbler, especially in jail.” Kelly said JO, but she actually said jail. Loses her feet in leap – double pike – solid tumbling.

Why is Kelly surprised when people dismount with double pikes? Everyone does that.

Sanders is back on bea for Alabama – they’re following a leadoff 9.3 from McNeer which WHATTT? – solid bhs loso series, tight but secure – small step on 1.5.

Schick looks terrified of beam but staying on – steps on gainer full. Did she fall? 9.125.

Dowell – FX – huge double front but steps OOB.  Better control on second pass – fine leaps – would have been a good score if not for the OOB. 9.750.

Gnat – FX – excellent landing on DLO. 2.5 to front tuck landing is a bit bouncy – good control on double pike. 9.950. OK. Did everyone get a 9.950? OK.

Final: LSU 197.825, Georgia 193.600.
SWEET LORD GEORGIA.

Oh Aja Sims is also going on beam and is magic. Hop on double tuck.

Capps – FX – going for the double pike and clean landing with chest pretty high – You know what we want during Capps’ floor? Kelly Garrison yammering over it. Strong rudi finish, also with chest up – Now, yes, we can see her entire underwear situation right now, but we don’t care. 9.925.

Winston – BB – switch and split are excellent, very strong splits – walkover to bhs – very smooth throughout this routine – NAILS double tuck. Excellent routine. 9.950 and deserved.

Jackson – FX – back to the tuck full mount YAY, larger bounce back and may have gone OOB. It was close – excellent amplitude on middle pass and leaps. just a bit short on the double pike with a shuffle forward.

Guerrero – BB – bhs loso loso – very secure, and appeared to pull it back midway as well – confident leap series without check, works out of her full turn beautifully – solid side aerial – near stick on 1.5. Just a hop-salute.

Nichols – FX – pike full in and nearly as secure as she did it in elite, but still that staggered leg landing, not as extreme but still existing – 1.5 to double full middle pass, easy – nails her leaps as always – a little deep on double pike dismount but I’d call that a controlled step. 9.950.

Good final rotation for both teams. Alabama showing the chops on beam, Oklahoma pretty far along in the endurance department on floor.

FINAL: Oklahoma 197.750, Alabama 196.700

I feel like we can say home scoring is alive and well, right? Right. LSU will go into the first rankings ahead of Oklahoma.

We still have some things going on. Oregon State and Auburn are finishing up. Someone I don’t recognize yet (no wait it was Kullen Hlawek, I really should have recognized her) just sat a double Arabian for Auburn. And they’re already with a 9.550 from Milliet. Early season working better for some than others. Hands down on double tuck as well. “Not too bad for her.” Yeah, though. It was.

Gardiner – BB – just sort of being lovely and all – split and double stag is well hit. Walkover and side somi are magic. Sticks gainer full. 9.900.

Rott – FX – big DLO and good chest up, bounces back, but I’m OK with that because the landing was high – squatty low on double pike but no major stepping.

FINAL: Oregon State 195.575, Auburn 195.275

Missouri just hit 196.225. Good opening score. Kentucky starts with 195.075, but on the road, so…

Only meet still going is Arizona hosting Utah State and TWU, so I’ll keep half an eye on that while also rounding things up and having some general impressions of the day. Freshman Heather Swanson has gone 9.850 on vault for Arizona.

So, LSU and Oklahoma are the big winners of the day. They both look on track. They’re not actually high 197 level yet, but we didn’t really expect anything else. Maggie Nichols is going to get a billion for every routine. We learned that.

This big news for me is Georgia and just how bad that was. On the first two events, it was kinda sorta bad, not really landing all that well and not looking that precise, but also short-changed on a few scores compared to LSU. But it’s all about beam. You didn’t think it could get worse, did you? And then Georgia was like, “Nah ah ah.” It was basically Snead and then a bunch of wobbleburgers. Do I have four Georgia beamers on my fantasy team? Yes. It’s going to be a fun year.

No, Georgia is not actually a 193 team, but that beam rotation was seriously rough to watch.

On the plus side for Georgia, they’re still ahead of Arizona State.

For reference, I’ll be keeping all the final meet scores here for an easy glance. I’ll also have the top AA scores of each week and the top individual apparatus scores from the week as well.

I got distracted from Arizona’s meet by finding out when the last time Georgia scored this low was. It was 1999.

Anyway, Arizona is having a bit of a Georgia. This is not going to be a pretty score. Disappointing that Swanson, Leydin, and Berg have competed only one routine each so far. I had high hopes.

Arizona pulls it together on floor to just squeak over the 194 mark. Little victories.