Saturday, January 28	Scores	Watch
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Penn @ West Chester
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Springfield @ Brockport		FREE
4:00 ET/1:00 PT – [12] Nebraska @ [10] Michigan	LINK	FREE
4:00 ET/1:00 PT – Bridgeport, Southern Connecticut, Rhode Island @ Yale		Ivy
4:30 ET/1:30 PT – [4] Utah @ [19] Washington	LINK	P12
4:30 ET/1:30 PT – [8] UCLA @ [17] Oregon State	LINK	P12
5:00 ET/2:00 PT – [20] Ohio State @ Minnesota	LINK	BTN+
5:00 ET/2:00 PT – UW-La Crosse, Winona State @ Lindenwood	LINK	FREE
5:00 ET/2:00 PT – UW-Eau Claire @ UW-Whitewater	LINK	FREE
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Michigan State, Cornell, Ursinus @ Rutgers	LINK	FacePlace
7:45 ET/4:45 PT – Metroplex Challenge ([18] George Washington, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, San Jose State)		FLOG
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Arizona State @ [15] Cal	LINK	P12

Another day, another barrage of meets. Get your streams ready. I’ll be trying my best to get through Nebraska/Michigan, Utah/Washington, and UCLA/Oregon State all at the same time. So it’ll be fun. If that’s what fun is.

First, a few thoughts on some of the major scores from yesterday. In a good reminder of how critical angle of viewing is when evaluating scores, the first time I saw Alex McMurtry’s DTY yesterday was in the reverse-angle slow motion replay, which is the least flattering angle for that vault where it definitely doesn’t look like a stick. I would have been a total pill about it if that vault had received a 10 last night. In watching the vault again, however, the real-time forward angle absolutely does make it look like a stick. Given the loose tone of the scoring through the rest of that meet, I’m actually pretty shocked she didn’t get a 10. I think 9.950 is the right score, but that was better than any of the 10 or 9.975 vaults we’ve seen so far this season.

Also, Maggie Nichols got 9.950 for a Y1.5 that was clearly better than the one she got a 10 for last week. Attempting to create more consistent scoring standards across NCAA may be a fool’s errand, but that doesn’t mean no attempt should be made.

Anyway, to today’s meets!

Nebraska and Michigan theoretically will get a head start on the Pac-12 meets, but we’ll see how much of a head start after intros and whatnot.

I know we all love BEAVERLOG the most when it comes to live scoring, but could someone tell them that no one has ever abbreviated All-Around as “AllArr”? Why two r’s?

Nebraska actually has a fairly big roster this year for Nebraska standards, but we’ve never seen a bunch of them. But with Epperson now, and if Grace Williams gets back to her normal events, they will have some actual options and choices to make on some events.

There’s some swimming on Pac-12 right now, and Katie Ledecky is there and just crushing everyone, obviously. I’m glad college gym has a way of leveling the playing field so that Ross and Kocian etc aren’t automatically a billion times better than everyone else, because this just seems a bit ridiculous. And yes, that way is kind of just…injuries? Oops.

“Simba Cam” is spreading. Guh. Just drown me. Although my favorite thing ever is when they try to hoist up kids who are way too old for this.

Rotation 1:
Osman – VT – Mich – deeper landing on her full with a lunge forward, came in too short to get a big score. 9.700.

Houchin – UB – Neb – good giant 1/1 to tkatchev, nice rhythm through this routine, clean bail position, hitting all her casts – sticks double tuck – strong start. 9.825.

Artz – Vt- Mich – better amplitude than Osman (and than she often has), does pike a little a take a full-tenth hop back. 9.825.

Breen – UB – Neb – angled first hs – slow but solid half turn to jaeger – a bit of knees – good position on the bail handstand – sticks DLO – strong dismount, that was the highlight.

Zaziski – VT – quite similar to Artz on that one but with a small bounce back – good amplitude – some piking. 9.875 is a touch too high for that. One judge only found a half tenth to take?

Epperson – UB – Hecht mount – half turn to jaeger, she showed good toe point but looked off on her timing the whole time – fall – leg break on bail – falls again shooting back to high bar – yikes – pretty and floaty DLO with bounce in place.

Chiarelli – VT – good height on the 1.5, steps back and has the usual mushy knees. 9.875.

Crouse – UB – weiler 1/2 to giant Gienger, good legs on teh gienger, just a touch close – clean bail – borderline final handstand – sticks tuck full – excellent routine.

McLean – VT – excellent dynamics on that full, just a tiny step back with one foot, but quite strong. That’s the problem the judge who gave Zaziski a 9.900 is painted into because this can’t go higher than 9.900 but was clearly better than Zaziski’s. 9.900 is the score.

Schweihofer – UB – giant 1/2 is a bit late – good piked jaeger but was totally off on her overshoot to handstand – nearly came off the bars – but had to empty swing a couple times to get her rhythm back. They’ll have to count it. 9.300.

Karas – VT – well, she nailed that 1.5. Great stick. A little lock-legged on landing and a lean to hold the stick, so it’s not a 10 for me, but a strong vault. 9.975. The scores were rising to it.

Laeng – UB – half turn to gienger from Laeng is quite nice – good form – overshoot – short on final handstand, hops her legs together on the tuck full but the damage done there.

After 1: Michigan 49.450, Nebraska 48.600

Michigan got a couple gifts in that vault rotation, but it was solid enough. Leg form on the 1.5s is one thing that will take those scores down from some of the other 1.5s we see. Karas and McLean in particular nailed their vaults nearly as well as they can do. Nebraska has some very lovely qualities on bars and a lot of potential, but essentially counting a fall ruined that score. Houchin is a talent in that first position, could get a higher score in a later spot? Also impressed by Crouse’s routine. Very clean.

We’re about to get out Pac-12 meets started, so a bit of a whirlwind coming.

UCLA’s lineups say Kocian is leading off bars. LOVE.

The swimming is running long on the Pac-12, so it will run into the beginning of Utah/Washington for me, but we have two other meets to keep us busy, so I’m not freaking out. I could watch the stream, but three meets tends to get a little hairy in the internet department.

We’re up to rotation 2 for Nebraska/Michigan.

Funk – UB – Mich – good first hs – full turn a little tentative, excellent amplitude on tkatchev but loses her legs a little – overshoot – final handstand is medium – sticks DLO. Solid start.

Aufiero – VT – OSU – a little flat off the table and a bound back, but she’s getting back.

Boucne back out of full for Epperson of Nebraska.

Kocian – UB – Chow to pak is solid, a little leg break in pak – good Shap 1/2, one shortish handstand – tries to sell her stick on the tuck full but she did hop forward.

McLean – UB – Mich – full turn to high tkatchev to overshoot – keeps the leg form in that combo a bit better than Funk – giant 1/1 solidly vertical, tuck full stuck. 9.875 leadoff score. Let’s see if that strategically lifts up everyone else.

Near stick for Schweihofer on VT, large bounce back from Jacobsen on her Tsuk full.

Marinez – UB – Mich – odd and tight hip angle on tkatchev but she hit it – loses legs in bail hs – whippy DLO with a step
Meraz – UB – UCLA – catches Ray – a little floppy in bail handstand and could be more vertical – improving that DLO, near-stick.

Lambert – VT – Nebraska – girl can still stick a vault – legs apart, but that will be a useful score.

Gill – VT – OSU – fine full – a little piked, hop back.

Shchennikova – UB – some archy on shap but good, nice amplitude on bail – keeps vertical on 1/2 turn on low – short final hs – giant 1/1 to double tuck with hop back.

Honest – UB – tight first hs – high tkatchev – usual feet – solid half turn to vertical straddle back – tight final hs – filings out tuck full but a good stick there. That was stronger than Meraz, so we’ll see where the scores go. 9.875.

Artz – UB – good piked jaeger to overshoot, she does well to keep leg form throughout – solid final hs – sticks DLO, that should be a very high score – one of her good ones.
Gardiner – VT – bit larger lunge back than usual on full

Savvidou – UB – good first hs – 1.2 turn to piked jaeger, good amplitude but loses feet – a litlte arched in hs – bail and then nearly falls stepping up to high – oh Stella – sticks cowboy double tuck.

Zaziski – UB – good giant full position – hits tkatchev – very secure and vertical in handstands – whips DLO but controls landing well with small hop in place.

McMillan tries to sell the stick on a solid 1.5 on vault but does a beam-style leg up lean to hold it.

Lunge forward for Houchin on her 1.5 on vault.

Savvidou still gets a 9.800 even after having to circle up to high again.

Ross – UB – UCLA – good first hs – shap to bail – lovely bail, some legs on shap but most have them – excellent counter-rotation on shoot to high and final handstand – sticks DLO. Lovely routine, very precise, should be quite a high score since we’ve already had 9.875s and this was way way better. 10.000 for Kyla! (Not so sure about that, she stuck that DLO kind of hunched down, but…we’ll go with that.)

Rowe – Utah – UB – good first hs – precise higinish on fiant 1/1 – hits tkatchev – solid bail – short final handstand – basically sticks DLO – she’ll get hit for one handstand in there but a good routine.

Peng – UB – good first hs – high Ray is very strong – wonderful Bhardwaj – toe to toe shap 1/2 is also quite good – maybe a borderline hs – DLO landing was eclipsed by Melissa Metcalf but it seemed like a good one? 9.950 for Peng.

UCLA goes 49.550 on bars. It was a very good hit with excellent showings with Ross and Peng, but can we also file this one away in the folder about how lineup order can be used to bump scores?

Utah39.375 total after 9.925 for Rowe.

UCLA 49.550, OSU 49.000
Utah 49.375, Washington 48.925
Michigan 98.700, Nebraska 97.700

Karas – BB – Mich – step forward on punch front but holds it – standing switch leap was very cool – small check on loso series – a little tight in place but nothing major – front 1.5 with step back.

Houchin – FX – Neb – bit too big of a lunge back on double pike but nice height and calmness, like she’s tumbling in slow motion and I like it.

Rowe – VT – Utah – solid full, hop back but one of her good ones – not much piking.

Riley – UB – Washington – shap to overshoot (no handstand) – good legs on the shap – nice precise dinal handstand – sticks DLO – very clean – good start to rotation.

Sorry about the mistake, I totally missed that Skinner did bars. And yes she did. Reading comprehension.

Zaziski – BB – good switch side – solid loso series as well – switch to straddle 1/4, confident positions – full turn – walkover is solid – gainer full small hop.

I like Maya Washington of Washington’s Gienger.

Kramer – VT – UCLA – does the full – a bit loo large of a lunge backward on that one – a little loose knees but mostly fine

MCP – UB – OSU – clean first hs – high jaeger, loses feet on it – leg break on the bail – lovely DLO and stuck.

Utah a bit too bouncy on the early Yfulls.

Funk – BB – Mich – secure loso series – check on switch side 1/4 – bigger check on side aerial – switch, back leg – good split leap – lunge forward on 1.5 dismount – some breaks there but a usable hit.

Meraz a touch short on her yfull with a hop forward –

Smaller hop back from Kari Lee on VT –

Maddie Gardiner a little short on bail handstand on bars and a hesitation on teh stalder with a hop on double tuck. Started quite well – few too many breaks later in routine.

Honest – VT – UCLA – also short on hers with a hop forward, but better dynamics than Meraz.

Artz – BB – Mich – pike jump to straddle 3/4, a little hesitation but clean execution – walkover to bhs is smooth – secure kickover front – front 1.5 with step back.

Lewis for Utah with another hop on her full, but small and mostly in place.

Kocian – VT – best control of landing on the fulls so far, not a huge vault but clean and a smaller hop backward –

Skinner – VT – DTY – a good one, less control on the landing than last week with a clearer hop back but she’s getting the landing under control.

Marinez – BB – Mich – good walkover, pause, bhs loso series is quite clean and solid – calm full turn – hitch kick to a side aeral that looked fine but she stumbled working out of it for a wobble – check on stag leap – hop on dismount.

Hall – VT – high full, but too large of a hop back out of it to get a serious score.

McMillan – UB – OSU – hop grip to jaeger to overshoot is solid – hitting hs – high and floaty DLO, shuffle landing.

Laeng is going clean for Nebraska on floor but a little too bouncy in the landings.

Ross – VT – holds onto the stick on her full – girl is a stick machine today – good form – not the most distance int he world – chest forward but not necessarily down, similar to bars – needs to pull legs together sooner on salute because remember when that used to be a deduction?

Chiarelli solid on beam for Michigan – and finishes with a stuck double tuck. No problem there.

Aufiero – UB – a liuttle tlat on giant 1/2 to a good tkatchev – just missing a tad on the handstands – good stick on DLO though.

Crouse’s floor music this year is that Bali Mali Chile Malawi song. And she fell. Those two may or may not be related. That also means I’m counting a fall in fantasy gym.

9.925 for Kyla, so she got a perfect score from one judge.

Michigan’s live scores have stopped updating but Michigan went 49.275 on beam. Just that.

Nebraska 48.625 on floor.

UCLA 98.775, OSU 98.275
Utah 98.500, Washington 97.850
Michigan 147.925, Nebraska 146.325

Good pace for UCLA so far on the heels on that bars score. Vault is still going to be a problem compared to the best teams, though. Utah OK on vault from the ones I saw but a little too bouncy to get the scores. Nebraska is the one having a time of thing sso far, counting fall equivalents on both bars and floor so far, which beam still to come.

Riley – BB – Wash – A check or two early on but not too significant – almost sticks 1.5 dismount, small step back

Roberts – FX – Utah – secure landing on double pike, not a high pass but she lands chest-up well enough – solid front lay to front full as well – switch side to wolf full, would like to see the wolf position higher – back 1.5 to front 1/2 to stag, travels a bit too much on that but a good routine

Washington – BB – Washington – Washington and Washington and I’m never going to stop enjoying that – solid loso series – comfortable side aerial – switch side and straddle jump with a tiny swim but no check –

Houchin – BB – Neb – secure loso series – clean and high in her leaps – this is why this was her best event in JO – calm full turn – cat leap pauses before side aerial – nice 2/1 dismount as well, small step.

Merrell – FX – Utah – front 2/1 to front tuck, her twisting shape is a touch ragged but good control – switch ring to split full, an NCAA switch ring but fine – good 2.5 to front tuck, that’s better twisting shape – rudi is solid. Another good one.

Stumble for Funk on final double tuck for Michigan –

Hall for UCLA finishes floor with an OK double tuck, she seems joyously shocked that she had the endurance to finish the routine! Just too much of a lunge back –

A couple small early checks for Epperson on beam. Hop back on gainer full. Didn’t see whole routine. 9.2, so….

Schaeffer sticks 1.5 dismount for Washington.

Lewis – FX – Utah – high double pike, I know they try to upgrade with her always, but I’ll take that double pike, very floaty – front layout front 1/2 – switch side to a slightly crooked popa – chest down double tuck but secure landing –

Hoenst – FX – bounces a little too much out of double pike – front lay front full with another bound forward, stays in cbounds – very good switch side and popa, quite high – slide on double tuck as well – close but lacking control.

Janae Janik continues to be a heartbreaker. Looked fine on her front aerial on beam, adjusted out of it and plopped right off the beam. SIGH.

Dessaints – OSU – BB – smooth loso series, right on – a little too tentative in switch and stag combination – kickover front to beat jump – back handspring to gainer full. Stuck.

Reinstadtler – FX – Utah – stumble backward on double tuck, maybe stayed in bounds but a number of steps that will depress the score. A bit short on double pike with a lunge forward. They’ll want to drop this. How exactly did that also get a 9.800? That was way worse than Lewis or Roberts. Weird scores in this one.

Savvidou – FX – 2.5 with a staggered step dance out of it – also perhaps stayed in bounds, will be a deduction though – just manages to pull around the layout out of her second pass – high double pike, solid landing, that’s more like it. This will need to be the dropped score.

Karas nailed her final double pike on floor. 9.900.

SCP – BB – a wave of the arms to hold her loso series but it is a check – larger error on full turn, bend at the hips – side aerial to full, stuck with a bend over to hold the stick.

Rowe – FX – nice high double pike, chest down but great control – split leap 1/1 – was she supposed to do a leap into that – it looked like a little run hesitation ? – double full to layout stepout is strong. Good one.

Sonya Meraz does a double layout to her elbows for UCLA. Counting Savvidou’s score now because UCLA floor. Sigh.

Goings went 9.900 on beam –

Burleson – BB – Washington – walkover to bhs series is smooth – lovely sissone – straddle 1/4 is strong – side aerial to full and stuck –

McMillan – BB – good kickover front to beat jump, step back on loso series but saved it – front handspring to her knee that I have always loved – back leg low on switch leap, straddle 1/4 is fine.

Grace Williams falls on beam for another forgettable score for Nebraska.

Skinner – FX – good double double, a little slide back – split leap full is solid – 1.5 through to 2/1 a little tight on landing with a bounce up – full in final pass is good, just a touch deep. A couple slides this time that will take away a big score but a very usable one.

Artz – FX – pretty identical piked full in to last week – solid split full and popa – sticks front full to layout, very well done – controlled double pike. Another excellent one for her, a bit more slidely on some landings perhaps than her 10 but not much. 9.900.

Michigan 197.225 – Nebraska 194.800

Mossett – FX – whip to double tuck, a little short this time with a hop forward – attitude turn to double turn – amazing leaps, great height and position – side somi that isn’t even ugly – very short double pike with a large lunge forward. This floor rotation still isn’t there. They’ll need high-scoring beam to make this a high total after all. Still goes 9.850 somehow. Am I taking crazy pills?

“Why would you want to be a second-rate Beyonce when you can be a first-rate Hallie Mossett?” is such a Miss Val thing to say I can’t even physically continue.

Gardiner – BB – split to stag is strong – aerial also smooth – lovely loso but with a balance check – side aerial, secure – hop back on gainer full – not her strongest but will be a useful score.

Kocian – FX – “French cocktail waitress” is the theme – front 2/1 is fine, lunge forward but not too bad – second pass into stag – travels to much into stag but saves it – precise leap positions – wonderful switch ring – nails double pike – based on this standard that will be a 20. Good and solid routine. Back is casually taped like a mummy.

By a miracle of miracles, UCLA gets 49.200 for that floor rotation.

Merrell – BB – Utah – solid three series into back handspring – hits aerial walkover – slow in full turn but fine – very deep laning on her 1.5 and the very rarely seeing “salute 1/2” as she hops out of it. 9.825

Schaeffer – FX – Washington – double tuck is solidly high but with a bounce back – front 1/1 to layout to stag is also quite precise – switch ring and split full – I kind of love this execution – kept front leg down on double pike, chest a bit too down but very solid.

Reinstadtler – BB – walkover with a check into bhs – that’s another that shouldn;t get series credit but will – very solid leaps – full turn – round off to stuck gainer full – simple routine but she has some lovely qualities –

Goings – FX – Washington – stumble backward on double pike, several major lunges – front layout to front full with a slide – pulls around double tuck actually quite well, it looked like she might not have enough height but she got it.

Skinner – BB – solid bhs loso – still very loose knees in the bhs – side side aerial to sissone – switch to split is comfortable – L turn – straddle to back tuck, pauses a little too long before that one – sticks double tuck, very good routine.

I love that Carly is surprised that the team is chanting 10.

Gerber – BB – UCLA – solid wolf – walkover to split is pretty – bhs loso series with a bend at the knees, switch to split to beat is solid – long pause before fismount – bhs to gainer full, came in a little short and step-saluted out of that one – fine but not her usual routine.

Good hit from Duranczyk on floor – very secure opening double pike.

Stover – BB – confident full turn – check on walkover – switch to straddle jump is pretty – split ring with a leg-up wobble, not her usual quality – does a kickover front to bhs, needs that for acro series, a bit too much of a pause but will get credit – round off gainer full with slide back.

Meraz – BB – two bhs to loso series, leans but does well to lean quickly to avoid a wobble – very good switch 1/2 and wolf jump, a rarity – smooth full turn – round off 1.5 dismount, off to the side a bit with a step.

Yacalis had a good routine going but a huge stumble forward on double tuck basically to the middle of the floor, equivalent of a fall.

Ricci – FX – OSU – punch rudi to loso to start, not difficult but I like that pass – nearly goes OOB on a lunge out of second pass but stays in – nice control on double pike but chest down –

Kari Lee – Utah – BB – full turn – solid loso series – switch to straddle 1/4, swithc is fine, straddle 1/4 is better than fine – side aerial – small hop back on 2/1 – that’s more like old Kari Lee, getting there – still a little tentative.

Ross – BB – solid loso series as always – it’s her trademark, very smooth and clean – switch ring to beat jump – UGH she’s still doing it but she did make it this time – Oh girl, large wobble on a FULL TURN – walkover to sissone, small hesitation – side aerial to a full, stuck but swam a couple times to hold the stick.

Rowe – FX – Utah – switch to straddle 1/4 is not super high but acceptable – smallest adjustment on bhs bhs loso – but KNEES still – tight full turn – sticks a very strong 1.5. Couple small checks but worthwhile routine.

Looks like Gill went OOB on opening floor pass –

Burleson – FX – finishing for Washington, can get them over 196 with a hit, and she did.

Peng – BB – Flares are well done – lovely high switch leap and split jump – bhs layout is solid this time, smallest lean but she got it – good correction on the double turn, making it look like artistry instead of a balance check – very strong punch front, chest right up – front 1.5 dismount and basically stuck, an exaggerated salute but I’d call that a stick. 9.925.

Lowery – FX – OSU – solid double pike and secure, just a touch forward and a little hop in place to cover it up – slide back on rudi – front layout to front tfull, stuck the landing, a little mushy but will be a strong score the way floor has been going.

Ohashi – BB – regular layout in her series now, check with the leg up – solid leap positions – full turn is strong – no trouble in the front aerial – back handspring loso full twist dismount, stuck very well. The check on the layout was really the only thing there. Still gets 9.875.

Gardiner – FX – 3/1 mount, love to see, a bit crossover in the step back like she was still twisting – 1.5 to half to straddle, quite well done – chest down double pike but another secure landing. 9.925

Kocian – BB – walkover to sheep, methodical but OK enough to get connection credit – bhs loso series is solid, she’s such a stick that it often looks like she’s wobbling, but it may just be the wind – switch to split is strong – stumble backward on 2/1 landing, two steps, will take away a huge score, will still be a good one.

UCLA finishes 197.325. Very useful road score. Send the floor judges a muffin basket.

McMillan – FX – good height on front 2/1 and controls the step forward out of it well enough – precise shape and great rise on leaps – 1.5 to layout, dance.lunges out of it too much for my taste – solid rudi – another strong routine -9.950. Well now.

Good day for OSU. A little too wobbly on beam and didn’t have the vault lineup (especially early in the group) to get a super high number, but usable.

Finals:
UCLA 197.325, OSU 196.700
Utah 197.150, Washington 196.300

All of these teams will take these scores. UCLA and Utah get 197 roads, OSU a useful home total, and Washington breaks 196. Done. UCLA’s bars rotation was the highlight, and I’m all about keeping Kocian in the first spot. UCLA vault and floor still are problems that pale against other top schools but bars and beam can be as good as anyone’s rotation.

Scoring was tighter at the Utah/Washington meet (but then with weird bits of elevating weaker routines that didn’t make any sense) Utah got through with a 197 from a pretty depleted roster at this point. None of their 10.0 starts except Skinner went on vault.

On to tomorrow! Not a lot of major meets tomorrow but I’ll be hanging around with thoughts.