Saturday, February 4	Scores	Watch
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Pitt, West Chester, Ursinus @ Temple		FREE
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Brown @ Yale		Ivy $
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Ithaca @ Brockport		FREE
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Bridgeport @ Southern Connecticut		FREE
2:00 ET/11:00 PT – [25] West Virginia @ Kent State	LINK	FREE
3:30 ET/12:30 PT – [15] Cal @ [4] Utah	LINK	P12
3:30 ET/12:30 PT – [5] UCLA @ Arizona State	LINK	P12
4:00 ET/1:00 PT – Michigan State @ Penn State	LINK	FREE
4:00 ET/1:00 PT – Rutgers @ [19] Ohio State	LINK	OSU $
5:00 ET/2:00 PT – [23] Minnesota @ [21] Illinois	LINK	BTN+
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – [14] Oregon State @ Arizona		P12
10:00 ET/7:00 PT – Air Force @ Seattle Pacific	LINK	FREE

Today’s action features Cal and Utah facing off in a tribute to the walking wounded as Utah goes on without Schwab and Tessen and Cal attempts to go on in the wake of Toni-Ann Williams’ torn Achilles. It’s hard to see how the floor lineup remains competitive without Williams.

UCLA heads to Arizona State, where I’m most interested to see how Arizona State is looking post-Doctor Rene (the results haven’t been there, but I’m wondering if it’s a Cal-under-Danna situation where the groundwork is being laid even if the scores aren’t coming yet), and also whether UCLA decides to use this as the annual “exploring depth at the easy road meet” competition or if it’s more important right now to get the score and make progress in those vault and floor lineups. (Later this year, UCLA has a two-meet weekend where the first meet is away at Utah and the second meet is home with Bridgeport and USU, and I expect a lot of exploring depth at that second meet.)

I like that the Pac-12 ticker calls the gymnastics rankings the “national coaches poll.” Nope. That’s not how it works now. This isn’t dumb football.

We’re waiting on the swimming to finish before we get to our proper-sport meets, but I think this is the last race? It’s a relay. That should be last, right?

“This is what Pac-12 swimming is all about.” How would Pac-12 swimming possibly be different from any other swimming? Like…you just try to swim fast…?

Rotation 1 (Utah, ASU vault; UCLA, Cal bars):

Why are we still talking about swimming? It’s over. Go away.

Murdermurdermurdermurder.

We’re getting going now. Oh fun we missed Baely Rowe’s vault!

Seilnacht – UB – shortish first hs halt turn to piked jaeger – sgood shape, not the highest – solid vertical on the bail – better final handtand – flyway 1.5 twist, love to see that, step.

Roberts – VT – huge bounce backward out of her full, not there on the landing. will want to drop that one.

ASU showed a tucked yfull.

Kocian is still leading off bars for UCLA, and I still love it.

Kocian – UB – solid first hs – Chow to pak is pretty clean, small leg break on pak – Chow 1/2 is well caught – solid handstands – weak on the full-twisting double tuck with a large lunge forward, never seen her land her dismount like that, which is usually her bread and butter. Still 9.850. Some name on that, but that’s why it’s a good idea to put her first.

Reinstadtler – VT – also a large bounce back on her full – a little piking and could get more distance as well. Two weak vaults in the middle of this lineup.

Meraz – UB – solid Ray – a little short of vertical on her bail – DLO, they’re working on the legs – also lands short with a hop forward.

Shu and Takara with normal hits for Cal.

Merrell – VT – excellent Y1.5 – basically stuck – mushy knees that will take away any kind of 10, but a great landing. 9.900 is fair, although Guerrero got 9.950 yesterday for similar faults, so if you want to be upset about that you can.

Ho – UB – Cal – toe shoot – toe on to wonderful gienger, nearly laid out – hop back on tuck full dismount, a little low.

Honest hits bars for UCLA. One short handstand – step back on dismount.

Lewis – VT – good height, small hop back on full, a little bit of knees –

Richardson – UB – Cal – toe on to tkatchev with excellent height – DLO with a hop forward – strong amplitude throughout –

UCLA not getting these landings on bars at all.

Skinner – VT – DTY – that one-tenth hop back we’ve seen most of the time from her this year, otherwise solid in shape.

Gallarzo – UB – Cal – slow work, but not necessarily a bad thing – does fall on opening Jaeger though. They had five hits before that.

Ross – UB – Kyla! Way over-arched her bail and had to come off the bars.

Christopherson anchoring vault for ASU with just a layout. This has been a bit of gift of a score for ASU to get those 9.7s.

Peng – UB – good first hs – Strong Ray – hits Bhardwaj, toe on to toe shap is solid – I saw one borderline hs at the end, but they were pretty much all there – basically sticks DLO but salutes very quickly out of it, I’ll call that a stick. 9.925 saves rotation score.

UCLA 49.300, ASU 48.675
Utah 49.275, Cal 48.875
UCLA will take a 49.300, but that was not a great showing on bars in the dismount landings, many of which could have been hit with a full tenth. And then Kyla falling sort of took the sting of greatness out of things. Got away with a 49.300 there to some extent. Utah had some strong vaults from Skinner and Merrell, though weak landings from Roberts and Reinstadtler took away a higher score than 49.275, they had a significant lack of control on those.

Rotation 2:
Gallarzo – VT – Cal – y 1/2, a little deep in landing but very good control on that with just a small hop.

Merrell – UB – first hs is fine – DELTCHEV, good height, loses her feet but a big release – nice legs togehter in bail – a little struggle through the stalder, a step back on double tuck and then another to salute.

Seilnacht – VT- Cal – also good control on her full landing, a little piking and a small hop

Reinstadtler – UB – toe half is a little short, nice toe point on the jaeger – leg break on the bail – struggle on the tuck full dismount, legs a bit crazy and then a larger lunge forward.

Honest – VT – UCLA – some crazy shape in the legs and a weird camera angle for judging vault but it did look like she came in short with a  hop forward.

Skinner – UB – toe shap with legs to a strong bail, vertical – a little short on a hs in there, good toe on – a little forward landing on the tuck full dismount with a step forward. Will at least get them into the 9.8s though. 9.800.

Kramer – VT – UCLA – better leg shape and distance than honest, step back on landing and then another step back to salute.

Lee – UB – Utah – overarches her very first handstand and has to take an extra swing and recast – low chest, very much so, on the tuck full dismount – Tom has to spot.

Kocian – UCLA – VT – good control on the landing on her full – small step back – not the biggest distance.

Robinson – VT – Cal – front handpsring, handspring, front pike, could watch this weird-ass vault all day – legs and then a step forward.

Lewis – UB – Utah – counting two 9.7s so far, need a big score now -borderline finish on giant full, good height on taktchev but loses her feet – solid bail, legs together throughout – misses final hs – good DLO, small hop back.

Cipra – VT – UCLA – she’s back – full mostly her usual vault from previous years – fine distance, medium hop back. 9.875? Really?

Richardson – VT – Cal – Kas, hop back, just a little piking.

Szafranski – UB – ASU – nice first hs – toe on – toe shap with leg flop, smae problem on the pak but both caught well – arched final hdnastand but works through – whippy DLO with legs but stuck.

Rowe – UB – love her finish position on the giant full – tkatchev to bail – WHAT – misses her hand catching the bail and comes off. When was the last time you saw Utah count a fall on bars?

Hall – VT – the miracle of Pua vault sticks continues, full – crazy legs in the air, lands pretty deep and yet somehow holds the stick. 9.825.

ASU just had a nightmare with recasting a half turn on the low bar and then did the exact same thing as Baely Rowe on a bail.

Ross – VT – lovely yfull and stuck. Excellent vault. 9.925. Perfect score from one judge.

“remember that a 9.950 is a perfect 10.” No….

Christopherson – UB – ASU – good tkatchev – hitting handstands – big save on bail with another huge arch – everyone is struggling with bails today.

After 2:
UCLA 98.600, ASU 97.375
Utah 97.700, Cal 97.700
UCLA is doing fine. Also getting the benefit of the doubt on some of these mid-lineup scores. The hits from Peng (UB) and Ross (VT) have been the highlights of the day for 9.925. For ASU, it’s not a good score so far, but it’s an improvement.

Utah was poor on bars with two falls and several other struggles on landings, even from Skinner. We don’t really expect that lack of identical repetition and confidence from Utah on bars. Even when the feet are crazy or the form is iffy, those landings are always the rock of that rotation. Cal in the 48.8s, getting by in this meet so far but nothing truly standing out yet.

Rotation 3:
Stover – BB – a check on the split ring jump, a step on the front tuck – because she was leading off, I thought at first we were seeing highlights, missed the opening of the routine – front aerial to bhs gainer full is stuck –

Owens – FX – Cal – front 2/1, does get it around with a step out that wasn’t supremely controlled – 1.5 to layout, very good landing and rises into the layout well – stumble-bounce landing the rudi

Merrell – BB – switch to split, switch is good, split could be closer to 180 still – two bhs to loso series is secure – walkover is fine, holds it well even though it could have been off line – full turn – hop back on 2/1.

Seilnacht – FX – super high double tuck, way too high, bounces several miles and OOB on landing –

Ross and Ohashi are joining the UCLA floor lineup today.

Hall – FX – UCLA – 1.5 through to double tuck, secure landing, chest but secure – front full to front pike with a bound forward – elephant walk – another stumble back on final pass –

Reinstadtler – BB – Utah – walkover to bhs series that does have a correction but won’t matter – some small checks here and there out of switch side – travels several miles on a gaienr full, two steps. 9.825.

Peterson – FX – Cal – just a touch short on a double pike with a lunge – rudi is controlled as well, she’s keeping that front foot down in these landings – high 1.5 to layout, stumbles on the layout landing but stays up.

Savvidou – FX – 2.5 with a bound forward – 1.5 to layout is better, more controlled step but still a little long – uncharacteristically short of position on a wolf jump, dance elements should be her thing – slide back on double pike

Skinner – BB – solid bhs loso series (still knees though), moves her hands quickly down to avoid a check, just a little off with minor checks on these skills – L turn drops a little early – same on the back tuck, good straddle before it, just small correction on back tuck – double tuck dismount – short with a hop forward. 9.850.

ASU has a fall in the third spot. First two had wobbles and checks but got through.

Draghi – FX – good high double tuck – solid shape on the popa, a bit of back leg on the preceding split –

“Liz actually heard this song from a band.” NOT A BAND????!?!?!

Ohashi – FX – missed the beginning leaps look solid, sticks double pike chest down. 9.875.

Lee – BB – full turn – leg-up check on loso series, they are just off today – switch and straddle 1/4 are excellent – beat jump to side aerial is quite nice – strong stick on 2/1 – shame about the loso series. Still 9.875. Must have taken just a tenth for that?

Ross – FX – UCLA – whip to double tuck is solid, large step back but kept that front foot down – large stumble backward on double pike and OOB – still trying to do a Ferrari and I really wish she wouldn’t because it’s sloppy and Miss Kyla doesn’t do sloppy – who’s routine was this? Part of this is from someone? I want to say Monique De La Torre? Falls on 1.5 to layout. Unready.

Rowe – BB – had a small lean correction on her series will lose the score a little with a larger hop forward out of her 1.5, but that will be the majority of the deductions.

Szafranski is rulfovaing the crap out of you.

Kocian – FX – solid landing on front 2/1, controlled – back 1.5 to rudi to stag down to her knee – lovely extension on popa – hits switch ring well – sticks excellent double pike – she has this one down. Well now, 9.950. Ok.

Udowitch – BB – ASU – aerial with a large break and a fall. They just can’t have nice things.

Mossett – FX – UCLA – pulls her own leg off to start, normal – whip double tuck and stuck – I like how the popa rises higher than the split full – piked side somi is even good – short on the double pike with a lunge forward – split leap full to finish –

After 3:
UCLA 147.900, ASU 145.650
Utah 146.975, Cal 146.600
Utah recovers from bars with a hit beam, but still a lot of uncharacteristic dismount problems there from people like Skinner and Rowe. They worked tightly after the bars problems. UCLA still not really there on floor, but some progress in the lineup composition which helps. This looks a little closer to postseason level, even if Ross was clearly unready to be in this lineup. Very strong routine from Kocian again this week.

Do they have a thing where the Pac-12 net can’t show us the exhibition routines? We’re just watching Val dance along instead of watching the routine?

Seilnacht – BB – Cal – solid bhs loso series – beat jump to split jump full is quite well completed – two switch leaps series and it’s actually pretty well completed to 180 – side aerial to layout full, stuck. Solid.

Roberts – FX – Utah – bounces back on double pike this time – front layout to rudi is controlled well – switch side to wolf, wolf is a little short of position – 1.5 to front half to stag. Did Sam Peszek just call that a “pig jump”? Or did she say “big jump”? 9.850. For a weaker routine than she got a 9.800 for last week. Don’t worry. Just start drinking now.

Ho – BB – walkover to bhs series – switch, good position on switch but breaks connection with a wobble – adds split jump to double stag to get her connection – sticks gainer full.

Lewis – FX – Utah – very strong double pike, high and well controlled – front layout to front full, a little arched in the layout – excellent straddle shapes – small slide on double back. Scary prom queen ghost? I sthat what I got out of this routine?

Gerber – BB _ UCLA – wolf turn – aerial to split, well done – bhs loso series with a lean correction at the hips – switch to split, a little tentative in that series this time – long pause before bhs gainer full dismount, stuck.

Great leap amplitude from Palomares on beam, does have a check on a straddle.

Merrell – FX – front 2/1 with a stagger out of it – I’d like to see the front leg a little higher ont he switch ring but solid 180 on the following split – 2.5 to a high front tuck. Rudi to straddle – good hit –

Mossett – BB – where have you been in this lineup for the last 750 years? – check full turn – a little tight in a split jump (I say that because we know she normally has no problems on 180s) – hits loso series small lean – side somi to layout full dismount!!! Channeling her inner Danusia. Haven’t seen that one before. There was a lean in there and she’s really risking not getting combo credit for that dismount, but 75 cool points. 9.875. I think that extra 75 on the end is representative of the 75 cool points.

Reinstadtler – FX – large bounce backward out of her double tuck and far OOB – should be able to drop this one – she’s having to do the AA but doesn’t really look there yet except for beam.

Kocian – BB – walkover to sheep, holds the sheep well without a check, maybe a bit of a lean – very secure bhs loso series – lean on full turn – switch to split, well hit to 180 – basically sticks 2/1 but steps forward out of it to salute. 9.950. That’s a little high for me with the lean on the full turn and the not really stuck.

Looks like SKinner’s Pac-12 gymnast streak may be over because Kocian will beat her in the AA this week.

Rowe – FX – small bounce back out of double pike – back 2/1 to layout stepout is controlled well, some crossed legs, but solid – back 1.5 to layout. “Good karma for selfless athletes.” Insightful commentary. Thanks so much. Good use of ridiculous nonsense babbling. 9.925.

Ross – BB – bhs loso right on – switch ring to beat jump, I say we give her the combo there – “anytime you pull your eyes off an put them on the ceiling” – what? – pretty aerial, controlled – side aerial to a stuck full. I didn’t see much in that one at all. 9.975. There you go.

Gallarzo sticks 1.5 on beam.

Skinner – FX – L hop full – double double and well controlled in the landing – split leap 1.5 – random front tuck – 1.5 through to 2/1, also nailed the landing – also secure on full in. One of her best ones. 9.950.

Peng – BB – Homma flares are excellent as usual – switch to split is solid – bhs layout series is right on this time, maybe a step back out of it? – strong – hits her double turn to beat jump as well – damn, sits her punch front down on the beam…like she meant to – sticks dismount – would have received a 10 with a hit punch front. 9.650?

Utah finishes with a 196.450, as much as they could have hoped for given the first half of the meet with the bars fall and the vault landings, but they won’t count on keeping this score. 195.725 is respectable for Cal given the intense depletion of the lineup, but it’s not a useful score even so. Just a little too 9.7s from the backup routines. Understandable, but it won’t help get a solid ranking.

Lentz somehow pulled around a front layout with a butt-scraping squat.

Judges discussing Peng’s score so UCLA has started a dance-along to “Puurrrrty in the U-ass-A” which is how it’s pronounced.

UCLA would still be at 197.200 counting Peng’s beam sit. G

Ohashi – BB – goes for the layout full series and falls. Why? You had an amazing score going. 197.200 will be the final, which is fine, but it’s just like…ugh.

Wait, can we talk about Peng’s score some more? And how one judge gave her a 9.800? Like…a 9.800? She fell onto the beam. #cracksmokingjudges. I’d consider that at minimum a “grasp of the beam to avoid fall” which is 0.3 right there.

Final:
UCLA 197.150, ASU 194.600
Actually a pretty useful score for ASU even though it doesn’t look like much. I totally forgot to watch ASU’s final floor routine because I had too many vapors about Peng’s beam score. UCLA gets a 197.150 road score, which is solid, but the pragmatist in me can’t get past throwing away an even bigger score by having Ohashi take an unnecessary risk. The scoring for a lot of that meet was a gift. Flowers for me? No thanks!

Peng’s score has been adjusted down to 9.600 after the 9.800 judges has gone down to 9.700. Which is at least theoretically mathematically possible.