| Friday, March 3 |
Scores | Watch |
| 6:00 ET/3:00 PT – Kent State @ Bowling Green | LINK | FB |
| 6:30 ET/3:30 PT – West Virginia, Michigan State, Towson @ Pitt | LINK | ACC |
| 7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Arkansas @ [11] Kentucky | LINK | SEC+ |
| 7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Beatification of St. Nastia | LINK | NBC |
| 7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Rutgers, TWU @ SEMO | LINK | FREE |
| 7:30 ET/4:30 PT – UW-Stout, Gustavus Adolphus @ UW-Eau Claire | ||
| 8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [18] Auburn @ [15] Missouri | LINK | SEC+ |
| 9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Stanford @ [5] Utah | LINK | P12 |
| 9:00 ET/6:00 PT – NC State @ [21] Southern Utah | LINK | FREE |
| 11:00 ET/8:00 PT – Centenary @ Alaska | LINK | FREE |
Opening the SEC slate today is Arkansas’s visit to Kentucky, where Mark Cook has stated that the goal for Arkansas is to get five people up on each event, which is also the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard.
Something I hadn’t realized until now, because wins and losses don’t matter in the slightest, is that Auburn remains winless this season. Still might be nice to get one of those win thingies? It’s doable against Missouri, even on the road. Scores also remains a concern for Auburn. Theoretically, Auburn could move as high as #14 this week, but Auburn also has the lowest max RQS of any team in the top 20, meaning their ranking is at the mercy of the other teams.
| Team | Current RQS | Max RQS on Monday |
Ranking outlook |
| #1 Oklahoma | 197.990 | 198.110 | safe #1 |
| #2 LSU | 197.695 | 197.775 | safe #2 |
| #3 Florida | 197.495 | 197.665 | #3-#4 |
| #4 UCLA | 197.305 | 197.565 | #3-#6 |
| #5 Utah | 197.180 | 197.430 | #4-#6 |
| #6 Alabama | 197.085 | 197.310 | #4-#6 |
| #7 Denver | 196.875 | 196.910 | #7-#8 |
| #8 Georgia | 196.820 | 196.930 | #7-#8 |
| #9 Boise State | 196.700 | 196.700 | #9-#11 |
| #10 Oregon State | 196.635 | 196.750 | #9-#12 |
| #11 Kentucky | 196.535 | 196.705 | #9-#12 |
| #11 Michigan | 196.535 | 196.655 | #10-#12 |
| #13 Nebraska | 196.450 | 196.450 | #13-#14 |
| #14 Iowa | 196.150 | 196.315 | #14-#20 |
| #15 Missouri | 196.145 | 196.325 | #14-#20 |
| #16 GW | 196.140 | 196.290 | #14-#20 |
| #17 Washington | 196.130 | 196.500 | #13-#20 |
| #18 Auburn | 196.090 | 196.220 | #14-#20 |
| #19 Cal | 196.000 | 196.305 | #14-#22 |
| #20 Illinois | 195.995 | 196.230 | #14-#22 |
| #21 Southern Utah | 195.915 | 196.030 | #19-#23 |
| #22 Utah State | 195.830 | 195.955 | #21-#25 |
| #23 Arizona | 195.680 | 195.860 | #22-#29 |
| #24 Eastern Michigan | 195.670 | 195.805 | #23-#29 |
| #25 Ohio State | 195.595 | 196.010 | #19-#30 |
In earliest action, Towson is one to keep an eye on. Towson’s current ranking of 43rd isn’t glamorous, but with a 193.0 still to drop, Towson would move right into the pack challenging for regionals spots with even a 195 flat today, which should be an achievable score.
When you hit refresh on the live scores even though you know they auto-refresh and it’s not even temporally possible for another routine to have taken place since the last refresh.
I appreciate the Pitt feed trying to move around and show us everyone, though I have no idea who’s going for any of these teams at any given time. I did appreciate Gillette’s body position on her double pike and double tuck for WVU. Other observations: Pitt has a somewhat competitive vault lineup of fulls. Also, the floor scoring is tight. I love it, but there are meets where these WVU mid-lineup 9.6s would go 9.8. And being out of range with the national standard becomes a problem when judging meets that are going to decide teams’ regional fates.
Also, this Pitt PA announcer has a slight sarcastic lilt in enunciation style when saying people’s names, which just sounds annoyed at all of their existences, so I’m enjoying that.
This child posting the bars scores cannot get herself together. 9.065 is not a score.
Kentucky and Arkansas have started, not that the commentators were paying attention.
Anderson – UB – catches jaeger, good elbow extension – a couple handstands and moments of leg breaks – good final cast handstand, a little late on giant full, hop in place on double tuck. 9.775.
Rosa sticks a yfull, rather deep in landing. “They have no seniors.” “OH MY GOD.” Lol. She’s going to perform a Yurchenko full. OH MY GOD.
Garner – UB – high gienger, catches somewhat close – good casts – great form and height on tuck full, step back. 9.825.
Davis – VT – has the amplitude on her full, hop up and in place. 9.875.
Yamzon – UB – clear hip to tkatchev, flat but caught – hitting her cast handstands pretty well, good toe point on her bail as well – DLO 1/1, some piking at the end with a bound forward.
Dukes – VT – bounces forward on her y1/2 this time
Speed – UB – toe 1/2 – very very high on that jaeger, does catch a little close – clean legs through the bail – excellent casts – sticks tuck full with a little stagger. Good one.
Stuart – VT – somewhat short on her full this time with a step forward, shouldn’t be a particularly high score.
MacMoyle – UB – her usual set, they’re getting a routine out of her, but she struggles with the toe point and the verticals, particular on the bail. Large lunge forward out of DLO after landing short.
Korth – VT – quite short on her 1.5 this time with a multi-step stumble back.
A couple good ones but not ideal landings overall for Kentucky in this rotation. Missed out on some important scores toward the end because of landing deductions.
Burton – UB – shap to bail – legs pretty well together throughout – a bit of looseness and inexact positions here and there – giant full to double tuck, hop.
They got through. They’ll be able to drop the MacMoyle score, but Yamzon got kind of a low number (probably mostly due to the dismount) that will have to count.
After 1: Kentucky 49.000, Arkansas 48.925
These handstand contests they do at meets. You always have a bunch of little kids who are like “THIS WOULD BE FUN” and then that one girl who’s legit a decade older than the rest of them and is like, “I’ve been doing gymnastics for 460 years and could be here all day.” This isn’t for you, girl.
Rotation 2:
This commentator pronounces “doesn’t” as “dudin” and sometimes just “done.”
Rathjen – VT – some piking, bounce back on full.
Carlisle – UB – Kentucky has only three juniors. OH MY GOD. Jaeger, some feet – clean through the bail, hits vertical – deep landing on stuck full but holds the stick well enough. 9.875 already?
Yamzon – VT – hop back on full, similar piking to Rathjen, will also get hit for amplitude but good distance.
“Their anchor position, their kickoff position.” WHAT ARE YOU?
Coca – UB – they’re honing these bails well – some feet on jaeger but a solid catch – she does stick her tuck full without the squat of Carlisle. 9.900.
Anderson – VT – excellent distance on her full, loses her legs at the end with a pike over on landing. Best dynamics so far.
Dukes – UB – excellent vertical positions into a Tkatchev, flat – high pak but some leg form breaks – cast handstands all very precise – whips around a DLO with a step back.
Elswick – VT – she’s back on vault. Doesn’t get her full all the way flipped, lands short with a step to the side and off the mat.
Stuart – UB – tkatchev and bail, solid – just a tad less vertical than the first couple on her handstand positions – NAILS a DLO 1/1. Excellent stick.
Speed – VT – great open, hop back on full, loses her legs a little in the air.
Hyland – UB – arches an early cast handstand – not too much – gienger, somewhat close on the catch – also hits her bail well – holds the stick on the tuck full with a lean.
MacMoyle – VT – comes in crunched on her full with a lunge back. Speed had a good one, but this won’t be a very high rotation score overall.
Korth – UB – a little rushed in an early handstand, good contained piked jaeger, but feet – just arching a couple handstands as she goes for them – bail – small hop on DLO 1/1 dismount, good shape on it.
Well, I was not nearly as enthusiastic about that Kentucky bars rotation as the judges were. They had excellent dismount landings, which accounted for the scores. I wish we saw a little more in the toe department on releases.
After 2: Kentucky 98.325, Arkansas 97.600
Meanwhile, at the Nastia Cup, Rothlisberger, Tim, and Nastia are speaking without sound. It’s the best they’ve ever sounded.
Oh goody. Geddert is there. Everything is fine here.
Rotation 3:
Stuart – BB – secure on loso series – sticks side aerial to full. Good start.
NLC: Kai Rivers (LSU) just gave us a DTY on vault. That’ll do. Also, Tim Daggett doesn’t know what jettison means.
Yamzon – FX – secure double pike, feet – front full to layout, fine, not huge.
NLC: Andrea Li vaulted a full, clean, some piking, step back. Would get 9.800 in NCAA. “Giving her a few words of advice going into Anna Li.” WHAT. Also, continue speaking about Anna like she’s dead, please.
Korth (?) up second on beam for Kentucky with a fall on her series.
Elswick – FX – lunges back out of a double pike, just does stay in bounds but misses on the control – 1.5 to layout is solid.
Poland – BB – three series to loso, quite secure – smooth full turn – one-armed front handspring with a small check – switch to stag, check –
NLC: Brenner (Michigan 2018-2019) gives us a Y1.5. Some legs and crossover steps.
Nelson – FX – great control on double pike – 1.5 to layout, also quite clean, keeps straight body position on that layout – controls double tuck as well. Should be a solid score.
Rechenmacher – BB – sheep is not too bad – comfortable aerial – attitude turn – large check on loso series with a break at the hips – “three or four tenths” – LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL – gainer pike.
Commentator note: Never begin a sentence with “here’s what people don’t understand.”
Anderson – FX – step back on double pike, fine, some leg spearation – 1.5 to layout, not quite as straight as Nelson in the positions, losing her knees to mushiness at times – good contained tuck shape on double tuck –
NLC: Flam (Stanford 2017-2018) has some moments of crazy legs on bars but she can go into that lineup next year definitely – has a DLO 1/1.
Dukes – BB – check on her loso series – lovely shapes on switch and straddle 1/4 but another check landing that, some tight moments in thsi lineup –
Garner – FX – she’s the one who has to step into this lineup to give them a 5th. Fine double pike, just a lunge back, normal – wolf position could be higher – this routine is mostly leaps, a couple indistinct landings but fine – she has nice leaps on beam so that’s a smart way to get a routine together for her. Just layouts as her other pass. So we see why she wasn’t in the lineup before because she just doesn’t have the content, but they threw a ton of leaps in there to give them something. 9.3 is better than zero.
Hyland – BB – switch with small check to split jump, good positions and they’ll give her the combo – aerial to bhs loso, smooth and extended – side aerial to her usual stuck tuck full. Good one, just a check and a hesitation in there.
Kentucky still gets a 49 on beam despite a shaky rotation. Arkansas has to take 48.525 on floor.
NLC: Stevens (Auburn) has a Ray and bail on bars – too many breaks in this routine to get a big score, DLO – they could work with that, though.
Speaking of Auburn, Auburn and Missouri about to get going. Sloan on the commentary.
Missouri: Huber – VT – nice dynamics on a full – very large bounce back – “great landing,” says Bridget.
Auburn: Becker – UB – good distance on jaeger, struggles a bit on the next handstand – will get docked for lack of vertical on the bail – clean shape on DLO, step back.
Missouri: Kern – VT – comes in short on her y1/2 with a step back.
Auburn – Kopec – UB – jaeger to overshoot, comfortable catch, just geet – hitting cast handstands – shoulder-sized step back on DLO.
Arkansas: Yamzon – BB – hits loso series and a full turn – very secure kickover front – hits gainer full
Really good vault from Kennedi Harris, just a step to the side, small.
Krippner falls on a tkatchev for Auburn. Here we go.
NLC: Lukacs (Georgia) also shows us a DTY, pretty strong – just a touch short with a small hop. Legs at the end.
No, Nastia. In your opinion that was not a stick. You’re Nastia.
Auburn: Cerio – UB – pretty piked jaeger, great shape – small leg break on bail – quite clean throughout but two steps back on her double tuck.
NLC: Magee (Utah) has a piked full in on floor, very good switch side and popa, that will do nicely in NCAA – sat her front full out of her combo middle pass, got no punch into the second element –
Missouri: Ward – VT – bound forward on the Omelianchik this time. Pretty big bound too, so not one of her bests.
Auburn: Day – UB – solid jaeger to overshoot combo, love the toes in the jaeger – excellent height and position on double arabian dismount – step.
Good full from Miller for Missouri, small hop back –
Auburn: Engler – UB – great first hs – falls on jaeger – OH AUBURN. Auburn counting a fall on bars now, which means today will not be the needed score.
Arkansas: Nelson – BB – crsip and controlled on lsoo series – hits her split and straddle – punch front a little deep but controls the landing well – 1.5 with a hop.
Missouri goes 49.150 on vault, Auburn 48.350 on bars. Guh.
Stuart finishes FX for Kentucky with a rudi, a little flat with a step.
Arkansas: Speed – BB – switch 1/2 with a beat jump, checkish in combo – check on loso series as well, both small – side aerial, lovely legs and extension throughout – gainer full.
Hyland really loses her legs on her layout at the end of her final pass. Just a few breaks at the end of these routines taking away the scores, similar to last week, though they’re still getting 9.8s this time.
Burton comes through with a hit on beam for Arkansas – her tight straddle 1/4 will be a point of deductions – but sticks 1.5. Another “One thing the fans may not understand…” it’s a live stream of a gym meet on a Friday night. Pretty sure they understand.
Better positions from Dukes for Kentucky, chest down on double tuck but controls her landings well and hits her dance element positions.
Arkansas: Rathjen – BB – largish check on loso series, bend at the hips –
Korth – FX – piked full in, secure landing, legs a little more ragged than usual it seemed from this angle – front rudi to layout stepout, excellent extension in loso – finishes very secure double pike. That will do.
NLC: Flam (Stanford) falls on a loso series, otherwise has the skill set – double pike is chest-down with a lunge forward. She will be expected to do 28 events per week.
Auburn: Krippner – VT – great toes and legs together through her full, a little piking at the end and a hop.
Missouri: Kelly – UB – solid piked jaerger, a little close and a muscle cast out of it – pretty DLO –
Missouri: Miller – UB – also a strong piked jaeger, but great extension on this one –
NLC: Natalie Wojcik (Michigan) uses the Sherlock music. 1000 points. Also pretty legs in her leaps and acro, excellent twisting shape. We’re going to be obsessed with this one soon.
Auburn: Day – VT – comes in short on 1.5 with a hop back –
Remember to include “Missouri scoring” among your other home scoring notes.
After 2: Missouri 98.500, Auburn 97.400
Auburn fine on vault but didn’t really make up much ground. Missouri on track for a 197 here and the inside shot at #14 in the new rankings.
Final: Kentucky 196.525, Arkansas 195.275
That score won’t count for Kentucky. It will count for Arkansas (dear…) moving them up to 195.585 in RQS – temporarily into 27th ahead of UNH and Iowa State.
Our fun fact of the day is that four of the Auburn gymnasts are adopted. Katie Becker is from Russia. Valentina is like, “WHO? WHERE?”
NLC: Lukacs (Georgia) has a total WOGAtchev and struggles through a pak – not her cleanest apparatus –
Auburn: Becker – FX – bounces back on double tuck and double pike, solid shapes just the slide – will get hit for a tight split – 1.5 to a straight layout –
NLC: Rivers (LSU) nice potential on bars, has the toes and the vertical position, some errors here, but I’d put that in the NCAA potential file.
Missouri: Tucker – BB – whether that was a layout or a pike I don’t know but it was nailed – standing loso – hop back on 2/1 but should still be an excellent score.
NLC: Andrea Li (Cal) – ENDO FOREVER – TOE POINT FOREVER – does a SHap 1/2 in her JO routine – “not quite the difficulty that her sister Anna had.” THAT’S your takeaway, Nastia? Justin and Liz are toasting that one.
Auburn: Day – FX – large lunge back on double pike –
Missouri: Albritten – BB – aerial to bhs series, switch to split to sissone, not the most extended but comfortable enough – step gainer full.
Auburn: Scaglione – FX – “What people don’t realize” – pretty front double full to punch front, front layout to front full – sliding/lunging on both passes but proper twisting shape. How many times are we going to talk about her STRUGGLES WITH PERSONALITY – double tuck, small correction step – nice.
Missouri: Schugel – BB – falls on loso series, took it RIGHT to the end of the beam
Bridget, it’s OK to critique! Not everything is great.
Auburn: Slappey – FX – nails double pike, excellent – switch 1/2 is solid, not quite horizontal on split – front layout to rudi – deep on double tuck landing with a lunge back.
Missouri: Kelly – BB – aerial to back handspring, useful – straddle jump with a check into sheep jump, questionable connection – hop on gainer full.
NLC: Wilson (Michigan) just did a huge DTY, so much distance –
Auburn: Hlawek – FX – gorgeous twisting shape and complex first combo pass – nails double tuck as well – hits her split positions – front full to front layout, also nails the landing, could be higher on that combo but really an excellent routine, quite pretty.
Ward hits beam for Missouri so they’ll be able to drop that fall and get a huge beam score. She gets another 9.950. When did this 9.950 thing for her beam start?
Auburn: Rott – FX – excellent shape in DLO, slide back – front lay to half to layout to stag, pretty shapes, does travel on it, but I love watching that pass – large slide back on double pike. If only she could get the passes under control because there’s nothing to take for form.
After 3: Missouri 147.825, Auburn 146.650
Time for Utah and Stanford now.
NLC: Lukacs has a check on a kickover front on beam. Georgia has actually figured out beam this year, which denies me the opportunity to say GET TO GEORGIA RIGHT NOW. I mean, still though.
Intros at Utah. There’s a bird. Everyone’s smiling. The usual.
Baely Rowe is already crying. Don’t worry about it. She is literally wearing a Michael Jackson glove, you guys.
“She’s ready to moonwalk one last time.” Why is this making me laugh so hard. Also really thought they were just going to make her moonwalk just everywhere tonight.
What if Baely Rowe fell on the moonwalk tonight? Also, that’s basically the worst part of all four of her routines. But I guess you can’t wear a “completely vertical finish on a giant full on bars” so there’s this instead…
Oh this takes me back. It’s been a couple years since I’ve actually watched the Utah intro rigamarole. We don’t have to now with the P12 Network. It used to be every week.
NLC: The Michigan gymnasts are really stealing the show – Heiskell and Wojcik are super clean gymnastics.
Baely Rowe just stuck a full that’s probably the best one she has ever done.
N McNair just a hop back on a tuck full.
Lee – VT – Utah – small slide back on a full and then another step back on salute, but a good one – high.
Yu – UB – shap to bail, pretty solid legs togehter – close on her shoot to high – a couple iffy handstands – stick a double tuck.
Merrell – VT – bound forward on her 1.5 this time, but better control than sometimes. Loses her knees and then a one-tenth bound, so I could still see this going 9.850.
D McNair – UB – catcher her jaeger comfortably – a little late on a half turn in there but otherwise not too much to take – near-stick on DLO with a slide. Solid.
Lewis – VT – shoulder-sized step back on her full but stays extended throughout and opens a little at the end.
Daum – UB – legs on bail but better than sometimes – close on tkatchec catch but good height – one borderline handstand – hop back on double arabian dismount – she is figuring out this routine.
Skinner – VT – one of her better DTY landings, smaller hop back this time – could just take 0.050 on that landing instead of the full tenth. You can also take for piking at the end but I doubt they will because DTY.
Maxwell – UB – short opening handstand, strong position on the bail – really just the handstands to take, there’s not much other content in the routine – sticks double tuck.
McNatt – VT – Omelianchik – MUCH better than last week – small hop forward, they’ll also take for tucking at the end.
Price – UB – good first hs – Shap to clear hip, solied – Chech to bail, nails vertical, excellent – hitting handstands – small slide back on the DLO this time, but otherwise it’s her usual crisply vertical routine. It goes 9.950, which will be very frustrating to her because she didn’t stick and that’s what she usually gets for a stick.
After 1: Utah 49.425, Stanford 49.125
Improvement on the landings from Utah is the story of the first rotation. That was a step toward postseason level with fewer and smaller bounces than we’ve seen in recent meets.
Final: Missouri 197.200., Auburn 195.400
No joy for Auburn there.
Rotation 2:
Daum is vaulting – hop back on a full –
Merrell – UB – toe to Deltchev, solid a little crazy in form at the very end – pikes a little to catch her bail – double tuck with a step.
Cole – VT – comes in short on a full as she does sometimes, lunge forward, and then off line.
Reinstadtler – UB – toe half a little late to jaeger, nice toes – small leg break in bail – hitting cast handstands accurately – over flips her tuck full dismount with a step back.
H Hoffman – VT – large bounce back on full
Skinner – UB – toe shap with legs to bail, good vertical on bail – arches final cast handstand, minor arch – toe on to tuck full, stuck but a little deep. 9.950. Oh, to have a famous name.
D McNair – VT – hop back on full – good layout position but a little flatter off the table than some others.
Lee – UB – half turn, right vertical – to piked jaeger, a little feet but comfortable catch – nice toes – oooof, lands her tuck full very deep with a lunge forward this time. Shame. Still 9.775.
Yu – VT – holds the stick on her full with a lean – good distance – some piking at the end – best of the rotation so far.
Lewis – UB – full a little late this time but not too bad – tkatchev – vertical on the bail – step back on DLO and a couple cast handstands were a little arch-flopped. It should be a straight body position up to vertical, not an arch.
Price – VT – gorgeous full, stuck, excellent – great amplitude, nailed landing. We’ll see if they take a little for piking to see if it goes 9.900 or 9.950. One of each. 9.925.
Rowe – UB – starts with a dead hang but works up to handstand well – good giant full – a little hip angle in the bail – hitting her casts – hop back on DLO. Good set. Not her strongest. Not the 10 they were trying to give her.
49.300 for Utah on bars. It’s a fine score but not really the rotation they were hoping for in the landing department. Only one stick, from Skinner, and that was kind of deeper, especially from this above angle.
Also, Skinner and Price got the same score on bars. The end.
After 2: Utah 98.725, Stanford 98.250
Isn’t it nice to have Price in these lineups? She is accounting for Stanford being over 196 pace, and they will take that. The performance isn’t challenging Utah, but if they stay on this pace, it will be their best showing of the season.
In NLC town, Kai Rivers (LSU) is going to take this unless Wojcik (Michigan) gets a score on bars that they haven’t been giving out today.
Rotation 3:
Stover – BB – nearly overturns her full turn but fine – aerial to bhs, slow in connection, no errors on individual skills – check on switch split, will have to redo a leap series – does straddle to straddle 1/4 – split ring jump – sticks gainer full – a couple checks in there, so not her cleanest but good.
H Hoffman – FX – bounce back out of double tuck – front layout front full, keeps that back foot down in lunging out of it – rudi, fine – not the most amplitude, some knee form in passes but no major issues. Bounce back on first pass was the biggest thing.
Merrell – BB – switch to split, short of 180 on the split this time – two bhs to loso series and falls – angled on the skill and never had a chance – that was very 2016 of her, she had been much more comfortable on her beam acro this season – step on 2/1.
Cole – FX – 2.5 to front, very good this time, controls landing well – that straddle jump – secure double tuck as well – switch ring to split full, pretty useful positions – just comes in short on the front pike on her last pass with a step back, but probably her best until that final pass.
Reinstadtler – BB – aerial to bhs, well extended – switch to straddle 1/4, fine – she could be quicker in combination but the execution is superb – check on a full turn, dear – hop back on gainer full. Good for her to hit after all fall. There’s about one skill in this routine, but she gets her bonus.
N Hoffman – FX – back in the floor lineup – double back opening pass, chest down and a lunge to the side – hits her dance elements well enough – 1.5 to front tuck that got one inch off the ground but she pulled it to her feet somehow – it won’t be a big score, largely because of lack of amplitude, but it gives them a routine.
Skinner – BB – secure loso series, legs – side aerial to split combo, no trouble there – switch to split, short on the split jump – L turn, secure, drops a little early but it will be fine – straddle jump to back tuck, large check and a total swim but turns her swim correction into silly wavy choreography – that’s legit the most I’ve ever liked Skinner – double tuck, short with a lunge forward. Not a strong routine but bonus personality points for the wave-save. One judge still gave 9.800 you guys. Basically not even mathematically possible. 9.750.
Daum – FX – solid double back to start – 1.5 to layout – shortish on the switch ring but her tumbling is the most comfortable and controlled of the lineup so far, and she’ll be rewarded for that. Not the biggest acro but proficient.
Lee – BB – Smooth full turn – bhs loso, extended, crisp – switch to straddle 1/4, secure – beat jump to a CRAZY short side aerial that she kept on the beam somehow, probably because she’s a witch – sticks 2/1. Still basically shocked she kept that side aerial on the beam. She had no business not falling. Great save.
Price – FX – finishes double tuck 158 hours early – front lay front full, perhaps a slide forward out of that one – hits straddles easily – bounce back on double pike – getting there, not yet ideal control on tumbling passes.
Rowe – BB – switch to straddle 1/4, can take for lack of split – bhs bhs loso series with a check, lean to the side – hop on 1.5. Good one, but checks. She’s basically having a crying nervous breakdown about it. Because senior things. Girl, you still have to do floor.
49.100 for Utah on beam. With a fall and some rather significant errors, they’ll take it and run. Stanford shows five on floor, because Stanford, but it’s a 49.075 (over 49!) because of the Price 9.950. Can we just throw Price into the beam lineup this week to get her a giant AA score? No?
After 3: Utah 147.825, Stanford 147.325
Rotation 4:
Fitzgerald – BB – makes a meal of that full turn, but no trouble – hitch kick to front aerial to two feet – does well to save witha hop forward instead of a wobble – beat to split jump 3/4 – aerial to bhs as her series, small lean in combination that apparently no one cares about – sticks 1.5.
Roberts – FX – small slide on double pike, chest down but not too much – front lay to rudi, great rise into that rudi, that’s how combo passes should look – wolf position less so – 1.5 to half to stag. Good start.
Cole – BB – hits loso series, some knees – switch switch series, excellent extension – aerial to beat jump – check on full turn – 2/1, pretty big bounce back out of that one.
Reinstadtler – FX – bounce up in place on double tuck – excellent position on switch ring and split leap 1/1, hopefully that gets rewarded – 1.5 to layout – secure double pike landing. Expect a big score for that one.
Yu – BB – solid loso series – great height and 180 on switch 1/2, but a check landing it – full turn – split to wolf, amplitude on dance elements is a highlight in this one – side aerial to full, hop in place.
Lewis – FX – bouncy on the double pike landing but not too bad – I’m fine that they’ve scrapped the E pass for her, the double pike is better – front lay to front full, good control on landing, a little arched in that first front lay – chest down double tuck but solid. 9.900 for her.
The problem with rising scores isn’t the one for Reinstadtler, it was a great routine, but that it sets the bar high so that they feel they have to go high for Lewis as well, even though her routine was not as good.
Daum – BB – judging discussion – Yu did not get a 10.0 start – hits loso series – comes in short on aerial with a check to save it – split to sheep – step back 1.5 but a good hit.
Merrell – FX – bounce back on piked full in and goes OOB, looked close but the flag went up – switch ring, front leg a little down on that once she hits the ring – 2.5 to front tuck, crossed legs in twist but controlled landing – rudi to straddle – they’ll want to drop because of the OOB.
D McNair – BB – loso series, maybe a little slide back but fine – full turn – switch 1/2 – side aerial, arm adjustment but not even a check – switch and straddle, excellent – sticks gainer pike.
Skinner – FX – They’re putting Skinner fifth to get Rowe a 10 on senior night, but I actually don’t mind that strategy at all for normal meets as well – good control on double double, chest down – hits her 180 on split leap 1.5 – 1.5 to 2/1, good, piking at the end of the 2/1 – full in with a small slide back. Will be a huge score, though. And…it’s a 10. For that one. Of all the ones. She legit slid back on her last pass.
Tai – BB – did the rare, back handspring, back handspring, layout stepout dismount? Fell, got no part of her body on the beam on that layout stepout. Stanford will count Yu’s lower score but it’s still a 196+ total, which they’ll take.
Rowe – FX – Crying before she starts – hop back on double pike but fine – back 2/1 to loso, crossed legs but good extension and height in loso – 1.5 to layout with a lunge forward. Impressive to hit a floor routine while in tears throughout. 9.975. Well no. The 10 judge just wanted to give her a 10 regardless of routine. No. The problem is when judges try to create storylines or insert themselves into proceedings. That’s not your job. Just say what you see.
Final: Utah 197.500, Stanford 196.275
Fine, OK meet for Utah. Improvements on vault most of all. Floor was strong. They won’t be pleased with the bars landings or the beam performance, though.
Stanford breaks 196 as well, encouragingly with a showing that was not peak performance on beam and didn’t have full use of McNairs.
In other news, Southern Utah just got a 197.
Also NC State got a 191. Yikes. NC State developed a severe case of the Arkansas so quickly I didn’t even notice.
Of note in the in-progress weekly rankings, Utah temporarily moves into 4th. UCLA takes the spot back with a 197.100 tomorrow. Missouri goes up to 14th on the back of that 197, and SUU moves to 19th with its own. It’s really all about the road scores for SUU. Those home scores are gigantic. West Virginia goes to 23rd, and Stanford soars up to 26th, which is almost like a real ranking.