Friday, January 5	Scores	Stream
5:30 ET/2:30 PT – [4] Alabama @ [7] Michigan	LINK	ESPNU
6:00 ET/3:00 PT – Bowling Green @ Michigan State	LINK	BTN+ FLO
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – [2] Florida @ West Virginia	LINK	FREE
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – [21] George Washington, Ball State, SEMO @ [10] Kentucky	LINK	SECN+
8:30 ET/5:30 PT – [19] Arkansas @ [3] LSU	LINK	SECN
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – BYU @ [5] Utah	LINK	P12N

It’s a relatively small opening day compared to some of the Fridays we have in our future, but one that should be nonetheless packed with juiciness (and five of the top ten teams). Settle in.

And if just glancing in, be sure to check out the final scores of the week, where all the results, event winners, and weekly leaders will be recorded for posterity.

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#4 Alabama @ #7 Michigan

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It’s the end of an era. No more “beaverlog.”

Michigan’s vault lineup will be Funk, Shchennikova, Townsend, Zaziski, Kara, McLean.

Rotation 1- Michigan vault, Alabama bars

Funk – VT – near stick on a yfull, some piking, solid beginning. 9.725.

Childers – UB – short first cast handstands – shap with some legs – angle on the bail handstand posittion – late giant 1/2 to half turn into double tuck dismount. OK but things to take. 9.725.

Alabama listed 5 on bars on twitter but they just left out Mahoney.

Polina – VT – another solid full – not the height, hop back, a little piking also. 9.775.

Mahoney – UB – good first hs – toe on + toe shap – FALL – did not have the height on that skill and couldn’t grasp.  Resumes with solid bail – short final hs – big ftdt dismount, small hop to the side and then a salute step. 9.050.

Townsend – VT – FALL – shame, it was such a pretty 1.5 in the air, great shape, will be great, but then hands down. 9.225.

Guerra – UB – Jaeger, hit – angle on some handstands, some legs on the bail – short final hs – pretty DLO with small step back. Solid. Injured her ankle in Dec 31. 9.800.

Zaziski – VT – full, best of the lineup so far – small movement back on landing, best height, some piking, not the biggest distance in the world. 9.825.

Loeb – UB – competing!!! – Shap, no swing back but fine legs – some short hs, leg separations on bail, short final hs – basically sticks the DLO. Nice. Much better than the training routines we’ve seen from her over the years.

Karas – VT – giant 1.5 – a little off to the side, and a one-tenth lunge forward. Nice. 9.825.

Dickson – UB – a little short on bail handstand (a theme) – OK handstand up to high – tkatchev, very high – sticks ftdt dismount. Best of the lineup for Alabama. 9.900.

McLean – VT – strong Y1.5 – smaller step forward than for Karas, some mushy knees at the end. 9.875.

Winston – UB – toe to toe shap, nice enough – Pak is gorgeous as always – lovely DLO with just a small bounce in place. They’ve added the Shap for this season, it’s fine. I’d like to see a little more backswing after catch, but overall OK. 9.925.

After 1: Alabama 49.150, Michigan 49.025.

A very first-meet rotation. Scores a little tighter on vault than on bars early on (but accurate). Willing to go into the 9.9s on bars. Alabama started roughly, having to put in some people who won’t be in the final lineup, but Loeb got through her set, and then Dickson and Winston got big numbers to put Alabama ahead.

Michigan showed the three 1.5s but had the fall from Townsend on a score they’ll need this season. Looks like those first few fulls got hit for piking.

Bart and Kathy highlighting Bev being on Alabama’s team in 1983 before transferring to WVU. I looked for video of Bev Fry for the coaches video post, but no luck.

Rotation 2 – Alabama on vault, Michigan on bars

Childers – VT – lands a little too short on that full, step forward, not her best. 9.650

Townsend – UB – nice first hs – pretty shap, good swing – very clean into bail – hitting handstands – good finish on giant full, into double tuck, stuck. Quite lovely opening routine. Should score well based on precedent.

Desch – VT – just a full this time – a little flatter than her usual vaults – nice shape (less piking than a lot we’ve seen), not much amplitude – good control on landing. 9.775.

McLean – UB – a little rushed in first hs – nice finish on giant full – big tkatchev to overshoot – hitting hs – a little late on final giant full, then double tuck dismount, down with a large lunge forward. Started well, but will get hit for the dismount. 9.725.

Mahoney – VT – best full of the meet so far – good amplitude, keeps extended – a bounce – gets her distance.

Polina – UB – toe Shap to pak, clean enough, very small separations – giant full into double tuck, her double tuck is the highest and cleanest of the three. Small slide. 9.875.

Graber – VT – goes for the 1.5 and hits it – a lock-legged landing a bit but fine, takes a step back – good for Alabama that this vault has come along.

Karas – UB – toe shap to bail – pretty clean, just rushed that bail position a little too much – hitting handstands well – DLO, a little whippy, small step back. Solid. Will help the mission to drop the McLean score.

Armbrecht – VT – huge bounce back out of her full and then another step back to control it – has the dynamics, but that landing with hurt the score quite a bit. 9.725.

Brown – UB – Ray , solid – toe to Pak, very clean – nice hs position on 1/2 turn – muscles up final hs a little – DLO, hop forward. Another good hit.

Guerrero – VT – strong 1.5 – good control on landing with just a hop in place – some mushy knees particularly right off the table.

Zaziski – UB – WHOA, weird. Missed her hand placement on a giant full and had to come off – FALL – very strange mistake, unusual for her – Starts the routine again, loses her body again on the giant full but still connects to huge tkatchev – bail clean – stuck DLO. She’ll get back, but that was odd. They’ll have to count the 9.725 now.

After 2: Michigan 98.250, Alabama 98.175

Michigan moves ahead after the second rotation, which is correct. Michigan was stronger in that rotation and Alabama really only got saved by Guerrero’s 1.5. Some weaker fulls in that rotation, especially at the beginning. Michigan would have hoped for a bigger lead, but the fall from Zaziski took that away. Still, 49.225 with a fall in the first meet is a nice score. Townsend’s was actually the best routine of that rotation and would have gone 9.9 in a later position, but the judges were worried about going too high too early, which I hate but understand.

This is the meet of depression. Mack Brannan’s brother and Bev’s husband? Oh don’t mind just crying through this whole meet.

Rotation 3 – Michigan on beam, Alabama on floor

Karas – BB – giant loso, small check – split jump, nice position in jump series – loso series, leg-up wobble – full turn, clean – punch front lay 1.5 dismount, stuck. Strong enough opening. Kathy doesn’t like the split jump position. I was OK with it. 9.725.

Childers – FX – starts with a little “is my music broken?” skit – full in first pass, a little crunched down on landing but control – 2/1 second pass, stuck landing but leg form – hits leap combo – rudi to back tuck combo, not sure if it was supposed to be tucked, leg shape on rudi also. Struggled with endurance there it appeared. 9.750.

Looks like beam is going to follow vault and floor follow bars with the strictness of scoring.

Zaziski – BB – switch side, a little crooked – secure loso series – switch to straddle 1/4, hit well – kickover front hit – wobble on a moon walk – THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MOON WALK – step on gainer full. Moon walk will be the biggest deduction. Oh Paige. 9.700.

Desch – FX – double pike, lands just a touch forward with a small hop – 1.5 to 1/2 to switch jump to front tuck, very nice, pretty – switch ring to split leap 1/1, hits her positions – double tuck, secure landing, didn’t quite absorb it as she could but fine set. 9.725. (I thought that was stronger than Childers.)

Funk – BB – clean loso series, pretty and high – switch side 1/4, nice! – split jump to back pike, small adjustment – beat jump to straddle 1/1, not holding back on the dance elements and hitting them – punch rudi dismount, small step. Good. 9.825.

Armbrecht – FX – high double pike, slide back though. Switch side to popa, hit – 1.5 to layout, just a touched arched on the layout but not too bad – rudi, bounces back again, will get hit for lack of control on passes. 9.775.

Brown – BB – aerial to beat jump, lovely – loso series, secure and extended – switch to split, hits those 180 positions – side somi, hit – no checks at all so far – full turn – high and well-performed 2/1 but a noticeable hop back. Strong also. 9.850.

Mahoney – FX – double pike, a bit too large on the step back but does stay in bounds – front full to front tuck middle pass, not much set there – a highlight so far in the Alabama floor rotation has been the leaps, they’re showing the 180s – double tuck final pass, knee down, also was huffing and puffing before that pass. 8.800.

We’ll be talking endurance about Alabama after this meet. It isn’t there yet.

Farley – BB – short back leg on that opening switch leap – bhs loso series and FALL – intended a loso+loso series, bailed out of it – PRETTY 1.5 turn, very well controlled – side aerial to split, nice – gainer pike with a large hop forward. 9.150.

Guerrero – FX – double pike, small slide back – Kathy just said “sassitude” so I’m good – strong amplitude on leaps, lets her complete the splits – 1.5 to front full, quite nice position, just a touch short with a step back, not significant. It also sounds like Kathy is saying “assitude.” Rudi, fine. Hit. 9.750

Marinez – BB – aerial, lovely, does well to cover up what might have been a wobble with a leg wave – high and extended loso series – cat leap + side aerial, throws arms up to avoid a check – beat jump to split 1/2, hit – 2/1 dismount, small bounce. 9.875.

Winston – FX – solid double pike, smallest adjustment – split leap 1/1, very well hit – front lay to front full, fine – double tuck, short with a lunge forward. 9.775.

Polina is doing beam exhibition in the background.

After 3: Michigan 147.225, Alabama 146.950

Michigan extends the lead after the third rotation with a beam group that showed some real excellence (Marinez, Brown, Funk were lovely) and a few issues (Farley falls on her debut, Zaziski being all Zaziski). I did think Karas was stronger than 9.725, though. A bit disappointing from Alabama on floor, looking underprepared. Childers threw an E pass, then five double pikes after that, some obvious mouth-open heavy breathing before final passes indication some endurance questions. They got through, but look for improvements as the weeks go on.

Rotation 4 – Alabama on beam, Michigan on floor

Childers – BB – check working out of the loso series, some feet – pulls aorund the full turn – split to sheep, mushy back leg on split but hit – kickover front to one leg, small hesitation on the scale but lovely – 2/1, hop back, legs crossed. 9.700.

Funk – FX – front 2/1 with a Shawn Johnson pee-pee step – front full front lay, clean easily finished – very deep double pike, just saved it but knee comes close to coming down with a lunge. 9.625

Desch – BB – aerial to beat jump, fine – loso series, check and then a bend at the hips – full turn – switch leap, large wobble with a lean – redoes switch leap to split jump to get her combo, but we have two wobble errors going now – bhs bhs 1.5 dismount, near stick, slide with one foot. 9.625.

Zaziski – FX – double pike, solid – high jumps – front lay to 1/2 turn front tuck? Intended? I hope not? More endurance probs? Gets her double tuck around, slide back. 9.675

Key – BB – The debut! switch leap, unconnected, lovely toes though – switch 1/2 with a wobble – Completely off on her loso series attempt – FALL – just throws herself off the beam because FML. Side aerial good – 1.5, stuck. Well crap.

Kathy is telling us about Bailie’s elite PTSD.

Marinez – FX – whip-rudi opening with a bounce – 2.5 second pass, just slides a little with that back leg – double pike dismount, short with a large lunge forward and splayed legs in the double pike. 9.675.

They can’t figure out Bailie’s start because she had basically no requirements fulfilled in that routine. She broke every connection. 8.475 for Bailie.

Graber – BB – bhs to lay-pike combo, secure – switch to straddle 3/4, hits her splits and comfortably landed. Kickover front to scale, no hesitation there. This is quite nice. 2/1 dismount with a step. Pretty. And well done for her first routine coming after a fall. That will be very :silver lining of this meet” afterward. 9.875.

Brown – FX – Opens with a 2.5, just does keep in under control enough to stay in bounds – double pike, comfortable – a little bouncy on her leap combination but appears to hit the positions – 1.5 to layout with an arch. Well, she got through her passes without series error, so that’s a step up. 9.800.

Winston – BB – amazing split to straddle 1/2, so high and extended – aerial to bhs, a little slow but fine – smooth full turn – double tuck, love that she goes for it but a bounce back that will be a tenth and take away the score. 9.900 even with that dismount.

Karas – FX – strong double Arabian, and can’t much see the cowboy from this angle either, secure – front lay front full, fine – high double pike and controlled. Thank you, Olivia Karas, for being the first person who was ready to compete floor in this meet. 9.925.

The judges found their crack. I was worried.

Guerrero – BB – loso loso series – grabs the beam! Stays on but a major error. Very uncharacteristic. Looked tentative before she even started it. 1.5 with a hop forward. 9.625.

McLean – FX – double tuck with step back, stay in bounds – great height in leap combination – front lay to front full, high, controlled, solid – double pike, a little forward with a lunge but not too bad.

Well, if you wanted to do a first meet…that certainly was one.

FINAL: Michigan 196.200, Alabama 195.675

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#2 Florida @ West Virginia

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Also checking in on the Kentucky quad, Davis with a hop in place on a full for Kentucky.

Bernard – WV – VT – Y1/2, large bound forward.

Boren – UB – She is making this lineup – tkatchev, her normal – clear hip to bail, solid, a little arch in the back but hit vertical – nice final cast – DLO with hop in place. Strong start. 9.900. Here we go, guys.

Korth – VT – Kentucky – 1.5 with a bounce forward this time, some crossed legs, OK, not her strongest.

Tun – VT – WVU – Y tucked full, step back.

Foberg – UB – debut time – nice Pak, some legs but small – hits her SHap to inbar Gienger, just a touch of legs again – ftdt dismount with a larger lunge forward – nice potential though. 9.775.

Gowey – UB – short first hs – Ray, solid, a tad close perhaps – Pak is gorgeous – half turn on low – tight final hs – DLO, hop forward. 9.775.

Kentucky went 48.975 on vault.

Muhammad – VT – WVU – excellent height on full, hop back.

[Correction] Exhibition bars for Warhol – UB – George Washington – clear hip to giant Gienger but comes too close to the bar and can’t catch. Near knee down on the dismount as well.

Baker – UB – misses her toe on and has to recast. Misses her toe on again and comes off. Kennedy! What is this? She gets back up – takes some swings, tries her toe on and steps off. And she’s just going to salute. Well, that’s the worst thing that’s ever happened.

Koshinski sticks a 1.5 on vault. Quite nice. Just some knees but not a lot to take there.

It’s LITERALLY a 2.000 for Kennedy Baker.

Hundley – UB – good first hs – Shap to Pak, clean, just those lower legs apart but minor – Shap 1/2, a little sluggish this time with a leg break but not horrid – sticks ftdt. Good. 9.850.

I’m a little miffed we’re not seeing Baumann on bars yet.

McMurtry – UB – Ray, usual, huge but that bit of piking that she tends to hone out throughout the season – clean bail – tight a little on final hs this time – the usual stick on the ftdt. 9.925.

Florida goes 49.225 on bars despite the end of the world during Baker’s routine.

Judges split on Hundley was 9.950/9.750. Huh? Going by individual scores, Judge 1 would have had Florida at 49.350, Judge 2 at 49.100.

You know you’re not in an SEC/Pac-12 home arena when Koshinski gets 9.850 for that vault. Would have been 9.900 at most, 9.950 at some.

Rotation 2, Florida to vault, WVU to bars.

Skaggs – VT – we get to see the debut vault for her – Trainer working on Baker’s leg in the background. Just the full today. Working the 1.5. Legs apart on block – controlled landing, just a hop in place. 9.750.

Bernard for WVU hits Jaeger, some legs breaks and short hs, the usual – stick-salute on double tuck, a little flat.

Foberg – VT – quite nice on the full. Good height, better legs than Skaggs, small hop. 9.825.

WVU commentators don’t know the SV of a Yurchenko full, so that’s cool.

Nice toe point from Tun on her Jaeger but loses her legs completely on overshoot. Pretty DLO as well.

Alexander – VT – large lunge back – replacing Baker. Won’t get a score with that landing. 9.625

Commentators confusing Alexander and Boren, so that’s fun. Still haven’t noticed. Cool.

Boren _ VT – somewhat crazy landing on her nonetheless huge Y1.5. But, a hop forward and then another step to salute, also some knees that can be taken. Not her strongest.

Slocum – VT – handspring pike 1/2, lands quite low and a large hop forward and to the side. Probably her weakest vault for Florida in her career. Very first-meet from Florida as well in a lot of what’s happening. 9.550. Strange to see from her. They’ll have to count the Alexander score.

McMurtry – VT – Goes with just the full this time, at this point in the year, perfection in the air obviously, hop in place.

Ella Warren, Kentucky’s new January surprise, is prepping to go on bars now.

48.950 on vault for Florida. That must be Florida’s lowest vault score in years.

“Alex McMurtry went 9.900, which is the equivalent to a 10.” WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ABOUT???

Warren – UB – UK – pretty toe point in Jaeger – hit bail – pretty close on most hs, potential and smooth – double layout dismount, has to pike it too much and a hop forward.

Rechenmacher sticks stalder to double tuck on bars.

Alaina Kwan is making her debut on bars for Kentucky.

Kwan – UB – short first hs – hafl turn to Jaeger, high to overshoot, solid – just a couple hs in there – full to double tuck, small slide back. Nice start to her bars season.

Korth – UB – tight first hs – goes too far on her piked jaeger and falls. Lovely skill in the air, too lovely, too far to catch. Resumes, hits her DLO 1/1 dismount with small hop.

Koshinski – BB – WVU – loso series with a check – full turn – wolf to loso, hit, knees – switch side, crooked – 1.5 with step forward.

Winstanley – BB – GW – large pause before her aerial and falls –

Hundley – FX – whip double tuck is back from last season, solid – 1.5 to layout, fine – finishes double pike, way short and hands down. FALL.

Nice kickover front from Kaufman on beam. Crazy knees on loso series but hits it – switch to straddle 1/4, back leg a little low on switch – 2/1 dismount, small slide back.

Baumann – FX – first routine of her career – opens with a big double tuck – very high and landed under control – 1.5 to front full second pass, well done – switch 1/2, actually rushed it a little it appeared because we know she has the leaps – what is this music? – Is it just bad audio on the broadcast? Or is her floor music the birth of a sea monster inside the Foot Clan’s lair? Short double pike with lunge forward. FINAL PASSES.

Gillette hits loso series, small lean adustment – switch, very short back leg – loso, some legs – 1.5 dismount.

Foberg – FX – full-in, very big, lunge back but stays in bounds – front full to front pike, easy for her – switch 1/2 to wolf full, would like to see the switch 1/2 a little higher – sticks double tuck. Strong. That will score well. 9.825.

Linnen has some nice extension for WVU on beam. Quite good option for the future.

GW has misses on three beam routines.

Slocum – FX – DLO, comes in short with a lunge forward – front full to front pike, solid – rudi finish, a little ragged in the legs in there. 9.825? Inconsistent with other scores.

Muhammad on beam – standing back pike with a balance check – redoes it because she needs to connect into a back tuck which is crazy risky to have as an acro series – check on full turn – beat to straddle 1/2, great height on straddle 1/2 – side aerial to stuck full. Good second 1/2.

Apparently up next on floor is “Elise-Alyssa Boren.”

Boren – FX – excellent DLO to start – overcooks her middle pass a tad, lunge forward – split full to wolf full, somewhat indistinct in landing position there. big double tuck, great control on landing. 9.925. Best landings and endurance on Florida’s squad so far.

Gowey – FX – (presumably she’s filling in for Baker rather than anchoring this year now) – double pike, quite smooth – 1.5 to front tuck, way over flipped on the 1.5 and sits down the front tuck. Florida counting a fall on floor.

Korth – BB – UK – one-arm bhs to loso, very confident and secure – switch to back tuck, comfortable.

This is Florida’s weakest meet in a LONG time.

FINAL: Bowling Green 194.000, Michigan State 193.350

Alaina Kwan with a fall on her beam routine for Kentucky.

Dukes – BB – UK – very smooth and pretty loso series –

Florida set on beam for the final rotation.

Hundley – BB – aerial to sissone, controls it – hold her loso series, somewhat flat but usual – switch side, keeps it pretty horizontal – full turn – 1.5, stuck. Sturdy Amelia. 9.725. Got hit for amplitude and extension there, not wobbles.

Hyland – BB – UK – switch to split, well hit – aerial, clean – secure bhs, los – full turn – quite a confident and extended routine – side aerial to full, small slide. Will be a strong score.

Foberg – BB – wolf turn – cool to see that she got in the AA for the first meet – bhs loso series, bend at the hips – switch to sheep, check – but credit for doing a real sheep jump executed correctly – aerial, another lean correction – side aerial to full, bounce back. Tight first beam routine. 9.700.

Kentucky exhibition on beam just completely missed her hands on a back handspring on beam and went straight down, looks fine though.

Boren – BB – kickover front, very solid – secure loso series – switch to straddle – gainer loso, arm wave to avoid a check – gainer full.

I’m obsessed with Muhammad’s cover of the lunge on that final pass – just running. I’m running.

Gowey – BB – pretty on the series – aerial to lovely sissone – full turn – gainer full, small step.

We’re also getting started with LSU and Arkansas.

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#19 Arkansas @ #3 LSU

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Rotation 1: LSU on vault, Arkansas on bars

Macadaeg – VT – very clean full int he air but a large lunge back. She can stick, will have wanted more control. 9.825.

Yamzon – UB – opens with a Tkatchev, a little too flat but fine – finishes DLO 1/1, hop back.

Baumann – BB – the one we’ve been waiting for – lovely loso series – aerial to sissone, perfection – sticks 1.5. That was casually excellent.

Priessman – VT – she’s aliiiiiiive – sticks a full. Nice. Not the most distance we’ll see, but well done. 9.900-

Laird – UB – Ray opens – bail, some angle on the vertical – nice high DLO, small slide, but quite good.

Edwards – VT – huge 1.5, a little hitch in her landing with an “I stepped on a bug” landing, a stagger and a couple small steps. Still good int he air. 9.825.

I love that we thought the first two vaults were 9.750, 9.825 for LSU but they were actually 9.825 and 9.900. Because we’re at LSU after all.

I could watch Garner’s Gienger all day long.

Cannamela – VT – clean full, slide back, but solid. 9.825.

Shaffer – UB – Fall on her Shap. And then has to resume for her bail and comes off again.

Finnegan – VT – pretty full, stuck, just off line but not too much else to take from that, a little lean to hold the stick. 9.875.

FINAL: Florida 195.900, WVU 194.425.

No Edney on vault today.

Wellick – UB – Shap to bail, solid, just a little angle on that bail – a touch tight on her handstands getting out there again – double front dismount, hop forward but not one of her scary double fronts. 9.850.

Hambrick – VT – Fall on 1.5. Sits it just like in the 101.

Speed – UB – toe 1/2 to jaeger, a little crooked but not bad – bail, clean – tight final hs – giant full to double tuck, small slide. Fine start, very countable. She’ll work into it as the season goes.

It’s a 49.175 for LSU on vault. Fine but not the score we expect for LSU’s vaulting. They were without Edney, as well as Harrold, who was strurggling in the warmup, and then Hambrick fell on her 1.5. Not an ideal start.

After 1: LSU 49.175, Arkansas 48.650

Rotation 2, Arkansas on vault, LSU on bars

Yamzon – VT – large bound back out of her full. 9.700.

Alicia is upgrading everyone to 1.5s.

Durante – UB – nice first hs – 1/2 turn to Jaeger, high – hitting hs – clean pak – ftdt, small hop and then another step salute. Good start. 9.875.

Rathjen – VT – full, pulls it around, hop back, not much distance but not as short as she was last season. 9.675.

Hambrick – UB – Ray solid – full tor bail, a little late on full but very nice shape and vertical on bail – ftdt dismount, stuck. Very good. 9.925

Shaffer – VT – nice shape on the Y1/2 in the air, but she bounded into the next step on the landing.

Harrold – UB – zuccold is solid – high jaeger – loses her legson her giant full, but does stick her double front this time, which was strong, nearly stuck. Probably her best bars at LSU. Getting rid of the Shap 1/2 will help those scores. 9.875.

McGlone – VT – nice stick on the full. Will get hit for direction, maybe a little pike, but not much else.

Edney – UB – rolled ankle, limited to bars – Hindorff hit – clean bail – two short handstands – sticks DLO. Good landings for LSU today, and it will show in the scores. 9.950.

Wellick – VT – good full, small hop back. She’s back and it feels good.

Priessman – UB – tkatchev to pak, legs on Pak but not as bad – full turn on low – hits final cast handstand – DLO hop back. Good. 9.900.

Speed – VT – sticks full – solid – good height, opens out –

Finnegan – UB – Ray, strong – toe on, secure s the bail on the low bar – perfectly vertical – sticks DLO. Quite pretty.

Strong bars rotation for LSU. Scores went high, but high by about a half tenth in each case. They got the benefit of those sticks.

So, it’s a 49.6 for LSU on bars. In the first meet.

Utah and BYU also getting underway right now. Macey Roberts starts for Utah with large bounce back on otherwise clean full. 9.750.

Reinstadtler – VT – nice and clean on full, another significant hop back, off to the side a bit. 9.825.

Lewis – VT – very good full, basically sticks, maybe steps back a little too early. One of her strongest vaults. 9.900.

Macadaeg – BB – LSU – switch and switch 1/2, great as usual – aerial – lean correction on loso series, pulls it back but perhaps shows another check – gainer full, struggle short, with a lunge forward. That was usual Macadaeg int he first 1/2 and then got weird. 9.725.

Tessen – VT – shows the 1.5. Good. Secure landing, maybe a slide on landing but very very small. Doesn’t have quite the dynamics but will score well. 9.900.

Hortman-Evans has an excellent Gienger for BYU. Clean DLO with a hop back. Hawes also has a nice Gienger.

Hambrick – BB – L turn, drops a tad early with a lean – side aerial, secure – switch to straddle 1/4, comfortable – 2/1, good set. 9.850.

Merrell – VT – tries to show a stick on the 1.5, but there was a little slide and then another step/bounce around on the salute. Never showed true control. Will get hit slightly for that and probably for knees.

Skinner – VT – DTY hop back. Pretty consistent with what she was doing last season – small hop back. 9.875. Scores stayed reasonable for that vault. You kind of have to take a tenth on landing because of the two-footed hop back, but they don’t always actually do that.

Cannamela – BB – loso series – way off from the start and fall. Will now have to count the 9.725 from Macadaeg.

49.325 on vault for Utah. Nice landings from a number of them to get those 9.9s.

Pull it together with the live scores, LSU. I would take that pink geocities page over this.

Garner is in the floor lineup for realsies for Arkansas this season (instead of to do one pass and fill in last minute), but she falls.

Desiderio – BB – aerial to split jump, a little tight in split – bhs loso series, super secure – full turn, check – switch to switch 1/2, wobble, don’t love the switch 1/2 in this routine for her. It’s very short of 180. Sticks gainer full. 9.825.

Burton is also flooring for Arkansas, someone who did not floor last season. Clean double pike to start.

Campbell – BB – second debut in a row – aerial to bhs, a little tentative but fine – full turn – hip-bend on a split jump, just tight in this set but you can see the tools – switch, check – switch 1/2 to beat jump, added beat jump to get her dance series – 2/1, hop back. Got through it.

Lewis – UB – Utah – strong full to tkatchev – small leg break in bail, judges won’t see it – clean hs – sticks DLO. Good. 9.850.

Finnegan – BB – Hits loso series – switch to switch 1/2, now THAT’s how that combo is done – side somi, holds it well – side aerial to full, stuck. Finnegan things.

Reinstadtler – UB – big Jaeger, nice – bail, clean – somewhat tight final handstand – ftdt with hop to the side. Good, still. 9.875. Lewis was better though.

Lee – UB – half turn to piked jaeger to overshoot, high and comfortable – finishes with giant 1/2, front giant 1/2, double tuck and stumbles on the landing, good beginning, but will get hit pretty hard for that dismount. Still 9.850. Becuase nothing matters.

Some “make it work” 10.0 vaults from BYU so far, the full on back tuck and now the Y tucked 1.5.

Tessen – UB – Jaeger, good – struggles to hold the bail a little with a leg break – tight final handstand but sticks the ftdt. 9.775.

Another attempted at the Ytucked 1.5 for BYU goes worse, with a fall from Boden.

Skinner – UB – short first handstand – Shap to bail, good vertical on bail, some leg break on the Shap – high tkatchev – toe on – ftdt is stuck. Tight at the very, very beginning in that handstand but then worked it out.

49.325 again for Utah in second rotation. Didn’t you feel like we saw some very similar scores for some very different-quality routines in that rotation?

49.050 on beam for LSU. Today’s meet has been meh-good-meh so far. Let’s see what the fourth rotation brings.

Yamzon – BB – switch side – three series to loso is excellent, very confident – full turn – aerial – gainer full, stuck, good start, they’ll take that.

Kirby – FX – so she is getting into a lineup. front lay to rudi, solid – double tuck, clean – side side to popa, not happy with the 180 position in that popa. front lay front full, stuck. Simple but overall comfortable routine. 9.875.

Laird – BB – pretty mount – aerial to bhs, pause in between so we’ll see – split leap – switch to split 1/4 – side aerial to split – gainer full with hop in place. Will be an option. Alicia wonders if they give her the aerial to bhs series. Oh, Alicia. Us too. They always do.

Macadaeg – FX – her second career routine! Bounce on double tuck – stag out of middle pass, a little bouncy into that as well, somewhat out of control early. Double pike a little short. 9.775. Hurts her career average of 9.950.

McNatt – BB – Utah – sheep jump, not really happening – aerial to bhs, check in between, now we’ll really see if they give that one. Oh, that Y spin needs to go because it shouldn’t get credit as anything more than a full turn – gainer loso – round off gainer full, nice stick on that. 9.575

Wellick – BB – switch to straddle 1/4, excellent – side somi – bhs loso – aerial front gainer lay 1/1 dismount. Nice set. Solid. The lineup needs it. 9.875

Merrell-Giles – BB – Utah – switch to split, good –  loso series, smallest lean correction but nothing really – aerial to beat, solid – full turn with check – 2/1, just holds the stick. 9.875.

Harrold – FX – front 2/1, bounces like crazy out of it and OOB – oh Ruby – double tuck is nice – switch ring, switch 1/2, a little short – 1.5 to lay is fine, but the OOB won’t help. 9.725

Carter – BB – Arkansas – bhs loso, secure – step forward out of jump combo – aerial to stag jump – very nice front aerial, a little indistinct stag shape in the back leg – full turn – side aerial to stuck full. Arkansas can be better on beam this year than the last couple with some of these new ones. 9.900.

Stover – BB – Utah – aerial to bhs, will get credit – beam jump to split jump, will hope to get ring credit on that jump but we’ll see – kickover front, solid – good leap shapes – gainer full. 9.775. Did get credit for her split ring jump it seems.

Edwards – FX – oh she does floor now too? front 2/1, pretty well close to around – double back with a bounce – front full front full we don’t see a lot. A little uncontrolled in a couple places but will be a usable score. 9.825.

Burton – BB – Ark – aerial – bhs loso series, huge bend at the hoips but stays on, I did like how aggressive she was – Alicia will take two tenths for that wobble. Switch. Split sheep. Not bad sheep for NCAA.

Reinstadtler – BB – aerial to split, very pretty split – bhs loso series with a lean correction. Good straddle 1/4 – full turn – side somi, huge break and falls. Shame. They’ll have to count the SV conundrum that was McNatt’s routine now. Because we can’t have nice things. 9.275.

Finnegan – FX – 1.5 through to 2.5, nailed landing. Hits double tuck. Finishes double pike, just buckles in those knees on landing but does well not to show it in a step. 9.900.

Shaffer – BB – Ark – switch and straddle 1/4, very well extended – bhs loso, hit – large break backward and forward on the side aerial but stays on the beam – bhs tuck 1.5, hop forward. 9.725.

Skinner – BB – Utah – bhs loso, secure but knees – side aerial to sissone, hit – L turn to full turn like she’s still in elite – switch to straddle to back tuck, solid – double tuck hop back. 9.900.

Hambrick – FX – that same DLO that’s so amazing until she pikes that second salto, small lack of control – 2.5 to front tuck, she went directly up into the air on that set and didn’t move for the whole combination somehow – split leap full + wolf full – double pike, good, smallest slide back.

Lee – BB – Utah – full turn, comfortable – bhs loso, secure – beat jump to side aerial, good – switch to straddle 1/4 – 2/1 stuck – nice.

FINAL: LSU 197.150, Arkansas 195.350

That ended up being a 197? It was a really prepared bars rotation. That was excellent. The final total perhaps overstated the other events, which really missed Edney.

48.975 for Utah on beam, counting the score for McNatt.

One rotation left in the first day of the college gymnastics season!

After a day of watching SEC meets, Pac-12 meets feel like they take FOREVER.

BYU gets a hit from Miller in the first spot. Gainer full, short with a step forward.

Lewis – FX – secure double pike, controls the landing – front lay front full and dances out of it as is her wont – double tuck, comfortable. 9.900. OK now.

Cyrene – BB – good amplitude on switch split but nowhere near horizontal on switch 1/2 – large leg-up wobble on loso series – 1.5 dismount with bound forward.

Roberts – FX – double pike, buckles a little but holds the landing – front lay to rudi – switch side to wolf – 1.5 to layout 1/2, piked down the layout 1/2 to get it around into the jump and traveled a little on that. 9.800.

Trejo Marsh – BB – hitch to kickover to bhs, very secure – great opening amplitude on that switch leap – gainer full, stuck.

Reinstadtler – FX – bounce back on double tuck – good extension on switch ring and split leap 1/1 – 1.5 to layout, not the highest layout but OK – strong double pike. 9.900

A couple checks for Boden but another hit.

Soloski – FX – comfortable control on the DLO landing – split full, good – 2/1 second pass, a little bounce and a little easy for her – 1.5 to layout, yes, she will work as part of this lineup. 9.850.

Hortman-Evans – BB – secure loso series – not sure if that was choreography or a wobble – split jump a little short of 180 – hitch kick to nothing, will redo it – into kickover front, check before pike jump – gainer full. We’ll see about the start there.

MMG – FX – solid landing on pike full in, keeps that front leg down – swithc ring to split leap 1/1, just a tad indistinct on that dance landing – 1.5 to layout to front pike – rudi to straddle jump, travels a little much on the straddle. Good hit. 9.925.

Van Mierlo – BB – solid on the opening loso series, good extension – full turn – switch to straddle 1/4, gets good amplitude on leaps – hits side aerial – sticks gainer full –

Skinner – FX – L hop 1/1 – double double tuck, keeps that front leg controlled – split leap 1.5 – 1.5 to 2/1, stuck – ends with a full-in, takes it too far and goes OOB. An unexpected mistake from her on the final pass, also means that Utah will not pass LSU for the top score of the day. 9.800

FINAL: Utah 197.000, BYU 194.275

See you tomorrow for the same? K.