| Sunday, March 17 | Scores | Stream |
| 1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Bridgeport, Temple @ Brown | LINK | |
| 1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Rutgers @ Cornell | ESPN+ | |
| 2:00 ET/11:00 PT – [22] Ohio State, [24] Penn State, NC State @ West Virginia | LINK | FREE |
| 2:00 ET/11:00 PT – George Washington, Pittsburgh, Maryland, New Hampshire @ Towson | LINK | FREE |
| 2:00 ET/11:00 PT – Ball State, Alaska, UIC @ Michigan State | LINK | BTN+ FLO |
| 5:00 ET/2:00 PT – Illinois, San Jose State, Sacramento State @ [16] Cal | LINK | FREE |
Some serious ranking implications in the meets today.
While all four teams in the WVU quad meet will be safe for regionals, West Virginia was the only one that got a truly usable score with 196.425. The others were stuck in the 195s, and Ohio State was in the 194s after an injury to Jamie Stone on floor forced her to scratch vault and bars. An untenable development for that roster if its super serious. She’s their everything AAer.
Michigan State recorded a victory in its quad meet, a solid accomplishment but no team reached 195 there, a troubling development for both MSU and UIC, which needed scores. UIC had to count a fall on bars to go 194.325. That sub-195 score means Michigan State is essentially eliminated from regionals contention and will be eliminated if GW goes 195.225 in its meet.
Speaking of which, the scores aren’t working at the Towson quint meet because according to Maryland’s twitter “nationwide the scoring system is down” even though the scoring system is working for all the other meets.
Twitter is not a super reliable helper either. Teams are either fully over this shit or just tweeting things like, “I think we got a 9.8…?”
For the Cal meet, a reminder that Cal is looking for a 196.825 to get ahead of Washington for the evening at Pac-12s, but also a 196.900 to get ahead of Nebraska for the top 16 after Nebraska’s massive score yesterday. Illinois is also in need of a score, but they way things have been going for these other bubble teams, that 195.600 from Friday already puts Illinois in pretty solid position. They’re still aiming for another one today, though, to take some of the freak-out score burden off the performance at Big Tens.
Performing an instrumental version of the national anthem is a huge step up. It shouldn’t have lyrics, really.
Introductions underway now.
I’m upset that Lauren Rice graduated because they still have Lauren Schmeiss on the team and I really enjoyed imagining that Lauren Schmeiss was the name on Lauren Rice’s fake ID.
Toni-Ann Williams got introduced twice. Correct.
Senior introductions done. Warmups starting.
Rotation 1
Routines so far: 0
Evan making Michelle Branch references: 1
This is my jam.
Bordas – VT – Cal – medium sized bounce back on her full, pretty solid layout shape, a little piking. 9.775
So Seilnacht – VT – Cal – great amplitude on her full, nice open position, small hop back, has an improvement on Bordas in distance and size of bounce so will get rewarded fro that. 9.900 OK Cal is getting its senior day scoring. That was the question and on one event at least the answer is yes.
Bixler – UB – Ill – hits her Deltchev – finishes DLO and overdoes it a little with a larger lunge back
We’re seeing bits and pieces of the other routines because 4 events simultaneous
Jones – VT – Cal – hop forward and a little to the side on her 1.5. Some knees but an improvement in the layout shape over preseason and earlier in teh year. 9.825
Clean 1.5 to layout from Belkoff on floor for Sac State. Finishes double tuck around, a little low with a hop forward
George – VT – Cal – lovely full in the air, great distance and power, but a larger bounce back on hers, at least a full tenth bounce. Or not. 9.875
Nice side aerial from Ray -SJSU on beam – split to split 3/4, short of split on the 3/4 but very secure – gainer pike, stuck. Nice solid finish.
Clausi – VT – Cal – really strong 1.5 with only a small foot adjustment on her landing – a little deep sit on landing like Kyla sometimes, but only a little to take on landing, and the way the scores are going… 9.950
We just saw Otto’s excellent Shap 1/2 in the background for the bars rotation, sticks FTDT with a little bit of stagger. The second 1/2 of that routine that was caught was exceptional. 9.950
Mastrangelo – VT – Cal – locked-leg landing on the 1.5 with a bound forward, so shouldn’t be a score at the level of the recent vaults, but they already have a huge number and don’t need the score. Still goes 9.800 for that.
Watterson in exhibition – clean full in the air and nice distance but a large bounce back so wouldn’t have improved on the scores that were used in the six.
Cal vaults for 49.350. So more than on pace for the 196.8-196.9 score they are looking for today.
Illinois had some really low early numbers for deal with on bars but were saved by Howell and Otto in the final spots to get to 48.850, which keeps them close to the necessary pace.
Schmeiss – FX – Sac State – really solid double pike, controlled alnding and has the height – switch side to popa, a little indistinct in landing position but has the straddle – front lay to front full, a little low – there are 1800 different songs in this floor music – rudi, secure, a little ragged. Should score well.
After 1: Cal 49.350, Illinois 48.850, Sac State 48.600, SJSU 48.150
The danger here for Illinois is that the vault score is typically pretty low, so they really need to hit 49 on beam and floor in the next two rotations to get on track for that 195.6
Rotation 2
Fall on first floor routine for SJSU
So Seilnacht – FX – Cal – good first hs – lovely big piked jaeger taken to the fingertips – overshoot with a little feet – 1.5 dismount, holds the stick with lean forward at the hips. Good. 9.800
Borden – BB – Illinois – pretty beat jump and hits a secure sheep, not a ton of closure – finishes front layout full, small hop
George – UB – Cal – tkatchev, hit smoothly – small arch on legs together handstand up – bail with a little hip angle on catch – solid position on final cast hs – FTDT, stuck. Good finish. 9.850
Relova – FX – SJSU – switch side 1/2 on floor, and solidly done too – some legs in rudi, but tough to keep those right together with a knee brace on
Jones – UB – Cal – toe shap with legs right together into the pak, no break at all, just a small arch in back – 1/2 turn on low looks good – short final cast hs – FTDT, stuck. Her best bars routine we’ve seen. 9.875
Braida with a lunge back on a tucked Yfull for Sac State.
Watterson – UB – Cal – pretty Pak – good hs on low – toe on to toe shap 1/2, firm legs together – toe full to double tuck, stuck landing. Love how vertically she finishes that full turn into the dismount. Quite nice. 9.950
Ray from SJSU on floor – double tuck, chest forward with a shutter shuffle on landing – finishes 1.5 to layout, comfortable, just a little low
Schank – UB – Cal – small arch in first hs, not a big deal – hits piked jaeger, a touch of elbows – connected well to overshoot – back shape on final cast hs – DLO, pretty in the air, a little uncontrolled on salute, small step and then a little lunge salute. 9.800
Scott on BB for Illinois really good kickover front with Kennedi Edney height. She goes 9.850
Bordas – UB – a little short on first cast hs – in love with her amplitude on jaeger to overshoot – good cast hs – on high – giant full to double tuck, small bounce back. 9.875
Really composed bars hit from Cal.
Shu with a really clean routine in exhibition, strong Ray – misses a final cast hs – DLO, a little low with a hop. Equivalent option overall though. Milan is already crying.
Grace Quinn exists – doing exhibition on bars – toe on, hit – tkatchev, a little flat but very solid – pak, small leg break, pretty height – has to improvise a cast 1/1 on low bar like you do after going over on her 1/2 – FTDT, small shuffle back. With a little more time and cleaning (and staying healthy) that will be a good option for next season.
Roe – BB – Illinois – solid loso series, some feet, secure landing – beat jump to straddle 3/4, niiiccceee – cat leap to side somi to tuck full off the side – side somi with a low chest but will minimize deduction by working directly out of it. 9.825
Taylor Chan’s full-in on floor is excellent – 1.5 to 1/2 to stag got a little crooked – double pike, secure landing, great routine. 9.875
Cal and Illinois both getting the scores they wanted in that second rotation, Cal getting another 49.350 and Illinois breaking that 49 mark with a 49.100
After 2: Cal 98.700, Illinois 97.950, SJSU 97.250, Sac St 97.175
Cal and Illinois both very happy with the pace here now. Cal basically just needing to hit five routines in the next two rotations, Illinois back up above the pace its looking for.
Rotation 3
Jones – BB – Cal – wolf turn, a little hesitation – aerial to bhs loso series, another small hesitation afterward, did not connect the aerial to the series but doesn’t need to – the ring jump back leg is pretty floppy, not a ring just a broken wing – sheep, hit – side aerial to full, stuck. 9.850. So it’s not going to be a tightly scored beam rotation.
Lovely full from Taylor Chan on vault, great power and position, lunge back
Clausi – BB – Cal – switch to switch series, good positions and pretty choreography right out – bhs loso series, secure, extended well – smooth full turn – side aerial to full dismount, small hop back. Very clean routine. Comfortable, world class execution. 9.900.
Watley – UB – Sac St – nice height in dismount, lunge back –
Keelen – BB – Cal – small hesitation on full turn – bhs loso series, solid, well extended – split jump split ring jump with just a little arm wave correction – aerial, smooth – 1.5 pulled it out well, looked like she didn’t fully get those feet down in the round off so it go a little ragged in the air, but she hit it. 9.900.
Sampson sits her double front on bars for Sac State.
So Seilnacht – BB – Cal – bhs loso series, very pretty , solid – switch to double stag with a leg-up wobble, first major break of the rotation – side aerial to full, doesn’t really hold the stick with a lean back into the salute. 9.775.
Sac State finishes bars with a big jaeger, but some crazy form on it.
Shu – BB – Cal – aerial to bhs combination, will get credit, nicely done – hitch kick to side somi, very solid and quickly connected today, that rhythm has improved as the season has progressed – switch to split, hitting her positions – full turn, overturns just a tad – side aerial to tuck full, with a small step back and then a lean salute step back so should be two .05s on dismount. 9.875
Bordas – BB – Cal – pretty full turn – bhs loso series, also super solid. They’ve all been nailing these series and the knee positions are actually extended instead of flopping the mush on those back handsprings, which I appreciate – small check on stag – gainer full and absorbs the stick. We’re going to see something close to the team beam scoring record here.
9.950 and 49.475. Yes, a Cal beam record. Broken for the second time this season. They basically just have to show up on floor now to get the necessary scores.
Kyana George in exhibition on beam, check on her series – huge switch ring. She was leading off earlier in the season and ideally would be in the lineup because of her leap amplitude and execution, but she has having some large-break problems for low scores in her counting routines this season.
Illinois has a miss from Roe in its final position on floor but didn’t need the score and goes over 49 again.
After 3: Cal 148.175, Illinois 147.050, SJSU 145.900, Sac St 144.675
Heads up, a 49.350 on floor for Cal would set a new team scoring record.
Rotation 4
Really nice stick on the DLO first up from Gin – SJSU on bars.
Sy Seilnacht – FX – Cal – double pike, controls that front foot – switch 1/2 to sissone, a little soft back leg in that switch 1/2 – front lay to front full with a crossover set, a little out of control – 1.5 to 1/2, good control on that landing despite not having a ton of height. 9.775
Schmeiss hits loso series on beam, soft leg positions, she’s secure in her landing but will get deducted for some form.
Shu – FX – Cal – great height on double tuck, super secure landing – double pike, also pretty well controlled but chest forward a little so she has to take a small step – split and wolf combination looked pretty clearly around – 1.5 to front pike, a very secure routine.
The number of tears is all of them.
9.950. It’s a senior day score, but also probably her most controlled tumbling ever.
Big vault score as well for Illinois, coming off a 48.4 last week by breaking 49 this week and going over 196. A huge score for their regionals hopes.
So Seilnacht – FX – Cal – front lay to rudi to double stag, good control, great twisting form in rudi – illusion turn – split leap 1.5, clearly around – 1.5 to 1/2 to split – 1.5 to front pike, stuck. Well, that was cleaner than Shu’s routine for me, so I feel like the judges have worked themselves into a real corner here.
But she’s been underscored for that routine most of the season in the first spot for 9.775s even though her routine is crazy clean. 9.900. A good reward.
Really well done for Probst on bars to keep her routine going after hitting her foot on tkatchev.
George – FX – Cal – front tuck through to rudi, very well controlled – her ridic switch ring and split leap full, no question of deductions there – front 2/1, around, controlled step, just a touch of knees – rudi, a little more legs on that one than her previous twisting but also controlled. 9.900 final score for her. 9.850/9.950.
Bordas – FX – Cal – double pike, drops down into it well, just a bit of feet, well controlled – switch 1/2 to wolf full, smooth and comfortably done – rudi, some legs, nicely hit – 1.5 to layout, overdoes that 1.5 and just does get around her layout, flat but hit it
9.850 for Bordas clinches this as Cal’s best score ever with a routine still to come.
Clausi – FX – Cal – love the crap out of this routine – full in comes up short this week, chest well down with a lunge forward – switch side to wolf full – front 2/1, super powerful and pretty, comes in just a bit under rotated with a quick dance out to cover – 1.5 to layout, crisp landing. 9.800
FINAL: Cal 197.575, Illinois 196.175, SJSU 194.450, Sac St 192.100
Cal setting the program record, and while we saw a lot of senior day scoring here, it was probably also Cal’s best performance of the season on each event and definitely a real-life 197. It’s the kind of performance that would be very dangerous in a super regional.
Illinois with the 196.175 that should clinch regionals for a team that has been way too close to the bubble this season.
