Coming into the second day of competition, Konnor McClain enjoys a five tenth lead over Kayla Di Cello, who is then followed by Greaves, Barros, and Blakely. The title looks like it’s in McClain’s hands at this point, but both Di Cello and Greaves are close enough to be able to pounce on a mistake.
Continue reading US Nationals – Junior Women Day 2 Live Blog
Men’s action on day 2 starts with the juniors at 1:00pm CT (Stream, Scores). After the first day, Winter Cup champion Colt Walker leads the 17-18 age group by recording an 80.100 and placing in the top 5 on every event. He has nearly 2 points on anyone else, so he looks to be in control there given a relative hit today.
In the 15-16 group, Nicolas Kuebler stuck the crap out of everything I saw on day 1 to place first with 79.600, but he’s only a couple tenths ahead of Taylor Burkhart in 2nd. Other possible favorite and professional Rami Malek impersonator Isaiah Drake had a nasty on PH on the first day to fall to 6th but could make some ground back up today.
The senior men get underway at 6:30pm CT (Stream, International Stream, Scores). With a lead of nearly 3 points after the first day, Sam Mikulak is going to win. Yul Moldauer is currently in 2nd, only a hair’s breadth ahead of Akash Modi and Shane Wiskus. You like Moldauer as the favorite there for 2nd, but they could end up in any order. Wiskus and Trevor Howard were the big winners of day 1 in terms of improving their prospective cases for the worlds team—also Riley Loos who placed 6th AA but is more under the radar simply because we didn’t see any of his routines on the broadcast. As the less-expected members of the top group, however, they’re going to have to reconfirm that status on day 2. If they falter while people like Yoder and Bower move back up, then we could have a reassertion of the status quo when it comes to the selection camp group.
Just 8 were invited to the selection camp last year, and I have a tough time winnowing down this year’s potential group smaller than 10 or 11 people, so it’s going to get interesting today.
The Oklahoma group will be depleted today as both Colin Van Wicklan and Matt Wenske have been forced to withdraw from the competition. Van Wicklen’s concussion took him out of the first day as well, and Wenske suffered an ankle injury on vault on day 1. Van Wicklen is petitioning to the selection camp, and I have to imagine that will be accepted since he’s a major contender for the worlds team and the selection isn’t for another month.
We’ll be doing the live chat watch party again on GymCastic for night 2 of the men, so get in loser.
7:00pm CT
NBCSN stream
International feed
Scores
If you’re looking at that start list and already getting heart palpitations about the routines you know won’t be shown on the broadcast even though they should be, then yes.
In the first rotation, of course we’ll have Simone Andromedon Biles likely unveiling the triple double opening pass. “And that right there. If she does that…what we call a skill…if she does that skill…just like that…at the world championships…that will become the Biles.”
But, we’ll also have some critical beam routines opening up that rotation as Wong and Lee try to make world championships cases. It’s tough to get into a beam picture with Biles, Eaker, McCusker, but you’ve got to start somewhere. We’ve also got a big moment for Skinner showing this floor routine. If it’s not vaguely close to 14ish, it will be a tough argument. The US has lots of high 13s on floor. Continue reading US Nationals – Senior Women Day 1 Live Blog
Here’s your start list for the junior women’s competition:
No taking it easy to begin the meet as we open with a couple significant routines. Barros is up first on floor—so it will just be downhill after that—and Greaves opens on vault with her new DTY, the landing of which will be fairly determinative for her AA hopes.
We’ll also have Konnor McClain third up on floor in the first group and a couple key beam sets from Pilgrim and Witte.
OK, the dude said it like “Kayla Di Sello.” Normally I would ignore, but after the Kara Eaker bombshell…
Anyway, if you weren’t on twitter this morning, apparently it’s pronounced like “Kara Acre” now. My world is shattered.
Looks like we have some more tying the warmup jacket around your neck like a cape action, and the mid-90s realness of this is making me very happy.
Yes, the stream is cutting in and out for everyone.
Anna Li is here judging.
Kittia Carpenter is also judging floor. In case you wanted more coaches here judging current/former athletes, which no one sees anything wrong with apparently because we live in a cyclone. Continue reading US Nationals – Junior Women Day 1 Live Blog
