Friday, January 3	Scores	Stream
7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT – [8] Georgia, [11] Oregon State, Iowa, Bridgeport @ Critique Classic
8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT – [12] Kentucky @ [5] Utah	LINK	P12N
8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT – Arizona @ [2] LSU	LINK	SEC+

Back to it again for another year of live blogs. Wouldn’t have it any other way. This is the least busy Friday we’ll have for about 2.5 months, but there are still two good meets (well, three good meets—two good meets we can actually watch in legitimate fashion), so I’ll get started with Kentucky/Utah when that begins.

In the meantime, you can imagine what might be happening at the Critique Classic. Just like the bad old days. Iowa and Oregon State look to be Facebook Living their own teams’ performances, so you can follow along that way to try to get the gist.

So far we’ve learned that Rachel Dickson tore her Achilles so ;lsdjflaskdjf;lakjdf;lakjsdflkasjdf;lkajdf. Basically ignore every preview of Georgia’s upcoming season because it’s all out the window now.

It’s 48.350 for Oregon State on vault. 49.075 for Georgia on floor. Remember that time I was concerned about OSU on bars and it should have been vault?

Live blogging this from the hotel in Anaheim, so if things get iffy with the wifi, that is what has happened.

Kyla Ross is chasing the all-time record for perfect 10 scores. I wonder who counted that.

Kentucky v. Utah begins

For the first time in 44 years, we’re sans-Marsden. But Twitter is fully Marsden, so sunrise, sunset.

48.675 on vault for Georgia. OK so that’s happening… 48.775 for Oregon State on bars.

Rotation 1

Soloski – VT – entering the vault lineup this year – solid open on her full, good height, just a little bit of knees in the air, nice control on landing. Good one. 9.800

Angeny – UB – short first hs – jaeger to overshoot, a little angle on overshoot catch – some short hs but a nice finish position on her giant full – DLO and a step. Fine.

Hall – VT – goes for the 1.5 and hits it – lunge forward, medium sized – leg separation on the block, but solid, a useful addition to the lineup. 9.825

Nixon – UB – good first hs on low – Shap, nice power into bail – securefinal hs – giant full to double tuck with a lunge back, a pretty big lunge, the largest single deduction in it. Should improve on ANgeny’s score.

Reinstadtler – VT – does the full, we always hear about the 1.5 from her, we’ll see if it materializes this year – great form and open on the vault, but a very large bounce back on landing. 9.775.

“Bars judges are a little slow.” He means speed of movement…

“I spoke to the judges in the bathroom.” – Sam Peszek

Albores – clear hip to a huge tkatchev to overshoot – great amplitude, some ragged knee positions, some form – DLO is pretty solid on shape, lunge back. Has the amplitude, the issue will be form deductions and leg separations early on. 9.725

O’Keefe – VT – debut performance – full is just OK, not bad but some leg form, and a bounce back, a little piking. 9.775.

Kwan – UB – a bit short on first hs – 1/2 to jaeger, pretty, angle and a leg break on her overshoot – ooooof, goes over on her giant full into dismount, extra swings and crazy legs, finishes with lone double pike, lunge back. Will need to drop that score, basically a fall.

Tessen – VT – well, she stuck her 1.5. One of her better landings on that vault, some deductions, leg position at the very end, college sticks it, a little short on landing but saved it – good. 9.900

Warren – UB – the bars judges are having a TIME AND A HALF. Yes, Kwan was not UTL on her dismount.

Hugely large judging break. No one is having it. 9.000 for Kwan

Warren – UB – nice toes, a little short on first hs and chenge into jaeger – lovely position on jaeger, clean bail with toes pointed – some really pretty moments but short on every handstand – tries to sell the stick on her DLO, wasn’t stuck. Lots of possibilities for this routine. 9.800

Burch – VT – let’s see if she goes for the 1.5, she did it in the RRP and fell – just does the full but it was solid – little bounce in place, some feet in the air, otherwise strong. Should be a mid-9.8. We’ll see. 9.825. About right. I wouldn’t have had a problem with a 9.850 comparatively.

Korth – UB – 1/2 turn into piked jaeger, excellent – a bit short on hs – pretty bail, good vertical and legs together – better final cast hs – DLO 1/1, little slide back. Very strong, best of the rotation easily. 9.825.

Judging pauses but no crack so far.

Utah 49.125, Kentucky 48.850

A very first meet kind of rotation. Nothing disastrous. Kentucky got through dropping the score that needed to be dropped and had some January handstands to keep the score under 49. Utah showed two of its 10.0 starts. Will want more. Nothing majorly problematic there.

We’re also soon to get started with LSU and Arizona.

Rotation 2 out of Kentucky/Utah

Worley – VT – pretty clean form on the full, a little flat off the table but fine – step back. 9.725

Leblanc – UB – solid first hs – late blind change into jaeger, great height, connect to overshoot with a leg break – DLO is pretty in the air, a bit deep with a hop forward. 9.775

Angeny – VT – improvement on the height, good pop but not a lot of distance – lands short, hop forward. 9.750

Dula – UB – some knee bend in jaeger but good height and toes – bail, small leg break and angle – great final hs – DLO, just a tad whippy in the air but good stick. Some handstands and knees to work out but good. 9.950 and 9.700 split. 9.950 is crackkkkkin’. Ends up 9.875 after conference, which feels a little high in the end.

Warren – VT – great distance on her full, a bit of angle, large bounce back. 9.750

Rivers opens vault for LSU – nice open on a full (she’s capable of a lot more) large bounce back. 9.775.

Fall from Hendrickson first up on bars for Arizona.

Nibbs struggles on a full for LSU – short and a lunge off to the side

Isa – Falls on a Ray – resumes with a little, a little handstand issue, solid DLO dismount. 9.375

Kwan – VT – went far on the table – gets the full around but ends up quite short, hop forward, some knees, really had to correct after her crazy block

O’Keefe – UB – a bit she on first hs – Maloney is nicely done, connects to Pak – just a bit of leg break – very smooth final cast hs – double Arabian is a struggle, lands deep with two larger lunges back, which will take away the score. 9.600

Ruby with a lunge forward on solid 1.5 for LSU

Patterson – VT – handspring pike 1/2, great power, can actually complete this vault with chest up, but doesn’t have the control on landing today, larger lunge back. 9.725

Leydin hits bars for AZ, just some handstands. Pretty toes –

Reinstadtler – UB – toe 1/2, nice into jaeger, good height – better handstands, leg break catching on the bail – FTDT, hop back. Pretty routine.

Hop to the side on a hit Y1.5 from Sarah Edwards for LSU.

Korth – VT – very strong landing on her Y1.5, solid stick, a bit of knees in the air, a tad back on landing – but should be our best vault score

Kiya Johnson does her DTY! Some knees in the air and a hop to the side, we’ll see how much bonus she gets for difficulty. Good vault.

Tessen with a pretty routine for Utah at the same time, nice hs and a stuck dismount.

Brovedani showing a lot of potential for Arizona on bars but short on her DLO dismount, which will take down the score.

Edney – VT – LSU – doesn’t have the control on her 1.5 today with a large bounce forward, just overcooked it a little

It’ll be a 49.100 for LSU on vault.

Berg with a nice piked jaeger on bars – a bit short on her final cast hs – FTDT, holds the stick.

9.900 for Berg gives Arizona 48.800 on bars, which is not bad.

LSU won’t mind a 49.100 for the first meet, and some of that was landings, but they will still feel…iffy about those first spot or two in the lineup.

Utah went 49.000 on bars even with the counting 9.600. Will have a 4 tenth lead on Kentucky after UK’s 48.825 on vault.

Rotation 3 from Utah/Kentucky

LeBlanc – BB – switch to split, nice split positions, just a bit of feet – bhs loso series, secure, a little tight in hip position – aerial smooth to a split jump – full turn, a bit tentative there – 1.5, some knees in the air and a step forward, largest deduction will be on dismount. 9.725 seems low. Wasn’t doing the SV though.

Monfredi – FX – front tuck through to double tuck – shortish with a hop forward – switch side to popa to wolf jump full, pretty solid finishing positions there – round off double pike, some feet and a bounce. A solid enough hit.

Burch – BB – has a check on her series – cat leap to aerial, a small arm wave correction – gainer full, short with a hop. Some checks, a hit. 9.750

Johnson – UB – LSU – shap with a large back bend to gain momentum – otherwise solid – big DLO, small slide back. 9.800

Shchennikova debut for LSU in the bars lineup – wasn’t sure she would be back so early – misses her foot on a Maloney and has to recast – Shap to pak, catches it wayyyyy to close and falls – Well. There’s that. Also interested in that DLO that she’s doing because it’s…the same. And I’m scared of it.

Paulson – BB – side aerial to loso retained for NCAA and secure – switch to split, hit – finishes with a side aerial to stuck full. Good debut. 9.850

Kai Rivers collapses in the legs on her bail and does fantastically well to keep her routine going. Large deduction though. Still just a 9.500 though.

Worley – FX – “Oh my god they’re all strippers” – Anonymous. – Opens with a full in, great height, step back and OOB – secure second pass – some knees – double pike, short. 9.650

Durante was rushing a little at the start of her bars with some slightly mushy positions but got crisp in the second half – tries to sell the dismount stick but doesn’t. 9.800

Isa – BB – candle mount – kickover to beat, secure – bhs loso loso series, a small check – straddle to straddle 1/4, minor arm wave. 9.925. Well now. The scoring lens in this rotation is all over the place.

Edney – UB – LSU – looked a little close on her hindorff in the air (Jay definitely thought so) but she caught it – bail – finishes DLO with a small step back. Not her best bars but a usable score. 9.825

Sam, why are you acting surprised by a candle mount?

Warren – FX – niceeee front 2/1 as usual – switch side to popa, small shuffle but great extension – has to arch around her layout in combination. 9.750

Harrold – UB – zuchold, just a small arch on catch – short hs on high – jaeger is nice – cast grip change to double front, good landing on the dismount today, some early formies but fine

Randall – BB – full turn, small check -bhs loso series, very pretty, good toes – split jump to sheep, an NCAA sheep – off line on her rulfova, catches it but a little to the side – 1.5 with a step forward. 9.700

48.800 final for LSU on bars.

Korth – FX – full in, doesn’t quite get her usual pop today, chest down but under control – rudi to loso, a little ragged but again secure – double pike, bounce back

O’Keefe – BB – side aerail to loso series, nails hers as well – switch to split, good position on the split – aerial with a large break, major leg-up check but keeps it on the beam, good presence – side aerial to full, stuck. Great potential of course but a large error in there.

Kwan – FX – whip to 1.5 to front – leaps forward out of it but pretty potential there – tries split 15 to get her bonus and is out of control on the landing – double pike, lunge forward, short – very weird side aerial choreography where she rolls around and it kind of looks like a mistake?

Rotation 3 from LSU/Arizona going now.

Desiderio – BB – bhs loso, very small arm correction, good speed – switch to switch 1/2 to beat, the switch 1/2 is fine, not the best in the lineup but fine – large break on her aerial, breaks connection into split jump – gainer full, stuck. 9.775

49.050 for Utah on beam.

Cowles – FX – Arizona – double tuck, secure – front lay to front full, a little low, controlled step – finishes 2.5, hit set

Dean – BB – side aerial to bhs, very secure, just those knees in the bhs – switch with a check into a split a split 1/4, that was a rough combination, both in rhythm and in position – aerial into sissone, a little slow – side aerial to full, stuck. 9.600

Libby Orman with a solid double pike to Arizona. A little crooked on her switch side.

Durante – BB for LSU, and she’s off on her loso series. So that means LSU is counting a 9.600 on beam. It’s a new era I guess…Good dismount combination, side aerial into full. 9.350

Paulson’s beam score was raised to 9.900, so Utah went 49.100 on beam.

Final rotation from Kentucky/Utah is going.

Harman – great bhs loso loso series in the air, checks at the end though – switch to gainer loso, a little more tentative – gainer pike, stuck. Pretty good.

Burch – FX – double tuck, slide back, good height – double pike, solid. 9.725

Edney – BB – LSU – aerial, keeps arms moving into sissone – bhs loso, odd foot placement there but she worked it out – switch to straddle 1/4 – a little rushed coming after the mistakes, but fine – kickover front is excellent – 1.5 stuck, good second 1/2.

Warren – BB – Kentucky – side aerial to bhs, large bend at the hips – switch to straddle 1/4, large bend forward, possible broken connection – cat leap to switch side, that one was very strong – 1.5, stuck landing. Good ending but some fairly significant breaks early

Really strong final double back from Swanson on floor for Arizona.

Johnson – BB – LSU – hit full turn – bhs loso series, solid landing – fornt tuck, deeeep and can’t save it. LSU counting a fall on beam now. oooof. Aerial very strong. She’ll get there but not for this first one. Stuck 2/1.

Paulson – FX – solid double pike, TCT stagger – front lay to front full, controlled step – switch and switch full, not bad – 1.5 to front lay, a little unctrolled on that landing, had to whip around hte layout. Strong. 9.825

Poland – BB – Kentucky – bhs bhs loso, a bit of a lean to the side – aerial with a check –

Campbell – BB – LSU – pretty loos series – aerial to a high sissone – switch to switch 1/2, lovely – 2/1 dismount with a little hop together, pretty work. 9.925

Randall – FX – Utah – starts double tuck, bounce back – double pike, looked like she wasn’t getting a ton of height there but worked out the landing well enough – 1.5 to layout, arched around a little. Another worthwhile hit.

Arizona 49.125 on floor, lSU 48.550 on beam

Korth – BB – Kentucky – one-arm bhs to loso, very strong – switch to loso combo, very solid – double full dismount, small step back. Very strong routine, one of her more confident beam sets.

Leydin finished for Arizona on floor with 9.875.

Isa – FX – Utah – double tuck, under control – 1.5 to layout, a little cover up dance out step but has the height on the layout – switch side to popa – double pike, short, lunge forward was going well until then. 9.725

Worley – BB – Kentucky – cat leap to switch side, nicely done – aeiral through to bhs loso, leg up check but mostly keeps it under control – smooth full turn – 1.5, holds the stick a little deeo. Nice routine.

Tessen – FX – Utah – front double full, great control, the knees are a little worry but a good pass – 1.5 to front full to finish, also well controlled. 9.900. It’s a bit high for me, but she had good landing control.

Angeny – BB – Kentucky – bhs loso loso, very secure and strong – aerial, small check, a little bit of feet on the aerial, but good – “IS THAT WHAT AN ANCHOR WOULD DO???” Oh, I’m using that from now on – side aerial to tuck full, nearly off on her back foot, comes off to the side but gets it around.

Soloski – FX – huge DLO, just the slightest bit short to cause a step forward – switch 1/2 to split jump full, good on the split, the switch a little short – front lay to front full, odd technique on that, the second 1/2 of the twist seemed really late but she got it – 1.5 to layout, comes up short with a step back. Nearly there, just little things on each landing. 9.900 also a bit high.

Final rotation starting for LSU/Arizona

Harrold – FX – front 2/1, just does keep the step forward in bounds, some knees – double pike, only the slighest slide back – switch ring to switch 1/2, good – 1.5 to layout, good straight position there. 9.850

Final: Utah 196.425, Kentucky 195.350

Uhhh, the first meet? It was highly first meet. Everyone is being very first meet.

Stauffacher pretty solid on beam for Arizona. That’s a big potential routine for them for the future.

Gunter – FX – she exists – takes her double arabian right up to the edge and bounces OOB, looks like her second foot went out as well – solid on the middle pass – overturns her switch side a little to try to get the popa all the way around – double tuck, a bit short, step forward. 9.625

Leung – BB – bhs loso series, small slide back – switch to switch and not bad as far as those go – switch side, a pause before beat jump – side aerial to full, small slide back and off line. A hit.

Edwards – FX – doesn’t do the DLO – front 2/1 instead, I prefer the DLO on her but this was fine, a bit of legs – high 1.5 to front full, step – switch side to popa, a little angled in split – holds the stick on her double tuck, good. 9.900

Hargrove – BB – bhs loso series, good amplitude – cat leap to side aerial and falls, totally off line, that means Arizona now counting a 9.500 – split to a sheep jump with some knee angle – 1.5, small hop

Campbell – FX – 2.5 a little short with a step back, some knees – 1.5 to layout, controlled step – “I think what sets her apart is her elegance” – immediate crotch shot – double tuck, welllll short, two lunges forward. 9.750

Cowles – BB – cat leap to aerial, nice aerial to split, good toes and extension – bhs loso, good hold with a quiver in the knee to keep it only at a quiver – very pretty on those legs – gainer full front dismount, shortish with a hop back.

Johnson – FX – remember that time she took Jay to the ground? I sure do – FTDT, controlled step, nice landing position – 1.5 to layout, nice elevation and straight shape in the layout – switch 1/2 to popa – double pike, just a little collapse in the knees, good securing.9.950. It was always going to because this was stronger than Edwards’ 9.900.

Hendrickson – BB – beat to split jump 3/4, a bit crooked in split there – bhs loso, landed short, step back, leans but keeps it on the beam – cat leap to side aerial – switch to korbut, back foot on the switch – gainer full, hop together, held it on.

Edney – FX – double arabian, just does pull it around to her feet but deep with a lunge back, major deduction but saved it – 1.5 to front layout, nice amplitude – split leap full to split jump 3/4, not quite there on the second element – double tuck, deep landing, step back. First meet. Still gets 9.825.

LSU finished with 195.725 to Arizona’s 195.025. Not a bad first meet score for Arizona, really. LSU will pretend this one never happened.

It was a 195.100 final for Georgia. Which beat Oregon State’s 194.450, Iowa’s 192.700, and Bridgeport’s 189.300.

See you tomorrow from the California Collegiate Whatever Challenge Classic!