Saturday, February 29	Scores	Stream
12:30pm ET/9:30am PT – [6] Denver @ [1] Oklahoma	LINK	ESPNU
2:00pm ET/11:00am PT – Brown, Bridgeport, West Chester, Rhode Island @ Southern Connecticut	LINK	FREE
3:00pm ET/12:00pm PT – UW-Oshkosh @ Gustavus Adolphus
4:00pm ET/1:00pm PT – [3] UCLA @ [18] Oregon State	LINK	P12N
4:00pm ET/1:00pm PT – NC State, Towson, Cornell @ [23] Penn State	LINK	BTN+ FLO
5:00pm ET/2:00pm PT – UW-La Crosse @ UW-Whitewater	LINK	FREE
8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT – Eastern Michigan @ Air Force	LINK	FREE
11:00pm ET/8:00pm PT – Seattle Pacific @ Alaska	LINK	FREE

Denver and Oklahoma is getting started shortly. Denver is going with the same lineups as last weekend—not that there was a lot of choice at this point.

Also, Maggie Nichols is doing three events today, which is totally at odds with the “WE DON’T KNOW WHEN SHE’LL BE BACK” messaging from last week. KJ, you should know by now you can’t say undefined things like that to insane people like us.

Obviously this Most Dramatic Cheerleading Award program before the meet is destroying me from the inside.

Nichols casually sticking Y1.5s in warmups. “Oklacoma.” LOL.

Rotation 1

Smith – VT – OU – hits a full, bounce back, a little piking, some legs on the block. Normal. 9.850 way high. It’s a 9.750 for anyone else.

Ruiz – UB – Denver – rushed a bit on first hs – giant full to tkatchev, hit – short on next cast hs – hits a clean bail – better handstand at the end – DLO, a little piking, small hop back. OK. 9.850, also pretty high.

Stern – VT – OU – shuffle forward on her 1.5 but solid, a bit of knees and direction. 9.875

Subject – UB – Denver – short first hs – toe to maloney, lots of straddling, good bail – well short on final cast, Linas tries to sell it by shouting YES about her bad handstand – DLO, short with a hop. 9.850.

These scores are…interesting.

Degouveia – VT – OU – pretty solid control on her Y1.5 today, small step to the side, both feet shuffling – good layout position. 9.950 my god

Lockhart – UB – DU – Ray was trouble trouble, flat and far and no chance to catch, fall. Resumes and does it again, a ragged catch but hits it – can’t get up to handstand, bail with crazy legs – DLO, lots of piking down, hop. That was a major struggle. They’ll need a good one from Morton now in the final spot.

Webb – VT – OU – short landing on her Y1.5 today, pretty form, comes up short, lunge back. She goes 9.900 for a short Y1.5 with a full tenth lunge, which is pretty criminal.

Glynn – UB – DU – long wait to get the score for Lockhart – good hs – clear hip to gienger, close catch, elbows – arches her cast on high bar but pulls it back – hit bail – solid hs on high bar – FTDT, can’t sell the stick with a step-salute, but a hit. 9.825. How?

Trautman – VT – OU – huge stick on her Y1.5 – I’m sure it will get a 10 because of the standards in this meet. Some knees that take away the 10 for me, rises up onto her toes a little bit on landing as well. Yep, 10.000.

Karr – UB – DU – hecht mount, clean – short hs on hgih – giant full to gienger to overshoot, lovely positions on those as always – tight a bit on these handstands today – DLO, stuck. Nice. 9.950 of course.

Nichols – VT – OU – holds the stick on her 1.5 as well – she does amazingly well to hold the stick but she did come in a little short on landing which needs to be taken into account. Or not. 9.975.

Morton – UB – DU – horizontal first hs – hits a tkatchev – better cast hs – elbows on her bail catch but a hit – DLO, lots of piking, hop back. A hit. I’m sure it will get a solid score because all you have to do is stay on today. 9.625

After 1: Oklahoma 49.700, Denver 49.100

Oklahoma is a great vaulting team of course, but I had that rotation at 49.450, and 49.700 is pretty insane. Denver also with a santa’s sleigh of gifts on that bars rotation that they barely got through, but that’s a useful score on an event that was a potential trouble spot today.

Rotation 2

Subject – VT – DU – good distance on her full, but comes in with deep knees, step back. 9.800

Trautman – UB – OU – maloney to pak, small amount of legs on both – struggles getting up to handstand, loses her elbows and has to muscle it back up – DLO, deepish with a small hop. 9.775

Ruiz – VT – DU – some pike on her full but hit – chest down and small hop forward. 9.850.

Thomas – UB – OU – short first hs – toe 1/2 to jaeger, hit, not the highest – solid legs together position on bail – better final cast hs – DLO, can’t hold the stick with a small step forward. 9.875

Fitts – VT – DU – kind of crazy preparation for her vault that I’m obsessed with – hits this week with a lunge back and a piked position. 9.825. Scoring is consistent between the two teams at least…?

Webb – UB – OU – good first hs – pak, excellent – van leeuwen, solid – hitting her hs cleanly – toe 1/2 to double front 1/2 out, lunge back. Great until the landing. 9.875

Glynn – VT – DU – Tsuk full – a pretty large bounce back on her landing, good chest up, some legs on the block. 9.850

Degouveia – UB – OU – piked jaeger, solid – good cast hs after it – toe on to pak, perfect form – cast 1/2 on low, a bit loose but nice vertical – hits cast on high – FTDT, lunge back. Again great until the landing. 9.900

Karr – VT – DU – huge Y1.5 and an excellent stick – Quite equivalent to Trautman’s vault but with better distance, so I think you have to give that a 10. And they do. 10.000

Smith – UB – OU – Ricna to pak is not the highest but clean – DLO, whippy with a hop back. Hit. Fine. 9.900 high.

Denver doesn’t need Lockhart to vault now because vault truly couldn’t have gone better. The super high vault scores today really helped them.

Nichols – UB – OU – great first hs – Ray to pak to toe on to van leeuwen, awesome – borderline cast hs on high – DLO, stuck landing. Great. Some elbows potentially, but they never take it. 9.950. Good with it. Great routine. Expected a 10 but that’s a real and fair score for that routine.

After 2: Oklahoma 99.200, Denver 98.425

Oklahoma cruising, scores huge. Not their best bars…for 49.500. They won’t be happy with all those full-tenth landing lunges though. Denver will be even more pleased about getting through the biggest trouble events with basically a normal and expected total for them. Nearly 197 pace.

Kathy doing a dissertation on correct leaps is the true leap day celebration. Although some of these leaps they’re showing are more Leap Day than others.

Rotation 3

KJ emoting up a storm for Trautman before beam just as we would hope.

Trautman – BB – OU – I didn’t even catch her Tribute to Kathy beam mount before! bhs loso series, solid, some knees – cat leap to switch side, nice horizontal extension – kickover with a correction, step and arm wave – 1.5, lunge-salute. 9.850

Glynn – FX – DU – front tuck through to double tuck, bounce back – a bit bouncy on her leap landings – double pike, chest forward, step forward. 9.800

Dunn – BB – OU – bhs bhs loso series, secure, improved extension – split jump to split jump 1/2, the regular split jump was weaker than the one with half turn, shorter in the legs – gainer full, stuck. 9.925 goodness.

Subject – FX – DU – double pike, very secure landing – front lay to front full, good straight position in that layout – switch side to popa are quite short of position on both and should both be deducted – double tuck, also secure landing, chest down. 9.825

Woodard – BB – OU – side aerial to bhs, very solid, a bit of knees – kickover to beat jump, pretty toes in that beat jump – switch to split, good toes as well, it’s kind of a theme – side aerial to full, sticks it. Nice one. 9.925

Ruiz – FX – DU – double tuck, chest up landing, good control – switch side to popa, a little indistinct – 1.5 to layout, a lower pass with some legs in the 1.5 – double pike, chest a little forward so a slightly awkward landing but mostly controlled. 9.875

Agree that these Denver floor routines read as a little sleepy.

Smith – BB – OU – bhs loso, smooth landing – aerial to straddle, no trouble – beat to straddle 1/2 to korbut, very comfortable – check on her full turn and a kind of sizeable lean to take away what was totally going to be a 10. Stuck gainer full. Still a strong one. 9.900

Lockhart – FX – DU – leg a bit lower on L turn than I’d like – front tuck through to double back, secure – switch and straddle elements look good in split, nice rise into straddles – struggles on the double pike landing with two lunges back, keeps it in bounds. 9.725

Webb – BB – OU – bhs loso series, very solid – aerial to split jump, slow in combo and a low back leg in split – switch to split leap, the switch is strong, the split has the same back leg – side aerial to full, absorbing rebound. 9.950 is lineup order scoring.

Karr – FX – DU – front 2/1, pretty well controlled on the step out – split leap full and wolf jump full, gets them around comfortably in strong position – back 1.5 to front full, good height, strong routine. 9.925

Nichols – BB – OU – kickover front to korbut as her acro series now because of legs made of dreams and whispers – well done – switch to split, extended, a bit of foot in the second one – aerial, smooth – 1.5, holds the stick with a lean forward at the hips.

9.975. Guys. You can’t give a 10 for that landing. A stick doesn’t mean it’s free from deduction.

Brown – FX – DU – hits double tuck – switch ring and split have some short leg positions – back 1.5 to layout, flatter layout – rudi was solid.

49.675 for Oklahoma on beam. Fully expecting a 199.700 from this meet after floor. Denver gets 49.275 to make 197 continue looking like a real possibility with a good beam.

And yes, the scoring has been the death of me.

Oklahoma needs 49.650 on floor to set a program record team total. The way this has been going, I basically expect it at this point.

Rotation 4

E Brown – BB – DU – aerial to back tuck with a lean correction – split jump to sheep, hit, some angle on sheep – side aerial, pretty smooth – small check on full turn – gainer full, stuck. Good hit. 9.825

Draper – FX – OU – double pike, solid landing, chest a bit forward – front full front full, again secure, some knee position – good rise in that popa, lovely – 1/2 to rudi. Solid. Her fingers were totally OOB on that last pose btw. 9.900

Ruiz – BB – DU – hitch to switch side, a bit crooked on switch side position – bhs loso, looked a little floppy in the air there but pulled it onto the beam – side aerial to split jump, good split – gainer pike, stuck. 9.825

Degouveia – FX – OU – front lay to front 2/1, pretty solid control today – front lay to front full with a lunge forward – switch 1/2 to popa, nice popa position – back 1.5 to front full. She’s had trouble with landing control this season and that was a bit better. 9.925 I mean also all these scores are insane, but that was a lot better.

Lockhart – BB – DU – kick to aerial, small check – bhs loso loso, another smalllll adjustment, pretty extended position in the bhs – switch to split leap, well short of split on both elements – bhs gainer full, bounce back. 9.850 way high.

LaPinta – FX – OU – back 3/1, just does get it around with a little pop, some crossed legs – front full to layout, no trouble – split leap full and split jump full have some 180 problems, short of position on both – double tuck, cowboyed with a large lunge back. Goodness. 9.875. The routine you do truly doesn’t matter. Just the team and the order.

Schlottman – BB – DU – bhs loso series and falls. switch to a split jump 3/4, short on split – side aerial, smooth and floaty – gainer full, step back

Worry time for Denver but you’d expect Karr and Vasquez to be able to get through this.

Nichols – FX – OU – back 1.5 to front loso into a split leap 1.5, love it, jusssst does pull that 1.5 around, maybe a little short – double pike is clean, a little steppy on that extra mat – switch ring to split leap full, ring is glorious – 9.925

Karr – BB – DU – side aerial to bhs, comfortably hit – hitch to side somi – beat to split jump full, pulls it around – 1.5 dismount with an on-the-beam balance check to try to hold the landing, which ended up being more of a deduction than it needed to be. 9.850

Webb – FX – OU – front 2/1, solid landing, good height – back 1.5 to front full, very high first element, lower second, controls landing – split leap 1.5 now as her late leap, still some feet – rudi, slide back. 9.925

So Ragan Smith will need 9.975 to give Oklahoma a program record. 9.950 to tie.

Vasquez – BB – Denver – aerial to bhs loso – crisply landed, very nice – switch to split jump, ideal positions – controls her Y turn fairly well this time – sissone, nice – side aerial to full, stuck. Great. 9.950

That gets Denver to a 197.000 exactly, which is a charitable score but also a good and necessary recovery performance.

Smith – FX – OU – double tuck, slide back – back 1.5 to layout was awesome, straight and floated position in that layout – switch side to wolf jump full, great positions there as well – double pike, short, chest down, hop forward.

So, I mean, it definitely shouldn’t get 9.950, but also this meet.

OK “just” a 9.900. Oklahoma goes 198.450, the highest score of the season, but not a program record, which would have been truly ridiculous for this meet, which no one would mistake as the best performance we’ve ever seen from Oklahoma. It was good, it was strong, it was solid, but it was also normal, as expected, with things to improve on.

FINAL: Oklahoma 198.450, Denver 197.000

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On to UCLA/Oregon State now, where we’ll see if my advice has been taken to start calling Nia Dennis “corona” because the girl has gone viral.

…Huh? What was that?

Or, counterpoint: that’s a VERY appropriate thing to say.

Wright is back in the vault lineup for UCLA today. Frazier did not travel with the team because of her ankle injury. Tratz is on floor but not vault. Shapiro is on bars for Kocian. No Ross or Flatley on floor. The UCLA special, I guess. Mostly odd lineups.

Theoretically that means five 10.0 starts for UCLA’s vaulting today.

Rotation 1

Peterson – VT – OSU – full on back pike – her best controlled landing so far, chest down which causes shuffle forward, but fine. 9.750

Hano – UB – UCLA – Ray to overshoot, hit today, just a bit of feet – some hip angle on cast on high – giant full to double tuck, a bit late on full, double tuck, nearly stuck, small movement. Solid. 9.875 is…um eager?

Bird – VT – OSU – bounce back on full, good power, a bit of piking – has the height, you can see why she had a 1.5 sometimes in JO. 9.725

Kooyman – UB – UCLA – misses her feet on initial toe-on and hops off. Big pressure on Shapiro now later in the lineup. Maloney to pak, hit with a clear straddle – solid cast 1/2 position on low – DLO, chest down, hop forward. 9.325

Gill – VT – OSU – good straight position in the air, nice direction on her full, a medium bounce back – little pike at the end. 9.700 is tight for that. Oh, it was actually 9.775. Makes a lot more sense comparatively.

Shapiro – UB – UCLA – well short first hs – blind to jaeger to overshoot, good high combo and pretty toes, nice – but these hs are a killer – giant full to double tuck, slide back. Some really nice moments in that routine, but the handstands should bring the score down. 9.775

Yanish – VT – OSU – the full with a large bounce back again – great position as always. 9.750

Steele – UB – UCLA – good first hs – maloney to pak, keeps those feet together pretty well – 1/2 turn on low, late – strong handstand positions – sticks the DLO. Nice one. 9.850. Her routine was stronger than Hano’s.

M Dagen – VT – OSU – sits down her Y1.5. It’s been touch and go this season, and this was a rough one, way short

Flatley – UB – UCLA – higgins to lovely jaeger – toe on, good into bail, legs right together – a couple vertical positions but the last cast was nice – DLO 1/1, some pike with a step forward. 9.850

Mack – VT – OSU – no Lacy today on vault – hits a full pretty equivalent to the early part of the lineup, bounce back – a clearer pike at the end. 9.725

Ross – UB – UCLA – good first hs – maloney to bail, ideal – toe shoot, strong – clean handstands – stuck DLO. Nailed it again. Very nice.

She gets 9.975 to take UCLA to 49.325 for a fine, not great bars rotation. They avoided counting the fall and got an important hit from Shapiro when needed, who has everything to put together a final-lineup level routine except for the cast handstand positions.

After 1: UCLA 49.325, Oregon State 48.725

A rough vault score for Oregon State with nothing out of the 9.7s and the fall from Dagen will make it tough to move out of this toward that high 196 zone they were aiming for.

“The judging was a little bit tigher than I’ve seen around the country so far.” Michael’s like, those vaults get 9.825 at Georgia…

Large judges split for UCLA on bars, one judge had that rotation at 49.200, the other at 49.450.

Rotation 2

Dennis – VT – UCLA – a bounce back on her full today, a little larger bounce than usual – great position and power and yada yada yada as always. 9.825

Yamaoka – UB – OSU – toe on to maloney , hit – toe on to bail, a better vertical position today – some angles in these casts – giant full (late) to double tuck, small hop. Good. 9.800

Kramer – VT – UCLA – a smaller shuffle forward on her Y1.5, and then another little step to salute – the knees, but mostly solid. 9.825

Lowery – UB – OSU – toe on with some elbows into maloney to pak, good height on pak – late cast 1/2 on low – DLO is beautiful, stuck. 9.875

Poston – VT – UCLA – short on her handspring pike 1/2 today, chest well down with a hop forward. 9.775

Bird – UB – OSU – stalder to bail, nice toe point on bail – short rushed cast on high – hit tkatchev – next cast was better – FTDT, step back. 9.800

Wright – VT – UCLA – can’t control the landing on her Y1.5 with a huge bound forward and then another lunge. 9.700

Minyard – UB – OSU – some feet in her opening grip change – hit jaeger to ovshoot, legs togehter – short cast hs on high – DLO with a fake-stick salute. But good. 9.850

Hano – VT – UCLA – Y1.5 – big, good position in the air – medium hop forward. 9.850

Briscoe – UB – OSU – blind to jaeger, good toes – secure handstands – a bit short on bail – casts look nice – DLO, stuck landing. Pretty. 9.950 is quite enthusiastic though.

Ross – VT – UCLA – small hop to the side on her Y1.5 today, good – has the form of course, strong performance – 9.875. Not different enough comparatively to reward position in the air.

Gill – UB – OSU – toe on to maloney, good legs together there, loses them with a straddle into pak – a bit short cast 1/2 on low – good final cast hs – DLO, holds the stick. Another nice one. Good rotation. 9.925 also rather high.

UCLA 49.150 for a mostly eh vault rotation, no sticks. Lots of hops.

Oregon State’s 49.400 on bars keeps hope alive for a strong 196 after all. Nice recovery and some really strong DLO landings.

After 2: UCLA 98.475, Oregon State 98.125

We’re profiling Kyla Ross on floor – despite the fact that she’s not doing floor today.

Meanwhile Lauren Bridgens just did a fab bars routine for Penn State with a stuck double back.

Rotation 3

Nia Dennis??? The internet??? Viral??? What is this new world we live in.

Davis – BB – OSU – aerial, some knees, a lean into back tuck in combination, so opening up the possibility to be unhappy with that combo – split jump to double stag, small check – kickover, another very small adjustment – front gainer full, holds the stick with a little teeter. 9.800

Lashbrooke – FX – UCLA – she started dancing to that music like it was hers but…it wasn’t?…but it was…? – double tuck, slide back – back 1.5 to layout – split leap full to popa, good positions – double pike, chest down. 9.825.

Peterson – BB – OSU – in the beam lineup today – full turn is smooth – switch 1/2, a bit tight on split – split jump to straddle 3/4, secure – bhs bhs loso, solid – gainer pike, littel step. Good one. Realistic option. 9.850

Andres – FX – UCLA – 2.5 to front tuck and takes it OOB with a step – switch side to popa, good split positions, overturns the switch side – double tuck, good shape, slide back – rudi, some chest position, more secure. 9.700

Lowery – BB – OSU – bhs loso, secure landing this week – switch to split to straddle 1/4, back leg on the middle one – split jump 1/2 from side, also secure, also some split position – cat leap to side aerial, check – punch front lay full, stuck. Good. 9.875

Tratz – FX – UCLA – just the double pike first pass, controlled – switch ring to split full – back 1.5 to front full, sits it down, so the Andres OOB will count – double tuck, chest well down.

Domingo – BB – OSU – aerial to back tuck, smoothly done, secure elements – switch to stradle to split jump 3/4, back leg on the switch – full turn, small correction – gainer full, stuck. Nice as well. 9.825

Hano – FX – UCLA – DLO is secure, chest a bit down – front full to half is well done – split leap full to wolf jump full – Amanda, please don’t say fiesta when you’re that white – double pike, small foot adjustment. But a good one. 9.850

Gill – BB – OSU – split jump to stag ring, hit – aerial, small hesitation between that and the bhs – switch 1/2 to split jump, not to 180 in those positions – gainer full. 9.825

Dennis – FX – UCLA – front loso through to double tuck, steps out of it again but shows a bit more control before that than last week – split leap full to split jump full to straigth jump full, good positions, does overturn that final one a little – front full to front layout, manages to keep it in bounds with a tiptoe shuffle – rudi to split jump, good control today. The middle pass had a deduction this time but the first and last pass were better. 9.925

Note that one of the reasons Dennis went viral with her last routine is that Bart and Kathy didn’t chatter through the entire thing. I’m all for giving analysis and talking through boring routines, but if you want to MAKE VIRAL happen…you don’t do it with jabbering.

Madi Dagen very solid on her loso series – side aeiral to full, stuck

Kramer – FX – UCLA – front 2/1 to front pike, a little short this week – back 1.5 to layout to shushunova, strong – switch side to popa, a bit indistinct in positions – rudi to stretch jump – just a little lower on a couple of her passes than usual today. 9.925

Both teams go 49.250 on their third events.

After 3: UCLA 147.725, Oregon State 147.325

UCLA’s current performance is a mixture of being kind of flat this week and an absence of last week’s crack. Will need to pick things up on beam to make this a useful 197. Oregon State can get to the higher 196s if floor goes as expected.

Rotation 4

G Glenn – BB – UCLA – bhs loso series, clean position, did well to avoid and cover a correction there – aerial to split jump, very comfortable – switch to split, perfect – gainer full, little bounce. 9.925.

Peterson – FX – OSU – double tuck, secure, not the chest-uppiest – front lay to front full is under control – switch 1/2 to popa, some front leg on switch, good popa – double pike, pulls it in, bounce back. 9.825

Sakti – BB – UCLA – standing loso loso was most secure it has been since week 1 – switch to split, a bit of back leg there – side somi with a bit of a lean – side aerial to full, holds the stick with a balance check. 9.850

Bird – FX – OSU – front lay to rudi to straddle, good control, just a bit soft in inital front lay – nice switch 1/2 to popa, good extension – 2.5, controls the step out, some leg crossing. 9.875

Flatley – BB – UCLA – aerial (some knees) to back pike, secure, just fast enough for combination – side aerial, pretty, smooth – L turn to split jump to beat jump is quite strong – bhs 1.5, stuck. Very strong. 9.900

Force – FX – OSU – double pike, control issue on the landing, step back and a little uncertain on it – front lay to front full, some knee position – double tuck, short landing with a hop forward. 9.800

Shapiro – BB – UCLA – switch to switch, back leg on both – bhs bhs loso series, super solid, good positions on that one – side aerial to full, hop back. Good. 9.875. Her score being that close to Flatley’s is……sure something.

M Dagen – FX – OSU – front 2/1 with a lunge out – switch 1/2 to popa combo is solidly done – frotn lay to front full, another little shuffle out, keeps it in bounds – double pike, front foot under control there. 9.900

Hano – BB – UCLA – bhs to lay-pike, small slide back, mostly controlled – switch 1/2, OK, some some feet – switch to split is better – 1.5, hop forward. 9.850

Lowery – FX – OSU – punch front 2/1, there is a crossover step but it’s pretty under control – back 1.5 to layout, a little short this week, tries to sell the landing – split leap full to popa, shortish on split leap – rudi, a tad steppy – not her most controlled landings today but good. Still goes 9.900, which is her usual score.

Ross – BB – UCLA – bhs loso, smooth and strong – switch ring to beat jump, nailed – aerial to beat, also excellent – side aerial to full, holds the landing with a little hesitation. Another 9.975 for her.

The last thing we need is TV commentators lobbying for even higher scores.

Yanish – FX – OSU – solid control on her DLO this week – front full to layout, solid, some legs in twisting – double tuck, a little movement of front foot. Strong showing.

UCLA arrived on beam there for 49.525 but the total is 197.250, which is not really what they’re looking for from meet totals at this point.

Yanish’s 9.950 gets Oregon State to 196.825 after all, which is about what they were looking for and did not seem likely after that first rotation.

That score will be enough to keep UCLA in third regardless of what Utah does tomorrow. Oregon State moves up to #14 for the moment, ahead of Auburn, Missouri, and Arkansas. Arkansas and Nebraska will find themselves outside the top 16 in Monday’s rankings.