Thursday, February 11	Scores	Stream
1:00pm ET/10:00am PT – [7] Denver @ West Virginia	LINK	ESPN+
2:00pm ET/11:00am PT – Northern Illinois @ Central Michigan	LINK	ESPN+

It’s going to be another make-it-work day for Denver as only a limited roster made the trip to West Virginia. They say five people didn’t make the trip.

The news of the day so far is that Iowa State has pulled out of Metroplex for COVID things.

Rotation 1

Kianna Yancey – VT – WVU – struggles on a full – short landing, chest down and a lunge forward. 9.550

Ruiz – Ub – DU – giant full to tkatchev, hit – looks a bit short in some casts – bail, fine – good final cast hs on high – DLO, slightly piking, very good stick. 9.825

Waldron – VT – WVU – hits a solid full, medium bounce back, some pike throughout, good amplitude. 9.775

Oh, Casali and Hutchinson in the bars lineup today, so a different group available this week than last week, and six whole gymnasts.

Thompson – UB – DU – piked jaeger, good – slight hip angle on cast and her bail handstand to follow – arches final cast but pulls it back – DLO, small hop in place. Some improvement over last week.

Lewis – VT – WVU – nice height on her yfull, not the most distance but gets up there – medium slide back, small pike. 9.750

Long waits for bars score. Commentator said a 9.9 from one judge for Thompson, which would be quite high. Ends up at 9.800 which makes more sense.

Casali – UB – DI – toe on to maloney to bail, good legs on maloney, small looseness in back on bail – finishes DLO, great height, stuck. 9.850

Pierson – VT – WVU – comfortable full, good combination of distance and height – bounce back, again small pike. 9.800

Hutchinson – Ub – DU – maloney to pak, some legs/feet on pak – hesitation on 1/2 turn on low, ends up a little late – arch in hb handstand but also pulls it back – DLO landing, nearly held stick, step-salute. 9.775

Linnen – VT – WVU – y1/2, hit, lunge forward, some initial pike in the air. 9.725

Glynn – UB – DU – clear hip to gienger, great form – small arch on cast hs, pulls it back – clean bail, good toes and vertical – final cast out of frame – FTDT took it really close to the bar but survived, lunge back. 9.725. Got her on that dismount for close and the lunge.

Holmes-Hackerd – VT – WVU – adds back in the full – large straddle initiating the twist – lunge back, 9.675

Brown – UB – DU – shortish first hs – maloney to pak, good amplitude of course – van leeuwen, solid – nice cast hs on high bar – DLO, super floaty, hop back. Good.

48.725 for WVU slightly down on the vault scores from the last two weeks. Still waiting on the last Denver bars scores.

Brown goes 9.875 to take Denver to 49.125

After 1: Denver 49.125, West Virginia 48.725

Kind of a fakeout there from Denver with the rosters because that was close to a first-choice bars group, but not a first-choice bars score as 49.125 is their lowest bars number for the season. Not bad work though, some arched handstands, some later non-sticks. Would have wanted a score from Glynn, but otherwise.

Julia just told us that the cancer awareness meet is “a time to have fun” which she’ll probably regret later.

Rotation 2

Casali – VT – DU – hits a full, better than last time, medium hop back – some pike, solid distance, not the highest. 9.725

Abarca – Ub – WVU – giant full to gienger, high, loses legs at the end – bail, hits vertical, solid toe point – giant full to double tuck, stuck landing, solid. 9.800

Ruiz – VT – DU – hits full, not very very strongest, came in a little short, hop forward. 9.750

Combs – UB – WVU – maloney with leg break into pak, some straddle as well – a bit late on 1/2 turn on low bar – solid final cast hs – giant full, late into double tuck, finds the stick, somewhat deep. 9.800

Vasquez – VT – DU – a bit larger on the lunge back out of her full – has to take a small second step as well because the lunge was large, pretty high, some piking. 9.725

Hornung – UB – WVU – good jaeger distance, some feet – solid vertical position on her bail, good – a bit rushed in final cast – front giant 1/2, double tuck, stuck, nice. 9.725 seems tight? SV?

Glynn – VT – DU – Tsuk full, gets it around, comes in deeper with a bounce back. 9.725

Holmes-Hackerd – UB – WVU – blind to jaeger, takes it too far, falls. Resumes but doesn’t redo the jaeger. finishes giant full to double tuck, lunge back

Hutchinson – VT – DU – best landing on full so far, only small movement – has the height, not some much distance, straddles on the block and a little pike. 9.800

We see one judge post a 9.4 SV and 8.6 for Holmes-Hackerd, and they’ll chat.

Denver could really use a Lynnzee Brown special in the final spot because the landings haven’t been there so far.

Brown – VT – OOOH COOL WE MISSED IT BECAUSE WE WERE SEEING PEOPLE CLAP IN THE STANDS.

Yancey – Ub – WVU – very short first cast – toe on to maloney to pak, some leg breaks – hesitation in cast handstand on low – pulls it out – DLO 1/1, some piking, lunge back. Will get hit in the score but got through. 9.725. Could have been lower, so they’ll take that.

Apparently Brown got 9.850 on vault. Not that we saw it.

Denver 48.850 on vault. Lots of lungies, not ideal. Will be sub-196 pace after two. Can certainly pull that well back on the last two events, but no room for error in quest for good score.

Norris – UB – WVU – blind, just does get her hand over – hits piked jaeger, really struggles on cast hs out of it – hits bail – solid final cast hs – DLO, but has to tuck the second salto so credit will get interesting – step forward. Can’t give that DLO credit. Gets 9.700

WVU goes 48.750 on bars which is a bit of a get out of jail free card as those last two routines could have gone a lot lower.

After 2: Denver 97.975, West Virginia 97.475

Rotation 3

Holmes-Hackerd – BB – WVU – signature attitude turn – cat leap to aerial to back tuck, a little slow in aerial connection but strong elements – cat leap to switch to straddle 1/4, short of position on both split elements – punch front tuck full, stuck. 9.700

Ruiz – FX – DU – double pike, very good control – if you ask, “What does a controlled step back on landing actually mean?” it’s that first pass – switch side to popa to popa, gets up to position, overturns initial switch side some – front tuck through to double tuck, somewhat low, hop to present. 9.775

Pierson – BB – WVU – standing front tuck to wolf – a little deep but solid – bhs lay-pike, not tooo much pike, secure landing – switch to back pike, solid, short back leg on switch – punch front tuck full, stuck. 9.750

Thompson – FX – DU – double pike, also very solid landing – switch side to popa, not the highest but OK – front lay to rudi, good straight position in lay, some crossed legs in rudi – 3/1 was kind of under this time with a lunge back. 9.775

Hornung – BB – WVU – wolf turn “unique skill” – cat leap to aerial to one-arm bhs, smooth combo, tucks legs in one-arm bhs – switch to split to beat, solid switch position, a little short on split jump but best leaps so far – layout 1.5 dismount, lunge forward/sideward. 9.700

Casali – FX – DU – piked full in, nearly showed a stick but then had a leg-up balance check about it – switch 1/2 to wolf full, a little bouncy – 2.5 to front tuck, pops right up into that front tuck, stuck – 9.825

Kianna Yancey – BB – WVU – bhs loso loso, very secure, some knees in bhs but stronger in the losos – cat leap to switch, not bad – lay 1.5, nice distance and shape, large bounce forward. 9.775

Glynn – FX – DU – front kickover stepout through to double tuck, controls landing, solid – switch side to popa to popa, great split positions but some indistinct landing positions, closer to switch side 1/2 to straddle 1/2 to popa – double pike, lunge back but keeps front foot down well. 9.875

Linnen – BB – WVU – cat to aerial to bhs, very nice extension – cat leap to aerial again, works arms into straddle 1/4, high – arm wave correction moving out of it – beat to split 3/4 with a major break, lots of octopus impressions but keeps herself on the beam somehow – stuck front tuck full. 9.450

Hutchinson FX – DU – front 2/1, solid landing, small leg crossing – switch 1/2 to split full, good – 1.5 to layout, gets soft in the layout – rudi to straddle jump, good control on her jump out, 9,875

Asper – BB – WVU – bhs loso loso, secure – tries L turn but will get full turn credit, leg well short of horizontal – cat leap to switch to straddle 1/2, pretty solid extension – 1.5, stuck landing. Ditch that L turn and this is going to be a strong routine. 9.800

Brown – FX – DU – DLO, solid, chest up, pretty much holds her foot down – switch 1/2 to wolf full, good height, clear finishing positions – 1.5 to layout to split, very clean – double pike, solid, slide back. Good one.

Another 48.725 for West Virginia on beam. Denver will have its best rotation score of the day so far once Brown’s score comes in.

9.950 for Brown—so would have been control on that last pass away from a 10?—and a 49.300 for Denver on floor. Floor started meh this season, so this is better.

After 3: Denver 147.275, West Virginia 146.200

Isabel Mabanta in beam lineup alert.

Rotation 4

Brown – BB – DU – kickover to bhs, solid – good full turn – switch to split, solid, just a little short on split – aerial to wolf, comfortable again – gainer full, stuck. 9.800. Identical routine she did for 9.925 last week, for comparison on scoring.

Linnen – FX – WVU – rudi to loso, travels very far horizontally right into the corner, stays in – switch ring to split full, bounce – front 2/1, pulls it around, pretty controlled step forward. 9.850

Thompson – BB – DU – side aerial to loso, strong control and amplitude, just some feet – switch to switch, short back leg on first switch – side aerial to layout full, stuck. 9.775

Holmes-Hackerd – FX – WVU – double tuck, chest up, small slide back – split leap full to popa, pretty popa, a little short on split full – front lay to front full, controlled step – double pike, medium bounce back. 9.800

Schlottman – BB – DU – bhs loso hit, solid knee extension, slightly tight in hips – switch to split leap 3/4, controls it, some knees – side aerial, nicely done – bhs gainer full, nearly shows stick, hop forward. 9.775

Yancey – FX – WVU – double pike, small hop, chest down slightly – split leap full to popa, got crooked on both elements, angled splits – 1.5 to 1/2 to double stag, the 1/2 turn got a little low and piked – double tuck, solid. 9.800

Ruiz – BB – DU – hitch kick to switch side, crooked split position – bhs loso, loses her knees, secure landing – small arm wave correction full turn, very small – side aerial to split jump, low side aerial into solid split position – gainer pike, small hop back. 9.800

Hornung – FX – WVU – double pike, good lift, feet, chest a little down – back 1.5 to layout, hits it, a flatter pass – switch ring to switch side to popa – 1.5 to front pike, comes up short on pike and has to take a step back. We see a 9.650 for one judge, with a 9.9 start and a UTL. Doesn’t have two different D elements in routine?

Mabanta – BB – DU – hit wolf turn – bhs loso series, lovely extension, lean correction – through to split leap and it’s real – switch 1/2 to split jump, amazing positions, lands with one foot nearly off, another small check – side aerial to full, stuck. Tremendous. 9.825

Combs – FX – WVU – front tuck through to double pike, takes it too far, lunge back and OOB – switch side to wolf full to popa, excellent leap series, hits positions, gets high, lands in correct spot – double tuck, good control. 9.775

Vasquez – BB – DU – bhs loso series, very nice, extended – switch 1/2 and does the split jump this time to get her dance combo – controls her y spin – sissone, good – side aerial to full, stuck. Pretty as always. 9.900

Pierson – FX – WVU – big DLO, can’t keep her front foot down, but chest up landing – front lay to front full, good layout – switch side to wolf full, good feet – double tuck, solid. Good one. 9.900

So, Denver finishes with 196.375. That’s their 4th-best score this year and probably won’t stick around for NQS, though we did see more complete and competitive lineups today, and I would say this was a stronger actuall overall performance than last week’s 196.725, the score difference all down to the judging, which I think was pretty solid today as a whole. I mean, I had some issues, obviously, but by comparison to usual. I’m on board with today’s beam judging.

But if you’re in the mood for some bonkers judging, feel free to switch over to CMU’s meet. I am perplexed. That first NIU bars rotation had three separate .150 ranges.

West Virginia goes 195.325 after a good floor rotation for a seasion high. I’ve evended up seeing WVU a few times this season, and this was definitely the best floor.