On this fine and terrible Saturday, let’s check in with Arizona State’s visit to #1 Michigan and Denver’s visit to Ohio State.

ASU/Michigan: Scores, BTN+
Denver/OSU: Scores, BTN+

In score watch, Michigan will need to go 197.150 to stay ahead of Utah this week following Utah’s drubbing of a beam-fallsy Oklahoma last night (with Florida still to compete tomorrow). Michigan will also aim to retake the title of top score in the country, which now belongs to Utah with that 197.775. Denver, meanwhile, will be looking for 197.075 today to move ahead of Oklahoma in the week 2 rankings.

According to the live scores, Natalie Wojcik already has a 10.275 on vault.

Touch warmup has started at Michigan. This is the prompt behavior we like to see.

Rotation 1

Michigan meet underway first, so we’ll start there.

Guggino – VT – Michigan – Y1.5, does not have the landing this time, just a little short but that caused a lunge back and an additional step. 9.700

Redmond – UB – ASU – blind with some legs into jaeger, good height, a little soft – bail, angle on catch – shortish cast hs on high – DLO, chest down with a hop forward. Solid start, gave away a bunch of .05s but fine. 9.750

Wojcik – VT – Michigan – gorgeous Y1.5 with a stick. OK there. And it goes 9.975. She has the dynamics for it. Would like a better angle to see it though. Our angle looked a little soft in the knees but it’s not usually for her.

Samiley – UB – ASU – short first hs but good toe point – 1/2 to jaeger to overshoot, pretty, good amplitude throughout combo – short hs will get her but lots of potential here – DLO, shuffle back. 9.825

Heiskell – VT – Michigan – another lovely 1.5, medium size hop forward. 9.925

Theodorou – UB – ASU – good first hs – toe 1/2 to jaeger, floaty – toe on to bail, small leg break – hitting cast hs well – DLO, straddles the first salto and has to pike the second with a little hop, great until the dismount.

Morrison – VT – Michigan – nails her Y1.5 landing as well – very strong. Lands just a little crooked, but held the landing well. Annnd another 9.975. I wouldn’t have gone 10 there because of that landing stagger.

Mangahas – UB – ASU – piked jaeger to overshoot, nicely done – short cast hs on high – FTDT, holds the landing. Solid.

Brooks – VT – Michigan – she has a large bound forward on her Y1.5. 9.800

White – UB – ASU – van leeuwen, legs together pretty well – does a giant 1/2 on high bar that is late of verticla – into bail – DLO, a little short, step. Not wild about the composition with that Russia-style orphan 1/2 turn, but she didn’t gave away too much. 9.825

Wilson – VT – Michigan – She finds the landing on her Y1.5 – it’s like an alternating thing – hers was a little deep so she had to slide back. So just a 9.950 there you know.

OK deep break Michigan just went 49.625 on VT with a counting 9.800.

Scharf – UB – ASU – maloney into pak, some leg separation on both – a little crooked on 1/2 turn on low – FTDT, high, shuffle back

So a huge vault rotation for Michigan. I had a couple legit 9.950s in there, not as…you know…enthused as the judges. But they stepped up the landings over last week. If I’m going back and counting I think I had 49.450-49.500.

It’s 49.225 on bars for Arizona State, which is overshadowed by the Michigan score but they’ll be pleased with those numbers. No one gave away huge things, mostly just little messies.

Denver and Ohio State has only just now started, Ruiz leading off bars for Denver with a nice DLO to finish.

Hands down on a yfull from Colby Miller for Ohio State, which means they’re already counting 9.550.

Some really awesome closeup of Sydney Jennings’ blurry hands on the vault. Blurry! 9.700! Would like to see more resolution!

Rotation 2 is up for Michigan/ASU

Heiskell – UB – Michigan – good first hs – blind slightly crooked to jaeger, a hairrr close and then her pak got kind of funky in the air, saved it but I wonder if it was too high? Leg form. Finishes with her normal pretty full to double tuck, but shouldn’t be a higher score for her. 9.875 still, which is high for me there.

Jaslow – VT – ASU – bounce back on Yfull, a little pike, nice. 9.800

Brenner – UB – Michigan – shortish first hs – good jaeger to overshoot – DLO, little slide back. Solid. 9.875

Samiley – VT – ASU – round off full on back pike, gets it around, chest pretty far forward. 9.750

Morrison – UB – Michigan – rushes first hs a little – great position on piked gienger – clear hip to bail, some hip angle on catch – not quite as crisp in the hs positions as the others – DLO is higgggh, step back. 9.825

Mangahas – VT – ASU – has to sell the landing on her Yfull some, chest forward and a hop and pulls her chest up as quickly as possible.

Wilson – UB – Michigan – blind to piked jaeger, a little close on jaeger, good hs afterward – bail, holdddds that handstand well, could have easily hone over the wrong way – not her best cast hs today – DLO, lunge back. Things to take. 9.800

Scharf – VT – ASU – best vault by a tonnn for ASU – good open on her Yfull, controls the landing –

Brooks – UB – Michigan – good first hs – blind to piked jaeger, solid – toe on to bail, like Wilson she almost has too much arch but holds onto her bail vertical – DLO 1/1, bounce back. Not a lot to take until the tenth on dismount landing. 9.875

Theodorou – VT – ASU – Servente and it’s very nice – that vault is so in – good amplitude and chest position – bounce back. 9.900

Lynnzeee Brown alert at Denver – shap to pak is great – loses her leg form slightly on the van leeuwen today – DLO is huge, hop forward.

Wojcik – UB – Michigan – toe on to deltchev to overshoot, great – strong cast hs on high – DLOnot her highest DLO but found the landing savvily to hold the stick. 9.950.

Wojcik helps Michigan to 49.400 on bars to keep them over 198 pace through two events. Not quite at the level of vault, more form things in a few of those routines, but when you have Wojcik, it’s going to come out as a strong score. Vore in exhibition, good dismount, but the bail was not going to make it into this lineup right now.

ASU goes 49.075 on vault, which again they’ll take. Some iffy moments early, but Scarf showed a pretty full and Theodorou will get some big scores with that vault. Compared to McCallum doing the same vault last night, Theodorou had more amplitude and crisper position but McCallum had more landing control.

Helpfully, both our meets are in a rotation break right now.

Denver got 9.850 for Brown on bars to go 49.100, which is not quite the pace they wanted, but is ahead of Ohio State’s 48.825 on vault.

At Michigan, it’s Michigan 99.025, Arizona State 98.300 after two. Arizona State also over mid-196 pace through two, which would be a great start if maintained.

Rotation 3 – Michigan/ASU

Guggino – BB – Michigan – full turn, hit – bhs loso series, small lean on landing and then an arm wave to bring it under control – split jump to split 1/2, larger break there with a bend and another arm wave – cat leap to side somi is more secure – bhs 1.5, step forward. Gave away a bit too much there. 9.675

Jaslow – FX – ASU – double pike, solid landing – front lay to front full, controls step forward, some legs in the layout – switch side was fabbbb, got a little lower in the popa – double tuck, collapses a little in the knees but works it out. 9.825

Denver adds Iwai to the vault line for 9.750 today.

Wilson – BB – Michigan – hitch kick like her life depends on it – bhs loso series is way off and falls, so high and soooo off line – Michigan counting the 9.675 now – split and split series, I like that they ditched the side split because it didn’t work for her. Double tuck is strong, step back.

Marcheli – FX – ASU – double tuck, secure landing but chest well down – split leap full to split jump full, back leg low on the jump – 1.5 to front full, gets very crooked on that combo and can’t get it to her feet – all the cool kids are falling on their second routine of the rotation, y’all.

Morrison – BB – Michigan – holds candle mount well – bhs loso series, arm wave on landing but works through it – cat leap to switch 1/2, leg-up check – full turn, holds it to prevent overturning – she’s tentative but avoiding large errors – another little arm wave on side jump – gainer pike dismount stuck. 9.825.

For Denver, Mundell lands somewhat short on her Y1.5 this week and has to jump back to save the landing, 9.750.

Thompson – FX – ASU – double tuck is well short, saved it for no fall but a large lunge forward – double pike, chest also forward but not as much, still steps forward again – 1.5 to layout, has to tuck the layout pretty significantly to get it around. 9.625, actually thought it would be lower. Oh big split. 9.500 and 9.750. I’m with 9.500.

Brooks – BB – Michigan – bhs loso loso series is wonderful – switch too switch, hits it, perhaps a little looseness in the back leg on the second switch – kickover front, litttttle lean movement walking out of it – bhs 1.5, bounce forward. 9.825

White – FX – ASU – front 2/1, a littel under, steps to the side – switch ring to ring 1/2, which gets low in the front leg – a little low on final combo pass but controlled.

Brown on vault for Denver – also comes up a little short on her Y1.5, step back and some soft knees in there today.

Heiskell – BB – Michigan – cat leap to side aerial, holds without a check with some quick arms – switch to switch, nice, keeps her extension on both elements – bhs loso series, holds that one as well – full turn, squeeeeeeze – 1.5, floaty. 9.925

Berger anchors bars for Ohio State with some nice extension on her maloney to bail, has the toe point, small leg breaks here and there. giant full to  stuck double tuck. 9.850

Theodorou – VT – ASU – full in, chest pretty far down, controls the landing – split leap full to wolf jump full to wolf jump 3/4ish?, starts to get out of control toward the end of the combo – 1.5 to layout, a little low on the second element –

Wojcik – BB – Michigan – aerial to beat jump, lovely – switch to split jump, hits her 180s – bhs bhs loso, also secure – lots of arm waving between final element and dismount – 1.5 dismount, again someone manages the stick despite not having the height she wanted, which you could take, legs apart. Another 9.975 for Wojcik.

Scarf – FX – ASU – front tuck through to double tuck, solid, chest a little forward – double pike, bounce back, solid chest position – switch 1/2 to wolf full wolf full, keeps it under control, a little short on swithc position.

Michigan’s rotation score saved by Wojcik again for 49.225, though that rotation did little to assuage the feeling that beam will be the question mark nail biter for Michigan this season.

Denver went 49.050 on vault to sit on 98.150 after two events. Ohio State picked up a little ground with a 49.075 on bars.

OK Isabel Mabanta on floor for Denver just did a ring 1/2 that was….pretty? It was pretty. Like I didn’t want to immediately barf after seeing it, and I don’t know what to do with this experience. Long wait for her score. Did the judges also die of shock?

Miller is second up on beam for Ohio State after 9.700 for Schweitzer. bhs loso and a CRASH of a fall as she slips off. Think it was more just jarring than scary as a fall, but that was a CRASH.

Rotation 4 – Michigan/ASU

Thompson – BB – ASU – bhs bhs and falls, off line and couldn’t connect – cat leap to switch side, a little low but hit, small correction afterward – side aerial to full, holds the landing, piked in the air.

Heiskell – FX – Michigan – double arabian is well landed – 1.5 to layout, clean, controls step – switch 1/2 to wolf jump full, shows clear landing positions – double pike, comfortable. Good. 9.925 OK now. Man, if it had been one of her good bars days.

Marcheli – BB – ASU – candle mount, held comfortably and longggg – wolf double gets teetery but hits it – side aerial to bhs and somehow makes that into a hit series despite the fact that I think her foot folded in half at one point? – 1.5 dismount, good stick. 9.800

OMG we’re still waiting on the floor score for Denver.

Brenner – FX – Michigan – full in, hit, chest down – 1.5 to layout – switch side to popa is a little bouncy and didn’t show super clear landing positions, overturning the switch side – double pike, hit. 9.950 is too high.

Michigan’s like, hi we’re Oklahoma now bye.

Jaslow – BB – ASU – side aerial to side position ish? Leans and keeps it on the beam. Bhs loso series, secure – switch to straddle 1/2, nice – cat leap to side aerial to full, stuck. 9.825

Wojcik – FX – Michigan – double pike, bounce back, possible OOB but it was out of frame – split leap and straddle positions are ideal – front 2/1 to front pike, good amplitude and extension – rudi to straddle jump, nice control. Beautiful. Just the first landing that got her and will keep this from being an all-time AA performance. 9.775, and she did go OOB.

White – BB – ASU – bhs loso series, secure landing – aerial, a little bit of knee bending, connected to beat jump – split jump to stag ring, nice – side aerial to full, hop back. 9.875

Morrison – FX – Michigan – full in very good, legs together, chest up, controls the step – front lay to front 2/1, solidly landed as well – switch 1/2 to wolf full, huge – double tuck, chest a bit down, another secure landing. Judges left themselves no room to reward this or separate it. 9.950.

Redmond – BB – ASU – bhs loso series, lean and a little step – pulls aroudn wolf double – split and sheep jump, little pause in between if the judges feel harsh, which they have not been today – whhhattt happened to her on dismount? – I believe the idea was a switch leap to running gainer pike? But she got off line and it ended up being one of the weirder dismount I’ve ever seen? 9.575 somehow.

Brooks – FX – Michigan – full in, nailed landing – front tuck through to double tuck, little bounce – split leap and split jump are excellent – double pike, great landing. 9.925. You had to take for the double tuck landing, but…this was still the best one…

Nice loso series and side somi for Scharf on beam in the final spot for ASU. Switch to split, hit – 1.5 dismount, hop. They’ll get to drop that 8 at least.

Wilson – FX – Michigan – open full in is a little short, step forward – front lay to front full, comfortable – switch side to popa, huge amplitude – double tuck, pops to salute quickly to cover that her chest was a ltitle forward. 9.950. Why not.

Michigan goes 49.700 on floor, which ties a program record and brings the total to 197.950, which is also tied for the 5th-best Michigan score of all time.

Michigan may have won a national championship last year, but this is perhaps the moment Michigan truly arrived as a famous team. Only famous teams get home floor rotations scored like that. It was well done, but also come on. That’s multiple tenths too high.

Elsewhere, Lynnzee Brown with a very strong DLO on floor, good control – 1.5 to front layout to sissone, clean, under control – switch ring to switch 1/2 – double pike, nice, keeps front foot down.

9.900 for Lynnzee Brown. You know, because I definitely watched that and thought, this is worse than the five counting floor routines for Michigan.

FINAL: Michigan 197.950, Arizona State 196.275

That’s also a really useful opening score for Arizona State, especially considering how much trouble they had on beam and floor.

After three rotations, Denver is on 147.225, Ohio State on 146.775. Also, why is this meet a full rotation behind?

Rotation 4 – Denver/OSU

Brown – BB – Denver – kickover front, works quickly into bhs – switch to split, nice positions, which have steadily improved during her college career – aerial, good front leg position, connects to wolf jump – gainer full. Strong. 9.925. OK the scores just got here from Michigan I guess.

Gonzales – FX – Ohio State – double pike, chest forward, little bounce, good height – front lay to front full, controls the step – wolf double and a full cover roll out of it to make Paseka proud – 1.5 to layout, hit, a little low on layout. 9.725

Schlottman – BB – Denver – bhs loso series, hit, little arm wave and some tight hip position – switch to split 3/4, gets it around – side aerial, hit, some soft knees here and there but nothing big – gainer full, stuck. Solid work. 9.775

These floor score delays. My god.

Warga – FX – Ohio St – 2.5 to punch front, a little bouncy but good height – switch 1/2 to wolf full is solid – ends with a front 2/1, it gets crazy on landing with a fairly large lunge as she wrenches it around, but she stayed on her feet. 9.725

Mabanta – BB – Denver – bhs loso series, lovely – swtich 1/2 to split, yes, correct – bhs to 1.5, stuck landing. Awesome. I would have that rise on Brown’s score. 9.950.

Hlavach – FX – Ohio St – nice height on her piked full in, bounce back – 1.5 to front layout, I like her clear and crisp layout shape on that layout – switch side through to split leap full to popa, not bad on the popa even as third element, a little soft on split full – double tuck, very secure landing. Pretty work. 9.800 is actually low for me compared to the nation for that routine. Fair because of that first pass landing, but we see higher for worse routines.

Ruiz – BB – Denver – hitch kick to switch side, comfortable – bhs loso series, hit, covers with a definitely-meant-to step back – full turn slightly tentative – side aerial to split, hit – gainer pike, shuffle back. Fine. 9.825

Edwards – FX – Ohio St – double pike, lovvveee how she opens out of that, but a bounce back – 1.5 to front layout, can’t control the step out with a possible OOB – switch side to popa – double tuck, very secure landing. Had some landing errors on the first two passes but lots of ability there. 9.875

Thompson – BB – Denver – side aerial to loso with a holding-her-second leg up adjustment – switch to switch, not the highest split positions but OK – side aerial to full, stuck. 9.900 is high for me for the loso error.

Hankins – FX – Ohio St – full in, lands short with a lunge forward – front lay to 1/2 to split jump is simple but clean – switch ring to split leap full, around clearly – double tuck, chest up well, a little slide back.

Mundell – BB – Denver – great amplitude on her bhs loso series, but a pretty large break, leg up around horizontal – switch to switch 1/2, again great element execution but a larger balance break, leg flying up and twisting to the side – side aerial, arm wave correction, smaller but still a correction – 1.5, slide back. That will be the drop. 9.500.

Denver still goes 49.375 for a rotation with some standout sets from Brown and Mundell. That takes the total to 196.600, which won’t be quite what they wanted but is certainly fine for this point int he season.

Gagliardi – FX – Ohio St – front lay to rudi, controls landing, – switch side to popa, high, overturns the switch side somewhat – “she’s giving you facials” – double pike, deeper landing, lunge back. 9.800

Ohio State ends up 195.750, which is an upgrade on last week’s performance against Arkansas.

Well, that does it for this session of meets. I’m sufficiently dead of scores, as per the prophecy.