I’ll mainly be following the Minnesota/Illinois meet today but also checking in on the rescheduled Arkansas meet, which runs simultaneously. Oklahoma’s meet has been rescheduled to follow, though it’s still unclear whether the same Bally Sports broadcast that was planned for Friday will be in effect for today’s meet. Denver’s meet is on a school-specific subscription and even I am not messing with that.

For those keeping track at home and weeping, we’re at 22 tens for the season so far, and by my count the record for tens at this point in the season is 23. So I guess that’s what we’re shooting for today. Ha ha. Ha.

Scores and streams

Is Arkansas’s lineup telling us that Bailey Lovett is vaulting? I didn’t know that was one of the choices. Ah, now it’s Emma Kelley. The scoreboard has Lovett in the first spot.

Still waiting on Illinois to start, so let’s begin with Arkansas. Kelley hits a yfull, medium bounce back, legs apart in the air. 9.775.

Maxwell – UB – SEMO – clear hip to tkatchev, form but solid – overshoot, probably not getting handstand credit there if she was going for it – giant full to double tuck, step back. 9.425

Pennese – VT – Arkansas – lands chest down on her yfull with a lunge forward, better amplitude, but the short landing will take away the score. Still 9.750.

Albrecht – UB – SEMO – toe on to maloney, some legs, connected to overshoot – short final cast hs – giant full, not bad, into double tuck, short, large lunge forward. 9.475

Smith – VT – Arkansas – nice position and height on yfull, bounce back, just a bit of foot flexing. 9.850. So they just took a tenth for the landing.

Webb – UB – SEMO – toe on to blind to jaeger, solid amplitude – bail, legs apart – cleaner vertical positions than the first two – giant full to double tuck, stuck. Good. 9.825

Elswick – VT – Arkansas – very nice yfull, opens up, good position, bounce back. Will have to take a tenth, but if Smith was 9.850 this one will have to be as well. Or 9.900, which is what she gets. That was a tenth landing for me, but you know. It was better than Smith’s

Minnesota/Illinois starting now.

Why is this meet starting on bars instead of vault? Or both at the same time?

Mueller leads off for Illinois on vault, bounce back on her yfull, some knees.

Sedlacek hits a Y1.5 for Arkansas.

Takekawa – VT – Illinois – solid yfull overall, medium bounce back, better leg position. 9.825

Leneave – UB – Minnesota – hits tkatchev, arches a cast hs but brings it back – bail, catches with bent elbows and a small form break – FTDT, lunge back. 9.750

O’Donnell – VT – Illinois – good control on her yfull, small step to the side, chest forward on landing. 9.825

Little crossover step for Kennedy Hambrick on her Y1.5 for Arkansas.

Willmarth –  UB – Minnesota – good first hs – Ray, close catch, elbows – nice cast hs – bail, very good position – casts look vertical – giant full to double tuck, stuck. That’s better. Pretty routine. 9.825 with a 9.750/9.900 split. Probably disagreed on severity of close Ray.

Nataraj pulls out a stuck Yfull for Illinois. 9.875

Loper – UB – Minnesota – maloney, fingertips but retains form, a bit of a low backswing – clean pak – shorter final cast hs – giant full to double tuck, little movement. Not her very cleanest but fine. 9.875

Powe -= VT – Illinois – good position and direction on yfull, bounce back . 9.850

Hooten – UB – Minnesota – blind to piked jaeger, great amplitude, but connects into overshoot  and catches way too close and piked and has to stop her routine – FTDT, small step. 9.250

Simons – VT – Illinois – best open position on her yfull, small step.

Ramler – UB – Minnesota – good first hs – maloney to pak to immediate clear hip – then casts to handstand, composition adjustment there – van leeuwen – good cast hs on bars – toe on, comes out a bit late – FTDT, lands with a slight a stagger. So not her best, still lovely.  9.875 for her.

Meanwhile, Arkansas went 49.300 on vault.

Scalzo opens bars for Arkansas – good stick on DLO. 9.900

A surprise out of Illinois with Illinois at 49.225 on vault to Minnesota’s 49.075 on bars. A sloppier rotation than Minnesota’s usual, and neither Loper nor Ramler had their best routines.

Maddie Jones is on bars for Arkansas this week, catches somewhat close on piked jaeger, good Pak, step back on DLO. 9.850. Smith follows her, maloney to bail is clean, DLO, small hop back. That’s her cleanest bars so far. 9.850 for her as well.

Hambrick 4th on bars – good first hs – blind, a bit short to piked jaeger, close on that and can’t really get overshoot, also close, has to stop against the bar and do 800 hip circles about it.

Kaziska – VT – SEMO – hits a yfull, bounce back and a second little shuffle, some pike. Good. 9.750

Shaffer – UB – Arkansas – toe on to maloney to bail, legs together throughout – a bit short on final cast hs – DLO, holds the stick, came in a little low and had to control. 9.925

Ockler – VT – SEMO – good amplitude on her yfull, larger bounce back – 9.750

O’Hara – UB – Arkansas – shortish first hs – makes same mistake as last time we saw her, can’t get her hand around on her blind change – gets off at an angle and peels off. So again that’s a counting mistake at what otherwise looked like it was on track to be a big 197 kind of day. Still could be a 197 honestly the way things are going. I.e. this rotation was still over 49 somehow.

Rotation 2 in Illinois

Jencks hits yfull, chest a bit forward with a bounce in place. 9.800

Borden – UB – Illinois – pretty toe point on jaeger into overshoot – rudi dismount, nearllly holds the stick, goes onto her heels for a bit, ultimately has to step into salute

Gerdes – VT – Minnesota – solid amplitude on yfull, bounce back. 9.850

Judges conference on start value over Borden. One judge had her at 9.9 start, the other on 10. They converge on 10, for a 9.7 final.

Mizuki – Ub – Illinois – small arch in first hs, pulls it back – piked jaeger, clow with elbows – bail, hit – giant full, some angle into double tuck, stuck. 9.700

Hooten vaults only a yfull today for Minnesota, pike and a chest down landing with a hop. That was odd. 9.775

O’Donnell – UB – blind, some angle into jaeger to overshoot, solid, some pike in overshoot – good final hs – giant full somewhat late into double tuck, step back. 9.750

Ramler – VT – Minnesota – hits y1.5, comes in shorter today and takes a slide back. 9.875

Ewald – UB – Illinois – blind to jaeger, comfortable – hits next cast hs – pak, very small leg break – 1/2 tuyrn on low, a bit short – solid final cast hs – FTDT, holds stick with an arm wave. 9.775

Quarles – VT – Minnesota – better landing on her y1.5, hop forward, some knees, but didn’t land short. 9.875

Gianfagna had a large break on beam for Arkansas leading off but pulled it back.

Takekawa – UB – Illinois – small arch in first hs – piked jaeger, hit – better next cast – bail hs, some hip angle – strong final cast hs – DLO takes it a little close to the bar, holds the landing, some pike in the air. 9.850

Loper – VT – Minnesota – doesn’t have the stick this week but a pretty y1.5, hop forward. 9.900

Knight – Ub  – Illinois – blind to piked jaeger, good height – bail, small leg separation, good vertical – giant full, a bit late into high double tuck, stuck. Nice. 9.875

So that’s 49.300 on vault for Minnesota, which is still a good score but not their best vaulting today either. Illinois 48.950 on bars, so Minnesota will take the lead by 2 tenths after vault.

Lovett holds on for Arkansas in the second spot on beam but did have a couple checks and a borderline-connected aerial to loso acro series. 9.775

Smith – BB – Arkansas – good candle mount position – swtich to straddle 1/4, short back leg on switch, straddle 1/4 looked good – bhs loso is solid – small hesitation working out of full turn – double tuck, chest a bit forward, small hop.

Sedlacek is 4th on beam for Arkansas and falls on a side somi, cannot hold it after squeeeezing, which means the 9.6 will count now.

Rotation 3 in Illinois

Mueller – BB – Illinois – bhs loso, small correction – switch to split 3/4, well connected – kickover, somewhat deep, holds onto it – 1.5 dismount, stuck. 9.775

Hambrick rights things for Arkansas on beam.

Koch – FX – Minnesota – front 2/1 to front tuck but bounces forward out of it – switch leap full to wolf full, a bit short on wolf position – this is some unique camera work – 2/1 side pass – rudi is securely landed. 9.825 with a 9.750/9.900 split. Not sure what routine the 9.9 was watching

Borden – BB – Illinois – aerial, a little short, squeezes it into fhs to straddle 1/4, great straddle 1/4 position, I assume they’ll say she kept moving in that combination – full turn, lean adjustment – beat to sheep, hit – front full dismount, holds the stick but a large lean forward at the hips to do so. 9.750

Gerdes – FX – Minnesota – front tuck through to double back, bounces backward but no OOB – switch ring to split leap full to split jump short, short of 180s – double pike, short landing, chest down, bounce – 9.775

Knight – BB – Illinois – switch to sissone, nicely done – side aerial to bhs, comfortable connection – full turn, hesitation – beat to side somi to tuck full dismount from side, nice quick combination, bounce back. 9.775

Quarles – FX – Minnesota – 2.5 to front tuck is nicely done, good amplitude – switch 1/2 to wolf full – round off double tuck, controls the step, that was a very solid floor option. 9.900

Takekawa – BB – Illinois – side aerial to bhs, smooth – switch to straddle 1/4, strong 180 positions – Ramler is just laying on the floor ther dead for 18 minutes? Why are they starting floor? – gainer full, stuck. 9.900

We saw Ramler do a great split ring full in the corner but missed her first pass entirely, love it, no notes – switch ring to switch 1/2 – rudi, good form – 1.5 to layout, soft shape in layout to pull it around. 9.850

I think they were like, this meet is taking soooo efffing long, we’ve just got to start the next routine. here’s an idea: fewer exhibitions

Morgan – BB – Illinois – bhs loso, large break and grabs the beam but keeps it on – ends up falling later on her switch 1/2

Remlinger – FX – full in is solid, chest up, hops present to the side – 1.5 to layout, dance out, good layout position – double tuck, also chest up, little rebound. 9.925

Nataraj – BB – Illinois – smooth bhs loso series, little shoulder drop – switch, pauses before straddle 1/4, so that would break the combo for me – beat to side aerial, large break, bends over past horizontal – full turn, over turns – 1.5 dismount, near stick, steps back into salute. That will have to count.

Loper – FX – so no Hooten this week, after she did only a full on vault – front lay to rdui, sold landing well since she came in a little short – switch ring to split leap full, shows clear 180s – 2.5, good completion – 1.5 to layout, not quite as high on the layout. 9.875

So that’s 49.375 for Minnesota on floor with no Hooten, but Quarles emerging as a good option as Remlinger has.

Judges still talking about Nataraj’s score. In addition to the large break at the hips, I had her without a leap combination in that routine.

Wow, one judge originally had her at a 9.6 SV but after conference brought it up to a 10. That’s a break for Illinois. Her 9.350 will have to count, but that one judge originally had her at 8.9.

48.550 for Illinois on beam.

Over Denver-a-ways, Denver has a 49.100 on vault, with Iwai coming back into the vault lineup for 9.775 replacing Brown.

Hambrick has 9.950 for Arkansas in the third position on floor, so watch that space. After 9.875 for Smith, Arkansas has its 197 despite counting 9.525 on bars and 9.600 on beam.

SEMO went 48.950 on beam to end up over 194 on the day.

Rotation 4 in Illinois

Koch – BB – Minnesota – bhs loso, good – beat to split jump 3/4, short back leg – kickover to scale, nicely done to keep it smooth – 1.5 dismount, stuck. 9.875

Lovett hit a good routine for Arkansas in the final position on floor but on the last pass didn’t show control. 9.925. Arkansas done on 197.050.

Mueller – FX – Illinois – double pike, chest up – front lay to front full, under control, slightly soft – switch 1/2 to wolf full looked nice – double tuck, solid. 9.850

Tyson – BB – Minnesota – bhs bhs loso, solidly landed – switch to straddle 1/4, good attention to amplitude on those – 1.5, lunge forward. 9.825

O’Donnell – FX – Illinois – wolf jump 1.5, around – rudi to split jump, controls the split, a bit of leg crossing – 1.5 to layout, lands somewhat short with a step correction – good toe point maintained on leaps. 9.750

Gerdes – BB – Minnesota – aerial, secure, just a bit of knee bend – bhs loso series, very nice – split jump to stag ring jump, large break, hip bend to horizontal – side aerial to full, holds landing but with chest forward. 9.675

Ewald – FX – Illinois – rudi to loso, efficient – wolf jump 1.5, around but short of wolf position – switch side to popa, closer to leap position but a little under rotated – front full to front lay, under, knee bending to get it around. 9.750

Denver came through on bars with 49.125, dropping a miss from Hebinck. Glynn went 9.900.

Loper – BB – Minnesota – or as the graphic calls her, Ona Lopwer – bhs loso, pretty – kickover with a wobble, leg up correction – switch to straddle 1/4, she never gets the highest on her leaps but she gets to 180 – 1.5, stuck. 9.850

Takekawa – FX – Illinois – double pike, secure landing – 1.5 to 1/2 to split jump, lots of travel – switch side to popa, a little crooked on popa but gets around, good split on switch side – rudi to split jump, again a lot of travel backward. 9.825

Nylin – BB – Minnesota – bhs bhs loso, right on – hitch kick to switch side, good amplitude but not quite to 180 – 1.5, holds stick. Good. 9.850

Nataraj – FX – Illinois – front lay to rudi, control – switch ring to switch 1/2, pretty solid – double tuck, good rise, bounce back – like it. 9.825

Ramler BB – Minnesota – bhs loso series, lovely – aerial to beat jump, keeps it moving smoothly, did have a little shoulder dip in between – beat to split ring jump, great – side aerial to full, stuck. Nearly perfect.

9.975. They tried to keep the 10 train going, but it will be all up to Oklahoma now…

Knight – FX – Illinois – front 2/1, slightly jarred on landing, controls the step – wolf hop full to switch 1/2, a little under – double tuck, short, chest down, step – 1.5 to layout, low layout, gets it to her feet. 9.725

49.375 for Minnesota on beam takes the total to 197.125. Illinois goes 49.000 on floor to end up on 195.725.

Welp, yesterday Michigan got the highest score since 2004 and the highest road score ever, including three straight 10s to start the vault rotation. So…that’s sort of where we are. What shall today bring?

(For the record now that I’ve seen them, I’m good with the Wojcik 10, thought Guggino was a little flatter and Heiskell didn’t show enough landing control, so I wouldn’t have those as 10s.)

LSU has been stuck in the 196s for its first two meets, and this season, a 196 is an F. So they’ll be looking to get a nationals-level number this time around and beat Auburn, which has been consistently scoring better than LSU so far this season.

Why are there always 815 minutes left in the basketball game? And why are there so many basketball games? Let’s work on this.

LSU is not vaulting Shchennikova today. Aleah Finnegan is joining the floor lineup, and Johnson and Bryant are back. So this looks like a try. No Piper Smith on bars for Auburn.

The alert that this meet is starting on the app called it men’s college basketball. I resent this. Temporary streaming link.

Rotation 1

LSU VT 1 – Arenas – clean yfull, step back, just got a little low at the very end, good layout. 9.850

Auburn UB 1 – Watson – Ray is close, elbows on catch – good hs – toe on to bail, small leg break – short cast hs on high – FTDT. 9.750

LSU VT 2 – Rivers – struggles on the landing on her yfull, wanted to stick, ends up with a large lean forward and a step forward, which should take away the score. Still gets 9.750

Auburn UB 2 – Sabados – Ray, good height – toe on, some elbows – bail, legs, some back position – short final cast hs – DLO, nearly sticks, little slide to salute. 9.775

LSU VT 3 – KJ Johnson – “One of the few yurchenko fulls” we just saw two…? – strong distance on her yfull, small slide back, some direction, good straight shape. 9.900, so they didn’t take anything but the landing.

Auburn UB 3 – Stevens – toe on to Ray, a little close but not as close as Watson – some hip angle in her bail – also tight on final cast hs – DLO, whips it around a little, small movement. 9.850

LSU VT 4 – Edwards – lands very short on her Y1.5 with three lunges back. Still gets 9.675, not sure how with three lunges.

Auburn UB 4 – Brusch – toe on to maloney to bail, looked a tad shy of vertical on that bail but her final cast hs position was the first one to hit it – pretty DLO, small recoil back. 9.850

LSU VT 5 – Johnson – hits her DTY, pulls it around, chest forward today with a hop forward. 9.875

Auburn UB 5 – Gobourne – tkatchev, good counter into pretty pak – a bit late on 1/2 on low bar – short final cast hs – FTDT, stuck landing – probably will get deducted for not bringing heels together there because that’s definitely important. 9.875

LSU VT 6 – Bryant – excellent handspring pike 1/2. Stuck. I would imagine 10 given the way scoring has been going. Comparatively, this should be a 12.950.

10.000 for her. Yeah.

Auburn UB 6 – Lee – good first hs – maloney to pak to van leeuwen, super clean and good efficiency in composition – shortish final cast hs I think – stuck FTDT. I only had the last handstand, but it was close. Excellent.

Anddddddd 10.000 for her too. Here we go.

We’ve hit 20 tens on the season so far now.

After 1: LSU 49.375, Auburn 49.350

Well, they both got saved by the ends of their lineups. LSU had two weak vault landings that had to be worked against, while Auburn looked pretty tight on bars in those handstands in the first couple routines with a bunch of them cutting off their final casts.

Rotation 2

Auburn VT 1 – Walsh – bit larger bounce back on her Yfull. 9.825

LSU UB 1 – Johnson – Maloney to bail, a bit of loose back in the bail – just rushing a little on some handstands – toe on – DLO, hop forward. 9.800

Auburn VT 2 – Groth – very solid stick on her yfull – it’s not the biggest/farthest so you need to take for that, but clear stick. 9.900, so they didn’t take much for it.

LSU UB 2 – Rivers – good first hs – toe on to maloney to bail, great bail, a little bit of legs in maloney – solid cast hs – tkatchev, hits, closed hip position in the air – DLO, bounce back. 9.750

Auburn VT 3 – Lee – nice open on her yfull, showing a good position, hop in place, more dynamic than Groth though. 9.900. So they only took landing.

LSU UB 3 – Dunne – good first hs – tkatchev, good counter into pak, just a bit of legs – 1/2 turn on low bar nice vertical position there – final cast is borderline – DLO, sticks it but gives away leg form in both saltos. 9.825

Auburn VT 4 – Hubbard – lands short on her Y1.5 and has to jump back quickly to save it. 9.825 is high. They had to go higher than Edwards because she kept it to one jump back.

LSU UB 4 – Bryant – good first hs – jaeger, hit – cast, good – bail, right up to vertical – casts look nice – 1/2 turn to double front 1/2 out, deep landing with a step. Fab until the dismount.

Auburn VT 5 – Watson – pulls around her Y1.5, shuffle back, knees throughout. 9.900. I mean…

LSU UB 5 – Shchennikova – Ray to pak, good amplitude – 1/2 turn on low, slight angle but a bit more vertical – DLO is the usual, small hop back. One of her stronger sets on the bars.

Auburn VT 6 – Gobourne – nearly finds her y1.5 landing, just a bit short, small shuffle back. Not sure there’s room to score her though since they already gave Watson a 9.9 and Gobourne had cleaner body position and a smaller landing movement.

Well they found room. 9.950.

LSU UB 6 – Durante – blind to jaeger, a little crooked in the air but finds it – pak, hit – FTDT, pulls it in a little close but finds the stick and holds it with a hunch down correction.

9.975. I don’t see how you go 10 there on the landing with the hunch and control.

Scores in the opium den today, as expected.

After 2: Auburn 98.825, LSU 98.750

So Auburn with the lead. Not a lot that can separate the two quality wise at this point. LSU was similar to Auburn is struggling a bit on the first few bars routines and giving away things they didn’t need to, LSU more on dismounts than handstands.

A surprise that Auburn got the highest score on vault, but they didn’t have to count a rough landing like LSU did. Auburn’s best landing control of the season as a group.

Rotation 3

LSU BB 1 – Desiderio – switch to switch 1/2 is secure – bhs loso, smallest shiver adjustment – a bit tentative on full turn but smooth – aerial, again a hint of a 1/2 adjustment there – cat leap to gainer full, little bounce.

9.925 signals that…….you know the story

Auburn FX 1 – Stevens – front lay to rudi, a bit of pike – split leap full to wolf full, pulls around – double tuck, solid landing, chest up. “She’s a beautiful athlete when she competes.” 9.875

Apparently her music stopped. I didn’t notice.

LSU BB 2 – Durante – smooth full turn – aerial, clean, small hesitation before bhs bhs – switch, shoulder dip before straddle 1/4 – back leg lower in switch – side aerial to full, stuck. Don’t think they’ll do anything about her combinations, but she was risking some in there. 9.850

Auburn FX 2 – Brusch – front tuck through to double tuck, takes it far and steps back OOB – switch 1/2 to popa to wolf full, great height – double pike, shows the stick, I think surprised herself. 9.700

LSU BB 3 – Bryant – aerial to bhs, so well extended – switch to straddle 1/4, good switch, straddle 1/4 wasn’t all the way up – front tuck with a wobble, leg slightly up and pulls arms down – rudi, solid work. 9.875

Auburn FX 3 – Groth – front 2/1, lunge forward too far to be control – switch 1/2 to wolf full, clear finish – 1.5 to layout, good extension – rudi, controls step. 9.900

LSU BB 4 – Finnegan – bhs loso loso, secure – switch to split, good 180, loses back foot a bit at the end – aerial, hint of arm wave correction but covers it as choreo – bhs 1.5, little hop. Good. 9.900

Auburn FX 4 – Watson – double arabian, hop forward, tries to lean to keep it in bounds but ends up having to step out – 1.5 to layout, clean layout position – split leap full to popa is out of control in a weird way that I enjoyed – double tuck, chest up, small movement. 9.725

So the music is ending before the final pass on every floor routine, which I find to be hilarious.

LSU BB 5 – Dean – side aerial to bhs, off line and falls – she’s been having trouble with that this season, which is unusual – switch to split – aerial to beat is hit – side aerial to full, stuck. 9.275

Auburn FX 5 – Lee – DLO, pretty solid landing, chest somewhat down – switch ring to split full, perfect – 1.5 to front full, controls her step – pretty work. And 9.950.

LSU BB 6 – Johnson – full turn, hit – bhs loso series, hit, holds it to avoid a check – switch to switch, hit – split jump afterward – kickover, secure – bhs 1.5, step back. Solid one. More confident than last year’s beaming. 9.900

Auburn FX 6 – Gobourne – open double tuck, little slide back – switch side to wolf full, shows control on landing well, great amplitude – front full to layout, good rise in that layout – double pike is excellent. 9.925

LSU 49.450 on beam to Auburn 49.375 on floor with those two OOBs. So we’re tied heading to the final rotation. Look how that happened.

After 3: Auburn 148.200, LSU 148.200

Rotation 4

Auburn BB 1 – Hollingsworth – bhs loso series, secure landing – switch to switch 1/2, shortish front leg in switch 1/2 – split 1/2 from side, little lean movement – side aerial to full, stuck, some piking. Just little things. 9.875

LSU FX 1 – Desiderio – hits DLO, under control, chest a bit down – 1.5 to layout, bounce forward – split leap full to jump full, shows 180s – double tuck, shows control again. Solid.

Oh it’s a 9.950 in the first spot. Judges are like, “Michigan did a who now on vault?”

Auburn BB 2 – Brusch – aerial to split, holds securely, aerial somewhat low – bhs loso series, little check, covers – switch to straddle 1/4, arm wave swim correction – gainer full, little movement. 9.875?

LSU FX 2 – Shchennikova – front 2/1, a little jarring on landing but controls her dance out – back 1.5 to front full – switch to switch ring 1/2, low front leg – rudi to loso, how did she pull around that layout stepout I thought she was going to be one inch off the floor. 9.925

Auburn BB 3 – Stevens – bhs loso, slightly off line, doesn’t show much – split to stag ring jump, check – kickover to knee, nailed, into wolf turn – 1.5, hop-salute. 9.875

LSU FX 3 – KJ Johnson – big full in, chest up, some sliding back – 1.5 to layout, clean layout shape, again doesn’t really show control on landing – switch side to popa, good 180s, a tad under rotated on popa – camera in the corner is like CUT AWAY CUT AWAY – double tuck, hit. 9.950 why not.

Auburn BB 4 – Groth – bhs loso bhs, good amplitude, little lean working out of it – switch to switch 1/2, nice positions – aerial, pretty – side aerial to full, stuck. That was much stronger than the 9.875s so far but she did have a check, so we’ll see where we go. We go 9.950

LSU FX 4 – Finnegan – double arabian to stag jump, very nice, a real stag position not an afterthought – good split 180s, some arm wave control – 2.5 to front tuck, takes the landing OOB. 9.800

Auburn BB 5 – McLaughlin – switch to bhs loso, large break on loso, leg up to horizontal – beat to side aerial, adjustment – switch to straddle 1/4, big lean back and an arm wave, pulls it back – gainer pike, little hop. 9.725

LSU FX 5 – Bryant – double front, hit – front lay to rudi, little movement – switch ring to switch 1/2, great height on switch 1/2 – front 2/1, dance out, not quite control. 9.950 of course.

Auburn BB 6 – Lee – wolf single – aerial to bhs, pretty positions, smooth connection – switch to switch 1/2, not her highest switch 1/2 but better than most – bhs gainer full. Excellent.

9.975 for her there again.

Enough to tie an Auburn team record. 197.750.

39.825 for Lee in the AA.

LSU FX 6 – Johnson – full in, chest up, little bounce back – 1.5 to layout, good straight layout position – switch 1/2 to popa, gorgeous – double pike, excellent. I had control on her first pass but also it was clearly better than all these 9.950s in this rotation so don’t be surprised.

10.000. Yeah, don’t be surprised.

FINAL: LSU 197.975, Auburn 197.750

So Auburn tied all-time team record.

LSU sets new floor record with that rotation.

The agenda for today:

7:00pmET/4:00pm PT – Live blog for Florida/Missouri while keeping an eye on how Michigan scores and what happens at the Kentucky quad

8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT – GymCastic College & Cocktails

10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT – Live blog for Utah/UCLA

As always, streaming and scores on the links page.

In schedule news, WVU/Arkansas has been canned, with Arkansas competing in a rescheduled meet against SEMO on Sunday, while the Oklahoma/TWU meet has also been moved to Sunday. 

In earlier action…one rotation, one record. Towson tied its all-time vault record with 49.250.

Also, Ilka Juk has one of the best beam routines being done and I feel like she incurred the entire .150 in deductions she got on the dismount combo. 

Rotation 1

Missouri VT 1 – Schaffer – hits yfull, medium bounce back/sideward – little bit of pike, some angle on block. 9.775

Florida – UB 1 – Blakely – good first hs – maloney to pak, clean pak, a bit of legs on maloney – slightly late on cast 1/2 on low – strong final cast – toe 1/2 to front giant to double front, cowboy, step forward. Good. 9.850

Missouri VT 2 – Marshall – strong stick on her yfull, some deductions for pike shape, chest forward, distance. Strong. 9.825

Florida UB 2 – Skaggs – strong first hs – tkatchev, clean counter into pak, leg break – again some angle in turn on low bar – hits final cast hs – DLO, smooth, one-tenth shuffle back. 9.875

Meanwhile, Kentucky is working against a fall from Magnelli on vault, and Georgia got a strong starting score on floor from APL with 9.850.

Missouri VT 3-  Schreiber – clean position on her yfull, good layout and legs together, hop back

Florida UB 3 – Schoenherr – hits first hs – toe 1/2 to jaeger, good height – toe on to bail, good position there, legs together – 1/2 turn, late, into double front 1/2 out….nearly holds the stick long enough but kind of step-salutes. I thought her vertical positions this week were better than her 9.975 from last week. 9.900

Missouri VT 4 – Celestine – very good Y1.5 – little hop forward, some knees. 9.925

Florida UB 4 – Thomas – rushes first hs – maloney to pak, hit – next cast hs was better – toe on to van leeuwen, bit of knees – DLO, little lean to hold the landing. Gave away some little .05s here and there but strong. 9.925

Missouri VT 5 – Moore – excellent Y1.5 – hop forward. It’s a one-tenth hop so she’ll have to score lower than Celestine. The judges should have left more room to reward her superior body position and dynamics. 9.825

Meanwhile, Kentucky was able to drop the vault fall to go 49.250 there. Georgia brought De Jong into the floor lineup for Lukacs and she went 9.825, so not suffering a huge depletion there.

Georgia already had 49.250 on floor with Hawthorne still to come.

Havent’ seen a lot of Michigan on bars yet but Wilson just stuck a DLO.

I do not know why CMU was only able to just start bars in this quad meet, but seems about NCAA.

A fall from Hawthorne on floor means Georgia will sit on 49.250 there, which they’ll be totally fine with.

Florida UB 5 – Wong – good first hs – maloney to pak, very small leg break on pak, imperceptible – van leeuwen, hit – small arch on cast hs on high – DLO, stuck again. She had the little arch this time, but otherwise I thought she was more patient in her verticals than last week’s routine.

9.950. So they only took for the arch.

Missouri VT 6 – Davis – awkward landing on her y1.5 like she landed on a nail because she was a little locked – but minimized the movement. 9.825

Florida Ub 6 – Gallentine – she exists again – some angle in first hs – toe on to maloney to pak, pretty solid leg position – small hesitation in 1/2 turn on low – a tad short on final hs – DLO 1/1, lunge back. Hit. Good option. Not sure she’s breaking into the lineup with that. No McCusker today.

Vore is up 5th for Michigan on bars, she had a clearly short vertical position in there but also a strong DLO.

Finally getting the scores for Florida, a casual 49.500 on bars. For me a little soft but nothing tooo crazy. A couple people were better than their higher scores from last week. Missouri 49.250 vault.

Wojcik finishes for Michigan on bars, back to the lineup, but she looks like she has a broken grip after her Deltchev and stops. So if it’s an equipment malfunction she’ll get a chance to go again.

Rotation 2

Florida VT 1 – Clark – hits yfull, a stagger back and some leg position. 9.725

Missouri UB 1 – Marshall – good amplitude on jaeger to overshoot combination – hits final cast hs – FTDT, high, step back. Like it.

Florida VT 2 – Edwards – some better direction and body position on her Yfull, but a big bounce back. 9.800

Missouri UB 2 – Schreiber – Maloney to bail, nice leg position and clear vertical on that bail – strong final cast hs – DLO, pikes it down a bit at the end, step back. 9.900 still, so must have been nothing else taken but dismount

Florida VT 3 – Schoenherr – Y1.5 is strong again, little hop forward, a bit of knees. 9.900

Wojcik is indeed getting to go again on bars,deltchev agree this time – not her most crisp handstand positions but the last one was good, DLO, hit.

Patrick went 9.875 on UB for Missouri

Florida VT 4 – Reed – holds the landing pretty well on her Y1.5, just a shuffle forward, great distance, I feel like it wasn’t her biggest block but she found the landing anyway.

Missouri Ub 4 – Moore – giant full, a bit late into high tkatchev to overshoot – finds quick final cast hs into FTDT, step. 9.875

Florida VT 5 – Thomas – doesn’t stick the Y1.5 this week with a medium hop forward – nothing else to take.

Missouri UB 5 – Sheremeta – blind to jaeger to overshoot, clean – strong final cast hs – position, rolls through 1/2 turn into rudi dismount, far, hop.

Florida VT 6 – Blakely – back in the lineup – does a yfull, large bounce back, has to pike it – her eyes said, when can I do my 1.5 again?

Missouri Ub 6 – Celestine – toe on to maloney to pak, larger form break on pak – van leeuwen, only a little ticking – short cast hs – stalder to pike 1/2 dismount is nice. Can we find a different option than that Pak, because so much of the rest of it is well done.

So, Florida with some great moments and ragged moments on vault, goes 49.200. Missouri closes the gap with 49.375 on bars, so there’s less than a tenth in this one.

Michigan went 49.550 on bars, but we don’t have all the individual scores.

Annnndd another record: Rutgers 49.275 on vault is a team record.

The Kentucky quad is starting its second rotation.

Georgia gets a hit vault from Magee, step to the side on her 1.5, after a 9.575 from Cashman. Ward also with a solid one, medium step back on Tsuk 1/1.

Rotation 3

Missouri BB 1 – Marshall – kickover to bhs, secure and quickly connected – split jump to straddle 1/4, smooth, not the fastest connection but I like the general rhythm – gainer full, hop. Good one. 9.875

Hawthorne is into the Georgia vault lineup to replace Lukacs, hits a yfull, lunge back.

Florida FX 1 – Clapper – rudi to double stag attempt but the double stag travels 18 miles backward – 1.5 to layout to single stag, lower – double pike, good chest up, bounce back. 9.850

Missouri BB 2 – McCrary – kickover, secure landing – bhs loso series, good, lower chest position – stag ring, hit – split jump 1/2 from side – tuck 1.5 dismount, hop to the side. 9.825

Florida FX 2 – Richards – hits a DLO, pikes it down at the end – switch side to popa, a little tight of position – 1.5 to some kind of connection attempt, ends up doing a tuck 1/2 and putting her hand down like Moors last weekend. 9.000

So Kentucky is also waiting on bars, so I assume this is a number of judges issue, bars can’t start until vault finishes.

Missouri BB 3 – Gatzendorfer – bhs bhs loso, very nice, little lean at the end – split to split ring jump, would like to see more closure on that ring position – gainer pike, hop back. 9.875 seems high.

Florida FX 3 – Skaggs – rudi to double stag, high and under control, a bit of legs in rudi – split leap full to split jump full, lovely positions – 1.5 to layout, gets a bit low on her layout landing, loses form at the end. 9.875

Missouri BB 4 – Schaffer – bhs bhs loso, clean – aerial, lean correction – switch to split, clean – 1.5, stuck. Good. 9.925. had to be after the previous scores. But that should have been a .1 wobble for me.

Wojcik anchoring beam for Michigan (would love some scores but…) – aerial is excellent, switch to split, perfect – cut to bars. Fun.

Florida FX 4 – Wong – 3/1, nails the landing, around, crossed legs – split leap full to jump full, a little bouncy – 1.5 to front full, high, slight delay before stag – double pike not quite as high but pulls it around. That’s her best floor this season. 9.950

Did not see Nixon’s bars for Kentucky but she goes 9.975.

Missouri BB 5 – Sheremeta – good beat jump – bhs loso, large break, lean at the hips to horizontal – split jump to double stag ring, lovely – aerial, another lean, smaller bend this time – gainer tuck full dismount, stuck, direction. 9.650

Florida FX 5 – Thomas – DLO, excellent, control – front full to front lay, lovely form, looks like she kept that back foot down – split leap full, popa gets weird, it’s a little low and pulled around, unusual for her – double pike is perfect. Some of her best tumbling control and then that popa…

Still gets 9.950

Missouri BB 6 – Schreiber – bhs loso loso is excellent – switch 1/2 to split to beat to gainer full, holds landing with a lean – got a little low in the middle of that dance series. 9.925

Florida FX 6 – Clark – 1.5 to front full, a couple little coal-walk hops to try to keep it in bounds but she went OOB and Alicia says there was no flag. FUN. switch 1/2 to wolf full, overturns the wolf full a little – double tuck is solid, chest a bit forward.

So it’s going to be 49.425 on beam for Missouri.

Kentucky went 49.475 on bars and has around a half point on Georgia after two.

Michigan went 49.500 on beam this week to be over 198 pace heading to their two more impressive events. Watch out for a nation-leading score here.

Clark went 9.825 on FX for Florida to get them to 49.450 for that rotation and they didn’t take OOB. You’re welcome, say Thomas and Wong because that rotation still looks a little understaffed.

Florida leads by a tenth heading to the final rotation.

Rotation 4

Florida BB 1 – Skaggs – wolf single, fine – switch to split, pretty, clear 180s – bhs loso, secure, we can see some feet but basically nothing – aerial, smooth – cat leap to switch side, a hair tight this week – side aerial to full, stuck. Nice. 9.925

Missouri FX 1 – Schreiber – punch rudi to layout 2 feet to front tuck to stag – very clean, maybe gets a lad low toward the end, but great – also always do a complicated pass because the judges sometimes forget to remember deductions when noting all those skills – front full to front loso, dance out, a bit of legs there – switch 1/2 to split full, shows 180 – 9.875

Michigan has a fall from Heiskell on floor in the 2nd spot.

Florida BB 2 – Blakely – aerial, works quickly into bhs to cover any checking – switch to switch 1/2, good back leg attention, loses foot at the very end – side somi, small correction – side aerial to full, hit. 9.925

Missouri FX 2 – Schaffer – rudi to loso, solid – switch ring to split leap full looks fine – double tuck, odd technique, lands crunched over – 9.750

Florida BB 3 – Baumann – bhs loso, clean and secure – switch to split, can’t tell split from our angle, solid – aerial to beat jump, little correction – side aerial, very solid – 1.5 dismount, a little short, step back. 9.900

There were two .05s, so you can say 9.900, but if they’re not taking anything else on these routines, it will be tough for Missouri.

Missouri FX 3 – Sheremeta – front 2/1, solid, just a bit of control – switch side to popa, fine could be higher – rudi to loso, very clean – 1.5 to front loso, pretty. 9.925

Florida BB 4 – Wong –  switch to split leap – lovely – bhs loso, right on – full turn, smooth – aerial with a huge break, bend over well past horizontal – side aerial is secure – the side somi is back, well, there’s your problem right there – 2/1, small slide. The rest was great, but by the letter of the law that should be .3 on the aerial.

9.775. When has the letter of the law mattered? I’m not sure how you get this routine to 9.8, even if you only take .2 for the bend.

Missouri FX 4 – McCrary – front lay to rudi, secure – double pike, again under control, chest down – 2.5, just a small adjustment step. A couple moments of crossed leg twisting, but a solid showing. 9.950

Florida BB 5 – Thomas – switch mount, lovely, it’s not connected to the split leap but both are great – one arm bhs to loso, solid – aerial to beat to korbut, gorgeous – side aerial to layout full, little bounce. Great.

9.975.

Missouri FX 5 – Moore – DLO landing looked solid, why are we viewing it front so far away? – switch side to very high popas – front tuck through to double tuck, somewhat short, hop forward. 9.900

Florida BB 6 – Clapper – bhs loso loso, check, small wobble back and forth – a bit tentative on full turn – swtich to split, hit – side aerial to full, hop back. History tells us that will be over the 9.850 they need to win.

Missouri FX 6 – Celestine – full-in excellent – split leap full to split jump full, great positions – 1.5 to front layout, a little too high there and some control on landing – double tuck, high, great landing. Lots to like there.

That should clinch program record for Missouri.

Ooooh Nguyen is back in the bars lineup for Georgia. Game changer?

OK see you back here for Utah/UCLA. Michigan went 49.600 on floor btw.

Missouri went 197.625 to Florida’s 197.775

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I fully and sincerely apologize for not being here to discuss Michigan getting one million 10s in a row on vault and the highest road score in college gymnastics history. I’m sure they were totally legit and I would have had no complaints at all. None none none. Can’t imagine a one.

Meanwhile, Alabama is scooting toward a 198, and we still have UCLA and Utah, that famously sedate and even-keeled affair.

Also Iowa got 49.650 on floor with Guerin and Henderson going 9.975.

I said before that I think it’s going to take a high 198 to win nationals this year, and I feel like that’s only becoming more likely.

Excuse me, this basketball is taking too long. Could you please direct us toward a gymnastic?

It’s really callous of Michigan to have gone 198.525 in a meet where we didn’t see all of their routines because then how do we really shade that with full intensity?

ESPNNEWS. That’s where Utah and UCLA is starting. “UCLA they’ve been struggling, no surprise here.” Kathy is my soul.

Rotation 1

UCLA VT 1 – Tratz – not her strongest full, lands somewhat short, hop forward, not her usual distance. That was a “I didn’t come back from Germany for a fifth year just for this shit” kind of vault. 9.775

Utah UB 1 – “Amelie Morgan is from ENGLAND.” maloney to bhardwaj, good legs on bhardwaj, some separation on maloney – solid final cast hs – giant full, good finish position, into double tuck, small hop. The best bars I’ve seen from her this season. 9.900. get ready.

UCLA VT 2 – Poston – handspring pike 1/2, OK – medium bounce back, some chest down but pulls it up quickly. 9.825

Utah UB 2 – Burch – jaeger, hit, feet – bail, hits vertical, back a little loose as she moves out of it – DLO, legs apart, small slide back. Some form things, fine. 9.825

UCLA VT 3 – Flatley – pretty yfull overall, solid form, medium bounce back.9.825

Utah UB 3 – Thompson – rushes first hs – pretty pak – maloney legs together into gienger, hit – short final cast hs – DLO, high, sticks it. I had a couple cast hs, otherwise very nice. 9.875

UCLA VT 4 – Moors – handspring pike 1/2 – sells the landing some with only a smaller step, chest down. She does well to fake it when she doesn’t have the landing. Performer. 9.850

Utah UB 4 – McCallum – maloney to pak, good leg positions – van leeuwen, clean – a borderline final cast hs – FTDT, stuck. Also her best bars of the season.

10.000

It’s herrreeeeee. I had some feet in the dismount and the maybe-sorta final cast. Things they don’t take for most top gymnasts. 

UCLA VT 5 – Chiles – Tsuk 1/1 – good position, hop back for .10 off. 9.875

Utah UB 5 – Isa – hits Ray – bail is clean – solid final cast hs – DLO, small movement and then out of control on her salute. Was probably in 10 contention until the dismount based on the earlier scores. 9.900

UCLA VT 6 – Campbell – excellent high yfull, hop in place. 9.900. So they took .05 for the hoip.

Utah UB 6 – O’Keefe – maloney to pak, small leg break on both – great final cast hs – double arabian, opens a hair early this time, hop back. 9.875

So, UCLA goes 49.275 on vault, which is solid for them. Scores are sort of normal-soft there. Utah on 49.550 on bars, a big number. And I’m mostly fine with it. Best of the season work for a good half of the lineup.

Sure do wish we had working scores for Cal and Stanford. I saw Stanford stuck in the 9.7s on vault and Cal looking pretty on bars. So nothing too surprising.

48.875 for Stanford on vault, the rotation saved by 9.925 for Kyla Bryant’s yfull that she totally didn’t stick so heeyyyyyy fun.

Cal went 49.375 on bars with a 9.950 from Li and a bunch of 9.850s. So not quite the score they were looking for from their big event, but still strong.

Anyway, Alabama ended up at 197.875 today, or as the 2022 season would call it, a medium score. I’m still surprised every time I check that Alabama has only gone 198 four times in history. I mean, it’s Alabama. 

Rotation 2

Utah starts with 9.875 for Hoffman.

UCLA UB 1 – Campbell – UB – maloney to bail, some legs on maloney, clean pak – good cast hs on high – blind to double front, lots of cowboy, hop back. 9.850

Utah VT 2 – Hall – she’s back after FaintGate – hits a y1.5 and does not faint. Stuck landing, a little bit of legs in the air and not the higgghest. But strong. 9.925.

UCLA UB 2 – Ulias – toe 1/2 to lovely jaeger – good cast hs – toe on to bail, just a bit of hip angle – solid final cast hs – DLO, larger bounce back. Gave up some ground on the dismount, but nice on the bars. 9.875. And with a .100 at least on dismount.

Utah VT 3 – Stanhope – hits her Y1.5, small hop forward, a bit more distance and a bit more laid out than Hall, but the judges didn’t leave room [side eye]. 9.950. So just the hop.

UCLA  UB 3 – Padurariu – maloney to bail, some legs – good hs – giant full is nicely on top of the bar, double tuck, short with a hop forward.

Utah VT 4 – Rucker – good height on her y1.5 but very little distance, fine position, step forward. 9.900

UCLA UB 4 – Malabuyo – maloney to pak, some form on maloney but exceptional pak – actually tried to go for the handstand on her 1/2 turn on low but went over the wrong way and had to correct – finishes with a pretty DLO. This coullllddd be an amazing bars, and will be, but she’s not there yet. 9.775

Utah VT 5 – Burch – really struggled on her Y1.5, didn’t get the block or any height, sits it down.

UCLA UB 5 – Chiles – good first hs – piked tkatchev to pak, excellent – hits hs on low – maloney to gienger, nailed – strong cast hs on high – FTDT, small slide back. She’s going to get hit for .05 on the dismount, but the rest shouldn’t be deducted based on how the scoring has gone. 9.925.

She really showed what we’re looking for in a cast handstand and why people who don’t hold it like that are risking deduction even when they get 10s.

Utah VT 6 – McCallum – solid Servente, bounce back for .100

UCLA UB 6 – Flatley – higgins to lovely jaeger – toe on to bail, smallest leg apart moment on catch – strong final cast hs – DLO, stuck landing. Very pretty. One of her better college bars sets.

9.950 for Flatley gets UCLA to 49.450 on bars, which is a big deal for them. Utah goes 49.550 on vault to keep the team over 198 pace.

Scoring is soaring, but we’ve also seen some great moments on bars.

After 2: Utah 99.100, UCLA 98.725

No one expects UCLA to win this meet this year, but it would be a big deal if they could get a 197 here.

Rotation 3

UCLA BB 1 – Padurariu – strong candle mount – side aerial to bhs, pretty good, an almost-correction – sissone is nice – beat to sheep is solid, good hip angle – side aerial to full, stuck. She’s arriving. 9.900

Bart is trying to pronounce Padurariu correctly otherwise Nadia will put him in the naughty closet.

Utah FX 1 – Hoffman – DLO is strong – switch side to popa to wolf full, very high positions – 1.5 to layout, a little low, secure landing. Good. 9.875

UCLA BB 2 – Malabuyo – wolf single, good – bhs loso and falls, pretty in the air but off line – aerial, hesitates before split jump, no connection – better split ring jump – bhs loso to full, good. 9.300

Utah FX 2 – Paulson – front tuck through to 2.5, lunge is kind of large but keeps the back foot down – front lay to front full, controls the step – switch full to sissone, as Kathy says, I would be a little sassier about completion point – 1.5 to layout, very clean, love the straight position on layout. 9.900

UCLA BB 3 – Chiles – slight issue getting onto the beam – bhs loso series, strong – aerial to beat jump, again very secure – switch to wolf, also solid, the switch could be splittier – double pike dismount, hop back.

Chiles is starting to look like a college performer in this meet. 9.900 is forgiving though.

Utah FX 3 – Rucker – FTDT and steps back definitely OOB, we’ll see if they actually take it – switch 1/2 to popa to wolf full, very nice – front lay to front full, controls step –

9.700. Aw, the judges took an OOB. Adorable!

UCLA BB 4 – Moors – switch to split, wobble – front aerial to fhs is very solid today – side aerial, strong – fhs rudi dismount, small slide. A star. 9.875

They keep referring to Bart’s wife, and if you didn’t know it was Nadia, you’d be like, “Damn, Bart’s wife seems demanding.”

Utah FX 4 – McCallum – FTDT, small slide, good – split leap full to popa, clear finish position – front lay to rudi, small bounce, solid. 9.950 is a little much.

UCLA BB 5 – Flatley – aerial, quick connection to bhs loso, very good – L turn and a huge break, large leg-up wobble and leans over at horizontal – switch to split – bhs 1.5, hop forward. But a large error in there.

9.825, which is cool for a flat .200 wobble deduction.

Utah FX 5 – O’Keefe – double pike, bounce back, borderline OOB but not sure she did on this one – strong leap position – wolf double – 1.5 to front full, controls, small amount of leg crossing.

Maile O’Keefe is the best thing to happen to Utah gymnastics since Daria Bijak.

UCLA BB 6 – Campbell – bhs loso good – split leap, short of position, into switch 1/2, again a bit short but secure – switch, larger error, leg-up check and break connection into straddle 1/4 – gainer full, stuck. 9.825

Utah FX 6 – Soloski – DLO, large arch, controlled landing – switch 1/2 to split full, a little short on split full position – front lay to front full, looks like she controls the step forward – 1.5 to layout, good height. 9.950

Sam’s like, “Chris, everything’s fine, right?” And he’s like, “YEP ALL GOOD INTENSE SPORTS BOY.”

Utah goes 49.600 on beam to UCLA’s 49.325 on beam.

Utah only needs 49.300 on beam to go 198 today, so that’s fun. UCLA on track so a solid 197 if it’s a better floor day, a combination of the scoring today and looking a lot better than previous meets.

ESPN says that 6 teams with a 197 average or higher is the most since 1998. That’s just because RTN only goes back to 1998, so that’s the only info they can confirm. But it’s actually the most ever, ever.

In commercial news, there’s a medication called Ocrevus. Please don’t call your medication Oh, crevice.

Rotation 4

Utah BB 1 – Morgan – we’ve ditched the fun mount for something that can score, sigh – hits her three series – switch to split, short back leg – full turn, slight hesitation – cat leap to side aerial to full, stuck. Solid. 9.900. Once again, that means a 15 for O’Keefe

UCLA FX 1 – Flatley – 3/1 is exccellllllent, yes please – loses control on front 2/1, large bounce – switch ring to switch 1/2 to feeeeeelings, pretty – 1.5 to layout, lovely height. Good. If she didn’t have that middle pass landing…

Impressive that she’s improving on the leg events in her senior year.

9.925 ok though.

Utah BB 2 – Randall – bhs loso and falls – Bart literally GASSSPPPPED – rulfova is nice as usual – 1.5, stuck. 9.350

UCLA FX 2 – Wright – “BUT WE DON’T HATE SEKAI SHE’S IN THE FLOOR LINEUP” – 2.5 to front tuck, large bounce forward, just keeps it in bounds – rudi, solid position in the air, bounce back – split leap full to popa, nice height – 1.5 to front tuck, slide forward. She had deductions on each pass but we’ll see how much actual performance can erase deductions.

Some! 9.825

Utah BB 3 – McCallum – candle mount, a tad past vertical – double wolf, no trouble – side aerial to loso and falls – Utah counting a fall now – they were on track for a huge 198 here – this is why Marsden wouldn’t watch beam, you think you’re getting a 98 and then… – stuck dismount. 9.150

UCLA FX 3 – Moors – double front, gorgeous in the air, steps forward OOB, we’ll see if they take it this time – loso side pass – switch ring to switch 1/2 to wolf full, nice positions, hit – front full to front pike 1/2, it’s still not awesome but it’s hit today. 9.625

Awww, another OOB taken. Our little judges are growing up!

Utah BB 4 – Paulson – side aerial to loso is solid – switch to split, solid – beat to side aerial to full, stuck. Good one. 9.900

UCLA FX 4 – Tratz – double pike, strong control – split full to split jump full, some travel but fine – 1.5 to front layout, good position in the air, comes in somewhat short with an adjustment – double tuck, secure landing, chest down. Nice.

Val is here being like ARMS SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS.

9.925. Loving the 10 from one judge. Cool and good. Very real.

Utah BB 5 – Isa – good candle mount – bhs loso loso is strong, small correction lean – good straddle 1/4 position – bhs gainer full, stuck. Nice. Probably an 11.

9.925

UCLA FX 5 – Chiles – DLO, good control, chest up – front tuck through to double tuck, her landing was Sekai’s hair, so no idea – double pike, little jar but keeps her front foot down. Very solid control overall, which is important for her coming from elite.

“Welcome to your new life!” I need Kathy to say that to me once a week.

And she got a 10.

Of course she did.

Jordan dies.

Utah BB 6 – O’Keefe – side aerial to loso, right on – switch to split leap, shows 180, small correction out of it – cat leap to side aerial to full, stuck. Nice one.

Oh 9.975

UCLA FX 6 – Campbell – full in, excellent, nailed landing and chest up – split leap full to popa, nicely around – front lay to front full, controls the step – double tuck, very good, chest up. No different from Chiles deduction-wise so let’s see.

So it’s 197.750 for Utah with a counting fall. Would have been one of Utah’s best scores ever with a hit beam. Still a usable score, but with Michigan going 198.5, it pales.

9.925 for Campbell gives UCLA 49.600 on floor and a 197.650 total, which loses to Utah by a tenth but is a huge deal for UCLA. A soft home meet but also a huge improvement in level, particularly on floor. No one thought it would be this close or UCLA would be this not-fall.