Gear change! Can you handle it? After the wondrous, horrible, sad-larious fever dream that was last night’s explosion of ten 10s in NCAA gymnastics—with none of them coming for Suni or Florida’s senior night (????)—we turn to first foray into the world of senior elite women for 2023. Who will stake a claim to glory before all the big hitters come back from college? We shall see.

US viewers can watch on NBC/Peacock, and everyone else can watch on USAG’s YouTube. Or, US viewers with a VPN can also watch on USAG’s YouTube in case you prefer that. 

Our first scratches are in. Blakely and Sumanasekera will do only bars and beam today.

NBC coverage starts in about 30 minutes, but we have intros up now on the YouTube stream, FYI, so looks like we’ll get started there. It’s too many gymnasts for NBC to handle in its coverage window, what with the extensive Shots of Nothing requirements. 

Warmup for rotation 1 starting, or at least the first half of rotation one, because we have flights in this one, which is why it had to start earlier than planned.

Rotation 1, Part 1

A Milton – FX – opens with a double tuck with a bounce back, right into back 1.5 to front lay, short landing,  – L hop full to split leap full – punch front full to front full? – popa – switch 1/2, they’re going to hit these split positions – and she finishes with just a layout, so clearly some placeholders in this routine. 

Good Y1.5 from Zoe Miller, some knee bending and a little hop forward. SEC 9.900. Drayton follows her with a yfull with solid amplitude, bounce back. College 9.850. College 10.000.

Zhou – VT – lands chest down on her yfull with a smallish hop forward.

We saw a second Levi going on bars in the background at the beginning but there has still been no score come up there.

Booth – BB – bhs loso, hit with a check, some knee bending – switch to split to straddle, solid – side aerial, another very slight adjustment – switch ring leap and switch ring jump, tries to show attention to back leg closure, some soft leg form – aerial with a large break, bend at the hips –  2/1 dismount, chest forward, hop.

Sullivan finishes on bars with a hit tkatchev on high – dismounts DLO, a little whippy but good stick. Her face would seem to say that was a complete hit but we didn’t see the beginning, and Valeri looked at her and hugged her afterward, so we’ll assume that means she didn’t disgrace the family.

The score was 11.650 for Jung-Ruivivar on bars.

M Milton – FX – also starts with double tuck, chest down, bounce back – split jump full – double pike, stumbles back and falls – back 2.5 to front tuck is stronger, hop forward – double tuck, chest down, shuffle forward.

We saw Norah Christian attempt a tkatchev 1/2 on bars and then immediately hop off – resumes with stalder shap to pak, good legs together pak form – toe on to van leeuwen, tucked it on catch – giant full – DLO, step back. 

Blakely – UB – stalder 1/2 to piked jaeger, not super high but hit – stalder tkatchev piked to pak, smoothly connected – toe full to van leeuwenm leg break – can’t cast out and has to recast – finishes double front 1/2 out, chest way down and a lunge out.

We’re over to see Elle Mueller hit a side aerial to loso on beam with a fairly big wobble but saved it – switch, pause before switch 1/2 in combination – double tuck dismount, hop forward.

We’re now into the warmup for the second flight of the first rotation.

Blakely went 13.150 on bars with a 7.250 E score, which is still the top non-vault score by a long way. Vault specialist Zoe Miller currently leads the AA after her Y1.5.

Lincoln – UB – stalder full on low bar – stalder shap to tkatchev, hit, some legs – good handstand on high – Ray, slightly close, connects to pak – van leeuwen, small leg break – blind to front giant 1/2 – double tuck dismount, hop back. Good complete hit.

Lowe on floor stumbles back out of a double pike final pass and OOB.

Roberson – VT – ro 1/2 on, layout front full, controls the landing pretty well but comes in stiff and so kind of jars herself.

Torry – UB – toe full to maloney to clear hip to tkatchev connection – pak – van leeuwen – dismounts FTDT, step back. We mostly saw her coaches back, so couldn’t tell you much about it, but a hit with a good difficult opening connection.

Roberson’s second vault is a hit DTY with good control, small hop to the side.

Neal – FX – good control on her double arabian opening pass – double L turn, dropped a tad early – FTDT, chest down, bounce back – double y spin, also risking ending a bit early – back 2.5 to what ended up almost being a flyspring because she was so low, and falls – finishes double tuck bounce back.

Jong gives us a good classic wolf turn fall on beam, but obviously I need to switch over to the NBC coverage now, because talking about that is really the main reason we’re here, let’s be honest. 

Zeiss is up on beam on the NBC feed – hits her bhs mount – bhs loso series, tucked legs throughout, secure landing – hits double wolf – side aerial, under control – split jump to sissone, hit – switch 1/2 – aerial, pretty large break, bend at the hips and a couple arm waves – double pike dismount, hop forward.

Now we’re seeing Blakely’s bars replay on NBC, but the YT stream has Amelia Disidore up on floor – she’s following a 13.200 from Matthews, which is a solid number – pulls out double double tucked first pass, chest down – DLO is way down but landed with a big hop forward – back 1.5 to front full is mostly under control with a step forward – double pike, couple bounces back right into the corner.

So we’re done with one rotation, Roberson has the AA lead with her 14.000 on vault for her ro 1/2 on front full. The top non-vault scores belong to Matthews and Disidore on floor with 13.200s.

Concerned that with Terry and Sam we won’t have just quite the bonkers NBC content we’re looking for here.

Rotation 2

Drayton = UB – toe full a bit late but connects to van leeuwen – toe 1/2 to jaeger, good toe point – falls on Ricna – resumes with a hit pak – cast 1/2 on low to toe shoot to high – dismounts double tuck, hop.

John is doing a feature piece that’s basically called “WHY ISN’T SUNI HERE”

11.850 for Drayton on bars. And now the feature is called “CLOSEUP OF LAURENT”

Updates on Simone and Gabby and the maybe of it all.

Blakely – BB – wolf double, hit – tuck full is hit, leg up wobble when holding it – fhs front tuck, large break there, leg up to horizontal, but keeps it on again – switch to switch 1/2 – aerial, wobbles before split jump to bhs attempted series bonus – side aerial, arm wave step – double pike dismount, step back. Kind of a wobbleburger but a hit.

“Achilles injury that’s been bothering her as of late.”

It’s 12.850 on bars for Zhou. 13.000 on floor for Mueller.

Jong – FX – double double tuck landed with her head about 3 inches above the floor but…hit? – FTDT, also chest down but fine, bounce back – l hop full to split leap full – back 1.5 to front full, little hop – wolf double, around – double pike, bounce back

Meanwhile, flooding has knocked out my TV service, and I love that for me.

It’s 13.400 for Blakely on beam.

LOVE the NBC broadcast pausing Blakely’s leap to try to do the SECN protractor business wayyyyy past split. LOL.

Torry – BB – another real wolf double disaster, doesn’t come off but rests her leg against the beam to hold it – bhs loso, bend at the hips – aerial, checking into the split and sissone connection attempt – switch to straddle jump and a full fall there – resumes with a standing front tuck and another fall – side aerial is hit – “I’m going to guess she’s going back to the drawing board” – bhs bhs 2/1 dismount, hop back.

So it was 10.850 for Roberson on bars. Blakely’s 13.400 on beam remains the top score of this rotation on any event.

Zeiss – FX – DLO, hit, small leg break, hop back – back 2.5 to front pike, lunge forward, looks like she just stayed in – works around a wolf triple with some arm help in the third turn – switch through to full – back 1.5 through to double tuck, another big lunge to the side, that one did look slightly OOB to me.

I love how after every routine Sam is like, yeah this one’s not going to be great.

Fatta – UB – piked jaeger, hit – toe full, late but connected into pak – maloney to gienger, good piked and legs together – short cast hs on high – DLO, flatter, bounce back

We didn’t see Sumanasekera’s bars on NBC, but she goes 12.900, which is a huge upgrade for her.

13.150 for Zeiss on floor.

John telling us about how much Fatta’s toe full will be deducted. It’s weird to see NBC actually trying to do things to improve their elite broadcasts. What world is this?

12.950 for Fatta.

Miller – UB – inber full to stalder shap 1/2 – arch hs on high – inbar 1/2 to jaeger, solid – stalder tkatchev piked to pak – van leeuwen, good – DLO, pikes down at the end, small hop. Good hit, shows difficulty.

With Torry and Pierson, we had back-to-back 9s on beam.

Rosen – FX – DLO 1/1, survived but well deep, knee nearly down, lunge forward – DLO, lands entirely OOB, hop – switch ring – switch 1/2, nice – 1.5 to layout, low layout with some body position – double tuck, cowboys to pull it around. Word on the street is that this was the routine that got the Donatella seal of approval at camp, and you can tell why.

Going back to see Sumanasekera on bars – toe full on low bar – maloney with some legs into pak, hit – van leeuwen, flexed feet – stalder – blind 1/2 to front giant to jaeger, flexed feet – short hs on high – FTDT, high, hop forward. Still a lot of form and rhythm, but a less terrifying adventure on bars for her. It’s not a 10.

12.700 on floor for Rosen even with a bunch of major deduction landings.

Booth – FX – front 2/1, step forward, knees – back 2.5, lunge – falls out of double y spin attempt – split jump full – split ring leap has nice 180 – double tuck, lands fully OOB with bounce back

Miller went 13.900 on bars, which gives her the AA lead after two, followed by Disidore and Fatta. Zeiss is in 7th but going to vault, which should see her jump up the standings.

Terry’s like, “How about the Nastia Liukin Cup? Sam, how do you feel about taking her job? We into that?”

Rotation 3

Zeiss – VT – hits a DTY, chest down, step back, solid. 13.450, that puts her a point ahead of Caylor, who went 11.95 on beam to start this rotation.

Kaliya Lincoln went 13.600 on floor, which is the top FX number so far.

Matthews – UB – jaeger, hit – stalder tkatchev pikes to pak – toe full, late – van leeuwen, some leg break – stalder to toe on – DLO, pulls it out, deeper, hop forward. Fine. Hit.

There’s been a lot of Sam trying to explain why everyone’s routines look so meh and they’re so mad.

Sumanasekera – BB – candle mount, hit – bhs bhs layout series, wobble, not too large – switch to switch 1/2, on – split ring jump, flexed foot, securely on the beam – aerial to split to korbut, smooth combination – side aerial, secure – full turn – bhs bhs double pike, chest well down, lunge forward.

Aimee Boorman going for the “code’s out, guns out” judging look today.

A Disidore – UB – stalder tkatchev piked, good – Church, hit – pak, some legs and feet, short hs on low – toe full is well past, probably no credit – continued but took her off rhythm – van leeuwen, can’t catch – resumes with toe 1/2 to a jaeger, close catch – giant 1/2 on high bar well short – DLO, pikes it down to hit, hop forward.

Going to talk for an hour about her club gym like TCT or nah? I WONDER WHY.

Fatta – BB – wolf triple is hit – loso loso attempt is off like and tucked and falls – resumes with split 1/2 from side, hit, some knees – side aerial, solid – switch leap to split leap is nice – aerial, check before split jump straddle jump – 2.5 dismount attempt was way way underrotated, hand down.

“A great look at how difficult it is.”

Sumanasekera 13.000 on beam. Roberson went 13.300 there, which is 2nd to Blakely on that event.

Matthews went 13.450 on bars to move 2 tenths ahead of Zeiss in the AA after 3 events.

Miller – BB – wolf double, pulls it around – bhs loso, some feet, check – aerial, pause before split jump back tuck, leg up wobble – switch, another small hesitation before sissone – side aerial, check – straight jump full from side, leg up wobble – bhs bhs double pike, chest down, lunge. A stay on, which is a Winter Cup Win. 12.550 will keep her ahead of Matthews by a couple tenths.

We go to John to talk about chest position and knee-eater landings being bad.

Sullivan – FX – totally just stepped OOB in the corner before her pass – DLO 1/1 is pretty comfortable for her – DLO bounce back – switch ring to split leap full – front tuck through to double tuck, bounce back – switch 1/2 – wolf double – double pike, short, hop forward

13.350 for Sullivan puts her into 4th right now. We haven’t seen any of Jordis Eichman, but she’s currently 5th, ahead of Mueller and Caylor.

Zhou – BB – beam scoring delay – Aimee’s face said “I finished MY part a while ago……” Elise’s face said “why is this my life…”

I’m really enjoying that shot of the “please don’t sit at the judges table” sign.

OK now we’re starting.

Zhou – BB – switch mount to immediate switch 1/2 and falls – korbut, smooth – wolf single – bhs loso loso series is secure – check on choreography – switch ring is on – side aerial, small check to hold it – aerial, pause before split to straddle – 2/1, bounce back.

12.100 for Zhou on beam.

So we’re looking at Miller, then Matthews, then Zeiss, then Sullivan in the AA after three events. Sullivan a bit farther back but also going to vault, which should be a big score for her, so she can make up a lot.

Rotation 4

Matthews – BB – bhs mount is hit, then a wobble afterward – side aerial, hit – bhs loso, knee tucking, check – wolf double, hit with some arm wigglies – switch to split to bhs, short back leg and flexed foot in the splits – aerial, check – double tuck dismount, saves it with some lunges back.

A four-hit day for Matthews, which is a pretty big deal.

Zeiss – UB – good first hs – toe full, late, connects to pak – maloney to geinger, a little close but fine – yehova, some leg separation – van leeuwen, a bit of feet – FTDT, step back. Good solid hit for 13.500.

Matthews 12.700 on beam.

Miller – FX – wolf double, crisp exact double turn position – DLO, small bounce back – y spin single – FTDT, chest way down and a bounce back but did very well not to put her second foot down OOB – front tuck through to double tuck, split back – double pike, another deep landing with a bounce back. Should be a strong AA total.

Sullivan got 13.600 for her DTY with a chest down, a bit underrotated. So that will move her up but not into first.

Miller goes 12.400 on floor for a 52.500 AA, which puts her behind Matthews and into 4th place. Top 4 AA automatically get assignments this spring.

Eichman – FX – FTDT, medium bounce back – wolf double, around – front lay to front 2/1, controls her landing pretty well, some height and knees – L hop full to split leap full – double pike, bounce back – double tuck, another large bounce back OOB –

12.500 will keep Eichman in 5th and give her 51.400 AA, which is over the championships qualifying score of 51.

The podium of Zeiss, Sullivan, Matthews isn’t going to change at this point, but still some interesting vault/floor routines to finish it out in the 2nd half of this rotation.

Terry has been vamping about Lexi Zeiss for nine hours during this touch warmup break.

Pineda – good finish on toe full on low – maloney to pak, way way close on pak and nearly does a hip circle – shoot to high – blind to piked jaeger, nice – goes over on a cast hs and does an accidental full past vertical – dismounts double pike with hop. “You know what I like…not that” was an all-time moment as Sam started to talk about her good toe and leg positions when she botched the cast.

Back to the Zeiss cam. Congratulations, you’re the Simone now.

Mueller – UB – good first hs – toe full, good finish into maloney to ray on high – pak, some C shape but hit – stalder shap to stalder tkatchev, connected – front giant to double front, step back. Good one.

LOVE that they’re not even going to bother finishing the meet and are just peacing out because their window is done. WHAT A MEET.

Meanwhile back to youtube, it’s good height on a yfull from Kaliya Lincoln with a hop back.

Lowe – BB – hits switch mount – aerial, bend at the hips wobble – split jump – bhs bhs layout 2 feet, stays on with arm wave – switch to switch side – side aerial to loso series and falls – long pause before dismount, double tuck, pulls it out.

Roberson – FX – goes for the double double layout, has to pike the second salto, pulls out the landing – DLO, comfortable, good rise, step back – l hop full to split leap 1.5, around – wolf triple, hit – front full through to double tuck, got a little caught up in the combination but pulls out the double tuck, chest down – double pike, deeper, bounce back.

Jong – UB – inbar full to stalder shap to pak with some straddle – 1/2 turn on low to toe shoot, very close catch on high bar – inbar 1/2 to piked jaeger and falls – rumes with stalder to a solid FTDT.

Neal – BB – side aerial to back tuck, falls – switch, connects to split jump 1/2 that’s under – aerial, solid – bhs loso loso series, some tucking of legs, hit with arm wave – switch 1/2 – L turn, around with arm wave – side somi with a wobble – double pike, chest down, shuffle back.

Well, that’s enough for that. Roberson went 13.550 on floor to finish on 51.700 and get her nationals qualifying score despite the 10 on bars. She moves up to 6th AA.

FINAL:
1. Zeiss – 53.200
2. Sullivan – 52.750
3. Matthews – 52.600
4. Miller – 52.500
5. Mueller – 52.250
6. Roberson – 51.700
7. Eichman – 51.400
8. Booth – 51.100
9. Lincoln – 51.050
10. Fatta – 50.750
10. Rosen – 50.750

Top single vault was Brynn Torry on 14.100.

Miller won bars, followed by Booth and Lew.

Blakely won beam, followed by Roberson and Sullivan.

Lincoln won floor, followed by Roberson and Sullivan.