Saturday, March 11		SCORES	STREAM
1:00pm ET/ 10:00am PT	DIII East Regional (@ Ursinus)	LINK	FREE
3:00pm ET/ 12:00pm PT	Iowa State @ [5] UCLA	LINK	P12
3:00pm ET/ 12:00pm PT	[12] Kentucky, Illinois State @ [22] Illinois	LINK	BTN+
3:00pm ET/ 12:00pm PT	DIII West Regional (@ Oshkosh)	LINK	FREE
5:00pm ET/ 2:00pm PT	[4] Utah @ [13] Oregon State	LINK	P12
6:00pm ET/ 3:00pm PT	Lindenwood @ Centenary		FREE
7:00pm ET/ 4:00pm PT	[11] Denver, Air Force @ Nebraska	LINK	BTN+
7:00pm ET/ 4:00pm PT	Northern Illinois @ [10] Michigan State	LINK	BTN+

Lots going on today. I’ll focus on the three big dual meets for live blogging purposes today (history has taught against trying to follow BTN+ tri meets with any specificity if you want to see an away team), but those performances from Kentucky and Denver do have major ranking implications so I’ll keep at least half an eye out.

Now to the most fun part: Math.

UCLA is safely in 5th and cannot lose that spot this weekend. It is possible for UCLA to move as high as 3rd place after this meet, though whether that can be maintained would be dependent on Florida and Utah’s performances later. At minimum, UCLA will need a 197.525 today to force Utah into getting a counting score in the following meet. It would take a 198.075 today to force Florida into getting a counting score tomorrow that would stay ahead of UCLA. 

Once UCLA finishes, we’ll know what Utah will need to score to stay ahead of them. What we know already is that a 198.200 from Utah stays ahead of UCLA regardless of what UCLA scores. A 198.100 from Utah would temporarily move ahead of #3 Florida and would force Florida to get a score.

Michigan State, Denver, Kentucky, and Oregon State sit at #10-#13 right now and could go into any order depending on how they perform today, and Michigan State, Denver, and Kentucky could even go ahead of Alabama and Auburn if this is a big one. Oregon State can’t catch Alabama but could catch Auburn.

Kentucky’s Auburn-passing score today is 197.075. Kentucky’s Alabama-passing score today is 197.475.

Michigan State’s Auburn-passing score today is 197.350. Michigan State’s Alabama-passing score today is 197.750.

Denver’s Auburn-passing score today is 197.575. Denver’s Alabama-passing score today is 197.975.

Oregon State’s Auburn-passing score today is 197.925.

As for Illinois and Nebraska, at this point Illinois is safe for regionals but can’t really get up to the top 16, so there’s less riding on this score. Nebraska is also looking pretty good for regionals but would really love at least a mid-196 today to be more confident in escaping the swamp of the play-in meets. 

UCLA lineup news: Chae Campbell only up on vault.

Looks like we’re getting a tri-box at the Illinois meet, so that’s a good development. Davis with a hop back on her DLO first up on bars for Kentucky, 9.800.

Rotation 1

Frazier – VT – UCLA – yfull, one of her best in the air actually in terms of layout shape and height, but comes in short with chest down and hop forward, so won’t be a score. Still goes 9.750, which is the maximum you can go for a short yfull with hop with no other deductions.

Langkamp – UB – Iowa St – a bit late on hop grip change hs – hits piked jaeger – bail, some hip angle, legs together – will get hit for these hcasts – DLO, holds a good stick. 9.875 is a huge number.

Anyimi – VT – UCLA – good distance on yfull, large bounce back and some direction. 9.775

Thomas – UB – Iowa St – short first hs – blind to jaeger, high,loses her feet at the end – pak, legs apart – pauses in cast hs 1/2 turn on low, works through it – DLO, shuffle back and step salute. 9.750

Lee – VT – UCLA – good layout on yfull, small bounce back, can take for distance. 9.850

Ford – UB – Iowa St – maloney, good legs together adjusts her grip mid swing and regrasps, connects to bail, small leg separation – DLO, some piking, step back. 9.800

Campbell – VT – UCLA – Yfull, excellent height as always, small rebound back. 9.900

Basuel – UB – Iowa St – hecht mount – blind to jaeger, good amplitude, shorter hs afterward, connects to bail – LOVE how most of the handstands aren’t in frame! – DLO, a bit low, small step back. 9.800

When everyone in a lineup is getting a season high at the same time, it’s almost like the scoring lens isn’t consistent across the country…

Harris – VT – UCLA – good stick on her y1.5, just some knees in the air. And it’s 9.975.

Kentucky has a big number going on bars with Worley’s score still to come in, finishes with a tiny hop on FTDT.

Loyim – UB – Iowa St – blind to piked jaeger , hit – solid hs on high – pak, legs apart – cast 1/2 on low – short hs on high – DLO, flung out, chest down, hop forward. 9.800

Worley went 9.925 to get Kentucky to 49.450 on bars.

Chiles – VT – UCLA – She holds the stick on her DTY, so if Harris was already 9.975… You can take for a little bit of legs in the air. One of them did. Or for something. Another 9.975. Certainly wouldn’t have been the worst 10 if they had gone.

Cooke – UB – Iowa St – maloney, a bit of lack of amplitude, connects to pak, legs together – short cast hs on high – DLO, bounce back. 9.800

Love a non-working live scores page too.

49.475 vault for UCLA. 49.075 for Iowa State on bars. UCLA will expect a huge bars number given how the scoring went in the first rotation.

It was the opposite 10 judge on the vaults for Harris and Chiles. Don’t know how you rank Harris ahead of Chiles there. 

Meanwhile with that 49.450 on bars, Kentucky now needs to go about 49.350 on the remaining events to get that Alabama-passing score.

Rotation 2

Palacios – VT – Iowa State – yfull, some pike, bounce back – 9.775

Steele – UB – UCLA – good first hs – maloney, some leg break into pak, solid – a bit late on 1/2 turn on low – tighter cast hs on high – DLO, bounce back. 9.875 with a tenth on landing, so watch out.

Horowitz – VT – Iowa State – y1/2, lands deep and collapses down onto the mat, not injury type, just fall type. 9.225

Lee – UB – UCLA – good hs – some pike swinging through to pak, legs apart, good height – toe on to van leeuwen, good – short hs on high – DLO, lower, hop back. 9.875

These bars scores should be 9.7s, right?

Boychuk – VT – Iowa State – yfull, good amplitude, lands just a bit forward with a hop, some leg form. 9.725

Padurariu – UB – UCLA – toe on to maloney to bail, nice vertical, just the slightest leg separations – nice hs on high – FTDT, holds a staggered stick. 9.900. Because when you watched it you were like, that was the same as the last two.

Bergstrom – VT – Iowa State – yfull, pretty solid, medium hop back, a bit of knees, good direction. 9.775

Harris – UB – UCLA – good first hs – Ray, solid, not the highest – good hs on high – bail, hits vertical – smooth final cast hs  position – giant full to DLO, slide back. 9.900

Loyim – VT – Iowa State – yfull, solid form, lands chest forward though with a hop.

Frazier – UB – UCLA – some angle in first hs – maloney to pak, good form on pak – van leeuwen, hit – shy on hs position on high – DLO, little hop. 9.900

Kentucky has a 9.725 from Luksik in the first spot on beam and now a leg-up wobble from Bunn in the third spot.

Matassa – VT – Iowa State – attempts a yfull, piked well down, gets it to her feet but lunges into the coach who touches her on landing. So that should be a full point off in addition to the deductions. But it wasn’t 9.350

Chiles – UB – UCLA – good first hs – piked tkatchev to pak, nice – hits hs on low – maloney to gienger, solid – hits hs on high – FTDT, holds the landing. Pretty identical to last week.

10.000 again for Chiles on bars.

So that is a 49.575 on bars for UCLA. Some big routines at the end of the lineup. Wayyy too bunched in the scores for wildly different quality routines.

After 2:
UCLA 99.050
Iowa State 97.450

Kentucky gets 9.975 on beam for Worley and will hope to use Magnelli to drop that 9.725. Love a scoring graphic coming up in front of an active beam routine.

“Now I want to know what the record is for most 10s a gymnast has scored in their career.” IF ONLY THERE WAS A WAY TO FIND OUT. ALAS it might involve a bare minimum amount of work, so impossible.

Magnelli goes 9.900 on beam for 49.375, which keeps Kentucky above the pace they need, and they’re through beam.

Rotation 3

Lee – BB – UCLA – aerial to split jump, nice – bhs loso, very small adjustment – switch to straddle jump, good split positions – gainer full, stuck. Nice. And it’s 9.950

Boychuk – FX – Iowa St – double pike, large bounce back and OOB – back 1.5 to lay, hit, lower, soft knees – switch 1/2 to popa, good – double tuck, solid landing, chest forward. 9.575

Alipio – BB – UCLA – full turn, small check – aerial, a bit of knees, connect to back tuck, secure – split leap to switch 1/2 to beat jump, hit – side aerial – gainer tuck, small step. 9.900

Janay trying to bring back “bluetooth routine” like Sam Peszek is still competing.

Bergstrom – FX – Iowa St – double tuck, controls step, chest down, some foot flexing – front lay to rudi, chest down, some leg crossing – switch to switch 1/2 to wolf full, leaps the highlight here. 9.750

Padurariu – BB – UCLA – attempts a candle mount but collapses right into a hip support and no one says anything about it – hits wolf turn – side aerial to bhs, secure – switch, good back leg – beat to sheep jump, secure, good hip angle – 1.5 dismount, slide heels together.

9.825. LOVE when I pretty much fall onto the beam and one judge goes 9.900. It’s not actually viewed as a fall onto the beam because you aim to end the skill in front support, but you do have to deduct for not showing the candle position first.

Palacios – FX – Iowa St – switch side 1/2 – front tuck through to double tuck, secure landing – switch to another switch side 1/2 to split 1/2 – overturning some leaps there to get around – double pike, chest down, solid landing. 9.825

Chiles – BB – UCLA – aerial, connects to bhs loso, secure combination – switch to wolf, solid – full turn, hit – side aerial, secure – double pike, chest forward with a hop. 9.950

Loyim – FX – Iowa St – DLO, pikes down at the end and steps back OOB – switch side to popa to wolf full, around well, hit –  back 1.5 to front lay, just some knees. Solid finish. 9.625

Padurariu’s beam score is up to 9.875 now. What fun.

Harris – BB – UCLA – bhs loso bhs, right on – switch swith good back leg to split jump to full turn, just a little bit of arm correction in the middle – kickover, small check – 1.5 dismount, good stick. 9.950. This rotation score.

Maldonado – FX – Iowa St – front lay to rudi, under control, a bit of leg crossing – double pike, overdoes it with a large lunge back – switch 1/2 to wolf full, shy on the switch 1/2 position, pulls them around –

Malabuyo – BB – UCLA – wolf single, good – bhs loso series, large break and touches the beam, so this will be the drop – aerial, leans but works through it into split korbut – beat to split ring jump, nice – bhs gainer full, stuck landing, a bit deep. 9.725

UCLA 49.625 beam score to go well over 198 pace heading to floor, and who knows what that will bring.

Diab – FX – Iowa State – front 2/1 to front lay, excellent front lay position – split leap full to popa, hit, around, a bit shy on split position – front lay to front full to stag, front full is lower than the lay – rudi to a high loso. 9.875

Pac-12 Network breaking with its norm and showing an exhibition with Emma Andres on beam. Beautiful straddle 1/2 position. Hits kickover to korbut – wobble on gainer loso – 2/1, holds the stick.

Iowa State 48.800 on floor.

After 3:
UCLA 148.675
Iowa State 146.250

Raena Worley went 9.975 on floor to get Kentucky to 49.575 there. Kentucky now just needs 49.075 on vault to go ahead of Alabama and Auburn in the rankings.

UCLA needs 49.425 on floor now to move ahead of Florida and Utah in the in-progress rankings.

Rotation 4

Jim lets us know that BJ is “cool” and “hip.” What did he just do to Ariana Grande?

Thomas – BB – Iowa St – kickover to bhs is hit, some knees, small check on landing – hits full turn – switch to straddle 1/4, another small check – 1.5 dismount, solid stick. 9.900. Well it’s consistent.

Lee – FX – UCLA – good height on double tuck, but a step back and additional step I actually thought she stayed in but the flag goes up for OOB. OK with it if they go back and say not out. Front lay to front full, just a little shy, controls it – switch ring to switch 1/2 good attention to back leg ring – double pike, chest forward with a step. 9.825 with no OOB taken.

Boychuk – BB – Iowa St – wolf single, hit – cat leap to switch 1/2, well under split – bhs loso series, solid, knee in bhs – cat leap to side somi, bend forward with an arm wave – gainer full, hit. 9.775

LOL, they think that Lee’s 9.825 means they took the OOB.

Lashbrooke – FX – UCLA – double tuck, chest up, shows control – back 1.5 to front lay, a little under, small foot adjustment – split leap full to popa, good – double pike, chest down. 9.875

Bergstrom – BB – Iowa St – full turn, smooth – cat leap to kickover, keeps moving into bhs, small check – switch to switch, works through it with a little direction correction – split jump – front tuck full, holds stick with a lean. 9.875

Malabuyo – FX – UCLA – double tuck, controls step – back 1.5 to front lay, good height – switch ring to switch 1/2, wonderful – double pike, chest down more on that one, slide back. 9.925

Kentucky went 49.400 on vault to end on 197.800, near a program record and more than enough to move ahead of Alabama.

Maldonado – BB – Iowa St – kickover, arm correction – bhs loso, secure loso, some knees in bhs – switch to straddle 1/4, lovely position and amplitude in that straddle – beat to split jump 3/4, secure – gainer full, chest a bit forward, step. 9.900

Harris – FX – UCLA – FTDT, secure landing, chest forward – good high double tuck, another secure landing – split leap full to jump full to shushunova, around – what is this camera work, fun knee closeup? – back 1.5 to 1/2 to double stag, no travel, just a little arm control. 9.925

Horowitz – BB – Iowa St – kickover, works through a lean to bhs, was a little off line – full turn to cat leap to kick to split jump is a nice combination – cat leap, good height into switch 1/2, controls to beat jump – gainer full, chest down, hop forward. 9.850

Frazier – FX – UCLA – whip through to double tuck, bounce back with some lack of front foot control – split leap full to popa to popa, one of her better dance combinations of the year – double pike, small rebound, some foot flexing. 9.900

Loyim – BB – Iowa St – switch to switch to straddle jump, a bit tight in her leap positions – bhs loso, some feet, check – full turn, hit – aerial, wobble – switch side, lean – gainer full, small hop. 9.775

Chiles – FX – UCLA – DLO, little rebound back, chest up – front tuck through to double tuck – switch leap full to wolf full, around – double pike, controls that landing. Not her best overall landing control today but just little bounces.

Still 9.975, which takes her to a 39.900 AA. One of 9 people to have ever done 39.900 AA.

FINAL:
UCLA 198.275
Iowa State 195.550

So UCLA will move into 3rd in the rankings for now. Utah does need 198.175 today to tie UCLA and 198.200 to move back ahead of UCLA.

Kentucky does indeed move to 8th and will definitely be ahead of Alabama, Auburn, Denver, and Oregon State this week. Michigan State can still move ahead of Kentucky but now needs a 198.100 to do it.

Suddenly showing these exhibitions is a very “for UCLA and no others” move, but also, you know, Moors.

OK, time for Utah and Oregon State! Oregon State looking for that 197.925 to move ahead of Auburn. Utah looking for that 198.200 to move ahead of UCLA.

Rotation 1

Garcia – VT – Oregon St – yfull, not too big on the bounce back, some direction. 9.775

Morgan – UB – Utah – maloney with some feet – bhardwaj, hit – solid 1/2 turn position on low bar – giant full, solid finish position into double tuck, some foot flexing, stuck. 9.875

Letzsch – VT – Oregon St – yfull, pretty body position, large bounce back. 9.800

Smith – UB – Utah – toe on to maloney, legs together well into the pak – 1/2 turn, maybe a bit past – toe on to double arabian, some leg separation at the end, bounce forward. 9.850

Briones – VT – Oregon St – yfull, solid body position there are well, bounce up, pikes a little at the end. 9.800

Brenner – UB – Utah – blind to jaeger, good height into overshoot – a bit rushed on final hs position – DLO, some leg separation – kind of holds the landing, but also step salute. 9.900

Gonzales – VT – Oregon St – ro full on back pike, medium bounce back, good position and distance. 9.900

Thompson – UB – Utah – maloney to pak, good positions – small hesitation 1/2 turn cast on low bar – solid hs position on high bar – DLO, legs together, good landing. 9.950

Dagen – VT – Oregon St – y1.5, larger lunge forward, leg separation on the vault. 9.875

O’Keefe – UB – Utah – good first hs – maloney with a bit of legs into pak, nice – toe circle up to high – a bit tight on final cast hs – double arabian, some leg separation, step forward. 9.875

Carey – VT – Oregon St – DTY, nearly shows the stick, little movement – 9.925. Glad they didn’t go 10 for this after we saw Chiles not go 10

Isa – UB – Utah – Ray, hit – legs together on bail, good vertical – a bit shy on hs on high – giant full, good finish position, into DLO, again nearly shows the full stick, directly into scream celebrate.

9.950 with a 9.900/10.000 split.

49.300 on vault for Oregon State, below the pace they’re looking for, but they typically are lower on vault and bars and higher on beam and floor. Utah goes 49.550 on bars, which is exactly the pace they are aiming for today.

Rotation 2

O’Keefe – VT – Utah – yfull, good flare on her yfull, but step back and additional movement. 9.775

Beeman – UB – Oregon St – blind to jaeger, very close catch with elbows – pak, leg separation – solid cast on high – stalder with a bit of elbows into double tuck, stuck. 9.825 bodes high for this rotation’s score

Brenner – VT – Utah – y1.5, pretty solid control, small hop to the side, some pike. 9.900

Miller – UB – Oregon St – some angle in first hs on low – toe on to maloney to pak, large leg separations, catches a bit close on pak – DLO, legs apart, large bounce back. 9.800

Gilstrap – VT – Utah – good direction and distance on yfull, bounce back. 9.825

Weaver – UB – Oregon St – shy on first hs – giant full to gienger, hit – solid hs on high – bail, a bit of elbows on catch, legs together – giant full, good vertical into double tuck, hop back. Best vertical positions so far. 9.925. Carey already has a 20.

Smith – VT – Utah – Omelianchik, great height but has a full tenth hop to the side this week. 9.825

Caso – UB – Oregon St – good hs – maloney to pak, some legs, a little lower on pak amplitude – good hs on low – van leeuwen, small leg break – stalder, elbows, into double tuck, stuck. 9.900

Rucker – VT – Utah – holds onto the landing on her y1.5 with a lean and legs apart. 9.900

McMillan – UB – Oregon St – good first hs – toe on to maloney, small leg break to bail, good vertical – hits hs on high – DLO, legs, a bit of pike, holds the stick. And it’s 9.950

Stanhope – VT – Utah – y1.5, back in the lineup – got nothing on her block, hand slip?, way short and falls. Low vault score for Utah today.

Carey – UB – Oregon St – maloney to bhardwaj, hit – van leeuwen, hit – some hip angle in her handstands, some soft feet, rarely enough to travel into the .05 zone – FTDT, small slide back. These scores were set up for a 10 for her, but they won’t with that dismount, right? RIGHT?

Another 9.950 for Carey and Oregon State will move into the lead.

Bars scoring was deeply fictional in that rotation, some similar artificial parity like with Michigan and Georgia on bars yesterday. Utah didn’t really deliver the vault performance they wanted. Tried out Stanhope because their best six needs her, but she did not seem ready yet. No Hoffman today either.

After 2:
Oregon State 98.850
Utah 98.775

Oregon State now has a chance at that 198 with big beam and floor performances. Utah seeing that 198.2 goal start to slip away as they would now need to average better than 49.7 on the last two rotations.

Rotation 3

Peterson – BB – Oregon St – bhs bhs loso series, secure, just a bit of foot flexing at the end – full turn, holds it – switch 1/2, a little under split, small pause before straddle jump – gainer pike out of frame. 9.875

Brenner – FX – Utah – double pike, controls landing – back 1.5 to front lay, some legs in 1.5, solid layout position – switch side to popa, overturns switch side – double tuck, flexed feet, controls step back. 9.875

Domingo – BB – Oregon St – aerial, small check – redoes aerial, this time connects to back pike – full turn, hit – beat, nice – switch, check before straddle jump to split 3/4, not her cleanest split 3/4 today, but secure – gainer full, slide back. 9.825

Gilstrap – FX – Utah – front lay, good rise into rudi – switch to switch ring 1/2, hit – love this shot of an empty beam??? – front lay to front full is clean. 9.900

Letzsch – BB – Oregon St – aerial, small check shoulder dip but tries to keep working into back tuck – split jump to split ring jump, nice positions, beat jump – full turn, hit – front gainer full, onto toes, step salute. I wouldn’t give acro combination but I imagine they’ll give it because of the everything.

And they did. 9.875.

This is why commentators often shy away from pointing out deductions because then they’re not taken and it makes it seem like the commentator doesn’t know what they’re talking about, but in this case Alisa was right on.

Paulson – FX – Utah – front  tuck through to 2.5, slide forward – front lay to front full, good height, some soft position – switch full to sissone, a little under on the switch full rotation – back 1.5 to layout. 9.900

Gonzales – BB – Oregon St – aerial to back tuck, solidly connected – full turn, hit – side aerial, smooth – cat leap to switch 1/2, a bit under – fornt gainer full, onto toes and step salute. 9.900

Smith – FX – Utah – good amplitude on front 2/1 – switch ring to switch 1/2, solid 180 on switch 1/2 – rudi to loso, smooth layout – rudi to double stag, hit. Good one. 9.875. I would have had that ahead of Paulson.

Dagen – BB – Oregon St – bhs loso, very solid – switch to switch 1/2, small pause in between, into pike jump with an arm wave – pretty short of split on the switch 1/2 – hits full turn – 1.5 dismount, good hold on stick. 9.925

Rucker – FX – Utah – FTDT, chest well down with a lunge forward, so should be at least .150 off there – “how much?” “With these judges it’s hard to tell” the most honest answer – switch to switch 1/1, a bit under, into stag – front full, secure controlled step. 9.700

Carey – BB – Oregon St – hits full turn – aerial, small check – bhs loso is secure – tempo is very slow, lack of variation there  – switch to switch 1/2 is solid – gainer full, solid.

9.975. One judge still went 10 with that check.

O’Keefe – FX – Utah – double pike, good feet, controls landing – front lay to front full, also controls step well – switch to split leap 1.5, good completion today – 1.5 to layout lovely, good height. 9.925

Wow, we’re seeing an exhibition routine from Oregon State. Big upset.

Oregon State goes 49.550 on beam, Utah goes 49.475 on floor, so Oregon State extends its lead heading into the last event.

After 3:
Oregon State 148.400
Utah 148.250

The way Oregon State has been scored today, 198 still seems in the picture. We (basically) know that Utah will fall to 5th in the rankings because they would need 49.825 on beam to catch Florida. Although the way things have been going…

Rotation 4

Morgan – BB – Utah – walkover mount, hit – bhs bhs loso, squeeze to hold it – split jump to straddle 1/2, secure – full turn, check – front gainer full off the side, holds stick with a lean. 9.825

Miller – FX – Oregon St – double pike, small slide back – switch 1/2 to popa, good switch 1/2 – back 1.5 to front lay, controls, a bit low – double tuck, solid, chest up, very small rebound. 9.875

Smith – FX – Utah – switch leap to split leap, keeps moving with arm correction – hitch kick to aerial, check before split jump – bhs loso, some knees in bhs, holds the landing – full turn, hit – gainer full, holds stick. 9.875

Young – FX – Oregon St – double pike, secure landing, some foot flexing – double tuck, same, controls the step – switch leap to split ring leap, lack of landing control – front lay to front full, bounce forward out of it. 9.850

Paulson – BB – Utah – side aerial to loso, solid – switch to switch, hits the combination – full turn, hit – side aerial to 1.5, little slide forward on step salute. One of her best of the year. 9.925

Letzsch – FX – Oregon St – back 1.5 to front full, good height, just a little leggy in the 1.5 – switch ring full with an awkward landing, didn’t rotate entirely, so the sissone was low – double tuck, small slide back, chest up. 9.875. Lost a little to Utah there.

Isa – BB – Utah – candle mount, shows vertical – now compulsory small lean in cartwheel – bhs loso loso, hit – full turn, wobble – beat to straddle 1/4, nice – gainer full, good stick. 9.925

Gonzales – FX – Oregon St – front full to a high front lay – switch 1/1 to sissone, good positions, a little under on the full turn – double pike, chest down, step forward. That pass should mean hers doesn’t match Isa’s score in the 4th spot. Still goes 9.875 thought.

O’Keefe – BB – Utah – WHATTTT – she just fell on choreography! – side aerial to loso is solid – switch to split leap, hit – full turn, hit – bhs gainer full, stuck. WEIRD. She’s going to burn down so many buildings today.

One judge gave her a Perfect Fall 9.500

Dagen – FX – Oregon St – front lay to rudi, chest forward, bounce back –  switch 1/2, a little over turned, to popa to straddle jump, good positions – double pike, chest forward, another little rebound. And it’s 9.950, which will win the meet.

Gilstrap – BB – Utah – wolf single, small foot placement correction – cat leap to aerial, good aerial shape – bhs back lay-pike to 2 feet, solid – switch to split to beat, hit – bhs 1.5, leans to hold the stick, some leg crossing. Good hit. And gets 9.900.

Carey – FX – Oregon St – double double, small front foot movement, good chest up – switch 1/2, overturns by about a 1/4 turn into popa, so straddle 3/4 – front loso to double pike, good landing. We’ll see what they do. I had a couple things.

9.975 for Jade brings Oregon State to 197.950, just enough to move ahead of Auburn.

FINAL:
Oregon State 197.950
Utah 197.700

Kind of still not over O’Keefe’s fall.

Utah will be sent to #5 in the rankings for Monday.

A four-way tie for the Pac-12 regular season championship is really on message for this sport’s commitment to pretending every routine is the same, regardless of quality.

So here’s where we stand ranking-wise. Oregon State just moved to 10th. Michigan State competes shortly and is currently in 12th but could move as high as 8th depending on the score today. Denver could also move up ahead of several others.

Michigan State to pass Auburn: 197.350
Michigan State to pass Oregon State: 197.400
Michigan State to pass Alabama: 197.750
Michigan State to pass Kentucky: 198.100

Denver to pass Auburn: 197.575
Denver to pass Oregon State: 197.625
Denver to pass Alabama: 197.975
Denver can’t catch Kentucky.

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I can’t help but notice that neither of these last two meets have started yet. And I don’t love that for me.

OK here we go.

Rotation 1

Nyah Smith – VT – MSU – yfull, nearly sticks, small movement back with one foot, a little chest forward. 9.800

Apparently we got a replay of Smith’s vault instead of NIU on bars?

Lynnzee Brown is starting on beam for Denver, joining in progress, aerial to wolf jump is solid, finishes with a stuck gainer full.

Hsu – VT – MSU – great height on her yfull, step back. 9.750

Ciara Ryan on bars for NIU finishes with a DLO, step forward.

Schulte – VT – MSU – good power as usual on yfull, hop back this week. 9.775

Good gainer pike stick from Mabanta on beam for Denver, following 9.850 for Brown.

Sissi – Ub – NIU – hits piked jaehger, some leg break – bail, shy of handstand and a bit of leg break – finishes with a solid DLO.

Also Kellerman vaulting at the same time for MSU, hits handspring pike 1/2, chest up pretty well, bounce back. 9.825

MSU scoring on vault is definitely more code-adhering than we’ve seen seeing today or saw last week for MSU.

Nikki Smith – VT – MSU – one tenth pace forward on her Y1.5 today. 9.875

Brooklyn Sears bars for NIU, we see a hit bail, FTDT dismount, overcooks it, with deep knees, lunge back to hold it. 

Emma Spence vaulting for Nebraska, good control on y1/5 landing, just some knees.

Stephen – VT – MSU – very good yfull, small bounce back, great form and amplitude

Strong side aerial to stuck layout 1.5 from Abbie Thompson, 4th on beam for Denver.

Al Ashari – UB – NIU – pretty first hs – blind, good into jaeger, solid amplitude – well short on next handstand – bail is hit, just a slight bit of hip angle – DLO, holds the landing well. Just some handstands but a nice one.

Spence went 9.925 on vault to take Nebraska to 49.375 there. So it’s going to be quite the score today if that’s any indication.

Stephen gets 9.875, taking MSU’s vault total to 49.150.

Rylie Mundell falls on beam for Denver on her bhs loso series, so that means they will count a 9.700 from Iwai.

Hamp – Ub – NIU – tkatchev, good swing – bail, a bit of hip angle – shy on final cast hs – giant full, solid finishing position, connects to DLO but ends up with chest way down on landing and a lunge forward. Still goes 9.775 to get NIU to 48.925 on bars. Bars scoring looks ready to go THERE for MSU.

After 1:
Michigan State 49.150
Northern Illinois 48.925

Hutchinson anchoring beam for Denver, we see the routine in progress – hits a switch to split jump – kickover, secure, nice high landing – gainer full, holds it. The part we saw was very strong.

And she goes 9.900 to get Denver to 49.225 on beam, but they will trail Nebraska.

Beam is done and we’re still waiting on the 4th bars score for Air Force, so that’s going to be quite the wait until the next rotation there.

Rotation 2

Schulte – UB – MSU – I love that we’re just not even bothering alternating routines at this dual meet – shaposh to bail, hit, some hip angkle – good hs on high – DLO, stuck. 9.925.

Ryan – VT – MIU – ro full on back pike, lunge back, will get deducted for chest down, some feet, leg separation at the end, solid hit

Kellerman – UB – MSU – blind,, slight crooked into a  nice jaeger – hits hs on high – bail, right to vertical – strong hs on high as well – giant full to double tuck, good foot positions, stuck. And it’s 9.950.

Scores for NIU were high, and it meant that all these MSU routines were going to need to go higher.

West – VT – NIU – hits a yfull, good height, some tucking of legs, lunge back

Stephen – UB – MSU – toe on to maloney, hit, a little flat on back swing – some body position on hs – clear hip to bail, solid, small amount of hip angle, shorter cast hs on high – FTDT, very good distance and stick.

9.975, don’t see that, would have had that lower than the other two

Brkljacic – VT – NIU – nice block on yfull and waits to twist – chest down, hop back.

Jackard – UB =- MSU – catches close on her opening jaeger, lots of elbows – bail, lovely, good toe point and vertical – giant full, solid position into double tuck, chest down, hop forward. 9.850

Hit yfull from Shea for NIU as well, hop back, some knees, another 9.700.

Sissi – VT – NIU – good distance on yfull, bounce.

Nikki Smith – UB – MSU – toe on to maloney, legs together well into pak – 1/2 turn on low bar, solid finish position – a bit shy on cast hs on high – DLO, small rebound. 9.925

Nock – VT – NIU – best height on yfulls so far but landing short, chest forward, step

Harkness – UB – MSU – toe on to gienger, excellent – solid cast hs on high – nice clean bail – hits hs on high – FTDT, stagger on landing with a little movement.

NIU goes 48.500 on vault. Harkness goes 9.950 on bars of course to get MSU to 49.725 for a bars rotation. Last week’s program record was 49.550. A mixture of a lovely rotation (the feet on double tucks stands out in particular) and some insane scoring.

Michigan State back on high 197 pace.

Secord rotation underway in Nebraska, where Nebraska has a miss on bars in the first rotation to work through. Denver has a 9.850 from Ruiz in the first spot on floor. Iwai lans chest down on double tuck with a step forward and then I think we saw a replay of that landing while her routine was still ongoing, which was fun.

Iwai went 9.800 on floor in the second spot for Denver. Spence on bars for Nebraska – good hs on low – maloney to pak to toe on to van lweeuen, nice combination, a bit of over arch on pak but gets the connection out of it – giant full, solid finish position into a stuck double tuck. And that routine went 9.975.

We see a rebound back on a double pike from Mundell in the 4th spot for Denver on floor, a little steppy on landing.

We really are getting replays of floor passes while floor routines are still going on in Nebraska, and it’s WILD to watch. Also at MSU we just learned that bars and beam are different events.

Kalefe – BB – MSU – bhs bhs loso, secure – so apparently this simultaneous competing dual meet was intentional – switch to tuck jump full, around into beat jump, secure – gainer full, good stick. Some lack of amplitude in places but a  solid routine. 9.875

Nebraska went 49.500 on bars. Hutchinson finishes floor for Denver with a lovely rudi to straddle jump, great positions and control. 9.850 for her, so Denver still stuck in the medium scores today.

Harkness – BB – MSU – full turn, hit – bhs loso, solid landing chest a bit down – switch to switch, good back leg positions – cat leap to side aerial to tuck 1.5, hop forward. Good. 9.800

Brown anchoring beam for Denver, we see replay of a hit DLO with controlled front leg.

Nikki Smith – BB – MSU – bhs loso, solid – switch to straddle 1/4, a bit of back leg in the switch – beat – double tuck, large lunge back. 9.825

Brown went 9.875 to anchor floor for Denver and a 49.200 rotation. Just can’t get out of the normie numbers today, and those goal scores are starting to slip away for this week.

Schulte – BB – MSU – full turn, hit – switch to switch 1/2 to beat, some of the best amplitude on that combination – bhs loso, saves it with a step back – switch to gainer full, solid. 9.850

Dolitsky 4th on floor for Northern Illinois, finishes front full to front lay, pulls it around with some knees

Stephen – BB – MSU – straddle cut mount – aerial to 2 feet, solid – full turn, hit – bhs loso, good height, small squeeze adjustment – beat to straddle 1/2, secure – 2/1, almost shows the stick for long enough, bit of a step salute, some leg crossing. 9.900

Sissi – FX – NIU – switch side+ into a popa – back 1.5 to front pike, pretty much controls the slide – ro double tuck with just a little bounce back. Good. 9.825

Garcia – BB – MSU – full turn, smooth – bhs loso with a wobble, leg up, arm wave lean to the side – aerial to split jump, pretty positions – switch to split, also well done – gainer full, hit, a little step salute. 9.800

Nock – FX – NIU – FTDT, controls the step, just a bit of leg separation in the second salto – split leap full to jump full, pulls it around, gets a little lower on the jump – front lay to rudi, good height, some leg crossing. 9.900

Michigan State 49.250 on beam, which drops the pace a little but the mid 197 should still be very live. Looks like a day when vault and beam are calm and reserved and bars and floor are wild.

NIu goes 49.100 on floor. After 3: Michigan State 148.125, NIU 146.525

Underway in rotation 3 in Nebraska. Mabanta with good control on her yfull landing and goes 9.900 in the second spot, so Denver might find the scores arriving in this rotation.

Nebraska got 9.825 from Hall in the first spot on beam.

Mundell – VT – Denver – good distance on y1.5, kind of tried to cover her shortish landing with a quick hop back, but it was a hop back. Still gets 9.850 though.

Looks like a fall from Simpton in the second spot on beam for Nebraska, way off line on her series and just has to leave on the bhs

We did not see Brown’s vault on the stream, but it’s a 9.300, so no thank you I don’t want it.

Casali picks things up with a stick on her y1.5 in the anchor spot. 9.950

Denver goes 49.400 on vault, which is much more like the score they needed, but they would need a bars score well into the 49.7s to catch anyone in the rankings at this point.

Gard – BB – Nebraska – up third after the Simpton fall – bhs loso series, secure with some knee position – full turn, hit – split jump to split 3/4, slightly short of split on the 3/4, small wobble – side aerial, secure, feet – switch to gainer pike, fully out of frame but we do see a foot step back into frame. 9.700 that will count.

With Michigan State on 148.125, that means the floor score needed to pass Auburn is 49.225, for Oregon State it is 49.275, for Alabama it is 49.625, and for Kentucky it is 49.975 (I mean at this point…)

Colombo keeps Nebraska close enough to on track with a hit in the 4th spot on beam, but did have a short landing on her dismount with a step back. 9.750

Spence – BB – Nebraska – wolf double, good – aerial to bhs bhs, connected, just a bit of knee in aerial – switch to beat jump, good back leg – love these out of frame dismounts, so fun – 1.5, holds the stick. Very good. 9.850

Rotation 4

Nyah Smith – FX – MSU – front tuck, good height into double tuck, chest down with a step forward – switch side, overturns into popa – back 1.5 to front lay, lower amplitude on the front pike, pikes the beginning to pull it around – double pike, chest down, step forward. 9.825.

McClelland pulls out a beam hit to save Nebraska’s rotation score there. 9.825 for a 48.950 total, whips drops them into a tie with Denver after 3.

Kalefe – FX – MSU – front 2/1, slide forward – cat leap to switch to wolf full to shushunova, very low amplitude on both the wolf full and the shushunova – good rudi to loso, nice height. 9.900.

Wouldn’t be surprised if we rise to 10 in this rotation. We’re going to see routines that are a couple tenths stronger. 

Harkness – FX – MSU – FTDT, just a little steppy on landing – switch to split leap full to wolf full, good completion and height, just a little step back on landing – front tuck through to double tuck, some foot flexing, little rebound. And 9.950.

This broadcast has completely dispensed with the idea that NIU is in this meet.

Stephen – FX – MSU – front tuck, high, through to double pike, notable bounce back – switch 1/2 to wolf full to straddle jump, very precise – front 2/1, just a little slide. And it’s 9.975.

I mean I didn’t think we were going to 10 YET.

Nikki Smith – FX – MSU – FTDT, chest well down, step forward for what should be .150 – switch 1/2 to popa, good – back 1.5 to layout, pulls around the layout, didn’t get much into the amplitude of the second element – double tuck, chest up well, slide back. Still gets up to 9.875

Oh we’re seeing some NIU on beam, Werner in the 5th spot, nice save on her front aerial, one foot arm the beam but pulled it back with an arm wave, nice position on the air – bhs loso series with a check – split jump to split ring jump, nice feet on split jump – gainer full, hit with a stagger.

Schulte – FX – MSU – FTDT, nice, good control on landing – switch 1/2 to popa to straddle jump, good positions on all, clearly around – front tuck through to double tuck, bounce back.

9.975. One of them tried again even with the bounce back on the last pass.

49.675 on floor is enough to pass Alabama.

Michigan State is done on 197.800, and they will go into 9th place, behind Kentucky. Alabama to 10th, Oregon State to 11th, Auburn to 12th.

We already know this will not be a counting number for NIU as we wait on their final beam score.

FINAL:
Michigan State 197.800
Northern Illinois 195.125