Senior competition at the US Classic begins today with the Peasant Session, reserved for those athletes who don’t even have 32 worlds medals.

Leading this afternoon group is Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos, who currently has her own standings page on the live scores. As well she should. We’ll also have a chance to see Josc Roberson and her potential upgrades on vault and floor (though no comparison with Carey this time around since Carey has scratched VT/FX), as well as Zoe Miller, Nola Matthews, and Madray Johnson in the all-around and Addison Fatta on select events. Myli Lew was also supposed to be in this session but withdrew.

Obligatory shot of Eiffel Tower! We won’t get sick of that!

John is holding a physical code of points. Like seeing a phone book in the wild.

All the “prove yourself to the selection committee” language has not been eradicated by 2021’s lack of selection.

Murphy – UB – good feet to start – toe full, nice finish – stalder shap to pak, just a bit over the low bar on pak but OK – van leeuwen, solid – jaeger, takes it too far and falls. Resumes to finish with double tuck, good stick. Nice form overall.

Haven’t seen any scores come up yet, which is funnnnn.

Matthews – UB – good jaeger – Ricna to pak, good – hits good hs on low – toe full to van leeuwen, catches – stalder – toe on – DLO, hop back. Solid.

12.400 for Murphy on bars. 7.4 is a big E score for a fall.

MDJDS – BB – front pike mount, excellent – bhs loso loso series, large break, leg up, keeps it on – switch, small pause before switch 1/2, solid landing – aerial to split jump to bhs, small check – wolf turn attempt, bails after 1.5 turns, a struggle there – side aerial, nice extension – sissone to pike jump – double pike, chest forward, step. Stayed on, not at solid as American Classic but a useful hit.

13.900 for Matthews on bars.

Doesn’t really make sense that Melanie is not eligible for the standings here. It’s not like it’s nationals.

Zhou – UB – inbar, some loose back form – stalder full to maloney to pak, good amplitude – van leeuwen, small leg break – toe 1/2 to jaeger, hit – FTDT, step forward. Good.

Matthews’ 13.900 leads so far, then Pineda with 13.500 on vault.

13.800 for Melanie on beam. 5.8/8.000

Roberson – BB – hits back full, step back – switch to switch 1/2 to back tuck, some short split positions, gets connection – side aerial to loso loso, secure landing – full turn – onodi to split to pike, another good combination – straddle jump from side , a bit tight, small adjustment- bhs bhs double pike, lunge back. Really good one for her. Didn’t give away much that wasn’t built in.

13.750 for Zhou on bars.

Looks like Madray Johnson scratched bars.

And it’s 14.300 for Roberson on beam. 6.3/8.000 split.

You: “We should judge domestically like they will at worlds.”
Beam judges: “Lullllzzzzzzzz”

Booth – BB – bhs bhs loso series, bend over at the waist wobble, keeps it on – switch to split to straddle, smooth combo – side aerial, tentative check working out of it – switch 1/2, good position but another wobble – split ring jump – aerial, again looked on initially but a leg up wobble after landing – 2/1, legs, hop forward.

Sam is always surprised by people wobbling on beam. She’s like, I would never.

11.800 for Booth

Miller – BB – full turn, hit – bhs loso loso, large break, bend over all the way at the waist, leg up, keeps it on – aerial to split jump, small pause before back tuck – switch to switch 1/2, a little low on switch 1/2, leg up to horizontal – side aerial – sissone to wolf jump is nice, good height – straight jump 1/1 from side is secure – bhs bhs double pike, secure landing, just some small movement and chest position. Some large wobbles but a stay-on.

Us: “It’s just Classic.”
NBC: “This meet is the Olympics but harder.”

Pierson – BB – falls on wolf double, didn’t quite finish, was a little off the beam behind her – loso loso series is secure – aerial, knee and check – hits dance combo – side somi, holds it – onodi with a crazy leg, hits it – switch – side aerial, small lean – 2/1, small hop.

12.450 for Miller on beam.

Roberson with a big lead after beam, which bodes well for her.

Rotation 2

MDJDS – FX – DLO 1/1, takes it a bit too far and steps OOB, some pike – split jump full, lovely – front loso through to double tuck, bounce back, heel does go over the line – excellent amplitude on leaps – wolf triple, nice – double pike, secure, step back – split leap full is hit. Good leaps, some control issues on tumbling but solid for her first floor of the year.

Very “a lot of people questioning why a foreigner would be allowed to be seen” commentary.

13.450. 5.6 D

Roberson – FX – DLO 2/1, one of her best ones, some pike at the end, a little short with a hop – DLO 1/1, secure landing, small hop – leg up hop full, split leap 1.5 attempt – wolf triple – front full to double tuck, step back – front loso to double pike, a bit of a stagger back, some chest position. Another solid performance for her. Big difficulty.

Johnson – BB – wolf double, hit – bhs loso loso, a bit tight in position, secure landing – onodi, off line and falls – side aerial, another large break but a solid save – aerial to split to bhs, check working out of it – switch to switch 1/2, somewhat under on 1/2, good landing – double tuck, lands in cannonball shape, bounce back, second fall

14.000 for Roberson on floor, 6.4 D and 7.6 E.

Melanie looking at the camera and then turning her back to it so she could say something to Roberson is the highlight of the meet so far.

Also a truly classic Lauren Hopkins facial expression behind Miller before she started floor. I’m in heaven

Miller – FX – wolf double hit – DLO, a bit short, step forward – split jump full – FTDT, good height, bounce back OOB – split leap full – front loso to 2/1, step back, leg crossing – double tuck, lunge back.

Roberson with a lead of more than a point right now.

12.150 for Miller on floor.

Looking back at Fatta on beam – good wolf triple – bhs loso, hti, has the height, some soft leg position – aerial to split jump, arm wave correction – side aerial, huge break, tons of arm waves, excellent save – 2.5 dismount, lunge to the side. 12.400

Annalisa Milton – FX – DTDT, chest forward, little rebound – double tuck, slide back – leg up full, ends a little early, split leap full – rough front full in combination, Grishina, awkward landing so just does a layout connected out of it –

Roberson sitting on 28.300 now. Melanie on 27.250 if she were allowed to be in second but she’s not because foreign. So currently in second is Matthews on 27.200.

Rotation 3

Matthews – FTDT, bounce back, good – switch 1/2, hit – front full through to 2.5, small movement forward, some legs – excellent leg up hop full – split leap full, good – wolf double, good – double tuck, lunge back, possible OOB. Nice performance, composed tumbling, solid.

Another 13.300 for Matthews on floor. Having a good day.

Zhou – FX – double pike, a tad deep, hop to the side – split leap full – back 1.5 to front full, step forward – split jump full, around – switch ring is nice – split leap full – double tuck, solid tight tuck poisition, step

Looking back on Roberson on vault. Starts with her Cheng upgrade, definitely the best we’ve seen her do it – small slide back, some leg separation at the end.

Roberson second vault is DTY, giant bounce back but landed it, she fell every time in podium on that one.

14.650 for the Cheng.

Annalisa Milton – clean Y1.5, large lunge forward, good NCAA potential vault.

“Melanie De Santos” nice start.

MDJDS – VT – good DTY, just chest down a little at the end, small hop back, nice height

Pineda – BB – wolf double, lean forward, holds onto it – bhs loso loso, secure, nice bhs position, just a little foot on losos, nice series bonus work out of aerial – switch is good – lone back tuck, step back – side aerial, comfortable – 2/1, small hop. Good.

14.100 VT for Melanie.

Murphy – FX – FTDT, step back OOB – split jump full – double tuck, looked like she had enough height but comes in chest forward, step – switch ring to switch 1/2 – wolf 1.75 – front tuck through to 2.5 is hit, crossover step.

13.100 for Pineda’s beam. Nice. Into 4th behind Roberson/MDJS/Matthews.

Moll – BB – bhs loso loso, nice positions in the air, wobble – full turn – switch side, small adjustment – aerial, large break and falls – side aerial, hit – switch to split to straddle is nice – doubel tuck, chest down, medium step back. Some nice moments.

“I’ll push you off a cliff later” – Sam Peszek. This is the energy I’m looking for.

After 3:
Roberson – 42.950
De Jesus Dos Santos – 41.350
Matthews – 40.500
Pineda – 39.800
Zhou – 39.600

Rotation 4

Big edge of 1.6 for Roberson on DJDS, but that could switch because bars.

Booth – UB – toe tkatchev 1/2 to yezhova is hit – maloney to pak, good, small loose back moment – van leeuwen, legs together – some short casts – giant full, lateish – double tuck, hop.

Zhou – VT – clean yfull, some pike, large bounce back, good height. 13.150, 52.750 AA.

13.650 for Booth, 51.950 AA.

Miller – UB – inbar full to stalder shap 1/2, some legs – inbar 1/2 to jaeger, just a tad close – stalder taktchev pike to pak, smooth – van leeuwen – small arch on high bar, pulls it back – DLO, flung out but holds onto the stick.

Fatta – VT – hits DTY, bounce back, solid – small amount of leg form. 13.850

14.750 for Miller on bars to take her to 53.000 AA.

Fatta – VT 2 – Lopez, should get credit, some piking, off direction and a bounce back

Pineda – FX – 2.5 to front pike, hit, small shuffle forward – y double, drops a little early – back 1.5 to front full, pulls it around, some soft legs and deep in landing – wolf double, gets it around – switch to split leap full is good – double pike, short, stagger forward with leg up

Matthews – VT – FTY, similar to Zhou, a bit of piking, bounce back, legs together

13.050 for Matthews puts her on 53.550 for the AA, which currently leads. 12.650 for Pineda on floor to finish on 52.450.

MDJDS – UB – stalder shap to giant full is nice – Nabieva to pak, flanks her Nabieva a little bit with flexed feet – maloney to stalder 1/2 to yezhova, late stalder turn, good leg form – van leeuwen, very pretty – short hs on high – DLO 1/1, nearly finds the stick, small step, some pike. Very nice.

John bringing out a big bag of truth about the bunching of execution scores. I’m so not used to agreeing with NBC’s judging criticisms.

Long wait on Melanie’s bars scores as the team has to vamp. Wonder if they’re giving the Nabieva.

14.850 for Melanie. John guaranteed us that her E score would be under 8.4. It’s 8.550. But his point was still true.

Roberson – clear hip 1/2 to yezhova, leg separation – clear hip full, very late – maloney, hits with some legs, connects to gienger and takes it way too close again, just like in podium, clatters against the bar and falls – finishes with a nice DLO.

Melanie finishes with 56.200, which will “win” the session, although it won’t count.

11.100 for Roberson takes her to 54.050, which still leads the AA standings over Matthews in 2nd and Miller in third.

We expect those scores to be eclipsed by the evening group, but not a lot of them are doing AA, so…some of this can hold up. Meet back here.