| Saturday, March 16 | |||
| 1:30pm ET/ 10:30am PT | [19] Georgia, [23] Maryland, Iowa, Pitt, Talladega (@ Nashville, TN) | Scores | |
| 5:00pm ET/ 2:00pm PT | Clemson @ [11] UCLA | Scores | P12N |
| 5:00pm ET/ 2:00pm PT | [8] Michigan State, Lindenwood @ Illinois State | Scores | ESPN+ |
| 8:15pm ET/ 5:15pm PT | [6] Kentucky, [14] Auburn, [15] Ohio State, Fisk (@ Nashville, TN) | Scores | |
Turns out we have another Tennessee secret, so no watching of those meets. Don’t worry, Georgia just went 197.450 in the early session and there’s an evening one to come. The most significant development of the early session, though, was Iowa scoring 196.525, which will keep them in contention for regionals heading into conference championships, still with a shot to pass Iowa State.
In the present, UCLA is set at #11 for next Monday and nothing that happens today can change that—though of course a huge number would set them up in a better position to move after Pac-12s. Clemson currently sits in 30th, safe for regionals but still with the goal of getting out of those play-in meets, a more indistinct standard but, you know, big scores help?
As for Michigan State, Denver pushed ahead of them yesterday and now Michigan State needs 197.725 today to get back ahead of Denver (and put the pressure on Alabama to get a score tomorrow). Lindenwood is also technically still alive for regionals, though it basically requires 197 today to keep hope alive.
This “final Pac-12 home meet for UCLA” broadcast has a real “well, if you want to abandon your family…” guilt vibes.
The Illinois State meet graphics have already misspelled Schulte two different ways.
Rotation 1
Lee – VT – UCLA – yfull, nearly finds the stick, but does come up short with a hop forward. 9.825. She often gets that for better vaults.
Wells – UB – Clemson – hits first 1/2 – giant 1/2 on high to tkatchev, hit with flexed feet, connects to overshoot and peels off – gets back up, hits hs on high – FTDT, holds stick with a squat. 9.400 with a fall is…um…giant?
Rosen – VT – UCLA – y1.5, hit, a little short with a step back, and some knees throughout. 9.850
Jackson – UB – Clemson – hits first hs – blind to jaeger to overshoot, good height, bit of body position – hits hs on high – FTDT, close to the bar, step back. 9.800
Campbell – VT – UCLA – yfull, great height as usual, bounce back, worked out the direction issues. 9.850
Lippeatt – UB – Clemson – smooth first hs but hand re-placement – Ray to pak combo, hit with foot position and a leg separation in pak – giant full, slight hesitation, into double tuck, holds the stick with lean forward at the hips. 9.875
Reed – VT – UCLA – still struggling to control the y1.5, big lunge forward. Still got 9.850 with one judge going 9.900. That should have been a .200 landing deduction by itself.
DeGuzman – UB – Clemson – a bit tight on first hs – lovely feet in jaeger, connects to overshoot – very very short cast hs on high – DLO, legs apart, step back. 9.800
Harris – VT – UCLA – hangs into the stick on her y1.5 today, was a bitttt shy coming in but was able to hold onto it today – some soft leg position
And Harris gets a 10.000. The judges heard UCLA needed a score today.
Rutherford – UB – Clemson – good first hs – Ray and can’t catch, Clemson counting a fall, which they’ll kick themselves about because the scores are there to be gotten today. Finishes with DLO, holds onto it with a lean forward.
Anastasi – VT – UCLA – does the Y1.5 and holds onto the landing – tucked throughout but not tucked enough to be credited as tucked, so should get crazy deducted for inexactness of body shape. But isn’t. 9.925.
Webb – UB – Clemson – maloney to pak, hit, legs together – 1/2 turn on low bar is past – DLO, good legs together, a little steppy on landing.
So UCLA goes 49.475 on vault, while Clemson still squeezes 48.700 out of bars, which is not bad for a rotation with a counting fall.
Meanwhile, MSU would love a little of that UCLA cooking as they’re already counting a 9.675 on floor.
Rotation 2
Wells -VT – Clemson – yfull, stuck landing, good, some feet and knees. 9.875
Campbell – UB – UCLA – good first hs – maloney to bail, legs together on bail, small break on maloney – blind to double front cowboy, good stick. 9.900
Jackson – VT – Clemson – yfull, also sticks her landing – again some feet, leg separation, good. 9.900
Anyimi – UB – UCLA – blind to piked jaeger to overshoot, gets it, solid leg together position – FTDT, jarred on landing with a lunge back. 9.850
Arnold – VT – Clemson – sticks her y1.5, very strong vault, just some knees, a liiiiittle more extreme knees than Harris but a better landing position. 9.975.
Rosen – UB – UCLA – maloney to pak, smooth – 1/2 turn on low, good position – a bit shy on final cast hs – DLO, flung out some with a leg break, covers the landing with just a little movement. 9.875
Rutherford – VT – Clemson – y1.5, nearly finds the stick on hers but comes in deeper with a hop to the side and some knees in the air. 9.825
Frazier – UB – UCLA – maloney to pak, good form on pak – 1/2 turn on low looked close enough to vertical – DLO, tries to save the landing with a chest push out, basically does, just a little lack of control. 9.950
Minner – VT – Clemson – y tuck 1.5 (intentionally), large lunge forward and some foot position and direction. 9.850
Esparza – UB – UCLA – good first hs – maloney to pak, smooth – van leeuwen , legs together – DLO, legs, small hop back, really just that and some hand replacement hesitations. 9.900
Holman – VT – Clemson – handspring pike 1/2, high amplitude, step back, some chest position. Good. 9.850
Harris – UB – UCLA – good first hs – Ray, solid – hits hs on high – bail, good vertical – giant full, good vertical finish, ever so slight loose back – DLO, finds stick, chest forward
Another 10 for Harris, so we’re on 40 watch now. You knew it would be.
Clemson gets 49.450 on vault, so they back in contention to count a fall and still get a useful score. UCLA goes 49.625 on bars to sit on 99.100, over 198 pace through two.
Michigan State went 49.275 on floor but is starting to pick up the numbers on vault, Zsarmani sticks a y1.5 for 9.975. Kellerman with chest forward a bit today and a step, but will be a huge vault total on 49.575, returning MSU to pace for that 197.7
Rotation 3
UCLA has Alipio and Malabuyo back on beam today.
Lee – BB – UCLA – aerial to split, hit – bhs loso, holds it without giving away a check – switch to straddle jump, pretty positions – gainer pike, stuck. Lovely. 9.925.
Lippeatt – FX – Clemson – double tuck, under control, some feet – switch side 1/2 to shushunova, good completion – back 1.5 to front full, also controlled. 9.900
Rosen – BB – UCLA – switch to split, small hesitation before double stag, and didn’t quite go for the back ring – aerial, smooth – bhs loso, right on – full turn, walks out of it – 1.5, holds onto stick. 9.950. I would have had Lee above this one.
Arnold – FX – Clemson – FTDT, controls step back – switch 1/2 to wolf full, hit – 2.5 to front tuck, bounce forward and slide – switch – 9.875
Andres – BB – UCLA – switch 1/2, check before beat jump – kickover, also small hesitation before korbut – split jump, not quite up there, to beat – 2/1, stuck. In theory, there would be combo credit questions about this one, but it will just be a 10. 9.875
Jackson – FX – Clemson – FTDT, chest up, good control, nice – switch 1/2 into wolf full – front tuck to doubel tuck, feet, but also under control. 9.925
Alipio – BB – UCLA – aerial, lean and can’t connect so will have to redo for series – redoes it and keeps working into pretty loso, check – split leap to switch to beat, nice – full turn – gainer tuck full, deep landing with a hop. 9.750.
Wells – FX – Clemson – FTDT, strong pass, bit of leg separation at the end – front tuck, bouncy dancy – split leap full to popa to popa, around – back 1.5 to 2/1. 9.825
Harris – BB – UCLA – bhs loso bhs, ever so slight adjustment out of it – switch to split leap to full turn, nice – kickover, strong – 1.5 dismount, like vault a little deep but holds onto it. I mean they shouldn’t, but they shouldn’t have on the first two either. 9.950
Rutherford – FX – Clemson – 2.5 to front tuck, slide-bounce forward – switch 1/2 to wolf full, good – double tuck, very small rebound. 9.850
Malabuyo – BB – UCLA – wolf full, hit – bhs loso, lovely – aerial to beat jump, leans through it ever so slightly – split to split ring jump – bhs gainer full, stuck. Good one. And 9.975 for her.
Clark – FX – Clemson – DLO, big bounce back with an OOB flagged by a very confused looking line judge. She must have heard the no-deductions rule and didn’t know what to do – split leap full to popa is excellent – front lay to front full to front tuck, also great amplitude. 9.750
Now we see exhibitions? Esparza in beam exhibition.
UCLA goes 49.675 on beam, giant number, though also actually their most impressive collection on routines thus far.
After 3:
UCLA 148.775
Clemson 147.525
Clemson still in this to get a 197 with a counting fall. Their road peak so far this year is 196.550, which they should at least get by staying on beam. UCLA staying in contention to get to Cal’s 198.500 from last night.
And now back from commercial we’re seeing McNamara’s exhibition beam. Which I prefer to aimless talking.
Rotation 4
Lippeatt – BB – Clemson – aerial to korbut, gets the combination – switch to split leap, hitting positions – side aerial, little correction before split – split jump 1/2 from side like an elite – gainer full dismount, holds stick. 9.875
Andres – FX – UCLA – back 2.5 to front tuck, under control, not the highest front tuck we’ll see – double tuck is nice, chest up, controlled step – switch side to popa, overturns switch side – switch. Good. 9.900 with a 9.850/9.950 split.
Clark – BB – Clemson – standing front tuck, big break, step forward and leg up to horizontal – bhs loso, secure – full turn – straddle jump to straddle 1/4, high, small correction – switch to straddle 1/4 – 1.5 dismount, step back. 9.700
Frazier – FX – UCLA – whip through to double tuck, opens out well, little rebound – split leap full to popa to popa, some body position in split full, very nice popa height – side somi – double pike, some feet, little rebound. Nice. I’d keep it in the lineup. 9.975, more a score for being Marz.
Jackson – BB – Clemson – bhs loso loso and falls – finishes 1.5 dismount with hop forward. 8.975
Moors – FX – UCLA – front 2/1 to front tuck, under control – loso side pass – switch and misses her feet in leap combination so just does a couple jumps – rudi, a little short, kind of pulls off the stag jump out of it. She’ll have no dance bonus in this routine, which is a flat .10 in addition to any deductions in the routine. 9.800 LOL
Wells – BB – Clemson – beat – switch to split leap 3/4, gets it around securely – bhs loso, secure – 2/1, little bounce back. 9.925
Harris – FX – UCLA – DLO, one of her better landing positions, under control – split leap full to popa, solid – double tuck, nice feet, controls step – back 1.5 to 1/2 to double stag. Good. 9.950 with a 10 from one. 39.900 AA score.
McCright – BB – Clemson – full turn, hit – bhs loso, fairly large lean to the side on landing – beat to tuck jump full, solid – side aerial, keeps arms moving to split jump, check – good stick on gainer full. 9.925 with a big lean. Clemson loving this score-scape too.
Reed – FX – UCLA – DLO, controls front foot – split leap full to wolf full, probably her best split full of the year – front lay to rudi, takes it a little flat, right into the corner, small correction step. 9.950
Church – BB – Clemson – bhs loso, wobble, leg leaves beam – beat to split jump 3/4 – side aerial, sort of keeps arms moving to wolf jump – 1.5 dismount, hop, 9.875
Campbell – FX – UCLA – FTDT, under control well – split leap full to popa is around – front lay to front full, controls the step – double tuck, chest up, solid landing. I mean, it was the best of the lineup.
And Campbell goes 10. UCLA scores 198.550. Clemson on 196.825 with a counting fall. It’s UCLA’s highest score since 2004. Definitely in contention for loosest scored meet of the year, but such a competitive category. So hard to pick a winner.
UCLA’s NQS goes to 197.520, just a touch behind Michigan with a 197.100 road score to get rid of at Pac-12s. Potential to move up a lot. Clemson’s NQS goes to 196.690, currently 28th.