MEET WEEK 2
Saturday, January 11
1:00pm ET/ 10:00am PT	Towson, Penn, West Chester @ Rutgers	SCORES	BTN+
2:00pm ET/ 11:00am PT	Lone Star: Penn State, Auburn, Arizona State, Maryland, Temple	SCORES	FREE
3:00pm ET/ 12:00pm PT	Winona State, Greenville @ Simpson	SCORES	FREE
4:00pm ET/ 1:00pm PT	Sprouts Quad: LSU, Cal, Oklahoma, Utah	SCORES	ABC ESPN+
5:00pm ET/ 2:00pm PT	BYU @ Oregon State	SCORES	FREE
6:00pm ET/ 3:00pm PT	Minnesota @ New Hampshire	SCORES	FREE
7:00pm ET/ 4:00pm PT	Michigan Podium: George Washington, Western Michigan, Pitt, Illinois State	SCORES
8:00pm ET/ 5:00pm PT	Sprouts Quad: UCLA, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio State	SCORES	ESPN2

It’s the big meet! During week 2! You know how famously all championships are decided in week 2. If we’re going to keep doing this “most of the top teams!” Sprouts quads, I feel like it should be a mid-season showdown kind of thing. We’ve barely started.

In prospective lineups, LSU has Bryant in on beam (replacing Drayton), as well as Dunne replacing Jeffrey on bars and Zeiss replacing KJ Johnson on vault. Cal has Kane in for Brown on bars, Oklahoma has Sievers in for Mueller on bars, and Utah has Zirbes in for Krump on floor.

Thankfully we have alternate web feeds because my TV broadcast is all-fire-all-the-time.

Utah got the “most consistent team in gymnastics” edit in the intro. Ouch. And there’s Marla Hooch. What a hitter.

Aly says Oklahoma reminds her of the US national team. But like, which era? That could mean a lot of different things. “Hi KJ, you’re Martha.”

Rotation 1

Zeiss vaults a hit y1.5, a little short, small step back, knees at the end. 9.850 is high to start.

Lauzon sticks bars dismount. 9.900, here we go.

Davis – bb – oklahoma – clean loso series, aerial, smooth – split ring jum, secure, can take for front leg – 2/1, little rebound. 9.875

Smith finishes floor for Utah with comfortable rudi loso. 9.825

Finnegan – vt- solid y1.5 again, step forward, good form. 9.900 with .1 step

Frazier ub CAL – maloney to pak, small leg break on pak, good 1/2 turn on low, a little tight on hs on high – dlo, small hop. 9.825

Wells – bb – ou – solid side aerial – switch to switch, solid splits – small foot adjustment on loso – 1.5 hop forward

brock – vt- y1.5, solid one, little hop forward, some shoulder angle on block. 9.925, judges are flying too

wiley – ub – cal – good pak, misses van leeuwen

fatta – bb – ou – bhs loso, smooth – side aerial, lean to the side wobble – switch side hit – 2/1, holds onto landing. 9.875

zirbes – fx – utah – front 2/1, lower but secure landing – does she have “I hurt my face” choreo in the corner or is she hurt? – 1.5 to full is hit anyway.

lincoln a little short on y1.5, hop back. 9.825

bowers – bb – ou – lovely loso, switch 1/2 is clean – 2/1, holds stick with lean forward

Drayton – vt – lsu – good distance on y1.5, a little short landing with shuffle to the side. 9.825

neff – fx – utah – front n2/1 is hit, but of legs – good height on 2.5, some squatty knees on landing – rudi to loso, low but secure

Aly is really into talking about the 92 quad this weekend.

Pederson secure on loso series

williams – ub – cal – lovely pak -van leeuwen, legs together – dlo, hop back

Nice stick on y1.5 from chio. 9.950. LSU vaults 49.450

Torrez with secure side aerial loso, switch to straddle is solid – high gainer full, good stick. Our first 9.975 of the season.

gilstrap finishes floor with front lay to rudi, a little low on layout but good rise in rudi. 9.850

brown back in the bars lineup for cal – great pak – van leeuwen, legs together – a bit shy on hs but better than last week – strong stick on toe pike 1/2. 9.875

mccallum – fx – utah – ftdt, secure step back, flexed feet – wolf double, comfortable – front tuck to double tuck, deep landing with a cover hop. 9.825

After 1
Oklahoma 49.525
LSU 49.450
Cal 49.325
Utah 49.250

KJ, what can we expect on floor? “Um, my awesome choreography byeeeeee.” She remembered to say “fun” third. Every other coach would be like, ” a floor partyyyyyyy.”

Oklahoma and LSU out in front as expected, but Cal will be feeling better about the scores compared to last week. Judging un-shy so far.

Rotation 2

zirbes nearly stick y1.5, small step forward. 9.875

zeiss lands her ftdt on bars with a davis stagger and small step. 9.825

cesario – bb- cal – bhs loso secure 0- switch to switch 1/2, low front leg, choreo check- 1.5 dmt stuck. 9.825

davis with a clean 1.5 to front full on floor – fibnishes by committin g to the wiggles

winger – vt -utah – also nearly sticks y1.5, step forward, ends up out of control. 9.725

cowan – ub – lsu – finishes with a good stuck dlo. And she goes 9.950

williams – bb – cal – pretty aerial to sp,lit jump – bhs loso, secure – switch to split – hop back gainer full. 9.875

neff – vt – utah – good height on y1.5, litte hop and some knees. 9.925 ok…counteracting the 9.725 before?

dunne – ub – lsu – hits tkatchev to pak, leg separation on pak, a little close – dlo with knees, little lean hop. 9.725

fatta -fx ou – front 2/1 to sissone, secure, some knee form – fro nt to 2.5 under control on the step

Smith also almost sticks Omelianchik for Utah, step forward. 9.850

chio – ub – lsu – maloney to bail, solid, small hip angle – good hs on high – khorkina, hit – ftdt, stuck, chest position. 9.900

Pederson – fx – ou -1.5 through to 2.5, under control – front 2/1, slide forward

Frazier nails her beam, no checks. 9.900.

glynn short on 1.5 for utah, lunge back. second 9.725 of lineup.

lauzon – bb – cal – bhs bhs loso, right on – switch to split, small adjustment in between but kept going – 2/1, slide back

finnegan nice on bars until step back on dmt.

morgan vault – replaces mccallum – solid on the y1.5, step forward and some knee 9.825

bowers strong on floor, just a chest down on her double pike landing.

mcclain – church to pak is hit, little leg break on pak, finds stick on ftdt. 9.925

torrez – fx – ou – dlo good control – split full to wolf full, around – front through to double tuck, little movement – great leg up full – another 9.950

After 2
Oklahoma 99.050
LSU 98.875
Cal 98.650
Utah 98.450

Rotation 3

pederson – vt – ou – couldn’t see landing on y1.5, looked like a hop. 9.825

smith -ub – utah – pak, good – van leeuwen , leg break – gets stick on toe pike 1/2. 9.850

mayhew – fx – cal – front 2/1 to front pike – finishes 1.5 to 1/2 to double stag, under control. 9.850

fatta – vt – ou – short y1.5, sits it down

dunne – bb – lsu – bhs loso, little slide back – aerial, good – switch to split to split ring, better split ring this week – gainer pike, some knees, slide back. 9.775

torrez – vt – ou – y1.5, big bound forward, overcooked it to avoid 2024 semifinal-itis. 9.750

chio – bb – lsu – bhs mount, good – bhs loso, secure – switch to split, comfortable – aerial, arm correction – secure straddle 1/4 – holds the stick on 1.5. 9.850

Neff controls the landing on dlo 1/1. 9.875

wells – vt – ou – high y1.5, also a hop forward. 9.850

mcclain – bb- lsu – switch ton switch 1/2 with a wobble – aerial to bhs is comfortable – side aerial, solid – gainer full, stuck. 9.850

bowers – vt – ou – step forward on 1.5m good distance

frazier – fx – cal – opens front to double tuck today, great chest position – 1.5 to layout is solid

bryant -bb – lsu – aerial to bhs, solid – switch, check before split and straddle 1/4, a bit tight – front, holds it – 1.5 dmt, stuck. a bit tight but getting there. 9.750

good jaeger from zirbes on bars but goes over on hs on low. 9.925

davis – vt – ou – hits 1.5, a little short, slide back, legs on the block. 9.875 is high

lauzon – fx – cal – front 2/1 to front tuck, secure – switch ring to switch 1/2 – back 1.5 to front full, miracle stick despite being short. 9.900

finnegan with a check on bhs loso loso on beam, otherwise strong. 9.925

And McCallum just got 9.975 on bars.

Keuneke will replace Williams on floor for Cal – front 2/1 to front, a little short, some knees on front 2/1 – good lift on switch 1/2 to wolf 1.5, almost gets 1.5 all the way around – 1.5 to 1/2 to straddle, under control. Solid, some twisting formies.

After 3
Oklahoma 148.250
LSU 148.125
Cal 148.000
Utah 147.725

Cal and LSU close a little after Oklahoma went super safe on vault following the fall.

Rotation 4

williams – vt – cal – yfull, large bounce back. 9.750

sievers – ub – ou – maloney to pak, small leg break on mloney -n1/2 turn on low – ftdt, crisp stick. 9.900

ballard – fx – lsu – dlo, step back, possible oob, wobbles to save it from going – 1.5 to layout is solid – double tuck, chest down, step forward. 9.825 very high for that with .150 on the final pass landing alone.

wiley step forward on y1.5 – 9.825

fatta ub – ou – strong church to pak, goodn 1/2 turn on low – dlo, hop back and a little movement. 9.875

winger with a step forward correction out of bhs loso loso

brock – fx – ftdt, chest well down, step forward. 9.825

smith – bb – utah – bhs loso, secure – aerial to split to straddle 1/4, large break, chest past horizontal

pederson very lovely stick on dlo on bars

dunne – fx – lsu – front tuck to double tuck, bounce back – double pike, feet, under control – i’m not sold on the rings in her routine but the fro t legs were better this week. 9.850

torrez – ub -ou – good on ricna and pak = solid vertical positions – stuck dlo. Another 9.950

drayton – fx – lsu – dlo, high, some rebound – switch ring to switch 1/2, good positions – front through to double tuck, a little short, slide forward. 9.950 is insane. I had 9.800 or 9.850.

Good DTY fro Frazier, little hop back. 9.900

Big wobble from Morgan on beam on choreo

davis does her usual clean bars, and one of her best dismounts with a stick, a little stagger but not much. 9.975

lauzon – vt – cal – holds onto the stick on y1.5, but came in shorter and the leaned forward to hod it. 9.825.

mccallum – bb – utah – wolf double, hit – bhs loso bigger break, leg up dn turn to the side – tuck gainer full, hop back. 9.800 is friendly.

bowers -ub – ou – piked jaeger, good – ftdt, stuck.

Oklahoma’s bars rotation by far the highlight of this meet. 9.925 for Bowers and a 197.950 total.

finnegan – fx – lsu – double arabian, little pause before stag jump – switch ring to split full, around – 2.5 to front tuck, stuck, could have easily overcooked so good presence to land that. 9.975.

Bunching and 10 fear, the old judging stories.

FINAL
Oklahoma 197.950
LSU 197.650
Cal 197.275
Utah 196.800

SESSION 2

These teams are going to be like, “you know how scores rise sometimes? Do that.”

There’s some basketball running long, but the espn+ stream is live.

Aly reminded us that Roberson won beam at trials. What a meet that was.

Payton Harris out injured for Ohio State. Kentucky’s story of adversity is that they had to get a chartered flight to OKC.

Rotation 1

Rivelli -ub – kentucky hits jaeger, good feet – short hs on high – dlo, step back. 9.750

Weaver ark hits a yfull with a step back. 9.750

Lee – bb – ucla – good aerial to split, smooth – loso series, secure – switch to straddle, easy peasy – gqiner full, stuck. Nice one. 9.900

Smith – vt – ark – high yfull, hop back

zNoonan – ub – kentucky – hits maloney, bail, some hip form, solid hs on high – dlo, good stick. 9.850

rosen -bb – ucla – good switch to split – bhs loso loso is secure – 1.5, solid stick. 9.900

price – vt – ark – short yfull, didn’t get the block, lots of angle, lunge forward. 9.600

campbell – bb – ucla – bhs pike, secure – split, pause before switch 1/2 to split jump – check on full turn – gainer full, stuck. One of her best ones. 9.875

roberson – vt – ark – lopez is solid, hop back. 9.875

Aly resists talking about 92 when Guevara does a loso on floor.

Moors solid on aerial to split and side aerial – arm correction on switch 1/2 – punch tuck full, hop forward. 9.775

Stuck DLO on bars from Procasky.

Essenpries ark hits y1.5, lunge forward

Vetter – fx – ohio st – nice double tuck form – split full to popa popa, a little hop adjustment – front lay to rudi, controlled step.

Alipio does a good job of staying secure despite her feet looking off on almost every skill

park – vt – ark – hits y1.5 but a crossover step and knees throughout

Short dlo from rodriguez on bars for kentucky, hop forward.

malabuyo – bb – hits wolf turn – loso series, good – aerial to beat, good height – slight check on split ring jump – gainer full, stuck. 9.925

49.475 beam for UCLA.

SKW – ub – kentucky – gainer pike to overshoot, clean – DLO is struggle, lean forward on landing, chest down and hop

Rader – fx – ohio state – double pike, bounce back – front full to frot tuck, solid, little hop – double tuck way short, deep knee and lunge forward

After 1
UCLA 49.475
Ohio State 49.175
Kentucky 49.025
Arkansas 48.975

UCLA’s beam an example of when a pretty leadoff routine with minimal deductions raises the scores for everyone.

Rotation 2

If they compare this to a national championship one more time…

roberson – ub – ark – clear hip to maloney to pak, leg separation – ok handstands – dlo, stuck. Roberson in her bars era in college. 9.825

Rosen – fx – ucla – double tuck, little slide – double pike, more control – switch rin g to switch 3/4ish to wolf full, alittle under on switch rotation – 1.5 to layout to tuck, lower with a lunge forward

near fall from rodriguez on beam for kentucky

ewald – ub – ark – jaeger, close catch – high pak – dlo, stuck

brose – bb – kentuky – high punch front, nice – aerial to bhs – step forward on 1.5

smith – vt – ohio st – nearly sticks her y1.5, step forward and some direction

malabuyo gets 9.925 on floor. That score building they wanted is happening.

swaney – ub – ark – maloney to pak, some leg form – dlo, chest forward, two small hops

mcgowan fx ucla – ftdt, big bounce back, possible oob – switch side to popa, overturns a bit on switch side – 1.5 to front full, under control. 9.850

’92 Olympics! Drink!

Bennett – bb -kentucky, falls on her triple series

Park on ub for arkansas, chest forward on dlo with hop forward

Moors – fx – ucla – front 2/1 to front tuck, good control – rudi little rebound. 9.950

SKW – bb – kentucky – aerial to bhs loso is smooth – switch to split, good – side aerial to 1.5, short with step back.

Campbell – fx – ucla – ftdt, stuck – split full to popa, around – double tuck, chest up – front lay to front full, under control, some leg form. We’ll see what happens. They’ve been building. 9.900. Ok…lets invert some of the scores in this rotation.

Jones -ub – ark -fingertips a piked jaeger, lovely pak – dlo hop forward

Chiles – fx – ucla – dlo, hop to present – split leap full to wolf full, a little under – front tuck to double tuck, flexed feet, under control. 9.975. We ain’t in oceanside anymore.

After 2
UCLA 99.075
Ohio St 98.475
Arkansas 98.000
Kentucky 97.875

Rotation 3

Lee – vt – UCLA – yfull, some pike, hop back, probably a distance deduction comparatively. 9.850

Gamiao – bb – ark – hits standing loso loso – secure switch to split – 1.5 dmt, step

Moors -vt – ucla – hs npike 1/2 is much better in chest position, step back. 9.800

parks – ub – ohio st – big arch on low bar, pulls it back – hits maloney to pak with some leg break – dlo stuck 9.725

campbell – vt – yfull, bigger bounce back

park – bb – arkansas – bhs loso, secure, chest down – switch to switch solid positions – 1.5 hop

Buchanan with basically a fall on bars for ohio st, just holds onto the low bar

chiles – vt – ucla – ro 1/2 on tuck 1/2, small scoot. 9.925

klein falls on side aerial loso series on beam for arkansas.

mccann – ub – ohio st – hits ray, a tad close – solid pak – giant full to double tuck, hop

McGowan with a step forward on her y1.5 and direction – 9.750

davis – fx – kentucky – hits double pike, slide back – good control on double tuck

Swaney now falls on her acro series for Arkansas, so counting a fall there. An excellent butt bounce on the beam.

webster-longin – vt – ucla – y1.5, short but saves it, step back. 9.750. 49.100 vault for ucla.

roberson – bb – ark – switch to back tuck, secure, tight switch position – side aerial to loso, small adjustment – punch front full holds stick. 9.825

Super high tkatchev from Vetter on bars – clean one until step back on ftdt. 9.850

brose – fx – kentucky – double pike, bigger bounce back – split leap full to popa, good rotation – front full to lay, under control – front 2/1, cotro,s the step

After 3
UCLA 148.175
Ohio St 147.350
Kentucky 147.075
Arkansas 146.400

Arkansas falls out of the countable score race there, UCLA dropping back on the pace but still should get a good one.

Rotation 4

campbell – bb – ucla – maloney to bail is hit, some legs in maloney – hs on high is short – double front, little hop. 9.800

guevara – bb – ohio st – large break on full turn – loso series secure – switch 1/2 is hit – 2/1, step back. 9.525

rizo – vt – kentucky – nice form on yfull but a big lean forward to try to hold stick.

rosen -ub – ucla – mloney to pak is smooth – hits hs on high – dlo, some legs, little rebound 9.900

buchanan – bb – ohio st – also a full turn wobble but smaller – side aerial to beat – loso series, secure, chest down – switch to straddle 1/4 – 1.5 hop forward. 9.725

noonan – vt – kentucky – ro 1/2 on tuckn 1/2, step back and direction

webster-longin – ub – ucla – mqloney to pqk, nice pak, legs on mloney – ftdt, leans to hold the stick. 9.825

smith – fx – ark – front loso to high double tuck, little slide and some feet – switch side 1/2 to straddle – double pike, great stick

magnelli gets 9.925 for hs piken 1/2 on vault.

McGowan hits tkatchev I’d say connected to an overshoot not to handstand – dlo, step forward. 9.875 pretty high for that.

Vetter – bb – ohio st – bhs loso, good control – beat to side aerial, solid – switch to straddle 14, comfortable – gainer full, holds it – nice one. 9.850

wilson – vt – kentucky – sticks excellent hs pike 1/2 – but sorry you’re not famouse enough for a 10. 9.950. (I do think you have to deduct for distance so fine with the score, but if she had an Olympic medal it would have been a 10.)

Stuck DLO from Esparza for 9.925 on bars.

Roberson – fx – ark – dlo, just does control, that front foot, good height – switch side to popa – front to doble tuck, chest down, under control. 9.950

Kentucky has a new hs pike 1/2 to replace Patterson. Cashion very nice stick for another 9.950.

Judges got tired nd decided everything is 9.950.

Chiles – ub – ucla – piked tkatchev to pak, nice, good hs on high – ftdt, hop back. 9.850

Price – fx -ark – dlo, big, bounce – great amplitude on popas – front full to layout, elegant layout position –

FINAL
UCLA 197.550
Kentucky 196.475
Ohio St 196.425
Arkansas 195.875

UCLA takes advantage of the very friendly confines of the scoring here but also a huge qualitative improvement over week 1. Jordyn presumably telling the team that this is a good meet because they’ll learn and grow from it like a true Val protege