And yet, it cannot be easy to open a season with what feels like a must-win meet.  Now, it’s definitely not a must-win meet in the logical scheme of the season (Alabama could be horrible here and still do just fine for the year), but the Alabama/Georgia rivalry defies logical schemes.  That pressure to win will be heavy on Alabama, and if Georgia puts up the same kind of meet they did last weekend, they are more than capable of pulling this one out.  Georgia put up the highest score last week, and if they follow that up with a win against Bama away, you’ll need your telescope to view that inflated confidence level.

1) Ashley Priess – How much is she competing (word is 3 events tonight)?  How far along is she in the comeback?  Does her body look like it can withstand the season?  

2) Kayla Williams – I have a sneaking suspicion that Sarah will try to turn her into an all-arounder.  This is unwise.  She needs to be an important specialist.  How is vault?  Is it Kayla 2009 or Kayla 2010?

3) Ashley Sledge – Ashley was a hugely influential early-lineup worker on three events last year and is capable of 9.9s on those three events.  More attention will be paid to Priess, GSE, and Williams this year, but I have a feeling that as goes Sledge, so goes Bama.

Gymnasts to watch (Georgia):  

1) Shayla Worley – Mission accomplished for Shayla in the first meet because she stood up three events.  She desperately needs to do the same tonight so that we can transition to setting less condescending goals for her.  A 9.9 or two would be nice.

2) Chelsea Davis – The meet against Denver made it clear that Georgia needs to get her into the all-around.  I’d love to see her get in on beam this week and fully hit bars.  She was 9.8 last week with a nearly-over handstand.

3) Noel Couch – As critical as I am of Couch sometimes, she remains necessary to the team.  They will not be successful unless she is hitting all her events for 9.8s.  She has to set a consistent tone in order for the rest of them to excel.

After the jump, follow comments on scores coming in from around the country until live commentary on Georgia/Alabama (meet begins at 8:30 ET / 5:30 PT).

Michigan is soon to get underway against Ohio State.  They will be very reliant on a select few gymnasts to produce in the AA every week.  They have some definite talent but no room for injuries or lineup experimentation.

Michigan hits vault extremely well for a 49.300, led by a 9.900 from Joanna Sampson.  Ohio State went 48.525 on bars.  Bars will be interesting for Michigan as they lost nearly the whole lineup from last year.

Now it’s Ohio State’s turn to impress on vault with a 49.125, led by Alyssa Marohn’s 9.875.  Michigan got through bars pretty well with a 49.025, with everyone scoring between 9.750-9.850.

In the third rotation, Ohio State put up a 48.850 on floor to take the lead away from Michigan after a 47.750 on beam (falls from Zakharia and Sampson and a 9.450 from Miele in her debut).  After three rotations, Ohio State has 146.500 and Michigan has 146.275.

In a final result, Michigan sneaks past Ohio State by a score of 195.500 to 195.175 after a solid floor rotation featuring Natalie Beilstein’s 9.925.  Meanwhile, Florida leads off with a 49.200 on vault at home (Dickerson and Hunter lead scoring, Johnson is still not in the lineup).

Florida matches their vault score on bars with a 49.200, featuring a 9.900 from Johnson.  Mahlich also got in the lineup and scored a 9.750 after exhibitioning last week.

The feed has started for Alabama/Georgia!  Never mind, please ignore me, it’s the saddest, most upsetting dance contest in history.  Your time would be better spend planning your own funeral or counting the skin cells on your hand.

Pre-meet festivities with about 1500 little ones.

Oh god, now it’s the “Bama Gymjammers” — It’s like they want me to hate them.  Well…they’re really good at spelling…

(Florida just went 49.250 after they were able to drop a fall from Hunter)

Georgia lineups: Kat Ding’s game face…love.  I don’t know half of these freshmen.

Alabama’s video is not half bad except for the music choice.  Lineups: Announcing the GPA – I would HATE that if I were them, but love it because I’m not.  Introducing Sarah Patterson who is in full Lucille 2 hair — “I know that she is a brownish area…with points.”

Rotation 1: Alabama on vault, Georgia on bars:
Ashley Priess would wear a sombrero because she has a passion for Spanish culture…
Dear Alabama, when I’m impatient, the last thing you want to show me is children dancing.

Clark – VT – nice yfull to start with small hop back – good debut (9.825)

Davis – UB – nice tkatchev as always, short on bail hs, near stick on tuck full dismount – solid start but not amazing. (9.725)

Williams – VT – good yfull – bad angle to judge a lot of issues, though – they’ll want her doing something more difficult because she will be expected to. (9.800)

Couch – UB – catches jaeger, bail hs, missing some hs, huge stumble back on double front dismount – major deduction. (9.550)

Sledge – VT – now that’s a yfull!  huge with stuck landing, great start for her (9.975 – well, it wasn’t that good, but it was excellent)

Tanella – UB – little close on jaeger, bail hs, stuck her dbl tuck dismount – they should not be putting up a dbl tuck dismount in a competitive lineup. (9.875 – Judges, we need to talk…no.)

Gutierrez – VT – great distance on vault with a step back – continuing the good vault form from last season. (9.875)

Worley – UB – ray – nice, good bail hs, good DLO dismount — one wonky hs, but otherwise strong. (9.875)

Stack-Eaton – VT – stuck yfull – very nice again – they have worked on these landings clearly. (10.000 – No.  It wasn’t that.  I guess someone really wants to beat Georgia.)

Nuccio – UB – close on gienger – that’s a shame, nice bail, stuck dismount – nice. (9.875)

Milliner – VT – solid form on 1.5 but a low landing. (9.875)

Ding – UB – perfect tkatchev, great so far through to pak, great dismount – this should score very well – not quite 10, but good. (9.875)  She looked like she wanted a 10 a little too badly on that.

Domier Exo – VT – handspring front pike – stuck.

Hires Exo – UB – piked jaeger a little close, goes over on her bail and has to come off the bars – solid DLO dismount.

Alabama goes 49.550, I guess they felt left out of the home overscoring conversation.  These vaults were excellent, but I would not have given anyone a 10 so far.  10 needs to be above and beyond — neither Sledge nor Stack-Eaton were overly amazing, they were just very good.  There will be a lot of discussion about these scores.  I would need to see another replay to judge adequately, but neither stuck out to me as 10-worthy on first viewing.  I’ll retract if I’m wrong.  Georgia goes 49.225, which is a good score, but won’t compete with what Alabama’s getting right now.

Rotation 2: Georgia on vault, Alabama on bars:
Davis – VT – (didn’t show it, thanks) (9.725)

Sledge – UB – excellent gienger, a little form on bail hs, that beautiful DLO with a larger step back (9.800)

Couch – VT – good y full with slight shuffle – that’s the solidity they need from her. (9.800)

Alexin – UB – shaposh to pak – great toes – dbl tuck with step back. (9.800)

Persinger – VT – little pikey on yfull with large step back. (9.650)

Clark – UB – good shaposh, leg sep on bail hs, went over on hs and had to come off – that’s a shame for her in her first meet – DLO dismount with hop forward. (9.275)

Earls – VT – Omelianchik – great distance and form but a step forward – if they can get her sticking this will be 9.9+ (9.800)

DeMeo – UB – way far away on jaeger and fell – you could see that coming – now Bama is counting a fall – this just got interesting.  Shades on 2011.  A little low on dismount. (9.150)

Hires – VT – good yfull in most of the ways – a little lacking in distance, but by far their best vault so far. (9.900)

GSE – UB – good ray to open, pak – nice, dismount with small hop forward – good veteran performance after falls. (9.875)

Ding – VT – nice yfull with step back – very good but she can be better. (9.875)

Priess – UB – over on her toe full but stays on, tkatchev to pak is nice, hits DLO dismount.  Just needs a few more repetitions it looks like. (9.875 – that’s an overscore)

Milliner Exo – UB – fingertipped her release but caught – over on handstand on her bail and came off the bars – I’m seeing a trend here. Fine dbl tuck dismount.

It’s like the beginning of 2011 all over again on bars for Alabama.  I’m wondering whether I missed something on Priess’s bars or whether the judges just thought she covered well.  At any rate, they had to count a fall.  Alabama goes 48.625 on bars for a 98.175 total.  Georgia takes the lead with a 49.100 on vault for a 98.325 total.  This is going to be very exciting.

Rotation 3: Alabama on beam, Georgia on floor:

Jacob – BB – hitting well through her loso series, she is right on this beam so far, great hit to open the rotation. (9.825)

Earls – FX – hitting so far ( I accidentally wrote “sitting” at first, that’s different) – not a fan of the music – dbl tuck dismount. (9.775)

Milliner – BB – walkover – nice, small wobble on loso series, why a close up of her face during her skills, camera people?  hits dismount – she looked a little tentative but hit. (9.700)

Davis – FX – good dbl pike mount, layout + rudi middle pass, way low on her dbl tuck dismount and lunges forward – did well not to fall on that. (9.600)

Sledge – BB – I’d like it if she could make this lineup this year, hits loso series, slight wobble on L-turn,= but pretty good on leg position, gainer full dismount with step – since it’s a gainer full, that needs to be stuck. (9.750)

Tanella – FX – hits dbl pike, she looks on so far with the tumbling, but I don’t dig anything about this floor routine for her – it highlights her spastic movement style, hits rudi dismount. (9.850)

DeMeo – BB – hits handspring mount, good walkover, big wobble on loso series but stays on, gainer full dismount with hop back. (9.725)

Nuccio – FX – dbl arabian mount with slight step back – she has the performance presence I like to see – ouchie, completely botches her dismount and has to take a fall.  Such a shame. (9.100)

GSE – BB – hits series, good walkover + loso, only a minor wobble on spin, held on to the sheep jump well, hits dismount.  Good not great routine. (9.850)

Worley – FX – good dbl pike mount – bounces back out of her rudi but stays in bounds, this routine has potential – I’m hoping it will grow on me – it’s not there yet, dbl full dismount – we still need to make that a 2.5 (9.775)

Priess – BB – confident sheep to open, walkover + korbut – nice, a little uncertain on L-turn but fine, she looks more prepared here than on bars – gainer full dismount (I’m seeing way too many of those today!) (9.850)

Couch – FX – puke full in – low chest but performed as usual, whip + dbl tuck is solid, this routine is such a gimmick which troubles me, dbl pike dismount is good – she hit the way they needed her to after some issues in this rotation once again. (9.825)

Gutierrez Exo – BB – off on her series, that’s too bad because I’d like to see her in this lineup – she has nice line and attention to presentation – although another gainer full.

Alabama takes the lead by .025 going into the last rotation, leading 147.175 to 147.150 after posting a 49.000 on the balance beam.  Georgia put up a 48.825 on floor.  The scores appeared pretty fair during that rotation – no routine from either team stood out as being particularly impressive.  Alabama should be the favorites to win from this point, going to floor while Georgia has to go to beam.

Alabama started off so strong on vault, but has showed definite need for improvement on the next two events (much like UCLA, though not as dire).  Bama fans have reason to be concerned that bars might turn into a two-gymnast rotation with no one else scoring big.  Georgia continued to show that floor is going to be an issue for them this season.  They’re just praying they get through six clean routines.

Rotation 4: Georgia to beam, Alabama to floor:


Couch – BB – (9.800)

Jacob – FX – very nice dbl pike mount, hits combo middle pass, posing with wrists, hit routine but a good leadoff for them because it doesn’t really stand out with tumbling or dance. (9.825)

Earls – BB – wobble on series but holds onto it, side aerial – good, a little low on dbl tuck dismount and takes a step forward. (9.750)

Sledge – FX – punch front trhough to dbl tuck – she knows how to sell her Bama choreography, just layouts as middle pass (we can upgrade that, right?  She’s too powerful for that to be her middle pass), high dbl pike dismount – a little over and has to take a step forward (9.875)

Ding – BB – (nervous time!) hits loso series, major wobble on full turn, front tuck is nice, she’s performing the hell out of this, nice dismount.  She hit a beam routine! (9.775)

Frost – FX – DLO – looked like it would be low but she got it around, front full + layout middle pass, dbl tuck dismount looked ust as low as the DLO but she couldn’t pull it around and put hands down. (9.350)

Tanella – BB – small wobble on series, hits onodi and sheep, gainer full dismount,
I have to give her some credit for hitting when they needed it all day, now if she would just calm down her movements. (9.800)

Gutierrez – FX – nice DLO to start, front full + layout, hits double pike – really composed tumbling overall from her.  She looks farther along than most of the others. (9.900)

Persinger – BB – this event shows off her line the best, good loso series, hitting both tumbling and dance elements so far with good show of flexibility – a complete routine, in other words — nice dismount.  Really nice routine. (9.800)

Milliner – FX – slightly short on dbl arabian but just a step back, layout + front full with bound forward, nice high dbl pike to finish (9.700)

Worley – BB – (they need a huge routine here) – full twisting bhs – nice, hits loso series, good onodi and hits gainer full dismount – big hit routine, but I hate that she downgraded that dismount.  Still that makes two hit meets in a row for Shayla. (9.950 – it was good but that’s a little high)

Priess – FX – high dbl tuck mount, front full + layout with slight bound forward, hits dbl pike to likely  give Bama the meet.  A composed routine but she can step this up to be the anchor later in the season. (9.900)

So Alabama takes the meet by just .150!  I’m surprised it was that close, but I suppose with Alabama and Georgia we always want the meet to be as close as possible.  FINAL: Alabama 196.475 Georgia 196.325 (as announced, the live scoring says 196.375 to 196.275, we’ll see)


Both teams went out hard and appeared to use up their best gymnastics in the first rotation.  Alabama’s vault was the only rotation of this meet that was super impressive, and while there was nice gymnastics all over the place, there is a lot to be worked on for both teams.  Georgia has to figure out that floor situation, and Alabama needs to get that bar rotation intact and get a little bit more confident on the beam and upgrade a couple of the floor routines.  Still, no reason for either team to be really disappointed in this meet.  There is plenty of time.

Heads up: Nebraska went 197.375 with FOUR gymnasts going 39.475+ in the AA.  I’m going to have to go through those scores soon.

(Live commentary after the jump)
That picture of Zam in her superhero outfit is terrifying.  Is her super power haunting nightmares?

There’s a rhythmic show before the meet.  The sound is terrible.  Please work on this, UCLA.  Anna Bessonova wept.  Leave it to the Asian girl to raise the level.  Thank you.

Lineup time: Ads over the Utah lineup announcement…hahaha.

OMG…this video…I can’t…This is the story of how we became ’80s drag queens…

So many options in this UCLA lineup (please stop talking over it…) who will compete?  Allison Taylor has overperformed so far.

1st rotation – UCLA on vault, Utah on bars

Kaelie Baer is competing on vault.  I’m floored.  Dear guy, please don’t say “exhibitionist,” say “performing an exhibition.”

I just lost the feed.  Are you kidding me? …… Phew, it’s back.  Don’t scare us like that, please.

Baer – UCLA – not too bad, fine distance, medium hop back (9.825)

Lofgren – Utah – tkatchev, straddle back, hitting handstands, flung DLO with step forward.  Nice before the dismount. They originally announced 9.875, which would have been way high, then announced 9.750, now it’s 9.550 on the scoreboard – no idea what’s happening.

Larson – UCLA – good start to her career, similar to Baer with hop back but more powerful, maybe a little pikey on replay. (9.875 – high)

Lopez – Utah – tkatchev, little leg sep on bail hs, better DLO with step forward. (9.750 – hers was better than Lofgren’s).

Courtney – UCLA – good power with slide back, not quite what she was doing at the end of last year. (9.900 – it was a good vault, but they are…enjoying being at home)

Dabritz – Utah – good hs, hit comaneci, ooh was way far away on her jaeger and fell, that’s a shame this would have been a good routine.  Good stuck tuck full dismount – she’ll be a high scorer for them soon enough. (9.350 – that’s a great score for having a fall)

Frattone – UCLA – stuck Omelianchik – really nice job – they are on and prepared at the first meet – wow. (9.950)

Lothrop – Utah – missed hs to start, piked jaeger, little sloppy on bail hs, nice clean DLO.  She gave away more than she should have. (9.800)

Peszek – UCLA – almost stuck but she stepped back, so she won’t get it.  Doesn’t quite have the distance, but good confidence and power. (9.925 – too high)

Beers – Utah – ooh – missed first handstand, leg sep on pak, this is a big struggle, DLO with hop forward – that was a very weak routine. (9.500)

Zamarripa – UCLA – great Zam vault – except maybe more piked than it used to be – with slide back – probably shouldn’t get more than 9.9, though. (9.900 – you could make the argument for 9.850, but this is expected at home)

McAllister – Utah – good high gienger, ugh- wieler kip, little flung on the tcuk full with step back, but she hit. (9.825)

McDonald Exo – UCLA – good height and distance, will need to work on landing to make the lineup – bigger step back.

Damianova Exo – Utah – good height on her jaeger but fell, bad handstand back up, bail hs with back issue, dbl front dismount with big leg sep and step back – not lineup ready yet.

Rotation 1 – UCLA – 49.550 Utah 48.425

UCLA was very good, but certainly not that good – it’s nice being at home isn’t it?  Shame about the fall from Dabritz for Utah, but she’ll get there.  Beers was the bigger concern in that lineup for me.  They don’t really have the showpiece routine on bars yet.

Rotation 2 – Utah on vault, UCLA on bars


Allison is talking about what it feels like to compete at Utah (with all her experience competing)…Oh Allison, you were doing so well…

I’m impatient!

Wilson (in for Lopez) – Utah – fine y full, step forward – unremarkable but good leadoff. (9.850 – at least they’re being equally charitable)

MDLT – UCLA – (hmmm, leading off) hop full to gienger – same as always, bail hs, stuck DLO – they are on fire. (9.850)

Lothrop – Utah – y full with biggish hop back, needs a bit more height, but is helping to get them back on track. (9.800)

Gerber – UCLA – lovely toes, good jaeger, pak with leg sep, dbl arabian dismount – new – with step forward – mistakes but she’s a joy to watch on this event. (9.900 – extremely high)

McAllister – Utah – y full, a little off line with step back – missing just a bit of the power. (9.775)

Larson – UCLA – nice shaposh, little missed hs, bail hs, DLO with hop forward – very good and can get better – this routine looks so easy for her…it is. (9.825 – fair score, but it was comparable to Aisha’s routine)

Dabritz – Utah – just the y full – I wish we had seen the 1.5 – good clean form with small hop.  Hopefully she will upgrade. (9.875)

Peszek – UCLA – nice high gienger, good bail, a little struggle back to high bar, DLO a little flung with hop back.

Delaney – Utah – really nice form on y full with tiny hop back – this vault would get a 9.9 in the UCLA rotation, let’s see… (9.900 – ok, good consistency, judges)

Zamarripa – UCLA – good shaposh, stalder + bail hs, over on hs but saved it, DLO – almost stuck with small step – this can get toward 10 territory in time but had the handstand mistake here. (9.825)

Robarts – Utah – great distance on Omelianchik but larger step forward. (9.875)

Courtney – UCLA – (why is she the anchor?) – another shaposh, bail hs, tuck full – very nice and stuck – a little bit of toes and legs, but it’s fine. (9.875)

Lopez Exo – Utah – average yfull with small hop

EHH Exo – UCLA – (let’s see about the dismount) – giant full to bail hs – good, this was really excellent and then just a dbl tuck dismount – if they can figure that dismount out finally, she can be great. (9.775)

Whitcomb Exo – UCLA – missed hs, good stalder and bail hs, just a dbl tuck dismount right now – they’ll need her to step that up and be in this lineup.

Rotation 2 – UCLA 49.275 Utah 49.300 (Overall UCLA 98.825, Utah 97.750)


Much better on vault from Utah than bars, but the landings can get better and will over time.  UCLA had little mistakes through the bars rotation with some legs and handstands and dismounts – this group has potential, but they are not as far along as they are on vault.  Still, they should be better on this event than they were last year.

Rotation 3 – UCLA on beam, Utah on floor

Uh oh, UCLA on beam…here we go.  If they can hit 5 of 6, this meet is automatically a victory.

Gerber – UCLA – (ugh, why is she still leading off?) – tuck turn – hit, excellent dance elements, nice on the side somi – that’s sometimes a problem for her, big wobble on walkover but saved it, dismount  series — stuck landing with full twist.  Would have been great if not for the walkover. (9.800)

Tutka – Utah – tuck full mount with bounce back, rudi + leap + front tuck – good energy, the leaps need some work – dbl tuck dismount – good body position but a bigger step back out of it. (9.800)

Courtney – UCLA – full turn – a little tentative, loso series – big wobble, bigger than Aisha’s, she looks nervous, front tuck – solid – issue on dbl tuck dismount- may have been a fall but it was off camera — oh, UCLA… (9.400 – not sure what the judges decided there, one went 9.6 and one went 9.2…these scores were later revised to 9.45 and 9.35.  How tidy.)

Damianova – Utah – layout + rudi, 1.5 on 2nd pass – music choice is a little predictable, but it works for her performance personality, dbl pike – a little low. (9.825)

Wong – UCLA – (white knuckle time) – wobble on both leaps, shouldn’t get connection, wobble on aerial walkover, back tuck – another big wobble – this is a nervy mess, switch side – hit, full turn – big wobble, 1.5 dismount with hop forward — that was kind of a disaster, but she stayed on the beam. (9.550)

Dabritz – Utah – good dbl arabian mount, nice attitude turn and front tuck, whip + dbl full, this has improved since some of the training videos, triple full dismount – a little legs but nice.  Their best routine so far. (9.900)

Larson – UCLA – let’s see how she handles her balance beam situation, good aerial walkover, loso series – good, switch + ring jump, full turn, good display of flexibility, dbl full dismount with near stuck.  Mattie didn’t splattie!  Nice work to start to change the narrative. (9.800)

Robarts – Utah – dbl arabian – low and step forward but she got it, dbl pike – bounce back, whip + dbl full dismount.  Not so clean on the landings, but she got through a hit routine, which is progress in her comeback. (9.750)

EHH – UCLA – hit mount, perfect on series (Allison pretends like she didn’t know what was coming), little balance check on leap, off on her illusion turn – well this is officially a disaster rotation for UCLA – some things never change – hits dbl full dismount.  They cannot afford falls from their best gymnast on the apparatus. (9.225)

Lothrop – Utah – tuck full – solid, 1.5 + layout, dbl pike – a little low.  Another efficient routine from her. (9.875 – a little high)

Peszek – UCLA – leaps and gainer loso, L turn – wouldn’t get credit in elite – and wobble, walkover to dismount series – hit.  They took out the standing full since they needed a hit – smart. (9.825)

McAllister – Utah – tuck full – a little low but fine, 2.5 + front tuck – little uncontrolled step out, dbl full + loso – nice.  In the Utah way, they stepped it up in this rotation when they needed to. (9.875)

Frattone Exo – UCLA – loso series – wobble, leaps – a little tentative, punch front – low and iffy, dbl full dismount – stuck.  Good routine, but she wouldn’t have hit had she been in the lineup.

Lofgren Exo – Utah – good dbl pike, split full was seriously lacking split, whip + dbl full, rudi + loso

Baer Exo – UCLA – good switch side, side somi – grabbed beam, her leaps are actually nice, dismount series with small hop.  Don’t see her in the lineup, really…

Rotation 3 Utah 49.275 UCLA 48.375 (Overall UCLA 147.200 Utah 147.025)


Well, UCLA completely UCLA-ed that rotation with 1 fall, 1 should-have-been-a fall, and 1 wobble-burger.  They can come back on floor and still win this, but beam remains a concern, but it shouldn’t really be this year.  They’ll hope to get Zam back here soon, so perhaps she can replace Wong, but they need people like EHH to be rocks.

Rotation 4 Utah on beam, UCLA on floor


Lothrop – Utah – switch side, side aerial and series are solid – another good, efficient routine from Lothrop – she’s the perfect little leadoff, 1.5 dismount with hop back. (9.800)

Gerber – UCLA – (how I love this routine, please hit) – dbl tuck – low and step forward, whip half + front full – big stumble but stayed up…oh dear, Allison needs to stop talking through this, dbl pike dismount with big step – not well executed on the tumbling, but we forgive her. (9.750)

Lopez – Utah – loso series with wobble, punch front – step, dbl full dismount with step – good start for Lopez in her career today. (9.800)

Frattone – UCLA – combo opeining, rudi then back into dbl pike- hit it, this is one of the better routines she’s had, rudi into wonky shushunova to end – hmm, how will the judges treat that? (9.875 – high)

McAllister – Utah – loso three series – hit, good confidence on leaps, stuck double full – consistent, hitting to win. (9.850)

Courtney – UCLA – Dbl arabian with huge step forward and OOB – she often overdoes that pass – 1.5 + layout, this routine doesn’t really do anything for me because she doesn’t sell it well enough, dbl tuck dismount with wobbly step back.  This routine needs work. (9.700)

Lofgren – Utah – leaps aren’t great to open – even Allison commented on it, completly off on loso – I don’t think either foot touched, off again on aerial – uh oh, gainer full dismount.  Utah didn’t count a fall in 2011, can they keep it up? (8.400)

Larson – UCLA – (marionette routine) – mount – good not great, totally messed up her second pass – only did a single tuck – not doing the whole routine and missing necessary skills – shades of Worlds 2010 – oh dear, Mattie, great turns and leaps, 2.5 dismount. (9.550)

Beers – Utah – aerial – hit, loso three series – solid and on, wobble on jumps, slightly off balance on full turn, side aerial – good, gainer full dismount with step.  They’re not imploding to the degree of UCLA. (9.750)

Peszek – UCLA – rubbing herself to start, DLO mount – nice, front full + front layout – almost lost where she was in the air on the stag jump out of that pass, usual Miss Val writhing on the ground choreo – I’m a sucker for it, dbl pike dismount with bounce back.  Big necessary hit for UCLA. (9.875)

Robarts – Utah – missed beginning, switch leap, side aerial, dbl full dismount – legs and hop, but they hit when they needed to. (9.800)

EHH – UCLA – they need a big score from her – working it as always – dbl tuck mount (hmm) bounce back and OOB, usual middle pass, not her usual quality of routine so far, very low landing on dbl pike dismount – she may just have lost the meet with that – it will be close.  Two pretty poor rotations from UCLA to finish. (9.675 – revised score to give her the OOB, which she was)

Kobayashi Exo – Utah – sheep, wobble on jumps, loso series – wobble, completely off on side aerial – that’s a shame.  Stuck gainer full dismount.

UCLA just ekes out the win.

MDLT Exo – UCLA – dbl pike – a little uncontrolled, whip half + front full, leaps are a little better perhaps, like the choreo on this one, 1.5 + layout with stumble.  Probably shouldn’t be in the lineup.

FINAL – UCLA 196.075 Utah 196.025


Well, after the first rotation I was going to say that UCLA and Florida had switched places, but UCLA showed they are truly themselves in January on those last two disheartening apparatuses.  The result probably would have been flipped had this meet been in Utah, but neither team deserved it more than the other.  Utah was poor on bars and average on beam, UCLA was poor on beam and average on floor.

Utah is just missing the potential for star performances on bars and beam, and UCLA had too many wobbly, tentative, not fully prepared routines on the final two apparatuses.  Both teams should be right there in the top 5 all season, but there’s a lot to be frustrated by as a fan of either team (but also a lot of time to fix it).

Sam Peszek wins the AA with a 39.450.  Good for her.  They need her in the AA hitting her routines for 9.875 all season long.

Anna Li is there.  We miss her.  Val pretended that Anna got to compete at Worlds.  I’m going to pretend that, too.

Scores adjusted: Judges realized that EHH was OOB, and raised Beers by .025, so it got even closer.