All Kinds of Friday Action – Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, UCLA, Alabama

Friday – 3/1/13
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – [14] Minnesota @ [2] Florida Scores
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Ball State @ [19] Kent State
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Nastia's Pink Leotard Jamboree Scores
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [1] Oklahoma @ Texas Woman's Scores Video
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [7] Georgia @ [5] LSU Scores
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [23] Maryland @ [11] Auburn Scores Video(all access)
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – Missouri, Centenary, Lindenwood @ [25] Arkansas Scores
8:30 ET/5:30 PT – [6] UCLA @ [4] Alabama Scores Video(free)
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – [8] Utah, NC State @ BYU Scores
10:00 ET/7:00 PT – [9] Oregon State, Cal @ [12] Stanford


Today's action features eight of the top ten teams and ten of the top twelve, so basically today is all you've ever needed.

No Noel Couch in the lineup for Georgia against LSU. Persinger in on vault, Breazeal in on beam, and Earls back in on floor.

Still waiting for Florida's meet to get going, but at the Nastiastravaganza, Oregon State verbal Katyianna McMillan already has a 9.900 on vault. Can they fly her to Stanford in the next few hours?

It's senior night for Florida already. How does this happen so quickly. There will be plenty of time later and going into next season to discuss how much Florida will miss the likes of King, Dickerson, and Stageberg, but it will be a lot. The team will be less sturdy and more reliant on often-injured gymnasts next year.

Florida starts vault with a Shisler 9.800 and a Stageberg 9.775. Rhonda mentioned stopping with the lineup experimentation in the above video, but this is not the top, ideal vault lineup. Even without Johnson, I would have Wang and Macko in over those two if possible. Although, I don't at all begrudge resting Macko on vault as much as possible. Sloan follows with a 9.900, then King with a 9.850. Dickerson and Hunter can still bring the rotation into "great" territory, but this is a little average by Florida's home standards so far.

Dickerson 9.925. Is it time for Hunter's 10, this being the last regular season home meet of the season? 9.975. When will it happen? I can't remember someone getting so many 9.975s on the same event. I see a fairly good chance of a 10 at Utah for her because she'll be going on vault after Wilson. If Wilson sticks for a 10, Hunter would have to get a 10 as well for a stick.

So Florida manages a perfectly strong 49.450 on vault. We know how high those last few can go and how vault scoring has been going around the country, so a score under 49.500 becomes fine instead of excellent. Those first two scores didn't add anything, which stunted the potential massiveness.

At the Nastia Cup, future LSU gymnast Ashleigh Gnat matched McMillan's 9.900 on vault. Just what LSU needs, another vaulter. Future Alabama gymnast Mack Brannan got a 9.500 on floor.

Florida had Dali Lemezan vault exhibition for senior night. Confession: I forgot she was still on the team. I thought she had graduated. It's a shame for these perfectly fine 9.825ers Florida has because we will never see them.

The scores are finally working for Florida. Minnesota went 48.975 on bars. Lineups are out for UCLA/Alabama. No Gutierrez as we already knew. Clark has moved all the way to 5th up on vault. UCLA has Courtney and Wong in on floor and no Bynum. Upgrade. Still Pritchett on vault, but what is the other option?

Florida starts on bars with a 9.775 from Dickerson, which is unusually contained for Florida's home scoring. Next two are 9.900s for BDG and King. Nice to see King getting going on bars. 9.950 for Hunter. These are more the scores I was expecting for Florida tonight in the last regular-season home meet. They should be back on secure 198 pace after this event.

Florida finishes with measly little 9.950 for Sloan and 9.975 for Macko. These are the kinds of scores everyone expected for Florida on bars, but we also expected Johnson to be a big part of that. 49.675. Bah! I called a home 49.700 this year in the season previews and we haven't seen it yet. So close!

Minnesota is going very well on vault, their best event by far, which should help them toward that necessary 196. Mable and Covers with 9.925s. 49.425 on vault, just a quater tenth back of Florida on that event.

The time of the seven million meets is upon us. Georgia/LSU and Oklahoma/TWU (along with Auburn and Arkansas) are getting underway now, and then UCLA/Alabama will follow in 30 minutes (meaning 47 minutes).

No Sarie Morrison on vault tonight for LSU. Florida starts beam with a Stageberg 9.875. That smells improvement-y to me. Is anyone listening to the Georgia/LSU meet with news about Couch? Two 9.9s to start for LSU on vault. This is where we are.

Oklahoma getting underway against TWU right now.
Clark on bars - handstands looked strong, shuffle on the landing of the double back. It's a safely composed routine, but she did well. 9.825.
Scaman - good jaeger, maybe a little short on one handstand, hop back on tuck full. 9.825
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Sloan 9.975 on beam. Nothing under 9.900 so far for her.
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Kmieciak - nice tkatchev - maybe a little close - hard to tell - muscles up after shoot to high bar but it's fine, large-ish hop forward on tuck full. Fine, but they're not quite on with these dismounts. 9.850.
Brewer - good high tkatchev, strong DLO as well with perhaps a small step - strongest routine for Oklahoma - efficient and clean. 9.875.
Olson - a little short on first handstand, good deltchev and straddle back, step back on DLO full. Only notable deductions came at the very beginning and very end.  9.900.
Spears - good jaeger, excellent, clean in the handstands, larger step forward on the double arabian. A strong rotation for Oklahoma, not quite as strong as last week, certainly won't score as well, and they missed it a bit on the landings. 9.875.
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Georgia drops a 9.425 from Jay on bars, but counts a couple 9.825s. 9.900s from Rogers and Davis. Fine scores but they can both be better 49.250. Georgia needed a better score on this event. LSU gets a 9.9 parade for 49.500 on vault. Pretty big lead since both teams were competing on their strength. Georgia should make it up on the next event, though.
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Florida goes massive on the beam this week, nothing under a 9.850, 49.600. Slim outside shot at reaching Oklahoma's number from last week, but a 198 is doable if not extremely likely. Oklahoma, you have your assignment, and you are currently well under that pace.
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49.100 for Auburn on vault. They can be better than that.
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Oklahoma goes 49.325 on bars. Vault soon to start for the Sooners.
Brewer on vault - Yfull that needed a bit more oomph, but the big deduction was the massive bounce back. Not her best by a long way. 9.725.
Mooring - Very nice yhalf - perhaps a small hop in place but minor, a little off to the side, excellent vault overall. 9.850.
Kmieciak - Similarly low landing to last week but with a hop forward this time. OK but deductions to be taken. 9.825.
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Georgia not getting the scores on vault other than Davis's 9.900. LSU trying to recover froma Jordan leadoff fall.
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Kanewa - A yfull that looked good in the air and finished early but had another massive bounce back like Brewer. They're not hitting these vaults. 9.850 - I don't see that what with the massive bounce back.

Lost the feed from TWU, but I was about to switch over to the Alabama feed anyway, so it's fine. Apparently I missed a lot because Brie Olson just got a 9.975 on vault. I saw her stick the warmup. Scaman follows with 9.900. 49.400 on vault - mid-197 pace after two. 
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Newsflash: Up is down. LSU just got a 49.300 on bars and Georgia got a 49.200 on vault. This is absolutely not what Georgia needed from the good events. Let's have an honest discussion about Jay's facial expression now that LSU has outscored Georgia on bars again. 
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Florida will want to drop the 9.600 from Shisler leading off floor. Stageberg goes 9.900. That will do it. 9.925 from Sloan. The Oklahoma score is still within reach if this continues.
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Zamarripa will be anchoring every event for UCLA. Didn't Val have a problem with that early in the season?

Rotation 1:

Williams - AL - VT - good high yfull with one step back. Nice.  
Courtney leading off bars now - small step on tuck full dismount.
Beers - AL - VT - slightly low with a hop in place. Good.
Larson - UCLA - UB -good first hs, hits bail, misses handstand majorly, low tkatchev, hop in place on DLO. It was a strong routine in places but she will get knocked for that handstand.
Jacob - AL - VT - Went for the 1.5 - crazy legs, fine landing but maybe she should stick to the full? They don't need her doing a 1.5 with not the best form. 9.775.
Francis - UCLA - UB - Why is she third? Good shaposh, hits bail, late blind full and a step on dismount. They're not hitting that well so far.
Sims - AL - VT -Good height on yfull, nice chest up on landing, major step back. Just OK overall. 9.800.
Wong - UCLA - UB - good handstands, lovely jaeger, a bit floppy in the bail hs, DLO to her knees. You could see that coming in her giants. I don't know why, you just could. Bad so far for UCLA.
Clark - AL - VT - That's an awful lot of screaming, I thought there was a hop in that yfull but they're acting like it was a stick.
DeJesus - UCLA - UB - must hit this routine, sticks tuck full. 9.850.
Milliner - AL - VT - Usual 1.5, this time with a step back. Strong but she needs to be sticking for 9.950s come the postseason.
Zam - UCLA - UB - Everything she has ever done is heaven. I didn't think the handstands were quite as crisp this time, but it's a high standard. Maybe a little tight going after a fall. Sticks DLO with a coy little slide into the salute. 9.900 

Alabama goes 49.275 on vault, which is fine, but they need to be doing better. This rotiation missed Gutierrez. They likely would have been into the 49.4s with her in the lineup. The landings still need some work. UCLA was off on bars and is pretty lucky to escape with a score over 49 and a deficit of just over two tenths. Even Zam didn't score as well as she needs to be. I wonder what the reasoning was with putting Francis third.

After 1: Alabama 49.275, UCLA 49.050
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So, Florida gets the 49.700. It was just on floor. Can I still say I called it? Didn't see the meet, but it's pretty clear that this score was going to be just a touch higher than Oklahoma's last week if the performance at all justified it. Low 198 is the new 197. Become accustomed to this. I'm not sure if I am. Also, Minnesota broke 197. This is what is happening and should tell us a lot about this meet.
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LSU is getting through beam, but they're fighting it all the way. This is the opening Georgia needed, but they will also have to get through Brittany Rogers's floor score. They really do have only six competitors on this event (when Couch is in), so injuries are not an option.
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Oklahoma will be attempting to overcome a mistake from Spears on floor, but that looks likely. Mid-high 9.8s from everyone else so far.
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In a bit of a strange situation this season, we're now going into the worst events for both UCLA and Alabama. The Bruins have no depth on this event, and Alabama has a little handstand trench in the middle of this lineup. They really hit Larson for that bad handstand in her routine, so let's see what happens to the Tide. 

McDonald - UCLA - VT - Why do you buffer during the vault but never afterward?
Sledge - AL - UB - wonderful gienger as always, the final handstand was slightly muscled but that's all I see in this routine. Stuck DLO.
Pritchett - UCLA - VT - Exactly the same 9.700 action as always.
Alexin - AL - UB - Sticks double back dismount, and the team goes wild. Fine routine. 
[Scene missing. Sorry about this. Saw Kim Jacob do one average handstand.]
Baer - UCLA - VT - pretty high yfull, her usual overall but with a controlled hop back. The landing can be better. 9.900. So, it's nice to be on the road, I guess?
Clark - AL - UB - a little floppy legs in her shaposh, but the handstands looked a little nicer. Not sure what happened here, 9.725.
Courtney - UCLA - VT - They need something big to capitalize on what's happening with Alabama. She fought for the stick on that yfull like no other. She'll lose some for the bend and fight, but it was a good vault and should be a helpful score.
DeMeo - AL - UB -Overbalances her very first handstand and has to come off. They'll be counting the 9.725 from Clark now. Another fall. Rough days. She's usually the top non-Sledge, Priess worker. Now it's up to Pries to make this a positive rotation.
Zam - UCLA - VT - 9.950. Missed, but I think we can assume.
Priess - AL - UB - the tkatchev into the pak has wonderful rhtyhm and power as always, everything looked strong until the dismount, which she still hasn't worked out. Low with a big lunge forward. The lead will be all but gone after this.

Scores are a little wonky right now because they think Demeo got a 9.865 instead of an 8.650. Alabama goes just 49.000 on bars while UCLA goes 49.350 on vault. From what I saw of that rotation, which was admittedly little, Alabama still isn't getting those crisp handstands and is missing the score from Sledge in the first position. I thought the routine could have been 9.900, but that's what happens as a leadoff. It's a good score for UCLA on vault, but it masks the problems in the early positions. Having Courtney hitting that landing is major though, and Baer has improved this season even if I think that 9.900 was too high.

After 2: UCLA 49.400, Alabama 49.275 
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Georgia got through floor, where the highest score was Tanella's 9.875 again and trimmed most of LSU's lead away after the Tigers had to count three scores under 9.800 on the beam. I would be anyone's game going into the final rotation, but LSU is going to floor and Georgia is going to beam.

Oklahoma remains on mid 197 pace after dropping the fall from Spears on floor. Surprisingly, the Sooners have started with two scores under 9.8 on beam.
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Milliner - AL - BB - secure so far in the early going, a little wobble on the loso series, hop back on double full. Good start.
(This "You're a winner" graphic makes me laugh. I only use that expression sarcastically. I didn't know it was a serious thing sometimes. I'm not the audience for these meets, a lesson I learned long ago.)
McDonald - UCLA - FX - slightly low on the double pike mount, but it was her usual solid work, loso out of middle pass goes right up to the edge but stays in, potential deduction in that switch ring but it was hard to tell, a little bit of ragged legs on some of her twisting, but a strong routine.
Clark - AL - BB - swtich split is good, switch ring is just okay in the ring shape and there's a minor wobble, another very slight correction out of the loso series, does well to avoid shwoing a wobble on the front - waves her arms and pretends it was choreo, step forward on 1.5. A little iffy but overall they'll take it.
Bynum - UCLA - FX - She's back in on floor. I thought Wong was going. What is this? Low double pike but secure, major stumble back on front layout front full, very low again on the double back but she hit this week, so that's something.
Williams - AL - BB - solid punch front, big break on the loso series that it seemed like she didn't have to take, should have stuck her 1.5 - it was so high - and basically did but corrected a little.
DeJesus - UCLA - FX - extremely low double pike mount with a large step forward - what is happening? - exactly the same on the double back. Won't be a big score.
DeMeo - AL - BB - strong mount and walkover, hits loso series, there's not a ton of amplitude in the skills on the beam, but she's hitting them well, low on the double pike with a larger step forward.
Prtichett - UCLA - FX - The Bruins basically need three straight 9.9s to salvage anything from this event. A little bounce back on the tuck full, which is uncharacteristic, but it was quite small, gets the double pike around - similar slight lack of control - but by far the best routien for UCLA.
Jacob - AL - BB -very strong in the two layouts, excellent barani, hop forward on 1.5. Very strong routine.
Courtney - UCLA - FX - sticks double arabian very well - I was worried about that with her coming back into the lineup, good choice of middle pass with her ending in loso, strong double pike to finish - ever so slightly low, but very secure on every landing and should score quite well.
Priess - AL - BB - good walkover to swingdown, very precise, good leap series, controlled in the L turn, sticks gainer full, very strong routine. Very strong.
Zam - UCLA - FX - They decided to have her show the DLO, and she takes a fall. I kind of can't believe Val would have her do that when the team has three lower scores they need to drop. That's what you do when you're fine counting the other five scores. They basically threw away a good score there. To be clear, I like the upgrade in theory, but this wasn't the time.

After 3: Alabama 147.625, UCLA 147.225
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In other worlds, Georgia got through beam, including having to put Breazeal in for Couch, for 49.225. LSU still won because of a stronger floor rotation - 49.375. Final score: LSU 197.050, Georgia 196.825. Georgia will take this, but they had no standout events in this meet. Everything was just fine, which when added together can still make a high 196. LSU will still need to work out this beam issue because it is a major concern. I was wrong about the team that won beam winning the meet. Sigh.

Oklahoma had a fall from Olson on beam so had to count two 9.7s for the lowest rotation score of the day. That's the second time that has happened for Oklahoma in the last several weeks. The Sooners finish with a 197.275, which is good but feels like a 194 after last week.
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Let's see what UCLA can muster coming off that bad floor rotation. Courtney was very strong and Pritchett was usual, but nothing else was worth keeping in the memory banks about that rotation. It begs the question, where were Francis and Wong? I'm not saying they would be magical, but where were they. The decision to have Zam do the DLO will be talked about. It clearly shows that the result and the score are less important than prepping the team for the postseason routine composition, which is probably as it should be, but UCLA has just one road meet left and will still have a blah road score that still needs to go away.

Baer - BB - UCLA - comes off on her side somi. This meet is a total leap backward to two weeks ago. I wasn't sure it would be amazing, but I thought it would be better than this.
Priess - FX - AL -good double back and completely clean through the whole routine. A little low on the double back dismount, but that's all. That's the kind of routine you want leading off.
Wong - UCLA  - BB -minor correction on her walkover into bhs, secure dance elements, hop to the side on the 1.5,. Good routine and good recovery from the leadoff.
Frost - FX - AL - DLO is very low with a step forward, otherwise hits realtively cleanly. It's not as strong as Priess's routine, so she's probably the one who should come out if Gutierrez can come back.
DeJesus - UCLA - BB - excellent walkover to bhs loso combination with a very slight correction on the loso, front toss is excellent, odd little wobble after full turn, step on tuck 1.5.
DeMeo - FX - AL - strong double arabian and a minor slide out of the 2.5 dismount. Good difficulty in this routine, she's way more excited about it than I was, but that usually happens.
Larson - UCLA - BB - lovely mount, notable wobble on her ring jump, the walkovers to bhs was absolutely lovely. Love that combination but probably won't if it becomes an elite trend this quad, minor hop on gainer pike. A few little things but a good routine.
Jacob - FX - AL - secure pike full but she Noel Couches her legs a little bit. perfect landing on the double pike, similar strong in her dismount, expect that to score exceptionally well because it was right on. She's such an efficient little gymnast.
Francis - UCLA - BB - wonderful flexibility and excellent walkover to bhs, sticks her layout full series, great routine for Danusia. They've picked up the quality in this rotation after the beginning.
Beers - FX - AL - Good DLO to start, much stronger than Frost's, secure layout to layout full, now I see why she's going fifth over Jacob. I was wondering about that. Honestly, I still think Jacob should be anchoring. Never mind what I said about getting it. Fall on the double back dismount. I jinxed that one.
Zam - UCLA - BB - must hit to salvage the meet, you wouldn't want anyone else on the team in this position, wobble on onodi - why has that become a thing she does? - good bhs loso series, didn't quite go for her switch split, had to do it again to get her dance series, weird. Steps on double full. Probably her worst beam routine of the year, but she hit it so they won't have to count a fall.
Milliner - FX - AL - really strong double arabian, just a tad underrotated and had to adjust with her foot, otherwise she hit well. Not as strong as Jacob's routine, but it will be a big score and will bring Alabama somewhere near 197, which didn't look likely after bars. 9.950, which I don't really see.

Final Score: Alabama 197.075, UCLA 196.375
Step back for UCLA at this meet - a lot of tight gymnastics and no improvement in the lineups. Every time it seemed like some momentum was being made, it would stall. On the last two events, this happened because of Zamarripa's routines, which is very surprising. This lower 196 doesn't do anything at this point in the season and will be disappointing. The performance wasn't quite as bad as the one at Oregon State, but UCLA is one of the top teams that is farthest away from the form it will need to show in just a few weeks' time.

Alabama is getting there. There's not really much to be concerned about on the three leg events. They could use Gutierrez on vault, but it wouldn't be a catastrophe without her. Bars is a problem now, and I wonder what the solution is. I don't see those middle routines going much higher than the lowish 9.8s, so the main thing Alabama needs is for Priess to work out that dismount so that she can be the saving routine and keep the score up.

Here's the rundown of the day:
Florida 198.425, Minnesota 197.175
Kent State 196.250, Ball State 192.100
Nastia Cup: Alex McMurtry 38.450
Oklahoma 197.275, TWU 195.300
LSU 197.050, Georgia 196.825
Auburn 196.825, Maryland 195.300
Arkansas 196.500, Missouri 194.300
Alabama 197.075, UCLA 196.375

Utah is currently in progress, trying to finish out a low 197 on the bars.
Scores are flying like crazy in the first rotation of Stanford and Oregon State.

Utah finishes with a 197.125.