Friday's Featured Meets – Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU

Friday schedule
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – [5] LSU @ NC State Scores Video(free)
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Maryland, Rutgers @ [21] West Virginia
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – SEMO, New Hampshire, Cornell @ [22] Kent State
8:30 ET/5:30 PT – [1] Oklahoma @ [4] Alabama Scores Video(free)

9:00 ET/6:00 PT – [23] Boise State @ Utah State
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – [25] Iowa, San Jose State @ Southern Utah

Action begins with LSU visiting NC State. NC State has often been a fixture at the bottom end of the top 25, so it's a bit surprising to see the team ranked down at #32 this year. Brooke Barr was a big scorer who graduated, but most of the other scoring leaders are still around.

LSU begins with a challenge right from the start on bars. I want to see what those first three gymnasts are scoring. They've been able to get away with a couple 9.7s this year, but they won't be able to get away with that at SECs and can't afford to be the team that's giving away half a point on bars. They must be able to keep it close enough.

Rotation 1: NC State on vault, LSU on bars
Jessie Jordan is back in on bars for LSU. I like this decision even though she has had a few falls this year. NC State opens with an OK Yfull with a bigger hop back.

Jordan hits her jaeger well, had one short handstand and a step back on her DLO, but it was a good routine that is certainly one of their routines with the highest scoring potential. She needs to be in the lineup.

Fallanca sticks a yfull for NC State, piking down significantly but good job.

Ranzy is very slow in her bars work, but she hit a very contained routine with no major problems. Her DLO form is wonky, but she took only a small step. Fine routine. NC State has another fine Yfull from Ouellette. They're doing fairly well so far.

Good to see Dickson back in this week, a form break on her bail handstand but it wasn't too bad. One pretty significantly missed handstand and a step on the tuck full.

Woodford shows a lowish yurchenko full with a sizable hop back for NC State. 

LSU scoring well enough on bars so far going into the top three workers. Courville shows a nice high jaeger, a bit of a leg separation down to the low bar and close on her shoot back to high again, step on dismount as well.

NC State has a much higher yfull in the fifth position. Stuck landing. That 9.900 for Ouellette was high, but otherwise they have looked solidly 9.750-9.800 before this.

Wyrick has a nice handstand position on her giant full, good tkatchev, stuck DLO with some bending to save the stick. Good routine, strongest handstands. She has worked out this routine after looking sloppy early in the year.

Ham finishes vault with another yfull with a minor step. Morrison up on bars, her piked jaeger didn't have a ton of height but she hit it well, one short handstand before her dismount, which looked a little low in landing but she stepped back only once and saved it with good control. Good routine but not her best.

NC State receives three 9.9s for a 49.250, which is huge for them. I think it's high, but that was a very proficient rotation with competitive difficulty and overall strong landings. The amplitude is where they are missing out a bit and where they may struggle comparatively at Regionals.

LSU will score perfectly acceptably on bars with a 49.200. It's a bit odd that they are trailing to NC State right now, but they will certainly take that score for bars. From what I had seen earlier in the year, LSU has improved some of the handstand and leg separation issues. They were not great with the sticking today (only Wyrick stuck), so there's room to fix these routines. They gave away a bit there. Hall does an exhibition to stay in form, but I think the six competing today should be the final six. 

Rotation 2: LSU on vault, NC State on bars
Ranzy is in on vault today for LSU, no Mathis or Morrison. Ideally, Ranzy is a top vaulter and was the anchor for OSU when she was there, but it will be interesting to see how she is coming along on that event.

Dickson has a nice high yfull but a weaker landing for her, hop and a step to salute after that, which should bring down the score rather significantly. NC State hits a fine bars routine with a close shoot to high and a step on landing.

Ranzy shows a strong full, pretty good form, distance wasn't quite what I remember from her and a step back. 9.775. One judge went 9.700, which is too low for that, but the score isn't that far off in the end. Ham has a few struggles with leg separations and handstands, sticks a 2/1 dismount. She's quite tall for a bars worker, so well done to her.

Taylor also has a hop back on her yfull, not the same oomph as Ranzy's vault. No one has stuck for LSU so far, which is uncharacteristic. 9.850. Watkins for NC State has some borderline handstands and a step on her double back but will get hit for leg separations on most releases.

Jordan has the best yfull so far, didn't quite stick with a hop in place, but good control. I was just about to admire the amplitude on Haradedian's deltchev, but it was so high and far that she missed her catch.

Lau one-ups Jordan in the landing department. That was definitely a stick and the best vault so far for the team. I'd probably put that in the 9.9s. Ouellette hits her tkatchev and straddle back, a few short handstands, step back on DLO.

Courville finishes by putting everyone to shame on vault. Huge distance on her yfull, fought and swam for the stick but held onto it. I could see that going 9.950, and that's what she gets. Fincham finishes bars with an aggressive routine, it's clear why she's the anchor. One handstand issue and straddled legs on the dismount but good. Hall exhibitions vault and bounces far out of her yhalf.

Good landings from the final three save vault a little bit for LSU. 49.350 is by no means a bad score, but they did not land those early vaults to potential and underperformed on the event compared to expectations. For being just OK on the first two events, that the Tigers are still on 197 pace is an accomplishment.

After 2: LSU 98.550, NC State 98.100

Rotation 3: NC State on beam, LSU on floor 
Ouellette has a major pause before her three series but hits it solidly, huge wobble on the punch front but stays on, sticks gainer full.

Jordan starts on floor, good that she is back in the AA today, strong double pike to start, clean front full to front layout, good double turn, 1.5 + layout full is also strong. Perhaps they're getting things together a bit tonight now that they're on floor and should finally debut with something out of the 9.7s.

Ham has a minor correction on her switch half, hits her loso, another small adjustment on her side somi, but overall she is hitting the acro, small hop in place on her front 1.5 dismount. 

Taylor for LSU, hits her double pike, we're getting some closeups during the dance elements, which is helping no one. Not much trouble on the shushunova this week, perhaps a bit bouncy out of her dismount, but she turns it into choreography. It should be another clean 9.8ish score.

Woodford is secure on beam for NC State but lacks a bit of amplitude in some of her early acro, wonderful 2.5 dismount, stuck. Great job and impressive difficulty, which should help score well because of the absense of wobbles.

Dickson opens with a rudi+loso, good high and controlled double pike, efficient is the word for her in her acro, not giving away much on these landings. Fincham to beam now, a few very small corrections on everything early that can't really be called wobbles. Stuck dismount, clean hit that will really depnd on how the judges evaluate those half correction/adjustments.  

Mathis, big DLO. How should we feel about leg separations on a DLO on floor? I'm pretty forgiving of them I suppose, much more than on bars dismounts. Huge bounce back out of her double tuck, but great double pike finish. That should be enough of a deduction to make this the one they want to drop.

Harabedian hits her loso with bent knees (that's a trend for this team, not quite refined in the form), a couple of wobbles, hop forward on 1.5. Courville on floor for LSU, double arabian is great but she came very close to going out on her controlled step, out of frame though, strong double back in her middle combo pass, very minorly short on her double pike but it doesn't show too much, the strongest routine so far. 

Fallanca anchors for NC State, small correction on her series and again on her turn, biggish hop forward on 1.5 dismount. Fine routine, and they look to end up around something like 49 on thsi event. Still 196 pace for NC State.

Hall now on floor. I've come around on her rotuine, I suppose. It's as ridiculous as this sport. Hits DLO, clean front full front layout - almost gave away something trying to save the stick but it was fine, bounces back out of her double back pretty noticeably, so it certainly won't be a 10 this time. I would go 9.900 tops. And that's what it is.

LSU gets a 49.275 on floor to stay in strong 197 pace as long as they go 49.175 on beam (not a given). Even though it scored lower than vault, LSU looked to be more on track for this event. Still too many tenths given away, though.

After 3: LSU 147.825, NC State 147.150

Rotation 4: LSU on beam, NC State on floor
Huge wobble for Garcia on her layout series and she comes off after trying to save it. This is the test now for LSU. Are you a beam team?
    
Harabedian starts with a nice high double pike but is very low on her punch out of the middle pass, has to tuck and lands very squatty. Otherwise hit.

Taylor second on beam, wobble on full turn, hits aerial, quite tentative in her leaps combo, wobble on loso series, just hangs onto the stick on the 1.5 dismount. A little wobbly and nervy but hit.

Jarred bounces out of her 2.5 mount, double L turn and an illusion. I like the composition of this routine, crossed legs on the front double dismount but overall a good routine.

Taylor managed to squeeze out a 9.800 for her routine, so LSU will take that and stays in good shape. Wobble on full trun from Dickson, another on her loso, sticks gainer pike dismount. She got it together after the wobbly start.

Woodford attempts a pike full in mount but struggles to control the landing and steps a few times, OOB, punch rudi to finish. Took too many deductions in her tumbling, so they'll probably want to drop it.

Hall now up following two 9.800s in a row. Very bent knees on her loso series but she hit it, another wobble on her full turn. She's very tight in her movements on beam, everything is cut off. Step back on double back dismount. Another one who go through but it won't be a big score.

I've noticed in Ham's work she never looks like she's getting enough height but she pulls it around. Hits double pike mount, a little bit of a low chest on her double back dismount. Overall a hit.

Courville, very clean and confident L turn, saves arabian with a small correction, it looked like it could have been off more than she let on, her routine has huge scoring potential when she hits, which she is doing. Very clean aerial + sissone followed by a stuck gainer pike. Well done.

Watkins opens with a tuck full, looked to me like she went OOB but apparently not, good tumbling overall other than the control on the mount. Very open double pike dismount.

Jordan anchoring beam for LSU. They're almost out of the woods after the opening fall. Good aerial, step back on loso series but saves it. Does well to give away only a small wobble on the side somi because it looked like her center of gravity was a little back. Sticks 1.5. The scores have let us down in the updating department, but LSU gets through beam after the opening fall.

Ouellette has steps back on her pike full mount. I love the commitment to difficult on the mounts for this team. She'll get knocked down for these leaps - that switch ring wasn't there, small bounce back out of the whip double dismount, and that will do it for the meet. Let's see when we get a scoring update how it all went.

Alabama/Oklahoma time now.
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Interesting that Oklahoma went nearly full strength at both meets over the weekend but had to put in a few backups today for the big meet against Alabama. No Kmieciak for Oklahoma. Sorenson has to come in on vault. What is this, postseason 2012?

Rotation 1: Alabama on vault, Oklahoma on bars
Kayla Williams was maybe just a little excited about that stuck yfull. She goes 9.950 in the leadof positon. Well, they're not afraid of giving away the big scores early.

Step forward on the double back for Clark. Not her cleanest routine.

Big high Yfull for Sledge with a pretty significant hop back. That often happens with her. She'll need to start gaining control in the coming weeks.

Scaman on bars, piked jaeger and bail handstand looked good, one handstand a little rushed, stuck tuck full.

Jacob in on vault this week, does just the full this time, still crazy legs and a step back. Just OK. Interesting that she's in for Sims.

The feed is horrendous, so I can't say much about Hayden Ward's bars routine other than it looked like a hit. Beers on vault, one of her best, strong landing on the yfull. It's amazing how much better Alabama can be on ault when they stop pretending everyone is going to do Y1.5s.

Nice stuck DLO dismount from Brewer in the fourth position. I'm not sure what I missed in this routine, but she went 9.725, so I missed something. In general, I think some of these Oklahoma routines are a little rushed in the handstands and they're losing a bit there, but otherwise they look strong so far. Clark has her usual good height on the yfull, but a step back this time.

Olson fifth on bars for Oklahoma, Olson goes very clean until she misses a handstand before the dismount and takes a big step on the DLO 1/1.

Milliner either sticks of near-sticks her Y1.5, but I think it was a stick. Given how thrilled the judges have been to go 9.950 so far, I wouldn't be that surprised by a 10, but she had to control the landing a little bit and had the usual knees. I would go 9.900 actually, and she gets a 9.925, so that's appropriate.

Spears finishes for Oklahoma, and she too was going well until the dismount when she took a major leap forward. That's unexpected that the last two would give away so much on their dismounts. This rotation could have been competitive

Even though Alabama had to put in Jacob and had Sledge and Clark vault at fine-but-not-their-best levels, they got season-best or near-season-best vaults from three out of the six, which was enough to go 49.525. For Oklahoma, the first few looked somewhat tight in the handstands, and the last two need to land much better, so it's a 49.200, which is much lower than what we have been seeing from them.

Rotation 2: Alabama on bars, Oklahoma on vault
This will be the most telling rotation of the meet.

Brewer lands a little low on her opening yfull. Sledge opens for Alabama, and it's her usual great amplitdue and clean routine, sticks the DLO. The vault judges were willing to go big early, so we'll see about bars.

Spears does a fine yfull as usual with a hop back. It's her weakest event, but she has been solidly 9.8 so far this season.

Alexin now on bars, good shaposh, hits the pak, a little late on the 1/2 turn on the low bar, good handstand before the giant full, hop back on double tuck. Sledge goes 9.950, so the bars judges are just as willing.

Mooring lands pretty stiff-legged on her yhalf and has to take a larger step back. She can do much better than that. Since it's a yhalf, the landing usually has to be better to get the same kind of scores the yfulls do.

Beers in on bars, a little short on a handstand or two and a bigger step back on the dismount, but it should score higher than Jacobs has been. Missed Kanewa on vault but she seems happy with it, now to Clark on bars, she looked pretty short on her bail handstand but it's a strong DLO to finish. Pretty clean overall, a few of the early handstands were borderline, so it will be interestint o see what the judges thing.

Scaman has a pretty big step forward on her 1.5. Apparently she is in instead of Sorensen, who was on the original lineup. Oklahoma is not very on in the landing department today.

Demeo has been rather hit and miss on bars this season, but this was a hit. Olson comes in very low on her yfull and takes a step forward. Just OK and I don't expect a big score.

Priess will finish on bars, let's watch the dismount this week. All her early releases are strong as always and a controlled step back on the DLO. Given that DeMeo went 9.900, that should go quite high as well. 9.875.

Yes to the commenters, the Alabama feed is almost unwatchable, but I'm going to push through and give as much as possible. I understand if you need to turn it off to save your sanity and ears. Jacob does exhibition on bars and the handstands were still short but a little improved. Stuck DLO. She can come in, but they may be happy enough with these scores.

Alabama goes 49.425 on bars, which is a huge accomplishment for them. Sledge hit a tremendous routine, Jacob came out of the lineup for Beers, DeMeo was on a better day, and Priess appears to have her DLO at least somewhat in order, which bodes well for Alabama at least getting through this event. The middle of the rotation is still a bit of a scoring depression, and I'm not ready to change my feelings aobut this rotation after one meet, but this is a step.

Oklahoma's landings were not nearly what we've come to expect again on vault. Most were taking full tenth steps, a few as a result of very low/short landings. 49.075 on vault for a significantly underperformed rotation.

After 2: Alabama 98.950, Oklahoma 98.275

Rotation 3:
For those of you who turned off the meet, the stream quality has improved tremendously since the last rotation, so you may want to check back in.

Milliner starts on beam, clean aerial, solid through her acro, hits full turn, her work is a little slow for my teste, but she hasn't given away a wobble yet. Stuck double full. The judges may feel the need to go big for a leadoff routine again.

Albright on floor, a slight stumble/step out of her front double full, but it was mostly fine, another minor hop to the side after her middle pass, dance elements and straddle positions look good, a little bounce out of dismount. Like the rest of the day so far, just not quite on.

Clark had to wobble after her sheep jump, but that's really the only sizable error, front toss is strong, step forward on 1.5. Controlled, solid routine.

Spears going second for Oklahoma on floor. This is my favorite routine on the team choreographically, her front double is strong. She's been just OK for the first two rotations, like the rest of the team, but this is her strongest of the day so far. Maybe Oklahoma is getting on track.

Williams on beam, switch side is good, front tuck is perfectly solid, surprisingly has to take a big wobble on her loso, bend at the knees and the leg comes up. I say surpring because it looked like she had it. Wobble on the full turn now, step forward on 1.5. It won't be the worst score ever, but they will want to drop it.

Brewer starts with a hit double back, came in short on her front layout full and had to stumble a little, big pause before her dismount, which is quite low with a step forward. Lots to take in that routine. Not memorable third routines for either team.

DeMeo's handspring mount is nice, good aerial, has to step wobble and save on her series, a pretty significant break there on a routine that will need to count after Williams' low score, step back on double pike.

Mooring on floor now, whip 1/2 to rudi is fine, perhaps a little lower in the chest than I would like but not a big deal, very low on her double pike landing and puts her hands down. Touch day for Oklahoma all around.

They'll be counting a 9.700 from DeMeo already, so a crucial routine for Jacob, layouts series is very nice, confident full turn, barani is right on as always, small hop on 1.5 dismount. Really important hit.

Olson has to get it back together for Oklahoma, good double pike, front layout + rudi comes very close to going out but she does well to pull in her legs and stay in, solid hit.

Priess to finish on beam, rushes her sheep jump a little - it's been more realistic before, but it's fine, aerial and swingdown are hit, Lturn was OK, hop back on gainer full. She was a little rushed through that whole thing but didn't give away too much.

Scaman is the one with the most capability of bringing it in the tumbling department. Good DLO, everything looked quite strong except for a somewhat low double back to finish. It should still be a strong enough score to keep the rotation positive and ahead of vault.

Neither team will be happy with that third rotation. Alabama started and finished well but had some unexpected wobbling in the beginning that took them down and dashed any vague hopes of a 198. Oklahoma continued the weaker landings trend. A few of them hit well enough for 9.8s, but the tumbling wasn't strong enough to get those 9.9s. To me, Spears had the strongest routine of the rotation, but she was stuck in the second spot.

Oklahoma has a shot at a high 196 with a good beam rotation, but that won't be relevant for RQS, so this meet is already kind of a wash for them. Florida looks very good to jump back up to #1.

After 3: Alabama 148.100, Oklahoma 147.425 
I expect a lot of "See, Oklahoma isn't that good" rhetoric after this meet, but it really depends on them. The struggles today have been almost entirely about the landings, which can be resolved (and must be resolved).


Rotation 4:
No Kmieciak today, so Mooring opens on beam, excellent bhs+loso, pretty big correction on her front aerial, hop forward on the 1.5 dismount.

Priess leads off floor today, and Sledge comes in for Frost. A slight lack of control on the double back mount, slide, 1.5 + layout is strong, tuck jump double turn is good, long pause with fake arm choreo before double pike dismount, strong finish.

Long wait for Alexander on beam, good split positions, small fight to get the dance connection in, front to back tuck is good, has to correct out of her ring jump, gainer back pike with a step. She has been much stronger than that, but it was not a fall. Still gets a 9.9.

Sledge on floor, I always worry about the control of the landings with her, but this looks good. Of course, in my world doing front layouts as a middle pass would be a composition deduction, but we don't live in that world, not quite enough control on the double pike dismount, but otherwise strong. A senior night moment for her. It's senior night for Priess as well, but she's had a senior night before, hasn't she?

Clark looks very secure for Oklahoma, that sheep jump is questionable with the closure, just does hit that side somi, she was almost under but no wobbles, stuck dismount. Good overall.

Beers on floor, slight low in the DLO mount, I'm not happy with that switch ring, hits double back dismount. I doubted she would make this lineup, but she's hitting now.

Olson takes a big wobble on her roundoff layout, but I love that she does that as her series, good aerial, good stick of layout full dismount.

DeMeo to floor, minor hop to the side out of the double arabian with nice tight form, gets the 2.5 around and just does keep her step forward in bounds. Strong routine with good difficulty.

Brewer is fifth on beam, and her three series is right on, hits her straddle jumps, good double back with a step back. Oklahoma is salvaging the meet at least a little bit on its best event.

Jacob lands a little low in her pike full but she doesn't move, minor slide back out of the double pike. There was nothing really wrong with the landings in this routine, but she has been more secure than this in some of her past 9.950s.

Spears finishes for Oklahoma on beam, strong onodi smingdown. She works at a good pace throughout her routine, the acro was right on and followed by a stuck gainer full. Strongest routine for Oklahoma on this event.

Milliner finishes the meet, comes in short on her double arabian and has to take multiple steps back. The scores have gone very high for everyone for Alabama, so that alone should be enough for this to be the dropped routine. Finishes a little low on her double pike as well.

Spears gets a 9.950 for her very strong routine, and Oklahoma saved things a little bit with a 49.450 on beam, by far the strongest event of the night for them. Even so, it was a little more tentative in places than I would expect from them on this event.

Alabama was strong from top to bottom on floor, and the scores reflected that with very little divergence until the mistakes from Milliner. There were some issues with low landings and minor corrections to the side but nothing major.

Final scores: Alabama 197.525, Oklahoma 196.825
The Sooners were not at full strength in terms of lineup depth or quality of performance, and I think this will be a meet they pretend never happened. They will have the misfortune of not facing much stiff competition at conference championships, but they will need to be competing with themselves to not show landings like this again.

Another strong home showing for Alabama. Beam got a little wonky there in the middle, but there were tanglible developments on bars, which is a big deal. There's still a question of the lineup both there and on vault, so that will be something to watch at SECs. It was not a dream performance for Alabama since there were minor corrections and mistakes here and there on every event, but the majority of routines on each event were at or very near postseason level.