Friday Scores – Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Oklahoma

Friday – 3/8/13
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Bowling Green @ [20] Kentucky Scores Video(subscription)
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – [19] Illinois @ Missouri Scores Video(subscription)
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [16] Arizona @ [2] Oklahoma Scores
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – [5] Alabama @ [4] LSU Scores
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – Lindenwood @ [11] Auburn Scores Video(subscription)
10:00 ET/7:00 PT – [23] Boise State, Davis, Seattle Pacific @ San Jose State Scores

Alabama's lineups are slightly different today (now that they have been fixed).
Sledge is back in on vault and the order has been jumbled up again. Clark is back to the leadoff position even though she was the highest scorer last week. Floor is also different, but I think good-different with Jacob anchoring. Sledge is still off floor, though, in favor of Beers. While Kayla Williams was first listed as anchoring bars, that has been changed to better reflect the actual universe.

For LSU some changes have been made, obviously with consistency in mind (especially the first two). Hall is in on bars for Jordan, Garcia is back on beam for Ranzy, and Taylor is in on floor for Jordan.

Not much going on until 8 ET, but in addition to the big names in action, it will be important to follow Auburn's progress. They are #11 in the country now, ranked ahead of Nebraska, so the era of the condescending "Look, Auburn got a 196! Awww, great for them!" has passed. It's now about how they compare with the best teams. The standard is higher.

I'm keeping an eye on Kentucky since that's the only thing to keep an eye on right now. Kentucky's vault landings have improved noticeably since the last time I saw them - a crunched stick from Hedges and another stick from Cunningham. 49.100.
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Checking in on Missouri and Illinois. Missouri is currently 37th in the country, so they have a big of unexpected Regionals panic going on. I do expect them to make it, but they have yet to get even into the 195s this year. I like the double kip jaegers from See. Some 9.7y bars work from Illinois. Missouri trying to salvage that much from these early Yfulls after just a layout Yurchenko is the first spot.

Nice amplitude in the tkatchev and DLO in the third spot for Illinois from O'Connor. I like the composition of these routines, but they are giving away a lot on handstands and leg form that is keeping them from 9.850s. Amplitude on releases is nice, though. Sunny Kato is an awesome name. Too bad that pak was not awesome. That should be the dropped score. Weinstein anchors well, similarly good amplitude but will get dinged for leg separations. 

Missouri has a fall in the anchor position on vault, just a 48.625 there. Illinois goes 49.025 on bars after a 9.900 from Weinstein.
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After 2 rotations: Kentucky 98.125, Bowling Green 97.650. This is on the way to being a very important score for both teams. Bowling Green is on low 195s pace (with a season high in the mid 194s).
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Color me wrong about Oklahoma's lineups. I thought we would see some resting at this the first of two weekend meets, but they are going with full strength and Spears and Olson both in the AA. Also note that Alabama's lineups have been fixed and Priess is competing bars. Phew.

OK, let's get going with the good stuff. I'm attempting the Alabama audio/Auburn video double, so we'll see how that works out.

Missouri is counting a fall on bars now, and the Tigers may very well be fighting for that Regionals spot right up through SECs.

LSU has been getting those sticks for 49.5s on vault, and Dickson begins with a stuck Yfull. Sledge goes on bars, sounds like a strong routine as usual for her. A 9.925 in the leadoff position tells us a lot about both LSU's vaulting and the way the scoring can go tonight. Taylor hops in the second position. 9.900 for Sledge. Big start. 9.950 from one judge and a 9.850 from the other.

Alexin with a 9.850 in the second position. Jacob missing her handstands, which has been the trend for her. 9.900 and 9.875 for LSU on vault before Lau goes with a couple of steps apparently, but it's a 9.925. Interesting that Jacob goes 9.800 because it sounded worse that that and has often gone lower than that this year, Clark also apparently struggling with handstands before a strong dismount. 

If Alabama can get through these middle routines with strong scores, they will be in excellent shape. 9.850 for Clark. They're setting it up for LSU to get major scores on bars if Alabama is getting 9.8s for handstand problems. Also sounds like DeMeo is struggling.

Courville has a minor hop on her vault, but LSU hardly needed it because they will go well over 49.500 yet again. Audio announcers tell us that Priess hit her DLO, which is like the sun has finally come out for her. She goes into the 9.9s, which is new.

LSU goes 49.600 on vault. We know they can be great, but it sounds like they had a few steps that could have been deducted but weren't. 49.350 for Alabama which is a big victory after all the low scores on that event (though it also sounds like they got a couple gifts in the middle).
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Auburn hasn't quite gotten the landings so far on vault, Bri Guy up now, great power on her yfull as always with a hop in place - very minor.

Obviously it's going to be a work in progress for Lindenwood, and those first bars routine were roughsville, but I just saw something quite nice in the fifth position. Good for them. Two bars routines that should be solidly 9.7 in the final two positions. Arkinson finishes for Auburn with her 1.5, bent knees and a pretty sizable hop to the side.

Note: Oklahoma 49.500 on vault. 198 watch at home again?
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Clark has a step on her yfull for Alabama, but she usually sticks, so that's a big of an under-performance. Hall goes on bars, has handstand issues which she always does and then sounds to have had an awkward landing. Sledge also hops on her vault, which can happen. She has more trouble controlling her power.

9.850 and 9.875 for Alabama in the first two, good scores for missed landings. Ranzy also had handstand problems with a step on dismount. Williams sticks yfull. How high can that go? 9.975. Stick for 10s, that appears to be the rule today.

Dickson falls on her jaeger, so they'll be counting Hall's 9.700. It won't be that major bars score again. The scores have been covering up some weaknesses this year, even though LSU is much improved on bars.

Step from Sims on her yfull. Courville on bars, she usually has a very clean routine except for her shoot to the high bar, which is often a struggle. Sounds like a strong routine. 9.925 - same score as Priess. Beers also took a step for 9.925. One stick for Alabama so far, but a huge score coming. Milliner also takes a step on her 1.5. She has to work out that stick for this lineup to score well in the postseason. They need a 9.950 from her.

The final three routines for LSU save the bars rotation, so this will be a big score even counting the 9.700 from Hall. Alabama vaults a 49.525 after Milliner's 9.875. Both teams are looking to go well into the 197s today. It's extremely likely that Alabama passes LSU in the rankings now if they hit these last two rotations for 9.875s and the like.

LSU gets a 49.300 on bars, so at the halfway point we have LSU 98.900, Alabama 98.875
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Walker now for Auburn on bars is clean, some legs and a latish pirouette but a great stick on the DLO.

First final of the day: Kentucky 196.375, Bowling Green 192.700. Big score for Kentucky's RQS. Low 49s on every event.

Like Walker, Atkinson is mostly clean, a couple of rushed handstands but a nice stick on the dismount. Petrina finishing for Auburn, love the difficulty in the pirouetting and transitions but she will get docked for being late - step on the double tuck. Solid routines in those last few spots.
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Frost leads off floor for Alabama today instead of Priess, has some lack of control on her DLO.
Wyrick has been added to the beam lineup at the last minute for LSU, sounds like a strong stick. Two scores over 9.8 in the first two positions is rather a big deal for LSU. Priess goes clean in the second position. 9.875.

Taylor having a struggle on beam, issue on full turn and major bend on straddle quarter. They're messing with the lineup a bit, which is necessary given the recent struggles. 

Beers now on floor for Alabama. She has struggled in her routines so far this year and is the smart money choice to come out when Sledge comes back, but she does have stronger difficulty and will be useful if she gets the consistency down. Dismount - double back instead of double tuck, step but stays up. 9.875.

A few balance issues for Hall and a step on dismount. They've taken Dickson off beam, and the commentators said she looked pained after her bars fall. Was DeMeo's routine called "so polished" "so solid" or "so college"? I couldn't tell, and any of them could fit.

Courville hits her Arabian, has a wobble on her aerial, otherwise hit. The earlier scores were setting up for a huge score for Courville.
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Oklahoma will be fighting against a beam fall from Alexander. It's a shame that she's struggling lately because it's such a fun routine with the flexibility in the center.
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Milliner has a major floor routine in the tumbling area. Balance checks from Jordan on beam but nothing major happening there. Hit beam rotation from LSU, which is very significant. Jacob finishes floor for Alabama. Sounds like Alabama has its strongest event of the day on floor, which was the case last week as well. 9.950 from Jacob, which gives Alabama a 49.500 - lower score than vault but that doesn't always reflect quality.

After 3: Alabama 148.375, LSU 148.150
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Walker up fifth for Auburn on beam, wobble on front toss, again on the series, a little low on dismount with a step. A bit of a struggle but nothing major. They're trying to drop a 9.675 on beam, and this will certainly score higher than that.

Final: Illinois 196.200, Missouri 194.125. Missouri can't get out of that scoring funk, this time because of bars where they showed five routines, two of which were falls.

Atkinson for Auburn finishing up with a fair shot at making this the strongest event of the day so far. Clean through her acro skills but is well short on her double pike and falls. No major problem, though, and the rotation will skill go over 49.
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Milliner on beam has one check and a step on dismount. Wyrick in again for LSU and for Dickson, this time on floor - she was supposed to compete one event and is now competing three. Not completely controlled in the tumbling but a hit.

Big wobble for Clark on her sheep jump, otherwise hits with a step on the dismount. 9.800. Sounds like either a fall or a brush for Taylor in the second position for LSU, but she scores a 9.775 - so what happened there?

In Oklahoma, the Sooners got through beam after the fall with a 49.300, but it's the lowest scoring event for them so far. The 198 is now quite unlikely, but the high 197 is still very likely.

Back in Louisiana, in our non-fall routines so far tonight, we've seen just two scores under 9.8, both 9.775s. Wobble for Kayla Williams on an under-done popa - step on 1.5 landing.

Mathis hits until a step and OOB on floor, not LSU's day on floor, which is unexpected.9.625, so they'll be counting two 9.775s so far. Alabama has been giving away wobbles on their routines, and now DeMeo had a great routine going until a fall on her dismount. 9.300.

Savona lacks a little control on her mount but otherwise hits. Jacob gets things back on track for Alabama with solid acro, hop on 1.5 dismount.

Must hits in the final positions for both teams, Courville does the job for 9.900, and now Priess on beam - ensures that DeMeo's fall goes away and that the beam score will be strong and that both teams will go over 197. Jacob and Priess finish with 9.925 and 9.950. That ensures the Alabama victory.

All I can hear is screaming, so I assume Hall's floor routine was a hit. Another home 10 for her. There wasn't really a doubt if she hit given how the scoring was going tonight. The next challenge for her will be getting that kind of score on the road.

Final: Alabama 197.725, LSU 197.500
Season highs for both teams, which means that Alabama will move ahead of LSU in the rankings now that the Tide can count the previous 197.650. Alabama also moves ahead of Michigan for the time being, but Michigan is yet to compete this weekend.
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Bri Guy finishing fo Auburn on floor. They have a 9.650 here they'd like to drop. The DLO was very high to start and she controlled it well enough. Hit routine for her, so they will drop that low score and go into the mid 196s. Lindenwood finishes at 190.450, which is higher than their current RQS.

Oklahoma manages a 49.600 on floor with a 9.9 festival. (I cannot remember seeing this many high scores on floor in a season. Scores have been high all year on all events in all places, but floor stands out to me the most.) Oklahoma finishes with 197.875, their second-highest score of the season. Arizona will also go over 196.

Still waiting on that last score for Guy, but that does it for the day. I'll be back tomorrow for the Georgia/Utah meet at 6:00 ET/3:00 PT. It should be a great one.

Auburn finishes with 196.400 after Guy's 9.850.