Super Six Live Blog

It's a little wistful, isn't it? The end of another season. But of course, we still have the little business of the team title to take care of before it's all over. The meet will begin at 7 ET, 4 PT.

Officially banned today are any discussions of "wanting it more," "heart," or "guts." You won because you wanted it more? Good thing that none of the other teams wanted to win, then. They didn't care, but you, you wanted it. Give me a break.

In terms of scoring, my hope is that the judges recover from their overvaluing of landings during the second half of the second semifinal yesterday. If you had a complaint about the scoring from that part of the meet, it was because sticks (and lack thereof) dictated the entire score. Note that the judges will switch events and will not judge the same events they did yesterday. Vault and floor switch and bars and beam switch. 

Oklahoma's twitter again provides us with the lineups for today. Shisler is in for Wang on floor, so that could become a big rotation. Oklahoma has shifted the beam lineup.  

Florida enters as the favorite. We haven't had a true, clear favorite of this level since probably UCLA in 2010. I do believe this is in Florida's hands, but nothing has been decided yet. If Alabama and Oklahoma pull things up from their lackluster semifinals performances, they can challenge a slightly missing Florida.

The rotation order is as follows:
Oklahoma (vault)
LSU (bye before bars)
UCLA (bars)
Florida (beam)
Alabama (bye before floor)
Georgia (floor)

Live scores
Today's score sheet.

Oklahoma wins the draw by having Olympic order, but I never like when teams start on an event where they really need a scoring boost. One of the crucial factors in Oklahoma's contention for the title will be scoring at least close to Florida and Alabama on vault. A tight start on the first event could give away three or four important tenths.

This is similar to the concern I have for LSU. This rotation order has been largely celebrated by Tigers fans because they end on their two best events, but that's the problem. Yes, I expect them to perform very well on vault and floor and record big scores, but that was probably going to happen anyway regardless of rotation order. LSU excelled on bars yesterday finishing on the event, performing their cleanest, most relaxed bars rotation of the season. They cannot afford the telltale signs of tightness like short handstands and early release on dismounts this time, which are always more likely to occur in the first rotation of a big meet. LSU has to put together positive (49.250+) bars and beam rotations to be in this.

I don't have a problem with Florida opening on beam or Alabama opening on floor. Starting on floor is never a great rotation, but this Alabama team should be able to deal with that comfortably. It's better for them than starting bars or beam. Florida's rotation order does give a few flashbacks to the 2011 semifinals disaster when starting on beam, but once again, it shouldn't be an issue this year as long as they get through Spicer. I anticipate her performing much more calmly today. 
---------------------------------------

In the first rotation, we'll know if UCLA is in it. The Bruins cannot afford another bars rotation like yesterday with all those issues. They were lucky to get a 9.825 out of MDLT's extra swing routine. Georgia also can't afford to give anything away on floor. Worley and Jay need 9.9s today, otherwise Florida and Alabama will blow by. 

The video is now available on espn3.com, telling us to stand by. Oh, we're standing. Don't worry.

I just hope this meet is close. In yesterday's first rotation, we still had the AA and EF standings to keep the final rotations interesting, but today the only focus is the team competition. If Florida any team runs away with it, we'll all be dragging to the finish. 

Don't be alarmed if the feed doesn't begin right on time. In my experience with espn3, it never begins on time. Ooooh, right on time today. Good start, everyone. You're exceeding expectations. Make the gymnasts follow your lead.

Not a bad crowd today. Good job, UCLA. Where is Suzanne?
Jay just had a rough double pike landing in warmup in the background.

Kathy says UCLA's biggest asset is their spirit. Ouch. Kiss of death. The biggest asset is spirit only when there aren't any other assets. But yes, it will be very difficult for UCLA to contend today. Still, they could stay close if they mimic yesterday and get Zamarripa hitting.

Rotation 1:
Mooring on vault to open - good yhalf, comes in a little short and steps back. Probably needed a stick from her, but they do have a big 9.850 from Spears in the first position.

Wong on bars, very short first hs, nice jaeger, two big missed handstands will kill the score. Slightly better landing than yesterday but still short with a hop.

Sloan on beam, love the way she moves, perfect loso, clean full turn, good aerial to bhs, not budging at all on these skills, small correction on side aerial, brilliant 2/1 dismount stuck. Awesome routine. 9.950. Deserved. But the judge who went 10 clearly missed that one balance check.  

No one has recorded any low scores so far, expect things to go high today based on what we have seen. A 9.800 from Earls was a little low on floor for what they needed. Persinger now, nice double back,very secure double pike, good rudi. Clean routine but I wonder if it will be the score they need. 

Oklahoma has two 9.850s bit need something big from Scaman, big step on her 1.5. Not the start Oklahoma needed. They have given tenths away.

Hunter on beam, WOW, way short on her loso series and comes off. Shocked by that.They had a fall from Ashanee and now one from Hunter. This is wide open, people. Everything has just changed.Has Florida given it away again? The power of the expectation.

Courtney looking clean so far on bars, sticks her tuck full. Much better routine than yesterday. One of her best of the year if not the best from her.

Macko looking devastated waiting on the beam. They cannot assume they are out of this yet, but . . .  
Good loso for her, aerial to swingdown is strong, good leaps, hit routine. Nice focus to stay in it for her.

Couch on floor, every team has some hope now. Shayla fell on floor already, so this is huge. She doesn't quite have it on the pike full yet (lack of training) but the landing was still secure. Good hit. Pressure on Jay now.

UCLA gets a 49.375 on bars, huge improvement over yesterday. Zamarripa was nearly perfect. Surprised that didn't go up to 9.950 from everyone. We see Olson's uncontrolled 9.750 on vault.

King on beam. Beautiful layout to two feet, small correction on the full turn. They can still salvage a high 48, stick or near-stick on the double full.

Jay on floor, a little low on her full out landing, the double back is key after her locked landing in warmups, she had a nice middle pass going into she went OOB. Can't afford that because the score will count. Went to the double tuck or the dismount, good.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Everything's going to change now isn't it? Alabama has become the favorite now.

UCLA is the only team that showed up in that first rotation, huge improvement on bars. They must do the same thing on beam now, though. Which will be harder.

After 1: UCLA 49.375, Oklahoma 49.125, Georgia, 49.050, Florida 48.875.
Obviously it is imperative that Florida go 49.500 on every remaining event to have a shot. Those are underperformances from Oklahoma and Georgia but given what we've seen so far, may not be the end of the world. Let's wait. The Bruins are the only team that improved from yesterday.

Alabama and LSU will be obsessed with the opportunity given to them right now. If Alabama can repeat yesterday's floor performance, they will be the position of control.
Sarah Patterson already broke the rule by saying, "Sometimes it's about heart." Can we make that a deduction?

Rotation 2:
Ranyz on bars, better handstands than early in the year. Her dismount is too open to be a pike-open-pike and too closed to be a DLO. Hop forward on landing.

Baer on beam, shifts the arms to hold the side somi without a wobble, secure straddle 3/4, basically sticks the landing but steps to slaute. Better than yesterday. Don't see the 9.750 that got from two judges. I would have gone 9.800-9.850.

Davis on vault, best distance of the season for her, some piking, great stick. Couch had a poor landing to follow. That will need to be dropped.

Frost on floor, good DLO, sturdy hit for her. Hires on vault now, lands a little farther over than her usual but it worked to get the stick this time. 

Courville on bars now, good firs thandstand, hits jaeger, leg break on the bail hs, a little tight in that final hs, hangs onto the stick.

Cheek on vault, brilliant yfull in the air, has to raise a foot to hold onto the stick, that's worse than a step because of all the balancing.

Wyrick on bars, getting her handstands again like yesterday, hop-stick-salutes her dismount, but that was closer to yesterday than what we saw most of the season.

DeMeo on floor, it would be a lot easier to like this routine if she didn't use the world's worst song at the beginning. Huge lack of control on her double arabian, big lunge forward. They will probably be fine with dropping this, though. Otherwise strong.

Zam on beam, beauty of a full turn as always, huge wobble on the onodi. She had it yesterday but not today again. She's following a fall from Courtney, so again it is vital that she and Francis keep UCLA alive. It won't be big because of the onodi. Good 2/1 dismount.

Morrison on bars for LSU, I'd like more amplitude on her jaeger, misses her last handstand, step back on dismount. Not as strong as yesterday and probably won't go into the 9.9s.

Now we're seeing the mistake from Courtney. Hands to the beam on the acro series. She is not a beamer and has been forced into this because of injury.

DeMeo apparently got a 9.875 on floor, which I hope is a misprint because it is a ridiculous overscore if it's real. She flew out of her double arabian. 

Milliner crazy sticks her double arabian, Alabama doesn't even need this routine to be in control of the meet, but she's hitting extremely well, bounces out of the double pike dismount but otherwise nice.

Francis on beam, wobbles just moving at the beginning, wobble again on splits, very nervous start, which is a little unexpected, everything else was flawless. Still manages a 9.850, which the team desperately needed. 

After 2: UCLA 98.550, Georgia 98.250, Alabama 49.500, LSU 49.200, Oklahoma 49.125, Florida 48.875

UCLA improved on beam from yesterday, but probably needed to be two tenths better. They really missed Mattie today. Imagine that lineup with Larson, Peszek, and Lee in it. Mmmmm.
Sarah Patterson is literally rubbing her hands together in glee. I didn't know people did that in real life.

Alabama gets a big 49.500 on floor. It was a great rotation but will be marred by the ridiculous overscore to DeMeo. They are in control and can solidify that with stuck vaults for 49.500 again. LSU was fine on bars for 49.200, but the score is much lower than yesterday as a combination of weaker landings/handstands and the scores coming back a little more to reality after yesterday.

Georgia needed to be better than 49.200 on vault. They didn't get the landings again. It will be difficult to challenge with those scores. Like Florida, they need 49.500s here on out.

Rotation 3:
Garcia on beam, small correction on the back pike, again on the aerial, but just minor things, secure side aerial, hop forward on gainer pike. Fine but definite deductions.

Williams on vault, steps back again. Small step, everything else was great, but still didn't get the stick. 9.825. That's low and a result of leading off. Poor lineup construction. Sledge came back in on vault (which was necessary) and got a 9.900. 

Scaman on bars, hit jaeger, has to push through the final handstand a little. Wonderful stick on tuck full.

Sloan to floor. How did Shisler do? Fall. Oh dear dear dear. Perfect landing on front double full, that double pike was a little low for my taste and expectations. Excellent final pass. Thanks for showing up today, Bridget. 9.950 is still a touch high though.

Brewer on bars for Oklahoma. The Sooners are owning it the way the need to. Great handstands, clean bail, stuck DLO. Expect a big number again for her.

Perfect stuck double arabian from Ashanee, again doesn't budge on her combo to double back,  somewhat low on her double pike with a step forward, but the tumbling was overall strong. She will get hit for dance though.

LSU getting the scores on beam and staying close. Correction from Hall on her opening skill, another wobble on the loso series, huge wobble on straddle quarter, this will be a lower score, and they alreay have a 9.750 from Dickson, big step back on double back.  9.825 is way too high. I would have gone 9.700.

Priess on vault is a little low with a hop back. Alabama just a 49.250 on vault. They needed a better score and have just opened things up a little bit.

Oklahoma is making up for vault with a 9.900 parade on bars. 49.375 to equal UCLA's score.

The judges are keeping Florida in it on floor, we're seeing King now, which one judge gave a 10. Good DLO, too little control on her middle pass to warrant that 10, fine double pike.

Brie Olson's in bar deltchev is magnificent, sticks her DLO 1/1. Wonderful, wonderful routine. Perhaps the best I've seen from her this season.

Courville on beam, arabian is excellent, clean loso series, split positions are crazy good, aerial is nice, just a hop forward on the dismount. That her routine scored only .025 better than Hall's is everything that is wrong. Wonderful routine except for the step on dismount.

Bridgey on floor, crazy legs on mount. This routine gets a 9.950 for the rotation score of 49.725. Remember when we talked about how this is Florida's year. The judges clearly agree. You're a 9.950, and you're a 9.950, and you're a 9.950! Great rotation, better than Alabama's floor performance, but there were deductions to be taken. Everything seemed about .025-.050 high. Overjudging landing security there and underjudging dance elements and landing body position. 

After 3: Alabama 98.750, Florida 98.600, UCLA 98.550, Oklahoma 98.500, LSU 98.325, Georgia 98.250
Has Florida just become the favorite again? They can take the lead after this rotation and probably will be expected to.

Rotation 4:
Macko hops back on her yfull, let's see how these scores compare to Alabama's. Good power. Scores the same as Williams?

Cheek on bars for Georgia, beautiful tkatchev, clean bail hs, two small steps on dismounts, would have been great except for that.

Johnson on vault, just a hop in place on that yfull. Nice job overall. Sloan's is even better. Wonderful stick. Florida is going to win, everybody. Prepare yourselves for a champion counting a fall.

Alexander on beam for Oklahoma, so clean and great form, a little pause-correction but otherwise this is great, small correction on split, sticks gainer back pike.

Bynum on floor, good double pike, a little squaty on her layout on the middle pass but secure landing, judges can take for the switch split, bounces out of her double back, not as strong as yesterday. 

We didn't see King's vault, but two judges go 9.850 and one goes 10. Well did she stick or not people?

Jay on bars, missed handstands throughout, step on dismount. Everything else was fine.

Clark on beam now for Oklahoma, nice front aerial to swingdown, full turn, sheep jump is securely on the beam, good side somi, this is very nice, low 1.5 and squatty but stuck.

King hopped on her tsuk 1.5, so that 10 isn't justified, but it was brilliant.

Zam bounces back out of her double pike again. UCLA looked to be keeping pace after the first event, but now the cracks are showing on these last two events. Everything else was perfect and won't be deducted, so the score can still be strong. 9.900.

Florida got the 49.500 they needed on vault. Good chance to be ahead of Alabama after the next event.

Mooring on beam, excellent two layout series, small correction on the aerial, tentative switch split, wobble on full turn, 1.5 dismount with essentially a stick. 9.925 is big for those wobbles.

Rogers on bars now, good handstands and toe point, step back on tuck full, Georgia not getting the scores and not hitting these routines.

Spears finishing beam for Oklahoma, big break on acro early but everything else looks very nice, stuck gainer full. Much better beam landings than yesterday.

Kytra with such a small correction on her landing, I'm surprised that went 9.900. That's the one that could have been higher.

Sawa on floor, dance stumbles a little out of her double tuck mount but it's not really a deduction, good double pike second pass, none of the landings were particularly secure, but that was a fine routine.

Davis on bars, excellent tkatchev but completely misses that handstand after it. Kathy sounds like she's about to cry. Everything else was perfect, but that's a huge deduction.

Everything is still very close going into these last two rotations, but Florida is on their best event in the final and will have it in their hands, which is crazy after counting a fall.

After 4: Florida 148.100, UCLA 148.000, Oklahoma 147.975, Georgia 147.450, Alabama 98.750, LSU 98.325
Expect LSU to make up at least some ground on this secondary pack after floor now. UCLA will be setting the finished standard after vault here, and it's been a good day for them considering. Alabama must be the best they have been this year on bars. None of those missed handstands now. Georgia looks out of it.

Sledge on bars, must be better than yesterday, great first handstand, nice gienger, short of handstand on the bail hs but sticks the DLO today. That will be better than the 9.800.

Persinger on beam, wonderful L turn, correction on the front aerial, hits loso series, beautiful other than that early correction and a hop forward on the front toss, nice 1.5

Lots of steps for Sawa on her yfull. Not nearly yesterday. Alexin on bars, short on the first handstand, full is a little late, holds onto stick on the double back I suppose but swims for it.

Prtichett on vault now, lower than yesterday on the yfull, hops to the side. Not what UCLA needed.

Mathis on floor, lack of control on the DLO with a slide back, also bounces out of the double back, a little low on the double pike. Just OK.

Alabama is getting those big scores on bars suddenly. Keeping this close. 

Couch on beam, notable wobble on front toss, sticks double full dismount. Wong is very nice on vault, a near stick.

Priess on bars, Alabama getting only 9.9s. Her combo release is strong, I'm not happy with any of these handstands, hop back and a pike on the DLO. Definitely deductions there. 

Zam vaults to her hands. She almost didn't even block, did she? UCLA was already out of it, so it doesn't affect the final result, but it will hurt their standing. Still break 197, though.

DeMeo has a late half turn, and I wasn't happy with the last handstand, good DLO.

Worley to the beam. It looks like Georgia and UCLA will be our bottom scorers today. Good sheep jump, secure loso series, wobble on her bhs 1/1, pikes gainer full with a step. Just OK for her. 9.900 was a bit of a friendly Shayla score.  

Courville on floor, good height on her somewhat cowboy double arabian, nice double back, a little low on the dismount. Fine, strong. 

Earls to finish for Georgia on the beam, excellent on the two layout series. this is a secure beam routine that still won't keep Georgia out of 6th, everything looked good until the lunge back on the double tuck dismount.

Hall on floor has more control on that middle pass than she did yesterday, so expect a bigger score. Better tumbling overall than the first day. LSU is still in this because of the strength of vault but probably will need help from Alabama/Florida to move up.

After 5: UCLA 197.100, Georgia 196.675, Alabama 148.125, Florida 148.100, Oklahoma 147.975, LSU 147.875
Well, this is quite wonderful. Unfortunately for UCLA and Georgia, they will be passed by everyone during this rotation. Florida is in the driver's seat given their strength on the bars, but Alabama did exactly the same thing on beam last year to take the title. Oklahoma has a bit more ground to make up and has finished with the better events, so that will be a tougher ask. LSU must stick every single vault and hope for some missed landings from Florida and wobbles from Alabama.

Milliner on beam now, good aerial, clean from toss, clean loso series, very strong opening for Alabama, hop on the 2/1 dismount. Good start.

BDG on bars, she has great toe point, still the leg separation ont he DLO, only a slight slight movement on the landing. Fairly good routine. Advantage Alabama after one routine.

Clark on beam sheep jump is secure, they are not wobbling here, slightly hesitant on the front toss, this is a very slow routine but she is sure not to wobble. Sticks 1.5 dismount.

Lack of control for Dickson on yfull, hop back. Hunter on bars now, wonderful hindorff, misses her last hs, maybe a tad piked on her bail hs, low landing on tuck full but stuck.

Still advantage Alabama by a touch after these early routines. Big routine from Williams, hits her switch side, very low on the punch front and a big, big wobble. That's what she did recently and in PT, clean loso. They'll need to drop this score. Another big wobble on the popa. hop forward on 1.5.  

Mathis hops in place on the yhalf. Sloan on bars, brilliant everything, leg separation on the bail is the only thing to take, hop forward on DLO. They didn't need that, that's for sure. Still a 9.900.

Pressure for DeMeo's beam routine. Wobble on front aerial, off on loso series. Alabama is counting the 9.625 from Williams and they are out now. You're welcome Florida.

Interesting that LSU didn't get the scores on vault and finishes below UCLA. Vault scoring was fascinating today.

Oklahoma is still in this to challenge Florida, but they will need those 9.9s in the coming routines. It's possible. Show them to us! It's all but impossible, but they could do it with a Florida score.

Mooring floor, a little bouncy on her double pike dismount, but this is strong. I just wonder whether the judges will be willing to pour out the 9.9s.

Macko on bars, so very clean in the legs, perhaps a step in that tuck full dismount. She better add a same-bar release for EF, but a good routine.

Courville on vault, good yfull, a little hop on landing and the legs on the block.

Florida has clinched it officially now. I have some thoughts about this.

Jacob's layout series is excellent, wonderful barani, stuck 1.5. Great routine, too little too late.

Johnson finishes for Florida on bars, good body on the bail hs, stuck DLO. Well done.

Still waiting on the final routines, Priess on beam, looked like she would be a little short on the aerial but holds onto it into the swingdown, good leaps series, sticks gainer full. Nearly did it but not enough.

Still waiting on the Scaman score on floor, 9.875, which is enough for Oklahoma to move ahead of Alabama for second.

I kind of can't believe Florida won.

Final scores:
1. Florida 197.575
2. Oklahoma 197.375
3. Alabama 197.350
4. UCLA 197.100
5. LSU 197.050
6. Georgia 196.675

Oh boy. Here we go.
1. It is great that Florida won the title. I'm thrilled by that, and it has been a lot of heartbreak in coming. We needed another team to win the championship. It is good for the sport.
2. I hate that a team won with a counting fall. This isn't elite, and it shouldn't happen.

I feel both these things at the same time. So, it just is. Alabama could very well have won with hit beam routines. They also counted a low beam score, so it's not like it would be much different had they won, really. The sting is really for Oklahoma. I think they probably have reason to feel a little cheated about this result given that they hit the most consistent meet of all the teams, but the vault landings really hurt the possibilities for Oklahoma to take it. Everything else that we saw was quite strong (and let's talk about how Brie Olson got only a 9.900 for that bars routine). On the bright side for the Sooners, next year they are going to be so phenomenal with that class coming in. Florida was obviously the best team on three events today, and I just wish they had hit beam so that there would be no question at all as to the champion.

Vault scoring was weird, weird, weird. They clearly had a little chat after so many people made vault finals with 9.9s yesterday and decided to be much stricter today. And yet there were odd breaks in the strictness for reason from time to time.

It was a weird season with some crazy meets and lots of impressionistic judging (judgepressionism) throughout the year. I suppose it fits that a team won with a counting fall.

Marissa King: "OH MY GOD GATORS WE DID IT!"
OK, that makes me feel a little bit better about the result. Oh, Marissa King. We will miss you.