March 13, 2015

Friday Live Blog – Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, UCLA, Arkansas

Friday, March 13
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – TWU @ Florida (Scores) (SECN)
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Pittsburgh, Ball State @ Kentucky (Scores) (SECN)
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – George Washington @ Towson (Stream)
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – NC State @ Missouri (Scores) (SECN
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Temple @ Iowa State (Scores)
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – LSU, New Hampshire @ Centenary (Scores)
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – UCLA @ Arkansas (Scores) (SECN)
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – North Carolina @ Auburn (Scores) (SECN)
8:30 ET/5:30 PT – Oklahoma @ Alabama (Scores) (SECN)
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Cal, Boise State @ Southern Utah (Scores) (Stream)
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Air Force @ Arizona State (Scores) (Pac-12)
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – BYU @ Utah State (Scores)
10:00 ET/7:00 PT – Washington @ UC Davis (Scores)

Week 9 rankings (GymInfo)

We're on the home stretch now. This is the last Friday live blog of the season. Well, second to last. We still have semifinal day on April 17th, but that's different animal. Starting next weekend, it's all about the Saturdays as we head to conference championships and then regionals. 

I'll be here from 7:00 ET/4:00 PT, beginning with Florida's senior night meet against TWU. It's an SEC Network+ kind of night, with six separate meets going on.

We had six 10s last Friday night. Can we break that record tonight?

Cheerleader time for the Gators. Senior night for Kytra, Spicer, Wang, and Jamie Shisler. I have to say, I was skeptical about how much competition time Spicer and Wang would see as Florida gymnasts, but they have both been sturdy and necessary early-lineup competitors on a couple events. A necessary factor when you have an elite-heavy program.

Bridget Sloan will be vaulting tonight (!), and Baker will not be. Is she out of the lineup just tonight, or is that a thing? She wouldn't be the vault you'd remove under normal circumstances. She's one of their best. Every time Sloan adds an event back, Florida reels in Oklahoma a little bit more.

Apparently, there are no competitors in this meet other than the seniors.Well, really Kytra. This is Kytra Night, and everyone else is her +1.

I love listening to commentators try to explain RQS. 

TWU has a girl named Spencer on the team. Nope. Disqualified. It is not a girl's name. I have spoken.

Rotation 1 
Caquatto - VT - Her usual yfull - hop back and to the side, but she's been more controlled overall this season. Nice form maintained trhoughout and solid distance.  9.875.

Repp - UB - seeing the end, finishes her full turn a little late, step forward on double back. 9.650.

Spicer - VT - OK, but came in a little lock-legged with a fairly large bounce to the side. Not her strongest. 9.750

Kelly - UB -nice line - a little late on her turning skills and some looseness in the knees on her piked jaeger - short on full turn - solid landing, small step on double back.

Wang - VT - Also came in just slightly short but did well to control it and just bounce a little in place. Still not getting the landings through the first three. 9.900.

Sk. Jones - UB - solid enough full turn - half turn to bail handstand was fine - small leg break - better on the handstands - full twisting double tuck - lands very low and a big stumble forward - shame because it was great until then.

Sloan - VT - She's back! - Yes you did! - Excellent height and form as always - makes the strength over the first three vaults so clear - so much higher and opens - slides back. 9.950.

Other Jones - UB - also looking solid on the hs - late on both the full and the half turn though - if that bail was intended to be to handstand it really wasn't - finishes with a piked DLO with a lareger step.

Hunter - VT - Just needs a stick for this 10 - couldn't get it, though. Hops quite a bit on her 1.5 - and she's furious obviously. Kytra! You were going to get a 40! 9.900.

Missed who this was for TWU, but the later gymnasts have cast to handstand well but struggled with landing their dismounts, another large lunge. Simpson, it was.

McMurtry - VT - commentator has no idea how to pronounce her name - Magnificent vault as always but also with a hop back on it - not big but she can be sticking - 9.900. 

Cochefksi - nice half turn to a crazy-leg gienger - best rhythm on the team - large hop back on full twisting double back. If they could control these landings, this would be a strong bars rotation. Giving away too much on those landings. Easily full tenths.

Fassbender does a fine exhibition vault - hop back - and going after the last three doesn't help because it makes her normal amplitude look very flat.

After 1: Florida 49.525, TWU 48.650
It's a great score for Florida and puts them on 198 pace, but they shouldn't really be that happy with that performance. Zero sticks and a couple larger landing errors. The 10-ishness of Hunter's and McMurtry's vaults mean that they can have weaker (by their standards) landings and still score 9.900 because that's the only deduction being taken, but they could have done much better. Honestly, given the atmosphere and overall scoring trends, this could certainly have been a 49.7 rotation had they performed up to capability. Sloan had probably the best landing, just a small slide, which bodes well. At SECs next week, they'll need more control to fend off the others.

Just saw the comment that the feed for UCLA/Arkansas has been technical-difficulty-ed out of existence. Boo hiss. More Florida then! There's always an issue with Arkansas, isn't there?

Elsewhere, Kentucky went just 48.675 on vault as they try to carry on somehow given their million thousand injuries. Currently trailing Pitt by a little over a tenth.

Rotation 2:
Moredock - VT - has a yfull - comes in short and off to the side with a medium step -

Baker - UB - Strong Ray - hitting handstands well and precisely - clean on the bail - big big cowboy on her double front with a small hop. She's cowboying that more than she used to. 9.825.

Girl Spencer Jones - VT - which we didn't get to see because of Baker's replay. "Unfortunately gets down on her hands and knees." You mean she fell? You can say she fell. Why do we feel the need for euphemisms?

BDG - UB - lovely opening hs - clean legs on the shaposh and precise bail handstand as well - also solid in all the hs - whips the DLO a little with the leg break, as per usual, but a great landing. One of her better of the year. 9.900.

Simpson - VT - Nowhere close on her yhalf - counting a fall now. Barely got her feet to the ground first.

Hunter - UB - Excellent Hindorff this time - rushes one of the handstands in there - clean on the bail - arches her final hs - low chest on landing with a step back. "She's happy with that routine." Not that happy. Nothing major but a couple small issues there, just a little tight tonight. 9.900 still.

Repp - VT - Better full - has the height, larger hop back.

Caquatto - UB - Quite strong on the Ray as well - clean legs and position on the bail - also cating to hs well - hops back on the DLO a ways, and then another step to salute. Great on the bars but will get hit for the landing.  9.825.

Sk. Jones - Better yhalf from her - they're getting it going later in the rotation - good distance on that one with a pretty big step forward.

Sloan - UB - Usual dynamic Ray (but the feet!) - a little crooked on the bail perhaps but didn't look to give away the leg separation this time - nailing all the hs perfectly - sticks the DLO - 10.000. There's Sloan's bars 10. Now she has the whole set. Just a matter of time. And she's not even a senior yet. She's stealing Kytra's 10s!

McMurtry - UB - toe on - good finish on the full turn and a clean bail - very precise work and then sticks her full twisting double back - fine, solid work. Marian goes 9.900 (which is about what I thought it would get, but the other judge goes 9.750)

Commentator calls them the parallel bars. Nope.

After 2: Florida 98.975, TWU 96.725
TWU counting a vault fall now, and Florida just slid off 198 pace there in spite of Sloan's 10. Not really a problem with that rotation. In fact, I had fewer issues with that performance than I did with vault. Caquatto did give away too much on her landing, and Hunter looked a little tight, but Sloan, BDG, and McMurtry pretty much did what they can do in those routines. For the most part, they'll take that performance. 

Arkansas now reports that the webcast is back on. This is not the first no-webcast fake-out we've had this year. What is happening? Stop jumping the gun with reporting that there won't be a webcast!

Rotation 3:
Fassbender - BB - They've have messed with this lineup basically every week (not complaining) - clean on the aerial to bhs - full turn - sheep is getting better? My imagination? - side aerial to full dismount. Very clean start, no wobbles there. 9.850.

Kremer - "Already looks like she's enjoying the music" - You mean because she's competing a floor routine? Comes in short on a double back with a lunge - loses her feet on the rudi and goes off the the side and OOB. She has a gigantic bruise on her leg, and some sloppiness on the 1.5.

Spicer - BB -solid loso series to start, hits the gainer loso to follow as well - her work always looks a little tight but she's hitting - short on the switch - slides back on gainer full, but solid. 9.900.

Moredock - FX - takes a hundred million steps out of her double pike (or "a few steps") and goes OOB - switch side and popa are a bit short - layout to half is fine as the middle pass - 1.5 to layout last pass with no height, just pulled around the 1.5 and an arched layout -

Boyce - BB - Back in the lineup this week as expected afte rbeing held out last week - very clean on the aerial to bhs - and again on the loso series - she has improved her details since last season - the wrists are still a little extreme sometimes, but she's focusing on them - switch was iffy but split jump was good - sticks a staggered gainer full. Good hit.

Repp - FX - large lunge back on double tuck -  switch side is fine - they love these front layout+front half combos, but they're working for them, best pass in each of the routines so far - hits her wolf full - front full is clean to end.

McMurtry - BB - Just kind of wobble on choreography - step back on punch front - leaps are OK as is the shush - full turn is tight - smallest things causing tiny problems - that was a 2.5 dismount, not a 1.5 - step but solid work on the dismount. 9.875.  

Sk. Jones - FX - a bit low chested on the double pike but the solidest double salto landing on the team so far, just pulls around that front full, has to step back - looks sluggish going into the final pass - 1.5 to layout and the flag lady is feeling pretty charitable because it looked like she did go out.

Hunter - BB - Strong landing on her huge loso series - nice full turn - still looking a little tight though - switch side is a bit wonky - near stick on the double tuck - just a small hop in place - 9.900.

Jones - FX - front to double pike - good form throughout that pass and had the height on the double pike - OOB though - leaps are not there - short on both straddle and wolf - she tries to get some points back with me by using a loso out of her final pass, but the leaps, girl.

Sloan - BB - way off on her aerial and a big bend at the hips - repeats the skill into a bhs - switch to split jump - another check on nothing - she scored very well last week but looks like she needs more time with this one. This looks like one of her usual January beam routines. Nice side aerial. Great 2/1 stuck, but they won't use this score.

UCLA and Arkansas soon to get underway but not yet.

Jones - FX - solid double pike in the air with a large-ish step back - switch side and popa look fine - fine on the front layout and full - in spite of the early step, she looks the most comfortable with her passes - 1.5 to layout final pass - hit work.

After 3: Florida 148.375, TWU 145.475
Florida goes 49.400 on beam, which is OK but not great. The problem for Florida is that when Sloan isn't having one of her good ones, they lack that huge auto-9.950 that they used to have with Caquatto at the end. No major issues until Sloan, but those little bits of tightness will hurt them compared to a team like Oklahoma.

UCLA and Arkansas starting now.Nelson just had a fine yfull with a hop.

Francis - UB - good first hs - excellent form on shaposh - hits bail - nice shoot to hb - full could still finish a bit earlier, but I'll take the current finish if it means she keeps sticking that dismount, which she did once again.

Canizaro - VT - more piking than we saw from Nelson on her yfull and a pretty large bounce back. Good distance, though.

Meraz - UB - This is still my question mark routine for UCLA. It's solid but there are form issues throughout. A little floppy in the bail but keeps her legs together - hs look pretty good this week - flat tkatchev - leg break on the DLO and then lands short with a lunge forward, which has happened quite a few times this year.

Elswick - VT - Good height on her full and not much piking - also has a pretty significant bounce back -

DeJesus - UB - They have a lower score from Meraz to drop now, so Sophina needs one of her good ones - a little short on first hs - the usual legs on her gienger - hits the bail pretty well, but is cutting all these handstand short - lands with her chest down on the ground on her dismount with a step back. One of her sloppier routines.

MacMoyle - Vt - Back in the lineup this week - good vault - one of her better landings - just a little bit of piking at the end, and comes in somewhat short, with a small hop in place -

Mossett - UB - Huge on the jareger - clean on the pak as well - she seems to have figured out that skill - shortish on the final handstand, and then the usual two small steps on the dismount - they'll take it but she gave away a bit at the end.

Zaziski - VT -GREAT full. Very nice - Excellent body position maintained throughout and a stick. 9.850. Tighter scoring tonight than in many other meets and to the Arkansas home meets previously, when that would have received a 9.950.

Peszek - UB - full is great - that's how you do a gienger - hits the bail well - a little arched on her last hs - tries to pretend like she stuck the DLO but stepped to salute - still good work, though.

Wellick - VT - Another very strong vault - great height and distance and form, just a small, small slide of the legs on landing.

Lee - UB - good first hs - hits the bhardwaj excellently  - shaposh half is clean as well - not a good DLO with a large lunge back. They did not nail this bars rotation. Still gets a 9.900.

After 1: UCLA 49.275, Arkansas 49.150.
Not a problematic vault rotation at all for Arkansas. Zaziski and Wellick both nailed the vaults at the end, so they should be happy with that performance. It was better than some of the huge vault scores they've received at home so far this year. UCLA was just OK on bars. Francis was excellent, but other than her, the dismounts were not excellent with a few giving away way, way too much.  

Back to Florida.

Fassbender - FX - Opens 2.5 to front tuck, a little ragged int he legs but fine, double pike middle pass - low chest but controlled - a little short on her split full and straddle - not terrible but can be closer to 180 - 15 to front pike is secure.

TWU working against a fall on beam in the second spot from Kelly, Simpson looked like the loso was going to be fine here, but adjusts too quickly and has a large wobble - large lunge back on gainer full - a bunch of trouble deductions in there.

Spicer - FX - solid enough landing on the piked full in - the usual stagger and chest but under control - front full to front pike - short on the front pike with a hop back - shouldn't be giving away that error - solid double pike with perhaps a tiny slide but nbd. Fine routine, not her cleanest.

Sk. Jones - BB - love the round off back pike (layout? Whipped layout?) acro series but bends at the waist on it - good kickover front, that's the best part of her routine - sticks 1.5 - solid after the trouble series at the start.

Wang - FX - Pretty good DLO this time - looked like she was coming in a little short but didn't show it in the landing - layout and half middle pass its a little piked in places - fine on the double tuck to finish. She's progressing with this routine.

For UCLA, Honest came in a little short on an otherwise strong yfull with a hop. Good stick from Meraz who is back in the lineup.

Spencer Jones is hitting beam - just a check on the full turn and a hit gainer full.

Hunter - FX - Here we go - best and last 10 chance - Great DLO, good control on landing - 1.5 to layout to front pike is hit - it's less interesting than her old middle pass, but I understand the decision - there's no reason to spoil the chance at the 10 - hits her straddles I suppose - camera issues - great chest position and control on double tuck - Give it up? 9.975. Would have had no problem with a 10 there. Marian Dykes was not giving that thing a 10. Jeers from the crowd.

Repp falls for TWU, counting a fall now.

No Baker on floor tonight for Florida, so I assume there's an issue. They'll need her back yesterday. I need her back. Florida will finish floor with Bridgey. If Bridgey gets a 10 and Kytra doesn't...

Caquatto - FX - front double full with some raggedy legs and a lunge - no front tuck this time. rudi to a solid split jump - very good switch side and straddle - solid hit on the double pike.

Peszek hops back on her vault for UCLA. They finish with Irvin and another larger step back. No Williams?

Paige Zaziski just did a DAMN FINE bars routine - Great stick on DLO. UCLA was once again just OK on vault. Those landings were not good enough for this point in the season. Meraz stuck, but too many bounces to get those 49.5s that the top teams are getting.

Florida finishes with a 197.900.  Which is basically terrible compared to last weekend's scoring standard. A solid meet, but every rotation has areas to improve.

We're already starting Alabama and Oklahoma!

McNeer bounces back on vault. She has been sticking. They needed a stick.

Clark - UB - Good shaposh and rhythm in the swing - very clean on the bail - hits her hs  - good finishing position on the full turn - hops back on double tuck. Solid, though.

C Sims - VT - Good height and there's the stick! Nice vault. A little piking down in the chest at the end to hold the stick, but great. 

Kmieciak - UB - Very strong Ray - good hs - a little hip angle on the bail there - sticks the full twisting double tuck - nice work again. Clean first few routines, exactly the right start.

Brannan - VT - She's added back the 1.5 now - risky and I like it - hops to the side, though. Would she score better with a full? Some knee bend as well.

Jackson - UB - High piked jaeger - hits the bail - hs look OK - step back on the DLO - very, very straight position on the DLO - not an arch. So typical of OU that she would suddenly become a bars worker this year.

Beers - VT - Put her back to the full, which is a good move. Great form and power, small hop back. 9.950. The scores are coming today. 

Wofford - UB - good full turn - and a strong half to follow - lovely form on the jaeger - clean bail - perhaps short on final hs - just a twitch of the legs on the tuck full dismount - great beginning, just gave away some tiny bits at the end.

Williams - VT - 1.5 with a pretty big step forward. Girl! This was your chance! Everything great except the landing.

Scaman - UB - a little tight in that first hs - piked jaeger is fine - hits the bail well - these hs are an issue, though - just bends to hold onto the stick on the tuck full - Ashley says she was close on the piked jaeger - not really that close, though - it was OK - the couple tight handstands were the thing in that routine.

Clark - VT - Very strong full in the air, but just came in short enough that she was not able to keep the stick and does a large lunge-salute forward.Didn't get the landings from the last two, which has opened things up for OU.

Dowell - UB - Good shaposh - exceptional Church - also a bit short on her bail (minorly, but definitely there) - hops on DLO 1/1 dismount. A couple areas in there to take, but good work.

Note: I always feel like people are short on their bails at Alabama meets. Is it just something about the angle we're seeing these skills, or is there something in the air in Alabama that makes people miss all the bails?

After 1: Alabama 49.450, Oklahoma 49.375
Fine but not amazing rotations for both teams. Everyone on Oklahoma's team had just slight issues, tight handstands or hops on landings or some Alabama-esque bails. Alabama was having an excellent vault rotation with Sims and Beers nailing their vaults. It could have been a massive score, but they just gave away the advantage with the landings on the last two, so Oklahoma remains close.

Pinches just had a struggle on floor for UCLA with some low and ragged landings. Arkansas has reorganized this beam rotation with Wellick at #2 and Zaziski at #3. Bend and wobble on the kickover front from Zaziski - step and then a lunge to salute on the 1.5. A couple moments of tightness there as well.

Pua is back in on floor for this meet. Cowboyed her double arabian but a bit better control on the landing. Nice middle pass - front full to a stuck front pike - split full and popa looked around - lower chest on double pike but controlled landing.

Nelson - BB - you could tell she was off on that loso series before it started - short, center of gravity was way off and comes off the beam - solid front tuck - hop forward on 1.5. 

LSU pulled things back together on beam with a 49.375 featuring a couple 9.950s. Recovering from that bars issue. They need to figure out that bars lineup.

Back to OU/Alabama

Lovan - VT - Some piking in that vault and a larger hop back. Not her best.

Some low chest landings for Meraz for UCLA on floor but a controlled routine. 

McNeer - UB - Very strong Ray - hitting her hs pretty well - and a stick on the DLO. Great start. Very clean routine - big releases and hit handstands throughout.

Kmieciak - VT - Great form on her full, but also a pretty big bounce back. OU just a little off so far tonight. Nothing bad, but not quite nailing things yet. Championships still a month away.

Bailey - UB - late on her giant full turn - but clean through the rest of her work - goes to the full out and completely stumbles back with a ton of steps - shame. That can be a great routine.

Dowell - VT - Huge 1.5 with a near stick - just a step back but not major - looked great in the air -

Winston - UB - Needs to hold that first handstand a bit more - just short on some of them - strong tkatchev and pak, though - very nice work on those - missed all three of her cast handstands, though. Small movement on dismount.

Capps - VT - Another with a bounce on landing. Her usual lovely full in the air, but not enough control on these vaults so far to get the huge scores.

A Sims - UB - Weiler 1/2 with a leg break - is WAY off going to her bail handstand, misses her hand,  collapses the skill, and comes off the bar. She's fine - that's a fall that looks worse than it really is. They'll have to count Bailey's score now, though. The rest was OK, but with the usual leg breaks.

Jackson - VT - Huge distance on her 1.5 as well - massive vault, but also with a medium step forward.

Neither team is really on it so far today. Oklahoma just has the smaller mistakes now compared to Alabama.

Beers - UB - Strong open hs and shaposh into bail combo - a little short on her half turn on the low bar - some leg breaks - half turn to double front and does pretty well to control the landing - looked like she was going to overrotate it a bit but saves it with a small step.

Scaman - VT - You know they didn't bring the sticks today because even Scaman didn't stick. Best landing on the team so far, though, just a small hop back. The rest was beautiful as always. She opens out of that vault so well.

Clark - UB - Good toe on to shaposh - clean on shoot back to high bar - one short handstand late - her usual huge DLO but even she takes a small step. Good work but a couple places to take there.

After 2: Oklahoma 98.825, Alabama 98.550
Oklahoma takes the lead after a fairly weak 49.100 from Alabama on bars. They had the fall from Sims, the dismount mistake from Bailey, and a couple people with some unnecessary dismount steps. Not the rotation they wanted. VERY interesting that Jetter appears to be out of the bars lineup now. Has missed a few meets in a row. Oklahoma gets the same 49.450 that Alabama got on vault, even though they did not bring their landing shoes. No sticks in that vault rotation, but as Florida did earlier, they were able to rely on the inherent quality of the vaults from Capps, Dowell, Jackson, and Scaman, all of whom are really only getting deductions for their landings because the rest of the vault is brilliant.

Both teams need more sticks, though, if we're really going to see some deserved high 197s. Not enough landings so far.

Arkansas counted a fall on beam, while UCLA went 49.300 on floor in another rotation that mirrored the rest of the meet so far. Fine, but not what they can do. Mostly because neither Francis nor Peszek were in the floor lineup. Then what's the point of anything? Also Cipra had a short landing to take her score down.   

Both the UCLA/Arkansas and Oklahoma/Alabama meets are back on for the next rotation. Meraz hitting a very solid beam and McNeer having just a couple small checks in her otherwise lovely work. Nice stick on the 1.5 for her. That's what they've been missing during those 9.850 fests. Meraz has a step forward on hers.

Capps - FX - Stop talking through this routine, Ashley. Solid double pike. Clean on the front layout to front full as well. This is better landing control from Chayse than some of her routines this year, and of course the performance is lovely. SHUT UP COMMENTATORS. THIS DOES NOT REMIND YOU OF ALABAMA'S ROUTINES. I DON'T CARE. Double full to layout stepout - the twisting is a little ragged, but everything else was strong and solid.

Guerrero - BB - solid on her two loso series - good switch and then a check on her straddle 1/4 - side aerial to a full that was pretty piked - bent to hold onto the stick.

Red alert. Hall gets another 10 on floor.  2nd 10 of the day.

Lovan - FX -Clean rudi to stag to front tuck - with low difficulty, she needs to be clean and she is - front full to layout is secure as well - very strong switch and split full - definitely hit the leaps - easy and comfortable double pike - she is so tiny that she doesn't get much amplitude, but she is able to get the skills around with that inch of air she gets.

Williams, K - BB - big and strong on the switch side - perfectly secure on the punch front - (very nice beam routine from Dejesus for UCLA as well it appeared from watching peripherally) - hits the bhs loso as well - the leg form is a little sloppy but it's well hit - popa is fully around and hit to 180 - pretty full turn - sticks the 1.5. GREAT routine. Her best beam of the year. 9.950. One judge went 10, the other 9.900.  

Dowell - FX - EXCEPTIONAL double front - great stick into the stag - and a solid 1.5 to front full as well - hitting her splits as well - she's starting to progress as a performer, but everything is still quite tense and severe - nails every single pass, though. That was excellent.

A Sims - BB - Wobble with the leg up on the aerial - another check on the loso series - pulling it back together with her excellent leaps - that switch side is perfection - very good double back with a small step. Struggles early, cleaned up the errors about halfway through.

Jackson - FX - I enjoy this routine, it's weird but not bad-weird like some of the "rowing a boat" era routines - such an open piked full in - great control as well, with a step but a clearly controlled one - half to front full is very secure as well - leaps looked OK and comfortable on the double pike. Should be another good score. 9.850? Because why? 

PENG FELL ON BEAM MY LIFE IS OVER.

Beers - BB - Good switch and split - solid side somi - hits her loso series as well - lovely full turn - good closure of feet to head on the sheep jump though with the legs very apart - good stick on the 1.5 - another strong routine. She and Williams nailed this rotation. "Her head actually leaves the beam." Um, I hope her head left the beam. Her head shouldn't be on the beam.

Peszek trying to save UCLA. Good aerial to back - THANK YOU switch to straddle jump this time and it's great - good full turn - large amount of stalling before dismount series. Stuck - great routine.

Scaman - FX - Ashley reports that she came in short on her DLO. I was busy watching Peszek and missed it - nice middle pass, though. Good split half and straddle - short on the double pike dismount with a lunge. The weakest routine she's ever done? Maybe. 

UCLA does end up breaking 197, with a 197.075 [adjusted to 197.175] -but they would have hoped for a bit more. Won't be able to catch Michigan with that score.

Clark - BB - Nice switch and split - hits her loso series well with a bit of leg issues but not much - nice sheep and full turn as well - Dana has them really focusing on making these full turns pretty and I appreciate that a lot - secure kickover front - hops her legs together on the gainer full.

Brown - FX - Filling in for Brewer who had the curse of the 10 and got injured in warmups after getting a 10 last week. She is a lovely gymnast, but does she have the big gymnastics? Very secure double back to start - layout to a clean rudi as well - why are we zooming in on her face during the dance elements? - this was a pretty pretty routine, and she gave away very little. Should get an anchor boost in the score as well. The beauty of that last spot.

After 3: Oklahoma 148.200, Alabama 148.075
Alabama had three very solid routines in that rotation, all of which got big scores to help them to massive 49.525. Oklahoma was saved by that obvious accomplished floor star Natalie Brown, with a 9.925 (!) to maintain the lead. They got a couple 9.925s there and were able to drop Scaman's score, but I thought other than Scaman they performed well. Don't understand Jackson's score. I thought that routine was great. (Just saw the comment about the scoring spread. Yeah, I don't see a 9.750 for that routine AT ALL.)

A Courville-less LSU goes huge in the final three rotations for a 197.275 total. They won't be able to use that for RQS (Florida does a little dance), but some big rotation scores in there to end without their top gymnast.

The expression difference between KJ and Dana is hilarious. Dana is leading a brass band in a parade, and KJ is like "I will break everything, especially the judge who gave Ali a 9.750." She is also coaching beam right now, compared to Dana on floor.

Final rotation now, just a little over a tenth in this one, with Alabama about to go to senior night floor, but Oklahoma about to go to Oklahoma beam.

Kmieciak - BB -nice wolf - solid on the loso series - just looked a little tight on it and didn't give away a wobble - nice straddle 1/2 - finishes double tuck with a larger lunge back, but strong on the beam.

Frost - FX - Strong DLO with a littel bounce - switch was iffy but popa and wolf full looked fine - punch front full to layout - some ragged feet on the double tuck but hit. Solid 9.8ish starts for both teams.

Sorensen - BB - so pretty but makes me so nervous - lovely switch and split - fluid on the aerial and bhs connection - wonderful displays of flexibility - sticks the gainer full - that was an excellent routine.

Jetter - FX - Out of bars but in on floor - double arabian with a bit of an uncontrolled lunge forward, though she stays in bounds. Hits her leaps well - nice on the 1.5 to front full - clean on the 1.5 to layout as well. Solid work throughout, and did well to hold the double arabian in bounds.

Lovan - BB - strong switch side - clean loso series - and lovely aerial into a hit split jump - more very precise work - standing loso to back full - and she hit that one just like her floor routines - so efficient and clean - fast and precise.

Thanks for the heads up about Jackson's raised floor score. Correct decision. A bit more margin for OU now.

Winston - FX - Excellent leaps - wonderful to see - secure double tuck - just layouts middle pass - Ashley not happy with how simple this routine is, but it's leap-heavy work because she nails all of them - switch ring as well - slides back on double pike. 9.800. Hmmm, I thought that was a strong routine. Am I blindly biased in favor of her opening leaps?

R. Clark - BB -split jump - came in a little short on that aerial but did well to stay with it and connect into the swingdown without giving away a pause or a wobble - full turn - small check on stag - controls the side somi - sticks the 1.5. Great work.

K. Clark - FX - Strong and high double pike as always, just keeps that front leg planted - leaps look good as well - 1.5 to layout goes right to the edge but stays in - finishes with a high and secure double pike - their best floor routine so far - nailed all her passes -

Capps - BB - solid on the loso series to beat jump - moves with such confidence and wonderful rhythm - nice full turn - hits her aerial - SACRILEGE: I don't love her squatty little side-to-side choreography there toward the end. Everything else, yes. That, no. Sticks gainer full. Great work.

Beers - FX - Big DLO and good control - layout to front full is controlled as well - she has this routine down now - it wasn't quite there early in the year, and then she had that mess, but since the mess she has returned to the 9.9 gymnast we know. Good split full - hits her double back - chest up, secure landing. Very nice. Dana is ALL ABOUT THE 10 HANDS for that. 9.950, but the 9.900 for Capps was enough for OU to clinch it.

Brown - BB - Nice sissone - she's similarly lovely and simple on beam as on floor, but on her straddle 3/4 has a bend at the hips - good full turn - switch is OK to a stuck gainer full. Had the wobble, but they don't need this routine. Still a 9.850. The Natalie Brown Show?

C Sims - FX - front tuck to double back - no DLO? - front full to front pike is solid as well - nice switch side and split jump - I was going well, but finishes with a short double pike and a lunge forward.

FINAL: Oklahoma 197.725, Alabama 197.500
Justice done. The correct result there. Alabama gave it away with that poor bars rotation, so even though Oklahoma did certainly have some moments of Slopsville on the first two events that took them out of 198 contention, the Sooners were solid on floor in the counting scores and then pretty much nailed that beam rotation about as well as they could. We'll have to be on Brewer watch, though, because she's key to a few of these lineups. Oklahoma, however, looked far from unbeatable today and didn't bring their usual routines in quite a few instances.

Alabama had a few moments of brilliance in this meet, especially some of those 9.950 beam routines. That's the best beam routine Kayla Williams has done in college. Lauren Beers brought it tonight as well. But the bars mistakes, counting that dismount from Bailey, along with a couple of those later vault landings were enough to put them down below Oklahoma. Both teams looked fine, but neither had an awesome meet. Oklahoma opened the door for Alabama, but the Tide was not able to take advantage.

Overall, not nearly as strong a day as last Friday. The scores were lower, mostly as a result of weaker gymnastics. Florida has the top score on the day and probably the most consistently solid performance, but even the Gators showed the lack of Kennedy Baker on a couple events and had a few too many just OK routines for 9.825. While LSU had three rotations of a good meet and a bars trouble (no Courville + no Ranzy = trouble), and UCLA just lacked precision in the landings across the board. Note: UCLA's score was raised to a 197.175 after DeJesus's beam score was corrected to a 9.850. Auburn finished with a 197.100 (too many 9.7s on bars).

NC State just fell to Missouri, but did score a 196.000, which is HUGE in their fight to drop some 194s and get into the top 36. Big result for them.

14 comments:

  1. where did judge 2 find .25 in deductions for Alex's bar routine?

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  2. Arkansas live video is back on!!

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  3. Well LSU is already off to a horrible start, 9.4 for Gnat and 9.775 from Savona which is I think her lowest score of the year. Normally they can count on a 9.85 at least from her in the lead off. -Jacob

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  4. Bama line-ups are out – K. Clark is anchoring three events (vault, bars, beam). K. Williams is up third on beam. McNeer leads off on vault, bars, beam.

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  5. LSU just went 48.7 on bars, WTF no Courville in this meet at all?! -Jacob

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  6. that just makes me so effing mad, Kytra has had as many shoulda been tens this year as there have been 10s from others that did not deserve it

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  7. Sam Peszek hit a must-hit beam routine to save UCLA's beam rotation and meet score! Woot woot!

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  8. So many weird divided scores tonight. Judges went 9.75/9.95 on Ali Jackson's FX. 9.95 might be high, but I can't figure out how in the world the 9.75 is appropriate.

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  9. LSU just went huge on vault and got a 49.625 without Jordan, Gnat or Courville and ends up with a 197.275 which won't increase their RQS but that was a great comeback after the horrible UB rotation. -Jacob

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  10. Jessica Savona just went 9.95 on vault (Judges: 10 and 9.90) – highest score for LSU. They finish the meet at 197.275. I'm assuming they'll win but the other two teams aren't done yet.

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  11. KJ's magic magnificent murder eyes did something, because Jackson's score was raised to a 9.9 according to OK's Twitter.

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  12. Ali Jackson's floor score was raised to 9.9.

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  13. I actually much prefer Sorensen to Capps. Chayse Capps doesn't have perfectly tight legs on her acrobatics or her leaps... or am I crazy?

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  14. and of course, the one time judges decide to not let Senior Night go to their heads... Alabama.

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