Metroplex Live Blog

It's Metroplex! 8:00 ET/5:00 PT, streamed on Aunt Flogymnastics for those who have signed up for the arm-and-a-leg subscription. For those who haven't, let me be your guide. There are no windows and no doors.

Five teams compete tonight (Oklahoma, LSU, Stanford, Missouri, Washington) because nothing says compelling entertainment like a bye. If there's one thing sports fans love, it's when their favorite team just leaves for a while. They go crazy for it.

Obviously, the judges will have viewed the excessively baroque scoring from the Florida meet last night as a challenge. Do I hear four 10s per team? Everyone is a perfect star! Who wants a juice box and a hug?



Last night's Florida meet was the cue that we've moved past the old "the silver lining is that we know what we have to work on" raggedy portion of the season, and it's starting to get real. And 198ish. Florida looks goooood, and Alabama also put together its most complete meet of the season, setting the mark for the amount of playtime-is-over progression we need to see from Oklahoma and LSU. Oklahoma started on this path last weekend with an impressive mid-197, but it was hardly the best this team can do. Let's see who else can crazy-198 all over the place.

Checking in a bit on OSU/ASU before we get started. You've watched too much gymnastics when you know exactly what sound effects Tim Daggett would be making right now were he commentating the meet.

LSU starts on a bye. Oklahoma on vault, Stanford on floor (so we'll know if Stanford is in this early), Missouri on beam and Washington on bars.

Oh good. Elevens of people are waiting for the meet to start. LET'S DEFINITELY HAVE MORE MEETS AT NEUTRAL VENUES IN TEXAS.

Some sort of Texas-themed retrospective/celebration set to "My Name Is Lincoln" is happening right now, just in case you were curious. Be glad if you're not seeing it. Twangy twang twang twang, horse, swamp, longhorn, rodeo, guitar, country music, broken fence, corn, sunset, vagrants selling fish, a firework, sunflowers, the end. You missed a LOT.

"Texas Texas Texas Texas." Say Texas one more time, and the shiv is coming out.

I definitely want to see a light show instead of introductions.

Second person I've heard recently pronounce Wofford like Wooford, like the sound a dog makes. Is that really how you say it, and I've just never known that?

All of the Texas gymnasts have to run out with Texas flags and it's hilarious to see which ones are like "YAY TEXAS WHOOOO" and which ones are like "Why is this....?"

"A freshman and senior from Houston, Texas." No. That is nothing.

"Taryn Elizabeth" - she's just a first name and a middle name now. Divas don't need no last names.

 This performance/recording of the national anthem is basically Maya Rudolph's impression of the national anthem.

"Leeeeeet's get ready to tummmmbble" is so tired. I just once want to hear someone go, "Leeeeet's get ready to gymnassssssticccs."

Touch warmup now. I have all the events up, but I'll be focusing on the higher-ranked teams because I hate the other teams and have no respect for anyone outside the top 10.

I always forget which of the OU assistants KJ is married to. Fine if it's both of them. You do you.

ROTATION 1:
Jones - OU - VT - Grat stick on yfull - she's been doing that regularly already this season - nice form and distance as well - not a ton to take there -already gets a 9.900. for a full, in the leadoff.

Goings for Washington opens on bars with a somewhat flat tkatchev, some correction giants, but nice toes -

Marks -OU - VT - better distance than Jones but a one-tenth hop back on landing - height and form are great.

Frowein - ST - FX - slides back out of opening double pike - L turn is usually the strength of this routine - looks like she just stayed in on front full to front pike - short of position on switch ring a bit there, front foot had dropped - loses her legs a little in the 1.5 to front pike but secure landing

Kmieciak - VT - Just holds onto the stick on her full - swims a little bit so less secure than Jones, but very solid in the air, looked like acceptable direction and distance - her specialty - not crazy amazing, just solid and little to deduct.

Damn - Janik on bars for UW just did the triple jump on her bars dismount and then crawled off the mat. Sad and hilarious. My specialty.

Capps just did her usual vault for OU, but with a hop back - great form and even better distance, though, so should still manage a solid score.

Spector - FX - short on double pike with an awkward bounce back - also loses her legs a bit on the 1.5 to front pike - separation in the 1.5.

Scaman - VT - 1.5 - pretty strong form throughout - medium step forward - landing will be the majority of deduction.

Jackson - VT- Gigantic power on her 1.5 - best distance on the team, but a very large bouncing lunge out of it, so that will not be a usable score. Good scores already from Scaman and Jones, so it's not a problem, but they rely on that for a 9.9. 9.875 is very charitable for that landing, much less control than Scaman for same score.

Daum - FX - strong double pike, good control - a little short landing the 1.5 to layout so small stumble but fine - very short on double tuck final pass, lunges forward - work in progress.

And...the statbroadcast  is already broken. Surprise surprise.

Aside from Janik, we're seeing some pretty from Washington on bars. Bars and beam are their specialties.

Chuang - FX -does well to control that double pike, small slide but kept it together - penalty for using Kat Grable's music, obviously - loses her legs on the rudi with a bounce - split half was WAY short of split, Skinner level - looks like she went to far on her 1.5 and couldn't pull around the layout - sits down - bad news bears.

Sorry I can't update the scores but we're not getting them on the broadcast, so your guess is as good as mine.

Stanford has had to change around this floor lineup and take out Taylor, which makes me nervous.
Floor only event still going right now - waiting on Ebee to anchor floor and save the day.

 Price - FX -giant DLO - excellent landing with chest all the way up - that's how you do a DLO - strong straddles and switch ring, hitting the position - crawling along the ground a lot? - front lay front full is fine - excellent position on double tuck as well and control the landing, should be a very strong score and save the rotation as much as possible.

Rotation 1 is done. Who's winning? It's obviously Oklahoma, but not that we would have any way of knowing.

ROTATION 2:
Gnat - UB -good fineish on full turn - gienger is huge but crazy legs - piked on her bail, quite piked - a little short on DLO landing with a hop - more ragged than she would expect - 9.725 "good leadoff for them" - OK...?

Rice - VT - PHEW. I was worried something was wrong when she didn't floor - nice control on that full, small step back.

Hambrick - UB - excellent height on ray but feet a bit - strong bail - not great amplitude on her shoot back to high bar - strong stick on tuck full - a few form places but solid.

Fitzgerald - VT - a little piking in her full and a small hop -

Also, I might have a crush on Glasses McBeard who moves the mats for Stanford. Don't worry about it.

Burleson - BB - Wash - pretty loso and hit - solid side aerial - hits positions on switch on straddle 1/4 - sticks full dismount.

Savona had a leg break on her bail, a couple short handstands, and her tkatchev that's still flat, but each should be minor deductions, so the score will still probably be fine.

Price - VT - Insane that she's just doing a full because it's basically a timer - hop back, didn't stay quite as laidout as she could this time as well.

Priessman - UB - tkatchev and pak - sticks DLO, pikes and whips her DLO a bit, but it was the slowest part of this routine to come around, and it has come around now.

Chuang - VT - pikes her full, solid distance but lands chest down with a step forward.

Just five vaults for Stanford? Of course there were. Or did I miss one? I saw only one McNair.Must have just missed one - or though both the McNairs were the same person. They did vault 6.

Finnegan - UB - great first hs - excelelnt toes on Ray - hitting all handstands - clean bail and good rhythm in the shoot - arches final handstand and sticks DLO - great bars, an arch problem, but not too much else you can take so should remain a great score. It was a small arch. Still gets a 9.900 which is fair.

Zamardi - UB - pretty good legs on shap and clean directly into the pak - steps back up to high bar - also a small handstand arch - khorkina is clean - borderline final hs and a small hop on the arabian dismount, one of the least scary this dismount has ever looked -

Good bars for LSU, especially for January - some handstand issues and leg breaks, but the kinds of things that will be refined as the season goes. Less concerned about LSU's bars based on this. Finnegan rounding into form these last couple weeks really helps.

Washington is so pretty on beam, which is what happens when Elise Ray talks to you before you compete. I always think they should get better scores. There are issues like flexed feet but they're not giving away the form that many teams do.

Overall on floor I've seen some bouncy landings for Missouri but no major errors -looks like a bunch of contained 9.750 routines to me.They're not WOW routines, but they're more competitive than they were. Harris composed in her anchor routine - loses her feet on tumbling but good control.

Shout out to the front tuck beam mount from Washington. YES YOU DID!

The scores are getting updated! The scores are getting updated! Somehow, Stanford endures vault with a 48.900, which is as much as they could have hoped. Missouri would have been on 196 pace through two if not for a counting fall on beam. Which is my way of saying that Missouri is not on 196 pace.

Still pretty sure Washington didn't put up just four people on bars, though...

PA announcer: "Washington are you still here?" Dick...

Warmup for rotation 3 underway now.

Stanford still got a 9.625 on floor. Some sort of punishment I suppose...

When you start your beam warmup with a wobble.

ROTATION 3:
Stanford on a bye.

Macadaeg - BB - Already KJC moaning beyond belief - great switch - corrects just a bit into her switch half but I'd saw that connection kept moving - straddle jump is easy as a lemon, or whatever the saying is - Wobble on her series with the leg up because she hates me - sticks gainer full

Jackson solid on bars - usual form - no major errors or anything to report

Hambrick - BB - L turn like a dream - check on loso series, two leg up checks total on her acro which will bring the score down - hop back on 2/1 -

Lehrmann - UB - pretty jaeger and bail - great toe point throughout - sticks tuck full - this routine is wonderful, surprised it doesn't get higher scores - there is a robot doing commentary for OU here -very efficient - well programmed

Capps - UB - good finish on full turn - tkatchev is OK but not high - keeps her legs through the bail - borderline final hs - sitcks tuck full - getting there with this routine, one of her good ones -

Gauthier - BB - small check on loso series - nice switch - tuck jump full was not quite a whole full but no wobble - short on sissone and loses her legs in loso with a balance check - step forward on 1.5.

Scaman - UB - excellent high jaeger - keeps her legs through her bail well this time too - good rhythm throughout and a stuck tuck full - great, one of her better ones.

Oklahoma is DESTROYING these landings by the way.

Kmieciak - UB - strong Ray with good counter - hits vertical on the bail, nice and high on the shoot to high bar - almost sticks that dismount but has to lunge, tried to hang on, but great until then -

Ewing - BB - falls on her layout 2ft. - don't remember seeing her fall on that skill before - usually the best part of her routine - no other wobbles - step back on 1.5 after landing short as well - just off

Wofford - UB - lovely legs on hectht mount - good finish on full - excellent height and toes on jaeger - hits bail - borderline final handstand - just tightened up a bit - sticks her tuck full as usual - she'll get a 10 one of these days, but this wasn't quite it.

Finnegan - BB - FALLS on triple wolf! LSU counting a fall now -lovely loso series - switch and switch half are phenomenal in the split position, small lean on switch half - holds onto side somi - clean side aerial to a stuck full - would have been immense...

Gnat - BB -very solid walkover - comfortable full turn - controls the straddle 1/4 well not to give up a wobble even though she was slightly off center - a bit crooked on the switch side but not too bad - legs aren't pristine on loso series but the landing is - sticks 2/1 easily, looks like her DTY. Needed hit, but you're welcome, Oklahoma.

Dear Metroplex judges, didn't you hear that this is METROPLEX? You're supposed to give everyone a 9.975. What are these reasonable scores?

48.600 for LSU on beam. Knife in the front.

Northey nailed the tumbling in that floor routine. Short on splits, which will keep her out of the big scores, but that double back was a bam of a double back.

Warmup for rotation 4 now. Missouri onto a bye - Stanford to bars, OU to beam, and LSU to floor, so this is going to get interesting.

OU with a huge lead at this point after nailing bars for a 7 million. It was a good rotation, but bars scores have been the most charitable of the meet so far. Still, Wofford was very clean as always and Scaman had one of her best routines. Capps got the benefit of the doubt, and all of them got a landing bonus because those landings were ONNNNN.

ROTATION 4:
In personal news, my fantasy gym team is desperate for a Kara Lovan beam hit, otherwise I'll be counting a 9.300 because Dana Duckworth hates me and just throw in whoever whenever with no rhyme or reason.

We've got a McNair on bars, a Kmieciak on beam, and a Ewing on floor right now. Where to look?

McNair - UB - nice high piked jaeger - clean legs on the bail - good rhythm on the shoot - one short handstand and a stuck tuck full great start

Kmieciak nails her series - medium-sized step back on double dismount but the start they've always expected from her -

Apparently Sydney Ewing is "having fun with this routine" INSIGHT.  - small bounce on double pike but overall strong.

Rice - excellent toe point on her jaeger - well caught, one short handstand and a bounce on double back, but Stanford is starting to Stanford a little on the Stanford events.

Lehrmann - BB - great full turn - comfortable walkover - secure loso series - hit routine -

Hambrick - FX - small slide on DLO but good chest position, finishes well and very upright - small stumble on front tuck out of her middle pass - low chest on double pike but well controlled."She is incredible." What if one of the flonastike commentators just said "she's a shit box" one time. How much in heaven would you be?

Second McNair with a step back on tuck full dismount - 

Maxwell - UB - very short handstand in there - just does catch her release, but the rest is fine, small step back on double tuck, but that first handstand was well short and will get hit.

Finnegan - FX - FINNEGAN ON FLOOR -Everyone already gave her a 10 for being herself 1/5 + 2.5 and her twisting form shows everyone how it's done - well done on the double back as well, good chest position and control, I was worried about her on double salto passes - dance elements are not problem. Sticks double pike. You know. I'm impressed. Through she would be great on bars and beam, but Finnegan AA will be such an asset to this team.

Price - UB - good legs on shap - excellent church to bail - whips out the DLO just a tad with a small slide but will be another excellent score. 

Hong - UB  - her toes on her Ray are my heaven - and the bail - so pretty - not a ton of height on the shoot to high, which could hurt along with an early short hs, but sticks a lovely DLO

Kelley - FX - bounce back on DLO but stays in bounds -small leg break on front lay ot full but well controlled - split half and tuck jump full for her dance series, which is a good choice for her and deduction-minimal - small slide on doubel tuck as well, but that pass is no problem for her.

Lovan - BB - great switch to straddle 1/4 - just looked away and looked back to see her bending over, hoping it's choreo but probably not - checks on walkover to bhs series, I would say that counts as breaking the connection - feet on standing loso but very secure - hop on gainer full dismount -

Wyrick - UB - Didn't do bars, which was interesting - bounces back out of tuck full - loses legs on the middles pass, but the half to layout to half will get the crowd's attention every time because it looks complicated - goes for the switch side + popa combo, hits her straddles - very strong double back, good control

Capps - BB - oh good, you're playing "The Hanging Tree" while Capps goes on beam - how uplifting - strong loso series - comfortable landing her walkover, good switch to straddle 1/4 - hitting positions - sticks gainer full as well - great routine - confident and not giving away wobbles even when she's slightly off.

Gnat - FX - high DLO and well controlled in the landing -slides a bit forward on her 2.5 to punch front this time but not too bad - good 180 on the split 1/2 - chest forward on double pike with a tiny correction, uncharacteristic for her but it wasn't too significant. Recovery on floor for LSU. Still gets a 9.900 for it.

LSU goes 49.375 on floor to Oklahoma's 49.200 on beam, so gains a little bit, but needed to gain a lot bit. Big bars scores for Stanford because of Ebee and Ivie both breaking the 9.9 barrier, but not going to be enough to overcome floor or challenge Oklahoma or LSU, even with the LSU fall since LSU's beam score for a fall-counter was higher than Stanford's floor score for a hit rotation, which is all the problems. 

Washington's meet is done, and it's a 196.175! Big score for UW, earned because of getting the scores they deserve on bars and beam and enduring vault and floor and this being Metroplex. Hugely important road score for Washington that will help placement when we get to the nitty gritty of RQS.

ROTATION 5:
McNair - BB - bend on loso series - correction on side aerial - a couple bends in acro here and there but nothing too bad - hop back on 2/1 dismount -

Macadaeg - better control on her full - a little short and bends with a step, but better -

Ewing - VT - very small step landing that 1.5 - crazy legs on her block, but controls that landing very well - wanted to stick but had to endure a little shuffle.

Fitzgerald - BB -full turns shouldn't look that challenging - but no wobbles - walkover to back tuck is secure - a little short on switch but OK - ayyyyy - falls on her walkover to two feet - shame

Wyrick - VT - short on her y1/2 with a should-width step back. Oh sorry, yurchenko arabian.

Good control from Brown on all her tumbling and a better movement style - that's what the routine is really about.

Hambrick - VT -excellent full in the air - just the smallest step forward to control the landing, but otherwise nearly perfect - she can stick that one, just had to take a step this time.

Capps - FX -Important life experience - bounces back out of double pike - better control on middle pass - 

Gnat - VT - sticks her DTY again! Let's see where this goes. Sticking that DTY is becoming compulsory for her - this one was better than her last 10. 10.000. Obviously. 

Hong - BB - loverly Onodi - obviously - clean and high on the loso as well, easy full turn - splits like no tomorrow - sticks gainer pike - a simultaneously amazing routine. 9.925. OK. Fine. Don't give her a 10. Like a jerk.  

Price - BB - solid walkover - feet on bhs+ 2ft layout series but it's very solidly landed - a little tight on that full turn, pauses on her switch to split jump combo but not long enough to consider it broken - just sticks her double pike off beam, you know, like you do.

Jackson - FX - chalk blow - small slide on that rudi perhaps but no real issue there - short on front full out of her next whip half, step back - easy double pike, chest up and stuck - which is why one would expect her to go for the double salto power route, but after last season's struggles to control her passes, with a bunch of OOB, they've gone the twisty rudi direction this season.

Daum - BB - RACHEL DAUM IS BACK YOU GUYS - this is important - check on opening walkover - secure if not ideally extended on loso series - very secure side aerial, that's our Rachel Daum - small step on 1.5.

Scaman - FX - excellent DLO as always, but a small slide back this time - loses her legs a bit on the rudi but lovely into the loso as always - tiny slide on double back - not quite the control she usually has in the tumbling, but scores have been going up in this final rotation so it should be a good one.

Lovan is doing floor exo for OU. My fantasy team would really appreciate it if she were in the lineup. Just saying. That's the only thing left in this meet - so it's an Oklahoma win by a giant margin. She lands her rudi a little short but covers it well with the immediate stag - front full to layout is more solid, pristine twisting form - "tour jete full" is a tour jete 1/2, but it's nice - solid double pike to finish - excellent option is KJ wants it. Hint hint.

We're still waiting ont he last couple score for final totals, but it will be a season high for Oklahoma. LSU finishes 196.750, which is a very strong score for having to count a fall. Would have been low-mid 197s without that.

Stanford's final beam score for Daum is just a 9.800, not enough to get past Washington. Washington finishes 3rd, which is immense for them.

FINAL:
Oklahoma - 197.550
LSU - 196.750
Washington - 196.175
Stanford - 196.075
Missouri - 195.825

Oklahoma will take it. Washington will take it. LSU still needs to work out beam, Stanford would have hoped for better, but floor is just destroying this time, and Missouri would have been in excellent shape for a really usable score if not for counting a fall on beam. Missouri is still looking like a regionals upset threat. Kind of reminds me of 2010 when Missouri hosted and was like, "Bye, Georgia" but Missouri is not hosting this year. Georgia is.