February 19, 2016

Friday Live Blog – Auburn @ LSU; Florida, Michigan, Missouri

Friday, February 19
6:30 ET/3:30 PT – Western Michigan @ Eastern Michigan - SCORES - ESPN3
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Florida @ Missouri - SCORES - SECN
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Illinois @ Michigan State - SCORES - Stream ($)
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – New Hampshire, North Carolina, William & Mary @ George Washington - SCORES - Stream($)
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – UW-Eau Claire @ Gustavus Adolphus - SCORES 
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Arkansas @ Maryland - SCORES - BTN2Go ($)
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Minnesota, Air Force @ Iowa State - SCORES
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Illinois State @ SEMO - SCORES
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – Hamline @ Winona State - SCORES
7:30 ET/4:30 PT – UW-Stout @ UW-Oshkosh - Stream
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – Ball State, Seattle Pacific @ Northern Illinois - SCORES - ESPN3
8:00 ET/5:00 PT – Centenary @ UW-Whitewater - Stream
8:30 ET/5:30 PT – Auburn @ LSU - SCORES - SECN
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Michigan, UC Davis @ Southern Utah - SCORES - FLOG($)
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Ohio State @ Boise State - SCORES - Stream
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Utah State @ BYU - SCORES - Stream
10:00 ET/7:00 PT – San Jose State @ Sacramento State

Week 6 rankings

While the Auburn/LSU meet will highlight the day's proceedings, things should be worth watching right from the top with Florida's quest for a good away score against Missouri and the EAGL showdown with New Hampshire and George Washington. Stay tuned.

Florida back to full strength in the lineups tonight, with Sloan, Baker, and Boren all in the AA and Caquatto doing her three events.

Eastern Michigan is coming off a gigantic score last week, but just a 48.675 on vault to start this time at home. Last week's away vault score was 49.150.

I'm fascinated by the commercial selection on the SEC Network. One minute it's VIDEO GAME EXPLOSION SPORTS, and the next minute it's AT HOME MANICURES.

"Shannon Welker, the head man in charge" sounded like "the headband in charge."

ROTATION 1:
Kelly - VT - nice distance in that full, chest down on landing and a lunge back. 9.775

Baker - UB -Great ray - a little tight on following handstands - great amplitude, solid bail, just a small hop to the side on her double front, one of her best double front landings this season. 9.875

Kern - VT - Y1/2 but a large bounce forward, uncontrolled.

Boren - UB - flatter tkatchev but fine - nice handstands and solid feet - small leg break in the air on bail but good vertical position - pikes in the DLO a bit in the second salto, small hop. 9.875

Lewis - VT - nice height on her full, not as much distance as Kelly, some piking and a a shoulder-width step back. 9.825.

BDG - UB - good legs on shap to bail as always - hitting vertical handstands - whips out DLO with two steps back. Great until dismount, but that should take the score out of the 9.9s.

Harris - VT - good control on landing, small hop, and chest down on landing, but good height and direction and less piking than the others.

Caqautto - UB - very strong Ray - precise hs - leg break on bail, a little rushed - excellent DLO and stuck. Will be a great score. 9.950. 

Porter - VT - small amount of piking, medium hop back on full - solid height and distance.

Sloan - UB - Sloan Ray - excellent handstands - legs on bail - great amp on shoot back to high bar - shuffle back on DLO this time, should probably count that as two steps on dismount. 9.925 is Sloan bonus for that dismount.

Ward - VT - DAMN. Falls on Omelianchik. Shame. Nowhere near the block to complete the vault.

McMurtry - UB - Piked-straddled Ray but high - clean bail - strong amplitude on shoot - a little tight on final handstand, and sticks her excellent full in as always. 9.875.

After 1: Florida 49.500, Missouri 48.975 
Well, Florida just got a 49.500 on bars. Scores went high there, but no one gave away anything significant. That's the benefit of when Baker has the best bars dismount she has shown this season. It drives up all the rest of the scores. Boren probably wouldn't have received a 9.875 had Baker not bumped things up. Caquatto was the class of that rotation and the only one who stick. 49.500 for a rotation with one stick tells you where the scores went, but Sloan's score was going to be even more massive until the dismount. Not postseason ready yet because of those landings, but it wouldn't be surprising to see this lineup as the #1 bars team come April.


Missouri also got some scoring bonus on vault, especially for a few of those in the middle of the lineup, but it was predominantly a group of solid-enough fulls to be competitive in this section of the rankings. Score really needed a hit from Ward, who is the best vaulter on the team. Couldn't expect much more than 48.9 without the benefit of her score.

ROTATION 2:
Caqautto - VT - So glad the camera angle was a million miles away from that vault. That tiny blue speck appeared to land that vault.

Huber - UB -good half turn - pointed toes on jaeger to overshoot - short final hs - sticks a slightly whippy DLO with not much height, but sticks nonetheless, which is the big thing. As we know.

Fassbender - VT - Shot of bars. Wow, they're really struggling in camera town today. Not one of her strong vaults - piking, off to the side, and a medium-sized bounce back. 9.775 is high.

Miller - UB - tight first hs - solid piked jaeger - clean bail and vertical - bounce back on DLO with a lunge. Handstands and dismount will be the major deductions there.

Sloan - VT - Excellent full, stuck landing, great chest position, will be huge score.

Kelly - UB - solid piked j as well - a bit piked on her bail with a leg quiver - one short hs in there, sticks DLO, steps to salute I guess but I'd call that showing control on landing.

Boren - VT - 1.5 is solid, but medium hop forward this time - a bit of a leg separation on twisting as well. 9.850. Fair.

Schugel - UB - short opening hs - better on piked j to overshoot - the handstands are the only major issue here, late on full turn, but just a small step on double back.

Baker - VT - A larger lunge forward out of that 1.5 than Boren had - better legs and height but too big of a bounce to get a massive score.

Porter - UB - high straddled j - slight piking on overshoot non-handstand - one tight hs in there - hop back on double front dismount

McMurtry - VT - fab full - looked like she could have stuck, but she's pissed that she didn't - hops back as well. Sloan really the only one who got the lvault landing today.

Albritten - UB - very close on jaeger and sluggish - struggles on short handstands and low and close on shoot back to high - step forward on double back - replacement routine and will be the dropped score.

Jenny: Our vault landings sucked. (I paraphrase.)

After 2: Florida 98.875, Missouri 98.050
Florida goes 49.375 on vault. Sloan's excellent stick on her full was the class of the rotation, but the rest need stronger landings to expect a better rotation score. A bit surprised Baker still got 9.900 for such a large bounce out of the vault, but it's high, deep, and technically sound, so she's always going to be in the running for a 10 if she sticks. Though compare this score to the 9.950 she did get for a stick, and it doesn't really add up.

Missouri breaks 49 on bars and will absolutely take that. Most of the members of the team looked tight on a handstand or two, but they did not have major errors either on the bars or on landing. Watching them right after Florida, the biggest difference is amplitude, with Florida's releases, transitions, and dismounts looking much higher.

GW currently leads with a 48.875 on vault, led by 9.875 by Winstanley.

ROTATION 3:
Albritten - BB - tight on switch and split, not quite 180 - fine walkover to bhs series - very secure kickover front - sticks gainer full - strong ending with the kickover and dismount.

McLaughlin - FX - strong form on front lay to full - hops forward slightly out of it - nice switch, a little ragged on landing that wolf full this time - good legs and control on rudi landing. back 1.5 to front pike, small hop similar to the first pass, just needs a touch more control, especially on a simpler routine. 9.900. K?

Bower - BB - not extended on loso series but a secure landing - short back leg on switch and small check on straddle 1/4 - solid side somi - hop back on gainer full

Fassbender - FX - starts dead, which is evocative of my internal state - solid 2.5 to front, just a small bounce back on front landing - almost control that double pike but slides that front foot, good chest - short on switch ring and tj - slides on 1.5 to front pike as well - most of the errors there were built in but needed more control, especially on final pass, to get her best possible score. 9.875. K?

Miller - BB - fall on loso series - "also want to see gymnasts hit that 180 degree split at least once in the routine," once would be nice - solid side aerial - hop back on gainer full.

Boren - FX - slides back on full in and does extremely well to stay in bounds - she's getting her usual Kytra comparisons - very strong 1.5 to layout, good punch and position - slides back on double tuck as well - 9.900. Why the hell not? 

Porter - BB - good positions on switch to split to back tuck but slow in combination - fine full turn - pretty walkover to bhs, but she is on Sophina speed on these combos - high 1.5, hop forward.

Sloan - FX - 1.5 to 2.5, very good form and a small hop - solid split and straddle shapes - excellent control on doubel pike, good chest position as well - 1.5 to lay, nearly stuck, small hop forward, but relatively nailed on that routine, just two small hops away from perfection. 9.975. Whaaaaaaa?

Schugel - BB - three series into loso, very secure - arm correction on full turn - short of split on switch+switch series - sticks gainer full.

Baker - FX - lunge/bounces forward out of Dos Santos this time but just manages to keep it in bounds. Nails double pike, very strong - solid switch and split full as well - 1.5 to half to straddle is also excellent - damn, she was a normal Dos Santos landing away from actually earning a 10 for that. 9.925.

Ward - BB - lovely legs on loso series - strong switch and actually a pike jump that looks like it's supposed to - secure side aerial - a little short of rotation on 1.5 with a crossover step, but great until that.

Caquatto - FX - They're building these scores to some crazy Bridgey time - front 2.5 with an adjustment/presentation lunge - front 1.5 to bhs to loso -- still not my favorite pass, the bhs out of the 1.5 is clunky - great straddles - solid double pike with lower chest. Best of the year so far for her? She's coming along.

Shannon Welker is a Will Forte voice-alike.

Missouri goes 49.225 on beam, which is HUGE for them, and also huge but Florida's floor takes the cake in that department. Great routine from Ward, class of the rotation. Everyone pretty solid except Miller, just the splits that may hurt, especially down the road. Not as extended as the teams that will score the best.

Florida goes 49.575 on floor, and I still can't really understand a lot of those early scores. Sloan's like, "I do that routine that way basically every time. Why not always a 10, then?"Scores were just sort of normal SEC elevated and then BAM.

Florida could still reach 198 if the beam judges take a cue from the floor judges.

After 3: Florida 148.450, Missouri 147.275

New Hampshire had a catastrophe on vault and got a 47, but GW is hanging on high 195 pace through 2.

ROTATION 4:
Baker - BB - Also taking her sweet time to connect the walkover to bhs, but both elements secure and well executed - solid split, but tight on her connected split 1/2 - rushed a little - side aerial to full dismount with a larger bounce back. 9.875 for some reason.

Kelly - FX - slides back on double pike - good position on switch side and popa combo - solid, normal front lay to front full, not big but under control with fine form - large bounce back on double pike and OOB.

Ernst - BB - floaty and solid walkover - hits bhs loso series, no more hands-free - strong split and sheep - sticks gainer pike - good one, so much better with her hands.

Bower - FX - solid double pike - 1.5 to lay, whips around layout - miming a violin during your routine is a no-no - small bounce on double tuck - 9.900? At least both teams are getting this judging.

Fassbender - BB - solid walkover - tight on loso series with small check, but small - sheep jump is secure but not enough closure - side aerial to full with small hop.

Kern - FX - very short double pikewith large lunge forward - crooked on switch side and too short of straddle on both elements - better front full to pike, secure - lowish on rudi but well landed - Kupets says her chest was straight up. OK.

Boren - BB -gainer kickover front with wobble - very fluid loso series, secure - switch to straddle is nice this time - gainer loso is also solid, much better after opening error - hops together on gainer full

Miller - FX - wolf jump 1.5 - solid double tuck, chest down but stuck - front lay to full, squats a bit landing the full -

McMurtry - BB - solid kickover front (coming back on floor soon? Necessary) - low chest on loso series with small check - switch to shush to hip circle maintains pretty good rhythm - sticks 2/1 - one of her good ones. 9.950.

Porter - FX - highly high double pike, very secure as well - good split 1/2 and hitting 180 in her dance elements - 1.5 to front lay, slightly lwhipped around on layout but not too bad - bit of a slide on double back, but best of the rotation so far. 9.950. Oh, well at least they're evenly evaluating both teams. Silly.

Sloan - BB - The 9.950 for McMurtry sets up this routine - excellent walkover to beat jump, confident - HUGE wobble on loso series, leg up, hips bend, everything but coming off the beam - switch and split is great - WHAT IS HAPPENING - falls on side aerial - oh, just the worst routine she has ever done. step back on 2/1.

Harris - FX - nice height and chest up on double pike, very good switch side as well - lay to front full - bounces back out of double tuck. Missouri will love the scores from this meet to provide another big home scores. 11 career highs tonight for Missouri. It's almost like the judging was bullshit.

Bridget Sloan still got a 9.150. After a fall and a .300 wobble at least, and a non-stuck dismount.

Florida 197.750, Missouri 196.650
Hugely important score for both teams. Missouri needed that to recover from a low one last week and step up that RQS. Florida needed a massive away score and got it. Regardless of crazy scoring in the second half of the meet especially, Florida's most complete away performance so far this year.

Also, obsessed with how quickly paced this meet was. It went bam-bam-bam.

You know someone is in Melissa's ear going "FILL. FILL. FILL."

Now to Auburn and LSU and Bart and Kathy. Myia Hambrick "sprinkled her difficulty."

Wyrick and Cannamela in on vault, no Macadaeg.

ROTATIOn 1:
Cannamela - VT - Nice form and distance on that full - off to the side and hops back, but the form was killer.

Cerio - UB -borderline first hs - high piked j - good legs together on that bail - step back on double tuck out of full turn - bits and pieces but a fine leadoff.

Judging delay after one vault. Great. Because that Yurchenko full is so strange and hard to evaluate.

Ewing - VT - great height on 1.5, less control than we've seen a couple times with a more signficant lunge forward, but OK.

Krippner - UB - good legs on shap - clean bail handstand position as well - iffy handstand - catches tkatchev well - short hs before dismount and a leap forward on tuck full dismount.

Finnegan - VT - lovely stick on full - it's not the most dynamic full, but excellent form and no question about the stick. Still should warrant a great score.

Kopec - UB - solid traddle j into overshoot, feet but fine - one short handstand in there - step back on DLO - she can stikc that one but not this time - Kathy thinks the jaeger to overshoot transition was rough, but pick your battles.

Wyrick - VT -Y1/2 - hop forward - Kathy tries to tell us this vault is going to be worth the same as a full, which it SHOULD be, but my impression is that it has been getting 10.0 SV in the past, which would be wrong. Still got 9.875. If they're calling that an arabian, we riot.

Kluz - UB - nice height on tkatchev - hitting hs well - very good position on straddle back - one short hs before dmt - almost sticks DLO, small shuffle - one poor handstand in there but otherwise excellent.

Hambrick - VT - lovely full - small slide back - great height, laidout position, and open.

Milliet - UB - Exceptional Ray - great toes and counter - legs mostly together through pak - short final hs, which is the rend of the day - holds onto the stick on doubel back - should be an impression score, some wonderful elements in that routine.

Gnat - VT - DTYYYYYY - STUUUUCCCCCK - usual leg cross but expect the 10. 9.975. Lol. First time she hasn't received a 10 for a stuck DTY. 

Atkinson - UB - good legs together on bail - short hs before tkatchev and misses the tkatchev - damn - timing - Still a 49.150 rotation which will be fine, but not the advantage they needed her. Step back on tuck full.

LSU 49.450 - Auburn 49.150
That rotation was mostly Gnat and her DTY bringing the score up, but Finnegan had a very strong stick and Hambrick was lovely and just took a minor slide. Scores went a bit high in places, like for Wyrick, but not systemically through the rotation. A couple normal, fair scores as well. Kluz and Milliet were pretty lovely on bars, but Auburn needed the big score from Atkinson to really keep pace. Auburn needed to win bars in this meet, but LSU will view that 49.150 as child's play.

GW wins the meet with a 195.400, New Hampshire just 194.000 after the vault problems. Got it back on bars, but the damage was done.

ROTATION 2:
Garcia - VT - mostly secure landing on full but short and chest way low. Leg separation as well, but she'll get hit for that short landing.

Savona - UB - good first hs and better legs on shap and bail as well - handstands close enough - removed tkatchev, which is a great move - solid DLO with small slide. One of her best bars routine, it's better without the tkatchev.

Krippner - VT - pretty high full - medium hop back -

Hambrick - UB - great first hs - high tkatchev as well - good finish position on full turn - leg together on bail - hittins hs - sticks tuck full - excellent routine - lovely form throughout, calm and precise.

Kluz - VT - just the full - a little flat off the horse and a larger bounce back - so won't be a huge score

Cannamela - UB - Couldn't get her hands around on that tkatchev. Sadness - rest is solid - a couple form areas and a short handstand, but great stick on tuck full.

Demers - VT - almost stikcs the full - small slide back, but great form and opens that full. She usually sticks, so not her best but will be a very usable score.

Wyrick - UB - Working against fall now, after falling last week - great finish position on full - close on tkatchev but caught - very good bail position - hitting hs - almost sticks DLO, the smallest of quivers - pretty excellent except for the close catch on tkatchev, resulting in a little loss of form.

Rott - VT - Now, that's how you stick a full - chest down but excellent distance and landing.

Finnegan - UB - Fab Ray - great position on bail - hitting handstands - toe point obviously - squats to hold onto that stick but holds onto it. Lovely, lovely routine.

Atkinson - VT - very good 1.5, just a small step forward and the touch of leg separation, but will be the biggest score of the rotation.

Zamardi - UB - great first hs - some leg break on both shap and pak - very good hs - catches khorkina - hop back on double arabian dismount, but did well not to give away more than just that hop back, looked like she was going to land lock-legged.

Graba: "I don't think we've done a great job yet." Love his actual answers.

LSU 98.825, Auburn 98.375
LSU had some issues in there, the fall from Cannamela, an awkward landing from Zamardi (still got a 9.900), but I though Finnegan and Hambrick were gorgeous. This event is getting there. Auburn was pretty solid on vault. Not the IMMENSE performance from last week, but you're not going to get that every time. I'd like to see a few more sticks, and they would as well, which would get them closer to 49.4, but they'll take that showing.

In other news, Arkansas doing the usual hovering aroung 196. Introductions still going in Southern Utah.

Shots of Lexie Priessman on crutches. Sadness.

ROTATION 3:
Macadaeg - BB - Kathy already losing her shit about Macadaeg and Hambrick -ov switch and switch half positions but wobbles on switch half - walkover and straddle are excellent - solid loso series - small shuffle on gainer full.

196.150 for Arkansas.

Milliet - FX - small bounce on front lay to rudi series but keeps form - excellent 180 - larger bounce back out of double pike - YIKES - misses her punch out of 1.5 into front tuck - sits it down - trouble start.

Hambrick - BB - beautiful L turn - solid on side aerial - hits switch and straddle 1/4 positions well - secure loso series - hop back on 2/1, but near perfect until that dismount.

Hlawek - FX - sticks double arabian, cowboyed but excellent security there - 1.5 to layout is a little bouncy - "each one of those hops on landing are tiny deductions" tell that to the judges at Missouri. - splits positions solid - tiniest slide back on double tuck, but a good one.

Cannamela - BB - looks tight but gets through the loso series very well without a break - dance elements are not a strength, short on split and straddle - standing loso to beat jump is better - step forward on 1.5

Rott - FX - big DLO, just a touch of bounciness, but pretty good chest position - split and straddle are both hit - lay to half to stag travels, but the positions are correct - secure double pike, lowish chest but no questions about the landing.

Good hit from Christopherson for Michigan on bars. Nice high ray, solid double back.

Ewing - BB - nails her layout 2ft series - high switch side but still a bit wonky - good full turn - secure loso to straddle 1/4 as well - not a hint of a wobble here - step forward on 1.5.Nearly too the dismount too far but got it.

Kluz - FX - secure full in, Kathy isn't happy with the chest, but I was going to say the position was a little better than sometimes - great body position on layout to front full - good punch and wonderfully laid out - low chest on double tuck but secure. Good landings, just some positions.

Finnegan - BB - triple wolf is pulled around, it wasn't the smoothest ever and got a little top-ish, but got it - wobbles on her loso series and again on her switch 1/2 - small wobbles both but wobbles - strong side somi - side aerial to a stuck full - form is all great, just those checks.

Alert: Southern utah is nailing the crap out of these fulls.

Interesting that Michigan moved Brianna Brown to the 3rd spot on bars.

Demers - FX - Big piked full in, small slide - also side on front lay to front fulland final doubel pike - great positions, solid execution, just not the landings today.Still 9.900. Home floor isn't just for home teams.

Michigan having some bars issues I didn't see, but Sheppard just nailed her routine, some of the best form she has shown, not the breaks that she has sometimes.

Gnat - BB - walkover to beat jump is fine - tight on full turn with a small bend - better on switch and straddle 1/4 - another check on switch side - great loso series - sticks 2/1 - great finish.

Atkinson - FX - low chest on tuck full but perfect security - splits are OK, though I'll not that Kathy didn't like them - I was fine with close enough to 180 - front full to lay to wolf is quite precise and very well controlled - also very soild on double pike - chest psoition was really the only thing in that routine.

Artz just drilled her DLO on bars. Just a 49.075, with some 9.7s in there and a dropped 9.4. Scores for the routines I saw seemed fair but contained compared in direct contrast to some of the SEC scoring we're seeing.

LSU 148.125, Auburn 147.825 
Huge scores for Auburn on floor, so get ready for some serious home floor when LSU gets there. THe makings of a big total for both teams, particularly valuable for Auburn as a road score. LSU was much closer to the beam team we expected to see this year in that rotation.

Hlawek - BB - "she has what her teammates call an angry face." Yeah, that's what they call it. Not resting bitch face. Check on 2ft series with a step back - solid on kickover front to beat - sticks 1.5 and EXTREME NCAA salute out of that.

Ewing - FX - slide forward on front 2/1 this time, usually shows some more control than that. So high front 1/1 to layout, great punch, takes it 1 million feet - strong switch side and popa - bounces out of double pike dmt - looked like she went OOB to me, no flag? it's very close, but technically the back of her heel was out.

Cerio - BB - cat to switch side is solid, a little rushed but fine - secure loso series - tight on switch 1/2 but no wobble, just short of position - sticks punch layout full - actually a great routine, very few errors.

Glad I put her in my fantasy beam lineup this week!

Hambrick - FX - DLO is hit well, chest up and controlled - 2.5 to punch front - she's really having a fantastic meet - split and wolf positions are strong, controlling her passes, no silly mistakes - a bit low on her double pike with an awkward step, but not a massive issue.

Krippner - BB -switch is fine but wolf is tight and a wobble after it - walkover to bhs series is fine - split and split 3/4 are excellent, great 180 position - almost sticks her 1.5 - tries to hold, leg flies up.

Michigan having a time on beam. Uh oh. Already a fall and a 9.600 from Karas after a large wobble on her series.

Kelley - FX -highly high DLO, small slide but one of her better this season - Kathy and Bart really getting in on MLR Count Contest 2016 - solid front lay to front full as well - this routine is getting there - she has not been able to contribute as much as expected so far this year - small bounce on double tuck. Almost what she's capable of. 9.925. Home floor.

Demers - BB - excellent and easy loso series, confident - switch is solid and sheep is pretty close to being a sheep for NCAA - form is there and better closure - side aerial to stuck full. Great.

Savona - FX - Well, look at you! Someone's back. Phew. 1.5 through to double back, excellent and secure - controlls the full in as well - like she hasn't missed any time - this is a carbon copy to last season - fine on split 1/2, great straddle - nails double pike as well, chest up. Excellent. 9.950. Amazing what happens when you get out of the first position.

Now Artz fell for Michigan and Chiarelli had a big break - WHAT IS THIS? 48.250. Yikes. 

Milliet - BB - Split and sheep have great position, check after sheep - great loso series, short on walkover but does well to pull it together with just a tiny check - could have been a much bigger error - sticks gainer full, legs apart.

Wyrick - FX - very comfortable landing on full in, chest up - 1/2 to lay to 1/2 middle pass - loses her legs together a little in the 1/2s - fine on switch side and popa - secure double tuck.

We're going to talk about crazy home floor here, and it has reared it's head for a couple of these scores in particular, but this is also the best LSU's floor landings have looked by a serious margin.

Atkinson - BB - check on full turn but walks out of it - very solid loso series - strong walkover as well - tight on switch and another tiny adjustment on pike jump, but small things - side aerialt o tuck full with a slide-salute. Fine. Will be another great total for Auburn, just not what LSU is getting.

Gnat - FX - They're setting her up for a first floor 10 - best DLO of the day so far, chest up and stuck, dayum - 2.5 to front tuck is under control this time as well, not the big travel as usual - sticks double pike as well - excellent routine, let's see where this goes. LSU arrived in this meet.

And they did go 10 for Gnat. I would say it is the best routine I've seen her do, and certainly a tenth better than Wyrick's routine, so it was coming. You can find things like crossed legs in twisting on that 2.5, if you feel in the mood to argue the score. Just to get you started if it's an outrage kind of night for you.

LSU 197.825, Auburn 197.125
This is the meet at which LSU reminded us that this team is in the title hunt as well. And the impressive part is that they're doing it without a TON of contributions from the freshman class we thought would be so essential, especially now with Priessman back in her natural habitat, crutches. 49.700 is the floor score, which is obviously insane, but that was an excellent floor rotation. This meet would not be a high 197 away from LSU, but it would still be a solid and competitive 197. LSU is in this.

Also a tremendous road score for Auburn. Didn't have the landings on vault and bars from last week, but made up for that with a season-best beam rotation by a long way. That was closer to 2015 Auburn beam.

Annnnnnnd I've already muted Michigan's meet on Aunt Flo. New record?

I had a comment about Brown's floor routine. It appears to have disappeared. Got nothing? Leg breaks and a short second split in leap series. 

Karas sits her double arabian. Siggggggggh. She is not having a great day, and my fantasy gym team is not enjoying it. Rest of the routine was solid, nice finishing double pike, but Michigan is not really here so far today.

Artz - FX - small slide on piked full in - straddles look quite nice - a little short on front full out of front lay, has to step back - also appears to lunge a little forward on double pike - fine but not the nailed landings she can execute.

Chiarelli - FX - full in is quite strong, great chest position, secure - 1.5 to lay to front tuck - can really see a loss of legs in the layout from this angle but wouldn't be that apparent normally - excellent double pike as well - best routine of this rotation by only a million miles. 9.925.

Because of beam, we already know this meet is a bust and the score won't be used. Southern Utah has much more to gain here, still potentially on 196 pace with a good floor.

Boise State had a huge bars score, but sub-48s on vault and beam and a counting 9.6 so far on floor mean this may not be as far over 196 as it looked earlier in the day.

Never mind. Krentz and Collantes finish floor for BSU with 9.925s, bringing the total back up to 196.300. Another solid score, but it will be interesting to see how the RQS holds up against Stanford, Georgia, Nebraska, Arkansas, etc. once they can drop scores.

Brown - VT - mushy legs on full and a larger hop back. She's in this lineup for Briley, who is really missed today. Although, she wasn't making the beam lineup anyway. But still...

Chiarelli - VT - huge distance on her 1.5 and a huge hop forward to go with it - she can control better than that, but it will still be a useful score.

Artz was supposed to go third. Chiarelli did instead. So...?

Sheppard - VT - Still fighting for that landing she had before all the injuries - great height and form but hops back as well - the story of this rotation.

Karas - VT - Damn girl. That 1.5. - Also a hop on the landing for her, but the rest is tremendous. Could still go 9.900.

195.750 for Michigan if they do elect to go without a sixth vaulter.Let's just get that score out of here and pretend it never happened. Looks like SUU is going to win the meet. The customary SUU upset of the year.

The whole SUU team is totally the Christine Still "efficient little gymnast" - also sometimes they do tumbling passes behind people's heads from this camera angle. Excellent. Webb looked solid on floor - splits could use more splitishness, but secure landings on those passes. Sort of an Arkansas vibe in that "we're doing double pikes, but we can hit them without looking like our face is being razed to put in an apartment complex" kind of way.

Home floor is also WAYYY alive and well for SUU. Brownsell slides on two landings and gets 9.950. It's not just the big-name teams. Everyone gets in on the act.

Trejo - really efficient twisting - solid form in final routine, best control on her passes. Splits and straddles were not quite there, but no landing errors. 196.300 for SUU after a 49.450 on floor.

DONE.



10 comments:

  1. Finally mentioned Bridgey having mono. That makes so much sense.

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  2. Good lord, Bridget Sloan's leotard is cut way too high o_O

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  3. Sloan...a ten from one judge? I think we should start a show "one drunk judge"...

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  4. sucks that sloan fell on beam since alex set her up for a huge score but getting a 197.750 on the road for this team is really good. we have struggled on the road (our season high was a 197.07) so i and I'm sure the team will take this score any day.

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  5. Boise State just scored a 49.525 on bars!

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  6. Gnat earned that score! Holy crap that was an amazing routine. First 10 this season I think was 100% deserved.

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  7. I think not having the seniors from last year has been freeing for LSU. There's not as much pressure because "this is the best chance for the title they'll ever have!!!"

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  8. There was a norovirus outbreak in the athlete dorm at Michigan - wonder if any of them are recovering? No other way to explain this....

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    1. Bev said yesterdayin radio interview that one upperclassman was sick, but they didn't know whether it was the norovirus. definitely a rough night...

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