March 12, 2016

Saturday Live Blog – Georgia @ Utah; Big Five

Saturday, March 12
12:00 ET/9:00 PT – Cornell @ West Chester
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Big Five Meet #1: Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Rutgers @ Penn State - SCORES - TV: Big Ten Network
1:00 ET/10:00 PT – Bridgeport @ Pennsylvania
4:00 ET/1:00 PT – Big Five Meet #2: Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan State, Maryland @ Ohio State - SCORES - BTN2Go (login)
4:00 ET/1:00 PT – Northern Illinois @ Bowling Green - SCORES 
6:00 ET/3:00 PT – Temple, S. Connecticut, Rhode Island @ Brown
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Georgia @ Utah - SCORES - TV: Pac-12 Network
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – LSU, Oregon State, New Hampshire @ Texas Woman’s - SCORES - Flog($)
7:00 ET/4:00 PT – Ball State @ NC State - SCORES - Stream
9:00 ET/6:00 PT – Denver, Seattle Pacific @ Washington - SCORES - Stream

Getting started early today with the first of two Big Five qualifying meets. The one that's on TV. The other one isn't. Earlier, I said BTN was dumb. Turns out, I'm dumb. I thought BTN was showing an old meet between Nebraska and Penn State after this instead of the second Big Five meet, but they're actually showing a men's meet between Nebraska and Penn State. Which is also tape delayed. So not better. And in my defense...
 
 

We kid. Sort of. Also, when you just write "college gymnastics" and assume men for that, people are going to get confused. Not everything in the world is a masculine default.

Heaven forbid you cut down on one episode of Basketball Shouting.

"Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota all with a chance, and Penn State and Rutgers with them as well." I like this guy so far. Sharaya Musser is with us. Penn State would wish they could put up her highlight reel on beam as all six routines.

ROTATION 1:
Medvitz - UB - lovely stalder - close on tkatchev without counter - very pretty pak - lots of nice qualities in her work - pauses in gaint full - sticks double tuck -

Rahon - FX - stikcs double back final pass, slightly chest down but not major

McLean - VT - great open on her full - terrible camera angle - medium hop back

Jones - UB -good finish on full turn - stronger tkatchev to overshoot - better distance and counter rotation - one short handstand in there - sticks her double back with a bed - strong start for PSU.

Borman - BB - falls on loso series - Iowa! This is supposed to be your day! - very short of split on straddle 1/4, that should also hurt the score - sticks gainer full -

Tsang - UB - high tkatchev - a bit piked in her overshoot non-hs but not bad - sticks DLO but piked down - handstands here good, finishing position was primarily strong, just some lacking in keeping a straight shape.

Artz - VT - small hop back on full - that has been coming along this year.

Abernathy - FX - punch front through to very comfortable double tuck, chest up - repeats the double back for her second pass, also solid landing but monotonous - good switch side and wolf full, hits positions and finishes full turn all the way around - punch rudi to straddle - comes in a little short on rudi but right into the straddle so no true landing error.

Metcalf - BB - short back leg on switch but good feet  - straddle 1/4 is OK - also pretty good leg form on her loso series, small bend - small lean/hop on her 1.5 dismount.

Brown - VT - They wish they didn't have to use this vault - she does stick to get as much as possible out of it - but her leg form will get hit, very mushy knees.

Drenth - BB - fun Sami Shapiro mount - looked like it was going to be a strong loso series but bent working out of it - switch and straddle, straddle could be more 180 - medium hop forward on 1.5 dismount. 9.900? SEC scoring?

Karas - VT - looks like she stuck that 1.5. Great vault - strong stick - amazing height and keeps her form.

C Gardner - lovely loso out of opening pass, you know I'm a sucker for a high loso on floor - bounces back out of her double pike - her switch side and popa are crooked, she has more than enough amplitude and split, but it's not horizontal enough - 1.5 to lay is slightly ragged but pretty secure.

Brown - UB - great clear hit - high tkatchev - pretty pak - hitting hs - gets her half turn on low bar this time - not quite as precise as it was at Georgia though, is it? Good stick on tuck full dismount, chest down.

Mable - FX - slides back on her double pike, shame - she should be nailing that pass each time - no question about her switch side and popa, way oversplit and heavenly - punch rudi to straddle to front tuck, does well not to travel, stays in place - fab 1.5 to layout, stays straight through the layout, secure.

Still waiting on some final scores in that first rotation, but they're...not strict.

What are these commercials? Who made them? A drunk toddler?

After 1: Penn State 49.325, Minnesota 49.325, Michigan 49.275, Iowa 49.125
Jeff Thompson interview. "You know, we don't have any seniors on this team." Yes, look how that happened.

Looking back at some other routines from 1 - Chiarelli 1.5 - hop forward with some leg form, 9.900. Not enough separation between her score and Karas's.

ROTATION 2:
Groden - FX - pretty good form on rudi to loso, keeps her twisting and her chest up - secure double pike, legs together, chest mostly up - split elements hit 180 - this is a very solid routine - only a touch ragged in rudi final pass, but clean throughout.

Gardner - VT - hop to the side on full - some piking - not the distance of the best Michigan vaults it appeared.

Tsang - BB -tight on loso-loso with a smallish lean - good switch side, goes for amplitude there - side somi is solid - tentative full turn - sticks gainer full.

Brown - UB - good ray to a lovely floaty pak with legs together - half turn on low bar is right on - small arch on final hs - small hop on DLO - strong work, a couple small errors but should be a high one.

Holst - VT - also a small hop to the side on her full - similar to Gardner in most ways -

Raygoza - BB - pretty aerial to bhs - very tight and uncertain on that full turn - switch to split, wobble on the split - side aerial to full with a small slide. Pretty work like we've known she had since she was an infant elite.

Abernathy - VT - sticks a handspring front pike 1/2 - that'll do -

Stebick - FX - front 2/1 mount - quick twisting, only small leg cross, control the landing pretty well - quite short of straddle on that popa - round off double back, large bounce, awkward landing.

Karas - UB - very good legs on shap and pak combo - that has improved tremendously - a couple steps back on DLO with some piking - that dismount has always been the question about her bars and is really the only weakness left in this routine -

Mable - VT - opens well on yfull - off to the side a little this time and a hop back - not her strongest full, but should still score well.

Brown - BB - good legs on loso series - secure on switch and straddle 1/4 - backward full turn - switch 1/2 is quite secure, could be more splitty, but it's also a switch 1/2 on beam - hops legs together on 1.5. Good one. Georgia is like, "Come back, please..."

Artz - UB - falls on jaeger - you could tell she was a million miles away right from the start.

Jones - BB - falls on loso series - low on punch front, squatty but works out into beat jump - cat leap switch side is stronger - sticks gainer full.

Medvitz - BB - one arm bhs to loso is quite secure - switch to sissone is slightly slow in combo, but the positions are the strongest on the team - full turn is less horrifying than for many of the others - walkover pretty - into gainer full with a small shuffle. Good hit. 9.975. Oh, OK. Oh. I really don't think she stuck that gainer full. 

Ali for Rutgers nearly bounces OOB on a score they needed - double tuck final pass was better, good height and security -

After 2: Penn State 98.700, Michigan 98.550, Minnesota 98.525, Iowa 49.125, Rutgers 49.000 
The SEC is not a role model. Pull it together.

Jenny Hansen gritting her teeth as she says they're going to miss Lindsay Mable when she leaves. Yeah, you really are. A wig and Mindsay Lable next year? I'm for it.

ROTATION 3:
Karas - BB - very strong on the punch front this week - secure and high - split and pike, hits positions - bend on loso series but holds on, not a large bend - comfortable full turn - hop back on punch 1.5 - she's back on beam.

Groden - VT - sticks a yfull - not much distance, but very comfortable stick.

Brown - BB - fluid on her walkover to bhs - dance elements are the best part of this one, switch to split - large wobble on side somi, swims a couple times to hold it - sticks 2/1.

C Gardner - UB - leg break in her bail hs and ragged in some of the form here, high jaeger, though - sticks double front very well, particularly impressive as she paused a bit in that half turn -

Williams - VT - small hop back on full, they're working these landings well - not a ton of distance but not giving much nonsense away.

Zurawski - FX -stumbles on her double pike, awkward shuffl- l.5 to layout, small slide and a bit whopped - low leg on switch side but getter ont he popa - bouncy stumble on rudi landing as well - a couple awkward landings in there.

Hanley - UB - not much height on jaeger but good loose - very loose back on her bail hs - sticks DLO, somewhat piked second salto - good routine but she should get hit for the form on the bail -

Hoffman - VT - y1/2 - hop forward - slightly off to the side -

Artz - BB -pike to straddle 3/4 is precise - tight in her walkover, a little uncertain, but no wobble, just a pause - kickover front to bhs, secure kickover, small in connection - falls on punch rudi - WHAT? - way way short. Also she fell and still got 9.450. The makes officially zero sense. 

Mable - UB - small leg break in gienger and pak but both quite high and caught comfortably - hs look solid - step back on tuck full. Couple errors but should be a big one.

Metcalf - FX -round off doubel back with a large slide, justs stays in bounds - 1.5 to layout, superior form in the air, small slide - much better on her switch side and popa - stumbles back out of double pike as well. gets 9.700 and lucky to escape with that.

Williams - BB - solid beat to stag - bend correction on side aerial - solid loso series and leg form - split jump 180 - sticks 1.5. One of her good ones, just the bend on the aerial.

Drenth - FX - comfortable double pike, chest up - another switch side and popa - slides back on that rudi - 1.5 to layout, another slide

Beam scores at this meet are proudly off the hook. Just...very SEC.

We didn't see Chiarelli's beam, at least not yet, but it appears she fell as well. Disastrous for Michigan. Again with Michigan and the beam.

After 3: Minnesota 147.750, Michigan 147.450, Penn State 98.700, Iowa 98.225, Rutgers 98.025 

ROTATION 4:
Hosek - FX - secure double pike to finish, chest down but they're landing well so far today.

strong legs together on that gienger from Groden on bars - hs were tight and a stumble back on DLO, a couple steps probably for that.

Gardner - BB - wolf turn - worthwhile walkover to split jump, keeps her form - switch and straddle 1/4 are also clearly 180, nice to see - tighter in loso series form but secure - bhs to stuck gaienr full, staggered by stuck.

Jones - FX - front lay to half is solid, dance elements are not a strength - loses legs a bit in front full out of front lay

Metcalf - VT - hops back on yfull, looks like fine distance as far as we can tell from this angle - keeps her laid out shape.

Haines - BB - Small lean on straddle - comfortable loso series - standing loso, loses her legs just a touch but also very solid - crooked switch side - small hop in place on gainer full. 9.950? Like, what is even happening?

Drenth - VT - gigantic bounce forward on her y1/2 - still gets 9.825.

Hanely - BB - good kickover front - hop forward on gainer pike, so probably a 20.

Timothy - FX - slides back on full in, chest down - good leap amplitude on her straddles - whip to 1.5 to front tuck comes in slightly short as well but no major correction - slide back on double pike -

Youd - VT - small hop forward on her y1/2. No one is even bothering to care that none of these are arabians. 9.900.

Mable - BB -LINDSAY! They were setting you up for an auto-10! bends at waist on her loso series - good switch split and straddle 1/4 - side aerial to full small hop. Still 9.875.

Brown - FX - solid double tuck - split half to straddle to "wolf" that she kind of bails out of - falls on double pike, hands down - 1.5 to layout. She fell, so her score may go all the way down to a 9.825.

Nordquist - BB - Orthopedic back brace - side aerial to loso is well done, feet were slightly off but she corrects without a wobble - swims a bit to hold that switch side - moan on that full turn like Kathy wants you to - switch 1/2 is solid - side aerial to stuck full, slightly staggered. So probably a 10. I was kidding. The judges weren't. 10.000. Like what even? I mean, she's amazing at beam, but that was in no way a 10. Blatant arm swing.

Looks like Tsang bounced OOB on her double pike on floor.

49.675 for Minnesota on beam. Mmm. Mmmhmm. Sure. Florida looks at all of us like, "And you think we have crazy scoring?"

After 4: Everyone is tied with an 80 billion
Minnesota finishes 197.425.

At least if these scores hold, Michigan should get about three 10s on floor. Artz is a question mark on floor now after that short landing and weird fall on beam. And she's in tears during the warmup, so like maybe no...?

ROTATION 5:
Groden - BB - solid loso - a little low on kickover front but works well into beat jump - switch and switch series is not too bad for being a switch and switch series, she gets solidly close to her 180 there - good stick on gainer full. 30!

Hosek - VT - sticks yfull - pikes down and bends over to hold the stick -

Christopherson - FX - 1.5 to layout is pretty floaty, good punch

Mura - UB - no height on that gienger but she catches - lovely legs together on pak - a bit low on shoot back to high - better height on tuck full dismount, best part, small hop back -

Timothy - VT - also sticks her full - similar to Hosek in the bend down to hold the stick and the piking in the air.

Williams - FX - good splits, 180 - high double pike and secure - 1.5 to layout, takes it very far, just does stay in - chest down on double tuck with a slide

Brown - VT - larger hop back on full and some piking in the air - better distance - 9.875. What even? Even Sharaya is like... "9.875 is a really high score for that..."

Brown - FX - solid double pike, better finishing position than occasionally in the past - 1.5 to layout, arches around the layout - her 180s are correct - lands her double tuck staggered but controlled -

Tsang - VT - 1.5 with a larger bounce forward.

Penn State finishes 197.125

Karas - FX - solid double arabian, small cowboy and a steppy step nothing - great leap amplitude on split 1/2 and wolf full - front lay to front full is secure - hits double pike - will get a 50.

Metcalf - UB - good legs and height on piked jaeger - pikes on her overshoot - small hop back on DLO, strong form on that DLO, does not pike it down to land.

Shank - BB - walkover to scale! And not horrifying! check on loso series but great legs and toes - back leg a bit short on switch - sheep - sticks gainer full -

Chiarelli - FX -  we see her final double pike, small slide.

Oh good, we're seeing a replay of Nordquist's 10. Yep, she still wobbled on her switch side this time. It didn't change in replay.

Michigan will not put up Artz on floor. Good call. When you're pouring tears through the warmup after potentially injury yourself on beam, just pass.

FINAL: Minnesota 197.425, Penn State 197.125, Michigan 196.875, Iowa 196.650, Rutgers 194.525. 
Minnesota won! It's tough to draw anything from this because the scoring was so insane, but I guess the ranking ended up appropriately? Minnesota was the best team today after Michigan had the fall on beam. Concerns about Minnesota's 9.9 potential apart from Mable probably keep the Gophers away from being considered a serious regionals threat, but a team able to take advantage of a mistake from a seed? Absolutely.

Trouble for Michigan. Another issue-riddled beam rotation (which is especially painful for them because clearly the insane beam scores were there to be taken), another missed opportunity for a big road score, and now the injury concern for Nicole Artz on top of that. Because it was touch-and-go about whether she'd do floor, I have to hope it's not too bad, but the team absolutely cannot afford her to be in anything less than peak shape when the elimination meets begin. She's essential.

Join me for Georgia and Utah. We can only dream that the scoring will be as crazy as this.

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Part 2! When Georgia goes to Utah. Be afraid. Be moderately afraid. On a scale of 1 to Cray, judging so far this weekend has been Super Cray. What does Utah judging have to say about it?

I like that the Pac-12 Net actually acknowledges that Utah also has 10 championships.

Crying montage of the seniors getting introduced...Amanda is also crying. Everyone is crying. The beam is crying. Probably.

ROTATION 1:
Rowe - VT - "This crowd is jacked up" - good stick on her full, perhaps a bit off line and some mushiness in the knees - strong start. 9.850.

Snead - UB - fine tkatchev, not much counter and not gigantic - good vertical on her bail - looks like she's hitting hs - sticks DLO, pikes down second salto a little. 9.825.

Lopez - VT - large bounce back on her full - vault isn't usually her event, not the dynamics of the other Utah vaulters, a little lower and a touch of piking. 9.775. Not different enough from Rowe's stick.

Johnson - UB - fine clear hip - loses her legs on the gienger and generally throughout losing her feet - a short hs in there - hop back on DLO. 9.750.

Partyka - VT - Near stick on her full, had to lean to try to hold the stick and shuffled a little into a lean/salute - chest down more than her best vaults, but a mostly controlled landing.

Vaculik - UB - solid piked jaeger - loses her legs in the bail a bit - final hs is good though earlier one was short - tuck full to her knees. Damn. We've always criticized her form on that dismount, but it used to be pretty consistent. Lately, not so much. 9.200.

Lewis - VT - better dynamics on her full than the previous, opens up - hops back medium amount, probably a tenth of a hop, and she's off line a bit on landing. 9.850. 

Schick - UB - solid tkatchev, hitting hs well early - good toe point throughout - piked jaeger - vertical on her bail - pretty large hop back on DLO, it was great until that landing. 9.775.

Hughes - VT - 1.5, didn't control the landing this time, hop forward, and then a second step-to-salute out of that, we'll see how they classify that landing - also a little soft in the knees at the end. 9.875.

Jay - UB -strong and secure on that bail - hitting hs - gets her shush - step back on DLO 1/1 - not her crispest, given the step on the landing, but should be a strong score. 9.850.

Delaney - VT - hops back on her full - she hasn't had her sticking shoes this season the way she has in past years, great height and form. 9.850.

Sorry about those who can't get streams to work. I'm watching on actual TV like an old grandpa. I'll try to add in the scores to the quick hits as we get them.

Rogers - UB - lovely stalders obviously - hits her ricna to pak well this time - good shap 1/2 - hitting her hs - STICKS DLO - great one. One of her excellent routines. If we're picking, perhaps a borderline hs and some bent elbows catching the Ricna? Maybe? 9.925.

But really, come on Utah judges! You saw what the other judges did. This is, like, borderline normal. A bit inflated to my eye on a couple of those vaults, but not untoward or offensive. Who do you think you are?

Still waiting on final scores, but Utah had a fine vault rotation, though not a great rotation, not getting the sticks in those last few high-potential vaults. Too many full tenth hops in there to get any higher scores.

Utah 49.225, Georgia 49.125
Sloppiness early from Georgia in that rotation. Johnson has too many built-in errors in that routine to get a huge score, and then there was the fall from Vaculik. Jay and Rogers saved that one.

ROTATION 2:
Broussard - VT - solid dynamics on her full - another one with the full tenth hop back issue, also a bit off to the side. 9.825.

Partyka - UB - solid first hs - high jaeger, loses her toes but high - small leg break on that bail - hs look precise - step back on DLO and then another lean/slide into her salute, but I assume they'll just take for the one step. 9.825.

Johnson - VT - hop back on her full, a little more ragged than most of the vaults we've seen today, some piking, some leg separation - good distance. 9.800 seems a bit high for that.

Lewis - UB - good finish on full turn - high tkatchev - keeps her legs pretty werll on bail, just a small quiver - they've honed the hs - small hop-together salute on DLO, very clean one.

Marino - VT - solid 1.5, the usual three deductions - hop forward, off to the side, and crossed legs/soft knees. 9.875. 

Schwab - UB - her tkatchev is flatter than Lewis's - very pretty bail, good extension - wonderful hs before her stalder - sticks double tuck - clean, just wish they had a better option for her than that tkatchev - end of that routine was brilliant. 9.925.

Snead - VT - high floaty full and a very controlled landing - just a little hop up-in place landing it, so not a pure stick. Great height and easy twist - 9.900.

Lopez - UB - quick full turn, good finish position - very high tkatchev - her feet often cross going to the the low for that bail - two steps back on the DLO. Was going for a big score until that landing. She usually has more control than that. 9.900. Don't understand that for two steps back on dismount.

Rogers - VT - 1.5 - just the smallest shuffle this time, a quiver - everything else identical to last week's 10, so that will be a fun judging comparison - strong form in the postflight, just lands a bit legs apart. 9.925. So basically the same standard.

Hughes - UB - great full turn finish - her tkatchev that goes so high and so close and she always seems like she releases so late - great bail, clean - handstands look fine - sticks tuck full. 9.925. "I told you the judges were tough here." I can't even... 

Jay - VT - hops forward on her 1.5 - a bigger hop than we usually see from her.

Rowe - UB - Also great finish on her full turn - tkatchev, closeish - keeps her legs through that bail - sticks her DLO - DLO is a bit more whippy than some of the others on the team, not as floaty. Love that full turn, though. 9.950. A bit of judging the rotation order there as Hughes was probably better. They've honed those landings in the last couple routines, though, which they didn't do on vault. Got the sticks.

Just a few details in those Utah routines like crossed feet and losing toe point, (watch Brittany Rogers and then copy...) but they're starting to look postseason ready. They'd be happy bringing that bars rotation to regionals. Those tkatchevs still drive me crazy with their no counter-rotation, but it's a losing battle at this point. I'm screaming at a wall with that one. 

After 2: Utah 98.775, Georgia 98.500

LSU goes 49.475 on bars at TWU. Not watching, but TWU. Priessman 9.925. 49.125 for OSU on beam is a significant score for them.

ROTATION 3:
Partyka - BB - split to straddle 1/4, tight on straddle 1/4, short of 180 - fine side aerial - good full turn - smooth loso series and pretty solid on her extension there - switch + switch series is my arch nemesis - hers is OK, shorter in the first split than the second - 1.5 dismount, hop forward. 9.825.

Snead - FX - music trouble? - Making her wait until next century - whip to a high double back, chest a bit down but for a whip pass, we've seen much worse - excellent form on her rudi to split - switch - wolf full to popa - I know Amanda said Sydney but it sounded like she just called her Zippy, so there's that - secure double pike, chest low. 9.850.

Delaney - BB - falls on loso. Weird because it looked like she could hold it, but then she worked out of it too quickly and lost her balance - gainer loso is solid - I like how Jim said Utah "should" make regionals. Yeah, Utah might not make regionals you guys... -

Babalis - FX - whip to double tuck, slide back - good 180s on her split leap and split jump, a bit imprecise in finish position of twist but fine - front lay to front full, choreos out of it - good secure double pike to finish. 9.850.

Hughes - BB - solid loso series - hits full turn - working in a staccato fashion and a bit tight in her leaps in particular but resolutely not wobbling - side aerial to full with a hop back. Got through one of them. 9.850.

Reynolds - FX - Last week was not her FIRST EVER ROUTINE. No. Double pike - too distracted by that nonsense - 1.5 to layout, a bit slidey, bouncy on a couple of these landings, but fine - good switch side, popa could be more 180 - ragged legs in rudi.

Lopez - BB - better switch and straddle 1/4, more extension than the others - high loso and secure - no wobble on punch front - straddle 1/2, long pause before but fine - sticks 2/1, off to the side a bit - good one - actually one of her more solid beam routines. 9.950. Probably a tad highish, but I like that she was rewarded for her stronger leaps.  

Ah, yes, the annual game of "Which recent Utah grad already has a baby?"

Marino - FX - very secure DLO though it's usually a touch higher - good split full, hitting 180 - 1.5 to layout, perhaps a small slide forward there - also a little bouncy on her double pike - a good one, but less nailed than her usual. 9.825.

Rowe - BB - short back leg on switch - straddle 1/4 - three series into loso is secure - fine full turn - strong kickover front - larger bound forward on 1.5. 9.875, high given that dismount but the good hit for Lopez drove the scores up -

Box - FX - good high double pike -  1.5 to layout, choreos out of it as always - gets her usual height on all her passes - keeps that foot down on the double tuck. Strong.

Stover - BB - One routine left to get through - strong walkover to split jump, nice 180 - wobbles on her loso series - good full turn - switch and straddle, smallest bend after the straddle - gainer full was weird, low landing with a hop forward, which she really shouldn't be doing. It's a gainer full and she should stick that every time. Good one, but could have still managed 9.9 even with the wobble if not for the landing. 9.825.

Jay - FX - solid full out as always, low chest - front 2/1 to front tuck is excellent, great twisting form and high, solid on the front tuck - switch is fine, wolf 1.5 is probably the weakest part of the routine - half to front full is perhaps a bit flat, but should still work out a good score.

After 3: Utah 148.100, Georgia 147.775
Utah got through beam and so should be on the way for another higher 197. We'll see how floor is evaluated. Endured that one fall and the rest of the team was quite secure, highlight being Lopez for the solidity and the splits. Georgia fine on floor, but a few iffy landings in there, particularly on important scores like Marino's.

Oregon State easily on track to get the score needed to pass Stanford. Cal is already into the top-seeded session at Pac-12s with Utah and UCLA.
"Oklahoma is putting up 198s like they're nothing right now." One...

If this is a sell-out at Utah, why are there all these empty seats?

ROTATION 4:
Here we go, Georgia.

Jay - BB - good full turn - overtly breathing like crazy - solid side aerial - kickover front with a bend - she'll repeat the skill to get a series - does, pauses after the kickover but goes into the bhs, will probably get credit for it this time - small hop on 1.5.

Rowe - FX - small bounce back on double pike, good height - hits 180 on her split, but loses her feet - 2/1 to loso which goes straight up in the air, crossed legs on 2/1 - 1.5 to front tuck, JUST pulls around that front tuck, correcting instead of a layout, got no punch into that, squeaked it around. Still 9.850? 

Vaculik - BB - very good switch split - larger wobble on her loso series - another wobble on walkover - bends on side somi but holds it, these errors will add up - another small bend on full turn, side aerial to full small hop, did well to pull around that full as her back foot was a little off line after her aerial. 9.725. Could have been lower.

Merrell - FX - front 2/1 to front tuck - nice switch ring and split full, highlight of the routine (also why I want to see her on beam for them once she gets more comfortable, I think it's actually her best event, at least theoretically) - 2.5 to front tuck, also a bit crossed legs and doesn't get much punch into her front tuck, but pulled around comfortably - rudi, good chest position on that. 9.875.

Rogers - BB - small bend pause after walkover - tight switch 1/2 - bhs 1/1 is secure - much better on the loso series this week, solid and great extension - pushes up her bhs 3/4 stag - "Canada almost wasn't going to be in the Olympics..." Huh? - bhs 1.5, small hop to the side. They're through 3. 9.900. OK? I mean, love a Rogers, but...OK?

Lewis - FX - the full in is back and finally looks comfortable, chest up, a bit ragged feet in the air but not too bad - small slide on front full out of front lay, foot comes up - good straddle positions on her switch side and popa - solid double tuck. 9.925. Working up to Hughes, you can feel it already.

Babalis - BB - struggles/bends through that walkover to connect out of it - we'll see if she gets credit because it was a rough ride - great switch - long pause before kickover front, but secure into beat jump - punch front 1/1, hop forward. 9.850.

Stover - FX - front 2/1, major struggle landing, stumble, loses form, and step to the side - front layout front full, also with a slightly awkward step, but better - low front leg on switch ring, which is weird for her, good split leap position - rudi to her knees? Ish? Knees brushed. She was off on all those passes right from the start. What even was that? 9.300.

Broussard - BB - very secure one-arm bhs to loso - soft leg form in it but solid - great switch and straddle - solid side aerial, but into split jump wobbles with the leg flying up - sticks gainer full - will still be a useful full but a silly tight error on a split jump. 9.850.

Schwab - FX - bounces back on that double pike, less control than usual, another step after the slide - 1.5 to layout is stronger - straddles look fine, she could probably do something a bit more difficult than straddle skills - sticks 2.5 very well. 9.925, even with the bounce back.

Box - BB - Good tuck jump full - excellent loso series, high and secure as usual - short on her switch and straddle again - "Baely Rowe's moonwalk" and then every Georgia fan begins bleeding from the eye - walkover to beat jump no trouble - sticks 1.5. there you go. 9.950.

Hughes - FX - small bounce back on double pike - good split full and wolf positions, getting her 180s much easier than on beam, obviously - 1.5 to layout, good rise in that layout - great stick on double tuck. 10.000. They gave that score before she even went. Didn't have the control on the first pass to merit it. They had been pretty good tonight.

Important beam rotation for Georgia, even if inflated. Six hits, five of them pretty good.

FINAL: Utah 197.675, Georgia 197.125

LSU 197.825, Oregon State 196.550,

That will put Oreson State's RQS at 196.450. Washington cannot reach that tonight, so OSU and Cal will join Utah and UCLA in the top Pac-12 session. Auburn got a high enough score yesterday to eliminate Georgia from SEC evening contention. 



35 comments:

  1. On Uverse all the meets are listed as college gymnastics (men's) and women's college gymnastics. It's sexist but more important it's annoying and confusing. On another note, I think Sharaya does a pretty good job commentating.

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  2. Beam judges are on xanax... I want to be as happy as them

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  3. If the individual events are eliminated from NCAAs, does that also mean there are no individual qualifiers out of regionals? Will it just be the 12 teams advancing and no individuals? I would hate to see an athlete like Lindsay Mable fail to qualify her senior year. Or if some of the top teams fail to qualify, I would hate to see an athlete like Ivana Hong, Caitlin Atkinson, Danusia Francis, Brandie Jay, etc. fail to move on in their last year.

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  4. I'm pretty sure they still qualify; it's just that they decide individual event titles and honors based on the results in prelims.

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  5. Yup. See here: http://www.ncaa.com/championships/gymnastics-women/nc/road-to-the-championship

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  6. UGH....looks like Giana O'Connor hurt herself on her last pass on floor (possible Achilles?). Bad news for Illinois.

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  7. Huge 197 for Nebraska today should move them into the top 12, right?

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  8. That's what I have, too. Everybody under them who you might think would be within range has already competed except Oregon State, currently 19th. Even if they max out their RQS at their meet today at TWU, they can't pass Nebraska - that would put their RQS at 196.51, currently good for 13th, right behind Nebraska, currently in 12th.

    And then it'll all change again next week ;).

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  9. Does anyone have that link to the website to watch the pac 12 meets? I can't get the site to work

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  10. Meanwhile, Bowling Green went 196.500 today. I'm probably the only BG alum on here, but whatever. Go Falcon Gym!

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  11. Which PAC 12 network is this meet on? I have some basketball thing on the Network and a repeat of Stanford v. Utah on the Mountain Network.

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  12. I can't get it either. Went thru PAC-12 app but seeing same as you b

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  13. damn... anyone have a pac-12 link with gymnastics and NOT basketball?

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    1. I'm SUPER SAD that I can't watch this meet. This has seriously been the meet I've been waiting for all season. Utah and UGA are my two favorite teams and now the PAC 12 Network just sucks.

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    2. I've got nothing. I see the basketball thing on network and the mountain one doesn't even work for me

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    3. It worked for me when I logged in through the website of my cable provider and streamed it there! The Pac-12 Network is still showing basketball.

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    4. Oh I'm on the east coast so my cable provider doesn't have any of the pac 12 meets :(

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  14. AND I can't get the live stats to work. Utah is usually so good about these things, but this meet is a big fail for gymnastics fans.

    If anyone can actually watch the meet, please let us know. Is it on the Network? Mountain?

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  15. I don't get why Cherrey is out of the bars lineup. I also don't get why they are suddenly moving people around in the lineup now, after it remained the same like the whole season.

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    1. It was my understanding that Vaculik was not comfortable in a leadoff role, which is why she moved back in both the UB and BB rotations. I suspect Cherrey hasn't been hitting in practice. I, too, liked her over Johnson in the UB lineup.

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  16. I think the PAC 12 network took xrxs off the air. I suspect they cracked down prior to March Madness; thus, that's why all the xrxs links are of either old videos and/or are not working at all. It sucks for gymnastics fans. It's a sport that typically has a younger fan base and very few televised meets (compared to other sports). If the PAC 12 Network would just get off their high horse and cut a deal with Direct TV and Verizon, so many people would be happy. Seriously, you are not as valuable as the SEC Network or Big Ten Network, so cut your subscription fees and sign a freaking deal already.

    There should be an option to sign up for a fee based subscription or an option to pay to watch individual meets.

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  17. Live stats seem to be working now at least. Agreed that there should at least be an option to pay to watch meets! This is obnoxious.

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  18. Scores for Utah are updating now. The feeds at twigs seem to be old ones (you can go up or back through about 3 hours of feed) - so maybe they'll come back online at some point . . .

    Scores at TWU look like they may be about what you would expect for senior night at TWU . . . which is good for LSU. Oregon State's beam scores are more normal, though, 9.775-9.85.

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  19. Yes on the pay business! I signed up for sling just so I could get their sports package, which includes the SEC meets. Add in Pac12 & I'd be very happy!

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  20. Gnat got a 10 on floor. LSU goes 49.625.

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  21. UW livestream is up (introductions right now). http://pac-12.com/live/university-washington (hosting Denver & SPU)

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  22. LSU 197.825, OSU 196.55, UNH 193.8, TWU 193.0

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  23. UW beats Denver - 196.65 to 196.325; UW will move to 17th (196.36 RQS), and Denver will stay in 10th (RQS 196.645, not enough to catch UCLA).

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. Georgia-Utah feed is working now - go back to beginning of what's up at twigs. I didn't try network, but it's on the mountain feed.

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  26. http://media.twigs76.com/pac12/lf3/mountain.php

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  27. Apparently Maddy Stover injured her shoulder during her beam routine (which explains the weird dismount, and the floor routine). Huge loss for the Utes if she can't return. Kari lee and now Stover... doesn't bode well to have their best two beamers out. Delaney hasn't been super consistent, and Merell, the likely replacement, has been a little wobbly all year. Also who goes on floor? Stover was a fill in on floor, but Partyka has been out for three straight meets so if she can't come back then who?? Utah was the favorite for PAC 12s, but with this recent development, things should get interesting.

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  28. Big 5 meet 2 airs on BTN today.

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