LIVE BLOG: No. 26 Pittsburgh, No. 48 Eastern Michigan and No. 56 Rutgers at No. 45 Michigan State

If the likes of Metroplex feel like too much for you after the SEC madness last night, this quad should be a good alternative—though we will be live blogging Mextroplex as well if you can handle two quads at once.

Pittsburg is the favorite here, led by the all around duo of freshman Haley Brechwald and senior transfer Catie Conrad, who will face her old Eastern Michigan teammates for the first time. If Pittsburgh has an off day, though, Michigan State could take the home win. Depth has been a question for the Spartans, but new gymnasts have come back from injury every week, so look for fresh faces in lineups again tonight. Rutgers also has the pieces to put up a solid score if the Scarlet Knights can hit consistently, something they haven’t done yet this year. EMU will be looking to add a decent road score, relying on three all arounders—Emili Dobronics, Megan Hultgren and Kendal Valentin—to get there.

Injury report: MSU’s Anne Maxim hasn’t seen a lineup since week one, though it is unknown whether she is injured. 

Quick note about format: if they show all four at once, I’ll do my best to get you as many routines as possible. If this is going to be a single-routine-at-a-time quad, I’ll blog everything I see!

March in just happening now, so we’ll be starting late. If you’re surprised, you must be new to non-SEC meets.

Update: Ally Hoyer (MSU) is in a boot, which explains her continued absence from lineups.

Can’t see much yet, but Pitt’s leos look AMAZING even from far away. Very pink and very sparkly.

https://twitter.com/Pitt_GYM/status/957407105631256576

Rotation 1: MSU vault, Rutgers bars, Pitt beam, EMU floor

Anna Gamelo (MSU): FTY, stuck, but not a ton of amplitude. Good start. 9.775

Lucy Jones (Pitt): off on her bhs loso. We’re mostly only getting MSU coverage, so I’m sneaking peeks at everyone else when I can. 8.725

Tessa Jaranowski (MSU): Handspring pike, hands down. 9.175

Devin Herbine (Pitt): Solid bhs loso. Nice gainer pike off the end, secure landing. 9.725

Ashley Beatty (MSU): FTY, better amplitude, step back. 9.65

Allie Smith (EMU): FHS front full front pike, solid. RO 1.5 front lay, no problems. 9.825

Roya Shirley (MSU): FTY, stuck. Best amplitude yet. 9.825

Michelina Lupinetti (MSU): FTY, started twisting a little early, but nailed the landing. 9.775

Lea Mitchell (MSU): FTY, gorgeous body position. 9.825

Kirsten Gendron (EMU): Double tuck, drops chest and bounces forward out. Back 1.5 punch front, solid landing. Could perform her dance a little more. Fhs rudi to finish, really nice body in the air.

Jada Rondeau (EMU): Very high double pike, no landing problems. Front lay barani split jump, great control. Rudi to end, nice, missed the middle while we were on beam.

Megan Tripp (Pitt): Front aerial, and she’s off, that’s Pitt’s third fall. Not how you want to start.

Apparently we just don’t get to see bars at all, so my apologies to Rutgers.

Megan Marino (EMU): Double pike, chest a little low. Ring leap split full, nice. FHS front full front lay, toes and knees in the air. Suhshenova, always love to see those. Double tuck, better chest but runs backward out, maybe 3 tenths.

Catie Conrad (Pitt): Split + sheep, nice. Side aerial + full, great landing.

Live scoring is losing its mind, so I’ll update when that settles down.

Megan Benzie (EMU): Double pike, some form in the air but high! Switch side popa, nice, think she got the popa all they way around. Front lay front full, uncontrolled step out. Double tuck, good landing.

After one: We don’t have scores! Yay!

Who needs scores anyway. MSU’s vault rotation was solid, on an event where the Spartans usually struggle, that’s great to see. Pitt with three falls off the bat is a little concerning. Hopefully the team can bounce back on floor. The bits and pieces we saw from EMU looked pretty solid, though there are definitely places to clean up toes and steps. Unfortunately, we saw none of Rutgers on bars.

OKAY, scores came in.

MSU: 48.85, EMU: 48.9, Pitt: 47.15, Rutgers: 47.875

Rotation 2: EMU vault, MSU bars, Rutgers beam, Pitt floor

Dani Hall (Pitt): Doulbe pike, really high. Straddle + double stag, pretty. Missed the middle for Shirley’s bars. 1.5 + punch front, really didn’t get the punch but stayed on her feet.

Roya Shirley (MSU): Tkatchev, bail. Toe handstand double tuck, small step. Nice overall.

Catie Conrad (Pitt): Her Lion King routine! 1.5 + punch layout, didn’t get the height on the lay. Switch switch, little lacking in the split. She really performs this routine. FHS front full front pike, might have landed with some toes out, and the full was a little off in the air. FHS rudi, much better twisting position.

Long wait on bars and instead of seeing one of three routines happening, we’re seeing people wait. I love it.

Tristain Brown (MSU): Clear hip hand nice, Tkatchev, bail handstand, not really handstand. Giant full double tuck, step backward.

Sophia Bochenek (Pitt): Double pike, huge, big step back. Switch 1/1 split 1/1, nice. Rudi, lovely. 1.5 punch lay, ah, finally someone gets a great punch front out of a pass! Nice.

Tessa Jaranowski (MSU): Giant full double tuck, stuck! Instead of the beginning of the routine we saw the ceiling. Classic.

Charli Spivey (Pitt): 2.5 punch front, didn’t get any punch and sits it. Double tuck, much better.

Lea Mitchell (MSU): Church, bail handstand nice. Good last handstand, giant full double tuck stuck. Nice routine.

Jessica Ling (MSU): Hect mount, clear hip handstand + Geinger, great combo. Bail handstand, solid. Full-in, stuck cold. Great routine. MSU is on a roll.

Bell Huang (RU): HEY we finally get some Rutgers. RO double twist dismount, pretty, just a small step.

Hailee Westney (MSU): Maloney, Ray HUGE. Pak, great lines. Stalder toe on front half dismount, stuck again! These are real sticks, too. Nice.

Haley Brechwald (Pitt): BIG full twisting double back, good landing. Tour jete full wolf full, low front leg on the wolf. 1.5 front lay, leg sep on the layout. Double tuck, chest a little low and she has to step forward. Much better rotation for Pitt.

After 2: MSU: 97.725, EMU: 97.65, RU: 96.15, Pitt: 95. 8

MSU’s bars looked great. Just some steps and handstands to finesse, but it’s only January. Pitt had a much better floor rotation, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the rough start on beam, so they’ll have work to do in the second half. We didn’t really get any Rutgers or EMU, but it looks like Rutgers counted a 9.4, while EMU put up a solid 9.7-level vault rotation.

The replays during the touch keep showing falls, which is…something.

Rotation 3: Pitt vault, EMU bars, MSU beam, RU floor

Jules Schwartz (EMU): Giant half, bail, toe shoot to high. Double lay, stuck!

Victoria Huehn (MSU): Pretty chin stand mount. Switch + split + beat jump, nice control. Front aerial back tuck, wobbles and has to pick a foot up but stays on. Front toss, solid. Standing gainer layout full off the end, nice.

Belle Huang (RU): FHS double full, crossed feet but nice landing, got it around. FHS rudi loso, nice. Switch ring split full.

Michelina Lupinetti (MSU): Front toss beat jump, solid. Bhs loso, knees in the bhs. Cat leap switch half, nice. Bhs 1.5 stuck landing, better knees this time. Very nice.

Shannon Farrell (RU): Double tuck, really nice landing, drops right into it. Double twist, pretty, bounces a little on the landing. Switch + switch half no problems. Split full wolf full, not the prettiest wolf position. 1.5 punch pike, some knees in the pike.

Lea Mitchell (MSU): Bhs bhs loso, solid. Pretty in the air. Split + split 1/4 didn’t quite get the full 180 on the first jump. Side aerial tuck full, stuck landing. Pretty routine.

Ashley Beatty (MSU): Front toss back tuck, tiny wobble, but that’s a fun series. Split + sheep, knees apart but good landing. Gainer pike off the end, little step and some knees.

Makenzey Shank (RU): High double pike, lands easily. Double tuck, sky high. Missed the middle for Beatty beam, but she really dances this ending!

Roya Shirley (MSU): Bhs loso, and she falls. Was off from the loso takeoff. Split beat double stag, so pretty. She seems a little rattled. Small checks. Front toss, small bobble. Gainer full off the side, good way to end.

BIG cheers from Rutgers on floor for a 9.9 from Jenna Rizkalla.

Hailee Westney (MSU): Double turn, so solid and fast. Bhs loso no problems. Side aerial solid, she looks confident. Switch + split, just some back foot form. Gainer layout off the end, good landing. Hmmmmmm 9.5 is perplexing to me.

Tristian Brown (MSU – exhibition): Bhs loso, knees but solid. Switch half, not quite 180. Beat jump split 3/4, drops her chest. RO 1.5, good landing. That’s a usable lineup routine, if she can get those splits cleaned up.

After 3: MSU: 146.175, EMU: 146.025, RU: 145.3, Pitt: 144.375

MSU is having a great meet. Not counting any major mistakes yet, which is great. EMU is also moving along nicely. Both teams should put up a good fight for this one. Rutgers made up some ground with an outstanding floor rotation. Pitt though, was just too far out of it after beam to catch back up.

Rotation 4: RU vault, Pitt bars, EMU beam, MSU floor

Brittini Chappell (MSU): Tour jete full. Double tuck, high and nice landing. Tour jete half split full, pretty toes in the jumps! Front lay front full, little arch. Nice two pass routine!

Megan Hultgren (EMU): Bhs loso nice. Split  + sheep, tiniest bobble. Side aerial full, nice landing.

Tristian Brown (MSU): Floor theme is a “businesswoman obsessed with time”; this is what happens when your HC is a musical theatre person I suppose! Double pike, chest low. 1.5 punch lay, some knees. Tour jete half popa, gorgeous split and toes. Double tuck, good landing.

Brianna Price (EMU): Bhs double twist dismount! Pretty!

Missed a Pitt bar routine, APOLOGIES PITT.

Ashley Beatty (MSU): Double tuck, very high and great landing. Front full punch pike, little foot slide. Switch ring, wolf full popa, traveled really far on the ring and lost some momentum. Rudi, chest really low, and knees in the air.

Emili Dobronics (EMU): Pike 3/4 very cool! RO 1.5 just a hop.

Drew Hendershot (MSU): Back from an elbow injury, her first routine of the season. Double pike, nice landing. Tour jete half wolf full, low front leg. “She is supposed to be a mermaid underwater who has just gown her legs.” Front lay rudi, really pretty twist.

Jada Rondeau (EMU): RO 1.5, pretty just a step forward.

Roya Shirley (MSU): She is intensely focused and it works with the choreo. Double pike HUGE. Double tuck, chest a little low. She does both passes without a bhs. Tour jete half wolf full. 1.5 punch lay, little low and has to arch the lay but makes it through.

Lea Mitchell (MSU): Fun choreo and she performs well. Front through to a double tuck, solid. Fhs front full front pike. Switch side popa double stag half, really nice. Fun jump series with the stag on the end. Double pike, nice landing. Great routine! Love freshman anchors.

EMU exhibition (no name announced): bhs loso, just a small bobble. Switch + straddle quarter, pretty. Cat leap front toss, steps forward out and drops a shoulder. Gainer full off the side, stuck. That’s a pretty routine!

FINAL: MSU: 195.525, EMU: 194.95, RU: 194.225, Pitt: 193.125

MSU and EMU will be very happy with this performance. Both teams looked very prepared. We didn’t see much of Rutgers, but their floor rotation was wonderful and they should be proud of that and build from there. Pitt’s early beam struggles were just too much to come back from, despite solid performances on the other three.

Event winners:

VT: Roya Shirley, Lea Mitchell, Deven Herbine, Sophia Atienza, Michelle Amoresano, 9.825

UB: Hailee Westney, 9.875

BB: Lacey Rubin, Catie Conrad, 9.85

FX: Jenna Rizkalla, 9.9

AA: 1. Lea Mitchell, 39.325; Emili Dobronics, 38.9; Libby Groden, 38.8


Live blog by Emily Minehart

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