It’s the time of the season for the Metroplex Challenge! This year’s iteration will feature top-ranked Oklahoma, Denver, Missouri and Arkansas, which is sure to make for an exciting meet. As I look at the teams here, most of them aren’t too far from this meet, so we’ll see how the fans travel.
Since this meet is behind the FloPro pay wall, we’ve got you covered here with all the important action. As of now there is no live stats link, so I’ll do my best to keep track of scores as well.
Oklahoma is at the top of the rankings once again, but struggled on floor last week. The Sooners will want to prove that rotation was just a fluke. The team rested phenom Maggie Nichols, who is dealing with a bruised heel, last week so be sure to watch to see if she is back in action—although we’ve heard she’s not expected to be.
Denver, like Oklahoma, is looking to rebound. Although the Pioneers managed to break 196 in their home opener, their performance left much to be desired. A disastrous beam rotation held the Pioneers back last week, and they will certainly want to improve upon that performance. The team left lineups unchanged last week, but if the meet notes are any indication, it looks like we’ll get a shakeup on beam in hopes of better results: Alexandria Ruiz will go in for Courtney Loper, which will mark her collegiate all around debut if it holds.
Missouri has also had an up-and-down season thus far. It’s peaked at 196.45 but has gone as low as the high 194s. No matter which Missouri team we get, it’s bound to make this meet interesting in some way or another. If you watch for any of its gymnasts, be sure to keep an eye on Britney Ward and Madeleine Huber. In Tiger injury news, we saw freshman Hannah McCrary in a boot on the sidelines last meet—her status is uncertain.
Arkansas isn’t off to a great start, either. After scoring in the 195s for the first two weeks, the Razorbacks had a meet to forget last week at Kentucky, not even breaking 194. If you would have told me that at this point Missouri would be ranked ahead of this Arkansas team, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are. The majority of its freshman class is still working back from injury, but Kennedy Hambrick has been a light. Sydney McGlone is back, and Jessica Yamzon, Sophia Carter and Sarah Shaffer don’t disappoint either.
Intros are complete and the meet is about to begin!
Arkansas was gracious enough to put together live stats. BLESS.
Arkansas lineups:Â https://twitter.com/RazorbackGym/status/1089333442582593536
And Denver’s:Â https://twitter.com/DU_Gymnastics/status/1089332539704123392
OU’s in its icicle leo:Â https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1089335812603478016
New Denver leo alert! https://twitter.com/DU_Gymnastics/status/1089338512145637376
Rotation 1
OU’s VT lineup:Â https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1089337912313999362
Yamzon (Ark, UB) – nice dismount to close
Sundstrom (DU, FX) – nice finish, but didn’t catch much else due to buffering
my stream keeps buffering, bear with me here
Webb (OU, VT) – y1.5, a little underrotated and a step, but not bad by any means
Kern (DU, FX) – lay lay full controlled; again buffering ugh; closing double tuck maybe a little short but lands decently well
Degouveia had a nice 1.5 too.
Dowell (OU, VT) – 1.5, basically stuck. very lovely!
Garner (Ark, UB) – solid gienger direct to bail; short on handstand into blind full double tuck, good landing there.
Schou (DU, FX) – this leo is GORG in motion! opening front double full good; 1.5 to lay good; switch ring to switch side good extension; fhs rudi nice, that might have been her best landing.
Karr – reins in double pike, leg came up; 1.5 to lay full better! leap series nice; fhs rudi nice. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the first pass, the rest was good.
Ward (Miz, BB) – switch leap to pike jump good; secure full turn; cat leap side aerial secure; arm circle to try to hold stick, ends up taking a small step.
Brown (DU, FX) – DLO, SO. MUCH. POWER. leap series to immediate drop to ground. so fun! 1.5 to lay to split jump good; definitely the highlight of the DU floor squad; double pike a lil short and steps forward. good overall.
Arkansas also debuting a new leo:Â https://twitter.com/RazorbackGym/status/1089344074556104704
Glynn EXH FX – does the same type of double pike bounce as Karr; 1.5 to front tuck, I think that’s usually a layout so she must have felt the need to tuck it; super deep landing on double tuck
After 1:
OU 49.5
DU and Ark 48.925
Miz 48.825
OU was obviously the star of the rotation. Denver was plagued by some iffy landings on floor, Missouri looked solid on beam from what I saw, and Arkansas was solid on bars too.
Rotation 2
OU bars:Â https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1089345186487037953 Nichols is back, Thomas remains in.
Bower (Miz, FX) – nice opening double pike; leap series nice; if you didn’t know, she’s Allan Bower’s sister! 1.5 to lay good; double tuck, secure and clean. Nice leadoff!
Schou (DU, VT) – yfull, small hop. solid.
Thomas (OU, UB) – great opening first hs; good straddled jaeger to bail; dlo, just a step. Good to see her making lineups! Not easy to do at OU.
Karr (DU, VT) – y.15, small hop. she’ll get that landing eventually, not bad at all for this time of the season!
Dowell (OU, UB) – ends with a nice DLO, just a step.
Brown (DU, VT) – another dynamic y1.5, steps forward. she tends to step, Karr tends to hop if they don’t stick.
Lehrmann (OU, UB) – solid first hs; jaeger good; little archy bail but hangs in there; ftdt with a tiny foot movement.
Carter (Ark, BB) – this looks like Carter, I missed most of it but the dismount was good!
Nichols (OU, UB) – she’s baaack! great opening hs to ray to pak lovely; van leeuwen nice, great form too. Sticks DLO! great routine for her.
Porter (Miz, FX) – secure opening double pike; 1.5 to lay to kick back, good; split to popa lovely; bounces out of double tuck. good up until then!
Missed the beginning of the routine, but Burton had a solid ending to her beam routine for Ark.
Tucker (Miz, FX) – tucked half in half out, some leg form but good landing; double twist to loso pretty; closing double pike, nice and secure. good routine!
After 2:
OU 98.9
DU 98.175
Mizzou 97.925
Ark 97.325
Well Arkansas is counting a fall on beam, but the hits were good hits. Not surprising that OU still leads, though Dowell had a mistake evidently that resulted in a 9.25. Denver had a solid vault rotation and Missouri’s floor looked good from what I saw! 49.1 for it, not bad Mizzou! Onto rotation 3!
Rotation 3
OU beam:Â https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1089352109173166080
Huber (Miz, VT) – yfull, hop in place. good leadoff.
Ruiz (DU, UB) – good first hs; solid tkatchev to good hs; bail to hs nice; good last hs too, DLO a little close to the bar and has to whip around, took a step for sure, maybe a few little ones.
Porter (Miz, VT) – yfull, hop back, a little preflight leg form
Sundstrom (DU, UB) – bail to hs good; another DLO, a little short, takes a couple small steps.
Glynn (DU, UB) – good first hs; clear hip gienger lovely to bail hs; maybe a hair short on last hs; smalllll hop on ftdt dismount.
Hambrick (Ark, FX) – double tuck, too much power so bounce lunges; combo pass secure; good leap extension; nice closing double pike. good routine!
Karr (DU, UB) – good first hs; good gienger straight to bail, her usual performance; good last hs; stuck DLO. That was as good if not better as her 9.975 last week.
Showers (OU, BB) – nice from what I see so far; bhs loso secure; solid leap series; front toss, balance check there; stuck gainer full, solid overall!
Webb (OU, BB) – I’m such a fan of her beam – so pretty! secure full turn, bhs loso good; cat leap front aerial solid; switch split good; lay full dismount stuck. great routine!
Carter (Ark, FX) – stuck double tuck! and you gotta love Phantom of the Opera floor music; combo pass, also nearly stuck, just a shuffle; leaps look good to me; aaah also basically stuck her double pike! another foot shuffle. great routine for her!
Dowell (OU, BB) – love love love that she’s finally making the beam lineup after three years of solely doing VT/UB/FX! front aerial to back pike good; switch switch secure; full turn secure; full twisting bhs, does it like it’s easy! nice and secure; small hop forward on lay full. great routine! OH JK she apparently exhibitioned. OU pulled a fast one on me!
After 3:
OU 148.4
DU 147.4
Miz 147.2
Ark 146.575
OU had an OU beam rotation, that’s all you need to know that it was good. Arkansas looked good on floor from the routines on floor, and I was impressed with Missouri’s vaults. Denver did its typical stellar bars, though the landings weren’t quite there tonight. One more!
Rotation 4
OU floor:Â https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1089359658924605440
Webb (OU, FX) – fhs double twist good; 1.5 to lay full with good landing; her extension is lovely; fhs rudi maybe a tad short but lands ok.
Ruiz (DU, BB) – bhs loso solid; I love her demeanor on beam; check on full turn; side aerial split jump nice; stuck gainer pike. Nice lineup debut for her!
McGlone (Ark, VT) – good yfull, nearly had the stick but settles for a step.
Sundstrom (DU, BB) – looking for redemption this week…switch switch half check, beat jump; full turn good; bhs loso fights for the landing, a little check; gainer pike, small hop. It’s a hit, which she’ll enjoy after last week. Gets a big hug from head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart!
Porter (Miz, UB) – good first hs; nice straddled jaeger; next hs good; bail to hs, some form; double front, step back. good routine.
Vasquez (DU, BB) – sissone LOVELY; side aerial to stuck lay full. Wish I caught the rest of the routine because she’s so exquisite on beam.
Karr (DU, BB) – also looking to bounce back on beam. side aerial bhs, she’s off again…never expected her to miss two weeks in a row; another huge bobble on side somi but holds on; another check on her leap series; stuck 1.5. she’ll want to put that one behind her.
Schou (DU, BB) – she’s been their rock; front aerial bhs los foot up but stays on; check after sheep jump; bhs stuck gainer full, another hit.
Dowell (OU, FX) – landed first pass well, couldn’t tell what it was as I caught the tail end of it; combo pass good; lay lay full stag jump good.
Trautman (OU, FX) – BIG DLO to open; good landing; she’s the next big thing for OU; good combo pass; closing double tuck, plenty of time to get it around and find the landing!
LaPinta (OU, FX) EXH – triple full, too much power so kind of bounce steps, some legs; combo pass solid, maybe a little archy and short on lay; secure, high double tuck. Great exhibition, shows how much depth OU has.
FINAL
OU 197.975
DU 196.35
Miz 196.2
Ark 195.825
Metroplex did not disappoint! OU closed with a great floor rotation, Denver improved on beam but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Those last two will steady out soon (Schou is usually rock solid, so I’m sure she’ll return to that soon). I largely missed Arkansas vault, but judging by scores it was a solid rotation, and Missouri bars was good from what I saw. A nice bounce back meet for all four. There’s still much to be improved on, but it’s still early in the season.
Live blog by Tara Graeve
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