By numbers this meet should be pretty close—and I’d even say that California is the better team—but I can’t imagine any outcome but a decisive Oregon State win. I’m not sure whether that’s a statement of faith in Oregon State’s X-factor this season or its home scoring. I guess we’ll find out at the end.
That said, both teams are close to overcoming the struggles that defined the beginning of their seasons—fitting freshmen into lineups for the Bears, fielding a full bars lineup of 10.0 starts for the Beavers—and they’re in a good, stable position to build. We could see fireworks today.
Well, we’re off to a slow start because there was a technical issue on bars. On the bright side, it’s really enjoyable to watch Justin Howell and Brian Amato work together to try and fix it.
ROTATION 1: OREGON STATE VAULT, CALIFORNIA BARS
SINGLEY – OSU: Solid full, not huge, larger hop back. Traveled back more than up. In slow mo her knees bent on the table too. 9.75
SO. SEILNACHT – CAL: Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, on the lower side but clean. Rudi, stuck but bent way forward to hang onto it. 9.825
L. DAGEN – OSU: Twisting on hard, lands slightly off square and has a big hop back but lots of amplitude. 9.75
GEORGE – CAL: Nice Tkachev, bail okay, can’t tell from this angle if she made the handstand. Toe on, FTDB dismount stuck with an arm swing to hold it. NICE. 9.8
M. DAGEN – OSU: FANTASTIC full, maybe a touch of pike in the air but huge and stuck. 9.85
JONES – CAL: What? You’re not Kuc. Pak is typically archy, FTDB with a little leg sep as usual and a hop. 9.825
Stream skipped Yanish on vault.
WATTERSON – CAL: Just saw a blind full double back, stuck. 9.875
JACOBSEN – OSU: Tsuk full, usual pike in the air and flung out a touch but almost stuck. 9.875
SCHANK – CAL: Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, stunning, double layout, little step back to salute. 9.85
DAVIS – OSU: Interesting to see her back in the lineup and immediately anchoring. Twisting on, Yurchenko full, comes in short with a step forward. 9.7
BORDAS – CAL: Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, comes in way high and almost buckles but keeps it moving, blind full double back and doesn’t kick out perfectly, small step forward, but it’s little stuff at this point. 9.85
SINGLEY – OSU: Repeating because there was a camera flash the first time. It’s better, just a little hop back. 9.85
CALIFORNIA 49.200 – OREGON STATE 49.125
That extra tenth off of Singley is a godsend for the Beavers. Cal will be pretty happy with that rotation score. Apparently Kuc was struggling on her dismount in touch and then missed it again in exhibition so it makes sense that she’d be replaced.
ROTATION 2: CALIFORNIA VAULT, OREGON STATE BARS
SY. SEILNACHT – CAL: Lower, pikey Yurchenko full but stuck. Slow mo shows some leg sep on the table too. 9.750
YAMAOKA – OSU: Toe on to Maloney, bail, blind full double back with a little hop. Great. 9.750
JONES – CAL: Solid full, some bits of form but decent amplitude. 9.8
JACOBSEN – OSU: Tkachev to overshoot, blind to double front off to one side but almost stuck, step to salute.
MASTRANGELO – CAL: Really nice full. Tiny hop on the landing, best one yet, just great in the air. 9.825
LOWERY – OSU: Short on first handstand, toe on to Maloney, weird catch, Pak. Double lay stuck. 9.85
CLAUSI – CAL: One and a half, comes up short, a big step back but keeps it alive. 9.725
COLUSSI-PELAEZ – OSU: High on the Jaeger, catches it way up and close, has to really muscle her way back into the routine. Double lay with the usual stick. 9.875 LOL.
WILLIAMS – CAL: Twisting on but huge dynamic full, hop in place. 9.875
BRISCOE – OSU: Also a little close on her Jaeger but not crazy. Short on her DLO, that’s unusual, dive forward. 9.825
GEORGE – CAL: The usual, really pretty, midsize hop. They’re putting her in the anchor because she stuck once and it was fantastic but I don’t know if it’s happening again any time soon. 9.85
GILL – OSU: Short on the first HS. Toe on to Maloney, big leg sep and bent arms on the Pak. Things got a touch weird on the LB, double lay with leg sep but stuck. 9.825
OREGON STATE 98.325 – CALIFORNIA 98.300
Well, Oregon State should absolutely not be leading. Pretty rocky end to the bars rotation there and just not penalized at all. Cal was okay not great on vault. It’s probably over for the Bears at this point, they need a huge margin not to be eclipsed by OSU floor crack.
ROTATION 3: OREGON STATE BEAM, CALIFORNIA FLOOR
SINGLEY – OSU: Split double stag, arm swing. BHS LOSO, hip bend check. Full turn, kickover front, side scale <3, gainer full step back. 9.775
SO. SEILNACHT – CAL: Front lay front Rudi double stag. Pretty leaps that I forgot to ID, one and a half Barani to split stuck. One and a half front pike. 9.725
MCP – OSU: Funny to see you here. Full turn, front something, BHS LOSO a little tentative but good. Nice leaps, side aerial full, stuck. Really nice. She competes beam about once a century so that’s really impressive. 9.8
MASTRANGELO – CAL: Vomiting emoji for Hands Clap. Took the full in out, just a double pike. One and a half front lay STUCK, gorgeous, switch side Popa. Two and a half, bit deep but controlled step forward. Really really good despite the downgrade. 9.75
M. DAGEN – OSU: BHS LOSO good. Switch switch half beat, little short but nothing crazy. Forgot to write about the rest but nice and clean.
SHU – CAL: Not sure why she’s here. Double back, double pike, pulls the front foot on both, one and a half front lay and sits it.
GILL – OSU: Front aerial BHS, really pretty, switch half to beat. Gainer full stuck.
GEORGE – CAL: Front thru Rudi, gorgeous. Switch ring to tour jete half, front double full lovely. Rudi again to close. Awesome.
L. DAGEN – OSU: Switch switch side, check. Front aerial to split, BHS LOSO and an arm adjustment. Full turn, gainer pike close to the beam but stuck.
CLAUSI – CAL: Amazing full in, small lunge, switch side wolf full. Front double full, beautiful and dances out. One and a half front lay. 9.9!!
LAZARO – OSU: Everything is so pretty that I forgot to talk about it. Little check on her series. Full turn, side aerial back full STUCK. 9.9
WILLIAMS – CAL: So powerful, front lay front full, double pike… off on the takeoff, oh no. Looks like an Achilles. Awful.
ROTATION 4: CALIFORNIA BEAM, OSU FLOOR
GEORGE – CAL: Wolf turn, Front aerial BHS with an arm swing in the middle, question mark there. Gainer full dsmt great. 9.75
JACOBSEN – OSU: Double pike great. One and a half front lay, tour jete half split full. Rudi comes in short, step forward. 9.8
CLAUSI – CAL: Switch switch, so confident, BHS LOSO fabulous. Full turn, beat side aerial back full stuck. GREAT. 9.875
M. DAGEN – OSU: Double back great. No idea what her leap series is since we only saw her upper arms and I don’t memorize those. Double pike, rebound back, stays in bounds. Front lay front full, bounces forward a bit.
KEELEN – CAL: BHS LOSO, really nice. Split and ring, leg up really quickly and gets it back. One and a half twist great.
SINGLEY – OSU: Front thru double back, double pike feels short but jumps to lunge okay. Switch ring switch half, Rudi to finish.
SO. SEILNACHT – CAL: BHS LOSO, still looks pretty emotional. Check on her leap series, all right dismount.
FORCE – OSU: Double pike, slightly overpowered but keeps it in. Great leaps, front lay front full. Double back, also way overpowered with two steps back and flirting with the line.
SHU – CAL: Front aerial BHS, got it. Cat leap side somi, switch split. Full turn, Side aerial tuck back full stuck. Solid.
LOWERY – OSU: Front double full great, one and a half front lay, STUCK her Rudi, fantastic.
BORDAS – CAL: She’s looked like she’s going to die for most of this rotation. If she can get through this it’ll be huge. Switch switch wonky as usual, BHS LOSO all right. Nervy but on it. Front aerial, leans and falls. Full turn good, side aerial, beat to wolf. Good to have a backup dance series. Gainer full off the side. Poor thing keeps going on at difficult times.
YANISH – OSU: Usual scoot of the front foot on the double lay. This new routine is growing on me. Overpowered the double back and slid back again. Amanda says those landings don’t have deductions which is a blatant lie. 9.95 lol okay.
I won’t complain too much, though. These OSU floor scores felt pretty sober. There were mistakes, but that didn’t stop the judges last time.
FINAL: OREGON STATE 196.950 – CALIFORNIA 196.150
Ugh, Cal. This meet was great except for the injury to Williams, and could have been a fantastic score if not for the counted injury there. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Bears fill the gaps. If they can get Abi Solari back they’ll be golden but… who knows what that looks like.
Oregon State had a really solid meet, coming just short of 197. There were some really generous bars scores, but on the whole that’s very realistic. The team is moving in the right development.
VAULT: Jacobsen, Williams 9.875
BARS: Colussi-Pelaez, Watterson 9.875
BEAM: Dagen, Lazaro, Shu 9.900
FLOOR: Yanish 9.950
AA: George 39.275
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year!
