Both of these teams registered season highs at home last weekend, so today should be exciting. Southern Utah’s lower ranking is due to some early season inconsistency, which isn’t atypical for the Thunderbirds, but at their respective peaks the two should be fairly competitive. It’s also Southern Utah’s last home meet, so watch for senior night shenanigans.
BYU is an exceptional beam and floor team, rarely dropping below 49 on either, but bars runs hot and cold. Southern Utah’s struggle bus event has been beam in recent history, but things have been much better this year: Its 49.300 last week was a top five score in program history. On the individual side, I’m interested to see if SUU’s Karley McClain can sneak the all around title from No. 19 Shannon Evans. It would take a special day from the freshman to pull it off, but it’s possible.
I love the west coast so much. Sixteen minutes past the start time and they’re still doing touch. Perfect since I got here ten minutes late due to freaking out about Elevate. IT WAS INTENSE OKAY?
ROTATION 1: SUU VAULT, BYU BARS
MCCLAIN – SUU: Aggressive choice for the lead. Touch piked down and a hop back but solid, easy start. 9.75
BEESTON – BYU: Short on the first handstand, clear hip to Gienger to bail… either really low or really high, came in at that 135 degree position where it isn’t actually a skill. Great legs on the Gienger though. Blind full double back stuck. Solid start. 9.75
ALFARO – SUU: Was vault specialist of the week last week. Remember that the MRGC picks specialists for every event every week because I don’t know why. Really nice full, bounce on her toes. Super clean in the air. 9.85
ZHONG – BYU: Knees on her jump over the low bar, blind to Jaeger huge and pretty, maybe a touch close? Shy on a handstand, gorgeous Pak, another short handstand, double lay low and pops onto her toes with a step forward to save it. 9.725
KHO – SUU: She’s got a younger sister, Kaylee, who is committed to SUU for next year, and a third sister who is younger and uncommitted. SURPRISE YOUNG CHILD YOU DON’T HAVE A CHOICE. (Just kidding.) Solid distance on Caitlin’s full, piked down pretty heavily with I think a step back. 9.725
MARSH – BYU: Nice Tkachev! Clear hip to bail, splits her legs out… and just drops down to her feet. Gets back on, really nice double lay with a hop. 9.25
TERVORT – SUU: Third freshie of the lineup. I’m deeply passionate about her bars. More on that later. Split legs on her block, solid controlled full, not huge but not problematic either. Small step back. 9.825
CYRENNE – BYU: Arch on the first handstand but it’s okay, toe to Maloney to bail STUNNING, short on a handstand on HB, double lay with a hop forward.
JOZWIAKOWSKI – SUU: I stan all tucked vaults but especially this one. Also I can spell her name without even looking it up so ha. Tsuk tuck full, BEAUTIFUL in the air, lands it dead upright with an arm swing. The landing position is wildly impressive but it’d be easier to stick if her chest were a little forward so she could bend her knees. 9.775 is absolute robbery.
BODEN – BYU: Shy on first handstand, blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, great. Jaeger was just massive. Half in half dismount, chest down a little and shifts one foot but fantastic. 9.7
SMITH – SUU: Another really special one here… Yurchenko full on tuck off yeeeees. (I’m pretty sure it’s a full on, anyway. These are ambiguous by nature. Hop back but it’s just so cool. 9.825
EVANS – BYU: Toe on to Gienger HUGE to overshoot. She’s so much fun. Shy on a handstand, double lay stuck OKAY. 9.825 >:(
SOUTHERN UTAH 49.025 – BRIGHAM YOUNG 48.800
Judges are a little rude today. Couple of scores on either side that should have been higher. Really strong start for SUU, though I do miss the McBride sisters in that lineup. There’s lots of technically strong vaulting, but the lineup is missing a bit of power. BYU has beautiful leg form and tons of release amplitude on bars but handstands let it down a touch today.
ROTATION 2: BYU VAULT, SUU BARS
HILL – BYU: Solid full! Twisting on a touch, body position just okay but stuck. Great start. 9.8
MURAKAMI – SUU: Interested the decision to have her lead bars this year since she probably should be a 9.9+, but it does set the standard. Blind, maybe a bit late, to beautiful Jaeger to overshoot. Full twisting double back pings off, bit of legs and has to yank it around but does it with a small hop. 9.8
RIEDER – BYU: Really big full, blocks off to one side a little, lands still moving back and takes two quick steps to hang onto it. 9.675
MCCLAIN – SUU: Clear hip to Gienger, splits the legs just a little, nice bail. Borderline on a handstand, double layout big with a big step back. 9.8
ZHONG – BYU: Solid full, good distance, bit of leg sep and a hop back. Not a huge amount of height. 9.75
ROSZA-THOMPSON – SUU: Short on the first handstand, blind to Jaeger to overshoot goooorgeous. Blind full double back stuck. Fantastic. 9.825
BENNETT – BYU: Yurchenko full on tuck off… ooh I’d forgotten we were getting two of those! slightly tighter tuck than Smith which makes me wonder if it has less amplitude though the angle makes it hard to tell. Hop back. 9.775
TERVORT – SUU: She does the Gienger that DREAMS ARE MADE OF and I fell in love in preseason and was bummed when she didn’t make lineups at the start of the season and then absolutely thrilled when she cracked it. Clear hip to Gienger ugh it’s just HUGE to overshoot. Think she missed a handstand. Double layout… comes in short, lands it deep with feet apart and a hop but that was pretty much the best case scenario landing. 9.75
MINER – BYU: Really nice full, high with fantastic body position and a hop in place. 9.775
GONZALEZ – SUU: So we have a running joke about her in the CGN Slack group. Half of us watched a meet last year at I want to say Boise State…? and the graphic was wrong and spelled her name Karne instead of Karen for THE WHOLE MEET. So we still call her Karne, of course. Blind to Jaeger, great, to overshoot. Double lay, bit close to the bar and piked in the second salto, step back. 9.725
I also remember the postmeet interviews from senior night last year where HC Scotty Bauman was like “psst hey Karen this isn’t the end because you’re COMING BACK FOR A FIFTH YEAR NEXT YEAR RIGHT” and she was like “uhh I mean… maybe? but probably not?” and now obviously here she is. I’m very happy because she’s the best.
EVANS – BYU: Yurchenko Arabian, she’s stuck this spectacularly recently, biiiig hop forward today. 9.675
KHO – SUU: Bars debut!! GORGEOUS Maloney to Pak, borderline handstand there, toe on to full twisting double back with a hop. I was wondering if we’d ever see her here! 9.75
SOUTHERN UTAH 97.950 – BRIGHAM YOUNG 97.575
Scoring is still tight. On one level that’s a thing that most teams need more of. But on another, deeper level, I wanted SUU to get a ridiculous senior night 197. Oh well. SUU had a couple of wonky bars dismounts and the odd handstand mistake, but it wasn’t enough to encroach on the lead that BYU handed it with two vaults finishing off the landing mat.
ROTATION 3: SUU BEAM, BYU FLOOR
LADIEU – SUU: She saved the Thunderbirds from beam disaster again and again last year, and she’s perfect for the lead here. Awesome handstand mount with some leg stuff (LOOK IT’S BEEN A LONG FRIDAY MY WORDS ARE BAD), BHS LOSO, leap series… I want to say switch to straddle quarter? with questionable splits, full turn, side aerial back full with a hop. Really solid start. 9.725
VITKAUSKAS – BYU: Huge front double full, front foot RIGHT on the line but I didn’t see a flag. One and a half front lay and bounces out of it. I’m not sure exactly what she’s performing but she’s doing it very emphatically. Switch side Popa, Rudi to close. She twists like a diver and I love it. 9.750
GONZALEZ – SUU: I should have saved my second Karen story for later in the live blog instead of using them all up on her bars. Switch split straddle quarter, looks short of split which isn’t really her style, BHS LOSO fantastic. Full turn, cat leap front aerial… lands it kind of staggered but works through okay. Punch front full off the end to close, stuck. Nice! 9.75
MARSH – BYU: Second floor routine of the season for her. Double back, DEEP and steps to the side. Looked like an overrotation, almost sat it. Came in pretty short on the double pike but she still has two ankles so we’re good. Has a bit of choreo that looks like a wolf turn prep. Switch ring to switch side… ring position almost nonexistent but that’s not a real deduction in NCAA. One and a half punch front tuck. Probably should have been a layout. Not the most fun I’ve ever had watching floor. 9.375
MURAKAMI – SUU: Silivas mount… I think? She might have been one turn short, I don’t remember the definition. Full turn. Onodi, wobbly, BHS LOSO with a bit of knees. Sheep jump is okay, side aerial back full lands a little staggered but stuck. 9.8… what? I’ll take it.
BODEN – BYU: Round off directly to double back. Rudi great, her choreo is very BYU, I really struggle to describe these routines. Switch ring tour jete half, one and a half Barani split and milks the stick. Love it. 9.775
JORGENSEN – SUU: BHS LOSO, slight hip break, gets it back. Full turn, switch back tuck stuck. Punch front, split leap straddle quarter I think, cat leap to gainer full off the side. Really solid. 9.775 and it got audibly booed WHAT.
PEARSON – BYU: Punch front full, really nice, techno-ish routine. Switch ring switch half, another deeply questionable ring position, nice Rudi. We’re in deep medley territory. I haven’t watched much BYU this year so this is all news to me. Front full front lay punch front I think? 9.825
“I don’t like saying season high when you’re a freshman. You can have a season high next year.”
Dude commentator GETS us.
MCCLAIN – SUU: Cat leap side aerial, switch straddle quarter, so confident. BHS LOSO, full turn, one and a half twist and lands a little awkwardly, two quick steps sideways. I love that routine, and I honestly wasn’t sure she’d do beam in college period. 9.8
Apparently Scotty has been watching beam this season! Every routine! The courage, the strength. It’s so inspiring. <3333
A. MINER – BYU: Double lay, I think that was a one and a half front pike?? What is going on with this music. Double pike. Crowd really loves her buttspring. Solid. 9.8
So I have this problem where BYU floor music is supposed to be very recognizable, but since I’m profoundly uncultured I can’t actually identify any of it. Sorry about that. Some of it sounds familiar but that’s pretty much all I’ve got. Apparently there was Bruce Springsteen in that one.
BAYER – SUU: BHS LOSO, bit of knees and a leg up but hangs on. Beat jump, cat leap switch side. Full turn, gainer full and a bounce in place. Awwww, that’s her last routine. <3 9.75
EVANS – BYU: Okay I do know Super Mario! Double pike STUCK wow. Double back solid, little foot scoot maybe? Tour jete half wolf full…. I think. I have this habit of zoning out during leap series. Front full front lay great. 9.025
I’m so entertained. Thank you.
SUU 146.825 – BYU 146.650
Looking like SUU might pull this one out. Eyes emoji. It doesn’t feel like a big upset, but it kind of is. Looks like Marsh has been pulled out of beam. I wouldn’t want to subject my ankles to beam after a floor rotation like that either, but hopefully she’s okay.
ROTATION 4: BYU BEAM, SUU FLOOR
HILL – BYU: BHS LOSO with KNEES, cat leap switch side, full turn. Kickover front, front full stuck dead. Great start. BYU has had a lot of great landings in the leadoff today. 9.775
MCCLAIN – SUU: She’ll probably be anchoring this lineup someday. Double pike HUGE, one and a half front lay front tuck OOPS. Weirdly I thought her punch was okay but she pulls in really tight and sits it. Weird mistake. Double back to close. 9.2
A. MINER – BYU: Pretty mount choreo, random split jump, cat leap kickover front BHS great. Turning leap series that I missed, cartwheel gainer full dismount with a hop. 9.85
JOZWIAKOWSKI – SUU: Front double full punch front and somehow almost overpowers it. Great leap series, actually stuck which doesn’t happen a whole ton, Rudi looks so elementary for her. Two and a half twist, cross step. Ugh, queen. 9.85
CYRENNE – BYU: BHS LOSO, looks off line, pulls it in with her arms without any drama. Full turn, switch switch half with a check, one and a half twist with two quick steps back. 9.775
JORGENSEN – SUU: Floor debut this year. I think she had an ankle thing in offseason. Double pike, great, front lay front full. Great split positions, short on her double back with a step. 9.825
MILLER – BYU: Beat jump kickover front sissone, really pretty legs, BHS LOSO and pops right off. Full turn, split tuck 3/4, gainer full dismount stuck ish. 9.2
MA. MCBRIDE – SUU: Double pike, huge cheer. This crowd definitely plays favorites. Huge leaps, front lay with split legs to front full. Double back huuuuge with a great landing. Super excited! 9.85
BODEN – BYU: Kickover front BHS really solid. Full turn. Switch to split quarter, I feel like I missed some stuff, one and a half twist stuck. Really solid. 9.575
Wait, maybe I didn’t miss something and she missed a requirement?? Intrigue. I’ve literally never seen the JO code and I barely know the rules for college composition. Oh well.
By the way, there’s three tenths in this meet right now. EXCITING.
MURAKAMI – SUU: Whip half to Rudi, GORGEOUS leaps that I once again forgot to write down. SORRY SHYLEN. Think this is Lindsey Stirling which is always solid floor music. Whip one and a half front pike. Loooove the combos and she’s a gorgeous dancer. Fabulous! Pretty sure someone in the crowd is yelling for a ten. 9.775.
EVANS – BYU: BHS LOSO with a check, full turn, hitch kick kickover front. Switch straddle quarter I think, gainer pike with a hop. 9.775
GONZALEZ – SUU: Last home routine. Double back, little step, ROAR from the audience, switch side Popa maybe a little short on rotation but beautiful positions. Front lay front full, bigger step, great Rudi to close. 9.875. Mobbed by the team. <3
FINAL: SUU 196.000, BYU 195.650
Season high on floor for SUU to close out the win! BYU hasn’t been amazing on the road this year, but this is still a meaningful upset for the Thunderbirds with conference championships now looming. SUU is starting to look settled—a great accomplishment for a team that had massive potential in 2018 but barely seemed able to catch a breath between fluke disaster rotations. BYU’s details got away from it today, but its core routines are still fantastic and it can be much better than a mid-195 even without its generous home scoring.
VAULT: Alfaro 9.850
BARS: Rosza, Evans 9.825
BEAM: Miner 9.850
FLOOR: Evans 9.925
AA: Evans 39.200
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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