UCLA is going to the Saturday session. This is almost a sure thing. Knock on some wood just in case, but Nebraska and another team upsetting the Bruins, even on a disaster-day, seems very unlikely.
Light all the candles for Nebraska, though. The Huskers can be stellar, but they’re vulnerable. If we’re going to see an upset this weekend, this could be it. That said, Nebraska always seems to sneak into nationals when no one is looking, so don’t get too excited about the unexpected just yet. Either way, this is sure to be one of the more unpredictable round two meets we see today. *She says before all the dumpsters catch fire.*
On Thursday afternoon, Illinois defeated Central Michigan to land here. The Illini looked strong but not at peak performance; they’ll be looking for a cleaner meet here. The Chippewas’ individual Denelle Pedrick will compete in the all around, rotating with West Virginia, for a shot at nationals qualification.
Crisler is quite a bit more crowded for this session!
Sam P telling us UCLA is going to play with lineups.
Rotation 1: UCLA vault, Illinois bars, Nebraska beam, West Virginia floor
Hargrove (UNL): Back dive mount. Front aerial + beat, good. Cut away to vault. Came back for her gainer pike, stuck.
Dennis (UCLA): HUGE FTY. Just enormous! Stuck
Wright (UCLA): Y1.5, good distance, step forward.
Orel (Ill): Bhs loso, small check. Side somi, good. Split + double stag, misses her feet, and falls. RO 3/2.
Tratz (UCLA): FTY, good landing.
Kaufmann (WVU): Double tuck to end, great landing!
Biondi (Ill): Blind + Jaeger, good catch. Bail hand maybe a bit shy. Blind 1/1 + double tuck, stuck.
Schweihofer (UNL): Bhs layout two feet, good. Switch + switch 1/2 + beat, solid. RO 2/1, stuck. Excellent.
I HEAR STAR WARS MUSIC!
Howell (Ill): Saved her last handstand into blind 1/1 + double tuck.
Ross (UCLA): Y1.5 stuck cold.
Crouse (UNL): Front aerial bhs, good. Switch + straddle 1/4, good splits. Beat. Her beam has become so much more confident this year. Front toss, good. Gainer 1/1, hops back.
Kramer (UCLA): Y1.5, deep knees tiny hop.
Fontaine (WVU): Double pike, good landing. Switch ring + switch side, I wanted a touch more on the splits. She’s a great performer. We cut to bars and missed her last pass.
Stuck dismount on bars for Noonan.
Houchin (UNL): Bhs loso very good. Front aerial, good. She’s very steady tonight. Tiny bit off after the full turn. Switch + split, medium check. I cursed her! Cat + side aerial, another check. RO 2/1, hop back.
Bezold (EMU): Blind 1/1 + Geinger, good. Bail. FTDL!!! Amazing.
Ross got a 10.0. That’s from FOUR judges.
Tun (WVU): Gorgeous open full-in! And, we cut away.
Hassel (UNL): Bhs loso, good. Front aerial, strong. Split + sheep, good positions. RO 3/2, stuck. Nebraska made it through.
Koshinski (WVU): Getting her routine at the end when nothing else is happening is a real treat. DLO, HUGE! very good landing. Tour jete 1/2 + popa + sush, good rotations. 3/2 + front lay, no movement in her lunge. Double tuck, low chest and lunge forward. What a great routine.
Pedrick (CMU): Big 3/1 to open, good landing. the WVU team played along with her choreo! Very cute. This routine is deeply weird in the best possible ways. Tour jete 1/2 + split 1/1, good. 3/2 + front lay, good. Double pike, little deep in the knees, but that’s being picky. Great routine!
WVU is ahead of Nebraska after one!
AFTER ONE: UCLA 49.400, WVU 49.175, UNL 49.100, Ill 49.975
WOW! All four teams above 49.0 to start. West Virginia and Illinois have Nebraska in their sights. It is by no means a given that the Huskers will advance, and the other teams will be feeling confident given how close this is. What a treat this meet is. [I wish more of you could SEE IT.]
Oh noooo I just heard “It’s time for the floss cam” from the in-arena announcer.
Rotation 2: WVU vault, UCLA bars, Ill beam, UNL floor
Oh no! Apparently we have a short landing for a WVU gymnast in warmups. Don’t know who it was yet, apparently a knee. WVU will have a delayed touch.
Borden (Ill): Handstand mount. Front aerial + fhs + sissonne, good. Beat + sheep, good. Frotn 1/1, stuck. Wow!
Frazier (UCLA): Maloney to pak good. DLO, cut away before the landing.
Hearing the WVU injury MIGHT be Hornung. Will update when I hear more, but that’s a big loss.
A. Glenn (UCLA): Blind + Jaeger, good. Great handstands. Pak, way too close, comes off the bar. Remounts. Blind 1/1 + double tuck, low chest hops forward.
Orel (UNL): Good opening double pike. Double tuck, strong landing. Switch side + Popa, cheated the rotation a bit. She’s a great performer. 3/2 + barani + double stag, great. Strong set.
Otto (Ill): check on bhs loso. and we cut away. Sam said the set was a hit.
Hano (UCLA): Ray to bail, little sloppy. Blind 1/1 + double tuck, hop back.
De Jesus (UNL): 3/1 to open. 3/2 + front lay step out, good. Switch side popa, nice. Double pike VERY strong landing. Such a controlled lunge.
Flatley (UCLA): Blind + eagle + Jaeger, some legs on the catch. Bail hand, short. DLO, low chest step forward.
Kaufman (WVU): FTY, early on the table, hop.
Houchin (UNL): 5/2, bit step forward and OOB. No full-in today. We cut away.
Howell (Ill): bhs layout two feet, good. Switch + split 1/4, very good. Cat + Switch 1/4, good. Gainer pike off the end, step back.
Roe (Ill): bhs loso, tumbled out of frame. I’m watching her behind the bars. Jumps looked good. Cat + side somi + tuck 1/1.
Ross (UCLA): Maloney to bail hand, good. Toe shoot. Great handstands as always. DLO stuck. Will it be another 10.0? I wouldn’t be mad.
Crouse (UNL): Quite a long wait. FHS 2/1 + front lay, good. Switch side + popa. Sound cut out oh GOOD. Strong combo pass. FHS rudi loso, good.
Fletcher (KSU): Is this a new Kent leo?! It’s gorgeous. Grey-blue body with gold sparkles along a sweetheart neckline and the cuffs. Love! DLO, bit of a low chest but she pulls it up quickly. Shush 1/1, nice! Switch side Popa, cheated the rotation some. 3/2 + front lay, good.
AFTER TWO: UCLA 98.800, UNL 98.300, Ill 98.100, WVU 97.650
Based on scores, it does appear that it was Hornung who went down with an injury for West Virginia. The freshman has been a big part of the team’s success this year, so that’s a rough loss. UCLA is pulling far ahead, which was expected. Nebraska came back with a strong floor rotation, but Illinois is hanging in!
We still have no sound. OH! THERE IT IS. But will it remain?
[That was meant to be a Brexit joke and I hope you got it.]Rotation 3: UNL vault, WVU bars, UCLA beam, Ill floor
Ohashi (UCLA): IN THE LEADOFF???? Apparently Grace Glenn is out because she’s sore. A sixth will only go if they need a score. Front aerial bhs loso, good. Switch + split. Her oversplits are heaven. Bhs loso 1/1 stuck.
Dujakovich (UNL): Y1.5, little short, hops to the side.
De Jesus (UNL): Y1.5, great distance! Medium hop.
Nguyen (UCLA): Switch + split + beat, good. Front aerial loso, steady. Transverse split 1/2. Front 1/1, good landing.
Meeks (Ill): KASEY MEEKS ON FLOOR. This is new. We’re not going to see much though.
Crouse (UNL): Y1.5, near stick, just a small hop.
Marbler (WVU): Blind + pike Jaeger, too far and falls.
Kocian (UCLA): Switch + split. RO 3/2, hops back.
Houchin (UNL): Y 1.5, STUCK COLD. Wow.
Flatley (UCLA): Front aerial loso some knees. Side aerial. L turn + split + beat. Strong dismount.
Baddeley (UIC): FTY, nice distance! Step back.
Howell (Ill): Front through double tuck. Switch side + popa + wolf 1/1, some cheated rotation. Y turn into split, love that so much. Double pike, great landing.
Ross (UCLA): Bhs loso, strong. Front aerial + sissonne, Artz saw a tiny check. Switch + split. Side aerial + 1/1, the tiniest adjustment.
The sound voted to LEAVE. Yes, I’m sticking with Brexit.
Noonan (Ill): 2/1, good. FHS front lay rudi, strong, keeps it just in bounds. Switch ring to cat 3/2, good ring position. 3/2 + front lay, her lay position is stellar. What a great, clean set!
Tun (WVU): DLO, great straight body, stuck!
Dennis (UCLA): Front arial loso, good. Switch + split. RO 2/1, low chest but holds the stick.
Roe (Ill) Front lay + rudi, good. Missed her jumps. 3/2 + front lay, keeps good control on the step when it could’ve gotten away from her.
AFTER 3: UCLA 148.300, UNL 147.600, Ill 147.275, WVU 146.525
Nebraska has pulled away from Illinois and West Virginia a touch, and Illinois is heading to its weakest event. If Illinois is going to eke out an upset, they’ll need some help from the Huskers. Nebraska has had some serious bars struggles this year, so this thing isn’t over until its over.
Rotation 4: Ill vault, UNL bars, WVU beam, UCLA floor
It seems that my fictional Theresa May was more successful than the real one, and the sound has indeed fully committed to leaving, just in time for UCLA floor. yay and also the stream froze and is black now. HEY it’s back. I’ll join the live blogger chorus of $30/month.
Frazier (UCLA): IT’S GOING TO BE SO GREAT TO HAVE NO SOUND FOR THIS. Yeah, it’s weird. Full-in was a little wild, but she landed well. Good jumps. Whip to double tuck, falls into the lunge a bit. Double pike, feet but good landing.
Aaaand the feed is buffering again. OK we’re back.
HEY we’ve got sound. Remain it is.
Howell (Ill): FTY, Big hop and step back.
Hargrove (UNL): Pak, good. We jumped into the middle. Stalder to double tuck, step.
Toronjo (UCLA): Double pike, great landing. Oh this routine is perfect for her. Calm and graceful to string music. 3/2 + front lay. Tour jete 1/2+ split 1/1. Double tuck, great landing!
Meeks (Ill): Sam says it was great!
Koshinski (WVU): Bhs loso, good. Beat + split + straddle 3/4. Side aerial + 1/1, stuck.
Verceles Carr (UNL): Hect mount. Tkatchev to bail. good. Stuck dismount.
Scott (Ill): FTY, small hop.
Tratz (UCLA): Full-in, good landing, usual legs. Good combo pass and jumps. Double tuck, good landing.
Fontaine (WVU): GORGEOUS scale to beat. Sheep + split, medium bobble to leg up, but she stays on. Side aerial + 1/1, holds the stick.
Crouse (UNL): Weiler kip to BIG Geinger to bail. Great last handstand. Full-in stuck.
Kramer (UCLA): FHS 2/1 + front pike, some form. 3/2 + front pike. Switch side + popa. FHS rudi, the straight jump was a bit offline.
Houchin (UNL): Took the DLO out a little too far, hopped forward.
Sell (WVU): She’s in las second for Hornung. Bhs loso, good. Front aerial, good. Good jumps. Gainer pike, good landing.
Dennis (UCLA): I missed it, but Sam says had a short landing. FHS front 1/1 front lay. Double tuck, good landing. Ahh, she fell on the first pass, apparently.
Pedirck (CMU): Back dive mount. Bhs loso, steps back but stays on. Cat + switch 1/2, good. Front aerial, teeny check. RO 2/1 stuck!
Sounds like Hano will do floor because of the fall.
LOL scores are down, so who knows whether UNL or Illinois is ahead.
Hano (UCLA): DLO, good. Front 1/1 + barani running jump. Whatever thing that was nagging her as mentioned by Sam isn’t showing. Tour jete 1/2 + wolf 1/1, little crunchy in the wolf. Double pike, good height.
Martucci (NIU): AW Kocian came out to give her a fist bump! Cute. BIG Double pike, slight stumble step back. 3/2 + front lay, good. Switch 1/2 + popa, nice straddle. Double tuck, short and a stumble forward.
FINAL: UCLA 197.675, UNL 196.800, Ill 196.175, WVU 195.425
UCLA and Nebraska will advance to the final tomorrow.
Individuals to watch score-wise:
Kasey Meeks, Ill (VT, 9.9)
Mary Jane Otto, Ill (UB, 9.875)
Denelle Pedrick, CMU (BB 9.85; AA 39.375)
Kylie Noonan, Ill (FX 9.875)
Live blog by Emily Minehart
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