There’s not much to differentiate between these two teams, which should make it exciting. Iowa had a slower start but has ended the season on a higher note while Arizona has been fairly consistent but slipped badly at Pac-12s. If it’s going to go badly wrong for either team today, it’ll likely be on beam while they’re both strongest on floor.
I’ll be watching Maddi Leydin on vault. Her Yurchenko one and a half has been on and off this year but can be a weapon. It’ll also be our first look at Christina Berg, who will be fighting for an individual qualifying spot to nationals tomorrow regardless of whether Arizona advances as a team or not.
Iowa will begin the meet on vault and Arizona will begin on bars.
ROTATION 1: IOWA VAULT, ARIZONA BARS
Both teams in black today which I LOVE.
HENDRICKSON – UA: Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, okay. Didn’t open all the way up on the blind and I thought she might get stuck but it was okay. FTDB dismount, good. 9.775
We just got a straight minute of Misty-Jade Carlson standing around and then missed her vault.
SWANSON – UA: Blind full to Tkachev, really nice, awkward cast handstand, leg split on her pak. Short on a handstand, DLO whippy with a scoot. 9.700
KANE – UA: Blind change to Jaeger, too far from the bar and drops. Blind to straddle back, missed a handstand, blind to double front. 9.200
SULLIVAN – IOWA: Yurchenko arabian, baby scoot forward. Great. 9.775
KILLIAN – IOWA: Twisting on and a bit pikey on her FTY but good landing, just a little scoot again. 9.750
SPENCER – UA: Great Ray, hitting handstands, toe on to bail a little short. DLO stuck. Fantastic. 9.900 absolutely legit.
GUERIN – IOWA: Okay full. Crunched a touch on the table but flared it out nicely, hop back. 9.775
LEYDIN – UA: Toe on to Pak, leg split, switch kip. Blind to Markelov, huge and great, blind full double back with a little hop. 9.850
Iowa’s sticking with the five.
BERG – UA: Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, great. FTDB with a hop. Hopefully saving the stick for tomorrow, but that was great. 9.75 what? Maybe the hop was larger than I saw, there were coaches in the way so I didn’t have the best perspective.
Wait, Iowa’s not sticking with five, they just took a BILLION years to get her ready.
CASTLE – IOWA: Yurchenko Arabian, almost stuck. Nice. 9.75 is not high enough but some judges just hate Arabians.
Commentator seems to think that this is Guerin getting a redo. It is 100% not that.
Update, seems like Castle balked on her first try. That makes more sense.
ARIZONA 48.975 – IOWA 48.800
Not bad for a pretty weak event for Iowa. Arizona is not really a vault team either, so if Iowa can keep its nerve on bars things could even out.
ROTATION 2: ARIZONA VAULT, IOWA BARS
KAJI – IOWA: BLind change to Jaeger, got introduced as Jenny Leung lol NOT ALL ASIANS ARE THE SAME, little leg split on her Pak, DLO with chest down a touch but stuck-ish. 9.800
Just saw the actual Jenny Leung look really happy about her vault.
HARTZLER – IOWA: Short on first handstand, blind to pike Jaeger too far and falls. Bail I think, blind full double back stuck. 9.200
DAVIS – UA: Solid full, nice body position, big hop back and another step. 9.65
SWANSON – UA: Big FTY, small hop back. 9.800
SULLIVAN – IOWA: Great Ray, toe on to bail a little short. Blind full double back with a hop back. Great recovery. 9.800
I swear someone just yelled YEAH LUIGI at her.
LEYDIN – UA: One and a half, great!! Little hop in place. 9.775
KAMPSCHROEDER – IOWA: Ray, tucked it quite hard, good Pak. DLO with a hop back. The form break is going to be a problem with the fall already in the books. 9.575
KANE – UA: Tucked full with a step back and to one side. 9.625
CHOW – IOWA: Ray great, great Pak. Haven’t seen many good ones today but that one was. BLIND FULL DOUBLE BACK STUCK. Hawkeyes are pretty excited. 9.900
KRANITZ – IOWA: Blind to Jaeger, lovely, great bail. Blind to double front a little deep but stuck. 9.850
IOWA 97.725 – ARIZONA 97.650
Iowa was able to jump ahead despite a counted mistake on bars. There’s a good chance that Arizona will take the lead back this rotation, since floor is a much better event than beam for both teams.
ROTATION 3: IOWA BEAM, ARIZONA FLOOR
CARLSON – IOWA: BHS LOSO, super steady. Switch straddle quarter, picks one foot up and very quickly gets it back down again before she can wobble. Missed a mixed combo, BHS one and a half twist with a hop forward .Great start. 9.725
HENDRICKSON – UA: Good double back. I think that was a front full front pike, one and a half front lay, punches slightly wrong and has to yank the layout around but gets it to her feet. 9.450
GILCHRIST – IOWA: BHS to two foot layout, one leg up, saves it. Switch half to beat, a little short of split, hitch kick side aerial. Full turn, gainer full stuck. 9.675
FREIDIN – UA: Tour jete full, I think. Double back, lifts one leg and swings her arms to try to avoid going OOB, I think she did anyway. Tour jete half to Popa. I think she has a dance background… she definitely has the look of a former dancer… and I wish her choreo would capitalize on that a bit more. Front full front lay I think, flirting with the line again. 9.525
KAJI – IOWA: BHS LOSO with an extra step. Cat leap side aerial, pops one hip out a little but holds on, switch split. Full turn gorgeous. She’s so stylish. Gainer pike, chest down a touch but stuck. 9.85
SWANSON – UA: Front thru front 2/1, really good. Double tuck, looks almost overrotated and scoots a little on the landing, switch side Popa. Double twist punch front. 9.7
CHOW – IOWA: Joining halfway. More than halfway. Stuck gainer pike, landed dead upright with her hands already up. I love it. 9.85
SULLIVAN – IOWA: Front aerial BHS great. Switch half, side somi, switch split, full turn. Steady and gorgeous. Round off, double full dismount stuck. 9.800 is kinda rude for that.
DAVIS – UA: Saw a one and a half front lay.
LEYDIN – UA: Front thru double back, good start. Switch side to Popa, tour jete half to Popa. Apparently I forgot to keep typing, but she did well. 9.850
BERG – UA: Front double full, not quite around. one and a half front pike, just barely keeps her back foot down. Solid close but not enough to get anywhere particularly close to Iowa heading into the final rotation. 9.800
IOWA 146.650 – ARIZONA 146.275
It’s hard to imagine Arizona coming back from here. It’s not usually a comfortable beam team, so Iowa will likely have to make mistakes for the Wildcats to have a chance.
ROTATION 4: ARIZONA BEAM, IOWA FLOOR
GILCHRIST – IOWA: Front double full, front combo coming back, switch half wolf full I think. The team is deeply committed to the choreography even when it’s boxed in. Rudi. 9.750
LEUNG – ARIZONA: Switch switch. Some other stuff in the middle, one and a half dismount really good. 9.850
KILLIAN – IOWA: Double back, stuck! 9.825
LEYDIN – ARIZONA: Wolf turn, switch split, BHS LOSO with a touch of knees but really steady. Wildcats getting through well so far. Cat leap side somi, way behind the beam and falls. Sorry for cursing you Maddi. Pike jump back tuck, one and a half dismount stuck. 9.125
SULLIVAN – IOWA: Front thru one and a half I think, great double back, complicated leap series I lost track of. 9.800 and a 39.175 AA.
FREIDIN – UA: BHS… bails out… BHS LOSO and off. Okay, Arizona is done. Nice leaps, side aerial, switch half with a check, stuck gainer full dismount. 9.125
GUERIN – IOWA: The full in that DREAMS are made of. Front thru double back, team chanting for a ten and while they’re being ironic they’re not exactly WRONG. 9.9 will do.
COWLES – UA: Cat leap front aerial to beat. BHS LOSO really nice, switch split. Gainer front full with a hop.
KAJI – IOWA: One and a half thru double back, QUEEN. Double pike and scoots her front foot. Dance quality through the absolute roof, it gets better every time I watch this routine. 9.875
HENDRICKSON – Side aerial I think, switch split quarter. Gainer full dismount. I keep losing skills. I need to
CASTLE – IOWA: THE TEQUILA ROUTINE. This makes me smile so much. Hops a bit into the landing on her double pike. Wolf full switch side, Rudi. One and a half something or other to close.
This has been over for a few routines.
FINAL: IOWA 195.850 – ARIZONA 194.550
Iowa advances and looks absolutely thrilled about it. Great recovery after a difficult bars rotation, the second half of the meet was red hot. Arizona counting a fall on beam didn’t help things, but lost the pace during floor and never really got it back.
VAULT: Swanson 9.800
BARS: Chow, Spencer-Bearham 9.900
BEAM: Kaji, Chow, Leung 9.850
FLOOR: Guerin 9.900
AA: Sullivan 39.175
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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