LIVE BLOG: USAG Nationals Semifinal Two With No. 2 UIC, No. 3 Bridgeport, No. 6 TWU and No. 7 Cornell

Two teams have already punched their tickets to tomorrow’s Championship meet: AFA and LU. Despite LU being heavily favored to win, the AFA falcons were in prime form during semifinal one and pulled ahead for a first place victory.

If all goes according to plan, UIC and Bridgeport should be able to secure the remaining two spots for tomorrow’s team final—but again, it’s postseason and literally anything could happen.

If UIC advances, tonight will be its second-to-last time competing together as a team (I’m not crying, you’re crying). It should be interesting to see who finishes first tonight though. UIC is the natural vote, as it’s led the rankings almost all season, but it’ll be an emotional weekend for the team and mental game is everything in postseason. Bridgeport is a team to keep an eye out for too—if it can hit beam, the Purple Knights have the potential to seriously rock the boat this weekend.

Are you ready? Let’s go.

Check out UB’s live stream here.

Rotation 1: TWU vault, Cornell bars, UIC beam and UB floor

Tereshko (UB): Huge double pike to open, solid double tuck next pass, 1.5 punch lay-half to finish, really nice job in the lead-off spot. 9.7500.

Maciel (UIC): Side sumi (was not expecting that) – STUCK gainer pike. 9.750.

Kistner (UB): Gigantic rudi straddle to open, 1.5 lay second pass, huge and super satisfying tuck jump double twist. Leaps and jumps are fantastic. Clean front full-front lay to end.

Tometich (Cornell): Caught blind-full, double tuck. step.

Northrop (TWU): HUGE YFull. 9.825.

Roland (UB): Sky-high double pike to open. Really clean torj half to straddle full. F Lay F full under rotated, nice save though. Gorgeous double tuck to close.

Mahoney (UIC): Nice front toss. Switch leap tuck full a little uneasy, BHS LOSO  a little uneasy too.

Zimmerman (TWU): YLay half, a lot of legs.

Aycock (UB): Really nice FHS Front double full to open, she’s SELLING this choreo! 9.850.

Sheremata (UIC): Looking really good on beam. composed, everything hit. Oooh that was a unique turn. Dismount hit.

Dudley (Cornell): Fell on piked geinger-bail connection. Looked rough.

Gwinn (UB): Solid everything so far, love that shush! Ok her performance value is next level, y’all. Front full-front lay to close, what a routine!

9.750 for Baddely (UIC).

Northern (UIC): Everything looking good on beam so far, she seems very poised and comfortable. 1.5 dismount STUCK! 9.750.

Reimers (UB): ENORMOUS full-in to open, RO HS 1.5 pike good, huge double pike to close. Expecting a giant score… 9.850.

Stalhbrodt (SCSU – individual): bobble on side aerial, great double twist – stuck dismount.

Peloquin (SCSU – individual): lovely series, front aerial-BHS. Side aerial very sure. No question on switch leap wolf 3/4, RO double twist dismount… STUCK! Expect a huge score! It’s a 9.850.

AFTER ROTATION ONE: UB 49.175, UIC 48.775, TWU 48.625, Cornell 47.900

Welp, UB’s floor was otherworldly, UIC had a super-solid beam rotation, and notably, TWU is keeping up. I’ve actually been super impressed by what I’ve seen from TWU today. 🤔

Rotation 2: UB vault, TWU bars, Cornell beam and UIC floor

Reimers (UB): Huge YFull, it’s hard to see landings from where I am but it looked like a small hop. Great start. 9.750.

Baker (UIC): Big double pike opening pass, rough double tuck to close. She had to force it a bit.

Murphy (Cornell): Hitchkick, switch straddle, very nice. Hitchkick aerial, windmill arms but saves it.

Baker (UIC): Beautiful leap series to start routine, first pass an impressive 2.5 twist punch front. Rudi next pass, very clean. Another 2.5 to end. Good routine. 9.650.

Zine (UB): Tsuk tuck full, good landing. Nice to see that different entry. 9.725.

Goyco (TWU): 9.650 score flashed.

Northrop (TWU): Just caught dismount, BEAUTIFUL double layout to STICK!

Albrecht (UIC): Perfect double pike to open, interesting choice in music lol, good leaps, 1.5 lay good.. didn’t catch rest but. 9.750.

Rolan (UB): Solid Yfull. 9.825.

Vincent (TWU): All I can say is that was a beautiful routine. Jaw-dropping, actually. Stuck dismount. 9.700…how?

Kristner (UB): YArabian, wasn’t the cleanest but got the job done, and always props for that unique vault. 9.775.

Baddely (UIC): Everything I’ve seen has been clean. Good double tuck to close. 9.750.

Durst (UB) went 9.650.

Sheremata (SCSU): Nice front double full to start, leaps on point, second pass -WOW- 1.5 to front aerial. Only person I’ve seen do that before is Maggie Nichols. Love it. Her music is great too. Nice rudi straddle to close. Great routine. 9.900!

Northern (UIC): Insanely clean punch front thru to double tuck first pass, love the music, she’s sellllllling. Oof, second pass def meant to be 1.5 lay but weird punch and had to tuck. She made it work. Double tuck to end, no deductions I could see. Overall nice routine.

Stahlbrodt (SCSU – individual): Good double tuck opening pass, second a lovely rudi split jump, last pass I’m in awe.. superb whip to double full. Great routine for the individual! 9.800.

Peloquin (SCSU – individual): 2.5 punch tuck to open, love her choreo!! Front full front pike really nice for second pass, rudi to close, teeny bit short. Very charismatic routine. 9.750.

*random side note, I’ve noticed SCSU loves double fulls*

AFTER ROTATION TWO: UB 97.975, UIC 97.750, TWU 97.125 and Cornell 96.575.

Okay overall pretty impressed with everyone tonight. I’ve only caught a few falls, seems like a cleaner and more confident meet than the first semifinal today. The home advantage is palpable from the stands; UB has a lot of support from fans and they’ve rocked their first two events. Beam and bars are up for them next though, so we’ll see if they can maintain. UIC looking very solid and TWU is hanging on for dear life.

Rotation 3: UIC vault, UB bars, TWU beam and Cornell floor

Roland (UB): Caught dismount, little jittery on landing. 9.375. maybe she fell?

Nowak (UIC): Solid Yfull, slight arch. 9.725.

Parkin (TWU): Just caught a fall.

Albrecht (UIC): Yhalf, step back. 9.700.

Powell-Brown (UB): Fought for handstands and landing, but held on. 9.700.

Mahoney (UIC): Yhalf, crazy arms but landed okay. Interesting technique. 9.725.

Northern (UIC): Beautiful Yfull. 9.800.

Futch (UB): HUGE piked geinger, wow. Killed handstands and stuck dismount. Gonna be a huge score! 9.800.

Webster (Cornell): Love music and choreo! Sat down last pass 1.5 punch lay.

Futch (UB): Clean, nice toes, little short on bail, good last HS, stuck double tuck! Loving these sticks! 9.775.

Northrop (TWU): Just caught leaps, huge balance check. Stuck gainer full, though.

Doran (UB): Getting after these handstands! Great technique, another stuck dismount for UB!! 9.925!! That’s the highest score we’ve seen tonight I believe!

Smith (Cornell): Oooh interesting, wolf full step out into turn.

Tereshko (UB): Follows up with a solid routine. UB rocked this rotation. 9.750.

Vincent (TWU): Oooh cool mount, front roll thing. Beautiful BHS LOSO, dynamic switch side. Ooop, bobble on full-turn. Another bobble on jump series. Gainer full with hop.

Henry (Cornell): Good double pike open, front lay front full, good jumps. She’s selling! Closes with a double tuck, nice routine. 9.700.

Haklik (Cornell): 1.5 step out to double tuck, don’t see that too often, a little short tho. Ankle cruncher. Good jump series, looks like she’s having fun. Really nice close with a front full front lay to stag jump. That was really enjoyable to watch. 9.550 though, interesting. First pass was rough, but surprised the rest of her routine didn’t make up for it in judges’ eyes.

Herczeg (Cornell): HUGE almost open double tuck to start, front lay front full into sissone, was such a rebound she got a little off balance. Punch rudi to close, landed with chest a bit down.

Chan (SPU – individual): Close with front lay front full feet slid a bit, steps back

AFTER ROTATION THREE: UB 146.925, UIC 146.550, TWU 144.875, Cornell 143.925

Okay safe to say UB and UIC are in! UB has a clear lead over UIC, but beam’s next and… well… UB hasn’t hit a beam rotation since February I believe. So we’ll see how they hold up!

Rotation 4: Cornell vault, UIC bars, UB beam and TWU bars

Cahill (UB): Side aerial-RO flight little shaky but hit. Stuck tuck front full dismount, great start. 9.725.

Tomassini (UIC): Awesome toe-front-half dismount. 9.750.

Sheremeta (UB): Close on jaegar, pretty rough, woah. Dismount. I can’t describe it right now but it was awesome until the very end, took a few running steps. 9.425.

Javinett (UB): Everything on so far, RO 1.5 dismount, a bit rough but she pulls it around. 9.70.

Baddely (UB): Sky high tkatchev, stuck double lay dismount. 9.800!!

Kistner (UB): Big bobble on series, clean following leap series, though. Almost suck 1.5 dismount. UB looking good so far.

Bish (TWU): Fell on last pass.

Alicke (UIC): wow. wow. wow. Those lines, that stick! Double full dismount was… ugh! yes! One judge flashed a 9.950.. it’s a 9.90!

Doran (UB): SUPER clean and pretty routine. That’s gonna be a great score. 9.775.

Costa (Cornell): Nice YFull!

Northern (UIC): Huge routine, just a slight hop on the dismount. 9.800.

UB and UIC both killing this rotation!

Roland (UB): Very sure flight, great side aerial, no wobbles on anything so far. Aaaand I jinxed. break in leap series, but almost sticks dismount! 9.800.

Baker (UIC): Stuck dismount! 9.875.

Goyco (TWU): Good routine.

Reimers (UB): Clean flight, very solid acro, hop on double full dismount but what a rotation for UB!!

Wow. UB HIT BEAM! AND UIC SLAYED BARS! What a final rotation.

Alderman (TWU): I’m shook. Double pike.. STUCK! Second pass front full front lay.. STUCK! Great rudi to finish. Liiiiving for her landings. 9.925!

UB takes first, UIC second. Both advance!


Live blog by Katie Norris

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