Madison Kocian

LIVE BLOG: California Grand with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 UCLA, No. 9 California and No. 22 Stanford

It’s rare that we’re treated to this big of a matchup so early in the season, but that’s exactly what we’re getting here at the California Grand Invitational.

Defending champion Oklahoma is looking to start its season strong with a big win here. The Sooners are losing an impactful class, but they always seem to find a way to replenish the missing routines and come out strong. A big question that NCAA gym fans are asking is how well freshman Ragan Smith will transition to college. She has all the makings to be the next big thing for Oklahoma, but her recent injury history is a big question mark.

UCLA is coming into this season with a brand new coaching staff, but with the core of the lineups returning, the Bruins should expect to pick up where they left off. It would not be surprising to see them pull off the win here.

While Oklahoma and UCLA should be battling it out for the top spot, don’t count out Cal. The Golden Bears are known for their stacked team of “ninja level 10s” and could challenge the top two if either has a bad day.

For Stanford, keep a close eye on Chloe Widner. She was a top J.O. gymnast last year and should be an immediate contributor for the Cardinal.

I’m hearing that Olivia Trautman and Madison Kocian won’t be competing tonight.

Rotation 1

Oklahoma: vault, UCLA: bars, Cal: beam, Stanford: floor

Smith (OU) – good y full, slightly short and steps forward

Degouvea (OU) – Y 1.5 with a small hop forward

Having technical difficulties, so I might miss some routines. Please bear with me.

George (Cal) – good front aerial to back tuck to start, solid double wolf turn, very nice leap combination, stuck gainer full. Great routine!

Hoang (Stan) – missed the beginning but great double pike to close

Ross (UCLA) – beautiful maloney, slightly arched on bail but saves it, stuck DLO!

Bryant (Stan) – huge full in to open, really getting into this one, front tuck through to double pike with a slight lunge back, beautiful switch side to popa, Janet Jackson medley for music, and a huge open double tuck to close.

Quinn (Cal) – Wobble on front aerial so missed connection into back HS, slight wobble on full turn, good side somi to beat jump, stuck dismount

Cole (Stan) – great 2.5 to punch front, missed the middle part (sorry), rudi to close – a bit crooked

Brunette (?) (Stan) – missed the beginning, slight chest down on closing double tuck

After 1: Oklahoma: 49.200, UCLA: 49.425, Cal: 48.800, Stanford: 49.150

I missed a bunch of that rotation trying to deal with technical difficulties, but looked to be a solid start for all 4 teams!

Rotation 2

Oklahoma: bars, UCLA: beam, Cal: floor, Stanford: vault

Cole (Stan) – good y full, piked down with a hop back

Thomas (OU) – missed beginning, slight step on dismount

Bryant (Stan) – good y full, slightly short with a step

Degouvea (OU) – College bars debut! good piked jaeger, handstands look great, good pak, hop on full in dismount

Hano (UCLA) – off on BHS layout series, split jump 1/2 is solid, slight hop on 1.5 dismount, good finish

Tai (Stan) – short on y full, hop forward, didn’t get the black she needed

Webb (OU) – missed beginning, but great Van Leeuween, and slight hop on dismount

Brunette (Stan) – y full with a bounce back

Smith (OU) – good ricna, to pak, great handstands and stuck DLO dismount!

Poston stuck dismount, but that’s all I saw. She looked pleased with it though

Nichols (OU) – beautiful ray to pak, beautiful Van Leeuwen, stuck DLO dismount!

Frazier (UCLA) – great split leap series to start, solid front aerial to back tuck, great full turn, solid side aerial to beat jump, and slight step on dismount.

Clausi (Cal) – slight chest down on full in, 1.5 to front full is solid but maybe a bit crooked, and slight slide back on double back

Sakti (UCLA) – missed beginning, beautiful leap series, great full turn, slight wobble on side some but covers well, stuck side aerial to full dismount

Materangelo (Cal) – short on full in and has to take a large step forward, 1.5 to front tuck but looked like it was supposed to be a layout, solid 2.5 to finish

Ross (UCLA)  – beautiful BHS LOSO, beautiful ring leap, slight check on full turn but covers well, good front aerial to sissone, stuck side aerial to full dismount

Andres (UCLA) exh – slight wobble on beat jump to straddle 3/4, RO to LOSO series with a wobble, solid gainer LOSO, and slight step on double full dismount

After 2: Oklahoma: 98.750, UCLA: 97.925, Cal: 97.825, Stanford: 97.700

Shame about UCLA having to count a fall, but great rotations for the other 3 teams.

Rotation 3

Oklahoma: beam, UCLA: floor, Cal: vault, Stanford: bars

Lawson (Stan) – great maloney to bail, big step on double back dismount

Jones (Cal) – stuck y full, slightly piked down

Flatley (UCLA) – missed beginning but cut in just in time to see fall on front double full, good 1.5 to front lay to close

Dunn (OU) – slight wobble on triple series, solid split jump to straddle 1/2, punch front full with a step forward

Clausi (Cal) – good y 1.5, some legs and squatty landing

Widner (Stan) – beautiful tkatchev great bail handstand, lovely handstands, large hop back on DLO

Quinn (Cal) – stuck y full

Tratz (UCLA) – short on full in with chest down, good back 1.5 to front full to stag jump, slight chest down on double back

Webb (OU) – good full turn to open, great BHS LOSO series, great front aerial to split jump, a bit off on leap series but covered well, stuck side aerial to lay full dismount

Kramer (UCLA) – just caught the end – great rudi to close

Frazier (UCLA) – great full in, little crooked an double back, great double pike to finish

Smith (OU) – great BHS LOSO series, beautiful side aerial to split jump, swing down solid, slight hop on dismount

Nichols (OU) – slight wobble on front aerial to can’t connect into BHS LOSO, beautiful leap series, great front toss to BHS swing down, and sticks dismount

Ross (UCLA) – whip to huge double tuck, beautiful 1.5 to front layout, and a beautiful double pike to finish

Lashbrooke (UCLA) (exh) – big double back to open, solid 1.5 to front lay, beautiful leaps with lots of amplitude, and a strong double pike to finish

After 3: Oklahoma: 147.975, UCLA: 147.350, Cal: 146.975, Stanford: 146.775

Looks like a solid meet so far for everyone today! Ragan Smith was stunning on beam in her debut. I think she’s going to have a great NCAA career.

Rotation 4

Oklahoma: floor, UCLA: vault, Cal: bars, Stanford: beam

Dennis (UCLA) – stuck y full

George (Cal) – great tkatchev, beautiful bail, stuck full in dismount

Poston (UCLA) – slight chest down and hop back on HS front pike 1/2

Smith (OU) – good double back to open, great front 1.5 to front lay, really interesting to see her with KJ choreography, great wolf jump, slightly short on double pike an takes a lunge forward

Ross (UCLA) – hop forward on y 1.5

Degouvea (OU) – great front double full to open, great front lay to front full, loving this choreography, she has such a presence on floor, great slip jumps, great 1.5 to front full to close

Bordas (Cal) –  huge jaeger , stuck double tuck dismount with a college salute

LaPinta (OU) – good triple full to open, good front full to fort lay, and a good double tuck to close

Webb (OU) – another Billie Eilish routine, great front double full to open, nice back 1.5 to front full, and a nice rudi to close

Nichols (OU) – great 1.5 through to double back, nice 1.5 to front LOSO, beautiful leaps, and slight chest down on double pike but covers well

Navarro (Stan) – great triple series, solid full turn, missed the rest but small hop on dismount

Bryant (Stan) exh – great BHS LOSO series, great beat jump to split jump, great punch front, and big step on double tuck dismount

Final: Oklahoma: 197.350, UCLA: 196.575, Cal: 196.200, Stanford: 195.475

Solid start for everyone. UCLA will be disappointed with a counting fall on beam, but there’s plenty of time to improve. Oklahoma looked the most prepared, so it’s not surprising to see the Sooners get the win here.

Thanks for tuning in!


Live blog by Mary Emma Burton

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