Things tend to happen in duals between these two, and they tend to happen even more when the meet takes place in Palo Alto—so I’m excited to see what today brings. Remember, last year brought us the immortal video of Kyla scurrying backwards under the vault, while two years ago UCLA counted two 10.0s and a 9.55 on bars!
So things are going to happen, and waiting to find out what those things will be is the most exciting part of this not-close matchup. But there are still actual boring technical questions to ask. For one, what’s the road forward for a Flam-less, Yu-less Stanford? The young squad left behind looked strong last week versus Cal and a season of mid-195s wouldn’t be far out of line with Stanford’s last few years, but we don’t know how much consistency and competitive mindset the Cardinal has. Meanwhile, is the UCLA beam crisis over? The Bruins looked much stronger last week, but there might be more twists yet to come. Plus, Felicia Hano was tumbling this week in training, and her return to the floor lineup could significantly elevate an already nation-leading event score.
Well, this is a weird free live stream with a weird set of UCLA lineups! Margzetta Frazier has been pulled back a lot. Hoping it’s just a rest day.
Rotation 1: Stanford vault, UCLA bars
Cole (Stanford): FTY, twisting on a bit with a hop back. 9.8 is high, is that how it’s going to be?
Hano (UCLA): I can’t they’re saying her surname wrong. Arched first handstand, Ray to overshoot all right, blind full double back. 9.85
Bryant (Stanford): Good FTY, hop in place. 9.825
Kooyman (UCLA): Missed the first handstand, Maloney to Pak her usual with just a touch of dynamics stuff. Double layout with a hop. 9.775
Navarro (Stanford): Wacky block and piked throughout on her FTY with a bigger hop. 9.775 These scores are way too high.
Kocian (UCLA): Couldn’t see her first handstand, Chow to Pak, FTDB close to stuck. 9.9
Widner (Stanford): Pretty full, bigger hop back. 9.8
Flatley (UCLA): Eagle to Jaeger, bail, again can’t see handstands. Double lay with a little hop back. 9.85
Brunette (Stanford): Bent elbows on the table and piked throughout, awkward landing and hop back. 9.725
Frazier (UCLA): Her only event today. Maloney to Pak, lovely, looked shy on a handstand. Double lay with the tiniest hop. 9.9
Hoang (Stanford): One of the better fulls, off to one side but just a little step. 9.75
Ross (UCLA): Maloney to bail to toe shoot, double lay stuck. 9.95
HER NAME IS KAYLA ROSS AND SHE IS A GOLD MEDALIST IN BEIJING ACCORDING TO THESE COMMENTATORS
Good hit for Steele in the exhibition, Maloney to Pak, double lay with a fake stick. She should be in over Kooyman.
After 1: UCLA 49.450, Stanford 48.950
Stanford getting through with a little help from the friends aka the judges on a few of the more technically questionable vaults there. I have a feeling that UCLA had some handstand issues but you really couldn’t tell.
Rotation 2: Stanford vault, UCLA bars
Tratz (UCLA): FTY, stuck. Showing why she probably should have been in here all the time. OOOHHHH, THERE WE GOOOO BABY says Chris Waller. 9.825
Lawson (Stanford): Maloney to bail, toe blind full double back stuck. Really in her zone this year. 9.85
Kramer (UCLA): Did she just land that thing? She just landed that thing. Little hop.
Waguespack (Stanford): Maloney to Pak, he thinks she’s Navarro. Double lay, really awkward landing, big step back.
Lashbrooke in for Poston here.
Brunette (Stanford): Went while UCLA was arguing with the judges. Double lay almost stuck. 9.875
Lashbrooke (UCLA): FTY, okay, not freaking bad. Little hop.
Widner (Stanford): Tkachev, blind full to bail with leg sep. Missed a handstand, double lay with two quick steps back.
Dennis (UCLA): Her usual, stuck, lovely. 9.9
No scores for vaults past Tratz yet.
Bryant (Stanford): Tkachev, whippy on the Pak or maybe the stream just sped up randomly. Double lay a little low, hop forward.
Hano (UCLA): Her leg form has gotten so much better. Hop to the side on her one and a half. 9.825
Garcia (Stanford): Blind to Jaeger, messy, overshoot. Blind one and a half with chest on her knees and a hop.
Ross (UCLA): A touch underrotated on the one and a half, hop back and stays well clear of the table this time 🙂 9.9
After 2: UCLA 98.725 – Stanford 97.800
This is really weird, guys. Just weird. Twitter is losing it over the commentary and by rights because it’s hilarious. Kramer redid her vault at the end.
Now the stream is failing on us!
Well, I don’t know what happened to Norah Flatley because the stream isn’t working.
Rotation 3: Stanford beam, UCLA floor
We’ve had no video for about ten minutes now. Apologies.
— jazzi (@triplememmel) January 28, 2020
Kramer (UCLA): It’s back! For now. Saw the Rudi to arch jump, looked good. 9.875
Navarro (Stanford): Jump to split mount, BHS BHS LOSO unsteady but holds it. Switch split straddle quarter, one and a half with a hop. 9.875
Hano (UCLA): Double lay, hop to lunge. Aw, I missed this routine. Front lay Barani double stag, tour jete half wolf full. Double pike great. 9.900
Bryant (Stanford): BHS LOSO, a little off line, beat to split. Kick front, steps out into choreography, got the double back today with a step back. 9.9
Ross (UCLA): Whip double back, maybe a shift of the front foot, one and a half front lay. Tour jete Popa shushunova, double pike great. 9.975
Cole a little shaky but all right in the Stanford exhibition. OOB for Andres for UCLA.
After 3: UCLA 148.200 – Stanford 147.125
Hard to say much about that since we didn’t see much of it, but some UCLA floor routines definitely coming in a little lower than we’re used to seeing while Stanford seems to have nailed beam.
Rotation 4: UCLA beam, Stanford floor
G. Glenn (UCLA): BHS LOSO great, Front aerial split, switch split. Full turn to scale, BHS gainer full stuck. One of her very very best. 9.975
Cole (Stanford): Two and a half punch front, switch ring switch half cute little C jump. Straddle jump, Rudi to stag. Good one. 9.725
Poston (UCLA): Beat to straddle 3/4, one foot adjustment, BHS BHS LOSO with leg form but ready. Full turn, one and a half dismount awkward but stuck. 9.85
Lawson (Stanford): One and a half to double back, nailed it. Tour jete half split full. Double pike, could have stuck it. 9.8
Ross (UCLA): BHS LOSO, lean check and an arm swing. Switch ring beat, check on choreo with an arm swing again, front aerial beat, side aerial back full stuck. 9.75
Widner (Stanford): Double layout underrotated with a hop. Funky landing on a dance skill, switch ring switch half. Double pike overrotated, keeps it on her feet with an off balance scoot back. 9.8
Flatley (UCLA): Front aerial front aerial Korbut, smooth today. Side aerial with the arm flourish, L turn off balance a bit to split beat. BHS one and a half twist with a hop forward. 9.875
Hoang (Stanford): Double lay is such a beauty. Tour jete full just about around, front lay front full good, double pike overrotated with a scoop back. 9.85
Dennis (UCLA): Her 2020 beam debut. Full turn, side aerial side somi aggressive. Maybe a lean forward on the landing. Switch split beat, one and a half with one of the faker college sticks. 9.875
Bryant (Stanford): Full in, front through double back good. Switch side Popa underrotated, open double back badass but not landed well. 9.875
Shapiro (UCLA): No idea what’s gonna happen here. Switch straddle quarter, really works hard to disguise her check as choreography, BHS BHS LOSO off to one side but gets it back with her arms. Full turn wonky, beat side aerial back full with a scoot back. 9.8
Brunette (Stanford): Front lay to Rudi I wanna say? Wolf full tour jete half badly underrotated, double back overrotated with a scoot back.
FINAL: UCLA 197.575, Stanford 196.250
Season high for both teams, but Stanford’s is substantial. Really don’t know how this team keeps getting better. (Well, part of it today was the judging, but shh.) Good to see UCLA continuing to find its zone today even with some pretty wonky lineup decisions. Dennis on beam was a revelation. Next week with Sakti back and Ross presumably dispensing with the fluke wobbles should be amazing.
VT – Kyla Ross, Nia Dennis (UCLA) 9.900
UB – Kyla Ross (UCLA) 9.950
BB – Grace Glenn (UCLA) 9.975
FX – Kyla Ross (UCLA) 9.975
AA – Kyla Ross (UCLA) 39.575
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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