Though Utah’s consistency this season is menacing to any opponent, it wouldn’t take much for Cal to find its rhythm at home and upset the Utes—indeed, the Bears have the higher season high score. If there’s to be a surprise here, it will have to start early. Both teams’ vault lineups have lagged behind the rest of their events this year, and a better showing on that event could make the difference.
Cal being Cal, there are always lineup questions. Talitha Jones stepped in on bars last week for an injured Alma Kuc, but Maya Green has been hitting consistently in the exhibition and surely has earned a shot at the main lineup. Meanwhile, the Bears are likely on the hunt for a floor routine to replace inconsistent Rachael Mastrangelo, but it’s uncertain from where it will come at this point.
Meanwhile Utah trialed Missy Reinstadtler’s beautiful floor routine last week in place of Adrienne Randall. While Reinstadtler got a lower score, if her joints are all behaving how they should her experience and style might warrant her a second chance.
Rotation 1: California vault, Utah bars
WHOA WOW BIG SHOCK THERE’S A CAL LINEUP CHANGE??
Bordas (Cal): Starting instead of Schank. Okay FTY, touch of pike and a big hop back. 9.775
O’Keefe (Utah): Maloney to Pak, bit of leg sep, closed hips on last handstand, double arabian with form and a midsize step back. 9.825
George (Cal): FTY, not her best but not bad, small hop back. 9.825
LeBlanc (Utah): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, bit of foot form, double layout, seems to buckle a bit as she lands but holds the stick. 9.85
Clausi (Cal): One and a half, piked in the air, shoulders not quite around when she lands but does well, little hop forward. 9.85
Isa (Utah): Ray is good, bail, tentative handstands with straight body casts, blind full double back a bit low but stuck. 9.875
DeSouza (Cal): One and a half, very messy legs but stuck with one foot behind the other. 9.875
Paulson (Utah): First career bars routine! Maloney to Pak, good, switch kip. Shy on a handstand, blind full double back with weird legs but a stick or close to it. 9.85
Oh, she’s a substitute for Dula. No injury, just looked better in warm up.
Jones (Cal): Good FTY, powerful, very far off to one side and a scoot back. 9.825
Reinstadtler (Utah): Toe blind to Jaeger, shy on a handstand, bail. FTDB with messy legs and a near-stick.
Mastrangelo (Cal): Usual one and a half with strange leg situation, very far back on the table, lands a touch short and lock legged with an awkward hop back. 9.825
Tessen (Utah): Blind to pike Jaeger great, bail, FTDB pretty in the air with a little foot shift. Really, really good. 9.975 that was not stuck lol
After 1: Utah 49.425 – Cal 49.200
Good, clean start from both teams.
There’s a scrolling message on the feed letting us know that there’s technical difficulties with the feed, which is fun.
After 2: Cal 98.575 – Utah 98.500
We missed a whole rotation, but Cal excitingly put Maya Green on bars and then inexplicably substituted Jones in for Schank, who scored higher than Jones in the exhibition, just as anyone with half a brain cell knew she was going to.
So exciting to see finally-not-injured Victoria Salem in the warm up group for beam. Maybe she’ll exhibition.
Rotation 3: California beam, Utah floor
Jones (Cal): Front aerial LOSO LOSO good! Little check on a leap, beat to double stag. Side aerial back full with a hop. 9.825
Paulson (Utah): Double pike good, bigger lunge, front lay front full to stag. Turning leap of some kind definitely not around, one and a half front lay good. 9.875
DeSouza (Cal): Straddle to sheep not cute, good front aerial, BHS LOSO weirdly straddled in the air but hit. Full turn, one and a half twist with a hop and step to salute. 9.85
Randall (Utah): Double back good, maybe a shift of the front foot, switch side Popa wolf full. Double pike, just turns the front foot out to lunge, one and a half front lay. Great. 9.875
Clausi (Cal): Kickover front to beat, BHS LOSO good. Hitch kick switch side, side aerial back full with just a one foot scoot. 9.9
Hoffman (Utah): NCAA debut, double layout majorly underrotated with a hop and step forward. Switch side Popa wolf full good, one and a half front lay. Solid start. 9.85 is too high with that first landing.
George (Cal): Front aerial back tuck, bit messy, double wolf good. Switch split beat beautiful, pikes the gainer full down and it flings her back a bit but just a big hop. 9.9
O’Keefe (Utah): Double pike, landing looks a bit heavy but lunges out all right. Front lay front full is good, love her twisting technique. Switch to tour jete full just about there. One and a half front lay. Very clean. 9.9
Bordas (Cal): Front aerial, arm swing, split. BHS LOSO great. Switch split is good, side aerial, full turn, gainer full and just pulls her heels together. Good one. 9.875
Tessen (Utah): Front double full is great. Switch half wolf full, one and a half front… didn’t manage to punch out of it, comes in short and sits with her legs splayed in a horrifying way, with amazing mental presence she swings her arm and pretends it’s dance. Walks off but that’s gotta sting. 9.15
Watterson (Cal): Front aerial, big leg up check, BHS LOSO with leg form and a big check. Switch split is off but gets it back, hitch kick side aerial back full with a hop. 9.675
Soloski (Utah): Double lay her usual with slightly odd dynamics but good landing, switch half split full good. Really enjoy the dance in this one, her presence has improved a lot over her career and McCooleography is a great fit for her. Front lay front full good, one and a half front lay. So good. 9.925
After 3: Utah 147.925 – Cal 147.925
It’s tied!!
Victoria Salem got to exhibition for Cal, which is wonderful.
Rotation 4: Utah beam, California floor
LeBlanc (Utah): Switch split 1/4, BHS LOSO with a lean but holds on. Front aerial to split, full turn, one and a half with a step. 9.875
DeSouza (Cal): Double pike, big lunge, switch side Popa with unconvincing splits. Something to front full, feet slide a bit and shuffles forward awkwardly. Rudi good. 9.85
Burch (Utah): Full turn, BHS LOSO with a big leg up check. Split to double stag, cat leap front aerial. Gainer full with a little hop back. 9.875 you what?
George (Cal): Stream lost resolution and couldn’t tell what she was doing but commentators liked it. Front double full to finish, really good. 9.925
O’Keefe (Utah): Side aerial LOSO nailed it, switch split, full turn and the slightest hesitation as she steps out but it’s nothing. Cat leap side aerial back full stuck. WOW. 9.95, I wouldn’t have been mad at a 10.
Bordas (Cal): Full in, chest down a little and lunges with her front foot. Switch half wolf full with a hop, Rudi good. One and a half front lay, bit of leg form but landed well. 9.9
Isa (Utah): Candle mount, kick front and her knees go over to one side but gets it back. BHS LOSO with the slightest uncertainty, straddle straddle quarter is beautiful. BHS gainer full with a one foot shift. She looks thrilled. 9.9
Quinn (Cal): Front lay Rudi, big lunge and scoots the front foot, front full front lay and a hop. Switch half sissone, splits aren’t even close. One and a half Barani is beautiful. 9.75, the landings killed her.
Randall (Utah): Full turn, BHS LOSO, beat to sheep, getting through well. Little adjustment on a leap, Rulfova great. One and a half stuck! Utah is FIGHTING.
Clausi (Cal): Full in, chest down, shifts the front foot into lunge. Switch side Popa very nice, one and a half front full with a cross step. Double back, OOB.
That’s the meet, I think.
Paulson (Utah): Side aerial LOSO, feet but strong landing. Switch split, beat jump side aerial back full nailed. 9.95
Mastrangelo (Cal): New triple twist supposedly, looked slow to me, big cross lunge. One and a half front lay, two and a half all right. Always a fairly lukewarm routine and it won’t go far to redeem Cal’s floor rotation. 9.875
FINAL: Utah 197.550, California 197.225
Cal actually had a great day, but you could see the dream end the second Clausi stepped out of bounds and she knew it. It’s a little sad, a little amazing when a meet is that close that it comes down to a single moment.
Also, hot damn Utah beam! While Burch’s score was a joke it would have been dropped either way, and the rest is legitimately phenomenal.
VT – Alexia Burch (UU) 9.900
UB – Kim Tessen (UU): 9.975
BB – Maile O’Keefe, Abby Paulson, Adrienne Randall (UU) 9.950
FX – Kyana George (Cal), Sydney Soloski (UU): 9.925
AA – Kyana George (Cal) 39.550
Live Blog by Rebecca Scally
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Rebecca, this is the first time I’ve read your “live blog”. GREAT commentary! I’ve been one of the volunteers helping with the Utah home meets for MANY years. Your knowledgeable comments are GREATLY appreciated. Especially now that Liz isn’t at the meets to send out her “notes” to go with the “live” scoring. THANKS Rebecca! Looking forward to reading about the other 3 events. Go UTES! Tim D.
Tim, that’s so kind! I appreciate it. I’m having a great time covering Utah this year especially and I’m sure I’ll be live blogging more Utah meets as the season goes on. Thanks again!