This is a very intriguing match-up between two teams with massive potential and inconsistent follow-through. Maryland started the season strong and has been sliding ever since, posting a bummer of a 193.525 last week as the absences of Kirsten Peterman and Aubrey Barber added pressure to an already-limited squad. Rutgers can go far lower on a bad day, but its season high of 195.700 would very likely be sufficient to displace the Terrapins. Rutgers has been strong on beam in 2020, but its bars and floor lineups are both vulnerable to top-to-bottom disaster, so a strong result is contingent on basically not letting an entire event fall to pieces. Sounds easy, right? We’ll see. Beam can be a bummer for Maryland even on a good week, so watch that third rotation.
On the NQS front, Maryland will receive its sixth score today, so there’s not much thinking to do on that front. Rutgers mathematically has its initial NQS already, a respectable 193.825, but it stands to drop a 192.950 with a good score today and can pad that total significantly.
Rotation 1: Maryland vault, Rutgers bars
Okay, we had two minutes of broadcast of wrestling that I think is taking place in the same arena as gymnastics. Northwestern vs Maryland. But then it cut to wrestling going on on an Indiana mat that is totally unrelated and then we went back to the blue Your Stream Has Not Started yada yada BTN screen.
We may have missed some gymnastics.
Glauber (UMD): Far back on the table, FTY piked down with a hop back. 9.725
I’m having uncomfortable flashbacks to a meet a few years ago in which my good friend Emily Minehart live blogged a gym/wrestling meet. It was iconic. I’m not sure I can perform to her standards.
We cut back to that blue BTN screen at the exact moment that two dudes’ heads hit the ground.
Farina? (UMD): FTY, big hop back. 9.75
Doesn’t it hurt their feelings to have their weight read out for the entire arena? I don’t know, guys.
I think Maryland is getting owned by Northwestern.
Joyner (RU): Blind to Jaeger, lovely, maybe shy on a handstand, leg sep in the air on her bail. Cut away. Bye Hannah Joyner.
Rubio (UMD): Big height on her FTY, closed hips for a lot of the vault, midsize hop back. 9.85
Oh wow the wrestling guys are going around in speedy circles while one clings to the other’s waist.
Karolewski (RU): Ray I think, we sorta cut in halfway, good bail. She has such pretty technique. Double lay with a tiny step back. 9.8
We also don’t have live scores, which is fun.
Tsiknias (UMD): Tuck one and a half, momentum all off and falls forward and off the mat. Looks painful but she’s alive. 9.325
Is grabbing someone’s butt a legal move in wrestling? It seems like that’s not cool.
I’m PRETTY sure that just humping someone isn’t a legal move in wrestling but here we are.
Farrell (RU): Stream issue in the middle, this is so low quality. Blind full double back stuck and a big smile. 9.875
Randi Morris in the vault exhibition for Maryland. Yurchenko arabian, really nice, step forward!
After 1: NU-UMD 4-0 (on a black background) 5-1 (on a white background)
We don’t have gymnastics scores, so wrestling is going to have to do.
Apparently Kristen Peterman is injured which is real bad news for Maryland considering everyone else is also either injured or banned.
This guy literally just bounced the other guy in the air on his butt. Unbelievable stuff.
I love this thing in wrestling where if a guy wins, the judge (referee?) grabs his arm and holds it in the air to say he’s the winner. Gymnastics should have that. I’m thinking the athletes sit on the floor for awards like usual and then the judges prowl up and down the lines to find the champions, Heads Up Seven Up style.
By the way, the score has gone to 7-0, 0-0 in NU’s favor. I’m inferring that the scores on white are some kind of subdivision of scores, like tennis games versus sets.
This Maryland wrestler has immense curly hair poking out between the straps of his helmet. I have determined to stan him.
Rotation 2: Rutgers vault, Maryland bars
Ferguson (RU): FTY okay, touch underrotated, step with one foot.
Tsiknias (UMD): Blind to Jaeger, too close with very bent arms, bent arms, double lay with a step back. 9.825
Duffield (RU): Okay FTY, steps back and then loses her balance a bit, weird arm wave and gets it back. 9.675
Silberman (UMD): Half turn to Gienger, a bit low, missed a handstand, great bail. Slightly soft back throughout, double lay with a step. 9.75
Farrell (RU): Yurchenko full on pike off, underrotated and rolls forward. 9.15
Glauber (UMD): Tkachev lovely, wait, didn’t get her rods over the bar and pings powerfully. Jumps off on a cast handstand. Third fall on her transition to low, coach Brett spotting her definitely illegally, I assume they know it’s over and are just trying to get her to finish on a high. No luck. 7.4
Wrestling score now has a little flagged number at the top, which is fun. It was 1 at first, then it became 149!
Huang (RU): With a fall already, I wonder if she’ll go back to her full. Nope! One and a half, soft knees but secure with a hop forward. 9.825
Wright (UMD): Maloney, little leg sep on the backswing, sloppy handstand, Ray to overshoot lovely. Stalder double back college stuck. 9.825
Joyner (RU): FTY stuck or as good as. Nice! 9.825
Farina (UMD): Blind a little late to Jaeger, very close. Bail, short on KCH on high bar, double layout stuck. 9.85
Northwestern wrestler is squiggling on his back like some kind of dying insect. Now the Maryland guy has got his leg. Op, tables turn, Maryland guy has his forehead on the ground.
LeBlanc (UMD): Iffy first handstand, half turn low with leg separation to Gienger low, bail, persistent handstand issues, blind full double back with a hop forward. 9.575
Hall (RU): Tuck one and a half, STUCK. 9.875
Northwestern guy did a nice clean back shoulder roll. DEAR NORTHWESTERN ADD GYMNASTICS XO
After 2: Rutgers 97.825 – Maryland 97.750
Northwestern 22-0 (157 of something as well?) – Maryland
Good resilience for Rutgers there. All three of those 10.0 vaults are a little risky, and to nail the second two after a fall on the first is very inspiring.
Rotation 3: Maryland beam, Rutgers floor
McClure (UMD): Her awesome dismount made the rounds on twitter this week. Front aerial BHS lovely, switch straddler quarter – oh, only her heels made contact with the beam there, but she scoots back and holds on. Kickover front to split, aerial walkover 3/2 dismount with a little hop back. Lovely! 9.85
Farrell (RU): We don’t have floor music audio, which is fun. The tape job on her hip is really interesting. We saw one good pass that I forgot to write down and that’s the end of our Shannon Farrell floor experience. 9.675
LeBlanc (UMD): Switch half, a touch short with a foot shift. BHS LOSO with a very bent back leg. Switch to straddle half to split. Full turn, front full with a hop. 9.7
Oh, we took a break from wrestling but it’s baaack! Aw, how sweet, they’re holding hands.
Wait, THE REF JUST LAUNCHED HIMSELF FLAT ON THE GROUND. WHY DID HE DO THAT?
Karolewski (RU): Double pike, two steps back, straddle 3/4 leap mildly cheated, pretty arabesque turn. Front lay Barani, tour jete half is definitely short. 9.55
Wrestling guy is laying on other wrestling guy’s butt like it’s a dang pillow.
Silberman (UMD): Full turn, BHS LOSO off with an arm swing. 9.775
We’re having video issues again, gray screen.
Duffield (RU): Double pike. That’s all we got. Pretty bad Rutgers floor experience here. There was a Rudi later, hang on.
Back to wrestling. One guy is sitting on the floor, the other is clinging to him like a backpack but UPSIDE DOWN so his forehead is resting on the floor and his butt is straight up.
I’m intuiting that a lot of wrestling is grabbing other people’s feet?
Farina (UMD): BHS LOSO with a little leg up and falls. Full turn, arm swing, switch straddle quarter badly short of splits. Side aerial to beat tentative, one and a half with a hop back. 9.050
McLachlan (RU): Rudi I think? flies OOB. Switch half wolf full wolf full nice, double back to her knees and she’s in tears immediately. Finishes her dance and walks off, but that didn’t look good. 8.7
Rouse (UMD): Gainer LOSO to beat, BHS LOSO with a little lean. Switch straddle quarter, one and a half with a jump forward.
These wrestlers are getting heavier as time goes on. Dude, you can’t just shove his head right?
Joyner (RU): Double pike, good landing, tour jete full is wonderful. Front lay front full, switch side Popa spectacular. One and a half front pike. Great routine.
McLachlan still crying in the background getting treatment on her knee.
Wright (UMD): Split split 1/2, positions are so good. Front aerial BHS, full turn, kickover pike front. Gainer pike stuck. AMAZING.
Huang (RU): Front double full great, Rudi to LOSO is great.
Maryland guy is holding onto Northwestern guy by one elbow and one knee, which seems unfortunate. This bout (I learned a new word!) is taking a long time. Don’t give up, boys!! I think is the first time that Maryland has actually been winning one. Dude, you can’t just grab his crotch! Not cool!
After 3: Maryland 146.650, Rutgers 145.575
Rutgers had another floor disaster. That’s life, I guess.
My guy here just got KICKED IN THE KNEE and I audibly yelped and apparently it isn’t even a problem for him.
The wrestling score is 37-9 still in Northwestern’s favor and the little random number poking out is now 197. It’s just occurred to me that that could be the current weight class, but at one point it just said “1”, which doesn’t make sense unless there’s a guinea pig category
Rotation 4: Rutgers beam, Maryland floor
Ferguson (RU): Walkover onto the end of the beam is always one of my favorites. BHS LOSO with a check, switch switch half with sketchy positions. 9.625
Tsiiknias (UMD): Techno Fur Elise! Rudi LOSO, not much extension, switch ring tour jete half. Front double full.
Duffield (RU): BHS BHS LOSO, bend check and off. Straddle half to beat jump, stuck one and a half twist dismount. 8.875
Morris (UMD): Double pike with chest a little down, oh girlfriend can DANCE. Front lay front full, switch side Popa, similar landing to the double pike on her double back, tiny rebound and jump to lunge.
Drauss (RU): BHS LOSO great, switch half is a little sketchy. Full turn, cut away. 9.8
Silberman (UMD): Rudi to LOSO, switch side Popa a little shuffly. Pike 1/2 Shushunova, front double full with a good landing. 9.775
Doherty-Herwitz (RU): Front aerial side aerial, so secure, beat jump split 3/4 with a bent check and a fall. Something, split jump, gainer full good. 9.15
McClure (UMD): Nailed the double back, she has so much style. Rudi, little scoot back, tour jete half Popa. Front lay front full, little jump to lunge. Maryland really on today. 9.9!
Huang (RU): Full turn, beat split 3/4, double full dismount stuck. We’re not getting many full routines. 9.875
Rouse (UMD): Double pike, chest down and step forward to lunge. Got the leaps, really nice double back. 9.85
Joyner (RU): BHS LOSO great, switch switch half very secure. This routine just looks so easy for her. Side aerial back full stuck. Should be a high score. 9.925!
Wright (UMD): She’s one who walks on with so much style that you can tell you’re in for something special. Front lay front full good, switch switch ring 1/2. STUCK THE DOUBLE BACK.
Final: Maryland 195.750 – Rutgers 194.000
Amazing score for a frankly extremely hampered Maryland. The freshmen are fighting hard to keep this team alive and I’m sure they’ll be grateful for the experience in the future. Rutgers counted misses on both beam and floor and—advanced analysis here—would be better off if it could not do that. And, uh, wrestling. This was a weird two hours of my life.
VT – Kaitlyn Hall (RU): 9.875
UB – Shannon Farrell (RU) 9.875
BB – Hannah Joyner (RU) 9.925
FX – Tiara Wright (UMD) 9.925
AA – Hannah Joyner 39.350
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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