SCRATCH EVERYTHING I’ve ever said about the Big Ten! The conference sneakily put up its conference championship central site this week (I looked for it Sunday? Monday? and didn’t see it, hence all that wrong info you read in the Mount), and everything has changed! Let’s break it down:
- The conference championship will now be seeded by conference regular season standings rather than Big Five finishes.
- There will be six teams competing in the early session and four in the prestigious night session (yes, thank you, finally).
- This means that Big Fives now only act as the second half of the Big Ten regular season, not a seeding meet; we’ll still award a regular season champion here.
OK, what does that mean for these five teams? Below is each team in the conferences’ win-loss record (teams in this session are bold). Keep in mind that there are four wins/losses on the line in each session, so each team’s highest (if it finishes first in its session) and lowest (if it finishes last) possible conference finish is listed in italics:
- Michigan: 5-0, 9-0 to 5-4
- Minnesota: 5-0, 9-0 to 5-4
- Maryland: 3-2, 7-2 to 3-6
- Nebraska: 3-2, 7-2 to 3-6
- Michigan State: 3-2, 7-2 to 3-6Â Â
- Ohio State: 2-3, 6-3 to 2-7
- Penn State: 2-3, 6-3 to 2-7
- Illinois: 1-4, 5-4 to 1-8
- Iowa: 1-4, 5-4 to 1-8
- Rutgers: 0-4, 4-4 to 0-8 Â
This new system is worst for Illinois, which has a strong average but poor win-loss record. That said, it has gone up against most of its strongest foes in dual meets and could pick up three to four wins here. Rutgers, whoopsie, only saw Minnesota in a tri, and the conference isn’t counting that loss in its total (these numbers are straight from the Big Ten), which is why its meets add up to eight rather than nine. It doesn’t really matter, but moving forward in this new format teams will want to pay attention to those things. I couldn’t tell you why Minnesota gets to count that meet as a win! Mystery.
The moral of the story is: Every team still has something to win or lose here. Let’s assume Michigan and Minnesota go one-two tomorrow, with either team first. The winner will be the regular season champion, finishing undefeated in the conference, and both will advance to the night session. That scenario is a near-certainty and leaves two spots up for grabs. If that does happen, each of Maryland, Michigan State and Penn State will have at least two more losses, none finishing with more than five wins. That makes six wins the golden number, and five the uh-oh we have to do a tie break total (ties will be broken by head-to-head results).
All of that is to say that in this session, the name of the game is finishing first and picking up those four wins. It’s nearly imperative. There are a number of scenarios that are in the realm of possibility here. If Illinois/Iowa and Nebraska finish one-two in that order, they finish with 5-4 and 6-3 records, respectively, and Nebraska makes the night session. The only path to the big show for Illinois and Iowa is a first place win and low finish for Nebraska, and winning the tie break against the session two third place. If Ohio State is first and Nebraska second, they’ll be tied at 6-3, and the tie break (head-to-head results) would go to Ohio State,
So, I’m going to say that with 75 percent confidence, the night session will be Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and one of Michigan State/Maryland. But this is gymnastics. Anything can happen, and Nebraska has to hit and finish first or second to avoid a big, weird three-way tie break.
It’s messy! It’s more complicated! We’ll see how it goes, and we won’t know anything for sure until after tomorrow’s session. The third-place finisher in that meet will dictate a lot, and we’ll all be scrambling to do some math in the last rotation of that session. Yay?
The usual disclaimers about podium and meets with byes goes here. You know the drill.
Injury updates: Mia Takekawa (Ill., presumed ankle) remains questionable for beam and is likely out of vault and floor. We expect to see her on bars.
It occurs to me just right now that the Big Ten could mean regular season ranking by NQS, but I don’t think so! 1. Because the Big Ten has always kept its own rankings by win/loss and that’s how the regular season title is determined, and 2. Because NQS (well, they say RQS, but you know) after this meet is the secondary tie break measure. I’m 99 percent sure I’m right and I’ll eat crow if that whole long bit above is a lie.
Well it’s just after the hour and the stream isn’t up yet, par for the course. Last year they did each team’s intro video, march in and the anthem, so I’d say we’re in for a bit of a wait.
The score feed is up and running, though, hooray! Such a treat for a Flo-vite. Get it? Flo invite? No?
Rotation 1: Iowa vault, Rutgers bars, Ohio State beam, Illinois floor (Nebraska bye)
One touch is just wrapping up! Here we go!
Castle (Iowa): Yhalf, hop.
Townes (Ill): FHS frotn 1/1 + front 1/1, little short on her heels. Tour jete 1/1 short rotation. Rudi + straddle, slightly off balance.
Hall (RU): Toe hand to off balance Jaeger to toe shoot. Low chest on DLO.
Castillo (Iowa): FTY, hips and a hop.
Noonan (Ill): FHS 2/1, deep knees but saves it. FHS front lay rudi, low chest. 3/2 to front lay, her best landing.
Huang (RU): BIG Tkatchev, good landing on her double tuck.
Abanto (tOSU): Bhs loso clean. Switch to straddle 1/4, back on her heels but holds steady. Front aerial to beat, bobble on each skill. She’s just nervy. Split + straddle 1/4, better. Gainer pike, good landing.
Caught Guerin hopping on her FTY landing in the background.
Joyner (RU): Big step on full-in dismount.
Scott (Ill): 2/1, SO high, few steps out, OOB. 3/2+ front lay, a little pikey but good landing and amplitude. Great oversplit on her leap combo. FHS rudi, good landing.
Farrell (RU): Maloney to pak some feet and leg form on the back swing. Blind 1/1 to double tuck stuck. Great set!
Lowe (tOSU): Steady bhs loso. Switch to straddle 1/4, drops chest. Cat to side aerial touch off balance but holds it. RO 3/2, hop.
Howell (Ill): Good landing on closing double pike.
Simons (Ill): She’s so engaging in the opening choreo. Double pike, slid front foot a bit. Great building amplitude in the combo. Switch side to popa, Little touch short on the popa rotation. Double tuck so high, better landing.
AFTER ONE: tOSU 49.150, Ill. 49.150, Iowa 48.975, RU 48.850
WOW! If you had called the Buckeyes starting this off with a hit beam rotation, go buy a lottery ticket. Very impressive, they’ll be thrilled. These are really strong scores for all four teams on their events. We knew this meet would be tightly packed, but phew! Hang on folks.
Rotation 2: Illinois vault, Iowa bars, Rutgers beam, Nebraska floor (Ohio State bye)
Curtis (UNL): Some foot slide on her double pike. Steady combo pass. Double tuck, low chest and feet, steps forward.
Howell (Ill.): Hip angle but stuck FTY.
Tolan (Iowa): Jaeger to bail, loose knees and back.
Biondi (Ill): Yhalf, good body, hop forward.
Greenwald (Iowa): Ray, soft legs. Pak, good. DLO stuck, some form in the bottom of the giants.
Townes (Ill.): Good landing on FTY.
de Jesus (UNL): little low on her front lay stepout in the combo pass, good switch side popa.
Scott (Ill): Piked FTY, stuck.
Ferguson (RU): Front aerial to side aerial, medium check and steps forward. What a combo!Beat + straddle 3/4, big chest drop and not at 180. Gainer 1/1 off the side stuck.
Houchin (UNL): Big wild on her jumps. OOB on her double pike.
Castle (Iowa): Jaeger some form, short bail hand. DLO, hop.
Meeks (Ill): She’s back!!! FTY, little bit of a low chest.
Hassell (UNL): FHS 2/1, lunge a bit to the side, but controlled. 3/2 front lay completely stuck. Not the most precise rotation on her leap connection. FHS rudi to straddle, so high, stuck cold again.
WHOOPS I’m SORRY! That last RU beam was Doherty-Herwitz. My apologies.
Piringer (UNL): DLO, short, low chest and steps forward. Good height on combo pass. Clean leap connection. Double pike, short again, maybe .2 for chest and a step.
Steffensmeier (Iowa): Hect mount. Blind to good pike Jaeger, clean pak, maybe some shoulder angle. Blind 1/1, touch late, many steps back on her double tuck.
Johnston (UNL): Clean double tuck, followed by a solid double pike. Switch half to popa to wolf 1/1, messy rotation and not the cleanest wolf position. Whip 1/2 to front 1/1, good, maybe needed a bit more amplitude.
Huang (RU): Hearing that there have been two falls so far. Cat to side aerial to front aerial, big check. That’s such a fun combo, though. Love their creativity. Beat to split 3/2, not quite 180. TO 2/1, step back.
Joyner (RU): Bhs loso, pretty toes! Tiniest check. Really pretty jumps, her straddle is enormous. Side aerial to 1/1, stuck. Very good.
AFTER TWO: Ill. 98.350, Iowa 97.650, RU 96.400, UNL 49.200, tOSU 49.150
Wow Illinois! Vault is the problem event, and that was clean. This is a good sign for the Illini. Nebraska started out well, but it’s not quite the bang the Huskers need if they’re going to take this title when all five teams are hitting. Ohio State is moving to its best event and can really put pressure on Illinois for the lead, here.
Rotation 3: Nebraska vault, Illinois bars, Iowa beam, Ohio State floor (Rutgers bye)
Biondi (Ill.): Bail was a little loose. Blind 1/1 to double tuck, foot form but stuck cold. These landings!
Piringer (UNL): FTY, low chest, hop, some arms on the table.
Gillchrsit (Iowa): Bhs loso soft knees and feet. Stuck gainer pike.
Abanto (tOSU): Good double pike landing. Feet a little far out in front on her combo.
Fall on Roby’s FTY.
Borden (Ill): Jaeger to bail was good, low chest and several hops on her twisting dismount.
Castle (Iowa): Love her in this lineup the past few weeks. Bhs loso, solid, some arm bend in the bhs. Off balance on switch side. Punch front to beat, good, little slow on the connection. RO 3/2, drops chest but no foot movement.
Verceles Carr (UNL): Y1.5, deep knees, soft knees in the air, hop back.
Powe (Ill): Hop on her half in half out.
Adamski (tOSU): OOB on double pike. Switch side Popa, good 180s. Little foot movement on her combo pass. Music cut out and she’s carrying on like a pro. It’s not a deduction as long as you keep going and don’t go overtime. Double tuck, her best landing.
Curtis (UNL): One of her best FTYs, less hip angle than usual.
Takekawa (Ill): Blind to strong pike Jaeger. Bail. Piked down her DLO a bit and hopped.
Hankins (tOSU): GREAT full-in landing. Front lay barani to split, good. Switch ring to tour jete was nice, couldn’t see how solid the ring position was from this angle. Double tuck, hopped up a little.
Castillo (Iowa): Good bhs loso, overturns the full turn but covers. Switch to Straddle 1/4, huge! Bhs 3/2, windmill arms and has to hop forward.
Aepli (tOSU): This routine is a treat. Double tuck, landed well. Strong combo pass. Tour jete 1/4 to popa a little off balance in the air but good recovery. Double pike, chest a touch (the tiniest bit!) low.
Vance (Iowa): Good side aerial to tuck 1/1, stuck.
Gagliardi (tOSU): One of my top three routines in the NCAA! She’s a stellar performer. Good landing on her double pike, tiny foot slide. Front lay to rudi, great positions in the air, touch of low chest. Switch side popa could have more oversplit. Good double tuck to end.
AFTER THREE: Ill. 147.575, Iowa 146.450, UNL 98.400, tOSU 98.300, RU 96.400
Phewwww wow! Nebraska is putting together exactly the meet it wanted to, but it’s not enough to pull comfortably ahead when Illinois and Ohio State are hitting like this. Keep in mind Illinois will end on the bye after beam, so if it maintains the lead each other team will know exactly the total it needs.
Rotation 4: Ohio State vault, Nebraska bars, Illinois beam, Rutgers floor (Iowa bye)
Abanto (tOSU): Yhalf sits it.
Biondi (Ill): Bhs loso, feet form.
Thaler (UNL): Pak form and a short handstand, stuck dismount.
Farrell (RU): Clean opening landing. 3/1 turn, trips out of it quite a bit. Double tuck, low chest steps foward. Tour jete to split, short of 180 on both.
Colombo (UNL): Another stuck landing.
Howell (Ill): Bhs layout two feet, check but it was small. Switch, another check. Switch to straddle 1/4, good this time. Cat to switch side, good. Gainer pike, stuck.
Verceles Carr (UNL): Adds a college stick, good cover when she could’ve stepped.
Aepli (tOSU): FTY, hop back, some hip angle.
Williams (RU): Clean double tuck to open. Low chest on combo pass landing.
de Jesus (UNL): Ray to bail, some looseness. BIG DLO! Hop.
Houchin (UNL): Blind 1/1 to Tkatchev, so pretty, great extension. Bail hand, great. DLO, small hop.
Ferguson (RU): Front through to double tuck, OOB.
Noonan (Ill): Bhs loso, solid. Switch to gainer loso, good. She has very strong solid movements on this event. Beat to double stage, small check, bend to tthe side. Cartwheel gainer 1/1, good landing.
Duffield (RU): Whip to double pike, feet in the air. HIGH double tuck, doesn’t get the rotation, hands down. Fine leaps, could use more split. FHS rudi, step OOB.
Simons (Ill): Check on her full turn. Switch to great pike, love that. Bhs loso, falls. Good leap combo. Side aerial to split, steady. Front 1/1 stuck.
Joyner (RU): Didn’t catch her opening double pike. Good landing on combo pass. Switch side HUGE popa, great splits! 3/2 to front pike, good landing.
Takekawa (Ill): Big pressure in her first beam back after missing a week here. Side aerial bhs, check. Switch to gainer loso, maybe broke the connection. Slightly off balance on the full turn. Bhs gainer 1/1 stuck.
Huang (RU): Switch side to wolf 1/1, good height on the wolf, that’s rare to see. FHS rudi, good landing.
AFTER FOUR: Ill. 196.250, UNL 147.650, tOSU 147.375, Iowa 146.450, RU 144.400
Illinois’ night is done! That was a rocky beam rotation, but this is still a season high by three tenths. Nebraska can absolutely hit a 48.600 on beam to take it, but it’s not a given. Ohio State is also still in it, needing better than 48.875 to pass the Illini. Get your popcorn!
Rotation 5: Rutgers vault, Ohio State bars, Nebraska beam, Iowa floor (Illinois bye)
My dog is used to normal length meets but this one is getting long for her and she’s ANTSY. If I say “sorry, missed that, Lola climbed in my lap,” please don’t be mad. She’s needy.
Gilchrist (Iowa): Full in, good landing leg sep in air. 5/2 to punch front, little offline.
de Jesus (UNL): Cartwheel 2/1 big hop back.
Hinterberger (tOSU): Blind to Jaeger, little close on the catch. Bail hand touch shy. Blind 1/1 double tuck, hop and a step.
Ferguson (RU): FTY, step to the side.
Farrell (RU): Y1/1on tuck off, not fully rotated before her hands hit the table.
Curtis (UNL): Wolf + front tuck, leg up. Bhs loso small check. Switch to split, dropped a shoulder a bit. RO 3/2 stuck.
Killian (Iowa): wild and low on her jumps. nRudi, good landing to end.
Huang (RU): Y1.5, soft knees and a step forward.
Aepli (tOUS): Toe hand to Maloney, good, bail hand, some leg sep. Full in, stuck, very good.
Big check from Verceles Carr on her bhs loso.
Joyner (RU): BIG FTY, hop back.
Killian (Iowa): Good 3/1 to open. Solid combo pass.
Hall (RU): Tucked Y1.5, step to the side.
Roby (UNL): Press mount, pretty. Switch to split was nice.
Swartzentruber (tOSU): Clean Maloney to pak, just a touch of leg sep. van Leeuwen, good. DLO, hop back.
Castle (Iowa): Good double pike landing. Missed her jumps. Good rudi landing. She’s a fun performer. Low combo pass, some foot slide.
Houchin (UNL): bhs loso very pretty, great extension. Front aerial, steady. Switch to split, good height, dropped her chest between a bit. Hitch to side aerial, good. This is great so far! RO 2/1 stuck. Wow.
Kaji (Iowa): 3/2 through double tuck, low chest on the landing. Double pike, chest low again. Tour jete to split 1/1, not the biggest splits.
Hassel (UNL): Gorgeous bhs loso. Front aerial, good. Split to double stag, small check. RO 3/2 off balance, manages not to step.
Guerin (Iowa): Fitting that this set is last tonight. HUGE full in! Good landing. Some leg sep in the twist. Some imprecision in her jump rotation, but gorgeous splits. Front through double tuck, lands forward a bit and steps.
FINAL: Nebraska 196.750, Ohio State 196.475, Illinois 196.250, Iowa 195.725, Rutgers 193.625
Well, the Huskers was strong in that beam rotation and took this meet, and likely a slot in the conference evening session. Ohio State and Illinois put up season highs and will walk away from this one feeling very good about the back half of the season.
Live blog by Emily Minehart
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