Kentucky returns home tonight after turning in a good-not-great showing at LSU last week. The Wildcats struggled with landings on the leg events last week but recorded a season high bars total in the meantime. If Kentucky can capitalize on this and add back Raena Worley at her usual capability (she sat her vault last week), a 197-plus will be in its sights.
A big score is also of the essence for the Gymdogs this week, and they have the potential to do so after going 197-plus last week at home—with some wonky lineups to boot. However, they enter this matchup minus freshman Amanda Cashman, who tore her Achilles last week. Cashman was on the cusp of becoming a major contributor, and her loss further buries Georgia into a depth hole. The team showed out in her first absence last week, but they can’t afford many more losses like that.
Joel Godett and Leah [something] are calling the meet tonight, and I can honestly say I’ve never heard or seen either of them in my life.
So Kentucky has never beaten Georgia in the regular season. Eyes emoji.
Rotation 1: Kentucky VT / Georgia UB
Warren (Kentucky): Full, decent height and a step to the side. 9.750.
Lukacs (Georgia): Tkatchev super close. Messy legs on the Pak but makes it. Short on last handstand, pikey DLO legs come wayyy apart and tiny hop. Twas a hit. 9.800.
Angeny (Kentucky): Another full, very small step. 9.875.
Hattaway (Georgia): She was her high school salutatorian, we love an intelligent queen! Gienger was pretty close. Legs together on the bail. Nice last handstand, love her lines, big distance on the DLO and a tiny step. 9.850.
Kwan (Kentucky): Back in the lineup for the first time in almost a month. Small shuffle back on her full. 9.825.
“The one thing Kentucky has to its advantage is depth.” Def not something I’d have expected preseason, but I’m thrilled. <3
Vega (Georgia): GORGEOUS first handstand, floaty Gienger, Pak has big air but legs just slightly apart. Full-in chest down and a hop. 9.800 is a tad low.
Nixon (Kentucky): Big air on the full, hop back, chest slightly down. 9.850.
Roberts (Georgia): Maloney was great. HUGE air on DLO, they say it’s a stick but I saw a little step. 9.800.
Patterson (Kentucky): Front pike half, she really touches the very edge of the table, some legs in the air and lands with them apart. But decent. 9.850.
de Jong (Georgia): Big Tkatchev, she’s so underrated for that. DLO, coach was standing in front so I missed the landing but it looked nice. All the DLO’s. 9.925.
Korth (Kentucky): Looked like she would squat the 1.5 a little deeper but she keeps it upright, legs slightly apart and it’s a stick. A 10.0 was flashed, but it’s a 9.975.
Oakley: Missed most because of the Korth excitement, nice handstands it seemed and a full-in, almost stuck. 9.925.
Notably, no Worley in VT tonight. Raina Albores exhibitions a full.
Schild (Georgia) exhibition: big Tkatchev, double back super deep and she pitches forward with hands on the floor. Still, she’s coming along.
AFTER 1: Kentucky 49.375 / Georgia 49.150
Kentucky makes a season high on vault, with landings looking more controlled than ever. Georgia was a bit flat on bars but still put together a hit 49.000+ rotation, which they can certainly bounce back from on vault.
Rotation 2: Kentucky UB / Georgia VT
We just had some fun discourse from the commentators about Rachael Lukacs warming up was actually Mikayla Magee starting the rotation. I’ll miss those brain cells I just lost.
Magee (Georgia): A full from her tonight, looked good. 9.875.
So y’all can go from not knowing people’s identities to having an intelligent convo about devaluing the Yurchenko full. People are nuanced!
Angeny (Kentucky): Tkatchev hit, DLO small step. 9.800.
Ward (Georgia): Tsuk full, chest slightly down. 9.825.
Worley (Kentucky): Great handstands, Tkatchev slightly close, Pak close too but good, handstands are just really on, big full-in stuck. 9.875.
Roberts (Georgia): Powerful 1.5, some legs in the air and she goes pretty far forward, not the most control. 9.675
Nixon (Kentucky): Beautiful first handstand to Maloney. Huge full-in and another stick. 9.900.
Vega (Georgia): Flared full, stuck. Chest slightly down. 9.850
Luksik (Kentucky): Hello, fellow Pennsylvanian. Good first release, DLO small step, really building the momentum with these routines. 9.825
Hawthorne (Georgia): Nice air on the full, tiny hop back. DTY where arreeee youuuu.
Warren (Kentucky): Good lift on the Jaeger. Goes slightly over on last handstand, DLO doesn’t get the stick, small hop back.
WordPress gave up for a minute. But Lukacs did a full (9.800), Korth had her usual hit (9.900), Kwan exhibitioned bars.
After 2: Kentucky 98.675 / Georgia 98.575
Georgia vault scores trended slightly lower, and it’s clear they’re playing it safe with the difficulty as the season goes on. Kentucky looked pretty good on bars, going on a stick streak for a little bit there.
Rotation 3: Kentucky BB / Georgia FX
The announcer saying to get your popcorn made me consider getting up to get the popcorn I actually have. Targeted marketing >>
Warren (Kentucky): BHS LOSO is way off and she’s off immediately. Straddle half with a check. Back 1.5 step forward. 9.050.
Perez-Lugones (Georgia): The shaved sides of her head are actually so badass? She gives me Halsey vibes. Double pike, small slide back. Back 1.5 to front lay. Straddle full to wolf full. Double tuck chest slightly low. 9.825.
Haigis (Kentucky): Pressure is on now. Looked like a check on her BHS LOSO but she stays cool. Cat leap to front aerial, check. Back 1.5 stuck. 9.600. Seemed to be a conference but it holds.
Austin (Georgia): Nice to see her competing in her sophomore year. Full-in really big but she stumbles back, fights to stay in but steps OOB. Front full to front lay. WAIT A CITY GIRLS ROUTINE? WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME. Double tuck. Wow I’m not over it. 9.575.
Patterson (Kentucky): Rare event from her. BHS LOSO, windmill arms but stays on. Front aerial, leg goes up, stays on. Nerves are setting in here. Switch leap to split jump. Probs won’t get that connection. Back 1.5, legs apart but holds onto stick. 9.675.
Baumann (Georgia): Back 1.5 to front full, beautiful. Double L turn. Double pike. Switch ring to straddle half. Pretty routine overall. 9.800. Um?
Poland (Kentucky): Triples series, perfect. Front walkover. Switch leap to straddle half, seemed a little hesitant. Gainer tuck full stuck. 9.900 is more like it.
Hawthorne (Georgia): Double pike. Leaps were pretty. Front rudi to stag jump, double tuck to end. 9.825.
Seeing the dirt on the camera from that angle was super flattering!
Worley (Kentucky): Straddle half looked not 180. BHS LOSO. No hesitation. Back 1.5 dismount, step forward. Getting into a rhythm now, but the damage is unfortunately done. 9.750.
Lukacs (Georgia): DLO, controlled. Missed leaps. Double pike to end, controlled. 9.875.
Angeny (Kentucky): Triple series, kinda got nervous there but she keeps it on. Switch leap to beat jump. Tuck full, small hop. 9.825.
Vega (Georgia): Double pike, lunges back. Back 1.5 to front lay to split jump. Selling it per usual. Switch ring to tour jete half. Double tuck slides back. And kicks in the door. 9.900.
Kentucky puts up Madison Averett on beam exho and she hits.
After 3: Georgia 147.800 / Kentucky 147.425
Georgia came through with some nice, clean floor hits, taking advantage of Kentucky’s beam struggles. It will be tough for the Wildcats to catch up in lieu of disaster.
Rotation 4: Kentucky FX / Georgia BB
Magee (Georgia): Triple series, slight hesitation. Back 1.5 and sticks. Pretty routine. 9.875.
Monfredi (Kentucky): Stuck double back okayyyy. Double pike chest slightly down. A clean hit. 9.800.
Hawthorne (Georgia): Dynamic BHS LOSO. switch leap to split jump, no hesitation. Front toss. Back 1.5 small shuffle back. Legs in the air on that dismount. 9.750.
Albores (Kentucky): Double tuck, high but a little short. Really like her music. Back 1.5 to front full. Double pike. 9.800.
de Jong (Georgia): Switch leap to split jump. Hesitates a little on her beat jump, but damn she gets it so high. Side aerial to back 1.5, little shuffle. 9.700.
Poland (Kentucky): And here’s the elevator music again. Front 1.5, little loose on the landing. Front double full, better control. 9.850.
Oakley (Georgia): Triple series lovely. Split leap to ring jump, super good position. She’s back. 9.825.
Warren (Kentucky): Front double full. I can’t with the saxophone “Señorita”. Those two words shouldn’t be allowed in the same sentence. Front Rudi to BHS, pretty last pass. 9.925.
Baumann (Florida): Side aerial to LOSO, wobble. Back 1.5 to dismount, 9.875
Worley (Kentucky): Fab full-in. Switch ring to straddle half, good positions. Front full to front lay, strong. Double pike. Should be a good score. 9.900.
Vega (Georgia): Front aerial to split jump, slight pause. Super confident looking, as per usual. BHS LOSO no hesitation but legs a little weird. Stuck back full. 9.925.
Georgia ends with 197.050.
Korth (Kentucky): Good full-in to open. Split leap to straddle full. Front rudi to BHS. Big double pike to end. 9.925.
FINAL: Georgia 197.050 / Kentucky 196.825
Kentucky couldn’t pull it together after a beam mishap, but the Wildcats’ performance in the final rotation showed the grit the team can display. Georgia will be pleased with a road 197+ score and nice rotations in the second half of the meet.
Live Blog by Katherine Weaver
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