An evening Big12 conference matchup is an enjoyable way to end a Monday. This competition between conference rivals could bring some excitement with an upset on the horizon. Both programs are desperate for a solid meet that can be used towards the NQS. Iowa State appeared to be full of potential early-on this season, but has faltered since returning from a COVID-19 contact tracing break. Last week, the Cyclones had a beam meltdown resulting in a sub 194 score.
West Virginia has been consistent with scores in recent weeks, but has not propelled over a 196. However, the Mountaineers came close to defeating the No. 3 team in the country during its first two meets of 2021. This could be the week for the team to pull-off a conference upset against Iowa State.
While Iowa State has struggled on beam, West Virginia has an impressive rotation filled with unique combinations. Scores can be high, but it ultimately comes down to risk vs. reward.
This is a good preview of what’s to come at Big 12’s and whether either team has it in them to overtake Denver and/or Oklahoma if struggles prevail.
Here’s a look at the Cyclones leotard tonight.
Going 🔴 tonight!#BetterTogether | #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/UwOaTR9cPj
— Cyclone Gymnastics (@CycloneGYM) March 1, 2021
Alright, hoping my feed runs a bit smoother the rest of the night because it froze three times during commercials!
Rotation 1: Iowa State VT, West Virginia UB
Turner (ISU): FTY, really nice form and height off the table. Hop back on the landing. 9.775
Albaraca (WVU): Blind full, stunning, to geinger, nice, leg separation, bail, blind full double back. Really great handstands and a stuck landing. 9.700
Hong (ISU): FTY, Some soft knees in the air and a hop back. Lots of power on ISU vaults so far. 9.825 Career High
Combs (WVU): Maloney, leg separation, to Pak Salto, major leg separation, nice final handstand, blind full to double back, stuck landing. 9.700
Boychuk (ISU): FTY, gorgeous form and amplitude off the table. Small hop back. 9.875 Career High
Small bars delay over Combs score. Huge difference between in scores between the judges so there is a discussion occurring now.
Alright this has advanced to a long delay.
Hornung (WVU): Straddle Jaeger, nice amplitude, short on her handstand, Bail handstand, doesn’t quite get her final handstand, blind full to double back, step back. 9.700
Steinmeyer (ISU): Y1.5, takes a hop on the landing and a quick salute. Beautiful form in the air. 9.875
Kianna Yancey (WVU): Mounts low bar, very short on handstand, loses her toe point, maloney, leg separation, pak salto, DLO, hop back.
Maxwell (ISU): Y 1.5, good distance on the vault. Large step forward on the landing. 9.800
Norris (WVU): muscles up to first handstand, short, Blind change to piked jaeger, bail handstand, DLO, messy form, step on the landing. There’s a lot of built-in deductions in this routine. 9.600
De Jesus (ISU): Y1.5, gorgeous amplitude and distance, small hop forward. 9.850
Kayla Yancey (WVU): Mounts high bar, shy of first handstand, straddled jaeger to bail, short on final handstand, blind full to double back, step back. 9.650
West Virginia didn’t have any disasters on its weakest event, but 9.700’s won’t be enough to compete with Iowa State’s rotation on vault. Iowa State has a solid vault rotation with clean execution in the air. The Cyclones just need to work on sticking the landings to give them an edge as postseason approaches. The 49.225 for Iowa State is a season-best score on the apparatus this season.
AFTER ONE : Iowa State 49.225, West Virginia 49.225
Rotation 2: West Virginia VT, Iowa State UB
Kianna Yancey (WVU): FTY, nice distance with a small hop back. Some soft knees in the air.
Langkamp (ISU): Blind change to piked Jaeger, clacks amplitude bail handstand, nice, final handstand, DLO, legs glued together, stuck.
Hornung (WVU):Late addition to the lineup. FTY, lacks amplitude and distance. Pikes it down. 9.675
Some large wind gust just knocked down the feed, but I dont think I missed much
Maxwell (ISU): short on first handstand, blind change to straddled jaeger, short on handstand, bail to handstand, dlo, hop back. 9.800
Waldron (WVU): FTY, pikes down and a hop back. 9.825
Basuel (ISU): Blind change to a massive straddled Jaeger, close to the bar on her catch causing a form break, bail, Blind full to double tuck, nice amplitude, stuck landing. 9.675
Lewis (WVU): FTY, really unique style of vaulting. Nice amplitude and height. Hop on the landing. 9.800
Horowitz (ISU): short on first handstand,Blind change to straddled Jaeger, lacks amplitude, Bail to handstand,DLO, stuck. Really nice form on these dlo dismounts. 9.900 Career High
Pierson (WVU): Y1.5, lacks amplitude and under rotates the vault. Sits it down. 9.275
Vella-Wright (ISU): short on first handstand, Maloney to Pak Salto, gorgeous, beautiful low-bar handstand, Van Leeuwen, FTDT, hop forward. 9.800
Kayla Yancey (WVU): FTY, lacks distance and pikes it down. 9.650
De Jesus (ISU): Ray, Bail, DLO, leg separation and a hop on the landing. 9.900
Iowa State continued its night with a gorgeous bar rotation lead by Horowitz and De Jesus. West Virginia struggled on opening-up the hips on their FTY’s to carry the form throughout the skill. Despite some pike downs, the team was able to match its season best score on vault. West Virginia will have ground to catch-up, but the mountaineers are heading to its best two events. Meanwhile, Iowa State will be on beam where only two athletes hit last week.
AFTER TWO : Iowa State 98.350, West Virginia 97.225
Rotation 3: Iowa State BB, West Virginia FX
Steinmeyer (ISU): Front toss to beat, good, Bhs loso with soft legs but solid landing. Switch leap to straddle quarter, short of 180 degrees, full turn, small balance check, RO 1.5, stuck. Good start for Iowa State. 9.875 Career High
Kianna Yancey (WVU): Double Pike, small bounce back, nice leap pass, back 1.5 to front half to stag, well done, double tuck, great. 9.775
Turner (ISU): 1st beam routine of the season, bhs Bhs Loso, solid, goregous leaps, small balance check, full turn, forward roll, front pike, small hop. 9.85 Career High
Hornung (WVU): Missed the start b/c livestream issues. RO 1.5. to front lay, nicely done, short on rotation and flexibility in her leap pass. RO 1.5 front pike, beautifully done. 9.650
Orrego (ISU): Bhs loso, nicely done, gorgeous full turn, Switch leap, hesitates, to switch half to beat, Front aerial, solid, RO 1.5, form and a hop on the landing. 9.75
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Opens-up on the Double tuck, attitude turn, lacks amplitude and toe point on her switch half popa, front lay front full, Double Pike, nicely done. 9.850
Boychuk (ISU): Bhs bhs loso, balance check, beautiful Side somi, cat leap to switch half, short of 180 degrees, gainer full dismount. Stuck landing with small arm movement. 9.725
Lewis (WVU): I really like her music and her commitment to the mood already. Rudi to loso, some soft knees but really nice landing, Gogean to switch full, fabulous double tuck to end. 9.825
De Jesus (ISU): aggressive Bhs loso, Straddle to sheep jump, large wobble, Cat leap to side aerial, balance check, full turn, Cartwheel double twist, hop back. 9.750
Combs (WVU): Front tuck through to double pike, multiple steps back and takes one oob. Straddle half wolf full popa, nicely done, nice amplitude on the double tuck, large lunge back. 9.575
Semple (ISU): Bhs loso, soft knees, Cat leap to switch half, large wobble with multiple steps to save a fall, Switch leap to split jump, nicely done, Side aerial to full, stuck. 9.725
Pierson (WVU): DLO, under rotated and has to take a lunge forward with a low chest. She usually does a second pass, but I probably missed it. switch side wolf full shushunova, double tuck, step forward. 9.700
Iowa State will be extremely pleased with that beam rotation after last week’s disaster. This competition should serve as a good confidence booster for the Cyclones as conference champs are in a few short weeks. West Virginia had some uncharacteristic landing deductions on vault, but have great potential on floor.
48.950 on beam for Iowa State. That went much better than last week! 😂#BetterTogether | #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/hHjWuVNvbk
— Cyclone Gymnastics (@CycloneGYM) March 2, 2021
Iowa State twitter agrees about its glow-up from last week.
AFTER THREE : Iowa State 147.300, West Virginia 146.025
Rotation 4: West Virginia BB, Iowa State FX
Interesting to note that Mckenna Linnen is absent from lineups tonight. She’s a staple on BB, FX and occasionally vaults for West Virginia.
Albarca (WVU): Beautiful mount, nice Full turn, Cat leap to side aerial, gorgeous, Bhs Loso, soft knees and she’s off the beam, , switch split to switch split to beat jump, beautiful, RO tuck 1.5, small hop forward. 9.125
Langkamp (ISU): Whip to double tuck, good, Switch full Front lay to front half to split jump, really nice unique tumbling passes in this routine, double tuck, really well done. 9.650
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Attitude full turn, cat leap to front aerial slow connection to standing back tuck, balance check…. and my feed froze because the app livestream. missed the rest… small hop on her front tuck full dismount. 9.625
Sound like Iowa State may be putting an inquiry in for Maddie Langkamp. Judges only gave her a 9.650.. must be a SV deduction.
Orrego (ISU): Double Wolf turn, lacks toe point, front tuck to double pike, lands with her chest down and has to take a step forward. Double Tuck, good, gorgeous switch ring to switch half straddle full. 9.725
Pierson (WVU): Front tuck, solid, bhs 2 foot layout, nicely done, missed her next skill, tuck front full, nicely done. 9.600
Diab (ISU): fhs double full to front lay, lovely, nice leap pass, fhs Front lay to front full to stag jump, Fhs rudi to loso, gorgeous. So many great combination passes in this routine! 9.850
Hornung (WVU): Wolf Turn, cat leap to front aerial, slow connection, to one-arm bhs, falls off beam. nice leap series, RO 1.5 .stuck landing. 9.125
West Virginia will have to count a beam fall now. Not the competition they were hoping for tonight, however the athletes are fighting for every tenth after an errors made.
Steinmeyer (ISU): Fhs double twist, nicely done Popa, Back 1.5 to front lay. She’s has gorgeous form on her twisting skills. Ends with a double pike, slightly under rotated and has to land with a low chest. 9.775
Asper (WVU): Bhs Loso loso, solid, stunning full turn, nice switch leap to straddle half. RO 1.5. stuck landing with a few arm circles. 9.800
De Jesus (ISU): super high double tuck, RO 1.5 ro front loso, lovely. good leap pass, double pike, great routine. 9.925
Handano (WVU): Career debut, Bhs Loso, soft knees with a solid landing, front toss to split jump, short of 180 split, switch leap to split jump, nicely done, side aerial to full, low chest on the landing. 9.625
Maldonado (ISU): Fhs 2.5 twist, small hop to the side, front double full to front tuck, hop forward. gorgeous flexibility in her leaps. Nice double pike to finish! Love the energy of this routine, once she controls her landings this routine will score very well! 9.800
Iowa State was much approved on all four events from last week’s mishaps. The Cyclones will be very happy with this competition as they look to pick-up momentum going into post-season. This will be a score West Virginia will look to drop for its NQS score. Not the best performance from the mountaineers tonight, but they left lots of room for improvement for the remainder of the season.
Final: Iowa State 196.375, West Virginia 193.800
AA Winner: Addy De Jesus – 39.425
VT Winner: Kelsey Boychuk, Sophia Steinmeyer – 9.875
UB Winner: Natalie Horowitz, Addy De Jesus – 9.900
BB Winner: Sophia Steinmeyer – 9.875
FX Winner: Addy De Jesus – 9.925
Article by Katie Walsh
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