Happy Friday, friends. I’m not sure how we have already reached the final couple weeks of the regular season (especially since it doesn’t seem that long ago we weren’t even sure we would get to have a season) but today Minnesota welcomes conference foe Nebraska to the Pav for its last home meet of 2021. The last two times these teams faced each other the win went to the Gophers, and while I don’t expect the outcome to be different today I do hope we will have an exciting meet on our hands.
Minnesota is coming off two strong meets, including a strong showing at Big Fives, where it easily won its session and had the overall highest score across all nine teams for the weekend. The highlight of the meet an outstanding bar rotation (with a surprise appearance by Halle Remlinger)—The Gophers notched a new program record on the event with their 49.575.
Nebraska has been spending most of its season sitting in 195 territory, and while it has shown some exceptional routines (Anika Dujakovich on vault, Kinsey Davis on bars, and Kynsee Roby on bars and beam as particular highlights) as a whole it is still dealing with too many routines hovering in the 9.7/low 9.8 range to really make the jump to hitting that 196.
Today also marks senior night (afternoon) for some key Minnesota players: Lexy Ramler, Ona Loper, Mary Korlin-Downs, Hannah Willmarth and Lexi Montgomery. It remains to be seen if any of them will take advantage of a bonus COVID year (due to Jenny’s quote earlier this season I am remaining hopeful we will see at least one of them next season) but for now I am trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it is the last time I will see them compete in the Pav.
Gopher leo today:
Today's leo was chosen by our seniors and junior captains! pic.twitter.com/UJhWVT9wrZ
— Minnesota Women’s Gym (@GopherWGym) March 5, 2021
Rotation 1: Minnesota vault, Nebraska bars
Gerdes (MIN): FTY, pike down and hop back. 9.750
Piringer (UNL): We started here, that was weird…Maloney, bail to handstand, maybe a touch short. This is a weird angle. She came off… is that a routine? I’m confused. They just cut back to vault.
Looks like that did count…but they did not show the rest of the routine. 9.050
Remlinger (MIN): FTY, slight pike down but she pretty much holds the landing in place, tiny foot movement. 9.825
Lorange (UNL): Good first HS, maloney to pak with some leg separation. Hard to tell if she’s hitting HS from this angle. Blind full double back dismount with a hop. 9.800
Hooten (MIN): Y1.5, nice form in the air. Takes a step forward. 9.875
Thaler (UNL): Toe on maloney, nice, pak down had some leg separation. Short final HS. Hits her foot on the way to the blind full double back dismount and a deep landing with a step back. 9.500
Ramler (MIN): Sounds like she had a good Y1.5 but they did not show it. Cool. Makes sense to not show the athlete who got a perfect score last week. 9.850
Colombo (UNL): Blind change into a big pike jaeger. Some leg separation on her pak. Short final HS. Blind change, another half turn into a double back dismount. 9.775
Loper (MIN): Big Y1.5, decent sized hop forward. That’s too bad, she absolutely nailed one in warmups. 9.875
Davis (UNL): Good first HS. Maloney was nice. Stream froze for me here… DLO dismount hop forward. 9.750
Quarles (MIN): Y1.5, a little under rotated and she has to take a step back. Looks like she was trying a little too hard to stick. 9.825
Roby (UNL): Hecht mount to start. Blind change into a straddle jaeger, nice. Pak salto down to the low bar with some leg separation. Finishes with a DLO, sticks the landing. 9.900
AFTER ONE: Minnesota 49.250, Nebraska 48.725
That was a relatively subdued rotation for Minnesota on vault, but the scoring felt pretty accurate given the bouncy/steppy landings. Nebraska made it through bars without needing to count the opening fall, but still needing to count a 9.500 isn’t ideal.
Rotation 2: Minnesota bars, Nebraska vault
Higgins (UNL): FTY, pike down, lots of amplitude and a big hop back. 9.775
Remlinger (MIN): Toe on tkatchev, nice. Bail to HS, short on the HS and a little quick. Finishes with a FTDT, slight lean but sticks it. 9.800
Piringer (UNL): FTY, shuffle hop back, some pike down in the landing. 9.825
Hooten (MIN): Blind change piked jaeger to overshoot, some separation on her overshoot it looked like. Blind change double front dismount with a hop. 9.800
Comin (UNL): FTY, lots of height and amplitude, good position in the air., just pikes down a tiny bit at the end. Hop back. 9.800
Willmarth (MIN): Ray, lovely. Good HS. Bail to overshoot, good position. Strong final HS. Blind full double back, steps forward. 9.800
Dujakovich (UNL): Y1.5, hop forward. Good position in the air. 9.900
Loper (MIN): Pretty first Hs. Maloney to pak, beautiful position. Little short on the final HS. Blind full double back, sticks the landing. 9.875
Press (UNL): Yurchenko arabian, lots of power and takes a huge step forward. 9.725
Sales (MIN): Bail to HS, lovely. Great HS. Blind change into the markelov, lovely. Finishes with a DLO, small hop forward. 9.875
Curtis (UNL): FTY, pike down and a shuffle hop/salute to the side. 9.775
Ramler (MIN): Maloney to pak, lovely per usual. Van leeuwen was nice. FTDT dismount, stuck. Will this be the one? Last routine in the pav? Doubtful but we will see. Nope, it’s the “always a bridesmaid and never a bride” 9.975 for Ramler.
Exhibition routines from Montgomery and LeNeave for the Gophers.
AFTER TWO: Minnesota: 98.575, Nebraska 97.800
That was one of the cleanest bar rotations I’ve seen from Minnesota this season. The judges are keeping scores pretty tight, which I don’t have a problem with. Nebraska had a great vault rotation, getting a season high and Dujakovich’s 1.5 getting the best score of the day on that event. In fact this is Nebraska’s first time cracking 49 on vault all season.
Rotation 3: Minnesota beam, Nebraska floor
Sonier (MIN): this is an interesting angle. BHS LOSO, lovely. Good control on the full turn. Beat jump, major balance check on her split, bends completely at the waist. Standing back LOSO, good. BHS one armed BHS 1.5… little crooked and a hop. 9.600
Curtis (UNL): Opens with a double pike, nice form on that. I appreciate pointed toes on a double pike. Front full front lay, little bouncy but good. Leap series, front leg looked a little low there. Finishes with a double back, steps right to the edge but keeps it in. 9.850
Nylin (MIN): Full turn, good. BHS BHS LOSO, another big bend at the waist and balance check. She always takes that right to the edge, it makes me nervous. Hitch kick switch side, good. RO 1.5, stuck. 9.675
Dujaokvich (UNL): Opens with a big double pike. Tour jete half Popa, doesn’t quite hit split positions. FHS to rudi, good. Finishes with a 1.5 front full. 9.825
Loper (MIN): BHS LOSO, floaty and great. Front toss beat jump, wobbles a littel bit through that connection. She has seemd to struggle with that connection a little bit all season. Leaps looked pretty good. Big RO 1.5 dismount, step forward and to the side. 9.825
Higgins (UNL): Opens with a front double full, looks surprised by the stuck landing (it looked a touch under roated). Switch side popa had good height. Rudi was a little out of control on the landing. I love her choreography there. Finishes with a 1.5 front lay, good routine. 9.900
Sales (MIN): BHS BHS LOSO, solid. Switch switch side, great. Full turn was good. Finishes with a gainer pike. Excellent, lovely to see her hit here – she is so capable of wonderful routines and has been struggling all season. 9.950
Piringer (UNL): Double back, bouncy lunge back. 1.5 front lay, great control on that one. Switch side Popa was pretty. Finishes with a nice double pike. 9.775
Korlin-Downs (MIN): BHS LOSO, lovely. Beat jump split jump double stag, great. Full turn with good control. Finishes with a side aerial to a full, a little crooked and a hop but otherwise great routine. 9.825
Comin (UNL): Full in to open, not a lot of height and lands chest pretty low. Front lay front full, good. Leap series looked good. 9.800
Ramler (MIN): Lovely full turn to start. BHS LOSO, slight lean there. Front aerial beat jump, good. Beat jump ring, so pretty. Side aerial to a full, stuck. 9.975
Press (UNL): Opens with a DLO, legs very separate and knees looked bent. 1.5 to front lay, that one looked okay. Finishes with a front lay front full. 9.875.
Emily Koch and Lexi Montgomery beam exhibition for Minnesota.
AFTER THREE: Minnesota 147.825, Nebraska 147.050
Minnesota had a great back half to that beam rotation, but both Sonier and Nylin had big balance checks that cost them. Minnesota won’t be thrilled about needing to count a score in the 9.6 range. Nebraska had a great floor rotation, and is well on its way to a season high if it can keep it together on beam.
Rotation 4: Minnesota floor, Nebraska beam:
Lorange (UNL): Full turn was nice and controlled. BHS LOSO, good. Switch to split jump looked good. Side aerial with a lean. Side split half looked shy of 180. 1.5 dismount, stuck. 9.850
Koch (MIN): Opens with a front double full punch front, good. Tour jete 1/2 to wolf full, looked pretty good, maybe a touch bouncy. Normal back full side pass. Finishes with a FHS to a rudi, great form on the rudi. 9.825
Davis (UNL): Leap series looked good. BHS LOSO, some bent knees but solid. Cat leap to a side aerial to two feet. Full turn, good control. Finishes with a side aerial to a tucked full, very crooked and barely stays on the mat. 9.725
Sales (MIN): Double pike to open, too much power and goes OOB with a giant lunge back. I love her floor choreography in this routine, it’s fun. Wolf full looked a touch under rotated. Finishes with a whip half to full, clean. 9.675
Higgins (UNL): Opens with a candle mount, good hold on the handstand position. Beat jump sheep jump, balance check. BHS BHS LOSO, good. Over rotates her full turn and another decent sized balance check. Straddle jump. Finishes with a gainer pike dismount stuck. 9.775
LeNeave (MIN): First pass is a double pike, great control on the landing. tour jete half to a wolf full, looked pretty good. 1.5 to front full, the 1.5 did not get a lot of height but she makes it work. Finishes with a double back, cowboyed and takes that step back all the way to the line. 9.875
Thaler (UNL): Front aerial BHS LOSO, keeps it moving throughout. Switch to beat jump, balance check in the middle of that connection. Piked kickover front, that’s pretty cool actually. Finishes with a RO 1.5. 9.725
Ramler (MIN): Ring full looked good, per usual. Double pike, looks like she tried to stick and hopped back as opposed to taking the controlled step. 1.5 through to double full, normal legs in the air but controlled landing. Finishes with a 1.5 front lay, another good landing. 9.925
Roby (UNL): Pretty press mount, I love those so much. Front aerial, little balance check. BHS LOSO, good control. Pretty full turn. Split to double stag, great. Finishes with a side a aerial to a full, good landing. 9.925
Hooten (MIN): Opens with a huge full-in. Leaps had good position. FHS front full front pike, stuck cold and with good form. Sky high double back to finish, stuck cold again. This might be the best routine I’ve seen her do all season? Yep – she got a 10.
Curtis (UNL): Wolf punch front, totally solid. BHS LOSO, solid. Balance check on her full turn.Switch to split, small balance check there as well. RO 1.5 with a hop. 9.825
Loper (MIN): Front lay to 1.5, great form. Beautiful 2.5, controlled landing. Pretty full turn with her leg up. Finishes with a 1.5 front lay, lovely. Pretty much her usual. 9.950
FINAL: Minnesota 197.400, Nebraska 196.150
All around: Ramler 39.725
Vault: Dujakovich 9.900
Bars: Ramler 9.975
Beam: Ramler 9.975
Floor: Hooten 10.000
Live blog by Kalley Leer
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