LIVE BLOG: No. 6 California at No. 49 Washington

Event Coverage, Live Blogs, NCAA WAG
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Happy Wednesday afternoon! Because 2021 is 2021 and can’t get enough of Wednesday afternoon meets, I’m here again to cover all the action!

This is the first of two meets between California and Washington this week. Today, the Golden Bears will travel up to Seattle to compete. California is coming off a record-breaking meet featuring a 10 by Emi Watterson on bars, a program record 198.050 team score and records on bars and beam as well. Yes, the scores may have been slightly crazy, but that doesn’t discount the potential of this California team when it’s firing on all cylinders like last week.

Washington, on the other hand, has been on the struggle bus. Unlike fellow conference-mate Oregon State, the Huskies haven’t been able to gain traction after a rough start to the season. Between injuries and the loss of a tremendous 2020 graduating class, Washington just can’t seem to find it. Skylar Killough-Wilhelm is finally settling into her own, and Geneva Thompson has quite frankly carried the team, but even they haven’t been without struggles.

Tentative Cal lineups:

Rotation 1

UW vault lineup:

Weiss (UW): tsuk tuck full, preflight leg sep, and a “stick huskies” by the announcer that didn’t seem like a stick. classic. 9.7

DeSouza (Cal): good first hs; blind change piked jaeger to immediate bail good; hits next hs; ftdt stuck. Good leadoff. 9.825

McNamara (UW): tsuk tuck, clean, just a step back. Another not 10 SV, though. 9.875

Li (Cal): clean first hs; pretty pak; good next hs; van Leeuwen good; solid next hs; blind full double tuck stuck. Clean and lovely. 9.85

Killough-Wilhelm (UW): yfull, clean in air and just a hop back. aside, my Mac just autofilled the rest of her name. So that’s cool and convenient for me 😂. 9.75

Schank (Cal): great first hs; pretty piked jaeger to immediate bail; hit next hs; pretty, floaty dlo with a small hop back. 9.875

Cunningham (UW): yfull, really clean and a hop back. 9.875

Bordas (Cal): good first hs; pretty straddled jaeger with good dynamics, bail; double tuck small hop back. 9.85

Smith (UW): y1.5 tucked, good entry form and a good sized step forward. 9.75

Watterson (Cal): good first hs; pak, good; toe hand hit; van Leeuwen, nice next hs, goes over on next one and has to come off; double tuck small hop back. 9.125

Thompson (UW): yfull, tries to stick and ends up taking 2 steps back. 9.775

Kuc (Cal): great first hs; Maloney good to pretty pak; saves next hs; good hb hs; ftdt stuck. Great routine after a fall before her. 9.875

https://twitter.com/CalWGym/status/1369760710331273221?s=20

Maya Green going in exhibition for Cal with a hit routine. Definitely a good routine to have in your back pocket.

AFTER 1: Cal 49.325, Washington 48.975

A good opening bars rotation for Cal, apart from Watterson’s fall. Scores were tighter, but not bad at all, though I would like more routine separation. Cal bars is legit, guys. Washington hit vaults, which is about all it could ask for aside from honing in the landings more.

Rotation 2

UW bars lineup:

Schank (Cal): yfull, clean, maybe a tad of piking, small hop. 9.825

Killough-Wilhelm (UW): good first hs; piked jaeger solid to bail good, mussels up next hs but hit; stuck double tuck. Good leadoff. 9.85

Bordas (Cal): yfull tucked? that didn’t look like it was supposed to be tucked? 9.7

McNamara (UW): good first hs; blind change straddled jaeger solid; slightly short next hs; pak, leg sep; nice final hs; double tuck with a step. 9.75

Clausi (Cal): just a full today, but a good one. small hop. 9.85

Wickman (UW): slightly short first hs; good piked jaeger to bail that may have been caught slightly close; blind full double tuck, small adjustment. 9.725

George (Cal): yfull, clean with good positions, small hop. 9.8

Bowles (UW): good first hs; markelov hit; said bail; hit next hs; stuck double tuck. 9.775

DeSouza (Cal): y1.5, some knees, arm swing but looked stuck, couldn’t see the ground though because of people standing in the way of the camera view. 9.925

long pause between routines. We cut away to a splash screen. Assuming conference.

Thompson (UW): ok, here we go now. hit first hs; blind change straddled jaeger solid; good next hs to bail hs good; slightly short final hs; ftdt small slide. Her ftdt is so good. 9.85

https://twitter.com/UWGymnastics/status/1369765680254316545?s=20

Li (Cal): yfull, some leg sep, small adjustment on landing. 9.85

Thomas (UW):  jaeger then muscles up hs, overarches next hs; messy pak; double tuck to her face.

Sadighi vault exhibition for Cal.

AFTER 2: Cal 98.575, Washington 97.925

Good vaults for Cal, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of potential, as many of them watered down their vaults. Washington will be pleased with a hit bar rotation, probably one of its better bars performances to date this season.

Rotation 3

UW beam lineup:

Killough-Wilhelm (UW): pretty mount; Bhs loso, check; front toss, secure; good leaps; side aerial lay 1.5 good landing. 9.75

Quinn (Cal): lay Rudi good; switch side popa, good extension; double pike, solid, slightly large lunge. 9.9

Eksteen (UW): front aerial bhs bhs clean and secure; sissone, good; beat sheep jump hit, not the greatest sheep ever; ro 1.5, some knees and a step. 9.8

DeSouza (Cal): good double pike; switch side popa solid; ro 1.5 lay full good; closing fhs Rudi solid. 9.85

Bowles (UW): side aerial bhs secure; sissone, solid; beat jump wolf full, secure; side aerial lay full stuck. 9.825

Clausi (Cal): double pike with a foot slide out of her lunge; switch side wolf full, good; ro 1.5 to lay, clean; double tuck, slightly short with low chest and step forward. 9.8

Thomas (UW): front toss tiny pause bhs; switch leap straddle 1/4, could be more extended, seemed tentative; saw her dismount but it went in and out of my brain, but it was fine. 9.85

Bordas (Cal): double tuck, overpowered and leans back onto back leg; ro 1.5 to lay good; pretty leaps; fhs Rudi clean and controlled, great way to end the routine. 9.85

McNamara (UW): bhs loso good; cat leap switch half beat, could have more extension; side aerial tuck full stuck. 9.9

Li (Cal): double pike, clean, no full in today–good move; good leaps; fhs lay full lay good. 9.9

Thompson (UW): switch leap pause straddle 3/4, solid; bhs loso, tries to save it but comes off. ro 1.5 SO HIGH and nearly stuck. 9.2

looks like George was scratched in favor of Green.

Green (Cal): ro 1.5 lay full, some arch into the landing. switch leap switch ring half good; punch Rudi good. 9.8

Taylor Russon doing a beam exhibition for Washington.

AFTER 3: Cal 147.875, Washington 147.100

A hit beam rotation for Washington, and the Huskies may very well be on track for a 196 with a hit floor rotation (shhhh, don’t want to jinx it, brb knocking on wood). Cal also hit floor, though it wasn’t its best rotation.

Rotation 4

UW floor lineup:

https://twitter.com/UWGymnastics/status/1369775127190138881?s=20

Clausi (Cal): front toss small lean; Bhs loso good; missed her leaps; good dismount. 9.825

Smith (UW): good double tuck to open; fhs Rudi double stag good; leap combo, solid; ro 1.5 to lay good. 9.85

DeSouza (Cal): front aerial, secure; bhs loso solid; straddle jump sheep jump, good straddle and secure landing; ro 1.5 nearly stuck. 9.9

Weiss (UW): ro double pike, large hop out of lunge; ro 1.5 to lay better control; fine leaps but could be better; good double tuck to close. 9.8, seems generous.

Li (Cal): pretty mount sequence; front aerial beat good; bhs loso, small shoulder lean; good extension on leaps; gainer pike stuck. Good routine. 9.9

McNamara (UW): some form of a switch ring I saw out of the corner of my eye, good; double pike, good; some more pretty leaps that I missed identifying while typing; ro 1.5 to lay good. 9.875

George (Cal): front aerial back tuck good; double wolf, nearly overstates but controls it well; pretty leaps; really digging the UW DJ’s beam music selections for Cal. 9.9

Thompson (UW): high double tuck, good landing; solid leaps; lay lay full dances out of it well; tour jete full good; Rudi, foot slide. 9.85

Bordas (Cal): hitch kick front aerial small adjustment split jump; bhs loso, secure; switch leap split jump good; bhs gainer full stuck. 9.825

Killough-Wilhelm (UW): clean double tuck to open; fhs double full, good; pretty and extended leaps; ending combo pass good. 9.9

https://twitter.com/UWGymnastics/status/1369779735098662913?s=20

Watterson (Cal): double wolf turn, solid; bhs loso, secure; switch leap small bobble to another leap I’m forgetting; cat leap side aerial lay full, stuck with slightly low chest. 9.8

already a 196 for Washington with one routine to go!

Cunningham (UW): front punch through to double tuck good; good leap combo; clean double pike. 9.95

https://twitter.com/UWGymnastics/status/1369780372427272193?s=20

FINAL: California 197.225, Washington 196.525

Helloooo 196, Washington! Alright, maybe the floor judges got a tad score happy, but this is a very real accomplishment this Washington team should be proud of. In Cal land, this is a very good performance that could’ve been better, but I think this is a pretty realistic idea of where Cal is right now.

EVENT WINNERS: 
VT: DeSouza 9.925
UB: DeSouza, Schank, Kuc 9.875
BB: DeSouza, Li, McNamara, George, Thomas 9.900
FX: Cunningham 9.950
AA: DeSouza 39.550

Live blog by Tara Graeve

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