Since so many USAG teams weren’t able to compete in 2021, we’re skipping straight to the team final this year. All five teams who had a 2021 season will compete in this session with a single bye. The team and all around titles will be determined today, while the best individual event scores will advance to tomorrow’s event finals.
If you’re new here, this meet is likely a battle between three teams. While Air Force has had an important rebuilding season with a new coaching staff and Centenary should be delighted to get to compete as a full team at nationals, success at the USAG level is all about pulling scores above the 195.000 level, and just three teams have pulled that off this year. While Lindenwood is the favorite in this meet, defeating the other two in a convincing win at the MIC championship two weeks ago and with its best event very conveniently drawn into the very last rotation, neither Texas Woman’s nor SEMO are too far back.
Rotation 1: Air Force VT, TWU BB, CC BB, SEMO FX
Bruder (AFA): FTT, low chest and piked throughout. 9.5
Molina (CC): Triple series, front aerial solid, front full dismount a bit underrotated with a step.
Sanders (SEMO): This is Lana Del Rey I’m pretty sure. Missed the first pass due to camera work, front lay front full, switch side to Popa turning the opposite direction which is fun, two and a half nearly stuck. 9.7
King (TWU): I think that was a Jaeger, cutting in and out really fast, blind full double back. 9.675
Bardes (AFA): Yurchenko tuck full, low chest but stuck. 9.65
Bonzagni (TWU): Bail with a substantial leg break, missed a handstand on the high bar, blind full double back with a major hop back. 9.1
Stephens (CC): Full turn, split leap to standing ring jump,
Kirkpatrick (AFA): Actually really solid FTY, baby hop in place. 9.75
Moffitt (SEMO): Cutting in for the second pass again which is a front lay front full I think, double pike stuck with low chest.
Leake (TWU): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, substantial leg separation and feet, blind full double back. 9.05. Scores are harsh today.
Davis (AFA): High FTY, slightly piked, little hop. 9.8
Ponder (CC): Starting with a tick tock, everyone loves that, full turn. BHS LOSO with bent legs but secure. Split to sheep, not great shape, split to LOSO with a major bend check. Switch to tuck 3/4 jump. Gainer pike, hop. 9.4
Griffith (TWU): Great Jaeger, good bail, FTDB stuck. Seriously grown up bars. 9.75
Jones (SEMO): Front through two and a half. Double back, landings super clean. Switch ring, tour jete half split full. 9.835
Goyco (TWU): Cut in just in time for the blind full double back. 9.575
Solorzano-Caruso (SEMO): Double pike, triple leap series, front lay front full really secure. 9.85
Baumgartner (CC): Front full with soft knees but stuck for at least a second before saluting. 9.675
Kaziska (SEMO): Front double full, I just love that she lunges out of it instead of doing the pique arabesque thing. Switch side Popa well extended and controlled. One and a half front lay stuck. Rudi to finish. Freaking fantastic, 9.9.
Sanders (CC): Switch to tuck full to beat. Tuck front full stuck. 9.7
After 1: SEMO 49.075, Air Force 48.700, Centenary 47.900, TWU 47.150
Texas Woman’s may have ruled itself out after a scrappy vault rotation. I didn’t see any falls, though the whole rotation wasn’t shown, but three scores are 9.1 or below. Air Force delivered a season high on vault and goes to bye now, while SEMO threw down the gauntlet as Lindenwood joins this rotation.
Rotation 2: SEMO VT, LU UB, TWU BB, CC FX
Boogerd (LU): Half turn to Deltchev to overshoot, double lay a little overrotated.
Huff (CC): Rudi to split good. That’s all I saw in the background of bars.
Test (SEMO): FTY, open with a huge hop back.
Newsome (LU): Pike Jaeger to overshoot, excellent, just short on the cast handstand on the high bar, doule front with knees together and a step. 9.75
Kaziska (SEMO): Oh she hasn’t always been vaulting. Back in the day she was an all arounder, FTY, slightly pikey but more control on the landing than the last few. 9.8
Adams (SEMO): Commentators thought Kaziska was Adams which is kind of hilarious but this is actually her. Big FTY, medium hop. 9.8
Daniels (LU): Tkachev, bail to toe shoot flat footed. Blind full double back with a tiny hop back. 9.75
Mitchell (LU): No. 1 on bars. Blind to Jaeger, clean, not perfect handstands today but still pretty good, clear hip to bail, double lay almost stuck. Just a toe shuffle, they might give her that. 9.85
Goyco (TWU): Full turn, beat jump to straddle 3/4 with a check. BHS LOSO. Switch switch half to beat, the half actually had a better split than the regular split. Punch front full with a baby hop. 9.775
Harris (CC): Double back, switch ring half pretty good, one and a half front lay, looked like she had it but one foot slipped and she put a hand down. 9.0
Pierce (TWU): Pike kick front to BHS. Switch split with a check in the middle. Cat leap front aerial tentative but got it, full turn, tuck front full stuck. 9.825
Johnson (LU): Double pike, OOB, switch side Popa Shush full good. Pretty good double back. One and a half front lay. 9.7
Gose (TWU): Just saw the one and a half twist with a hop. 9.825
Sanders (CC): Double pike great, switch side Popa with iffy positions, Rudi to double stag landing kind of sideways. Front full front lay very solid. 9.825 might be event finals material, we’ll see.
After 2: SEMO 97.975, Texas Woman’s 95.600, Centenary 95.175, Lindenwood 48.950, Air Force 48.700
SEMO goes on bye this rotation after a strong performance on vault. Lindenwood and Air Force now face their scariest events while Texas Woman’s is back on safe ground on floor.
Rotation 3: CC VT, USAFA UB, LU BB, TWU FX
Trapp (CC): Yurchenko layout, couldn’t see the landing mats.
Rush (LU): Hitch kick piked side somi, pretty. Full turn. BHS LOSO great. Switch split 3/4 and falls. That’s a pity, it was going so well. At least her splits were good. Side aerial back full.
Kirkpatrick (AFA): Toe on to Maloney, catches it quite dead, toe on to bail and collapses onto the bar. Blind full double back okay. 8.95
Johnson (CC): Yurchenko layout, nearly stuck onto a bunch of mats.
Pierce (TWU): Super dramatic, great front double full. Switch side Popa, imperfect control, front lay front full pretty good. 9.85
Mitchell (LU): Split split 3/4 super clean, full turn. Side aerial, spectacular, milks it and takes several seconds to present. Switch 1/4, gainer full stuck-ish on her toes.
Bardes (AFA): Clear hip to bail, blind full double back with a step back. We missed her eponymous release but what we saw looked great.
Woodring (TWU): Just saw her last pass, double back with low chest.
Griswold (LU): BHS LOSO, medium bend check. Side aerial and falls. Cat leap switch half, iffy split, full turn. One and a half with a hop. Lindenwood counting a fall now.
Shearns (AFA): Just saw blind full double back stuck.
Goyco (TWU): Double pike great, this routine is the best, switch side Popa. Front lay front full a bit bouncy. Great double back. 9.925!!
Roberts (LU): Triple series, full turn with a small check. Switch switch split with major split issues. Cat leap gainer full stuck slightly awkwardly.
Gose (TWU): Double pike, great, switch side Popa Popa flies. Front full front lay really good. Shushunova. Great control on the Rudi. 9.9 is a career high I think.
Baars (LU): Cat leap kickover front good. BHS LOSO, swims and falls. Cartwheel gainer full stuck.
After 3: Texas Woman’s 144.900, Centenary 143.975, SEMO 97.975, Lindenwood 96.750, Air Force 96.600
Yeah, counting two falls is not fun for anyone. Advantage SEMO, though the Redhawks now have to withstand their own scary event. Texas Woman’s 49.275 on floor is massive, though it’s likely too late to get the Pioneers back in the meet.
Rotation 4: TWU VT, SEMO UB, AFA BB, Lindenwood FX
Leake (TWU): FTY to hands and knees. 9.05
Stapleton (AFA): BHS LOSO, tentative but got it. Switch side. Straddle to Popa. Full turn. Gainer pike, step to salute.
King (TWU): FTY, piked down but just a small step forward. 9.8
Roberts (LU): Switch half split full wolf full. Double back, substantial bounce back but stays in bounds. Good control on double pike. Good twisting pass and mic drop.
Gose (TWU): FTY, high and straight, hop back..
Carswell (AFA): Double wolf turn. BHS LOSO, swim. Split to I think that was meant to be a split ring jump but it wasn’t, gainer full with a decent sized hop.
Bates (SEMO): Redhawks have not had a good start here. Pike Jaeger to overshoot, foot form but mechanically full, blind full messy to double back with a small hop. 9.725
Stevenson (AFA): Front tuck mount, small check. BHS LOSO good. Switch to back tuck to split, iffy splits but super control. Gainer pike.
Griswold (LU): Double pike, definite shift of the front foot but minor. Front full front lay good, switch half wolf full. Overrotated double back. 9.85
Miller (SEMO): Pike Jaeger, great Ezhova. Double lay deep, big hop forward.
Barber (AFA): Split split 3/4, great positions. Beat to split full. Gainer full good.
Baze (LU): Double pike. Switch side Popa Popa, little underrotated. One and a half front lay, missed the punch, awkward and had to scrabble for the landing. 9.7
Smith (AFA): BHS LOSO great. Full turn with a check. Split split 3/4, check. Cat leap side aerial back full.
Leman (LU): Joining halfway. Front lay to Rudi, slightly cross-legged punch but strong landing.
After 4: Texas Woman’s 193.700, Lindenwood 145.725, SEMO 145.650, Air Force 145.475, Centenary 143.975
It’s going to come down to the very end between Lindenwood and SEMO and Air Force is not out of it either. USAGs is never boring.
Rotation 5: Lindenwood VT, Centenary UB, SEMO BB, Air Force FX
Lopez (LU): Solid FTY from what we could see blurry in the background. 9.825
Fischer (SEMO): BHS LOSO emphatic. Double turn, switch to split 1/4. Cut away before the end. 9.85 is a huge opening score for SEMO.
Brock (AFA): Joining partway. Tour jete half split full. Rudi to straddle, good.
Baze (LU): Twisting onto the table, small hop on her FTY. 9.825
Speller (SEMO): Front aerial BHS, slightly tentative. Switch switch half with major split position issues, borderline creditable, full turn. Liukin, extremely shaky with the leg out to the side, fighting to get it to 90 and I don’t think she made it. Front full with a baby hop. 9.9 uhhh I was expecting 9.6 territory for that routine.
Sanders (CC): Has an outside shot at the all around. Clear hip to Gienger to overshoot, soft knees throughout but makes it through. Pings on her double lay and falls forward. Sucks, she had a great day.
Leman (LU): Good FTY, medium hop back.
Maxwell (SEMO): Just saw a one and a half dismount, on the deep side. 9.85
Bruder (AFA): Front through double back, a little overrotated. Wolf full.
Miller (SEMO): Switch split 3/4, BHS LOSO. LOSO to split. One and a half, low and cross legged, I gasped, but managed to stick.
Wilson (CC): Maloney to Pak, leg separations, no handstand on the low bar half turn, full out pretty with a big hop back.
Sand (AFA): Double pike. Substantial hop back on the Rudi. Front full front tuck, low with a big step forward.
Ponder (CC): Blind full to Tkachev with foot form to straddle back. Double lay piked throughout with a big step forward.
Kaziska (SEMO): A 9.8 wins this for the Redhawks. Front aerial to split, switch split quarter, one and a half stuck. Yeah, she’s done it. 9.925
Wait, Solorzano-Caruso actually won it before Kaziska got here and we just didn’t see her. High quality broadcast happening.
Tripp (CC): Half turn to bail, runs back out of her double back.
FINAL: SEMO is the 2021 USAG National Champion with 195.025
A good Lindenwood vault rotation couldn’t withstand a SEMO program record beam rotation of 49.375. Amazing finish for the Redhawks at home.
AA: Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso 39.225
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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