The Denver Pioneers host the Air Force Falcons in their 2018 home opener! The Pioneers look to build upon their start last week against Arizona where, despite maintaining a No. 8 ranking, they scored just a 195.775 after counting a fall on bars. Meanwhile, the Falcons set a team record for opening score under head coach Doug Day last week. Gymnasts to watch for are Lynnzee Brown and Maddie Karr for the Pioneers and Jessica Kirkpatrick and Tyler Davis for the Falcons.
Tara here! I’m coming at you live from Magness Arena for the meet! You can also find me on our Instagram Story at @ncaagymnews.
Leotard Watch!
Denver’s:
New leo for today's meet against Air Force! #DU1NATION #NCAAGym pic.twitter.com/94HV1c66k6
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) January 14, 2018
Air Force’s:
For today's competition we'll be wearing our "HUA" leos in honor of Military Appreciation day at DU! Competition will begin here shortly so stay tuned for live updates! pic.twitter.com/ZBSULahI6o
— Air Force Gymnastics (@AFAgymnastics) January 14, 2018
Rotation 1
Denver on vault, Air Force on bars.
Chesnok VT: yfull; overall good. Leg sep on entry and hop back. Not at a good position to judge distance. 9.825
Reed UB: nice jaeger; solid bail; stuck double tuck to close. 9.725
Sundstrom VT: nearly stuck yfull. small hop. little leg sep on entry. 9.825
Davis UB: nice opening handstand to good tkatchev; blind chnage to straddle back; overall clean routine here; just a hop on landing. 9.7
Addison VT: yfull with a step back. some leg sep on entry. 9.85
Kirkpatrick UB: nice first handstand. oo maloney to baile, just some feet stuck double tuck. Nice difficulty for Air Force. 9.775
Brown VT: takes 2 sizeable steps out of her y1.5. less leg sep on preflight than others. 9.825
Lewis UB: a little muscled; tkatchev, som leg form; leg sep on bail; oooh half in double tuck to close. 9.65
Karr VT: only 5 vaulters again for the Pioneers; best vault of the day so far; nearly stuck 1.5 with a small hop in place. 9.9
Murphy UB: great first handstand: huge tkatchev; nailing hanstands! good bail; double layout, slightly piked but nearly stuck and a great difficult dismount for Air Force! 9.7
Salamone UB: little short on first handstand; giant full to geinger with leg sep but BEAUTIFUL pak salto; stuck full in dismount! That’s why she’s anchoring. 9.825
Howard exo UB: gorgeous piked tkatchev; almost falls off on squat on; double pike stuck.
After 1: Denver 49.225, Air Force 48.725
Great start for both teams. Thoroughly impressed with Air Force on bars with both difficulty and they all hit with solid scores for the most part! The Pioneers had some very nice vaults as well, they’ll look to hone in on landings later but great for this point in the season! They also will look to get Emily Glynn back vaulting with her 10.0SV tsuk layout full.
Aww Air Force has a cute “I believe in you, I believe in USA” chant!
Rotation 2
Denver on bars, Air Force on Vault
Murphy VT: fhs pike with a step; wonder if she’s working a fhs pike 1/2. she’s capable of it. 9.75
Kern UB: nice first handstand to straddled jaeger: bail to hs small leg sep; stuck double lay with a small leg sep! That’s how you lead off! 9.825
Kirkpatrick VT: short, piked yfull with a hop forward. 9.525
Glynn UB: nice first handstand. clear hip to geinger caught! she missed that last week. beautiful bail to hs; and she sticks her full in! The Pios are on fireee with these landings. 9.9
Davis VT: uf. her yfull looked good but she put her hands down. 9.1
Brown UB: maloney to pak, shap half, just some leg form but much improved from her JO form. small hop on double layout
Lewis VT: y half, stuck. nice vault. 9.725
Sundstrom UB: nice opening handstand; clear hip to tkatchev caught this time, but she falls on her bail; stuck double layout to close! fixed her problem from last week, but fell on a different skill. 9.125
Salamone VT: stuck yfull. maybe a little piking but their best vault so far. 9.775
Chesnok UB: again nice first handstand; beautiful tkatchevs; has nailed every handstand including bail to hs; ftdt stuck. Gets the Pioneers back on track! 9.925
Miller VT: piked yfull with a step. 9.775
Karr UB: nice first hs; uf. just a little too far on her geinger and falls. Pioneers counting a bars fall now just like last week; repeats skill gorgeously. stuck dlo. would be a great score had she not fallen. 9.325
Bruder exo VT: tsuk tuck full with a step back. 9.725
Denver Bars: 48.8, Air Force Vault: 48.550
After 2: Denver 98.025, Air Force 97.275
Despite counting a fall on bars, the Pioneers remain on 196 pace. The Falcons continued to post solid 9.7 scores and look to best their opening week score.
Here’s some of Denver’s bars, courtesy of gymternet member Maria Layton.
More of Denver’s bar rotation, https://t.co/XNBZK65OcF
— Maria Layton (@mcsmaria28) January 14, 2018
Rotation 3
Denver beam, Air Force floor
Addison BB: solid on full turn; bhs loso, small check; switch leap (?) good. Air Force coach semi in my way. straddle to straddle 3/4 good; bobble on side aerial but stays on; stuck gainer pike; Not her best but a good leadoff. 9.7
Reed FX: solid double pike to open; would liike to see more charisma in the choreo; good on rudi; little short of 180 on leaps but good wolf full; front lay front full solid. 9.775
Chesnok BB: split jump sheep jump very secure; nice bhs to loso to beat jump; very poised full turn; front aerial beat jump good; very calm, confident demeanor. gainer full, just a hop. Good routine. 9.8
Bruder FX: each routine has a cue for “Let’s go Air Force” in it. front punch through to double tuck solid but oob. tour jete 1/2 wolf full good. nice and extended; front full front lay short but she saves it. 9.55
Brown BB: love her mount. front aerial front toss check bhs wolf jump. she’s supposed to connect all of that; little tentative full turn; split leap straddle jump good; stuck gainer full; she got more secure and confident as that went on. I *think* she should be ok on SV, not positive. 9.8 so obviously fine there.
Murphy FX: deep landing on double tuck; nice ring jump to split half; back layout half to layout good on landing; split full; 2.5 to punch front sat. 9.05
Sundstrom BB: switch leap switch half beat jump nice and secure; side aerial, just a small check; good full turn; bhs loso secure; stuck gainer pike. Another good routine!
Davis FX: great piked full in. fhs front lay front full good; best choreo so far; switch side popa, good splits; she gives me a very Mincie feel on floor; good double tuck to close. 9.85.
Karr BB: side aerial bhs good; secure on full turn; hitch kick side somi good; beat jump to split full good; stuck 1.5. This lineup keeps building and building. Great work for the Pios. 9.9
Lewis FX: NICE 2.5; solid leaps; seeing some nice difficulty for a team like Air Force! Layout half layout full good, maybe a little short; sticks double tuck cold to close. 9.7
Schou BB: front aerial bhs loso solid! good on full turn; sissone; she’s very pretty on beam; beat jump sheep jump secure. bhs to gainer full stuck. This is why she’s anchoring. So pretty. So solid. 9.95
Bell FX: short double pike but to her feet; I really want to know if there’s a theme to this choreo here…double tuck good; switch side popa nice; solid combo pass to close. 9.775
Glynn exo BB: off on mount…split leap switch leap beat jump good; secure on bhs loso series; standing loso to sissone little check but good; little tentative on full turn; gainer pike, small foot adjustment. 9.2
Sand exo FX: good double pike to open, maybe a little low; nice leaps; fhs 2.5 just a little short and falls; also short on last pass but to her feet.
Denver beam: 49.325, Air Force floor: 48.65
After 3: Denver 147.35, Air Force 145.925
Denver showed some very secure, confident beam routines today! No falls and 5 routines over 9.8. Air Force also showed some solid routines, and I’m continued to be impressed by some of the difficulty they have for a team like them. The Falcons had some errors but overall didn’t count a fall.
Rotation 4
Denver floor, Air Force beam
Uf. Glynn just landed funny in floor warmups and is limping. Headed to training room. Hopefully not too serious, but not what this team needs after losing Ogden and also the tentativeness of Hammen (she has a scooter so it’s not good).
Schou’s 9.95 on beam is a career high and also ties for 5th highest in team history.
Kaitlyn Schou's 9.950 on beam ties the fifth highest score in program history, too! #DU1NATION
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) January 14, 2018
Koenigbauer BB: takes a rough fall on series; switch leap gorgeous splits; switch half to beat jump a little tentative; gainer tuck full stumbles out. 8.7
Glynn still in lineup…for now
Schou FX: fhs double full beautiful! she’s such a nice twister; I’ve loved her choreo ever since I first saw it; 1.5 to lay solid; ring leap to switch side nice; new this year, a spot for the team to yell “Let’s go DU”. last pass solid, close to oob but stays in. Nice leadoff. 9.85
Davis BB: straddle jump to split 3/4 good; fhs to front aerial, what a unique series! straddle 1/4, good; double full with a hop back. Gets the Falcons back on track. 9.7
Andddd Glynn is now gone. 5 up 5 count for the Pioneers.
Karr FX: huge double pike to open; 1.5 to layout stuck, lunges out for show; tour jete 1/2 to wolf full solid. huge double twist to close. Great routine! 9.925
Glynn has her knee wrapped in ice.
Hill BB: off on series; good full turn; solid on leaps; and off again on straddle jump to straddle 3/4. Looks like she’s hurt. her right foot/ankle. or something. Or maybe it’s a cut? Towel on floor. No clue. 7.2
Brown FX: she’s one to watch for years to come. HUGE dlo to open with nice control! nice combo pass; she has such fun choreo to; ring jump to swtich 1/2 good; short double tuck to close. 9.8
Howard BB: ring jump, secure! you don’t see that much in NCAA; good full turn, and she off… frwo gorgeous; nice leaps. sits gainer pike. 8.5
Adidson FX: her music is so dramatic; HUGE dlo to open! 1.5 to lay secure; switch side to popa good; love her her routine is both dramatic and fun! huge double pike to close! she’s so dynamic on floor. 9.925
Murphy BB: very elegent. off on series. pike jump to straddle 1/4 good; switch leap split half good; stuck gainer pike. 9.125
Sundstrom FX: last meet she only did 2 passes…we shall see. high double tuck to open, nice landing too; another “let’s go DU” choreod in! front lay, front full solid; switch leap to wolf full good; swplit full good; the end. still only 2 passes. 9.95.
Luers BB: good full turn; 1 arm fhs to shusanova–how unique! check on leap series; stuck gainer full. 9.75
Jad exo BB: secure on leap series; saves front aerial, not even a check; bhs loso little arm check but good; secure full turn; sissone to gainer full hop; I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes in their lineup soon. 9.625
The DU girls are chanting the fight song now! So cute.
Denver 49.450 floor, Air Force 45.825
Final Score: Denver 196.8, Air Force 191.75
Denver set an attendance record!
It's official, we just set a record for the highest attended meet in program history with 4,634! Thank you, fans! #DU1NATION
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) January 14, 2018
Event winners:
Denver 196.8 at Air Force 191.75 DU frosh Lynzee Brown 39.25 AA. VT – Maddie Karr, DU, UB: Diana Chesnok, DU BB: Kaitlyn Schou, DU FX: Mia Sundstrom, DU
— CollegeGymFans.com (@collegegymfans) January 14, 2018
Denver went out with a bang on floor. The Pioneers have many solidfloor routines, highlighted by Addison and Brown of course. Even with counting a fall on bars they manage a 196.8 total score! That was not the way Air Force wanted to end, however. That was not a pretty beam rotation. So many falls. They had a solid meet until beam. In the end, the Pioneers take this one.
Live blog by Tara Graeve