We know next to nothing about how the Washington Huskies performed in their season opener after wrestling took precedence over away team gymnastics at last week’s road meet. What we do know is that they’re limited on depth this year, but a core group of excellent juniors should be able to keep the Huskies on track while the youngsters settle in or recover from short-term injuries sustained in preseason. Also keep an eye on Monica Riley, who made her all around debut in the opening meet of her senior year—she’ll likely drop back to her strong events once the depth situation is healthier, but it’s an impressive feat nevertheless.
Arizona feels a little healthier than last year, but we’ve seen very little of its freshmen and none of Payton Bellows, who was injured during season last year but should be back in shape any minute now. Australian Maddi Leydin has been fantastic in the all around so far, and I’m also really impressed by seniors Danielle Spencer-Bearham and Haylie Hendrickson who are doing some of their best gymnastics in their last year in Tucson.
Well right off the stream is absolutely not working. Mild problem. Will update if I fix it.
ROTATION 1: ARIZONA VAULT, WASHINGTON BARS
The stream just came up for the anchors.
COPIAK – UW: Changed to a pike Jaeger this year and it’s wonderful. Really clean routine.
DUVERNAY – UA: Pikey full but okay.
BROOKS – UW: True Shap to immediate clear hip, wow!! Blind full double back stuck. Great, she’s looked a bit nervy so far this season but a few more routines like that and she’ll feel fine.
WASHINGTON 49.275 – ARIZONA 48.650
I can’t say much about that since I watched none of it lol. But score-wise really promising start from the Huskies.
ROTATION 2: WASHINGTON VAULT, ARIZONA BARS
CUNNINGHAM – UW: Y full, beautiful and airy with a hop back. She’s done a one and a half. She’s never doing it again cuz UW but I can dream.
HENDRICKSON – UA: Blind to Jaeger to overshoot really clean. Hitting handstands, pings on her double layout but gets it around with a little drama, okay landing with a hop,
RILEY – UW: Beauuuty of a Yurchenko arabian with a step forward. Gone are the days she used to land that lock-legged and scare me to death.
KANE – UA: Blind to Jaeger, touch of feet, blind to straddle back! I like that, not where I thought it was going. Double front is great. Girlfriend is really into the blind changes.
COPIAK – UW: Pretty good full, legs a bit staggered on landing but just a step in. I’ve seen that vault fairly piked but today was solid.
SWANSON – UA: Short on first handstand, full turn to Tkachev is nice, leg sep on her Pak. Dismount just okay.
THOMPSON – UW: Okay full, touch piked which is unnecessary because her amplitude is ridiculous. Step back.
LEYDIN – UA: Missed the first part due to a crisis of video quality but caught the gasp on what I assume was her Markelov. Blind full double back stuck.
ROBERSON – UW: Nice full, she’s a very bouncy vaulter. Squats a bit to try to hold onto the landing, eventually hops back.
SPENCER – UA: Nice Ray! Gorgeous double lay with a hop.
BROOKS – UW: Yurchenko half on, tuck off, a touch cowboyed and STUCK. A downgrade from her mildly inconsistent Omelianchik and it’s working.
BERG – UA: Gorgeous pike Jaeger. Really clean routine.
WASHINGTON 98.200 – ARIZONA 97.750
UW off to a really clean start. Vault was average, but what can you do. Arizona is also putting a really clean meet together so far! Ugh I’m so happy to be back in the PAC-12 after all those weird out of conference meets.
ROTATION 3: ARIZONA BEAM, UW FLOOR
LEYDIN – UA: Wolf 3/2, switch split clean, little check on a flic loso, switch kick side somi nice.
CUNNINGHAM – UW: Beast of a lead off for the Huskies. Front thru double back, foot shuffle on the landing. Double pike nice, borderline on the back foot… ok I think she’s in. Switch 1/2 wolf 1/1 nice, 5/2 twist and her form is so gorgeous. Good one!
PARKS – UA: Gorgeous leg over shoulder planchey thing on her mount. Full turn with a big leg up check, flic loso with leg form and a check. Switch split 1/4 I think, punch front to beat is pretty, gainer pike to close.
RILEY – UW: Beautiful double pike with a big lunge. She was announced as Brooks for some reason, don’t know if that was a lineup change. One and a half front lay is beautiful. She’s actually really fun on floor, I don’t think she’d ever competed it college prior to last year. Good leap series, double back with pointed toes and a touch of rebound but keeps it down.
DAVIS – UA: Triple series, OOH she is close to the end of the beam there. Split straddle 1/4 looked short to me, cat leap front kickover beat jump. Nice full turn, one and a half twist underrotated with a hop back.
THOMPSON – UW: Double back huge with a rebound. She’s got too much oomph on everything. Tour jete something, lost the rest of that routine into the void unfortunately.
FREIDIN – UA: She’s very pretty! Full turn, flic loso with FEET but solid. switch beat is okay. Cat leap switch half is okay, gainer pike with very dramatic arms and a stick. Nice!
WASHINGTON – UW: Ok this one is FABULOUS. Double back is really solid, front lay front full, switch side Popa with incredible straddles as always. DOUBLE PIKE STUCK GET IT.
COWLES – UA: Cat leap front kickover beat jump, pretty full turn, great flic loso. She has fabulous technique on this event. Missed the end. It’s usually a gainer front full off the end I think.
ROBERSON – UW: Missed the first pass in the stream hitchiness but it’s usually a front double full, sometimes punch something. Rudi-LOSO to close is beautiful.
HENRCIKSON – UA: Split mount, switch split 3/4 I think, flic loso good, nice full turn, side aerial with a big check, gainer full stuck and beautiful.
HOFFA – UW: Double pike is absurd with a shuffle back, she’s always more powerful than I expect. Front lay front full is lovely. Tj 1/2 wolf full is great, this routine is really fun, more contemporary than UW usually goes. Double back lands a touch staggered but it’s gorgeous in the air.
You know how you don’t really appreciate how bad most double backs are until you see a really good one?
Brooks in the exhibition (not the 2 spot, haha). She’s very cute, big smile landing her opening double back. Actually nailed that routine. If she can keep her nerves under control she’d be a fantastic replacement for Riley in that lineup.
WASHINGTON 147.125 – ARIZONA 146.625
This is going so well!!! Very nice for everyone. Geneva Thompson’s putting a really good day together, three 9.8+ scores.
ROTATION 4: WASHINGTON BEAM, ARIZONA FLOOR
ROSE – UW: Split on, side aerial front aerial bhs YES. Just gorgeous. Full turn, missed a dance series, cat leap aerial back tuck 1/1. Incredible.
HENDRICKSON – UA: Double back, a bit of leg sep but great landing. front full with soft legs to front pike. Odd shuffle out of her leap series, one and a half front lay.
RILEY – UW: Flic loso with a touch of knees but nice and steady. Full turn is great, split straddle 1/4 beautiful, split LOSO with a little check. Switch leap to another straddle 1/4, adjustment, one and a half twist with a little hop.
SWANSON – UA: Front thru… something with a big step forward. Good double back, really quality dance. Double full front tuck is nice! That’s a pretty smart pass actually.
WASHINGTON – UW: Flic loso with a step, switch side to straddle is gorgeous as always. Full turn pretty, side aerial tuck back full and a stick!
SPENCER – UA: Double back gooorg. Barani to back full—Arizona’s tumbling is really smart. One and a half punch… front to the ground, mistimed that.
BROOKS – UW: Completing her virtual all around set today after a great hit in the floor exhibition. Kickover front to back handspring, lovely, front aerial to beat nice! She kind of skipped into the aerial, full turn is nice, switch to stag to gainer back full STUCK with legs apart. Really really nice.
LEYDIN – UA: Double back, the kind that cowboys in the middle and comes back together at the end, gorgeous leap series, oh another one! That one was a tour jete 1/2 Popa…? I’m losing it already. Double pike great. Back on track.
COPIAK – UW: Full turn with leg up, pretending it was intentional, flic loso nice and clean. Switch 1/2 to chaotic beat jump, nice side aerial, one and a half with a baby step.
COWLES – UA: Big double back, really good. Front lay front full, I’m on a kick of not catching people’s dance series SORRY GUYS, two and a half twist is beautiful.
ROBERSON – UW: Poor thing is getting her name butchered here but she’s a great beamer. Switch to switch split jump!! Love it. Standing LOSO-LOSO with a bit of knees but so much oomph for what it is. Full turn, cartwheel gainer full absolutely FLIES. No one does it like that. 9.95 OH MY GOD
BERG – UA: Front double full is gorgeous. Switch to split 1/1 wolf 1/1, something else, front lay front Rudi. Really solid, she’s been fabulous today.
FINAL: WASHINGTON 196.525 – ARIZONA 195.650
Vault: Madison Copiak, Geneva Thompson 9.800
Bars: Madison Copiak, Christina Berg 9.900
Beam: Evanni Roberson 9.950 (Career high!)
Floor: Christina Berg 9.900
AA: Maddi Leydin 39.150
What a great meet! So much hitting and a very serious season high from both teams, which is great for rankings. The Huskies jump up into a provisional #13 nationally, #3 in the Pac-12, and if their underclassmen continue to settle they can only get better. Brenna Brooks looked incredible today and Geneva Thompson is already pulling in the scores despite having too much gas on several of her landings. We’re also waiting to see Michaela Nelson, Meaghan Ruttan and Hannah Vandenkolk who were looking strong in preseason so we’re assuming short term injuries.
Arizona’s lineups felt fairly heterogeneous besides a fantastic day from Christina Berg. The Wildcats are doing a great job holding it together on limited routines right now but they still stand to benefit from the returns of Bellows or any other bonus underclassmen.
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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I’m upset about how good that beam rotation from Washington was.