We’re live here at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey (fun fact—it’s not on the main Rutgers campus!) to watch the Scarlet Knights take on the Maryland Terrapins. It’s one of several sure-to-be-tight Big 10 match-ups this weekend, but there’s reasons why this one might be more compelling than it first seems.
For one, Rutgers and Maryland share more similarities than meets the eye. They’re both located close to big cities, and they both have mascots completely unique to their schools. And, as for actual gymnastics, they’ve fought considerable battles through the past few weeks, with neither team topping 194 yet. As such, they haven’t yet challenged the notion that their preseason rankings in the bottom three of the conference were a snub.
However, the glimmers of hope they’ve shown are enough to make today’s meet particularly exciting. Maryland’s bars have remained a treat as they were last season, so expect that to be its secret weapon. This is also a home meet for the Scarlet Knights; the last time that happened, Rutgers scored its highest team total of the season when it went up against Nebraska a few weeks ago (in which Nebraska won the meet by only about 0.5). Maryland’s season best is just over the Scarlet Knights’, so it really feels like either team could take the meet today.
Something else important to watch for in this meet is the freshmen on both teams. In another similarity between the programs, both classes have made an impact on lineups in an interesting way: they’ve mostly competed just one event, but done so fairly consistently. Perhaps today will be the day we see gymnasts like Maryland’s Alexis Rubio or Rutgers’ Abigail Karolewski will crack more lineups than those they’ve already made.
Getting started here in the RAC with introductions! The lights just went out and some people behind me gasped…this is going to be fun.
Rutgers smoke and red lights for a dramatic intro…and the gymnasts are tossing t-shirts into the crowd as they come out.
Here we go! Touch warmups about to begin.
I saw Maryland tweeted about bars and was hoping it would be a lineup for you guys, but instead we get this GIF of a turtle..thanks?
https://twitter.com/TerpsGymnastics/status/1091789606301896704
Rotation 1: Rutgers VT / Maryland UB
Alright, some real lineup tweets:
We R Ready‼️ R U⁉️ First up ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/zkgpsaBixy
— Rutgers Gymnastics (@RUGymnastics) February 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/TerpsGymnastics/status/1091790635349262336
Betancourt VT (RU): Full with the chest slightly down but a good landing. 9.700.
LeBlanc UB (Maryland): Big air on the Jaeger to bail. Slightly off on the handstand winding into the dismount but that’s a STUCK DLO! 9.750.
Amoresano VT (RU): Nice air on the full. 9.725.
Glauber UB (Maryland): Crisp handstand going into the Tkatchev but she misses it. A shame because she had so much air. Nice bail. A little off on the DLO but a good landing. 9.150.
Williams VT (RU): Big full, chest slightly down. 9.675.
Peterman UB (Maryland): Jaeger pretty close but she catches it. Nice bail and very crisp handstands. DLO with huge distance and a little step. 9.700.
Huang VT (RU): Full with a step back. Very powerful. 9.750.
Wright UB (Maryland): Catches the Maloney close. Tkatchev to bail really nice. Handstand a little off going into the dismount but wow, that’s a lot of distance on the double tuck and she sticks! 9.775.
Ali VT (RU): Big full with a little step. 9.700.
Barber UB (Maryland): Tkatchev to bail, great. Missed the dismount but it got a lot of cheers from the team. 9.875, their highest thus far!
Hall VT (RU): Full with a step back. 9.775.
Farina UB (Maryland): Floaty Jaeger. Almost sticks the DLO but she has a tiny step. Great end to the lineup. 9.825.
Sophia Atienza (RU) just vaulted in the exhibition spot with a unique handspring event!
Maryland wasn’t as strong as usual on bars, but they recovered well after the Glauber fall. Barber and Farina provided excellent statement endings to the rotation! As for Rutgers, the Knights did pretty well on vault with very controlled landings and should feel prepared going into bars.
After 1: Maryland 48.925 / Rutgers 48.650
Rotation 2: Rutgers UB / Maryland VT
Swinging our way to bars next‼️ pic.twitter.com/3nZJAvmpGB
— Rutgers Gymnastics (@RUGymnastics) February 2, 2019
Second rotation ready ⬇️@EmmaaaaJ @Sabriyya_Rouse @Audrey_Barb17 @ColleaLauryn @AleciaFarina @alexsisrubio pic.twitter.com/hzGP6SGl8t
— Maryland Gymnastics (@TerpsGymnastics) February 2, 2019
Karolewski UB (RU): Toe-on Tkatchev, nice. Bail, handstand going into the dismount a little off. Little step on the double tuck dismount but nice landing. 9.425.
Waiting a bit for her score, it seems!
Johnson VT (Maryland): Full a little off to the side with a step. 9.700.
Ali UB (RU): Love the pirouette work. Unique double back dismount without a giant going into it, pretty cool! 9.675.
Barber VT (Maryland): Nice full, bouncy with a little step. 9.825.
Huang UB (RU): Such beautiful lines. Love that her release is so late in the routine, you don’t see that often. Very pretty routine and a nice double front dismount. 9.750.
Burgess VT (Maryland): Full with a hop. Very powerful. 9.800.
Amoresano UB (RU): Jaeger to bail with some crazy legs but she catches it, good. Small hop on the dismount. Nice. 9.550.
Farina VT (Maryland): Fantastic full, best control of the rotation. 9.850.
Hall UB (RU): Good jaeger to bail, RU bringing it with the connections. Nice full pirouette into the double tuck, allmoooost a sticl but not quite. 9.675.
Rubio VT (Maryland): Another great full with great control. 9.750.
Farrell UB (RU): Lovely Maloney. Pak catches a little close. Full pirouette into double tuck, another nice one. Great lines. Should be a great score. Yup- 9.875! A career high for her.
Karas in the exhibition spot for RU: Good release. Toe shoot. Full-in dismount with a little hop, but great that she’s going for that difficulty! 9.475.
Also, I’m all about teams using fun GIFs to celebrate routines.
After 2: Maryland 97.850 / Rutgers 97.175
The Rutgers fan section behind me is trying to organize a wave, and more power to them.
Onto 3!
Rotation 3: Rutgers BB / Maryland FX
— Rutgers Gymnastics (@RUGymnastics) February 2, 2019
Hall BB (RU): Front toss to back swing down, really nice combo. Good position on the leaps. Tuck full dismount with a hop. 9.675.
Peterman FX (Maryland): Double pike chest down. Loving this dance, really cool. Front rudi, love that she ends with some dance. A crowd favorite back home, I’m sure. 9.725.
Littlejohn BB (RU): Very pretty choreo. BHS LOSO and she’s off on her series..looks like she hesitated but came off. Leaps are nice but she has a little hesitation between the combo. Nice stuck full dismount. 8.850.
Rouse FX (Maryland): 9.750.
Betancourt BB (RU): BHS to back pike, right on. 9.750.
Farina FX (Maryland): Double pike with a lunge. Front full to front layout, very nice. Straddle position is great to see! Double tuck great- very solid routine. Farina is a force! 9.775.
Amoresano BB (Rutgers): Very close on that series, she steps back but stays on…barely even has to fight. Smiles as she finishes her split leaps into pike jump. Nice dismount.
Barber FX (Maryland): Great full-in! Back 1.5 to front pike. Great choreo to go with the music. Split jump to straddle full- she’s very in control. Back tuck a little cowboyed but good landing. 9.825.
Huang BB (Rutgers): Beautiful mount. Side aerial to front aerial, her leg goes up but she saves it. Back 1.5 dismount, very nice. 9.800.
Burgess FX (Maryland): Excellent landing on the back double full. Wolf jump full. She just gave the best smirk going into her choreo right before this last pass. You don’t see a lot of routines with all twisting passes but this one was it, great! 9.775.
Really loving this Maryland choreo!
Doherty-Herwitz BB (Rutgers): Leap combo bang-on. Gainer full dismount for the stick. Where’s that jersey? RU bringing it with the beam dismounts. 9.825.
Robinson FX (Maryland): Double tuck, chest a little down but good. Back 1.5 to front lay. Good work for the anchor. 9.800.
This was Maryland’s second highest floor total of the season!
After 3: Maryland 146.775 / Rutgers 145.950
Rotation 4: Rutgers FX / Maryland BB
https://twitter.com/TerpsGymnastics/status/1091810764741111810
https://twitter.com/RUGymnastics/status/1091808914340044801
This arena music is so much fun too, you guys. I want to get up from the table and dance!
Williams FX (RU): I love her opening choreo. Double tuck, big height but a lunge back. Front layout to front full, and another routine ending with some choreo. 9.700.
Rouse BB (Maryland): Back LOSO into a split jump, very confident. BHS LOSO series same. Straddle jump to straddle full and she barely moves, you’d hardly guess she’s starting the rotation. Back 1.5 with a tiny hop. Nice leadoff. 9.700.
Betancourt FX (RU): Whip to double pike. Ring to Popa, again with some great choreo. Front lay to front half. Double tuck with a niceeee landing. Good one! 9.750.
I love that the Rutgers floor signal sound is a sword being unsheathed. Adds to the Knight imagery!
Burgess BB (Maryland): Front toss to back layout. She’s bringing some unique skills to the routine and she does it with finesse. Nice back full dismount. 9.700.
Rizkalla FX (Rutgers): Back 1.5 to front tuck to start. Straddle combo, the best amplitude I’ve seen so far. Love passes that go into a back LOSO like she does, not as hard as it looks but so stunning. 9.725.
Peterman BB (Maryland): Wolf turn 1.5, better than the elites! Very close on the BHS LOSO but she stays on. Side somi very controlled. Back 1.5 dismount. Fought through some wobbles but it was a good battle. 9.700.
Barber BB (Maryland): BHS LOSO, bent legs but perfect landing. Switch to split jump. Leg goes up on the aerial. She’s on. So much height on that back full dismount. 9.700.
BTW, Maryland needs a 48.200 on this event for a season high team score!
Amoresano FX (Rutgers): It’s a rock-and-roll themed routine. Double pike with a bounce back. Back 1.5 to front lay, bounces out of it a little because it’s so powerful. Double tuck with a bounce out but a perfect landing otherwise. Ending with choreo to the last verse of “We Will Rock You” and an air guitar to boot. 9.325.
Wright BB (Maryland): Split jump to Switch full. Front toss to back LOSO, legs are pretty bent but nice effort and her confidence is clear. 9.675.
She gets the Stick Turtle Shell for that dismount. Yup, that’s where we’re at.
Ali FX (Rutgers): Full-in with a slide back. Great E pass. Front tuck to double tuck, wish we saw that more…she did it well.
Unsure about Amoresano’s score on floor because she didn’t fall but got a 9.325. Surely the OOB didn’t wreck it all or was there something else I didn’t see?
LeBlanc BB (Maryland): Front aerial to split jump. BHS LOSO with some legs. 9.700.
The Terps will break 195!
Huang FX (Rutgers): Front double full, kinda crunchy landing but beautiful form. Front 1.5 to back LOSO pretty short and lands tight but well. Beautiful choreo to match this pop music routine! Back 1.5 redeems that second pass. Beautiful! 9.675.
I didn’t catch who this is for the Terps in the beam exhibition, but she just had an excellent Sunisa Lee-esque save on her series. Well done!
Big news! We have two season high scores today!
FINAL: Maryland 195.275 / Rutgers 194.550
Live blog by Katherine Weaver
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