The two top teams in the Big 12. Two top 10 teams. In Denver’s larger venue. It’s sure to be an exciting meet in Denver, and I’m here to take in all of it!
Oklahoma is coming off a 198.325, but don’t think that its performance was without mistakes (or a little bit of cracky scoring). There’s plenty of room for improvement, even though the Sooners are among the best in the country. It hit its low score at its third meet and has steadily improved its marks since. Maggie Nichols has been limited to bars and beam for the past two weeks due to a bruised heel; I’ll be monitoring her status as the meet goes on.
Denver’s back home after two weeks on the road and has been improving each week. Most recently it notched a 197.450 at West Virginia, marking the best score in program history. I’d argue that that was the Pioneers’ best and most put together meet thus far and there’s still room for improvements, especially with landings.
Oklahoma will certainly have the edge—even with —as it did two weeks ago at the Metroplex Challenge, but that doesn’t take away the excitement of this conference matchup. These two teams are easily the best in the Big 12, and they’re only getting better.
Denver’s running a few minutes late due to an equipment malfunction. I’m pretty sure it was the bars. Brenna Dowell had issues with how it was working and then she crashed her dismount. Then I’m pretty sure Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart left to get a part.
Here are Denver’s lineups:
Here are our lineups for today's meet! #PioneerTogether pic.twitter.com/nOL3hfi0hZ
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) February 10, 2019
OU leos:
Today’s leo modeled by senior @alexmmarks! pic.twitter.com/z2BqrKnI1e
— Oklahoma Women's Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) February 10, 2019
Denver is shooting up actual fire every time one of its gymnasts is introduced. I can feel it radiating. That wasn’t a thing last meet in Hamilton.
And Denver is sporting new leos!
New leo alert! #PioneerTogether #NCAAGym pic.twitter.com/Hly7h7Yn2X
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) February 10, 2019
Rotation 1: DU VT, OU UB
OU bars: https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1094708535957618689
Ruiz VT – yfull, a little off center, small bounce on landing but I can’t see landings very well from where I’m sitting. 9.75
Webb UB – maybe a lil short first hs, gorgeous pak, shap half little leg sep, double front half stuck, some form. Good leadoff! 9.9
Schou VT – yfull, small to medium step back and some pre flight leg sep. Solid. 9.725
Marks UB – good first hs; maloney to bail hit; small step on tucked full in. good first routine back for her! 9.85
Chesnok VT – yfull, small hop. probably their best vault so far. 9.825
Thomas UB – stalls on hs before straddle jaeger but reins it in; nice hs on bail; short last hs; DLO GORGEOUS FORM, small step. Love seeing her contribute for OU! 9.85
Sundstrom VT – yfull, preflight leg sep, small step. another solid vault, landings just aren’t quite there today.
Lehrmann UB – lovely jaeger; slight arch on bail hs; ftdt with the “bring your heels together” stick. 9.875
Karr VT – GORG 1.5, just a small hop. Again, landingsss. 9.85
Nichols UB – I finally get to see her in person! good first handstand, chruch good; pak to shap half lovely, STUCK DLO. great routine! 9.975
Brown VT – 1.5, small hop. That’s the best vault I’ve seen her do this season. 9.875
OU is scratching Trautman on bars.
Glynn VT exo – tsuk full, small hop.
After 1:
OU 49.45
DU 49.125
Both teams looked good out of the gate! Just some landing things that they’ll want to fix as season progresses.
Rotation 2: OU VT, DU UB
OU on vault: https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1094716198187601923
Lehrmann VT – 1.5, preflight leg form, hop forward. good leadoff. 9.875
Kern UB – straddled jaeger to bail; short on 1 hs and stuck DLO. Great leadoff for the Pioneer bars squad. 9.875
Webb VT – did the 1.5, small step and from this angle it looked like a little knee form during the twist. 9.825
Ruiz UB – good first hs; lovely tkatchev to nice hs again to good bail; good final hs; another stuck DLO. That was a GREAT routine from the freshman.
Degouveia VT – 1.5, preflight leg form, medium hop forward. 9.875
Sundstrom UB – good first hs; clear hip tkatchev good; bail hs, little leg sep; good final hs; DLO, step foward. I jinxed Denver landings by saying they were great. 9.675, they must’ve really hit her on the dismount.
Stern VT – good 1.5, hop forward. 9.875
Glynn UB – good firs hs; clear hip gienger good; muscles up hs; good bail; stuck ftdt. She’s really coming into her own on bars. 9.8
Trautman VT – good 1.5! 9.9. first 9.9 on vault today.
Brown UB -maloney to pak good; good hs; shap half, she’s improved her form! DLO, small hop. great routine! 9.9
Schoepfer VT – yfull, maybe slightly piked down but good landing. 9.75
Karr UB – nice gienger to bail; good hs; stuck DLO! SHE’S ECSTATIC. Great routine for her! Oh also she does giengers that are actually pretty and not terribly leg sep’d. Glynn’s is good too. 9.925
Broadhurst exo UB – good first hs; good straddled jaeger to bail; nice next hs; stuck DLO. This team is DEEP on bars this year.
After 2:
OU 98.800
DU 98.500
Career highs on bars for Kern and Ruiz. Landings were better on bars than vault for the Pioneers, and they put up another good showing. OU had its share of non-stuck landings this rotation, but the Sooners still put up a respectable vault rotation, especially without Dowell.
Rotation 3: DU BB, OU FX
OU FX: https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1094720763498807297
Brown BB – starts good; switch split good; good front aerial; wolf jump good; stuck gainer full. good leadoff! 9.85
Draper FX – so the OU team is standing right in front of me so I can’t see great, but I will do my best! first pass loked good; from what I saw fhs front full lay looked good as well; good on leaps. first pass was whip half rudi, thanks OU SID! 9.85
Ruiz BB – hitch kick starddle quarter good; I love her demeanor on beam; good bhs loso; good on full turn; side aerial split jump secure; gainer pike, small step. Another good routine. 9.8
Webb FX – fhs double full looked good; 1.5 to front full secure; good splits; fhs rudi good. 9.9
Sundstrom BB – good full turn; bhs loso good! I’m always so interested that she does a cartwheel in her routine! switch switch half, misses her foot, splits beam, and rolls off; gainer pike small hop; they’ll want to erase that score. 8.825
Degouveia FX – fhs double full, solid landing; fhs lay full good; good splits; 1.5 to front full looked good from what I saw. 9.875
Vasquez BB – front aerial bhs loso good! she’s such a beam queen; switch split good; Y turn, lovely! sissone good split; side aerial lay full stuck. Great rebound routine! 9.925
LaPinta FX – triple full, she _may_ have gone OOB, can’t tell; lay lay full good; tour jete 1/2 split full good; double tuck a lil short, has to step forward opposed to back. 9.8
Karr BB – side aerial bhs good; hitch kick side somi secure; good leap connection; stuck 1.5 dismount. SHE’S BACK on her game on beam. 9.95
Trautman FX – her DLO is even more massive in person! lay lay full split good; tour jete half popa good; closing double back good. 9.925
Schou BB – front aerial bhs loso secure; good full turn; sissone lovely; beat jump sheep jump good; bhs gainer full stuck. great last 3 routines for the Pioneers after Sundstrom’s miscue. 9.95
Stern FX – good opening double pike; lay to rudi good; good leaps; good double tuck. good routine for her! 9.75
Loper BB exo – looks good so far! side somi good; tuck full, step back. 9.475 so I must have missed something at the beginning when I didn’t notice the exo.
After 3
OU 148.150
DU 147.975
OU floor looked good this week, better than it has in past weeks! Denver beam did a great job rebounding after Sundstrom’s fall and tremendously better than it did at its last home meet. DU closed the gap on OU, too with a 49.475 beam rotation.
Rotation 4: OU BB, DU FX
OU BB: https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1094729147375669251
Trautman BB – missed beginning; bhs loso good; leaps secure; front toss, small check; 1.5 dismount, looked like a good landing. 9.825
Sundstrom FX – good opening double tuck, maybe a tad short but covers well; lay lay full good; good splits on first leap series; popa good. good leadoff! 9.85
Schoepfer BB – her collegiate beam debut; bhs bhs loso secure; switch straddle side good; this is a good routine so far! secure full turn; stuck 1.5 dismount. great first ever collegiate beam routine! 9.875
Glynn FX – secure opening double pike; leap combo with good splits; 1.5 to front tuck, super low landing couldn’t tell if she actually sat though; good double tuck; it’s a shame abou the middle pass, but I semi saw that one coming. 9.550, so must not have fully fallen
Woodard BB – good full turn; side aerial bhs secure; front toss, secure; switch split good; side aerial lay full stuck. Great routine! 9.95
Ruiz FX – good opening double tuck; switch side popa good; 1.5 front tuck good; nice double pike to close. 9.75
Lehrmann BB – good on full turn; bhs bhs bhs swing down good; cat leap straddle quarter good; stuck gainer full, another good beam routine for the Sooners. 9.925
Schou FX – fhs double full good; 1.5 to lay good; great extension on leaps; last pass good. She’s such a consistent FX performer. 9.9
Webb BB – good full turn; bhs loso, and she’s off. cat leap fornt aerial good; good splits, secure landings; side aerial lay full hop in place. Lovely besides the miscue! 9.275
Karr FX – good opening double pike; 1.5 lay full, great secure landing; splits good; closing double full good. great routine for her! 9.925
Nichols BB – front aerial split jump secure; bhs loso, good; switch split good; stuck 1.5. great routine, but it’s Maggie, did we expect anything less? 9.975
Brown FX – DLO, amazing. her leap series to immediate drop is so exciting; 1.5 to lay to split good; closing double pike, stuck cold. AMAZING routine. IT’S A 10!!!
6,100 in attendance today is a new record for Denver!
FINAL
OU 197.7
DU 197.4
Let me just start by saying I’m impressed with how Denver kept pace with Oklahoma tonight! And Brown’s floor was truly amazing, well deserved. OU beam was very OU beam (as in, it was amazing as always). Schoepfer’s debut on the event was impressive and Nichols capped it off.
Live Blog by Tara Graeve
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