This is the END.
Today we’ve got LSU opening on vault, Oklahoma on bars, UCLA on beam and Denver on floor to wrap up the season. In all likelihood this is a two-horse race—LSU comes up short in national finals with the reliability of death and taxes, while Denver hasn’t put up a total that would be competitive in a someone-else-hits scenario in quite a few weeks.
That absolutely doesn’t mean that those two teams can’t factor in, though. LSU in particular has a friendly rotation order, while Denver is bringing in plenty of momentum from its record-setting season.
UCLA is causing plenty of lineup discourse as usual, skipping over Margzetta Frazier on floor once again and randomly also choosing to warm up Kendal Poston on vault. (Frazier may still go in depending on touch warm up. Poston will not.) Meanwhile, Oklahoma is keeping junior Maggie Nichols in the all around after her triumphant performance yesterday.
By the way, because I’m an unkind person, I’m bolding the name of every senior’s last routine today.
In the biggest shock and surprise ever, Frazier is back in floor.
ROTATION 1: LSU VAULT, OKLAHOMA BARS, UCLA BEAM, DENVER FLOOR
FINNEGAN – LSU: Looks like stuck-ish on the FTY. 9.9125 wow!
HARROLD – LSU: One and a half, guessing a step back. 9.8375
CANNAMELA – LSU: OK full. 9.8375
EDWARDS – LSU: One and a half with a small step forward, one of her best. 9.85
EDNEY – LSU: I really can’t see vault landings. I thought that was a stick from only her shoulders but now it seems unlikely. 9.85
WEBB – OU: Shy on first handstand. Great Pak, short on another one, leg split on the VL. Toe blind, double front half, chest down and a hop. Rockier start for the Sooners. 9.8125. Nothing to cry over.
MARKS – OU: Toe to Maloney, crossed legs, ok bail. Dismount stick. 9.850
THOMAS – OU: Short on first handstand, toe blind to Jaeger a TOUCH close but nothing catastrophic, ok bail. Shy again, Double lay deep with a hop forward. 9.85
DOWELL – OU: Great Ray, toe to bail, not quite extending through her hips like she can. DLO, close to the bar with a tiny hop. 9.900
LEHRMANN – OU: Blind to Jaeger good, toe on to bail, FTDB with a step. 9.9125
NICHOLS – OU: Question on the first handstand, Ray to Pak great. Again with the handstands! Van Leeuwen great, ok there’s one, pings off on the DLO but sticks it. 9.8375
G. GLENN – UCLA: Looked steady, just caught a stick on the gainer full. 9.9
NGUYEN – UCLA: Front aerial LOSO great. Sideways switch half, punch front full with a small step. 9.85
KOCIAN – UCLA: Missed it but sounded like a check. Fromt aerial to split, full turn, one and a half dismount with a bunch of stutter steps forward. 9.6625
FLATLEY – UCLA: Front to back looked ok, side aerial, L turn. Punch front full with a tiny bounce in place. 9.8875
OHASHI – UCLA: Front aerial BHS LOSO, check. Switch split, BHS LOSO back full planted. 9.8
ROSS – UCLA: Really really needs a good score. BHS LOSO, usual. front aerial sissone. switch split, side aerial back full with a little hop. 9.925
SUNDSTROM – DU: OK double back, chest a touch down. Switch side half, cool, looked really excited. 9.825
KERN – DU: Double pike, a bit too much gas. Front lay front full ok, solid double back. 9.6875
RUIZ – DU: Double back, bounce to lunge. One and a half front lay also a bit bouncy, good double pike. 9.8375
SCHOU – DU: Missed first pass, one and a half front lay. Great closing choreo. 9.8375
KARR – DU: Double pike ok, I cannot get over the fact that her music is Radioactive. What? Overrotated the Rudi, big cross step back and OOB. 9.6875
BROWN – DU: DLO great. One and a half front lay to whatever jump, solid third pass. Ten hands from the team. 9.9375
OKLAHOMA 49.450, UCLA 49.3875, LSU 49.350, DENVER 49.200
UCLA and Oklahoma both gave a bit away there, but neither should be devastated. LSU was great on vault, but let’s wait another rotation before deciding whether it’s really happening.
ROTATION 2: DENVER VAULT, LSU BARS, OU BEAM, UCLA FLOOR
SUNDSTROM – DU: She vaulted! That’s all I’ve got for you.
GLYNN – DU: Tsuk full with a small hop back.
DURANTE – LSU: Jaeger great, Pak. Dismount got lost.
FERRER – LSU: Nice release, bit of feet, good bail. Short on a handstand, DLO with a hop in place.
HARROLD – LSU: Zuchold, one of her better ones. Toe blind to Jaeger, bit of bent elbows onto the table, double front close with a step.
EDNEY – LSU: Hindorff, not much flight, clear hip to bail. DLO with a small hop and an arm swing.
PRIESSMAN – LSU: Tkachev to Pak, good, DLO with a hop back.
FINNEGAN – LSU: Looked short on first handstand to me… Ray, toe on to bail to toe shoot, catches it on her wrists. DLO with a little hop.
TRAUTMAN – OU: Saw a big hop forward on her dismount.
DOWELL – OU: Front to back, switch split, full turn, Kochetkova, weight back on her heels but works through. Punch front full with a hop.
LEHRMANN – OU: Think I missed her series, front aerial to beat, cat leap switch side, gainer full looked good.
WOODARD – OU: Haven’t caught skills but looks a little tentative. Kickover front with a hop. Switch to split.
WEBB – OU: BHS LOSO, kickover front front aerial, switch split. Side aerial back full, leans to hold the stick.
NICHOLS – OU: Front aerial to split, BHS LOSO, touch of knees. Switch to split leap, one and a half twist stuck.
TRATZ – UCLA: Surprise, she’s back! Full in, hop back. Twisting pass ok, great on the double back. 9.8625
DENNIS – UCLA: PFI, deep with a big step. Front lay front full with the usual hop into choreo, double back.
KRAMER – UCLA: Double full punch pike, OOB. UCLA is giving the meet away on these E passes.
ROSS – UCLA: Whip double back with a hop, one and a half front lay good. tour jete half split full Shush. Good double pike.
HANO – UCLA: Double lay, front full Barani running jump. Once I watched the music video for this song and it had animated cats in lingerie. Double pike, step back OOB. 9.75
OHASHI – UCLA: Split leg DLO, good, finally actually got that landing right. Combo pass good, seeing the odd clapper among other team sections but this crowd is deeply partisan for the most part. Switch ring switch half tuck full, front full Barani split drop. 9.95. Blowing kisses to the crowd as she leaves.
OKLAHOMA 99.0625, LSU 98.8375, UCLA 98.6875, DENVER 98.4125
Bye UCLA.
Seriously, good to see Ohashi go out with a good one. The split leg DLO has been mercurial.
ROTATION 3: UCLA VAULT, DENVER BARS, LSU BEAM, OKLAHOMA FLOOR
DENNIS – UCLA: Great full, either stuck or just a small scoot back.
WRIGHT – UCLA: One and a half, usual step forward.
TRATZ – UCLA: FTY with a small hop back but HUGE.
HANO – UCLA: One and a half, small hop.
ROSS – UCLA: One and a half, slightly deeper than usual but stands it right up.
RUIZ – DU: Blind full to Tkachev, LOW but over. Soft back in bail, DLO stuck.
GLYNN – DU: CLOSE on the Gienger, arch on her bail, hangs on and keeps going. FTDB pings aoff and takes a small step back.
BROWN – DU: Maloney to Pak, little arch on a cast, van Leeuwen, DLO stuck.
KARR – DU: Blind full Gienger to overshoot, looked a little funky in the air but worked through fine. Short on a handstand, DLO with a hop back.
WEBB – OU:
SCHOEPFER – OU: Mistake on the first pass, foot slipped and fell OOB. Ok twisting in the second, good double pike.
DEGOUVEIA – OU: Good front double full, front lay front full huge and airy. Switch half Popa,
NICHOLS – OU: Double pike, great. Missed the other pass. Problems with a two pass routine, if one lands behind people I’m out of luck.
DOWELL – OU: Dowell, bit of a bounce into the landing. One and a half front lay, great. Front lay front full.
TRAUTMAN – OU: Double pike, front lay front full, double back kicked out to close.
DEAN – LSU: Full turn, side aerial BHS with one VERY bent knee. Side aerial back full.
DURANTE – LSU: BHS LOSO great, switch split quarter, one and a half front lay.
EDNEY – LSU: Split, two steps to choreo, don’t know if that’s exactly intentional. Full turn, kickover front, one and a half twist stuck.
FINNEGAN – LSU: Wolf turn, good series, side somi. Side aerial back full, looked like a bounce.
OKLAHOMA 148.7125, LSU 148.300, UCLA 148.1125, DENVER 147.650
ROTATION 4: OKLAHOMA VAULT, UCLA BARS, DENVER BEAM, LSU FLOOR
LEHRMANN – OU: One and a half, hop in place. Great end to her career.
DEGOUVEIA – OU: Good one and a half, hop forward. Big improvement on yesterday..
TRAUTMAN – OU: One and a half, looked pretty solid.
DOWELL – OU: One and a half stuck DEAD. 10s up, don’t know how many… looks like four for a 9.9875.
FRAZIER – UCLA: Maloney to Pak, gorgeous, shy on handstand on LB, van Leeuwen. DLO, arm swing but has to hop forward. Not her best.
DENNIS – UCLA: Maloney, leg sep on the backswing, to bail. Pings on DLO, chest way down to try to hold it but it isn’t there.
HANO – UCLA: Short on first handstand, archy catch in Ray, overshoot. Blind full double back planted.
FLATLEY – UCLA: Giant to blind to Jaeger, high and caught on top of the bar, toe to bail, DLO stuck.
KOCIAN – UCLA: Right on the first handstand, Chow to Pak, FTDB with a hop back. Chris Waller, who I just noticed is in his velvet jacket, is happy.
ROSS – UCLA: Maloney to bail to toe shoot, RIGHT on the handstand on high, DLO stuck with an arm swing. 9.95
RUIZ – DU: BHS LOSO, messy legs. One and a half front lay, good leaps,
KARR – DU: Saw a dead stick on her one and a half dismount.
HARROLD – LSU: Front double full, step OOB. OR DID SHE. Twitter discourse is happening now.
PRIESSMAN – LSU: Missed the first pass, music is LOUD, one and a half front lay with a hop,
EDNEY – LSU: Double arabian, messy legs and a hop.
FINNEGAN – LSU: One and a half thru two and a half, she always seems surprised by that landing. Double back, I forgot to write about the rest because of everything but it was great.
KELLEY – LSU: Gets the stage to herself to close out her career. Double lay good, nice leaps, UCLA is clapping along. Got it done and now crying pointing to the UCLA section. Lexie is crying too.
OKLAHOMA 198.3375, LSU 197.825, UCLA 197.5375, DENVER 197.000
Never really in doubt for the Sooners, but so impressive anyway. And what a meet for LSU! The senior Tigers couldn’t have gone out with a better day. I fully expect it to take a little while for LSU to learn to cope without these four, but they’ll leave Baton Rouge on the highest of highs.
We’ve got a high quality UCLA dance party to close the weekend, because of course. I also got a cell phone photo of Chris and Randy hugging that I will treasure forever.
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
