This is the first meet I’m attended this year, and I’m so excited! Rutgers has made great steps over the past year in behaving like a big-conference team, with a new training facility, apparently FIVE new leotards and this very snazzy arena. The gymnastics looks sharp, too. That “33” next to the team’s name is really exciting! Freshman Hannah Joyner went 9.900 on beam last week in her freshman debut, and she can accomplish more.
Speaking of an exciting number, check out Minnesota. The Gophers came up just short against Denver last week, but in the process established themselves as a very legitimate top 10 team and one that will likely be in the fight for a spot at nationals. Lexy Ramler is in cruise control at this point in her career, and with a meet win almost assured, I’m curious whether Minnesota will take risks with lineups (Tiarre Sales on floor??) or go with the steady options and focus on pushing toward 197.
I’m excited to get a look at Bowling Green junior Samantha Marion, a New Jersey native who made her college debut last week and immediately snagged a conference award with two 9.800+ scores. Can she duplicate that amazing day? As for Ursinus, senior Skylar Haas is a favorite of mine.
It’s snowy outside, but there’s a very respectable audience in the RAC including multiple people wearing gear for each team in the arena today. Great to see! Sometimes you don’t even get a
Rotation 1: Rutgers vault, Minnesota bars, Bowling Green beam, Ursinus floor
Betancourt (RU): Good FTY, fairly open, hop back and to one side. 9.725
Huang (RU): FTY a touch piked and with leg separation on the table but only a tiny hop. She’s not massively powerful but she’s strategic with what she has and that sets her apart. 9.75
Williams (RU): Another pikier full with a hop back. 9.8
Duffield (RU): Tuck full, was wrong on the table and comes in low, sits immediately. 8.975
Joyner (RU): Powerful hop, step back. 9.625
Hall (RU): Tuck one and a half. lands twisting with a big cross step. 9.625
Exhibition does a half on, half off back tuck. Oh it’s Farrell! 9.675
Quaglia (Minn): Blind to Jaeger, messy legs, to all right overshoot. 9.75
Willmarth (Minn): Ray with one flexed foot, great bail. Stalder with bent arms, double back with leg sep and a hop forward. 9.7
Loper (Minn): Maloney to Pal good, shy on a handstand, blind full double back RIGHT on top of the bar but only a small hop. 9.8
Sales (Minn): Bail good, strong Markelov. Double lay a touch deep, holds it for a second and then has to hop. 9.775
Ramler (Minn): Maloney to Pak, her usual, van Leeuwen is a lot cleaner this year than past years. FTDB, hops her feet together a touch but close to her best. 9.85
Lu (Minn): Maloney to Pak, the usual again, double lay very deep and comes just short of putting a knee down. 9.6
Montgomery in the exhibition, blind to Jaeger actually pretty good. Misses a handstand, blind to double front, runs back and sits.
Williams (BGSU): Front aerial, all right acro series. Cat leap side aerial strong. Punch front full with a step. Secure start for the Falcons. 9.625
Muir (BGSU): Punch front mount I think and runs straight off the beam. I think that was a one-arm BHS to LOSO but people keep standing in the way. Nice leaps, 9.175
Harsch (BGSU): Missed the beginning, side aerial, switch straddle quarter, weight behind the beam, swims to try to hold it but falls. One and a half dismount looked pretty good. 9.175
Worthington (BGSU): Coming in halfway after the Rutgers coaches stood right in front of me to, I think, file an inquiry. Full turn, hitch kick side aerial back full. 9.85 yay!
Marion (BGSU): She was a big deal last week, excited to see what she can do today. Full turn, cat leap switch side, BHS LOSO with a small leg up check. Cat leap side aerial, double full dismount and bounces forward onto her hands. 9.05
East (BGSU): BHS LOSO good, straddle jump tuck full. Switch straddle quarter, two and a half dismount lovely with a small hop.
I think this is Jones in the exhibition. Punch front mount? RO back tuck and falls. Gainer pike dismount off to one side.
Anand (UC): Double back underrotated with one hand down, great leaps. Second fall on a punch front at the end of her second pass. 8.275
Gable (UC): OOB on a Rudi. Switch side straddle half, front lay front lay pretty good. 9.075
DiCicco (UC): Strong Rudi, switch leap to Popa split full. Front lay punch front, sits it. 8.9
Cusick (UC): Double pike, hands down. Front lay front tuck is good. Rudi I think to close. 8.775
Haas (UC): Amelia Hundley’s 2018 music!! One and a half front full messy, landed on the line in the corner. Good leaps, front full front tuck good. 9.175
Knapsack (UC): Obsessed with her turning double stag leap, two and a half twist! Tour jete half Popa, she’s got a lot of detail work in her dance. Front lay front full beautiful, double back STUCK. Wow wow wow. Easily on par with the better Division I floor routines we’ll see later. 9.725 is too low tbh.
Snape in the exhibition, Rudi to double stag a little chaotic. It’s 7 Rings. Front full front tuck. Wolf full tuck 3/2.
After 1: Minnesota 48.875, Rutgers 48.525, Bowling Green 47.650, Ursinus 45.650
Not a special rotation for anybody. Rutgers is the team that should be happiest, getting through a weaker event without doing damage. Ursinus and Bowling Green still seem to be getting their feet under themselves, literally, while Minnesota was uncharacteristically and pervasively messy on bars.
Rotation 2: Ursinus vault, Rutgers bars, Minnesota beam, Bowling Green floor
Panetta (UC): Yurchenko lay, I think, step back.9.25
Dicicco (UC): Yurchenko lay, never really opens it and rolls back out. 8.725
Gable (UC): Good high Yurchenko lay, step back.
Anand (UC): FHS front tuck, looks a little lock legged but hops fine.
Cusick (UC): Y lay, step back. A lot of pretty similar vaults here.
Couts (UC): Y lay more piked, definitely holding her legs, strong landing.
Drauss (RU): Blind to Jaeger great, hitting handstands, Pak looked a little flat but all right. Double back good with a hop. 9.725
Hall (RU): Toe on to Deltchev, messy but big, double lay with a touch of leg sep but just a little hop. 9.675
Huang (RU): Toe to bail, little leg sep in the air, shy on a handstand, Tkachev good. Stuck dismount. 9.75
Karolewski (RU): Clear hip to Ray, hits one foot on the bar. Has to recast but keeps going, bail, double lay pretty with a hop. 9.3
Joyner (RU): Jaeger, archy on a HB handstand, good bail. FTDB big with a bit of a rebound back. 9.7
Farrell (RU): Maloney with messy feet to Pak, blind full double back high, tightly tucked and STUCK.
Sonier (Minn): Acro series clean, one-hand BHS to LOSO to one and a half with a step.
Lu (Minn): BHS LOSO lovely, cat leap switch half to beat. Full turn, side somi, cartwheel gainer full high and lovely and stuck. 9.95!!!
Loper (Minn): BHS LOSO, people stood in the way for awhile but looked fine, one and a half twist with a hop. 9.875
Korlin-Downs (Minn): Candle mount, BHS LOSO, split double stag, full turn so pretty. Side aerial back full looks good. 9.9
Sales (Minn): BHS BHS LOSO is spot on. Switch switch side, love how she spots the end of the beam, full turn, gainer pike stuck.
Ramler (Minn): BHS LOSO, front aerial wolf. Beat to ring, question on the front leg, side aerial back full stuck. 10!!!!!!! Right hand judge had gone 10 on two routines earlier and I just had to babysit left judge for a second there,
Harsch (BGSU): Another 7 Rings. Stumbled back on a double salto, one and a half front lay, missed the last pass. 9.475
Goldstrom (BGSU): Front double full, substantial stagger sideways and just avoids sitting it. Front through one and a half, switch side to wolf 3/2, Rudi looks underrotated and hostile to ankles. 9.4
Jones (BGSU): Front through two and a half twist, I think?? Looks surprised by the landing but not bad. Tuck jump combo, double tuck cowboyed but all right, missed the last. 9.675
Jensen (BGSU): Front double full, switch side Popa Popa underrotated, one and a half front lay low. 9.75
Lawson (BGSU): Double pike great, pretty straddle leaps, front full Barani. Double pike stuck. Really really good one. 9.775
East (BGSU): Clean first pass, sorry I’m just staring at the beam judges. Ok Jo I’m back! Double full lovely, She’s a machine on floor these days. 9.825
After 2: Minnesota 98.525 Rutgers 97.100 Bowling Green 96.100 Ursinus 92.575
MINNESOTA. Didn’t blink in that beam rotation. 49.700 is a program record. Pitty about the junk bars but there’s still 197 potential here. Rutgers isn’t as focused as it was last week but is still on track for a 194.
Rotation 3: Bowling Green vault, Ursinus bars, Rutgers beam, Minnesota floor
Jensen (BGSU): Yurchenko pike, stagger back 9.175
Harsch (BGSU): Yurchenko tuck full, step back. 9.6
Goldstrom (BGSU): Yurchenko full, nightmare, lost and lands dangerously on the side of one leg. Thank goodness she’s okay. 8.6
Lawson (BGSU): FTY, pikey but the only decent one. 9.675
Marion (BGSU): Yurchenko full, leans forward hard to try to hold the stick. 9.7
East (BGSU): Got the one and a half, magnificent, hop back, maybe a bit underrotated.
Gable (UC): Clear hip, over and falls. Toe shoot, half turn to overshoot. Doesn’t make it over the bar on a turn and falls again. Got the dismount in the end. 8.225
Anand (UC): Clear hip to Pak, flat but clean, half turn to toe shoot, clear hip to double back with a step.
DeLorme (UC): Clear hip to bail to toe shoot, double back dismount is nice.
Schwerdt (UC): Bail to toe shoot, blind full double back with a little hop.
DiCicco (UC): Full turn to Gienger to overshoot, collapses onto the bar, fall on dismount as well.
Ferguson (RU): BHS LOSO, unsteady but made it. Full turn with a little adjustment, one hand BHS to one and a half twist. 9.725
Huang (RU): Front aerial lovely, people, don’t stand between me and Belle Huang on beam! 🙁 Double full dismount good. 9.775
Duffield (RU): BHS BHS LOSO lovely. Kick front straddle quarter, one and a half dismount stuck. Great routine for the freshman. 9.725
Doherty-Herwitz (RU): Love a good backward roll on beam. Front aerial side aerial I think, something to switch leap. Gainer full stuck. 9.725
Joyner (RU): So clean, so pointy. BHS LOSO, switch switch half, double full dismount. 9.925
McLachlan (RU): Cat leap switch half, BHS LOSO good. Side aerial, BHS tuck 3/2 dismount so good! 9.8
Higgins (Minn): Front double full, toes close to the corner. One and a half front lay, her acro choreography is unreal. 9.825
Sonier (Minn): Split 3/2 jump, double pike underrotated with a step forward. Strong combo pass, one and a half front lay good.
Remlinger (Minn): Good double pike, something to front lay a little low. Double back. Good one.
Ramler (Minn): Double pike with a bit of a scoot, switch ring <3, front full with a big cross step. Twisty pass good. 9.875
Loper (Minn): Good front lay to Rudi, nailed the double full. Front full front lay. Really clean. 9.9
Williams (Minn): Front double full great. Switch side to Popa maybe underrotated, one and a half front lay lovely. Rebound back on the Rudi.
Sales in the exhibition, double pike step forward. Switch side to Popa, wolf full with a scoot, her choreography is really cool. Whip half front full? I think?
After 3: Minnesota 147.850, Rutgers 145.950, Bowling Green 144.050, Ursinus 137.725
Rutgers did a great, great job on beam there! 194 is easy here. Minnesota is looking at a 197 which would take it to fourth in the country.
Rotation 4: Minnesota vault, Bowling Green bars, Ursinus beam, Rutgers floor
Remlinger (Minn): FTY pikey but with just a little hop. 9.725
Sonier (Minn): FTY with a little hop to one side. 9.65
Williams (Minn): Big flared FTY, hop back. 9.675
Quarles (Minn): One and a half virtually stuck, magnificent. 9.875
Ramler (Minn): One and a half, soft knees, hop to the side. 9.825
Loper (Minn): One and a half, little hop forward.
Lawson (BGSU): Off on her Deltchev, too far from the bar.
Bachner (BGSU): Think I saw a Weiler kip, true shap to bail messy. Blind full barely hauled over the bar to Rudi.
Jensen (BGSU): Blind to half to Tkachev, bail. Double lay is VERY close to the bar but lands it.
Goldstron (BGSU): Gienger with messy legs, pretty double Arabian with a step.
Harsch (BGSU): Blind to Jaeger, messy knees. Bail, blind to double front and sits it.
Fochler (BGSU): Blind to Jaeger, pretty, blind full double back.
Snape (UC): Full turn is literally all I saw.
Cusick (UC): BHS LOSO, Clean, bend check. Switch switch short of positions, good dismount. 9.125
Anand (UC): Round off back tuck, full turn, open front tuck. Switch straddle quarter, gainer pike with a step.
Schwerdt (UC): BHS LOSO, leans back and falls. Beat wolf 3/4 really nice! Split 3/4, gainer full great.
Haas (UC): BHS BHS LOSO I think. Gainer full well done.
Knapsack (UC): Just saw her pike 3/4 jump which is the only valid one ever.
Williams (RU): Double back unerrotated, step forward. Clean through the rest. My ability to watch four things at once is slipping a little. 9.7
Betancourt (RU): Double pike, step back, arm swing to try to avoid taking a second step back OOB but she can’t help it. Switch ring tour jete half, great, front lay front half close to the line again. Double tuck. 9.45
Atienza (RU): Double pike, little rebound. Rudi good. 9.725
Duffield (RU): I really like this choreography. Intricate and effective for a gymnast who isn’t so effusive. Whip double pike, lands a bit lock legged but nice easy lunge. Double back underroated, hands down. Switch side split full, Rudi low with a cross step forward. 8.975
Joyner (RU): Following up a magnificent beam score. Double pike, little bounce to lunge. Tour jete half is massive, steps out with a turn, might have meant a full. Front full front lay, great, straddle leaps beautiful, one and a half front pike. Wow. 9.825
Huang (RU): Front double full great, Rudi LOSO takes an extra step. Switch side wolf full is good, punch Rudi. 9.8
FINAL: Minnesota 196.875, Rutgers 194.55, Bowling Green 191.025, Ursinus 184.800
Nice one for both Big Ten teams, a healthy bump over their first meet totals. A lot to be proud of today but obvious places to build. Minnesota missing out of the 197 as essentially a matter of bars amplitude is telling. Meanwhile, Rutgers looks like a very different team this year. Bowling Green had a bit of a mess day and it’s difficult to tell what to expect from it going forward.
VT – Ona Loper (Minnesota) 9.925
UB – Alexandra Fochler (BGSU), Lexy Ramler (Minnesota) 9.850
BB – Lexy Ramler (Minnesota) 10.000
FX – Ona Loper (Minnesota) 9.900
AA – Lexy Ramler (Minnesota) 39.550
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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