Sunday’s gymnastics slate features this Pac-12 matchup with No. 10 California on the road visiting No. 25 Stanford. These teams enter the meet heading in different directions in the rankings. California has posted three 197s and a 196 since an early season meet in which the Golden Bears suffered a disastrous floor rotation while Stanford has posted back to back scores in the 194s. These team’s also met back in mid-January where California came away with an easy victory at home.
Kyana George has been the leader for California so far this season, coming into today’s meet as two-time reigning Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week. Most of the talk this season surrounding the Golden Bears has been about bars, but they actually lead a balanced attack across all four events. California is ranked seventh on bars, ninth on vault and beam and 23rd on floor. But, as mentioned above, one really bad floor rotation is holding back the average on the event and isn’t fully indicative of how good the Golden Bears can be. Also keep an eye on Emi Watterson’s bars and Milan Clausi’s vault and floor.
Stanford’s been led primarily by Kyla Bryant this season, however, she has held her share of the inconsistency problem, having fallen multiple times this season. Highly anticipated freshman Chloe Widner has shown she can be great, but has had a rocky start to her college career. After being held out of a meet for disciplinary measures two weeks ago, she returned last week and fell on bars, beam and floor. On the positive side, Taylor Lawson stepped up her game this season, with her beam routine featuring a standing Arabian a skill to watch out for.
You can follow along this afternoon with scores and with video on the Pac-12 Network!
Here’s our first look at California’s lineups for today. Nothing out of the ordinary it seems.
https://twitter.com/CalWGym/status/1229170340720336899
Rotation 1: Stanford Vault, California Bars
Cole (Stan): Yfull, sticks it! Small bit of piking but a nice start for the Cardinal. 9.800
DeSouza (Cal): mounts to high, blind change to pike jager to overshoot, jumps back to high, dismounts with a slow full-in, has to hop forward on the landing. 9.750
Bryant (Stan): Yfull, really good height, pikes down a tad for the landing and bounds back. 9.800
George (Cal): Jumps to high bar, nice height on the tkatchev, bail, hits handstand, tiny tiny arch, short on final handstand, full-in dismount to a stick! Just gave away a little with the handstands. 9.825
Navarro (Stan): Yfull. Some leg separation on the entry and takes a hop sideways on the landing. 9.775
Green (Cal): Clear hip to Geinger, really clean, good bail, sticks her full-in to finish! 9.800
Widner (Stan): Yfull. Great form in the air. Takes a deep squat on the landing just like last week and hops back. Really really trying for the stick. 9.775
Schank (Cal): Mounts to high bar, tiny arch on the first handstand, blind change to piked jager, good transition to low, double layout to finish, a tad low and hops forward. 9.750
Brunette (Stan): Yfull. Lower compared to her teammates’. Hops back on the landing. 9.800
Watterson (Cal): Beautiful pak salto, toe on, shaposh half done effortlessly, full pirouette to stuck double tuck. That was some pretty gymnastics. 9.925
Garcia (Stan): Scratches and does not vault.
Bordas (Cal): Opens with a blind half to jager, sky high, connects into her bail, a little uncontrolled, full pirouette to double tuck, small slide back as she salutes. Good end to the rotation for Cal. 9.925
After 1: California 49.225, Stanford 48.950
A good start for both teams. California’s scores early in the rotation were a little lower than typical, but the back half was able to hold steady and bring in the 9.9-pluses. Stanford only vaulted five after getting five decent scores, but not breaking the 9.800 barrier should be something the Cardinal should be a little mad about.
Rotation 2: California Vault, Stanford Bars
Schank (Cal): Yfull. Good height, nice form and a stick! 9.850
Lawson (Stan): Mounts on the low bar, toe on shaposh to bail, good handstand, toe up to high bar, toe full to double tuck and a stick! Just some minor form throughout. 9.750
Bordas (Cal): Yfull. Good form again, just a hop back and some arm swings. 9.775
I love when we get a second vault score before the first bars score…NOT.
Waguespack (Stan): Mounts on the low bar, toe on, toe on shaposh, pak salto, nice form so far, a little short on her half pirouette, jumps to high, dismounts with a double layout and just a small slide back. 9.775
George (Cal): Yfull. Another stick! Not a ton of distance but legs glued together in the air. 9.875
Brunette (Stan): Mounts on the high bar, hop half into Deltchev to overshoot, jumps back to high, double layout dismount and a slide back. Another hit! 9.750
Mastrangelo (Cal): Was supposed to anchor but switched with Clausi I’m assuming. Y1.5. Near stick but takes a step back at the last second. 9.875
Micco (Stan): Third routine of the year. Blind half to jager, really high, good bail, jumps to high bar, really short last handstand, blind half to rudi dismount and sticks it! 9.750
DeSouza (Cal): Y1.5. Twists so slow to me but no problem getting it around. Just a small hop forward. 9.850
Bryant (Stan): Toe on, tkatchev a little low, pak salto, jumps to high bar, good form so far, hits final handstand perfectly, swings her double layout out a bit and takes a step on the landing. 9.750
Clausi (Cal): Y1.5. Good form, hops to her side on the landing. 9.825
Garcia (Stan): short on first handstand, blind change to jager to bail, done well, good last handstand, blind half to rudi dismount and sticks it! 9.900
California Vault: 49.275, Stanford Bars: 48.925
After 2: California 98.500, Stanford 97.875
Stanford again was really stuck in the 9.7’s until Garcia saved the day in the anchor spot. The Cardinal are really going to need some sticks and to nix the little errors to have a shot at a good score. California is all business today, getting done what needs to be done so far. The Yurchenko 1.5’s looked good and the Golden Bears were able to capitalize.
Rotation 3: Stanford Beam, California Floor
Stephenson (Stan): Begins with a front aerial to beat jump, no problems, bhs loso, solid, split jump to sheep jump, big check to the side, bent at the hips, gainer full dismount, sticks it. 9.775
DeSouza (Cal): Opens with a double pike, good landing, switch side to straddle full, gets the leaps fully rotated, RO 1.5 to front full, controls the step out of it, finishes up with a rudi, small slide back but good chest position on the landing. 9.850
Widner (Stan): Looking to rebound from a fall in her last beam routine. Switch leap to switch leap, solid, bhs loso, smiles as she doesn’t wobble, front aerial to split jump, looks confident today, slips on some choreography but stays on the beam, side aerial to layout full dismount, small hop. Really weird fall onto the beam in some choreography. Was off to the side hanging on. 9.600
George (Cal): Mounts with a front tuck through the rudi, nice landing, switch ring to tour jete half, gorgeous, wolf full, really selling this routine with her facial expressions, really well controlled front double full second and final pass. 9.900
Tai (Stan): Bhs bhs loso to open, super small check, beat jump to straddle 3/4, done well, easy full turn, dismounts with a RO 1.5, a little over-rotated and takes a sizable step forward. Such a short routine. 9.775
Bordas (Cal): Starts with a full-in, kicks out early and lands chest down and steps forward, stays on her feet, switch half to wolf full, tiny bit off balance, nice rudi, ends with a RO 1.5 to front layout, controls the landing. 9.750
Lawson (Stan): Nails her standing Arabian to start, cat leap to switch half, slightly short of 180 in the split, bhs loso, no wobbles, sticks her gainer pike dismount! 9.875
Quinn (Cal): Some fun rock ‘n’ roll music, good first pass, a little wonky on her wolf double, front layout to front full, sticks it cold, switch side to straddle full, done cleanly, RO 1.5 to layout half to close, nice landing. 9.825
Navarro (Stan): Jumps to split as her mount, always so well controlled, bhs bhs loso, super solid, small check on her full turn, switch leap to split jump to split side, small pause between the first two leaps, dismounts with a RO 1.5, jumps back. 9.725
Clausi (Cal): Starts with a super high double pike, standard lunge back, switch side to straddle full, clean, good positions, RO 1.5 to front full, dances out of her step forwards, finishes up with a double tuck, takes a big step back but stays in bounds. 9.850
Bryant (Stan): Gorgeously controlled full turn to begin, bhs loso, lifts the front foot and wobbles, beat jump to switch leap, super high, front tuck, leg check, dismounts with a STUCK bhs bhs double tuck! 9.775
The commentator keeps calling Kyla Bryant “vintage” and I am very confused.
Mastrangelo (Cal): Great triple full to open, RO 1.5 to front layout and sticks it cold, switch side to straddle full, pretty short of 180 in her straddle, closes with a RO 2.5. Should be a good score here. 9.850
Stanford Beam: 48.925, California Floor: 49.275
After 3: California 147.775, Stanford 146.800
California has been so consistent today, literally scoring in the 49.2’s on every event and having no major (or even minor) mistakes to this point. Stanford did good to bounce back from Widner’s weird miss, but still not capitalizing on anything and staying under 9.8 for the most part. One 9.8-plus routine in each rotation isn’t going to cut it unfortunately.
Rotation 4: California Beam, Stanford Floor
Jones (Cal): Her only event of the night. Wolf turn to open, goes down to a nice split on the beam, front aerial to bhs loso, was off a little but doesn’t even wobble, beat jump to double stag, side aerial to layout full, small slide back. A really nice leadoff hit. 9.800
Cole (Stan): Starts the floor rotation off with a RO 2.5 to front tuck, a little off line, really good position in her switch ring, gigantic straddle jump, closes with a rudi to stag jump. 9.875
DeSouza (Cal): Straddle jump to sheep jump, not a ton of height on the straddle, front aerial, bhs loso, solid, dismounts with a RO 1.5, hops in place. 9.900
Lawson (Stan): RO 1.5 step out through to a double tuck, stuck cold, no lunge needed, jamming to Wei Wei’s beam music from Stick It, nice leaps, random punch front, closes with a double pike, controls the lunge. Definitely had the best meet of the Stanford gymnasts today. 9.875
Clausi (Cal): Fake wolf turn to start, front toss to beat jump, a little low, bhs loso, clean, good full turn, cat leap to switch side, not quite 180, dismounts side aerial to layout full, small slide on the landing. 9.825
Widner (Stan): Do we ever go a meet anymore without “Bad Guy” music? Opens with a double layout, stuck cold, rebounds with a front layout to front full, small step to the side, switch ring to switch half, bounces right out of it into choreography, finishes up with a double pike. Redemption from her fall on Monday. 9.900
George (Cal): Front aerial to back tuck, easy, wolf double, moves very fast through it, no wobbles, switch leap to split jump to beat jump, gainer full dismount, sticks it! 9.925
Brunette (Stan): Mounts with a front layout to rudi, lunges back with a small front foot slide, wolf full to tour jete half, double tuck to close, big hop out of it and somehow stays in bounds. 9.775
Bordas (Cal): Front aerial to split jump, small check in between the two skills, bhs loso, another wobble to the side, great height through, switch leap to split jump, side aerial with another small check, gainer full, small slide back. 9.600
Bryant (Stan): Great full-in to start, so much height, you can tell she loves to perform, second pass is a front tuck through to double pike, works to keep her front foot down, switch half to straddle full, ends with an open double tuck, nails it! Stanford is loving it! 9.950
Watterson (Cal): Just needs a hit to drop Bordas’ score, nice double wolf turn, front aerial to beat jump, bhs loso, has to take an extra step back, switch leap to split leap, a little shy of full split, side aerial to layout full to end. 9.900
Navarro (Stan): To the tune of “Bust Your Windows”, starts with a RO 1.5 to front layout, super low but somehow stays on her feet, nice switch ring to switch half, double tuck, again low, big lunge forward and chest down, good thing the Cardinal don’t need this score, great ring full to close. 9.475
California Beam: 49.350, Stanford Floor: 49.375
Final: California 197.125, Stanford 196.175
California had a good meet! No errors and consistent gymnastics across the board. Kyana George, per usual, was great and has made yet another case for Pac-12 gymnast of the week. The Golden Bears also snapped their three meet losing stream. Stanford really saved itself with that floor rotation. The Cardinal not only salvaged a 196, but recorded the highest event total of the meet with that performance. Stanford needs to find a way to bring the energy it had on floor to the other three events if it wants to contend to stay relevant in the conference race for positioning.
Event Winners:
All Around: George (California), 39.525
Vault: George, Mastrangelo (California), 9.875
Bars: Bordas (California), Watterson (California), 9.925
Beam: George, 9.925
Floor: Bryant (Stanford), 9.950
Live Blog by Brandis Heffner
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