After a week off, Alaska turned in an imperfect but gritty performance in San Jose on Friday night, highlighted by Hope Nelson’s impressive all around debut, and will be looking to get a precious strong road score here with a roster that’s closer to full health than we’ve seen so far this season. It’s the team with more potential in this close match up, but it can be very inconsistent.
Meanwhile, Sac State has started to pick up speed after a challenging first meet, registering a strong 193.000 last week at BYU with the help of a season high on beam. The Hornets could still do with less falling on bars, but they’re already looking more put-together than they did at any point last year.
Looking forward to NQS, both teams have an unfortunate 189 road score, but in each case can drop it tonight and use only scores in the high 190s and above.
Rotation 1: Sac State vault, Alaska bars
MacLeod (CSUS): Yurchenko layout, underrotated, step forward. 9.425
Nelson (UAA): Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, shy handstands, blind full leg flicker double back, step back. Good start. 9.675
Lahmidi (CSUS): Yurchenko tuck full, chest down a bit but makes it work, good. 9.75
Knapp (UAA): Toe on to Gienger, shy handstand on HB, Pak to switch kip a touch awkward but big improvement from Friday, blind full with a slight leg split to double back with a tiny step in place. Best she’s done that routine in competition by FAR. 9.55 uh noooo.
Watley (CSUS): Messier on the tuck full than Lahmidi and a step. 9.7
Miller (UAA): Blind to Jaeger, flexed feet, catch is wrong and misses the handstand wrong badly. Nice bail, blind full double back stuck. 9.45
Belkoff (CSUS): Yurchenko arabian, dives forward and hand down. 9.1
Brown (UAA): Clear hip to bail, nailed it, shy on a handstand, blind to Markelov good with just the one foot. Blind full double back stuck. These landings are onnnn. 9.775
Brent (CSUS): FTY with body position issue throughout but good dynamics, step back. 9.725
Hyderally (UAA): Toe on to Pak great, switch kip. Blind to Jaeger clean, half turn to double back with chest down but stuck-ish. 9.725
Catour (CSUS): FTY, piked down with a hop in place.
Robinson (UAA): Blind to Jaeger, turns over a little slow, awkward catch on her Pak and fights through the switch kip. Fighting for handstands, toe on front and fights for the stick, has to step. 9.425
After 1: Sacramento State 48.375 – Alaska 48.175
Harsher scores than we’re used to seeing for a pretty good Alaska bars rotation but a lot to be proud of with three sticks and one very close.
Rotation 2: Alaska vault, Sac State bars
Alonso (UAA): My video feed died and I missed it 🙁 but 9.375 is a pretty good Yurchenko lay for her.
Watley (CSUS): Blind full to bail, FTDB stuck. Never a ton of difficulty in that one. 9.65
Nelson (UAA): Y lay, closed hips, step back. Very convincing controlled lunge for floor! 9.45
Marquez (CSUS): Short on first handstand, blind to pike Jaeger with a big leg split on the catch. Blind double front pretty good, hop forward. 9.8 Okay, no way was that better than all of the Alaska routines.
Robinson (UAA): Aw man, thought she could stick that. Has it for a second and then swings her arms and takes a step back. Pretty Y lay in the air. 9.575
Weber (CSUS): Tkachev, blind to straddle back quick and aggressive, a touch short on the handstand. Blind to half, awkward, double back right on the end of the mat and steps back. 9.75
Knapp (UAA): Solid Y lay, a little lower than her usual, little step to the side. Really good landings today, those can be challenging for her. 9.55
Lahmidi (CSUS): Short on her first handstand to Jaeger to overshoot, missed another handstand badly, FTDB with chest down, an arm swing and a step. 9.75
Brown (UAA): Y lay, big but bouncy landing. 9.6
Mathias (CSUS): Missed the first handstand, clear to bail tentative, Gienger with a leg break on catch, half turn double back with a big step back. 9.65
Fox (UAA): Yurchenko arabian, not her best block but great landing, little step back. 9.725
Brent (CSUS): Over on her first handstand, gets it back, major form issues on Maloney to bail, FTDB with chest down and a hop forward. 9.7
After 2: Sac State 97.025 – Alaska 96.075
A few of those bars scores for Sac State were… questionable, but good rotation for both. Great season high for Alaska on vault!
Rotation 3: Sac State beam, Alaska floor
Weber (CSUS): Front aerial, BHS LOSO, full turn. She’s so stylish. Side aerial back full, step to salute. 9.75
Green (UAA): Double back, slightly overpowered but keeps it in, wolf 3/2 rotated. Mario music is so much fun. Switch side wolf full Popa I think, Rudi landed really well. 9.65
Catour (CSUS): BHS LOSO with a lean, beat switch side, leg up check and very dramatic fall. Kickover front with a check, gainer full with a check. 8.9
Decious (UAA): Rudi lovely, switch wolf 3/2. Front lay front full, slightly awkward landing, the dance pass following it is so special. One and a half front lay, didn’t get a good punch but got it to her feet. 9.65
Brent (CSUS): The rock, great one to follow a fall. BHS LOSO and falls. Well, maybe not. Switch back tuck, good dismount. 9.075
Nelson (UAA): She’s a backup routine but her choreography is so special so I’m happy to see this one again. Double back a little underrotated, tour jete full is definitely not rotated, front full front lay well done. Tour jete half Popa. 9.6
Gillen (CSUS): BHS LOSO, fights for it but a lot of deductions accumulated, full turn. punch front full dismount really good. 9.625
Alonso (UAA): Double pike, right on the line and she doesn’t lunge to avoid an OOB. Freaking love this routine. Ferrari a bit iffy, one and a half front lay comes in low but landed well. Switch side Popa slightly underrotated. Alaska is getting through cleaaaan today. 9.8
Braida (CSUS): Front aerial, not solid contact with the beam but saves it, BHS LOSO good. Full turn, switch leap gainer full with a hop back. 9.725
Brown (UAA): Double back, hop to lunge, definitely one who can take advantage of scores going high. Tour jete half Popa a little short, one and a half front full slightly awkward landing. Rudi and scoots back, keeps her heel up to avoid an OOB. 9.75
Koeth (CSUS): One of my favorite routines in the conference. BHS LOSO BHS, split Yang Bo, front aerial, full turn, gainer full stuck and the team roars. So pretty. 9.825 is too low honestly.
Fox (UAA): Front lay to Rudi, slight scoot back. Switch half Popa wonderful, double pike with chest down a touch but convincing lunge. 9.825
After 3: Sac State 145.025 – Alaska 144.750
Sac State counted a fall and recovered well. The Hornets are still on track for a season high team total. Alaska, too, is putting together a really strong meet with the help of a season high floor meet.
Rotation 4: Alaska beam, Sac State floor
Fox (UAA): NAILED the triple series, hitch kick switch half a little short of position. Full turn, punch front full with a low chest but a stick. Awesome start. 9.825
Lahmidi (CSUS): Whip half front full, great landing, tour jete half? wolf full. Great Rudi. 9.725
Decious (UAA): Full turn, front aerial to split is lovely. BHS LOSO with a touch of knees, switch straddle quarter, punch front full with a step forward. 9.725
Braida (CSUS): Double back just a little underrotated, front lay front full with a little form but good landing. Switch half wolf full, Rudi underrotated and steps it around. 9.625
Brown (UAA): BHS LOSO way off and jumps sideways off. Cat leap side aerial, little lean check, full turn. Switch straddle 3/4, arm swing to stay on. Very nervous routine. Side aerial back tuck full with a step. 8.95
Belkoff (CSUS): Double pike good, switch side wolf full a little chaotic. One and a half front lay, off direction and OOB. Double back with chest low.
Nelson (UAA): Cat leap front aerial BHS great. Full turn, switch straddle quarter. Hitch kick front aerial. BHS gainer full. Wow! 9.85 brings her a new career high AA score after her debut on Friday.
Leroy (CSUS): Front double full, little scoot into the corner but stays in bounds. Whip back double full great! Switch side Popa a touch underrotated, Rudi double stag good. Rocking floor routine. 9.8
Knapp (UAA): BHS back pike, tentative landing but gets it with just a foot shift, wolf sheep. Working slowly but getting through. Full turn, beat double stag with a little check, tic toc is beautiful. Gainer pike with a step forward. 9.475, they must have downgraded one of her leaps.
She added beam this year for the first time in her college career, don’t know if she’s ever hit in a lineup with a fall ahead of her before. Big moment.
Brent (CSUS): Nailed the double pike, tour jete half Popa, front lay front full. Double back with a large lunge. 9.85
Hyderally (UAA): Pressure, but she’s who you want in this situation. Front aerial, little foot shuffle, back tuck. Happened quickly enough that I imagine her series is fine. Switch back tuck and falls. What?? Full turn, gainer pike stuck. 8..9, they must have taken a connection as well as the series.
Catour (CSUS): Double pike, OOB. Switch side split full short of position. Front full front half double stag. 9.65
Alonso in the ex for Alaska, slow connection on her kick front BHS acro series but getting through clean. Her knee turn makes my life better. Underrotated her front full dismount, scary ankle moment but looks like she’s good. Watley up for Sac State did a front through two and a half.
Final: Sac State 193.700 – Alaska 192.575
Bummer for Alaska to have beam issues at the end after coming in on track for a top-ten program score, but still squeaks in over its season high. Great day for Sac State, particularly on bars and floor. It’s definitely in a much better place than this time last year relative to the rest of the conference.
VT – Tara Catour (CSUS) 9.775
UB – Courtnee Marquez (CSUS) 9.800
BB – Hope Nelson (UAA) 9.850
FX – Jordyn Brent (CSUS) 9.850
AA – Hope Nelson 38.575
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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