A terrapin, a wolverine, a Spartan, a gopher and a Nittany lion walk into a bar… An uneven bar, obviously. OK, now that that’s out of my system, welcome to night two of Elevate the Stage’s Big Five meet! Nebraska took the win on night one (and securing a coveted berth to the evening session of the upcoming Big Ten championships). Tonight, the remaining Big Ten teams—No. 7 Minnesota, No. 9 Michigan, No. 24 Maryland, No. 29 Penn State and No. 31 Michigan State—duke it out in Toledo.
The stakes are higher than just gaining podium experience: The Big Ten regular season champion will be named after the conclusion of tonight’s meet. Additionally, results will factor into seeding for the upcoming Big Ten championship. The rules used to be fairly straightforward, with the top three finishers from each session qualifying for the evening session of Big Tens, but no longer! I’ll just let you read the copy straight from the horse’s mouth:
The meet will be conducted in two sessions, with six schools competing in the afternoon session and four schools competing in the evening session. Team seeding is determined by the final Big Ten regular season standings. In the event of a tie, head-to-head results shall be used. If there is still a tie, team RQS following the Big Five meets shall be used.
For the first time since 2016, Minnesota heads into this meet at the top of the Big Ten standings (though Michigan is nipping at its heels). This is the first time they’re meeting in 2020, and both are undefeated in conference match-ups up to this point. Barring truly exceptional circumstances, one of those two teams will become the regular season champion.
Maryland, Penn State and Michigan State are closely-grouped in both the conference and national rankings, with less than two and a half tenths separating their average scores (worth noting, Michigan State—the lowest ranked of the three—has posted the highest season high).
Unfortunately, the live stream is on Flo, but don’t worry, that’s what this live blog is for. Live stats will be available here.
We’re starting off with mini-gymnasts tumbling to a Baby Shark/YMCA mash-up. Please, oh, please be the meet theme!
https://twitter.com/PennStateWGYM/status/1231365724960108549?s=20
https://twitter.com/MSUgymnastics/status/1231303993512644608?s=20
We will be wearing this leotard tonight at the Elevate the Stage meet in Toledo. ⚡〽⚡ pic.twitter.com/A75GlKPOPT
— Michigan Women’s Gymnastics (@UMichWGym) February 22, 2020
I’m going to do my absolute best to NOT misidentify anyone, but the feed is reeeally washed out… Like, I can see humanoid shapes and hair height, that’s about it. Hopefully, it’ll improve once the meet starts!
https://twitter.com/TerpsGymnastics/status/1231367938277597185?s=20
I’m trying not to be too negative, so I’ll say the audio and visual are of equal quality!
Rotation One: Penn State vault, Michigan State bars, Maryland beam, Michigan floor, Minnesota bye
PSU
Allen: Yurchenko full, stuck.
Bosnall: Very nice Yurchenko full, tiny shuffle on the landing.
Chinnery: Another nice Yurchenko full in the air, big bounce on the landing.
MSU
Brown: Way overarches the first handstand. I like the clear hip. Strong, stuckish double tuck to finish.
Jackard: Nice straddled Jaeger. Loses the shape a bit on her DLO and has to take a couple of steps.
UMD
LeBlanc: Split jump, split half nowhere near 180. Punch front full with a small hop forward.
Silberman: Switch split to standing loso with a check. One-armed bhs loso, leg form and off center. Switch split to straddle quarter with a check (didn’t quite hit positions either).
Rouse: Standing loso with a check. Bhs loso with soft legs, and she comes off. Too bad. Switch split to straddle quarter, good. Punch full with a hop to the side.
Wright: Love her shoot through mount. Split to switch half; angle’s not great, but maybe a hair shy. Front aerial to bhs, lovely. Slightest check on her full turn, great cover. Front toss to split, again very good cover. Stuck piked gainer. Great finish for the Terps.
UMI
Koulos: Front lay front full, a little on the landing. Straddle half to split full, good. Double pike, chest a tad low and maybe a little slide back.
Wojcik: Bounces out of a very nice double pike. Gogean to wolf full, great. Fhs full pike, nice. Lovely Rudi to straddle to finish.
Brooks: Really big rucked full in to open, slightly staggered on the landing. Front full to front lay, great. Love her split positions. Textbook double pike.
Brenner: Solid full-in to open. One and a half to front lay, well done. Switch side to Popa, great amplitude. Big double pike, quick lunge out of it.
Wilson: Chest a little bit down on FTDT. Front lay to full, great. Straddle 1.5, niiice. Big double tuck to finish, very nice.
AFTER ONE ROTATION: Michigan 49.525, Penn State 49.300, Michigan State 48.925, Maryland 47.525
Apologies for missing a lot of the routines earlier in the rotation; the feed kept switching from quad to a single event… ANYWAY! Michigan breezed through floor, no shock there. The Nittany Lions had themselves a great vault rotation, while the Spartans did well on bars. Maryland’s beam rotation isn’t the start they wanted; they’ll have a lot of catching up to do if they want to nab that third place spot.
Rotation Two: Michigan vault, Penn State bars, Michigan State beam, Minnesota floor, Maryland bye
I can’t tell if the audio’s fading in and out or if there’s a hot mic situation. This is just… It’s exquisitely bad.
UMI
Koulos: Very nice Yurchenko full to open, stuck.
Brenner: Fabulous, stuck Y 1.5. Legs slightly soft, but very nice vault.
Wilson: Small hop on her Y 1.5. Michigan’s rolling so far.
Wojcik: Really nice Y 1.5, not quite a stick.
PSU
Verdeflor: A hair cshy on the first handstand. Blind full to straddled Jaeger, soft kenes. Great bail and final handstand. Leg sep on final blind change, but a nice double tuck with a tiny hop.
Rushlow: Nice bail to straddle shoot. Stuck double tuck, nice.
McCracken: Double tuck with a college stick.
Bosnall: Goo handstands. Beautiful DLO with a small step.
MSU
Mchale? Major form and a check on the bhs loso. Over-rotates the full turn. Nice front toss, back on track!. Switch split to a shy switch half, small hip check. Gainer full with a tiny hop.
Raybon: Solid bhs loso. Great front tuck. Over-rotates her full turn. Nearly stuck front full dismoutn.
Smith: Soft legs, but a solid bhs loso. Lovely switch split to straddle quarter. Nearly stuck double tuck. What I saw of this routine was great.
Mitchell: Bhs bhs loso with some feet, but good. Front aerial. Straddle quarter, well done. Slightly under-rotates her 1.5 dismount and has to hop back.
Douglas: Shoot through mount, always pretty. Double turn, very nice. Love her wrist and finger extension. Floaty side aerial to loso, soft legs and a little wave. Cat leap to something I missed, sorry (blame my husband for walking in front of the TV!). Sissone a tad off. Very nice side aerial to stuck full.
MINN
Sonier: Lovely straddle full. One and a half to front lay, excellent.
Sales: Hops out of a pretty opening double pike. Switch ring to Popa, great amplitude. Whip half to full, lovely. What I saw was a strong routine.
Ramler: Got to see her last pose. Sigh.
Loper: Beautiful two and a half (?). Excellent one and a half to front lay. The stats aren’t working (of course) but the Gophers look to be keeping pace with the quality of the Wolverines’ FX from what I’ve seen.
Williams: Fhs to double front, slight stagger out. One and half to front lay, great. Fhs Rudi, a little bouncy on the landing. Also, Williams is not Sales.
Remlinger: Great double pike to open. One and a half to front lay, gorgeous. Double tuck, chest a little low, but a strong routine.
AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: Michigan 99.125, Penn State 98.550, Michigan State 97.800, Minnesota 49.300, Maryland 48.325
So, even taking score inflation into account, Michigan is crushing it so far. Minnesota did their job on floor, and will have a chance to close the gap on beam and floor. Penn State has been great so far, and are on pace for not only a great away score, but that coveted spot in Big Tens.
Rotation Three: Minnesota vault, Michigan bars, Penn State beam, Maryland floor, Michigan State bye
Minn
Quaglia: Yurchenko full, has to take a small step fwd.
Sales: Nearly stuck Yurchenko full, great job.
Williams: Dynamic Yurchenko full, has to take a big hop back.
Ramler:
Loper: Bummer, sits her Yurchenko 1.5.
Quarles:
UMI
Heiskell:
O’Hara: Nice straddled Jaeger. Excellent handstand positions throughout. Stuck DLO. Wow.
Brenner: Another gorgeous straddled Jaeger to bail, excellent positions throughout. Stuckish DLO.
Brooks: Blind change a little off, no problems on piked Jaeger. Decent bail. Beautiful handstand positions. Tiny step on FTDL dismount, awesome routine.
Wilson: Very nice blind change to piked Jaeger. Overdoes her handstand a bit. DLO with a step.
Wojcik: Her usual massive Deltchev. Fantastic DLO, stuck.
PSU
Bastardi: Front toss to bhs, some legs and a small check.
Bridgens: Full turn, very nice. Bhs loso with legs and a fall, ugh. Round off 1.5 with a hop.
Rushlow: Beat to straddle 3/4, well done. Bhs loso, small foot slide but overall well done. Switch split to split jump; back legs a tad low (may be the camera angle). Nice side aerial. Stuck round-off 1.5. Awesome job.
McCracken: Front aerial to bhs, great job. Love the needle scale. A little bobble after her leap. Redoes split jump to double stag, small foot up check. Front aerial is off, what a great save. Bhs to stuck gainer full.
UMD
Tsiknias: Fhs Rudi loso, gorgeous. Switch split to switch full, good.
Morris:
Silberman: Nice Popa series. Fhs double full, great job.
McClure: Big double tuck, lands on the stinger mat and has to take a step. Front lay to Rudi, slightly bouncy landing but nice. Switch full to Popa, a bit short on both. Lovely front lay front full to finish.
Rouse: Excellent double pike. Her energy and performance is so good. One and a half to front lay, great. Split one and a half to Popa, good amplitude and positions. Double tuck, good. Excellent routine.
Wright: Front lay to front full, soft legs. Switch split to switch ring, wonky angle. Love the illusion! Big double tuck and bounces out of bounds.
AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: Michigan 148.525, Penn State 146.875, Minnesota 98.375, Michigan State 97.800, Maryland 97.625
Well, damn, Michigan! The Wolverines are on pace for a 198 and look every bit a top-ranked team. Minnesota had a serviceable but not great vault rotation (at least based on the scores. You know, since we only got to see about three vaults, and most of those were the coach’s butt); even with what they’re capable of doing on bars and beam, they’ll need some help to catch Michigan at this point. Penn State struggled on beam but still have a bit of a cushion. Maryland had a fantastic floor rotation and may be able to catch up to PSU with a solid showing on vault.
Rotation Four: Maryland vault, Minnesota bars, Michigan beam, Michigan State floor, Penn State bye
UMI
Farley: Bhs loso loso with her usual form. Nice leaps. Side aerial, solid. Low piked gainer and has to take a hop.
O’Hara: Split to double stag, nice. Love the stag handstand.
Brooks: Bhs loso loso, excellent. Leg up check. Double tuck with a hop back.
Funk: Beat to straddle full, well done. Side aerial to full, good.
Wojcik: Front aerial to beat, beautiful. Switch split to split jump, flawless. Bhs bhs loso, great. Floaty round-off one and a half, stuck.
Heiskell? Cat leap to side aerial, good. Switch split to straddle quarter, very nice. Bhs loso, excellent. Stuck round-off one and a half, wow. Michigan’s on fire!
Minn
Quaglia: Stuck landing (don’t ask me what).
Willmarth: Beautiful Ray. Nice bail. Good handstands throughout. Muscles up her staldter just a bit, double tuck with a hop back.
Betts: Huge Tkatchev. Good bail. A hair shy on the last handstand. Pirouette to a stuck double tuck with a wave.
Lu: Lovely Maloney. Small hop back on the DLO.
Ramler: Beautiful Malony and Pak. Stuck FTDT.
MSU
Front lay to Rudi
Smith: Front tuck through to double tuck with a hop back. Great amplitude on her Popas. Front full front lay, good.
Douglas: Front lay to full, very nice. Cheats the Gogean a bit. Big double tuck to finish.
Mitchell: Double tuck, great. Floaty one and a half to front lay. Switch side to Popa to double stag, nice. Great double pike to finish.
AFTER FOUR ROTATIONS: Minnesota 197.950, Minnesota 147.600, Michigan State 146. 900, Penn State 146.875, Maryland 146.800
If you're looking at Michigan scores at Elevate and wondering if they're crack or accurate, the answer is both.
— ⛄❄️Rebecca Scally❄️⛄ (@rebeccakscally) February 23, 2020
Michigan’s officially your Big Ten regular season champs! While it’s mathematically impossible for Minnesota to catch them, the Gophers are still on pace for a great away score heading into their strongest event. The race for third is TIGHT, with less than a quarter tenth separating MSU and PSU and Maryland only back a tenth. Should be an interesting final rotation!
Rotation Five: Michigan State vault, Maryland bars, Minnesota beam, Penn State floor, Michigan bye
Again, literally can’t tell if the commentary has started or if this is a hot mic.
MSU
Wiedman: Yurchenko full, slight pike down and a hop back.
Hofelich:
Bellman: Very nice Yurchenko full with a hop back.
Douglas:
Mitchell: Excellent stuck Yurchenko full.
Smith:
UMD
Silbermann? Good last handstand position. Nice double lay with a college stick and step.
Wright: Stalder to a gorgeous stuck double tuck.
Geinger. Short handstands throughout. Leg sep and off center on the pirouette and a hop back on the double tuck.
MINN
Sonier: Gorgeous bhs loso. Beat to split 3/4, back leg a bit low. Beat to loso, great. Bhs one-armed bhs one and a half with a step back.
Lu: Cat leap to switch half to beat, good. Gah, why is her full turn so pretty. Leg up check on the side somi. Cartwheel gainer full with a hop.
Korlin-Downs: Love her headstand mount. Leg up check on her acro series. Side aerial to a maybe stuck full (couldn’t see her feet).
Sales: Check on her bhs loso .
Ramler: Bhs loso, well done. Front aerial to wolf, great. Beat to ring, good. Side aerial to stuck full. Excellent routine.
Loper: Bhs loso with soft knees, but very solid. Front toss to beat (sort of). Switch split to straddle quarter, well done. One and a half with a small hop.
PSU
Rushlow: Gorgeous 2.5!
Bosnall: Love her scorpion. Nice double tuck. Very short on her double pike, lands crunched down but no hands down.
Astarita: Switch side to straddle half. Double pike with a slide back, great.
Bridgens: Big ol’ double tuck. Fhs Rudi loso, so good. Fhs full lay, a little stutter out of it, but a great routine to finish.
AFTER FIVE ROTATIONS: Michigan 197.950, Minnesota 196.650, Penn State 196.125, Michigan State 195.975, Maryland 195.325
Michigan was lights out good today. If *this* Michigan shows up to Nationals, it could make things very interesting… Obviously, not the best day for Minnesota; it happens. They got their spot at the evening session at Big Tens. Strong day for PSU and MSU! They’ll happily take those away scores, and proved they can hang with top twenty teams.
Article by Claire Billman
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