We’ve got dual Pac-12 showdowns happening this Sunday afternoon, and I’m here to bring you No. 24 Arizona against No. 8 California! Both teams are having great seasons so far, with the Wildcats currently sitting 11 spots higher in the rankings than their finish last season, and the Golden Bears currently ranked as one of the teams who will make nationals at the end of the season.
The home team is currently in the midst of a string of 197s, and has a great shot to extend that streak today. While bars has been the most talked about event for California, it actually notches its highest ranking on vault, where it sits at seventh in the nation. The story to watch tonight for the Golden Bears is Kyana George, who is currently ranked seventh in the all around, but rolled her ankle in the touch warmup before floor in their last outing and had to scratch the event. It has been reported that she only rolled her ankle and will be able to compete today, but we don’t know to what extent. Keep your eyes on that, as well as Neveah DeSouza who is also a star all arounder for California.
While Arizona has already drastically improved on last season’s ranking, it has the opportunity to improve on it tonight. The Wildcats have been performing much better in home meets than on the road, and since three road scores must be included in a team’s NQS, Arizona could use a solid road score tonight. Christina Berg’s 19th place ranking on bars is the Wildcat’s highest event or all around ranking, while Maddi Leydin has been stellar lately on vault and floor.
You can follow along today with both scores and video!
Our first look at lineups for today courtesy of California. Looks like George will not be competing today. Grace Quinn nabbing her spots on vault and beam will be interesting to watch, as well as Nina Schank in the all around!
Tentative lineups for today's meet with @ArizonaGymCats:#Boundless pic.twitter.com/ciVhURnOHz
— Cal Gymnastics (@CalWGym) March 1, 2020
Almost go time! Teams are being introduced now, and we’ve got Evan Heiter on commentary for us to enjoy.
Evan lets us know the George expects to be back competing next week, but, that’s what we were told last week too and she’s not in any lineups today… lol.
Rotation 1: California Vault, Arizona Bars
Schank (Cal): YFull. Good height and form, tight legs, just a small hop back. 9.825
Kane (Ariz): Blind change to jager to overshoot, hops back up to high, slightly short on final handstand, blind change to double front, small hop. 9.700
Quinn (Cal): YFull. Quite piked throughout, small hop. 9.750
Swanson (Ariz): Mounts to the high bar, full pirouette to tkatchev, flexed feet, wild legs on a pak, jumps back to high, dismounts with a double layout, small squat but sticks it. 9.650
Bordas (Cal): YFull. Really high in the air, hops back on the landing but nice form throughout. 9.850
Brovedani (Ariz): Mounts on the high bar, blind half to pike jager, caught a little low, form break in a giant, nice pak, hops back to high, dismounts with a double layout, fantastic form, big step back. 9.675
Mastrangelo (Cal): Y1.5. Sticks it! Tiny bit of leg form right at the end when it looked like she almost wouldn’t make it around, but she made it work! 9.950
Judges split there was a 10.0/9.0
Hendrickson (Ariz): Needs a big score for Arizona. Opens with a blind half to jager to overshoot, really pretty jager, jumps back to high, flairs out a double layout dismount and sticks it! Small form in the layouts. 9.825
DeSouza (Cal): Sticks her Y1.5! A little bit better form than Mastrangelo too. 9.900
Leydin (Ariz): Toe on to pak, really nice, jumps to high bar, blind half to Markelov, great, dismounts with a giant full to double tuck, small step. 9.700
Clausi (Cal): Y1.5. ANOTHER STICK!! Not a ton of height or distance but the form was just as good as the ones preceding her. 9.950
Berg (Ariz): Arizona needs this hit. Mounts on the high bar, blind half to piked jager to overshoot, great form, hops back to high, dismounts FTDT and sticks it. The Wildcats will be relieved to get this score. 9.875
After 1: California 49.475, Arizona 48.775
What a great start for California! Sticking your last three (and three hardest) vaults is an ideal way to open a meet where you need a big score to boost your NQS. Arizona had little breaks and form errors throughout and generally expects more from its bars rotation. However, the Wildcats had no falls or huge errors, so they still have plenty of opportunity to rebound from that start. Not a disaster by any means.
FYI for NQS purposes, California needs a 197.125 or higher to improve its total while Arizona is aiming for a 195.375 or higher.
Rotation 2: Arizona Vault, California Bars
Davis (Ariz): YFull. Great form, just a hop back. 9.775
DeSouza (Cal): Blind half to piked jager to overshoot, nice form, hops back to high, dismounts with a FTDT and a shuffle on the landing, missed the final handstand a bit. 9.775
Swanson (Ariz): YFull. Good height, small bit of pike at the end and a hop back. 9.800
Green (Cal): Clear hip to Geinger and falls. Got her hands on the bar but couldn’t hang on. Remounts, great bail, hops back to high, good handstand, FTDT dismount, chest low and a step. 8.900
Hargrove (Ariz): YFull. Great height again, tiny bit of piking down causes a scoot back. 9.825
Schank (Cal): Blind half to piked jager to overshoot, legs pasted together, back up to high, dismounts with a double layout and sticks it! Exactly the routine you want after a fall. 9.900
Leung (Ariz): YFull. Really nice distance, same piking issues cause a hop back. 9.750
Watterson (Cal): Jumps to high bar to mount, beautiful pak, toe on to shaposh half, great form, goes for the toe full and doesn’t make it to handstand and comes off. Nearly did the same thing on her toe on on the low bar earlier in the routine. Remounts and repeats the toe full, big hesitation in the middle but sticks her double tuck dismount. 9.275
Leydin (Ariz): Y1.5. Sticks it! Great form in the air, feet a bit staggered on the landing. 9.975
Happy to see Arizona cashing in on the willingness of the vault judges to throw high scores.
Bordas (Cal): Opens with a blind half to jager to overshoot, sky high in the jager, giant full to double tuck dismount and sticks it! Another good rebound routine. 9.925
Bellows (Ariz): Y1.5. Another stick! Legs did bend a hair at the end to get it around. 9.825
Quinn (Cal): A change from Jones who was listed in the lineups tweet. Toe on to tkatchev, small leg form, pak salto with the same leg issues, dismounts with a stuck FTDT. 9.775
This means Quinn will likely be an all arounder today!
Arizona Vault: 49.200, California Bars 48.650
After 2: California 98.125, Arizona 97.975
That was not the second rotation that California wanted after that great start on vault. That likely spoils its plans to improve on its NQS, which was a tall task anyways. On the contrary, Arizona rebounded well from its bars rotation to nail vault! Leydin’s Yurchenko one and a half was great, and should give the Wildcats momentum moving forward off that season-high vault rotation.
.@Maddi_Leydin NAILS her incredible vault to earn a career-high 9.975!! pic.twitter.com/lxEJZoZiAN
— Arizona GymCats (@ArizonaGymCats) March 1, 2020
Rotation 3: California Beam, Arizona Floor
DeSouza (Cal): Had some computer errors so wasn’t able to catch the routine, but looked like a hit! 9.800
Cowles (Ariz): Opens with a double tuck, small slide back, front layout to front full, secure landing, nice leap series, maybe a little short of rotation, closes with a punch rudi for a hit routine! 9.700
Clausi (Cal): Front toss to beat jump, a little low on the landing of the toss, bhs loso, looked a little short but covered really well, cat leap to switch side, side aerial to layout full, slide back. 9.850
Davis (Ariz): Front double full, controls the landing, rudi to stag jump, looked a little out of control, tour jete half to straddle full, short of rotation slightly, dismounts with a RO 1.5 to front layout, great height in the 1.5, but another hit routine! 9.825
Bordas (Cal): Opens with a front aerial to split jump, slightly check, bhs loso, secure on that series, switch leap to split jump, side aerial, doubts herself and bends over and falls off, jumps back on quickly, cleanly through the full turn, gainer full dismount and a big slide back. 9.175
Swanson (Ariz): Mounts with a triple full, nice in the air but a bit short on the twists, double full to punch front second pass, a little low on the punch front but has no problems getting around, nice switch half to straddle full, ends with a double tuck, nice landing but chest a tad low. 9.775
Watterson (Cal): Double wolf turn, solid, front aerial to beat jump, bhs loso, slightly off balance but doesn’t waver much, switch leap to split leap, clean, side aerial to layout full, flairs it out but takes a bounce back. 9.775
Hargrove (Ariz): Double pike to open, great control on the landing, RO whip half to front full, very clean, switch ring to tour jete half, could’ve hit the ring position better, closes her routine with a double tuck and sticks it cold! 9.900
Quinn (Cal): Beat jump to double stag, small check, front aerial to wolf jump, another check, bhs loso, tiny check again, split leap to full turn, beautiful, definitely showing nerves, RO 1.5 dismount, big hop forward. 9.625
Berg (Ariz): Starts off with a front double full, came in a bit short but covers it well with a nice landing, switch leap to straddle full to wolf full, did not hit 180 in the straddle, RO 1.5 to front pike is done nicely, finishes with a rudi to split jump, slightly off balance. 9.825
Schank (Cal): Bhs layout to beat jump, fantastic, straddle jump to sheep jump, no problems so far, small check on a half turn thats choreography, RO 1.5 dismount is stuck! Finally the hit the Golden Bears needed. 9.850
Horton (Ariz): RO 1.5 to front full to open, nice landing, front full to front pike, secure, switch ring to switch half, slightly short of split in the second element, closes with a great rudi, nice chest position on the landing. 9.800
California Beam: 48.900, Arizona Floor 49.125
After 3: Arizona 147.100, California 147.025
Upset alert!! California opened the door with another fall and a handful of errors on beam while Arizona did exactly what it needed to do on floor. The Golden Bears are moving to floor, where they have faltered this season, but have the opportunity to bounce back barring what the Wildcats do on beam. This will be an exciting finish!
Also, note that Talitha Jones “went down” in warmups for California. That is all the information we have been given at this point.
Rotation 4: Arizona Beam, California Floor
Hendrickson (Ariz): Beat jump to split 3/4, nice, bhs loso, small check, cat leap to side aerial, secure, switch leap to bhs swingdown, dismounts with a cartwheel to stuck gainer full. 9.750
DeSouza (Cal): Double pike to open, nice landing, RO 1.5 to front full, big step to the side, closes with a rudi, small slide back. 9.775
Hargrove (Ariz): Bhs loso, really floaty in the air, cat leap to side aerial, no problems, small check on a full turn, straddle jump to sheep jump, needed to commit more to the position, RO 1.5 dismount, small hop forward. 9.725
Bordas (Cal): Begins with a full-in, nice height but kicks a little early and lands chest down, nice tour jete to split full leap series, rudi second pass, nice landing, closes with a RO 1.5 to front layout, super secure on that landing. 9.850
Leydin (Ariz): Candlestick mount held nice and long, wolf turn, secure, cat leap to switch side, small wobble, bhs loso, another check off to the side, RO double tuck dismount, great height, just a small hop. 9.825
Mastrangelo (Cal): Mounts with a triple full, tiny tiny bit short of rotation but no major problems, RO 1.5 to front layout, stuck cold, nice height in the layout too, well controlled leap series, dismounts with a RO 2.5, controlled step forward to finish. 9.850
Linton (Ariz): Wolf double to open, slightly off balance but keeps it on, bhs bhs loso, solid, switch leap to split jump, nice height, side aerial to layout full, small slide after a pike down at the end. 9.850
Quinn (Cal): Starts off with a front layout to rudi, great landing, wolf double, ends short of rotation, front full done well, switch side to popa, small shuffle on the landing, closes with a RO 1.5 to layout half, no problems. 9.875
Leung (Ariz): Bhs loso, switch leap to switch leap, done nicely, moving confidently through so far, switch half to beat jump, tiny bit short of rotation on the half, cat leap to side aerial to stuck layout full dismount! Another big hit to put the pressure on California. 9.875
Clausi (Cal): Mounts with a full-in, chest low on the landing but sticks it, switch side to straddle full, RO 1.5 to front layout, good landing but the layout was a little whippy compared to her previous teammates, dismounts with a double tuck, much better chest position on the landing. 9.900
Davis (Ariz): Bhs bhs loso to start and its gorgeous, beat jump to straddle 3/4, front toss to beat jump, slightly low, her routine flows so well, finishes with a RO 1.5, nearly sticks it but salutes out of it. 9.875
Schank (Cal): Stuck double pike to open, front layout to front full, came in slightly short but moves out of it well, switch side to ring full, nice position in that ring, closes the meet with a RO 1.5 to front layout, nearly stuck cold again. 9.900
Arizona Beam: 49.175, California Floor 49.375
Final: California 196.400, Arizona 196.275
Although it couldn’t hang on for the win, Arizona should be very happy with tonight as it notched a new season high score after starting off with a season low on bars. The Wildcat’s ability to fight back will serve them well moving forward towards the postseason. California ended the meet the way it started with a good score, but those middle two rotations won’t slide when up against Utah, UCLA and Washington at the Pac-12 conference meet in just a few weeks. Getting George and Jones back and healthy will help a lot with that, but the Golden Bears once again showed they do have some inconsistency issues that need to be worked out.
Event Winners:
All Around: Schank (California), 39.475
Vault: Leydin (Arizona), 9.975
Bars: Bordas (California), 9.925
Beam: Davis (Arizona), Leung (Arizona), 9.875
Floor: Clausi (California), Hargrove (Arizona), Schank, 9.900
Live Blog by Brandis Heffner
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