First thing’s first, this meet’s rankings are quite deceiving: Arizona State had a meet on Monday, and its real-time ranking after that good result is No. 29. So, yes, this thing is CLOSE. And it should be a feisty one, too: There’s no love lost between these two universities or their fans. I love rivalry meets, so this should be exciting.
I give the advantage to Arizona for two reasons. First, the Wildcats have been much more consistent over the season, while Arizona State started in a really difficult place and didn’t crack 195 until February. Second, the meet is at Arizona, and the Sun Devils have performed better at home this season. That said, Arizona State has the higher peak of the pair and can sweep the Wildcats away if it comes out hot.
Rotation 1: Arizona vault, Arizona State bars
Davis (UA): Her steadiness this year has meant a great deal for the WIldcats. Pretty FTY with a small hop back. 9.8
Swanson (UA): FTY, slight pike down but stuck. 9.85
Scharf (ASU): Maloney to Pak, a little flat with leg separations, missed a handstand, knees buckled on her FTDB dismount with a step back a little low. 9.725
Hargrove (UA): A lot of height compared to her size on her FTY, little hop back. 9.8
Hart (ASU): Blind to Jaeger, slightly soft knees, double layout, leg form in the air but sticks it. 9.825
Leung (UA): FTY, stuck. Not much more to say about that. 9.825
Boyer (ASU): Toe to Maloney to Pak, great leg form, the tiniest leg separations, they barely exist. FTDB with a hop back.
Leydin (UA): Her usual great 1.5, leg separation and a fairly substantial hop forward. 9.825
Reeves (ASU): Blind to Jaeger, feet and knees in the air, toe on to bail with a foot flicker. Double layout with flexed feet and a hop back.
Bellows (UA): One and a half, a touch underrotated with a step back and across.
Leonard-Baker (ASU): Maloney to bail to piked toe shoot, FTDB with a hop back. Might have missed the first handstand, one of those angles where you’re really just guessing. 9.825
After 1: Arizona 49.100, Arizona State 49.075
Strong start from both teams, highlighted by lots and lots of sticks. Scores staying fairly conservative on either side so far. Juliette Boyer was my routine of the rotation. She’s a very, very beautiful bars gymnast when she hits her “it” routine, which she can’t always find.
This feels intense already. Nobody’s giving up easily.
Rotation 2: Arizona State vault, Arizona bars
Ginn (ASU): FTY, a little pikey with leg separation, hop back. 9.825
Kane (UA): Blind to Jaeger, one flexed foot, to overshoot. Double front with pointed toes and a little step.
Redmond (ASU): Solid FTY, step back. Neither of these teams really does technically wow FTYs. 9.725
Linton (UA): Tkachev, okay, toe on to bal. Blind full double back a little cowboyed but stuck with one foot a little behind the other. 9.65
Wilson (ASU): Big FTY, a little pike down but stuck. More distance than I’ve seen so far.
Swanson (UA): Blind full to Tkachev, concerning Pak very arched and lost her knees too. Double layout stuck. 9.725
THE STICKS AT THIS MEET ARE RIDICULOUS.
Scharf (ASU): One of the first vaults from this meet that I’d think of as pretty, with a step back.
Hendrickson (UA): Blind to Jaeger, loses her feet a bit, to overshoot. Some slightly archy handstands, double layout stuck. AGAIN. 9.775
Reeves (ASU): This tucked one and a half is always a mess, but good landing.
Leydin (UA): I’m just here for the Markelov. It was great, so I can go home. Blind full double back and goes a little deep to hold the stick, tiny step at the end. 9.8
Leonard-Baker (ASU): Her usual great full, big, big step-scoot situation back. 9.825
Berg (UA): Goes BIG on the pike Jaeger, no cutting it down due to nerves over here, FTDB and holds the stick for a second and then quickly salutes and peaces out of there. They probably won’t give that to her but they may just. 9.825 what are you on?
After 2: Arizona State 38.300, Arizona 97.950
Arizona sort of got owned by the judges at home there. It’s definitely an imperfect bars team, but it’s scored much higher than this in previous weeks.
Hendrickson (UA): Beat jump split 3/4, BHS LOSO, check with an arm swing and smiles through it. Hitch kick side aerial, little adjustment, switch leap Korbut. Cartwheel gainer full with a step, I type exactly as the commentator says “with a stick” so what is the truth? 9.775
Reeves (ASU): Two and a half twist, a little messy with a hop forward. Whip half front full, I love a backspin, switch switch ring 1/2. FHS Rudi, pretty good, some teammate is screaming into the mic and it’s VERY distracting. 9.775
Leydin (UA): Wolf turn, hitch kick switch side. BHS LOSO, a touch off line and holds it, double tuck dismount with a hop back. 9.875
Boyer (ASU): Front lay to Rudi, a little low, double pike a little low again. Not a particular power gymnast. Tour jete half wolf full, one and a half front lay. 9.85
Brovedani (UA): Beat to sissone, front aerial back tuck off line but keeps moving. Switch half to split, round off one and a half dismount stuck. 9.8
Wilson (ASU): Double back, switch half wolf 3/2 fully rotated. FHS front lay front full, very good. 9.85
Linton (UA): Double wolf, BHS BHS LOSO, switch split. Great positions and so much difficulty so quickly! Side aerial back full stuck. Great moment for the freshman. 9.9!!
Scharf (ASU): Front through double back, great landing. Front full front tuck, controlling landings really well and great presentation. Double pike, overrotates it and sits before she seems to know what has happened to her. 9.125
Leung (UA): BHS LOSO, little check and keeps it on with her arms, switch switch and nails the splits. Side aerial back full stuck. She out here. 9.8
Ginn (UA): Front through double back, nailed it. Front lay to Barani, switch side Popa, double pike, sets back and is rotating into the landing with a big lunge. 9.8
Davis (UA): BHS BHS LOSO, great, beat split 3/4 great. Kickover front to beat, a little low, great dismount. 9.875
Leonard-Baker (ASU): One and a half front full, tour jete half wolf 3/2 and missed the wolf position badly. Nailed the double pike. 9.875
After 3: Arizona State 147.450, Arizona 147.200
Arizona put together a fantastic 49.250 on beam there, very steady. I thought Arizona State scored higher than it should have, with two major mistakes besides the fall that weren’t really deducted. I’d have had Ginn in the 9.60 range and Leonard-Baker probably not higher than 9.70. Weird thing to be talking about at a rivalry road dual.
Rotation 4: Arizona State beam, Arizona floor
M. Thompson (ASU): BHS BHS LOSO, unsteady landing but pivots and gets it back. Split straddle 1/4, side aerial back full with a step back. 9.8
Orman (UA): Rudi great, I always get distracted watching the dance, double pike a little low but good landing. Switch side Popa. 9.85
Wilson (ASU): BHS LOSO, very solid, full turn. Cat leap switch half, WAY short, kickover front to beat quite low. Gainer full good. 9.825
Cowles (UA): Double back, very high and clean, front lay front full. Switch ring tour jete half split full, Rudi low with a step to the side. 9.675
Leonard-Baker (ASU): Straddle jump to LOSO I think, check, check on something else, beat to straddle 3/4 strong. BHS LOSO with major form issues, not used to that being bad for her. One and a half dismount stuck-ish.
Swanson (UA): Triple twist, a little overrotated and scoot back, double twist punch front good. Switch half Popa, double back underrotated with a step forward. 9.675
Arizona has probably given it away at this point.
Redmond (ASU): BHS LOSO, full turn, switch ring desperately short with a step. Didn’t even hit split, much less ring. Split to sheep, also very short, gainer pike stuck.
Davis (UA): Front double full, very good landing, Rudi to double stag. Tour jete half Popa. One and a half front lay. Great recovery fron a couple of iffy ones.
Reeves (ASU): BHS BHS LOSO great. Switch split, very confident, full turn. Front aerial to cradle jump, good dismount. Very confident.
Hargrove (UA): Double pike, whip half front full, really steady landings. Switch ring tour jete half, double back very good.
Scharf (ASU): Wolf turn, BHS LOSO good. Side somi, great, switch split with split issues. One and a half dismount with a hop.
FINAL: Arizona State 196.525 – Arizona 196.300
Wow, what a close meet and a great upset by Arizona State! There isn’t really a Pac-12 straggler this year, the conference is deeper than it has been in a number of years. The first session of the conference championship could get REALLY interesting.
VT – Hannah Scharf (ASU) 9.875
UB – Juliette Boyer (ASU) 9.875
BB – Sirena Linton (UA) 9.900
FX – Malia Hargrove (UA) 9.900
AA – Morgan Wilson (ASU) 39.325
Live blog by Rebecca Scally.
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