LIVE BLOG: No. 21 Arizona State at No. 2 Oklahoma

Hello from my mother’s house! She inexplicably gets Fox Sports Oklahoma despite living in upstate South Carolina and having no ties to the Sooner State; she’s saving me from having to waste a free trial subscription to AT&T TV to watch this meet (pro tip if you’re itching to watch), so I’m certainly not complaining.

This isn’t expected to be a particularly close competition, but it should still be pretty fun. Hopefully we’ll get an idea of what to expect from both teams in the coming season.

Over the last several years, fans have gotten used to the Sooners looking postseason-ready right out of the gate, and all eyes will be watching to see whether they can continue that trend without Maggie Nichols leading the charge. That’s going to be an especially daunting task now that junior standout Olivia Trautman is out until further notice due to injury. It’s not season-ending, but Head Coach KJ Kindler does expect to be without Trautman for at least the first half of the season. Luckily, Oklahoma has a deep freshman class—which includes top recruits Audrey Davis and Katherine LeVasseur—to help fill in the gaps. 

The Sun Devils made a late season push to jump from No. 35 to finish at No. 21. They’ll be looking for their core of solid returners—led by star senior Cairo Leonard-Baker—and talented newcomers to carry that momentum into 2021 with a strong showing against Oklahoma. Keep an eye out for freshman Cienna Samiley’s Yurchenko full-on on vault, a fun variation to standard FTY.  

While we’re waiting for things to start, I’m just going to leave this here… 

To not even make a meet available to those who would pay for access makes no sense at all

— Jenna (@jennakgym) January 10, 2021

We’re opening with some fluff narrated by Maggie. “The journey to five starts now.” 

Glad to see Bart and Kelly wearing masks and social distancing. 

All right, here we go!

Rotation 1: Oklahoma VT, Arizona State UB

Davis (OU): Y full with a hop in place. 9.825

Reeves (ASU): loose form in bail. Shy final handstand. Good shape in her double lay and a stick! 9.775

Stern (OU): Her usual dynamic Y 1.5 with a one-legged step. 9.875

White (ASU): Handstand stepout to Van Leeuwen, very nice. A little shy on her handstands, but sticks her double layout. 9.850

Lynn (OU): FHS pike half, stuck. Really nice. Gets a, “Wooow!” from Bart (she’s an alumna of his gym, FYI). 9.875

Scharf (ASU): Maloney to Pak, lovely. A little tentative on the last handstand. Gets hung up in the air on her FTDT and takes a small hop. 9.825

LeVasseur (OU): Clean Y 1.5 with a step, very similar to Stern’s. 9.850

Clark (ASU): High Tkatchev to Pak. Good handstands and form throughout. Stuck DLO. Wow, ASU came to play! 9.850

Webb (OU): Slightly underrotated Y1.5 and had to take a step back. 9.850 seems high. 

Boyer (ASU):Good Maloney to Pak. Slightly shy on her handstand. Lands her FTDT a bit crunched and has to take a hop. 9.825

Schoepfer (OU): Tucked Y 1.5 with flexed feet and a small hop to the side. 9.825

Leonard-Baker (ASU): Maloney to bail, good. Catches a little close on her piked toe shoot. Short final handstand to a really nice FTDT with a hop. 9.825

Woodard (OU): Exhibition. Really nice Yurchenko full with a hop back. 

AFTER ONE: OKLAHOMA 49.325, ARIZONA STATE 49.175 

Arizona State will be extremely pleased with that rotation, especially all of the stuck landings. Oklahoma will be annoyed by the lack of 9.9s, but should be pleased by their freshmen performances. I’m annoyed by the lack of differentiation between the scores. Walk-on Lynn was the standout of the event.

Rotation 2: Oklahoma UB, Arizona State VT

Boyer (ASU): Y full that we missed because Meg McDonald was going over COVID stuff. 9.775

Thomas (OU): Big Tkatchev. Really nice, tight form throughout. DLO, perfect. Great start. 9.875

Mangahas (ASU): Low Y full, lands staggered and skids back. 9.775

LeVasseur (OU): Short first hanstand. Maloney to bail, very tight. Clean final handstand and another stuck DLO. Short and sweet routine. 9.925

Reeves (ASU): Really short tucked Y 1.5, lands in a squat and steps back. 9.725

Draper (OU): Blind change to piked Jaeger, good. Wonky form on Pak and loses her shape on her pirouette. Double front dismount with a hop forward. 9.850

Smith (ASU): Blocks way high on the table and doesn’t get a ton of height on her Y 1.5, but almost sticks it. Some form in the air. 9.850

Smith (OU): Pretty form in her handstands and pirouettes. Big Ray instead of a Ricna. Pikey DLO (Kelly loves her “different technique,” obviously), but a stick. 9.875

Scharf (ASU): Clean Y full with a step back. 9.750

Webb (OU): Floooats her Pak even more than usual. Pretty Van Leeuwen. Double front half out with a hop. Beautiful. 9.875

Leonard-Baker (ASU): Excellent Y full, flared arms. Small hop back. 9.825

Davis (OU): Such deliberate handstands. Blind change to piked Jaeger, excellent. Pak, great. High double front dismount with a large step, only obvious error. 9.875 seems low, honestly.

White (ASU): Y full with a large slide back. 9.775

Q. Smith (OU): exhibition; overcooks her first handstand and comes off. 

AFTER TWO: OKLAHOMA 98.750, ARIZONA STATE 98.150

Again, I’m annoyed by the lack of differentiation in scores. Oklahoma looked solid on bars, but just seems a little tense? It’s lacking the usual swagger. Again, the freshmen stole the show, punctuated by LeVasseur’s stuck DLO. ASU’s vault was a little nervy, but fine. Leonard-Baker’s Yurchenko full was really great. 

Rotation 3: Oklahoma BB, Arizona State FX 

 Thomas (OU): Side somi fine for what it is, lol. Bhs loso, rock solid. Switch split leap to switch split to switch quarter, well done. She winked at the judges, nice. Side aerial to suck full, great. 9.875

Thompson (ASU): Nice double pike to open. Switch half to wolf full, a little out of control. Front full to lay, a little low and has to bend her knees. 9.675

Dunn (OU): Bhs bhs loso with a hip check. Split jump to split half, well done. Gainer full with a weird back bend, but a stick. 

My mom just asked me if Kelly Garrison is always this “frantic.”

Clark (ASU): Clean double pike to open. A bit crunched on her double tuck and has to hop to the side. Doesn’t quite get the position on her leap series. RO 1.5 to front lay, well done. 9.675

Smith (OU): Really floaty bhs loso. Immediately compensates with a big check while doing choreo. Pretty front aerial to straddle. Nice split half to Korbut. Gainer full, maybe stuck? Someone’s hair was in the way. 9.70

Boyer (ASU): Front lay to Rudi, bounces out a bit but covers well. Very pretty dance Underrotates her double pike a hair, but again covers well. Split full to wolf full. Front full to floaty lay, lovely. 9.800

Davis (OU): Pretty scale to open. Kicks out of her full turn, very nice. Bhs loso, excellent. Onodi with a large check. Beat to ring, very low front leg. Casual stuck double full dismount, beautiful. 9.825

Mangahas (ASU): FTDT to open, lands a bit staggered and has to step back. Front lay +front lay. Switch full to wolf full, was good, I think? Angle was slightly off. Double pike to finish and goes OOB. 9.575

Woodard (OU): Side aerial to bhs, well done. Floats her front toss to a scale, slides down to split; love it! Switch split leap to split jump, good positions. Another scale, well done. Side aerial to full, swags the stick. Great routine. 9.900

Scharf (ASU): Well done double tuck. FHS full to punch front tuck, very easy looking. She’s strutting, definitely looks like she’s having fun. Very short double pike and has to bound forward, but avoids putting her hands down. 9.675

Webb (OU): Bhs loso, perfect. Front aerial to beat, so solid. Switch split to split, great extension; took the entire length of the beam. Side aerial to stuck full. 9.950

Leonard-Baker (ASU): Excellent double tuck. Back 1.5 to front full, excellent. She looks really confident, definitely selling the choreography. Switch full to Popa, shy on both. Another low double pike to finish, and takes a step forward. 9.800

LeVasseur (OU): exhibition; switch split to switch side, a hair off center. Front aerial, good. Pretty scale. Bhs to gainer full with a hop. 

White (ASU): exhibition; double pike to open, couldn’t see her feet. Fhs Rudi, well done. Switch ring to switch ring half, low front leg on both. Fhs full to pike, well done. 

AFTER THREE: OKLAHOMA 148.100, ARIZONA STATE 146.775

Not a great showing for the Sun Devils. Mainly looked like endurance issues, which is completely unsurprising during a normal season, never mind this weird one. Really hope to see White in future lineups! Her presence is fantastic. 

 Solid beam debut for the Sooners. Obviously, Webb was fantastic, but Woodard’s routine construction was a highlight for me.

Rotation 4: Oklahoma FX, Arizona State BB

Leonard-Baker (ASU): Straddle to loso, well done. Beat to some transverse jump, and she comes off. Bhs loso with the usual soft legs and a leg up check. RO 1.5 with a hop forward. 9.000

Draper (OU): Big double pike to open. Her theme is NASCAR… ‘Kay. Front lay to full to full, a bit short and has to bend her knees. Good position on her leaps. Whip half to Rudi, great. 9.825

Boyer (ASU): Love her knee spin. Bhs loso, gorgeous. Cat leap to front aerial with a leg up (she kept her toe pointed though, so bonus points). Switch split leap to split, a little tight. Side aerial to full with a tentative step. Overall, nice routine. 9.725

Woodard (OU): Bluesy music, fun. Front double full, a little out of control. Whip half to full, a little out of control but keeps it in bounds. Couldn’t see her leaps because of the camera angle. Sigh. Nice back 1.5 to finish. 9.825

Reeves (ASU): Bhs bhs loso with flexed feet, but very solid. Switch split leap to split, los back leg. Slight bobble on her full turn. Front aerial to that back drop thing that scares the hell out of me Every. Single. Time. Back 1.5 to dismount, couldn’t see the feet. A little tentative, but good. 9.725

Schoepfer (OU): Kicks out of a high double tuck and slides back a bit. Back 1.5 to front lay, good. Switch ring to L full, didn’t quite hit 180 on the former. Easy double pike to close. 9.800

Thompson (ASU): Bhs bhs loso, fabulous. Short switch leap to straddle quarter. Side aerial to full dismount. 9.800

LaPinta (OU): Bounces out of her triple twist, the usual leg form and doesn’t quite get all the way around.Front full to floaty lay, very nice. A little off-kilter on her leap series. Dboule tuck with a small shuffle. 9.900… Judges, you OK? 

Clark (ASU): Really aggressive bhs bhs loso. Landed it with a hip check, but then hopped off the beam. Front aerial , good. Bhs 1.5, stuck. 

Webb (OU): Fhs double full, well done. Her theme is “sassy jungle?” Back 1.5 to front full, very nice. Again, couldn’t see the leaps, but I got to see some dude’s head, so that’s cool. Fhs Rudi to a straight jump rebound, very clever construction. Great routine. 9.925

Scharf (ASU): Really lovely double wolf to open (I’m as shocked as you are). Pretty bhs loso with a big check, but she saves it. Side somi, again prettier than it has a right to be. Switch split to split, a hair shy. RO 1.5 with a step, a little lock-kneed on the landing. 9.675

Smith (OU): Double tuck landed on her toes, almost stuck. Back 1.5 to front lay, well done. Straddle half to wolf full. Ooh, Ragan is dancing like a grown-up and I’m into it. Short double pike and has to hop forward. 

Mangahas (ASU): exhibition. Very deliberate and careful full turn. Cat leap, pause front toss. Bhs loso with some legs. Switch split to split, good. Front aerial with a leg up check. Side aerial to full, stuck with a swim. 

AFTER FOUR: OKLAHOMA 197.450, ARIZONA STATE 194.725

Obviously a tough rotation for ASU, but there’s a lot of potential there. Even with the bobbles and nerves, Scharf is a joy to watch on beam. 

So, Oklahoma floor is still Oklahoma floor. Really curious to see if/when the freshmen routines will come into play. Webb was the clear standout today, but Smith’s routine potential to be a showstopper.

Webb took the all around, floor and beam titles while Schoepfer won vault and freshman LeVasseur won bars. 

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Live blog by Claire Billman 

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