LIVE BLOG: No. 26 West Virginia at No. 3 Oklahoma

We have a rematch of last week’s competition in this one. Despite getting the win, Oklahoma will want to be much better here. The team had to count two falls toward its total, which led to the lowest team score since 2012.

The Sooners also experienced a drop in the rankings to No. 3, as they were overtaken by LSU for the second spot behind Florida. Figuring out the floor and beam lineups will be crucial for the 2019 national champs as lineup staples Carly Woodard and Olivia Trautman are dealing with injuries.

 

Last meet of the weekend and I’m excited to see these two teams put on a good show. Specifically the unique skills on beam West Virginia and Oklahoma bring to the table.

And can we celebrate that this is the third night in a row, we have had the pleasure of watching NCAA gymnastics on main ESPN channels! More of this please.

Looks like we may see Katherine LeVasseur make her career debut on beam tonight! Karrie Thomas is absent from the lineup after struggling on the event early on this season.

Rotation 1: Oklahoma VT,  West Virginia UB

Davis (OU): FTY, small leg separation and takes a hop up. Pretty much identical to last week. 9.8

Albaraca (WVU): Blind full to geinger, large leg separation, bail, short on a few handstands, but gets the final one. blind full double back, stuck.9.8

Stern (OU): Y1.5,  nice distance on the vault, takes a small step forward. 9.9

Meet started quickly, but now we have slow bar judges.

Combs (WVU): Maloney to Pak Salto, poor form and toe point on both skills.  nice blind full to double back. 9.8, scoring is a little high  tonight. 

LaPinta (OU): Season debut on vault, soft knees in the air and has good distance. hop forward. 9.75

Hornung (WVU): Straddle Jaeger, Bail handstand, short on final handstand, blind full to double back, form in the air but has a solid landing. 9.725

LeVasseur (OU): Y1.5, very under rotated and landed stiff legged. Multiple steps back to a sit down. 9.3 

Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): blind change to Straddled jaeger, not even close to catching the bar, does not repeat the skill, but takes extra swings to bail, form issues, blind full to double back, step on landing. 8.7

Webb (OU): Y1.5, did not get her usual amplitude, but makes it around with a small hop forward. 9.875

Kianna Yancey (WVU): Mounts low bar, maloney to pak salto, major form issues here, FTDLO, pikes it down and takes a hop. Throughout the whole routine, she lost her toe point. 9.75

Schoepfer (OU): Tucked Y1.5, nicely done just a small hop forward on the landing. 9.9

Lewis (WVU): Ray, notably short on final handstand, Stuck landing on dismount. 9.525

Both teams had a fall during the first rotation, but fortunately neither team will have to count one towards the final team score. Scoring is a little high tonight IMO. WVU had major form breaks with bar transitions. Oklahoma did not stick a vault and experienced some under rotations.

AFTER ONE: Oklahoma 49.225, West Virginia 48.600

Rotation 2: West Virginia VT, Oklahoma UB

Kianna Yancey (WVU): FTY, some soft knees in the air, pikes it down and takes a hop back. 9.75

Thomas (OU): Beautiful first handstand, blind change to straddle Jaeger, bail handstand, her handstands are precise tonight, dlo dismount, stuck.  9.875

Waldron (WVU): FTY, so much distance but pikes down a tad and takes a hop back on the landing. 9.775

LeVasseur (OU): Mounts low bar, short on handstand, maloney, leg separation to bail handstand, up to high bar, dlo dismount, stuck. 9.875

Lewis (WVU): FTY, hops back and chest low.9.775

Draper (OU): good first handstand, blind half to piked jaeger, soft in her knees, pak salto,  form issues, nice final handstand, double front dismount, step forward. 9.825

Pierson (WVU): FTY, small movement on landing. 9.775

R. Smith (OU): Ray, does not connect to Pak Salto, short on low bar handstand, dlo dismount, pikes and takes a hop. 9.875

Linnen (WVU): Yurchenko Half, lacks amplitude and under rotates it. Takes a step back. 9.7

Webb (OU): Pak Salto, nice handstand,  Maloney half, blind half and balks on her dismount..weird and takes the fall plus a potential SV deduction. 8.8

Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Yurchenko Layout, hop back. 9.575

Davis (OU): handstands are perfect, Blind half to piked jaeger, stunning, pak salto, eagle grip to double front dismount, SHE STICKS IT.. I mean very 10 worthy..  gets a 9.95. I would have to agree with Kathy Johnson-Clarke that the deduction was likely on the dismount. 

OU’s 49.400 is the team’s second best bar scores.

AFTER TWO : Oklahoma 98.625, West Virginia 97.375

Rotation 3: Oklahoma BB,  West Virginia FX

Halfway through the competition and Oklahoma has a large lead against West Virginia. Last week’s struggles for the Sooners came on beam and floor. LeVasseur is expected to make her debut here on beam for the Sooners. West Virginia has a fun floor rotation with some great tumbling.

Dunn (OU): I’ll never get tired of Bart commentating her routine! bhs loso loso, great, split jump to switch half, breaks at the hips, full turn, good, gainer full, stuck. 9.625. – Changed to a 9.65

Linnen (WVU): Front rudi to back loso, nicely done, switch ring to switch full, doesn’t quite hit 180 on them. front double twist, large step, I appreciate the fact her toes are pointed every time they leave the floor. 9.85

Schoepfer (OU): She struggled last week as well on beam,   bhs loso, soft knees but solid landing, side aerial, misses connection to leaps, split leap, split leap, she did a front aerial connection, but I missed it. ro 1.5, a college stick. 9.825

Pierson (WVU): Double Pike, large step oob, apparently she warmed up a dlo, front lay to tuck front full, “September” is apart of her floor music. switch side wolf full shushanova, nicely done, double tuck, lots of height. 9.6

LeVasseur (OU): Career debut in competition, 10/10 on her beam choreography, Bhs loso, nice lift off the beam but she falls off. split to switch half, large bend at the waist, front aerial, shows off her flexibility with a needle scale, gainer full, stuck. Once she gets her confidence on beam, it will be a gorgeous addition to Oklahoma’s lineup. 9.125

Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Double tuck, lands with her chest low, attitude turn, lacks amplitude and toe point in her leaps, front lay front full, great, Double Pike, nicely done. 9.85

Davis (OU): Oklahoma in general just has beautiful beam choroegraphy, bhs loso, tiniest of wobbles onodi, off the beam, ro double twist. 9.2

Well, Oklahoma’s beam struggles continue. They will have to count a fall and a 9.625. The door has been opened for WVU.

Combs (WVU): Front tuck through to double pike, nice on her jump sequence, great double tuck. She has great air on her tumbling. 9.85

R. Smith (OU): bhs loso, good, front aerial, bends at the waist and she’s off as well… , beat jump to straddle half to korbut, love that connection, full turn, bhs gainer full. 9.2 : Changed to a 9.3 

Kianna Yancey (WVU): Double Pike, hops back, would love to see some improvement in her footwork, tour jete half, good,  back 1.5 to front half to stag, nicely done, double tuck, great. 9.85

WVU is hitting great routines here on floor.

Webb (OU):  Full turn, bhs loso, bends at waist, but stays on. front aerial to beat jump, switch split to switch split, gorgeous ,side aerial full. sticks it.

Hornung (WVU): It’s been two years since she last competed on floor! Double Pike, well done, Back 1.5 to front pike, on the larger side for a split. Leaps not at a full split. 1.5 to front pike and somehow manages to land it on her feet with only a small hop back.

West Virginia will take the lead after the third rotation as Oklahoma scored its lowest beam event total in 15 years.

AFTER THREE : West Virginia 146.375, Oklahoma 146.350. After some inquires this was changed to Oklahoma, 146.475 to West Virginia, 146.350.

Rotation 4: West Virginia BB, Oklahoma FX

This meet has taken a massive turn. Oklahoma was bit by the domino effect on beam, while West Virginia was able to put up season best performances on floor. The Mountaineers have the lead heading into the fourth rotation. West Virginia has some unique and difficult combinations on beam. Oklahoma has not been able to quite figure out the floor lineup, but has captivating choreography and E level tumbling.

Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Attitude full turn, gorgeous, cat leap to front aerial, small balance check, does a beat jump afterwards. Cat leap to front aerial to back tuck, slightly understates and wobbles on her jumps. Front tuck full. She has great patience on this event. 9.250

Draper (OU): Double Pike, good, she is full-on performing this routine ,  Front full to front full, uncontrolled hoppy landing, switch full popa, whip half to rudi, Oklahoma needed that routine so bad. 9.825

Pierson (WVU): Full turn, Front tuck to wolf jump, bhs to back pike, good, standing back pike to beat jump, solid, Tuck front full. hop forward.  The difficulty in this routine should be talked about more.

Jenna Dunn’s beam score was changed from a 9.625 to a 9.65 and Ragan Smith’s beam score was changed from a. 9.2 to  9.3. Okay.. so now OU actually still has the lead by .100.

Schoepfer (OU): Double Tuck, great height and solid landing,  Back 1.5 to front lay, nicely done, Switch leap to wolf full, , Double Pike, nice hit routine. Career High. 9.9

Hornung (WVU): Wolf Turn, cat leap to front aerial, wobbles, to one-arm bhs, jumps, RO 1.5, hop forward. 

LaPinta (OU): She fell on her first pass last week, Triple twist, lands it but is still under rotated and not sure how she did not twist her ankle. Front full to front lay, barley gets the layout around, double tuck, chest low but OU will be happy with it. 9.8

Combs (WVU): Front aerial, balance check, cat leap to switch side, front toss to beat jump, slight balance check, front hs to a back tuck, falls off, front full. 9.025

I do really like the unique skill combinations WVU has being completed on beam. However, its a risk/reward balance. 

Johnson (OU): Made her debut last week, but had issues on her second pass. Front lay to rudi, large step oob,  Double tuck, nice landing, switch half to wolf full, good. 9.725

Linnen (WVU): Front aerial to bhs, slow connection but she likely will get it, cat leap to front aerial to switch side, nervy wobbles in this routine,  beat to switch ¾ , full turn, tucked front full. stuck. 9.7

Webb (OU): She is super captivating on floor, Front double full, nicely done, 1.5 to front full, beautiful, tour jete full, under rotated and under 180 degrees in her split,  front 1.5 to jump, I love that pass and she does it so well.  9.925

Albarca (WVU): Full turn, hitch kick to side aerial, does not connect today,side somi, Bhs loso, solid, split to switch split, ro 1.5, fights for the stuck but is crooked and lifts her foot up. She has two routines for beam. 9.825

R. Smith (OU): Double tuck, large step back,  Back 1.5 to front lay, good, very interesting mix of music, switch side to wolf full, Double Pike, gets the landing. 9.925

OU was able to comeback from the issues on beam to finish the meet with the team’s best floor rotation of the season and overtake West Virginia for the Win.

Oklahoma will finish the meet with a 195.850, the lowest team score since 2011’s 195.475 and 195.300.

Final: Oklahoma 195.975, West Virginia, 194.625 

AA Winner: Anastasia Webb 38.475

VT Winner: Evy Schoepfer& Allie Stern 9.9

UB Winner: Audrey Davis 9.95 

BB Winner:  Anastasia Webb 9.875

FX Winner:  Anastasia Webb & Ragan Smith 9.925 


Live blog by Katie Walsh

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