Katie Chamberlain

LIVE BLOG: No. 28 N.C. State and No. 34 Towson at No. 46 Pittsburgh

I’m here live at Fitzgerald Field house for yet another EAGL matchup. While N.C. State is the favorite to come out on top here, both Towson and Pitt are still looking for a hit meet. If either team performs to its potential, this could be a close meet.

N.C. State has looked strong on both bars and floor this year while vault and beam have been a bit shaky. The Wolfpack really cleaned up landings on vault last week, but a shaky beam rotation held the team out of the 195s. Keep an eye out for Emily Shepard. The sophomore has been EAGL Gymnast of the Week two weeks in a row now, and is capable of a 9.85-plus on all four events.

Towson has been the surprise in the conference so far this season, setting a program record for highest opening team score in week one and breaking into the 194s for week two. This is despite counting a fall on bars both weeks. If the Tigers can put a hit rotation together on that event, they could easily be flirting with a 195. Last season, they didn’t break into that range until March. Watch for Camille Vitoff, who debuted a Yurchenko one and a half on vault last week and scored a 9.850.

Pitt has gotten off to a rough start this season and will be looking to finally put a meet together and show what it is capable of. There have been flashes of greatness this season, especially from injury returners Katrina Coca and Katie Chamberlain. One thing to watch here will be depth on vault. Last week, the Panthers only put up five on that event, one of those five only being a Yurchenko layout (9.750 start value). When I talked with head coach Samantha Snider after the meet last week, she mentioned that Chamberlain is almost ready to break into that lineup, and Coca is working back to the Yurchenko full she’s competed in the past. If both of these vaults materialize this week, it could be a major boost for the team.

Pitt still just five up on vault and five up on bars. Towson seems to have not travelled with its whole team. Lineups look a little different this week. Of note, no Vaillancourt, Kerekes or Casper

Rotation 1: Pitt Vault, Towson: Bars, N.C. State Beam

Ceccarini (Pitt): y full, a bit chest down – 9.75

Nelson (NCSU): good front aerial to bhs, splits a bit short, slight check on side somi, hop on dismount – 9.75

Bolen (TU): good tkatchev, little short on bail, small hop on double back dismount – 9.55

Miller (Pitt): stuck y full! Slight chest down – 9.8

Foland (NCSU): great bus LOSO LOSO, leaps are good, good full turn, slight check on front aerial, small step on dismount – 9.725

Vault and bars are alternating due to a lack of judges here today.

Zientek, I looked away and missed the release, good bail, small hop on dismount – 9.825

Cox (NCSU): good bhs loso, falls on side aerial, sticks dismount. 9.0

Chamberlain (Pitt): good y full, slightly short with a step forward – 9.775

Girot (TU): good gienger, beautiful hs, good bail, small step on dismount – 9.725

Liszewski (Pitt): y full with a hop back – 9.8

Shepard (NCSU): beautiful leap series, falls on BHS loso, counting a fall now, wobble on side aerial, sticks dismount – 9.125

Vitoff (TU): little close on gienger to shootover, stick FTDT dismount – 9.7

Ward (Pitt): huge y full, step forward on landing

Negrete (NCSU):beautiful front aerial to bhs, solid leap series, no wobbles so far, stuck dismount, wow, clutch routine there! – 9.875

Stewart (TU): falls on gienger, good pak, and I missed the dismount oops – 8.8

Zuhlke (TU): good hindorff, good pak, stuck dismount – 9.875

Webb (NCSU): good full tun, beautiful bhs loso, gorgeous leaps, wobble on front aerial, small step on dismount

After 1: N.C. State: XXXX, Towson: XXXX, Pitt: XXXX

Good first rotations for Towson and Pitt! Towson finally had a hit bars rotation, and Pitt had a season high on vault. N.C. State struggling a bit counting a fall on beam but now going to a strong event. Live stats are broken, so I’m not sure what the scores are.

Rotation 2: Pitt Bars, Towson: Beam, N.C. State Floor

Miller (Pitt): good piked jaeger, good bail, stuck dismount

Jordan – looked OOB on front double full, I missed the middle pass, and a good rudi to close

Macy (Pitt): good jaeger, great bail, hop on dismount

Alternating beam and floor now

Bolen (TU): good bhs loso series, great front toss to split jump, good leap series, stuck dismount

Beclwith – good gienger, solid pak, small hop on dismount

Cox (NCSU): good rudi, solid front full to front pike, good 1.5 to front lay to close

Chamberlain (Pitt): great jaeger, perfect bail, small hop on dismount – 9.85

Webb (NCSU): chest down on double pike, and i missed the rest

Coca (Pitt): great jaeger, perfect bail, stuck dismount! – 9.875

Near fall from Vitoff on beam

Apparently must have found a judge because all three were going on at the same time there.

Nelson (NCSU): beautiful front double full to front tuck, good double pike, final pass was solid

Zuhlke – good bhs loso series, small step on dismount – 9.6

Shepard (NCSU): slight chest down on double pike, great front lay front full, sky high double back to close

Weitz (TU): solid bhs loso series, and I missed the rest but she looked very happy with it – 9.85

Hurst (TU): great full tun, beautiful bhs loso, gorgeous leap, beautiful front aerial to split jump, big hop on dismount – 9.825

Negrete (NCSU): great double pike, solid 1.5 to front lay, good position on leaps, good double back to close – 9.9

Stuart (TU): collegiate debut! good full turn to start, falls on triple series, feet didn’t even hit the beam for the last LOSO, hop forward on dismount

Diaz (NCSU) exh – great double pike to open, good position on leaps, good front lay to front full, good double back to close,

Girot (TU) exh – falls on bhs loso, good back tuck to split leap, tiny hop on dismount

Live stats are still not working, so I’ve got no standings for you at the moment. Great rotation from all three teams! Pitt hit all five on bars and Towson avoided counting a fall. I wish I could see the standings because I’m getting the feeling it’s pretty close.

Update, looks like the stats finally updated.

After 2: N.C. State: 97.300, Towson: 97.325, Pitt: 97.900

Rotation 3: Pitt Beam, Towson: Floor, N.C. State Vault

Coca (Pitt): solid series to start, leaps looked good, step on dismount

Bolen (TU): great double back to open, great front lay to rudi, and I missed what the last pass was but it was good

Prati (NCSU) – good y full

Jordan (NCSU) – big y full with a shuffle back – 9.75

Benson (NCSU): tucked omelianchik with a tiny hop forward

Ceccarini (Pitt): good full tin, solid bhs loso series, good front toss, stuck dismount! – 9.8

Weitz (TU): good front tuck to double back, and I missed the rest – 9.875

Diaz (NCSU) – y full with slight chest down

Shepard (NCSU): HUGE y full with a tiny hop back – 9.9

Robatin (Pitt): good full turn, solid front toss to bhs, beautiful Liukin, stuck dismount!

Borkowski (TU): huge double backto open, good front lay to front full, good double pike to close

Negrete (NCSU): big y full with the tiniest shuffle back – 9.85

Stewart (TU): good front lay to rudi – almost went OOB, great double back – 9.725

Macy (Pitt): good full turn, good bhs loso series, great split leap to side aerial, small hop on dismount

Vitoff (TU): good front lay to front full, sky high double back – a little short and rebounds a bit –  9.6

Chamberlain (Pitt): good full turn, perfect triple series, great side aerial, great split jump to pike jump, slight lean with a leg up on dismount – she really wanted that stick – 9.85

Looks like Towson’s just going 5 up on floor.

Beckwith (Pitt): good full turn, falls on bhs loso series, great leap series, stuck dismount

After 3: N.C. State: 146.325, Towson: 146.075, Pitt: 146.975

Great rotation from everyone! All three teams on pace for season highs if they can hit this last rotation.

Rotation 4: Pitt Floor, Towson: Vault, N.C. State Bars

Vitoff just hit her Y 1.5 in warmups.

Macy (Pitt): great rudi to open, good leaps, great 1.5 to front lay to close

Weitz (TU): y full with a small step back. Team is thrilled! – 9.775

Looks like we’re alternating bars and vault again.

Jordan (NCSU): falls on tkatchev, good pak, small hop on dismount – 8.875

Stewart (TU): just a y lay with a couple steps back – 9.3

Liszewski (Pitt): good double back, leaps looked good, great 1.5 to front tuck

Diaz (NCSU): good jaeger, good bail, stuck double back dismount

Zuhlke (TU): unique front handspring to tsuk double pike. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that vault in NCAA before. – 9.55

Beckwith (Pitt): good double back to open, great 1.5 to front lay – lots of height

Nelson (NCSU): big tkatchev, good bail, stuck dismount

Borkowski (TU): y full – slight chest down – 9.725

Cox (NCSU): good tkatchev, great bail, small step on dismount – 9.85

Miller (Pitt): great double back to open, great front lay to front full, slightly crunchy on double pike but saves it

Bolen (TU): STUCK big y full! – 9.900

Ceccarini (Pitt): great first pass, great leap series, great double back to close. She hit it finally!

Shepard (NCSU): great jaeger good pak, stuck dismount  – 9.85

Vitoff (TU): sits y 1.5 – bummer, gonna have to count that y layout – 9.25

Robinson (NCSU): good jaeger – a little close, beautiful floaty pak, hop on dismount

Ward – good double back to open, Beyonce routine! beautiful leaps, falls on 1.5 to front lay

Final: N.C. State: 195.375, Towson: 194.475, Pitt: 195.700

Kind of a rough way to end but a good meet for all three teams. N.C. State rebounded well after counting a fall in the first rotation. Pitt improved by MILES today. If they keep this up, they’re going to shoot way up in the rankings once NQS kicks in. Towson has a lot to be proud of here, especially considering they competed with half their B team. Lots of depth for the Tigers this year!

Vault: Shepard, Bolen: 9.900
Bars: Robinson, Zuhlke, Coca: 9.875
Beam: Negrete: 9.875
Floor: Negrete: 9.900
All around: Bolen: 39.050


Live Blog by Mary Emma Burton

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