At first glance, this might not look like the most exciting meet, with the two teams ranked in the 40s and in the bottom two spots in the conference, but that is not the case. Both teams have gotten off to a rough start to the season and have not yet reached their full potential.
Temple has been strong on floor this season, with a season high of 49.250—the second best score in program history. Bars and beam have been inconsistent for the Owls but the potential is clearly there. Last week at Denver, Temple finally put a complete meet together on all four events for a season high, so the team will be looking to build on that performance today.
Something to watch for today is whether or not Ariana Castrence will make her season debut on floor. Temple’s Instagram story showed her warming up the event at Denver last week, which hopefully means she is almost competition ready. With a career high of 9.900, she could help boost an already strong floor lineup.
Pitt has been extremely inconsistent this season. The Panthers have a season high of 195.700, so the potential is clearly there, but they’ve had to count multiple falls in all of their other meets. Last week, Pitt was finally able to put up six vaults, but the bars lineup still only has five gymnasts competing. The Panthers will be looking to build on their season high performance from a couple of weeks ago and put their mistakes behind them.
Today’s meet theme is #UntilWeUnite. The Panthers are celebrating Black History Month with a brand new, Black Lives Matter-themed leo.
I’ve just been informed by the Pitt SID that both of Pitt’s black athletes are unable to compete in this meet due to injury, which is unfortunate given the Black Lives Matter theme.
Rotation 1
Pitt: Vault, Temple: Bars
Ceccarini (Pitt): good y full – slightly piked with a step back – 9.725
Edwards (TU): good tkatchev, good hs on bail, maybe a touch shy of HS on final cast, stuck DLO! – 9.7
Miller (Pitt): big y full, nearly stuck – 9.8
Oster (TU): good tkatchev, bail hs good – maybe a hair shy, hop on dismount – 9.65
Chamberlain (Pitt): big y full with a hop back – 9.8
Smith (TU): good ray – a bit close, good bail hs, she has really pretty lines, dismounts to her knees – 9.15
Liszewski (Pitt): good y full, small hop forward – 9.825
Gray (TU): falls on gienger – it looked really good in the air, but Temple now counting a fall, repeats gienger and catches this time, good bail, stuck dismount – 9.05
Beckwith (Pitt): tucked y full with a step back – 9.7
Judging conference for Gray’s score
Whalen (TU): good bail, good shootover, good tkatchev, large lunge forward on FTDT dismount – 9.65
Castrence (TU): casts over on first cast hs, good tkatchev, great hs on bail, nearly stuck DLO – 9.55
Brooks (TU): exh – good tkatchev, good hs on bail, hop back on dismount
After 1: Pitt: 48.875, Temple: 47.700
Great vault rotation from Pitt! Amplitude is getting better each meet. Another rough bars rotation from Temple again, but now the Owls are going to one of their best events.
Rotation 2
Pitt: Bars, Temple: Vault
Schugman (TU): good y half with a step forward – 9.7
Miller (Pitt): good piked jaeger, great bail hs, stuck FTDT! – 9.775
Edwards (TU): good y full with a tiny hop back – 9.75
Macy (Pitt): good piked jaeger good bail hs, small hop on DLO – 9.8
Gray (TU): good y full with a shuffle back – 9.7
Beckwith (Pitt): good gienger, great floaty pak salto, hands down on dismount – live stats say 9.8, but I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be 8.8
Thackston (TU): slightly piked down y full with a step to the side. – 9.65
Chamberlain (Pitt): good jaeger great bail hs – she should do a hs clinic, huge stuck FTDT! – 9.85
Roland (TU): big stuck y full! – 9.9!
Coca (Pitt): great jaeger, perfect bail hs, small hop on FTDT
Castrence (TU): big y full with a hop back
Kline (Pitt): hug gienger to bail, just a double back dismount with a step forward – won’t start from a 10, but a pretty good routine. – 9.1
After 2: Pitt: 97.275, Temple: 96.550
Really good vault rotation from Temple! Roland’s vault in particular is spectacular. Pitt will have to count that 9.1 from Kline, but a big improvement on last week’s total.
Rotation 3
Pitt: Beam, Temple: Floor
Coca (Pitt): good split jump to loso to start, solid bhs loso series, wobble on full turn, good split leap, step on dismount – 9.775
Edwards (TU): bid from dounle full to start, good leap series, really fun music and choreography, great 1.5 to front lay to end – 9.8
Ceccarini (Pitt): good full turn, great bhs loso series, wobble on leap series – won’t get connections, good kickover, stuck dismount – 9.2 because of the SV issue
Schugman (TU): good back 1.5 to front full, great leaps, great double pike to close – 9.725
Robatin (Pitt): good full turn, good front toss to bhs, wobble on cat leap and repeats it to liukin with a slight wobble, step on dismount – 9.725
Donabedian (TU): beautiful rudi to loso, beautiful ring leap, beutiful front aerial and part of her choreography, and ends with a stuck front double full. Really pretty routine! – 9.8
Macy (Pitt): good full turn, slight woble on bhs loso but covers nicely, good splt jump to side aerial, step back on dismount – 9.675
Oster (TU): stumbles OOB on double back, pretty leaps, good double back to close – I think I missed her second pass – oops – 9.65
Chamberlain (Pitt): Viva la Vida beam song! great triple series, slight check on side aerial, beautiful leap series, stuck dismount – 9.8
Roland (TU): big double pike to open – I think she stayed in bounds, beautiful leap series, good front lay front lay front full, good double back to close – 9.65 – must have actually been OOB on the first pass
Beckwith (Pitt): good full tun, great bhs loso, leaps look good, stuck dismount! – 9.85
Leary (TU): beautiful front lay to rudi, beautiful leaps, OOB on double back – 9.8 – must have not seen the OOB
Weiss (Pitt): exh. She lives! good full turn, solid bhs loso series – slight check, good leap series, wobble on front aerial and missed connection to split jump, stuck dismount! – 9.525
Castrence (TU): exh. Finally get to see her floor this year! huge DLO! leap series looks good, oo really fun choreography, she’s a delight, good front full to rudi to close. Hopefully we will see that in the lineup soon! – 9.8
After 3: Pitt: 146.100, Temple: 145.325
Temple floor is really good! Shame about those OOB because that was going to be a big score. I want Castrence in there somewhere, but I’m not sure who I’d replace her with. A good beam rotation from Pitt! Slightly tentative at points, but no actual falls.
Rotation 4
Pitt: Floor, Temple: Beam
Oster (TU): good bhs loso, good full turn, good front kickover, stuck dismount – 9.8
Macy (Pitt): starts with a turn – looked like she stayed on her toes the whole time, great rudi to open, beautiful leap series, great back 1.5 to front lay. Seems to have fixed the SV issue – 9.675
Newland (TU): opens with puch front mount – sligthh wobble, wobble on bhs loso, good leaps, good full turn, cool side somi to tucked full dismount – stuck! – 9.575
Robatin (Pitt): good double back to open – slight chest down, falls on last pass – 8.95
Donabedian (TU): good full turn, beautiful front aerial to bhs, great side somi, solid leap series, stuck dismount! Wow, should be a huge score! – 9.75 umm okay? ok, raised to 9.8
Liszewski (Pitt): big double back to open, leaps look good, squatty landing on 1.5 to front tuck but doesn’t fall – 9.4
Schugman (TU): woble on front aerial, beautiful front series – front hs to front aerial, slight wobble on side somi, leaps look good, stuck dismount – 9.825
Beckwith (Pitt): great double back to open, great back 1.5 to front lay – 9.775
Roland (TU): good bhs loso series, good side aerial, beautiful leap sere into loso, stuck dismount – 9.875
Miller (Pitt): great double back to open, goof front lay to front full, slight chest down on double pike – 9.7
Castrence (TU): good full turn, solid bhs loso, good leap series, stuck dismount – 9.9
Ceccarini (Pitt): good first pass, leaps look good, great double back to close – 9.875
Wow, scores are going to be close…..
Final: Pitt: 194.525, Temple: 194.525
And it’s a tie! Temple really had a great beam rotation and bounced back well from a rough outing on bars in the first rotation. Pitt improved on floor from last week, but will still need to work on landings a bit.
Event Winners:
Vault: Roland 9.900
Bars: Coca 9.875
Beam: Castrence 9.900
Floor: Ceccarini 9.875
All Around: Beckwith 38.125
Live Blog by Mary Emma Burton
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