Hi, hello, it’s me again live blogging another mid-week meet! This meet is brought to you by some lovely scheduling adjustments and Arizona not wanting to compete against a half-Stanford team. Instead, not only do we get a Wednesday meet, but a rivalry meet too! So sit tight and get ready for the first of TWO Duels in the Desert for the Territorial Cup series between Arizona State and Arizona. I’d imagine this was very much a last minute, “we want to compete and this is an easy way to get a meet in” move from Arizona, but I’m sure nothing beats competing against your school rivals, either. OK, enough of this–let’s get on to actual gymnastics.
Arizona State has shown steady improvement throughout the season, topping out at 197.150 two weeks ago at home against Utah. As expected, Cairo Leonard-Baker has been an asset for the Sun Devils, though the sophomore class has stepped it up and the freshmen are exceeding expectations. On the other hand, Arizona has been on the opposite trajectory and would like to turn things around today. The Wildcats hit their season high in the first meet of the season and have scored lower each week since, including a 193.975 against Washington last week. Amid that, freshmen Jessica Castles and Elena Deets are bright spots. The Wildcats certainly have the potential to make this a close meet–closer than it looks on paper–it’s just a matter of execution on their end.
The live stream can be found here and live stats are here if you’d like to follow along.
ASU’s leo:
https://twitter.com/SunDevilGym/status/1364661174806056965?s=20
Arizona lineups:
https://twitter.com/ArizonaGymCats/status/1364675659386130433?s=20
We’ve got recent ASU gymnastics alum Heather Udowitch as one of the commentators!
Rotation 1
ASU vault lineup:
HERE WE GO!#GymDevils pic.twitter.com/116eyNUcw5
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 24, 2021
Mangahas (ASU): yfull, clean, small hop back. Great start. 9.85
Linton (UA): straddled tkatchev fine; bail hs good; dlo, kinda close to the bar and a step back. 9.7
White (ASU): yfull, cleaner than the first, pretty position, maybe a slight pike but basically stuck. 9.825
Kane (UA): muscled up first hs; straddled jaeger to immediate bail with leg form; blind half double front some feet but stuck. 9.6
Jaslow (ASU): yfull, pretty clean, another good landing for ASU. 9.8
Thought this rotation was going quick, then bars judges said nope.
Hargrove (UA): great first hs; straddled tkatchev, nice; little short final hs; ftdt, stuck. 9.825
Scharf (ASU): yfull, the tiniest preflight leg sep, small hop. 9.875
Raskin (UA): solid first hs; piked jaeger with flexed feet; bail hs good; hits final hs; Rudi dismount, good. 9.675
Leonard-Baker (ASU): full, crooked, great distance, hop back. 9.875, I have questions about hers and Scharf’s vaults having the same score.
longgg pause, conferencing about Raskin’s score.
McCabe (UA): short first hs; pretty church; blind full bail good; better next hs; dlo, slightly low chest but holds the stick. 9.775
Smith (ASU): y1.5, good in air, small hop forward. 9.9
No, that was not the best vault Cairo has done all season.
Deets (UA): slightly short first hs; blind full straddled tkatchev to good hs; bail, solid; great final hs; dlo, beautiful, just a small step back. 9.775
Boyer (ASU, exh): yfull, twists kind of early, step back.
AFTER 1: Arizona State 49.325, Arizona 48.750
Arizona hit, just lots of small errors on the bar that’s holding the Wildcats back. Another good vault rotation for ASU. 49.325 might be a generous score, though.
Rotation 2
ASU bars lineup:
https://twitter.com/SunDevilGym/status/1364687867872600065?s=20
Horton (UA): ytuck full, high on the table, not great height or distance, fine landing. 9.7
Reeves (ASU): good first hs; straddled jaeger, pretty, solid next hs; bail hs, small arch; great final hs; dlo, stuck. Great leadoff! 9.825
Herry (UA): yfull, piking, low chest and a step hop. 9.675
Boyer (ASU): slightly arched first hs; Maloney to pak pretty; saves next hs; good final hs; ftdt, to her knees. 9.275
Castles (UA): yfull, clean in air, basically stuck with maybe a tiny hop in place. 9.85.
Spectacular pass on vault from Jessica Castles! That's a career-high 9.85 for the freshman! #BearDown pic.twitter.com/EMdbV8R3us
— Arizona GymCats (@ArizonaGymCats) February 24, 2021
White (ASU): good first hs; van Leeuwen, good; good hs; bail hs nice; good final hs; dlo, tiny hop in place. Good bounceback routine! 9.925
9️⃣.9️⃣2️⃣5️⃣
Emily White comes up HUGE for the Gym Devils and scores a career high! pic.twitter.com/CNrELrdyaj
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 24, 2021
Hargrove (UA): y1.5, overpowered, takes 2 steps out of it. 9.8
omg. I love the vault tunnel! Great way to distance and celebrate!
Scharf (ASU): good first hs; Maloney to pak, good; maybe slightly short final hs; ftdt basically stuck. maybe a tiny shuffle. 9.85
Nosek (UA): missed this vault while checking scores. 9.75
Clark (ASU): good first hs; blind change piked jaeger, solid; bail good hs; hits last hs; dlo stuck. 9.9
https://twitter.com/SunDevilGym/status/1364690814094303233?s=20
Orman (UA): yhalf, some form and is very archy, hop forward. 9.75
Leonard-Baker (ASU): great first hs; Maloney to bail hs, perfect; toe Hecht good; good final hs; ftdt so high per usual and stuck. 9.9
A THIRD score of 9️⃣.9️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ or better on bars!!
CLB anchors the Gym Devils with a 9.900! pic.twitter.com/UhV4IMxYqO
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 24, 2021
Mangahas (ASU, exh): piked jaeger pretty but close catch, bail hs, slight leg sep; good final hs; ftdt, step back.
AFTER 2: Arizona State 98.725, Arizona 97.600
Arizona State really got those landings and handstands on bars! Vault hasn’t been Arizona’s strong suit, but this performance was about on par with what we’re used to out of it.
Rotation 3
ASU beam:
https://twitter.com/SunDevilGym/status/1364692782347026432?s=20
Thompson (ASU): bhs bhs loso, secure; switch straddle 1/4, secure, could be more extended; side aerial lay full stuck. Great way to leadoff. 9.875 ummmm ok.
Horton (UA): ro 1.5 lay full, good; sits down combo pass; switch leap then balks. Yeah, she’s def hurting. Doesn’t finish. 7.9
Gutierrez (ASU): bhs loso, secure; rulfolva, nice; solid leaps; ro 1.5, step forward. 9.85
Nosek (UA): double pike, good, hop in lunge; combo pass, nice; great leaps; wish they would figure out how to not make this camera crooked!! it’s really throwing me up. Good double tuck to close. 9.8
Reeves (ASU): bhs bhs loso, good; switch leap split jump good, maybe a tad shy of 180; front aerial pause, usually she goes right into her signature catch. ro 1.5 good. 9.85
Deets (UA): opening double tuck, good. Great extension on leaps. good double pike, controlled landing; lay lay full, clean. 9.85
Let's keep it rolling! Elena Deets with a career-high floor score of 9.85! #BearDown pic.twitter.com/ZbfVHMNi6L
— Arizona GymCats (@ArizonaGymCats) February 24, 2021
White (ASU): bhs loso, secure; front aerial beat good; solid leaps; aerial lay full stuck. 9.9
Castles (UA): ro 2.5 punch front, that takeoff was weird but she controlled it; ro 1.5 through to double twist, hop step back, may have been oob; switch ring switch half, good. 9.65
Clark (ASU): bhs loso loso, secure; switch leap split jump, solid; front aerial, small check; bhs lay 1.5, good landing. 9.775, 9.85/9.7 split.
Hargrove (UA): tucked full in, some feet but good; whip half front full, slightly large step; great leaps; good double tuck. 9.825
Scharf (ASU): wolf turn, good; bhs loso, solid; side somi, secure; switch split, good; ro 1.5, small shuffle back. 9.875
https://twitter.com/SunDevilGym/status/1364698512399626243?s=20
Orman (UA): front lay to Rudi, good; switch side popa, good splits; double pike, overpowered and falls backwards oob. 9.075
Mangahas (ASU, exh): cat leap front toss, good; bhs loso, overpowered and leans, switch split, good; side aerial lay full stuck.
? (UA, exh): back 2.5, large step out and hand down; good leaps; front lay lay full stuck.
49.35 for ASU on beam, highest score for ASU on beam since 2009.
AFTER 3: Arizona State 148.075, Arizona 145.800
That was a good beam rotation for ASU. The middle of the Arizona floor lineup did its job after the leadoff fall/injury, but ultimately Arizona had to count a fall on floor.
Rotation 4
ASU floor lineup:
https://twitter.com/SunDevilGym/status/1364701039258001409?s=20
Linton (UA): wolf turn 1.5, arm circles but stays on; bhs bhs loso, straight off. switch split, solid; side aerial lay full, small hop back. Not the way Arizona wanted to start on beam. 9.125
Reeves (ASU): ro bhs 2.5, solid; ro whip half lay full, good; nice extension on leaps; fhs Rudi, good. Good start! 9.825
Herry (UA): bhs loso, secure; side somi, good; straddle straddle 3/4, great extension; bhs lay 1.5, stuck. That’s what Arizona wanted. 9.8
Clark (ASU): double pike, clean and controlled; double tuck, good, some feet; good extension on leaps; ro 1.5 to lay, nice control. 9.85
Stauffacher (UA): bhs loso, small adjustment; beat jump split 3/4, good; front aerial split good, no hesitation; cartwheel gainer full stuck. 9.775
Boyer (ASU): front lay Rudi good; double pike, solid; tour jete half wolf full, good; ro 1.5 to lay, hop out of it. 9.8
Deets (UA): bhs loso, bends at hips; hitch kick switch side, good; cat leap front toss, small adjustment; switch leap gainer full, stuck. 9.675
Mangahas (ASU): tucked full in, good; front punch through to double tuck, low chest; good leap combo. 9.85
Barile (UA): front aerial loso, good; cat leap switch half, secure; side aerial lay full, step back. 9.75
Scharf (ASU): front punch through to double tuck, good; fhs lay full front tuck, controlled and clean; good leaps; double pike, solid landing. 9.95
Castles (UA): bhs loso, small lean; switch switch good; front aerial sissone, pretty; TRIPLE wolf turn; ro 1.5 stuck. Arizona won’t count a fall! 9.85
Leonard-Baker (ASU): ro 1.5 lay full, good; tour jete half wolf full, solid; double pike, low chest but controls landing. 9.9
Brovedani (UA, exh): front aerial back tuck secure; beat jump switch half, good; ro 1.5 stuck. Put her in, coach!
Smith (ASU, exh): fhs lay full lay secure; solid leaps; double pike to her face/arms.
FINAL: Arizona State 197.450, Arizona 194.750
Arizona State ended well on floor, though I’d say scores were slightly high all around. Arizona rebounded from last week’s sub-194 performance, but will want to continue this improvement moving forward. I was especially impressed that the Wildcats didn’t have to count the leadoff beam fall after the beam disaster last week!
EVENT WINNERS:
VT: Anaya Smith 9.900
UB: Emily White 9.925
BB: Emily White 9.900
FX: Hannah Scharf 9.950
AA: Hannah Scharf 39.550
Live Blog by Tara Graeve
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