Oklahoma seems to have finally found its groove, earning 197-plus in its past four meets and securing the number two spot in the national rankings. Thank goodness for NQS, ammirite?
BYU, meanwhile, has been quietly having one of its best seasons ever. The Cougars have been steadily inching up the rankings, and hit performance tonight could potentially boost them into the top 10 (especially if Oklahoma’s Senior Night scoring is as, um, generous as we’re all expecting it to be).
Oklahoma certainly has the scoring advantage (particularly on vault) but has proven it isn’t invulnerable to an upset. As consistent as BYU has been, it’s more than capable of capitalizing on errors if the Sooners open that door.
You can watch along at home on Fox Sports and find live scoring here.
KJ said Carly Woodard actually vaulted this week and will be back on balance beam. Unfortunately, Audrey Lynn will now be out for the season and freshman MeiLin Sullivan is returning and may be ready for postseason vault and bars. #NCAAGym
— Thomas Cluck (@ThomasCluck1) March 4, 2021
OK, looks like the broadcast isn’t going to start until 08:00 PM ET. Normally I’d be annoyed, but I appreciate that they’re showing a women’s basketball game in its entirety.
According to Meg McDonald, this senior class has never lost a home meet 👀
Oklahoma’s wearing the giraffe leo:
https://twitter.com/OU_WGymnastics/status/1368003553474703360?s=20
Rotation 1: Oklahoma vault, BYU bars
Stern (OU): Nice Yurchenko 1.5 in the air with a large step forward. 9.875
Zhong (BUY): Pretty blind full to straddled Jaeger. The angle isn’t great, so can’t say much about the handstands. DLO was a little low and had some leg sep. 9.725 upgraded to 9.825
LeVasseur (OU): Another wonky angle and moved the camera. Yay. Y 1.5 was a bit out of control on the landing. 9.875 is too high (especially compared to Stern’s).
Oh snap, Kelly Garrison just said, “I’m not gonna lie, that’s a little high.” What is happening?!
Cyrenne (BYU): In what is arguably this theme, we’re waiting on the bars judges. Sounds like there was some discrepancy over the lineup order?
Has to redo the handstand step-out on the low bar. Good Maloney with the usual form. DLO with some leg sep and a bounce. KGJ calls it “a learning lesson for her.” 9.825
Webb (OU): Lovely Y1.5 in the air, major distance. Medium hop on the landing. 9.900
Beeston (BYU): KCH to shy handstand. Great Gienger to bail. DLO a little whippy in the air, but a definitive stick. 9.850
Schoepfer (OU): Tucked Y 1.5. Blocked a little low off the table. Lands a little off center and hops sideways. 9.875
Alvarado (BYU): Lovely first handstand on low bar. Maloney to Pak, excellent. Blind pirouette on LB, good. Another whip-pikey DLO and another definitive stick. 9.850
Trautman (OU): Slightly underrotated Y 1.5 with a small hop back. Great first vault back. 9.850
KGF just said the judges don’t play favorites and I spat my wine.
Pitou (BYU): Beautiful first handstand. Blind half to a really high straddled Jaeger. Fought for the handstand on her bail. FTDT with a small hop
Davis (OU): Y 1.5 Major straddle on the preflight and an early twist. Very underrotated and has to stagger back. 9.700
Stainton (BYU): Passes through the blind change fast and a little close on her piked Jaeger. Bail was fine, and a pretty FTDT with a small hop. 9.825
Alder on exhibition.
AFTER ONE ROTATION: OKLAHOMA 49.375, BYU 49.200
This was lazy, lazy judging on both sides. Both teams had solid (if not perfect) rotations, but for 10/12 routines to go 9.825 or 9.850 is EMBARRASSING. Those vaults weren’t all the same. Those bars routines weren’t all the same. Why bother having judges at all if we’re just going to default to a pass/fail score?
Rotation 2: Oklahoma bars, BYU vault
Pitou (BYU): Clean Y full with the slightest pike down and a medium hop back. 9.800
Trautman (OU): Nice Maloney to Pak, very clean. Rushed through the half pirouette. Shy on her final handstand and a hop back on the DLO. 9.800
Zhong (BYU): Blocked waaay back on the table on her Y full. Didn’t get a ton of amplitude, but good in the air and a stick. 9.850
LeVasseur (OU): Gorgeous Maloney to bail. Please stop saying “body line…” Nice final handstand position. DLO good in the air; sticks, but chest low and a little off balance. 9.850
Bain (BYU): Powerful Y full with a hop back. 9.750
R. Smith (OU): Pretty Ricna to Pak. Loses form and control on half pirouette. Her usual DLO with form and leg sep, but a stick. 9.850
Bennett (BYU): Full on tuck off, really well done. Small hop back. 9.850
Webb (OU): “She’s a physical fighter.” Massive Pak. Goes over on her handstand, but saves it. Van Leeuwen, good. Cowboys the double front half out, but almost sticks it. 9.725
Mason (BYU): Really dynamic Y full, tons of distance and a small hop. 9.875
Thomas (OU): Pretty first handstand. Blind change to straddled Jaeger, nice. Slightly overarches her bail to handstand. Gorgeous DLO, drills it. 9.900
Alder (BYU): Big Y full with a tiny hop back. Very well done. 9.825
Davis (OU): Gorgeous blind change to piked Jaeger. Perfect Pak. Blind change to cowboyed double front with a bit of foot shuffle. 9.875… Again, in a bubble? OK. In this rotation? Give me a break.
Draper on exhibition.
AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: OKLAHOMA 98.650, BYU 98.400
Again, I’m furious with the lazy scoring on both sides.
BYU’s vaults look so, so good in the air, but it’s got to get the landing situation figured out before postseason. All those unnecessary small hops add up quickly, especially in a close meet like this.
Oklahoma seemed a little nervous and rushed on bars, but who cares? Numbers are meaningless!
Rotation 3: Oklahoma beam, BYU floor
Dunn (OU): Pretty straddle mount. Bhs bhs loso. Rock. Solid. Split jump to straddle half, excellent. Gainer full, stuck. Really couldn’t ask for a better lead-off routine. 9.875
Bain (BYU): RO double tuck, nice and high. Tour jete full to Popa, good. Front lay, front full, punch front, good control. Punch Rudi, great. Another excellent lead-off performance. 9.875
Smith’s UB has been upgraded to a 9.9? OK.
Schoepfer (OU): Bhs loso looked off in the air, but she saved it. Side aerial to switch split to split jump, back leg low on the jump but nice overall. Stuck RO 1.5. 9.950… And theeeere’s the Senior Night scoring we were waiting for!
Bennett (BYU): 1.5 to front full to front lay, beautiful! Double tuck with chest low to finish. Popa to double cat leap. 9.875
Woodard (OU): Pretty full turn. Side aerial to bhs, lovely. Front toss with a little check. Slides down to split, love that. Switch split to split, a little shaky but she covers well. Needle scale, good. Cat leap, side aerial to stuck full. 9.875
Matthews (BYU): Big double pike to open. Whip half to full, great. A “Vote for Pedro” routine in the background, fantastic. Straddle half to wolf full, didn’t quite get the positions. Double tuck, very nice. If I were a betting woman, I’d guess she gets a 9.875. Yep! It’s a 9.875.
Davis (OU): Kicks out of her full turn, nice. Bhs loso, no problem. Front aerial; can’t tell if she was supposed to connect something or not. Beat jump to a very questionable ring jump. Stuck RO double twist. KGF is confused that BYU is cheering for Davis. 9.925
Rieder (BYU): Fhs front double full, landed way OOB. Excellent straddle half to wolf full. Double twist to rebound straddle, great. RO Rudi to finish. 9.700
Thomas (OU): Did Meg McDonald just say, “Free Britney?” Large check on the side somi. Bhs loso, great. Switch leap, switch leap, split jump with a waver, covers it with a half turn. Side aerial to stuck full. 9.850… What’s even the point, guys?
Ooh, judges lowered Rieder’s score to a 9.650.
Vitkauskas (BYU): Punch front double twist, a little crunched on the landing, but still fantastic. RO 1.5 to front lay, super floaty. Popa series, excellent amplitude and position. Closes out with a fantastic Rudi, tiniest slide back. 9.925
Webb (OU): Love her low beam work. Kicks out of the full turn. Bhs loso, no problem. Cat leap to front aerial, perfect. Switch split to switch split jump, fantastic (both feet pointed). Side aerial to full, basically stuck. If this gets a 9.850, I will riot. It’s a 10.00 and I’m not even mad. That routine just exuded Big Ten Energy.
Adler (BYU): Her usual giagantic DLO. Powerful leap series, great. Fhs full to layout, good control. Oh no! Overrotates her double pike and falls OOB. 9.125
AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: OKLAHOMA 148.325, BYU 147.600
It’s a testament to the strength of BYU’s floor lineup that they got a 49.200 while counting a 9.650. (Their third 49.200 rotation of the competition for those keeping track.)
That was a beautiful beam rotation for the Sooners (though maybe not a 49.625 rotation *ahem*), and Webb’s routine was stellar.
Rotation 4: Oklahoma floor, BYU beam
Mather (BYU): Side aerial to split jump, questionable connection. Bhs loso, very nice. Switch split to straddle 1/4 with a little lean back. RO gainer full with a tiny hop forward. 9.575… I guess they didn’t credit it, eek.
Draper (OU): Double pike ever-so-slightly underrotated, lunges forward. Fhs full full, super clean. Switch half to Popa, good position. Whip half to Rudi, great. And a wink to close! One of her best routines of the season. 9.875 (color me shocked)
Cyrenne (BYU): Wonderful bhs loso. Switch half to split, really wonky bend at the hip in the air, but feet didn’t move. RO 1.5, stuck. Curious to see what the judges do, because everything is weird. 9.75
Schoepfer (OU): Giant double tuck to open, good control on the landing. RO 1.5 to front lay, no problems. Switch ring to L full, loses the shape on both. Double pike to finish, slides back just a bit. 9.925
Alder (BYU): Sorry, I missed the start of this one. Beat to switch leap 3/4, doesn’t get the 180. Gainer full, stuck. 9.850
Johnson (OU): Front lay to Rudi, right the the edge of the boundaries. Good double tuck, stuck. Switch split half to wolf full, positions are a little iffy (though the camera angle was admittedly bizarre). 9.925 is high.
McClelland (BYU): Double wolf turn. Gorgeous bhs loso. Straddle, beat, double stag, well done. Bhs tucked 1.5, stuck. Excellent routine. 9.900
LaPinta (OU): One of her better triples to open; some helicopter legs, but completed the rotations. Front full to front lay, good. Switch full, nice. Very short double tuck, bounces forward out of it. 9.725
Rollins (BYU): Husband and I are arguing over the correct way to say her last name. Feel free to comment! Switch split to straddle quarter, lovely. Front aerial bhs loso, gorgeous. Really pretty kicked out full turn. Gainer full, stuck. Wow. That was fabulous. 9.925. Glad the beam judges are out of their 9.8– rut!
Thomas (OU): Thomas’s first floor routine as a Sooner! Big and stuck double tuck to open. Double pike, very well done. Switch split to switch half, very low back leg on the later. Floooats her front full to front lay. Overall, great routine! So glad to see her in this lineup. 9.875
Stainton (BYU): Front tuck to bhs, very solid. Switch split leap to split quarter, good. RO 1.5, stuck! Damn, the Cougars are roaring back. Won’t be able to catch Oklahoma, but should get a very useable away score. 9.875
Webb (BYU): Fhs double twist with a ton of hang time. TO 1.5 to front full, great. Gogean to switch full, looked like she got them all the way around from the overhead angle. Fhs Rudi with a straight rebound. One of her best of the season. 9.875… Huh. Again, I wouldn’t be mad about that score all things equal, but that was certainly one of the better (and cleaner) routines of the rotation.
AFTER FOUR ROTATIONS: OKLAHOMA 197.800, BYU 196.800
Live blog by Claire Billman
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Here is a link to video of this Oklahoma v BYU meet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXnCI5aPkOQ