Boise State was added to this meet quite late in the game, presumably to ensure that Washington still had a senior night if Stanford cancelled (which Stanford has been doing quite a lot of lately), but at the time of writing, all three teams are expected to compete. This is great news for me, a noted lover of drama.
This meet ought to be an absurdly easy win for Boise State. The one minor stress point is that senior and cult favorite Emily Muhlenhaupt fell on bars last week, which I think we’d all prefer to never see again. Even including that aberration, the Broncos haven’t had to count a miss since the end of January and should be able to cruise to another mid-196.000 result.
This is Washington’s senior night, despite it not being the last home meet. Don’t worry about it. (Seriously, the later home meet was only scheduled a few days ago and everyone just decided to stick with the plan.) Senior Geneva Thompson and redshirt senior Allie Smith have been keeping the team alive for the last few months, and while Washington’s regionals hopes are now basically dead, it would be nice for these two to be able to go out in some semblance of style.
For Stanford, the outlook is even hairier. Can the Cardinal even field full lineups? Who knows! We knew months ago that four Stanford gymnasts had elected to opt out of the 2021 season, taking a number of regular lineup routines with them, but a number of major players not even suiting up for last weekend’s meet and a bars rotation of three gymnasts combined to make a little more drama than we were expecting. Anything above a literal 133.000 probably means success for the Cardinal—and thank goodness there’s at least a live score this time (no, we’re still not over it).
Rotation 1: Washington VT, Stanford UB, Boise State FX
Weiss (UW): Tsuk tuck Arabian, underrotated with two steps back. 9.4
Zeng (Stanford): Blind to Jaeger, solid, missed a handstand badly, bail. Double pike dismount that may have been an intended layout but I will not grant her that. 9.65
Masiado (BSU): Switch half wolf full, whip half front full. Ever so slightly overpowered Rudi. 9.8
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Nice straight Yurchenko full with a medium hop back. 9.775
Widner (Stanford): Good bail, blind full double back with a big hop back and to one side. 9.725
Smith (UW): One and a half tucked with a step back. 9.825
Cunningham (UW): Super high FTY with a small hop back. 9.75
Smith (BSU): One and a half front lay good, switch side Popa slightly underrotated. Solid double back. 9.875
Thompson (UW): Her usual FTY stuck with an arm swing. 9.85
Bryant (Stanford): Toe on to Tkachev, good Pak, pretty double layout, flexes her feet in the second salto and step back. 9.775
McNamara (UW): Full on tuck off, two big steps back. 9.675
Bruden (BSU): One and a half front lay, low and whippy layout. That’s all we got of that one. 9.85
Brunette (Stanford): Half to Deltchev to overshoot, bits of form throughout, double layout with leg separation but stuck. 9.675
Popp (BSU): Front through double pike, slightly overrotated which is absurd. Good control on her double back. 9.875
Blackson (BSU): Front double full, pretty and very well controlled. Whip half front full lovely, tour jete half split full a bit underrotated. 9.875
Nilson (BSU): Bouncy double back, switch side underrotated, great double pike. The cuteness of this ABBA routine is overwhelming. 9.875
After 1: Boise State 49.350, Washington 48.875, Stanford 48.475
Great start for the Broncos, who are realistically on the hunt for a 197 this season. Washington produced one of its better vault rotations of the year, while Stanford will be happy just to have five routines.
Rotation 2: Boise State VT, Washington UB, Stanford BB
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Hop change to pike Jaeger to overshoot, precise with straight arm catches. Blind to half to double back stuck. 9.85
Hoang (Stanford): We heard about a check on the BHS LOSO, but we didn’t see it. One and a half twist with a hop. 9.65
Nilson (BSU): Good full, piked down a touch with a big hop. 9.775
McNamara (UW): Blind to Jaeger, bit of feet, Pak with major leg separation. Blind full a little slow, double back cowboyed with a step. 9.725
Widner (Stanford): Switch split, BHS LOSO. Front aerial to split, full turn, side aerial back full stuck. 9.85
Wickman (UW): Missed on first handstand, blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot good. Missed another handstand, blind full double back with a low chest and a step forward. 9.7
Bryant (Stanford): Full turn, BHS LOSO huge and splits the beam, OW, rolls off. We left her to watch bars but came back to see the double back dismount, a touch underrotated with a step forward.
Bowles (UW): Deltchev to overshoot, way cleaner than I’ve seen it before, missed a handstand, blind full double back, arm swing to hold the stick. 9.8 is a career high.
Thompson (UW): Blind to Jaeger, her usual, bit of bent arms and flat feet. Bail solid, little shy on the last cast handstand, FTDB pretty with a hop back.
Flam (Stanford): Sissone switch half, short on both, full turn. Orphan back tuck. Front tuck, falls. Hitch kick switch side, punch front full dismount pretty with a hop.
Thomas (UW): Shy on first handstand, blind to Jaeger, loses the feet at the end, decent Pak. Blind full double back deep with a step forward. 9.725
Jessen (Stanford): Full turn, BHS LOSO with one of the most painful-looking collapses onto the beam I’ve ever seen. Her head might have touched the beam on the way down. Off again on a side aerial, cat leap switch side, got dismount.
After 2: Boise State 98.225, Washington 97.750, Stanford 94.475
Lukewarm vault rotation for Boise, but the Broncos now get to move on to their favorite event. Washington is choosing the no-drama route today, which I appreciate, while the beam wanted Stanford dead.
Rotation 3: Boise State bars, Washington beam, Stanford floor
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): BHS LOSO. Seems like a waste to have her lead off but with Talia Brovedani AWOL (maybe quit?) the Huskies just need someone who can hit. Kickover front, slight adjustment, switch split 1/2. Side aerial one and a half, pops onto her toes to hold the landing. 9.775
Zeng (Stanford): We joined just in time for the ending pose, super helpful. 9.775
Eksteen (UW): Front aerial BHS BHS lovely. Full turn, split jump, split to sheep, one and a half twist stuck. 9.775, Alisa doesn’t know why it’s so low and I trust her.
Blackson (BSU): Great bail, NO WE CUT AWAY BEFORE THE MARKELOV 🙁
Nilson (BSU): Clear hip to Tkachev. That’s all we saw.
Widner (Stanford): Switch ring tour jete half, not sure she made the ring position. She was DEFINITELY out of bounds in the corner before her second pass. 9.825, they didn’t take it.
Bowles (UW): Side aerial BHS, check, tentative full turn, sissone. Beat wolf full with a little lean, beat side aerial back full stuck. 9.775
Thomas (UW): Full turn, check, kickover front BHS slow and falls. Switch straddle 1/4, one and a half with a cross step. 8.85
Little (BSU): Maloney to Pak, good, double lay and I think she clipped her toes on the bar? Close with a hop back. 9.8
McNamara (UW): Ruster, BHS LOSO, check, check again. Cat leap switch side, fall. Side aerial tuck back full stuck. Counting a fall now.
Hoang (Stanford): Double layout, gorgeous but underrotated, step forward. Double stag to tour jete full, cut away.
Thompson (UW): Candle mount, switch split 3/4 wobbly, got the BHS LOSO very well. One and a half twist with a step back.
Bryant (Stanford): Full in huge and well controlled. Front through double pike, overrotated with a substantial scoot back, switch side Popa. 9.9!
Taylor Russon gets to exhibition for Washington. Front aerial, tentative, didn’t quite have the momentum to get her weight over her feet. BHS LOSO solid. Switch to split full, difficult and great, full turn. One and a half stuck. She’ll probably be in there soon.
Jessen (Stanford): One and a half front lay good, she apparently has a full in but looks like she’ll postpone it. Switch side Popa, nice straddle positions but underrotated. Double back, chest down and a bit of rebound, wolf full wolf full.
After 3: Boise State 147.525, Washington 145.725, Stanford 143.525
Great work from Stanford on floor, cracking 49 on floor and very likely picking up an individual title on floor for Bryant. Washington counted a fall on beam, but gets to put up six on floor for only the second time this season and has a good shot at a season high still. Boise State did its usual great bars rotation, but we didn’t get to see most of it 🙁
Rotation 4: Stanford VT, Boise State BB, Washington FX
Smith (UW): Double back, controlled well, Rudi double stag travels back a bit. Wolf 1/1 tuck 3/2 jump, one and a half front lay. Solid start. 9.825
Masiado (BSU): Minor check on full turn, BHS LOSO good, side aerial tuck back full stuck. 9.8
Zeng (Stanford): FTY, far back on the table and flung out, landed deep with a hop. 9.625
Weiss (UW): Double pike, stuck-ish with chest slightly down. One and a half front lay with minor leg separation. Tour jete half split full underrotated, double back with low chest and a step forward. 9.75
Brunette (Stanford): Yurchenko layout, big hop back. 9.45
Cavinta (BSU): Just saw the stuck-ish gainer pike. 9.675
Garcia (Stanford): Tsuk layout, feet quite close to the table and a hop back. 9.475
McNamara (UW): Switch ring half, never the cutest thing in the world, Rudi to straddle. Switch ring switch half. One and a half front lay pretty good. 9.8
Elkabchi (BSU): Nailed the aerial round off, straddle half to tuck jump, missed a foot and brief check. Beat jump side aerial back full stuck. 9.7
Thompson (UW): Double back, slightly overrotated but keeps the front foot down. Tour jete half switch half, a bit chaotic, clubmate Madison Brunette is watching from the sidelines. Front lay front full awkward but landed. There have been some misses on that pass. Tour jete full, more or less, good Rudi. 9.850
Popp (BSU): Cat leap switch half good, gainer full stuck. 9.725
Cunningham (UW): Front through double back, great landing. Through all the pressure and tension of this year, she’s the one Husky who looks unflappable in competition. Switch half wolf full wolf full very cleanly rotated, double pike great. 9.925!! Well deserved.
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): With a great one, she can lock down an inaugural 195. Double back, little bouncy. Front double full, cross step, switch ring switch half looks good. One and a half front lay very clean.
FINAL: Boise State 196.325, Washington 195.000, Stanford 191.825
Season high for Washington on this slightly fake “senior night” (there’s one more home meet, but since it was scheduled late, they left the festivities on today’s meet so that families wouldn’t have to change plans.) Having the depth to put up six on floor is also a huge deal, even if beam is still an issue.
Boise State had a solid meet, but not one that will help its NQS. Lukewarm rotations on vault and beam held the Broncos back. Stanford can’t complain about a nearly sixty-point improvement week over week, especially given how rough its preseason was, and Chloe Widner looks substantially sharper than she did last year.
VT: Chloe Widner (Stanford) 9.875
UB: Emily Muhlenhaupt (BSU) 9.925
BB: Chloe Widner (Stanford), Emily Lopez (BSU) 9.850
FX: Amara Cunningham (UW) 9.925
AA: Chloe Widner (Stanford), Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (UW) 39.275
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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