This was meant to be a nice, peaceful dual meet. But when Michigan State cancelled yet another matchup, Michigan was left searching for a road meet to join to generate its desperately needed NQS—and this one was the most accessible. Rutgers, which competed on Wednesday but is still just barely on the outside of nationals qualifying position, was also happy to jump in. So here we are, likely missing more than half of the routines in this very interesting meet because BTN+ isn’t capable of broadcasting anything but dual meets in a remotely conscientious way.
After a floor collapse last week at Big Fives, Michigan just needs a halfway acceptable score to restore its confidence and make an inroad into the NQS rankings for 2021. That said, a number above 197.000 is expected for the Wolverines and could put them in the top five heading into next week. Rutgers jumped up one spot nationally after its Wednesday meet, but still really needs to crack 195.000 again to make a serious push for the top 36.
For Penn State, a good score is basically all about not falling off beam, which it’s more or less accomplished for four weeks in a row now. While its technically lacking vault rotation is still a liability, the Nittany Lions proved themselves capable of maxing out what they have last week by sticking almost the entire lineup. Ohio State, on the other hand, looks the least headcasey I’ve seen in my whole career of watching NCAA gymnastics and should be able to pick up an easy second place and a minor NQS boost.
Rotation 1: Ohio State VT, Penn State UB, Michigan BB, Rutgers FX
Lowe (tOSU): Slightly closed hips on her Yurchenko full but stuck it! Great way to open. 9.825
Miller (tOSU): Great body position on the Yurchenko full, pace back. 9.75
Swartzentruber (tOSU): Slightly bigger FTY with a slightly bigger step. 9.8
Riccardi (tOSU): Hop back on FTY, looked like slightly less distance than the last couple. 9.75
Jennings (tOSU): Super high FTY, major hop back. 9.775
Gagliardi (tOSU): Yurchenko half on, tuck off underrotated with a step back. 9.7
Romagnano (PSU): Maloney to Pak, slightly flat footed but clean, great half turn on the low bar. Slightly imprecise cast handstands. 9.725
Cross (PSU): Blind to Jaeger, very high but caught a little awkwardly on her wrists with minor loss of form. Good bail, missed a handstand, blind full double back stuck. 9.8
Rushlow (PSU): Missed the first handstand, blind to Jaeger to overshoot great, blind full double back stuck. 9.8
Verdeflor (PSU): Scoot back on her double back. 9.875
Bonsall (PSU): Pops forward onto her toes to hold the stick on her double layout. 9.875
Wojcik (UM): This is the first we’ve seen of beam or floor. To catch you up, the Wolverines have three good scores and a 9.575 for Gabby Wilson, which they’d very much prefer not to use. Full turn, stuck one and a half dismount. 9.875
Heiskell (UM): Cat leap side aerial, lovely control, switch straddle 1/4. BHS LOSO is great. Full turn, one and a half stuck. Clutch. 9.925
Newman (RU): Overrotated her double pike with two extra steps back, chest slightly low on the double back but gets the lunge. Tour jete half Popa split full. 9.500
Joyner (RU): Rebounds back on her double pike, just barely keeps it in bounds. Tour jete full. Front full front lay, tour jete half Popa, good final pass. 9.700
Huang (RU): Front double full great. Rudi LOSO, switch side wolf full, great control. FHS Rudi. Will be a big score, she just doesn’t give away anything on landings. 9.850
After 1: Michigan 49.500, Penn State 49.200, Ohio State 48.900, Rutgers 48.625
Great start from Michigan on beam, the only event not impacted by Brenner’s absence. Facing the floor demons on a floor less cursed than the one in Crisler is very preferable. Penn State had a solid start on bars, while Ohio State missed Lexi Edwards on vault quite badly. For Rutgers, this floor rotation was okay but not great—some substantial landing control issues remain for the Scarlet Knights.
Rotation 2: Rutgers VT, Ohio State UB, Penn State BB, Michigan FX
Balser (RU): FTY, very piked and low with a step. Chest basically horizontal as she approached the ground. 9.6
Joyner (RU): Great FTY, stuck for a second before stepping to salute. 9.825
Verdeflor (PSU): Front aerial Korbut, shakily connected. Side somi tuck back full with a hop. 9.775
Astarita (PSU): BHS LOSO, tentative, switch back tuck again a little awkward. BHS gainer full stuck. 9.875
Rushlow (PSU): Beat to split 3/4, BHS LOSO with a bit of an arm swim to keep it in line. Switch to split, side aerial with a check, one and a half with a step to salute.
Riccardi (OSU): Tkachev a little close, missing handstands, solid Pak, stalder to double back with a step back. 9.775
Hankins (OSU): Blind to Jaeger, super clean, Pak. Slightly missed a handstand, piked the DLO down a touch with a step back. 9.825
Miller (OSU): Toe on to Maloney to bail, keeps her legs perfectly together. Tons of lift on her double lay, holds it for a second before stepping to salute. 9.825
Swartzentruber (OSU): Just saw the van Leeuwen, double layout stuck. Can I request a COVID year for her? 9.925
Bauman (UM): Thought I saw her step OOB in the background of another routine. I may have hallucinated it, though. 9.8, guess not.
Wojcik (UM): Near-stuck double pike, shifted one foot. Tour jete half wolf full, front double full front pike. Rudi to straddle lovely. 9.9
Brooks (UM): Pulled the front foot back on her full in, front through double back excellent, tour jete half split full. Double pike came in a bit low, stuck it. 9.9
Wilson (UM): Great FTDB, front lay front full, I’m pretty sure that was the switch side straddle 3/2 this week but I’m terrible at telling in real time where the extra half turn is. Double back, KEEPS THE FRONT FOOT DOWN. When she controls both double saltos this one is massive. 9.925
Heiskell out of bounds on her double pike in the ex.
After 2: Michigan 98.875, Penn State 98.275, Ohio State 98.050, Rutgers 97.600
Michigan should be very pleased with its work so far. So far, the Wolverines are on pace to debut at No. 4 in the national rankings. The battle between Penn State and Ohio State is looking very interesting, with Ohio State’s periodically-terrifying beam rotation coming up and Penn State’s best event already in the rearview mirror.
Rotation 3: Michigan VT, Rutgers UB, Ohio State BB, Penn State FX
Wilson (UM): One and a half twist, slight slide forward as she salutes. 9.925
Drauss (RU): Just saw her almost crash her bars dismount, not clear if a knee dropped before she stood it up. 9.55
Schweitzer (OSU): Front aerial to beat, BHS LOSO, major leg up check. Beat to split ring jump and I’m actually not mad about the position. Full turn, side aerial tuck back full with a small step.
Miller (OSU): Great BHS LOSO, full turn, cat leap side aerial. Very solid. Straddle straddle 1/4, gainer tuck full stuck-ish with weight forward. 9.875
Hankins (OSU): Full turn, BHS LOSO, check. Kickover front to beat, switch to split 1/4 I think, double full out of frame so I have no idea what the landing was.
Swartzentruber (OSU): BHS LOSO good, cat leap kickover front, we got a nice little foot cam there. Switch split, gainer full stuck. Excellent. 9.85
Pritchard (OSU): Full turn, BHS LOSO very solid, odd little hitch in her low beam choreography but not deductible. Switch split 1/4 I think, again with the foot cam so I can’t tell you anything useful about how well it went. Double full stuck with her feet far apart. 9.875
Hodges (OSU): Standing switch to straddle 3/4, fabulous. BHS LOSO and falls. Standing LOSO, leg up, one and a half twist out of frame.
Bladon (PSU): Astoundingly ugly one and a half front lay, leg separation and knees and feet, the whole business. Cowboyed double back underrotated, chest low. 9.575
Rushlow (PSU): One and a half front lay, a bit loose legged and right in the corner but hangs on with her toes. Tour jete half wolf full. Rebound back on her Rudi. 9.1
Bonsall (PSU): Double back, a bit overrotated, whip half front full overpowered. Switch half wolf full good, double pike good. 9.775
Astarita (PSU): Open double back great, switch side Popa very solid. Double pike very well landed.
After 3: Michigan 148.425, Ohio State 147.200, Penn State 146.400, Rutgers 145.650
Disappointment there for Penn State, having to count several weaker routines on floor. Ohio State now gets to close this out on home floor in a very comfortable position. Michigan has a very good look at passing Utah in the rankings and an outside shot at a 198—can’t complain in only the second road meet of the season.
Rotation 4: Penn State VT, Michigan UB, Rutgers BB, Ohio State FX
Rushlow (PSU): Solid full, hop in place.
Morrison (UM): Huge Gienger, great bail. Slightly shy on one handstand, FTDB with a baby hop back. So glad she cracked this lineup! That Gienger really is an absolute monster. 9.8… okay.
Koulos (UM): Blind to Jaeger, great handstands, bail is exceptional. Double layout with minor leg separation, stuck. 9.875
Zanella (RU): BHS LOSO good, full turn. Lovely penche, cat leap side aerial back full dismount stuck with an arm swing.
Joyner (RU): Full turn, lovely control, BHS LOSO great. Switch switch half, side aerial back full stuck. Good one. 9.95!!
Huang (RU): Cat leap side aerial front aerial… didn’t really get her weight over her feet, tries to step back, pivots and falls. That series is so dangerous, but so good when she gets it. Split 3/4,
Pritchard (OSU): Two and a half front tuck stuck. Switch half split full, Rudi well controlled. 9.775
Chesney (OSU): Wolf 3/2, iffy rotation, double pike overpowered and OOB. Front full front tuck, switch side Popa. One and a half front lay. 9.6
Hodges (OSU): Double pike, slightly long lunge but keeps the front foot down. Rudi LOSO and just pivots the front foot. Tour jete half Popa, one and a half front lay, misses the punch and tucks the layout down unpleasantly.
Gonzales (OSU): In for Edwards, presumably. Double pike with leg separation (yes, really) and low chest. Is this the Game of Thrones theme but electronic? Full turn, now it’s Under Pressure, brief clip of Somebody to Love, I’m too distracted by the music to pay attention to skills. One and a half front lay, loose legged but stuck.
Hankins (OSU): Missed the first pass, front lay Barani split. Switch ring tour jete half stuck. Double back a little underrotated.
Gagliardi (OSU): Double pike, great control. Front lay to Rudi a touch bouncy but I think she kept her front foot down. Switch side wolf full great, pulls the front foot a touch on her double back. 9.9
FINAL: Michigan 198.025, Ohio State 196.000, Penn State 195.250 Rutgers 194.800
Wow Michigan!! Program record for the Wolverines and easily the road score they needed to make a strong entrance into NQS rankings. Michigan will be No. 4 on Monday and proven ability to hit 198, especially on the road, adds credibility to its championship aspirations.
Ohio State should also be pleased with its work today. The Buckeyes now have exclusively 196+ scores in their NQS, which is a major step up from the past few years. Rutgers might look at this weekend as a missed opportunity, adding a second road meet in hopes of making some NQS headway and then failing to do so, but Hannah Joyner’s beam program record will be a fond memory.
VT: Sierra Brooks, Gabby Wilson, Naomi Morrison (UM) 9.925
UB: Natalie Wojcik (UM) 9.975
BB: Hannah Joyner (RU) 9.950
FX: Gabby Wilson (UM) 9.925
AA: Sierra Brooks (UM) 39.650
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year! [wpedon id=”13158″]
