This is a very important meet for both squads, despite the ranking disparity. Michigan proved last week that it can play with the big kids in the 198 sandbox. Its low away number currently counting in its NQS is a 197.375, a number that should be easily beatable. It’s a little less than a tenth and a half behind idle No. 3 LSU. A 197.900 ties the Wolverines at No. 3. Michigan has a second shot at another massive away number at the Big Ten championship as well.
For Maryland, the magic number is 195.725. The Terps will be aiming a little higher, at the 196 mark. It is still angling to find its ideal lineups without sophomore all arounder Emma Silberman, who tore her ACL two weeks ago.
Injury updates: Abby Brenner (UM) was in a boot last week, but not on crutches. I can’t imagine we’ll see Bev Plocki risk her here even if her ankle is largely healthy, with postseason on the horizon.
Well folks, since I wrote this intro, Aleka Tsiknias has torn her Achilles. That’s a situation on vault, bars and floor for the Terps. We’ll have to see who sneaks into those lineups. Depth was already thin after Silberman’s injury.
Just waiting for the stream to start here at 1 after the hour. BTN+ things.
Morrison got the start over Maxim on bars again this week. Mega-Gienger time. Looks like Glauber is vaulting in the Tsiknias hole.
Rotation 1: UMD VT, UM UB
McClure (UMD): FTY, some soft knees, foot slide back. 9.9 okay that’s how we’re gonna be today.
Heiskell (UM): Blind to Jaeger, great catch position. Arched handstand to strong pak. Blind full to double tuck stuck, slightttttly bit late on the full. 9.875
Gilbert (UMD): Yhalf, step forward. Little piked and soft knees. 9.8
Morrison (UM): Gienger, great. Clear hip hand to bail hand, maybe touch shy in the bail, but very slight. FTDB, off balance a bit but doesn’t move her feet. 9.85
Glauber (UMD): FYT, hips and hop back. Good distance. 9.775
Wilson (UM): Blind to pike Jaeger no problems. Bail hand. Excellent last handstand. DLO, small step. 9.8
Burgess (UMD): FTY, knees. Step back. Okay on replay her knees looked good. This vault camera angle gets me at every UMD meet. 9.825
Koulos (UM): Short handstand to blind. Jaeger maybe slight arm bend on catch. Good bail hand. DLO hop back. 9.875
Barber (UMD): FTY, huge, flared. Small hop. 9.875
Brooks (UM): Blind to pike Jaeger, takes it out too far and falls. Toe hand to bail hand, almost over but saves it. FTDL, stuck. 9.175
Rubio (UMD): FTY, hop back. 9.85
Wojcik (UM): Little pressure set for Wojcik. She can get nervy, but not usually on bars. Toe hand to huge Deltchev. Bail hand. Her handstands are ON. DLO arm swing but no foot movement. Great set. 9.95, agree.
Morris (UMD, exh.): Yhalf, arm swimming but holds her feet.
Bauman (UM, exh.): Jaeger, soft knees, to immediate bail good. Toe half to double front small step.
After 1: UM 49.350, UMD 49.250
Closer than I’d have guessed after one! UM got a little sloppy on landings and some handstands that were just a pinch short, especially on those bails. Maryland’s vaults are very dynamic for fulls. I’d say scoring was a little happy, but not absurd. They’re good vaults. And I think that’s a season high?
Rotation 2: UMD UB, UM VT
Heiskell (UM): Y1.5!!! That’s an upgrade! stuck. 9.975! Dang. She had a perfect 9.95 on a full at Illinois this year. Girl can vault!
Leblanc (UMD): Blind full to Gienger with foot form. Bail hand. Blind full late, double tuck, arm swing didn’t move her feet but low chest. 9.65, late on a lot of those handstands I think.
Wojcik (UM): Y1.5, small step back. 9.9
Weir (UMD): Blind full late to Gienger, leg sep. Bail hand. Short handstand into better blind full double tuck, true stick. 9.75
Wilson (UM): Y1.5, hop forward. 9.925
Osterhout (UMD): Only her third go in this lineup. Blind to Jeager, good catch, immediate bail. some leg sep. Blind to double front, ground surprised her and she took a biggish step back. 9.75
Morrison (UM): Y1.5, true stick. 9.975
Glauber (UMD): Tkatchev, not much turnover but very high. Great bail hand. She swings FAST. DLO, nooo distance but clears the bar, stick. 9.825
Brooks (UM): Y1.5, another stick. Feet were a touch far apart and she did hop them together to salute. 9.975, lol you guys. These are great but what is happening.
Barber (UMD): Clear hand to Hindorff, good catch, that is an issue some times. Solid transitions. DLO stuck. Great! 9.9, correct.
Guggino (UM): Y1.5 STUCK! WHAT. Some looseness in her back in the air. Six 10.0s! 9.95. Wow. I didn’t even know she was training that! fire on the vault over here.
Rubio (UMD): Giant 1/2 to Gienger, very close, lost her form. Bail hand, quite short. Blind full late double tuck, step. Little messy throughout.
Mariani (UM, exh.): FTY, piked down a bit and hopped forward.
After 2: UM 99.150, UMD 98.125
Ummmmm hello and welcome to the six 10.0 vault club Michigan?! That was a fun little Friday surprise! That rotation just went 49.800, by the way. Michigan’s record is a 49.825 from 1997, for perspective. On pace for a 198.300 at the moment. I’m shook. You’re shook. PHEW.
Maryland has lost a lot to injury recently and bars was the hardest hit. Coming out with a 48.875 is a huge win for the very young lineup. No falls is also a win. Just a great rotation for both squads.
Vault scores remained happy. Not wildly ridiculous, but three 9.975s even for some great vaults is getting silly. Here’s a fun note from rotation one via stats friend of the site Drew Porche:
.@TerpsGymnastics ties their 4th best team vault score w/ a 49.250 today.
— Drew Porche (@TalentStats) March 12, 2021
Wojcik out of floor, I think she was getting an ankle looked at after vault. No reason for mega alarm, I don’t think. She wasn’t getting carried out or anything.
Rotation 3: UMD BB, UM FX
Burgess (UMD): Front toss bhs, knees in the bhs. She lands the front toss so well every time. Split to straddle 1/4, low back leg on the split. Beat to side somi, solid. Gainger front full, step. 9.75
Koulos (UM): 5/2, ends her twist so early, so much time to land well. Double pike, another great landing. Oh my feed froze. That’s good fun. I can still hear music. Okay we’re back. We missed her leaps I believe. Front lay front full, just a little flat on those but a good landing. 9.85
LeBlanc (UMD): Bhs loso, just off on the loso, sort of kicked herself on the landing and falls. Switch to switch 1/2, short on the half. Check on full turn. She’s nervy. Switch to split, better 180s on both. Gainer full. 9.25
Bauman (UM): Great double pike, she points her toes while flipping so rare. Tour jete 1/2 wolf 1/1 wolf 1/1, dropped her chest some on the second wolf. Double tuck, holds the stick, again her pointed toes. Really sets a double pike led routine apart. RO 3/2 front lay, great landing. Wow, really great set. 9.825, maybe amplitude on the last pass.
Weir (UMD): Bhs loso slightly offline but pulls it back. Beat to loso, knee softness. Switch to straddle 1/4. She’s moving with a lot of confidence. Cat to switch side. Bhs 3/2, big step forward. 9.725
Morrison (UM): Double pike, lands a little back on her heels and slides a bit in the lunge. Double tuck, there’s the landing she wants. Triple leap combo was high and positions were great, but rotation was imprecise. FHS front lay front 1/1, good. 9.85
Rouse (UMD): Standing loso beat, some knee softness. Bhs loso, better form there. Split to straddle 3/4, leaned forward a bit on the landing. RO 3/2 hop forward. 9.65
Brooks (UM): Full-in, great controlled landing. Front through double tuck, slides back in the lunge. Tour jete 1/2 split 1/1, good. Double pike, another great landing. Really clean except that middle landing. 9.9
McClure (UMD): Front aerial, way off balance and she falls. Switch to straddle 1/4, great. Front toss bhs, good. Gainer rudi hops. Terps counting a fall now. 9.125
Wilson (UM): Open full-in, hops right into the lunge. FHS front lay front 1/1, really floated those saltos. Switch side popa, rotation was sloppy but splits were excellent. Double tuck, great lunge. 9.925
Barber (UMD): Front aerial, good. Bhs loso, great extension! Front toss to beat, good. Switch to split, maybe bit shy of 180 on the latter. RO 2/1 chest a bit low but true stick. Great set! 9.875
Guggino (UM): Double pike, slid her front foot back some. Cat 1/1 through tour jete 1/2. She has a really energetic and bouncy set. Front lay front full right into choreo. Oooo playing up the camera. We love a performer. Front lay rudi, slightly sloppy legs on the rudi, but not atrocious. 9.75
After 3: UM 148.500, UMD 146.375
Okay we came back down to earth here. Michigan is good on floor, even without Wojcik, and it was fun to see Koulos, Bauman and Guggino all in the same lineup. There are some landing things and some cleanliness things that can use some tweaking before postsesaon, but otherwise the Wolverines are there. Maryland will be frustrated counting a fall. That’s an unusual error for McClure, so we can chalk it up to a fluke, but not what you want in your regular season finale. There’s time to finesse that lineup before conference, though.
Rotation 4: UMD FX, UM BB
Bauman (UM): Bhs loso, very solid. Switch half some knees to split. Straight leg side somi, gorgeous and so weird at the same time. But she rocks it. Side aerial stuck 1/1. 9.925, not mad about it.
LeBlanc (UMD): Double pike, lunges OOB. Switch half to wolf 3/2, little off kilter in the wolf shape. FHS front 1/1 front tuck, didn’t get the punch and bailed on what should’ve been a layout I think. Might have a SV issue there. 9.375, definitely SV
Wilson (UM): Bhs so high on the loso, good control. Cat to HUGE switch side. Amplitude on beam folks! She is on today, looks so sure of herself. RO double tuck stuck. Wow, she hasn’t stuck that yet this year I don’t think. Feet were a bit far apart, but she did bring them together. 9.975 holy moly.
Rubio (UMD): Bit of a wait here. HIGH double pike, bounces into her lunge. RO 3/2 front lay, missed her punch into the lay and was very low and archy, steps forward. Switch side popa was good. Double tuck, slides her foot a bit in the lunge. 9.65
Farley (UM): Usual knees on her triple series, but very solid. Straddle to straddle half. Way offline on her side aerial, falls. Gainer pike off the end, has to drop her chest but holds her feet. 9.275
McClure (UMD): Huge double tuck, jumps into the lunge. Front lay rudi, great amplitude on the rudi. Tour jete 1/2 popa, really strong. She’s a great performer. Front lay front 1/1, another good landing. 9.85
Brooks (UM): Pressure’s on now. We missed her triple series but Peterman says it was beautiful. Strong leaps, her splits are always on point. Good chest up front toss. RO double tuck, hops forward. 9.9
Rouse (UMD): Huge grin right off the bat. Double pike, took it back pretty far and slid in the lunge, maybe OOB? I didn’t see a flag. 3/2 front lay, missed the punch and was low on the lay, really arched. Tour jete popa popa, got off balance in the second popa, made it around but got wonky in the air. Double tuck, touch short and has to lunge forward. 9.525, landings and that popa.
Wojcik (UM): Good sign that missing floor was just a bit of rest. Switch to split, excellent. Solid triple series, no deductions there. RO 3/2 hop forward. 9.9
Burgess (UMD): Touch short on her landing on the 3/1, got it fully around, but low chest and lunged forward. Tour jete wolf 3/2, little short of 180 on the tour jete. Front lay front full, good landing. 9.75
Heiskell (UM): It’s a hit for all the marbles situation here. Cat to side aerial, good. Switch to straddel 1/4, good. Bhs loso, good. Team SCREAMED. RO 3/2 hop forward. Phew! That felt tense! But a good hit. 9.9
Barber (UMD): Full in, chest was a bit low and lunges forward. Good on her combo pass, nice to see a Terp get one of those today, just a weird curse throughout this rotation. Switch to popa popa, great. Double tuck, deep landing and another lunge forward. 9.9
Marinai (UM, exh.): Side aerial, feet. Straddle to split 1/4, good. I missed a leap in there. Bhs loso, check, she rotated and swung arms, but stays on. RO 3/2 step forward.
Morris (UMD, exh.): Aww, it’s a senior meet exhibition situation. Double pike, good. Switch side popa popa, really lost the last popa, barely any split. Short double tuck, hands down fall. FHS front lay front full, missed the punch and falls.
Final: UM 198.100, UMD 195.050
That’s another new program record for Michigan, and enough to pass idle No. 3 LSU going into conference champs. Eyes emoji. Maryland will be frustrated with this one. Not the meet the Terps wanted to be sure, but given the sudden loss of a second big contributor in the last three weeks, a 195 is nothing to sneeze at.
EVENT WINNERS:
VT: Heiskell, Morrison, Brooks 9.975
UB: Wojcik 9.950
BB: Wilson 9.975
FX: Wilson 9.925
Live blog by Emily Minehart
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