West Coast teams faced some of the country’s toughest COVID-19 restrictions in preseason, and all four of these teams entered the season with some work to do. Oregon State in particular has rallied spectacularly, regularly scoring in the mid-196s despite injuries forcing it to use multiple bar routines that don’t start from a 10.0. The Beavers are the heavy favorite to walk away with the win in this session. Perhaps their closest match is Washington, which produced two months of dire results before rallying at the last possible moment. Arizona has also looked sharp in the last two weeks despite mystery absences trailing it throughout the whole season. While the reappearance of Payton Bellows last week was great news, the lack of Elena Deets and Zaza Brovedani put a great deal of pressure on the rest of the team. Stanford will just be looking to end its season on a positive note after a uniquely challenging preseason, but a few individuals stand a chance of continuing to regionals.
Regionals qualification adds a unique twist to this meet. Arizona is right on the edge of qualification, ranked No. 37 with a 195.075 to drop. Meanwhile, Washington is surging and has substantial upside, but with a ranking of No. 41, there’s a great deal of work to do and a great deal of pressure to produce a strong result.
Rotation 1: Arizona VT, Oregon State UB, Stanford BB, Washington FX
Interestingly Oregon State, as the top team, got to pick its event and selected its weakest to hopefully take advantage of score building on its best ones later on.
Horton (UA): Yurchenko tuck full back and to one side. 9.625
M. Dagen (OSU): Bail, toe on to toe shoot, toe on to blind full to double back stuck. Not a 10.0 SV but really, really clean. 9.725
Hoang (Stanford): BHS LOSO, very secure. Orphan straddle jump, full turn, beat jump to LOSO excellent. Pike to double stag, one and a half hop to the side. 9.725
Smith (UW): Overrotated double back, scoot back of around a foot, Rudi to double stag with crossed legs. Wolf full tuck 3/2, solid last pass. 9.75
Herry (UA): Not the highest FTY but solid with a hop back. Bit of body shape in the replay. 9.75
Young (OSU): Shy on the first handstand, clear hip to clear hip to Maloney to bail, hit her feet swinging out, double lay very whippy with an aggressive pike in the second salto and a hop. 935
Widner (Stanford): Switch split, BHS LOSO very secure. Front aerial to split. Working very precisely. Side aerial back full stuck. That was absolutely excellent. 9.875 and could have gone higher later in the meet.
Wickman (UW): Front double full, underrotated and scary with a bounce forward, looks like she was out. Switch side Popa. One and a half front lay, on her heels and rebounds to sit. Rudi overrotated. 8.65
Bellows (UA): Fantastic FTY, tiny scoot back. 9.775
Mack (OSU): Tkachev, decent, blind to piked straddle back, missed the handstand, FDTB with a step forward. 9.6
Jessen (Stanford): Full turn, BHS LOSO and falls. Tentative side aerial, shuffly one and a half dismount.
McNamara (UW): Rudi to straddle, the straddle travels back like two yards as usual, switch ring switch half excellent. One and a half front lay with some leg separation. 9.825
Nosek (UA): Leg separation on the table and decent, not massive, FTY with a medium hop back. 9.725
Yanish (OSU): Blind to half to bail to toe shoot. Pretty double layout with a hop. 9.75
Flam (Stanford): Switch switch half. check. full turn, front aerial with a major leg up check, back tuck. That mighta been her acro series oopsie. Cat leap switch side. Punch front full. Yeah, no acro series. 9.3
Thompson (UW): Double back, overrotated, kept the lunge in place and narrowly avoided stepping out. Tour jete half switch half extremely awkward. Front layout front full huge and airy, good, that pass has caused her problems. Tour jete full more or less rotated. Solid Rudi. 9.825
Castles (UA): Pretty FTY with legs glued, little hop in place. 9.725
Bird (OSU): OWWW she hit her heel on the Tkachev. That thing has zero counter, something was bound to go wrong eventually but that must freaking sting. FTDB with a hop. 9.050
Bryant (Stanford): BHS LOSO, aggressive. split to standing switch excellent. Keeps the front tuck on, it had a lot of oomph. Double back underrotated with a big hop forward.
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Rebound on the double back, kept it in bounds. Front double full with probably too long a step to be deduction-free. One and a half front tuck, pretty sure that was meant to be a layout and she missed the punch.
Hargrove (UA): Underrotated the FTY with a rebound forward.
Domingo (OSU): Ray to overshoot solid, blind to half series is a struggle and
Tan (Stanford): Side aerial tentative, solid dance, good leaps with a switch half, gainer pike with a big hop. I didn’t see her do an acro series but maybe I blanked it out? 9.425
Cunningham (UW): Front through double back excellent, keeps the front foot down. Switch half wolf full wolf full. Double pike. 9.9
After 1: Washington 49.000, Arizona 48.600, Stanford 48.200, Oregon State 48.075
Nobody’s jumping up and down and cheering about that rotation. Washington through one of its key events clean but not remarkable. Pressure on for vault now to produce a good total that can withstand less-reliable bars and beam rotations to finish. Arizona is perhaps the most on-track team, with an unremarkable but clean vault rotation and greener pastures ahead. Stanford counted just one missed routine after a decent recovery from Tan Sze-En and Oregon State was more on the struggle bus on bars than we’ve seen for some time but should be much more comfortable on the other three events.
Rotation 2: Washington VT, Arizona UB, Oregon State BB, Stanford FX
Weiss (UW): Tsuk tuck full with a substantial hop. 9.7
Linton (UA): Tkachev, low and a slightly hairy catch, good bail. Missed a handstand, double lay with a hop back. 9.675
Peterson (OSU): Lovely mount choreography, baby check on her full turn, switch half. BHS BHS LOSO with a leg-up check. Gainer pike with a hop back. 9.7
Zeng (Stanford): Front layout to Rudi mildly overrotated. Double back, very close to out but I think safe. Tour jete half Popa. 9.825
McNamara (UW): Yurchenko full on, tuck off slightly to one side but stood up well with just a small step. 9.775
Kane (UA): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, late with a leg break, blind to double front with a step. 9.65
L. Gonzales (OSU): Front aerial, tentative, op she missed the connection. Front aerial BHS, good that time. Switch switch side good. Full turn, kickover front good, side aerial back full.
Jessen (Stanford): One and a half front lay. Switch side Popa with gorgeous straddle positions, a real strength of hers. Double back pretty good, wolf full wolf full pretty chaotic. 9.675
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): High FTY medium hop back. Amanda thinks it’s the best FTY of the day and I agree. 9.75
Hargrove (UA): Full turn to Tkachev, missed a handstand, bail. FTDB stuck! 9.825
Young (OSU): Front aerial back tuck, leg up check but it was a PRETTY leg up. Switch split double stag. Gainer front full stuck. That was lovely, you can see the San Mateo panache in her technique.
Brunette (Stanford): Front lay to Rudi, touch of leg form. Wolf full tour jete half. Solid double back. 9.85
Cunningham (UW): Stuck the FTY, super flat hips. Fantastic. 9.825 okayyyy
Raskin (UA): Blind to pike Jaeger, the super late blinds, bail is not right with a missed handstand and some form. Blind to Rudi dismount, underrotated and falls backward. 8.8
Domingo (OSU): Front aerial back tuck, switch straddle split 3/4 excellent. Full turn, gainer full stuck super forward on her toes.
Widner (Stanford): Strong leaps to start, front lay front full with a big step forward. I think that was meant to be a switch full Popa but the Popa was drastically underrotated if so. Maybe an overrotated switch half to Popa instead. Weird. Solid double pike. 9.85
Smith (UW): Great Yurchenko tuck 3/2, baby hop forward. 9.9
McCabe (UA): Big arch on her first handstand, blind to Jaeger, good bail. Double layout stuck with her chest down. 9.75
S. Gonzales (OSU): Front aerial BHS tentative, full turn, switch half to split good. Side aerial back full with a tiny step. 9.825
Hoang (Stanford): That double lay is just phenomenal. Tour jete full, front lay front full. Slightly underrotated on the double pike, has to take the lunge forward.
Thompson (UW): Huge FTY with a tiny scoot back. 9.85
Deets (UA): Full turn to Tkachev, good, great bail. Double lay with a step to salute. Lovely finish for UA bars. 9.875
M. Dagen (OSU): BHS LOSO aggressive, her little smirk when she nails a combo is phenomenal. Switch switch half. Side aerial back full nailed. Rockstar. 9.9
Bryant (Stanford): Huge, high full in. Front through double pike, overpowered with a substantial scoot back. Switch side Popa. Open double back. 9.95 oh ok
After 2: Washington 98.075, Stanford 97.550, Arizona 97.375, Oregon State 97.175
Washington through the safe events with a solid start. Stanford showed UP on floor there with a 49.350. That’s fantastic for a team with such an abbreviated preseason. Oregon State put up a solid, if not gigantic, beam rotation while Arizona was just okay on bars but is getting through with no huge drama.
Rotation 3: Stanford VT, Washington UB, Arizona BB, Oregon State FX
Garcia (Stanford): Tsuk tuck full, big hop to one side. 9.5
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Hop change to pike Jaeger to overshoot. Blind to half to double back stuck. Great. There’s no reason she should be leading off but I think the others are just too scared. 9.875
Stauffacher (UA): BHS LOSO, check. Beat split 3/4. Front aerial to split, check. Cartwheel gainer full with a hop. 9.725
Mack (OSU): Rudi with a huge rebound back, might be two yards. Good straddle leap combo, solid double pike. 9.8
Zeng (Stanford): FTY, piked throughout with a hop. 9.75
McNamara (UW): Blind to Jaeger, foot form, arched a handstand a bit and Pak with leg separation. Blind full double back with a step back. 9.7
Herry (UA): BHS LOSO, straddle straddle 1/2, BHS one and a half twist stuck. Good. 9.75
Bird (OSU): Rudi to straddle, looked a bit off balance but made it work. Switch half Popa, two and a half twist. Solid. 9.9
Brunette (Stanford): Piked down on the FTY with a huge hop back and to one side. 9.7
Wickman (UW): Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, Missed a handstand, full turn double back close to the bar with a step back. 9.675
Hargrove (UA): Had a moment with the video but saw a stuck one and a half dismount and it sounds like it was a really good one. 9.9!
Peterson (OSU): Double back, switch half Popa underrotated. Little bit scooty on the double pike. 9.9
Widner (Stanford): Hop in place on a clean, if not huge, FTY.
Bowles (UW): Deltchev to overshoot, not the very cleanest I’ve seen it but made, missed a handstand, blind full double back with a hop back. 9.725
Barile (Arizona): Front aerial, check, front aerial, swim, LOSO. No idea if they’ll credit that. Y turn unsteady, cat leap switch half, bend check. Side aerial back full with a scoot and a step back. 9.6, I gues they did give the series.
Force (OSU): Double pike, switch half Popa. Front lay front full slightly weird, some leg form and a lukewarm landing. Double back, short with a step forward, flag up behind her for some reason? I didn’t think it was out but flag nevertheless.
Bryant (Stanford): Bounce and step in place on a big and pretty FTY. 9.85
Thompson (UW): Blind to Jaeger, awkward and close, decent bail. FTDB beautiful and stuck.
Castles (UA): BHS LOSO, bit of a swim, switch to split leap. Front aerial but missed both feet oh my, ended up hanging off the bottom of the beam but had to drop off. Triple wolf excellent. Missed the dismount, I was busy getting my breath back.
M. Dagen (OSU): Front double full, great positions on her leaps. Front lay front full, missed the punch badly and tucked the full, awful swivel-y landing but she’s still got all her ligaments so we’re in business. Double pike, rebound back.
Jessen (Stanford): Major leg form on the table and piked throughout in her FTY. 9.7
Thomas (UW): Missed the first handstand, blind to Jaeger, too far and a break on the catch, missed the handstand afterward, Pak solid. Short on a third handstand, blind full double back with a big step back. 9.6
Linton (UA): Wolf turn, looks a bit unsteady but stands it up and moves on, BHS BHS LOSO, off line but arrests it with her arms. Switch split. Very resilient routine. Side aerial back full. 9.9!
Yanish (OSU): Major bounce back on her double lay. One day she’ll control both double saltos, guys. Front lay front full good. Switch side Popa and her iconic side jump choreography out, I’ll miss that when she’s gone. Overrotated the double back substantially. 9.825
After 3: Washington 146.925, Stanford 146.375, Oregon State 146.375, Arizona 146.250
Washington still hanging onto a fairly substantial lead with beam to go. Oregon State lost its grip on what was looking like a fantastic floor rotation—still produced a great 49.200, but it was a chance to get back into the meet that’s gone now.
Rotation 4: Oregon State VT, Stanford UB, Washington BB, Arizona FX
Bird (OSU): Strong FTY, big with a hop in place. 9.775
Zeng (Stanford): Missed the first handstand, blind to Jaeger, bit of foot form throughout. Major leg separation on Pak. Double lay, closed hips and a deep landing. 9.675
Killough-WIlhelm (UW): Off on her BHS LOSO. Full turn, lovely kickover front. Switch split 1/2. Side aerial back 3/2. 9.25
Horton (UA): Great twisting combo, back with a front full front pike. Switch switch half, sketchy position. Good Rudi. 9.85
Peterson (OSU): Full on, back off with minimal amplitude but a solid landing, hop back. 9.775
Widner (Stanford): Full turn to bail, blind full double back, I’m pretty sure that was all? Not starting from a 10 if so. 9.725
Eksteen (UW): Front aerial BHS BHS, minor check, full turn. Split jump. Beat to sheep. Round off, MISSED HER FOOT, one and a half to her back. I’m so glad she’s safe. That sucked, dude. 8.95
Nosek (UA): Rebound and OOB on her double pike. Front lay front full. Tour jete half Popa. Double back well done.
Yanish (OSU): Big, pretty FTY over to one side but flared, hop back. 9.85
Brunette (Stanford): Blind to Deltchev to overshoot, little bits of form. I was not sure she was gonna catch that but sometimes the best Deltchevs are the super far ones. Double lay decent with a hop. 9.75
Bowles (UW): Side aerial BHS and falls. Off again on her dance series. Side aerial back full stuck but not quite right. She looks defeated. 8.4
Deets (UA): Big bounce on her double back. Tour jete half Popa split full is gorgeous. Front lay front full. 9.825
S. Gonzales (OSU): Full on pike off, substantially higher than Peterson, step back. 9.875
Garcia (Stanford): Missed the first handstand, blind full overshoot. Blind to Rudi stuck. 9.85
Thomas (UW): Full turn, kickover front BHS, made the leaps. Alive. One and a half with a hop. That was incredibly impressive and one that should stick with her for the rest of her career. 9.725
Orman (UA): Front lay to Rudi. Great double pike. Great performance quality and she looks thrilled. 9.775
L. Dagen (OSU): FTY, little hop to one side. 9.875
Bryant (Stanford): Big Tkachev, great Pak. Slightly hairy full turn on the low bar, making handstands, DLO underrotated with a big hop forward.
McNamara (UW): Full turn, BHS LOSO, leg up check but gets it back. Cat leap switch half beat jump. Side aerial tuck back full stuck. 9.775
Castles (UA): Two and a half punch front. One and a half through double full. Great difficulty for a college routine and great presentation. Switch switch ring 1/2. 9.9
M. Dagen (OSU): One and a half, something about the way she does it is SO satisfying, little step back today.
Stonecipher (Stanford): Tkachev, didn’t get her grips over the bar and one of those falls where the gymnast lands just standing up. I don’t think she’s making these handstands but we’re straight on so I can’t really tell, clear hip to Pak, yeah no on the handstands. Clear hip double back.
Russon (UW): Front aerial, short but pulls with the front foot and just about makes it, BHS LOSO off line but works through safe. Switch to split 3/4. Side split 1/2. One and a half twist stuck.
Hargrove (UA): Full in, rebound back but stays in bounds as far as I could see. Whip half front full. Great double back.
FINAL: Oregon State 195.625, Arizona 195.275, Stanford 195.175, Washington 194.400
Washington will miss regionals after an unqualified disaster on beam. EVERYTHING WAS GOING SO WELL. Oregon State didn’t have a phenomenal day but the stakes for this meet were pretty low for the Beavs and they should feel good at No. 5 in the conference. Stanford, too, couldn’t really accomplish much today but Kyla Bryant definitely bulked up her case for regionals.
Arizona is the really interesting one. The Wildcats boosted their lowest NQS score by just 0.200 but that’s enough to bump them into the top 36 provisionally. Two teams are left who could realistically spoil the party for Arizona… we’ll see what happens.
VT: Allie Smith (UW) 9.900
UB: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm, Geneva Thompson (UW), Elena Deets (UA) 9.875
BB: Madi Dagen (OSU), Malia Hargrove, Sirena Linton (UA) 9.900
FX: Kyla Bryant (Stanford) 9.950
AA: Kyla Bryant (Stanford) 39.475
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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