Regionals have not been short of excitement and tonight’s final should only add to that. Three out of four teams are all within the SEC Conference and have faced each other multiple times this season.
Arkansas was consistent in its qualifying meet, but had a slow start on bars. The team will need to come up big again without Lovett in the lineups.
Alabama had uncharacteristic errors on vault and were unable to control its landings. The team has been hit or miss on the apparatus all year long. However, The Crimson Tide had a stellar comeback performance on bars and set a program record on the event. Graber and Waligora did not compete on day one due to injury. It is possible to see Graber today.
Oklahoma is the clear favorite to advance and was the only to score a 198.000 in day two of regional action. Olivia Trautman competed in the all-around for the first time this season. Additionally, Audrey Davis made her return on vault and beam. Although the Sooners are the favorite, the team has had its downs with consistency issues on floor and beam.
Missouri achieved the third highest score in program history on Friday with a 197.350. It’ll be interesting to see whether Missouri can put all four events together again today and be there if someone at the top falters.
Missouri was the only team yesterday in the NCAA to have season highs on all events.
Rotation 1: Oklahoma VT, Alabama UB, Arkansas BB, Missouri FX
Davis (OU): Just the full tonight. Almost holds onto the stick but takes a step back. 9.800
Gaskins (Alabama): beautiful low bar handstand, maloney, form, Pak Salto, form, tad short on final handstand. Stuck DLO dismount. 9.900
Webb (OU): Y1.5, nice amplitude, hop sideways. 9.900
Marshall (Miz): Front tuck to double pike, uncontrolled step back, Switch ring to switch half, Back 1.5 to front tuck to stag, solid, Double tuck, nicely done. 9.800
Elswick had a balance check on BB.
Schoepfer (OU): Tucked Y1.5, over rotates and takes a large uncontrolled forward. 9.825
I missed the routine, but Gianfagna only received a 9.200 on BB.
Great routine for Adams on UB. Earned a Career High 9.975.
LeVasseur (OU): Y1.5, nicely done, step off to the side. 9.875
Doggette (Alabama): Tkatchev to Pak Salto, small leg separation, great handstands, DLO, small shuffle back. 9.900
Trautman (OU): Y1.5, Stuck landing and its a 10 for Trautman.
Shaffer (Ark): Arkansas is struggling and needs a big one from Shaffer. Switch leap straddle half, good, bhs loso, nicely done, front aerial, small balance check, good full turn, cat leap to side aerial full, Nicely done. Much needed routine for Arkansas. 9.950
Sheremeta (Miz): Front double full, nicely done, Switch side popa, Rudi to back loso, such a great pass! Back lay 1.5 to front loso. Great routine. 9.875
Carter (Ark): Bhs loso, solid, beat jump to double stag, gorgeous, front aerial to sissone, stunning, tiny bobble on the full turn, small check on choreography, aerial back full, stuck. 9.900
McCrary (Miz): Front lay to rudi, slides back on the landing, Double pike, nicely done, Switch side popa. Finishes up a great rotation for Missouri. 9.900
Hambrick (Ark): Bhs Loso, soft knees and a tiny check, switch leap switch half, gorgeous, straddle 3/4, balance check, stuck cartwheel gainer full to finish. 9.850
A great first rotation to get this competition final started. Scoring seems to be on the higher end, but Alabama was lights out on bars. The Crimson Tide are just short from the program record set yesterday. Meanwhile, Oklahoma was unable to dial in the vault landings until Olivia Trautman stuck her Y1.5 for perfection. However, the landing deductions added up and will put them behind Alabama heading into rotation two. Missouri was consistent with 6/6 solid routines on floor and will be ahead of Arkansas. A 49.325 will be a season high on Floor for Missouri. The Razorbacks struggled in the first half of the beam rotation, but scores increased towards the end of the lineup.
AFTER ONE: Alabama 49.625, Oklahoma 49.450. Missouri 49.325, Arkansas 49.000
Rotation 2: Missouri VT, Oklahoma UB, Alabama BB, Arkansas FX
Klopfer (Alabama): Wolf Turn, solid, Front aerial bhs, nicely done, cat leap side aerial, balance check, ro 1.5, stuck. 9.800
Patrick (Miz): FTY, nice amplitude, small hop back. 9.775
LeVasseur (OU): Mounts low bar, maloney, leg sep, to bail handstand, hand slips on low bar, up to high bar, dlo dismount. 9.750
Hickey (Ark): Double Pike, good, Switch side popa, nice flexibility, RO 1.5 to front lay, soft knees in her tumbling, Double Tuck, slightly under rotated with a step forward. 9.800
Webb (OU): Pak Salto, gorgeous handstands, Maloney half, blind half to double front half. Hard angle to see if it was stuck. 9.900
Marshall (Miz): FTY, nice distance, but has to pike it down. Hop in place with a low chest. 9.800
R. Smith (OU): Huge amplitude on her Ray to Pak Salto, gorgeous handstand, stuck dlo dismount. One of the best collegiate routines I’ve seen from her. 9.925
Gaskins (Alabama): Side aerial to split, small wobble. I love her scale in this routine. Gaskins has such gorgeous flexibility. Aggressive Bhs loso, Stuck gainer full to finish. 9.850
Gottula (Miz): FTY, nice amplitude and distance. Step back on landing. 9.850
Adams (Alabama): split jump, good, front aerial, balance check, bhs loso, good, double wolf turn, loses control and has a balance check, good leap series, bhs 1.5 twist, brings her feet together on the landing. 9.800
Doggette (Alabama): Bhs loso, large wobble, switch half side split to beat, nicely done, side aerial back full, hop back. 9.700
Shaffer (Ark): Gorgeous double pike to start. 1.5 to front lay, nicely done, Tour jete popa, Double Tuck, knees almost give out but she saves it with a large lunge back. 9.875
Hambrick (Ark) Double Tuck, bouncy landing, Rudi back layout stag jump, pulls it off but has a huge form break on the layout, Switch half popa, Double Pike, knees almost give out, but she saves it with a back arch. 9.800
Blanco (Alabama): Front aerial, precise full turn, bhs loso, good, Switch to switch half, stunning, double full, small hop on landing. 9.900
Oklahoma competed its usual on bars and had a stellar performance from Ragan Smith. The team was able to take over the lead from Alabama. The Crimson Tide survived beam but had a few too many wobbles and hops on dismounts to hold off the No. 2 team. Missouri was able to hold off Arkansas for the No. 3 spot.
AFTER TWO: Oklahoma 99.025, Alabama 98.775, Missouri 98.400, Arkansas 98.250
Rotation 3: Arkansas VT, Missouri UB, Oklahoma BB, Alabama FX
Pennesse(Ark): FTY, small pike down but gets the stick. 9.850
Olsen (Alabama): Piked full-in, small form break but nice landing, double turn, lacks flexibility on her leaps, solid double back. 9.850
Sheremeta (Miz):Blind Change to Straddle Jaeger, great, gorgeous handstand, Pak Salto, nicely done, Blind Change to Rudi dismount, step forward and a low chest on landing. 9.800
Klopfer (Alabama): Double Back, small hop forward, Tour jete half popa, nicely done, RO 1.5. to Front lay, she’s off before the layout and pikes it down. Doesn’t fall, but has a super squatty landing, good double pike to end. 9.500
Shaffer (Ark):Yurchenko Layout half, nicely done. Almost gets the stick. 9.875
Woodard (OU): Side aerial bhs, nicely done, front toss beat jump, good, Switch to split leap, beautiful scale, stuck side aerial full to finish. 9.950 Career High
James (Alabama): Front lay to Rudi, great, nice leap pass, double tuck to finish. 9.900
Schreiber (Miz) Maloney, small leg separation, to Overshoot, nice handstand, ends with a dbl. Fights for the stick landing with multiple arm swings. 9.850
Gaskins (Alabama): Much improved double layout from yesterday, great double pike. Fantastic routine for Gaskins. 9.925
Hambrick (ARK) Y1.5, under rotated and takes a few steps back. 9.800
Adams (Alabama): Double Pike, tad short on landing and takes a step forward, 1.5 to front lay, good, double tuck to finish, step forward and low chest on landing. 9.800
Thomas (OU): Leaps onto beam, solid side somi, finesses the bhs loso, lacks some flexibility on her leaps, wobble on full turn. Misses her foot on the side aerial and she’s injured. She is clearly in-pain and is carried off the floor. Lower-leg injury. 9.250
Blanco (Alabama): Double Pike, Double back, Front Lay front full. I think I’m out of superlatives for Blanco. It was fabulous. 9.950
Webb (OU): Full turn, bhs loso, good, cat leap to front aerial, solid, finesses switch split to switch split, side aerial full, clutch pressure performance from Webb. 9.975
Anastasia Webb had a clutch performance for Arkansas after a scary dismount from Karrie Thomas. The senior’s performance will help Oklahoma maintain its lead heading into the final rotation. Alabama was solid on floor, but had some landing deductions that will need to be worked on. Emily Gaskins and Luisa Blanco were highlights of the meet with incredible tumbling and fantastic performances. Missouri has certainly peaked at the right time this season and their performance tonight is not to be looked down upon. It may not be enough for them to advance to nationals, but there is so much potential for this program next year. Arkansas is not having its best meet, but the Razorbacks are showing fight all the way through.
AFTER THREE: Oklahoma 148.600, Alabama 148.200, Missouri 147.525, Arkansas 147.350
Rotation 4: Alabama VT, Arkansas UB, Missouri BB, Oklahoma FX
Graber is in the vault lineup for Alabama.
Gaskins (Alabama): FTY, nicely done. Huge all-around competition for Gaskins today. 9.850
Rutz (Ark): Mounts high bar with a gorgeous handstand, close on the Tkatchev, Clear hip, Bail handstand, Blind full double tuck, small hop on the landing. So happy to see her hit that
Draper (OU): Double Pike, low chest on landing, Front full to front full, nicely done, switch full popa, whip half to rudi, good.
Gianfagna (Ark): Mounts to the high bar, lacks amplitude on her Ray, tad short on final handstand, nice dismount to finish.
Schoepfer (OU): Nice double Tuck to finish, Back 1.5 to front lay, pikes it down a bit, Ring Leap, sky high double pike to finish.
Olsen (Alabama): DTY, nice amplitude and distance. May have stuck it. Much improved from yesterday.
Stuck dlo dismount from Shaffer on UB
McCrary (Miz): Kick over front tuck, solid, Bhs loso, falls off, nice full turn, Split jump to stag ring, Gainer pike, hop forward. 9.175
Graber (Alabama): Y1.5, small hop forward on landing.9.850
Quinn (Alabama): Y1.5, hop forward.
Out of the corner of my eye Kennedy Hambrick had a stellar bar routine with fantastic handstands and a stuck FTDB dismount.
O’Hara (Ark): Blind change Jaeger, nicely done, short on her handstand, Bail to handstand, gorgeous, DLO, stuck.
Blanco (Alabama): Y 1.5, drills the landing. Some soft knees in her form.
Webb (OU): Her movement quality is a joy to watch. Front double full, uncontrolled step on her landing, RO 1.5 to front full, lacks flexibility on her leap pass, fantastic front 1.5 to jump to finish.
Sheremeta (Miz): Beat jump, Bhs loso, balance check, good leap series, Front toss, nicely done, dismounts with a gainer pike.
Trautman (OU): DLO, chest low on landing, Textbook example on flexibility and height on leaps, great combo pass to stag jump, Clean combo pass. Great!
Schreiber (Miz):Bhs Loso, good, Switch leap 3/4, lacks flexibility and rotation, switch half to split to beat, fantastic, Gainer full stuck. What a great weekend for Missouri.
It was a good battle between Alabama and Oklahoma throughout the competition, but Alabama could not keep up with the execution of Oklahoma tonight. These two teams will be advancing to nationals and have a solid chance at winning a national title. Oklahoma will top Michigan’s score from earlier to take the highest regional score at this point. (SLC is still to come).
Arkansas had a record breaking season and the team has a bright future ahead of them. The Razorbacks were off to a rough start, but fought all the way through. Its performance on bars in the last rotation pushed them over Missouri for third in this competition. Missouri was the underdog, but put together two great days of performances to end its season on a high note
Final: Oklahoma 198.175, Alabama 197.575, Arkansas 196.700, Missouri 196.550
AA Winner: Anastasia Webb – 39.700
VT Winner: Olivia Trautman – 10.000
UB Winner: Shania Adams – 9.975
BB Winner: Anastasia Webb – 9.975
FX Winner: Luisa Blanco – 9.950
Live blog by Katie Walsh
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