Let’s try this again, shall we, Arizona State?
Arizona State had two chances at an opening meet last week, but unfortunately COVID protocols within the team prevented either meet from occurring as scheduled. The Sun Devils will hope to get things back on track today in Ann Arbor. If they are back healthy and at full-strength, junior Hannah Scharf should lead the way; sophomores Sarah Clark and Emily White look to build on strong freshman campaigns. Alex Theodorou is the freshman to watch; she should be an all-around threat and sports a unique Yurchenko half-on tuck half on vault. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Scharf, who rotated with Michigan as an individual at the 2021 national championships.We don’t know the exact details of the COVID issues and who has been able to train, so it’ll be interesting to see what lineups unfold.
Reigning national champion Michigan came out with a bang in its season opener against Georgia. The Wolverines were the first of numerous teams to record a team record for highest opening meet score with a 197.750. Michigan relied heavily on all-arounders in its first meet out, utilizing just seven gymnasts overall, five of which competed all four events. We didn’t see any of the freshmen, which isn’t entirely surprising given the few updates we’ve had of them. On a non-active gymnastics note, Michigan is raising its 2021 national championship banner today.
The meet is being streamed on BTN+ and live stats can be found here.
Michigan’s leo today:
Arizona State is debuting a new leo today.
Michigan’s national championship banner is now being raised! I have chills.
Rotation 1: Michigan VT, ASU UB
ASU bars lineup:
Michigan vault lineup:
Guggino (UM): y1.5, solid. Some knees, slightly short of rotation and a couple normal-sized steps back. 9.7
Redmond (ASU): good first hs; blind change straddled jaeger; bail to hs; dlo small hop. Good leadoff. 9.75
Wojcik (UM): y1.5, her usual. Stuck. 9.975!
Samiley (ASU): her long-awaited debut! Pretty stalder work. straddled jaeger to bail; Good dlo. 9.825
Heiskell (UM): y1.5, gorg, just a small hop! 9.925
Theodorou (ASU): good first hs; straddled jaeger pretty, hits next hs; bail hs, hit; dlo with leg sep and the tiniest of hops. Nice freshman debut for her! 9.85
Morrison (UM): y1.5, tiny hop in place. Michigan is on fire! 9.975. Don’t know if I would’ve thrown a 10 there, but here we are.
Mangahas (ASU): piked jaeger to bail, solid; ftdt stuck. 9.875
Brooks (UM): y1.5 with a pretty decent-sized hop forward. 9.8
White (ASU): van leeuwen; bail hs solid; dlo, tiniest of steps; my stream was kind of glitchy but it looked good. 9.825
Wilson (UM): y1.5, tiny shuffle back. 9.95
Scharf (ASU): great first hs; Maloney tiny leg sep to pak; nice final hs; ftdt, shuffle back.
Mulligan (UM, exhibition): yfull, tiny hop. It’s hard to imagine a world where Michigan needs that vault, but it’s certainly there.
AFTER 1: UM 49.625, ASU 49.225
Great start for Michigan! They handled the landings of the 10.0 SVs quite well, especially for January. Also a great debut for ASU – I was really impressed with the Sun Devils’ readiness, especially given the COVID issues.
Rotation 2: ASU VT, Michigan UB
Michigan bars lineup:
ASU vault:
Redmond (ASU): yfull, some leg form, bounds forward. 9.475
Heiskell (UM): good first hs; straddled jaeger, pretty, to a good next handstand. Leg went slightly wonky on pak but you’d barely know. stuck double tuck. 9.875
Jaslow (ASU): yfull, fine. small hop and some pike. 9.8
Brenner (UM): blind change straddled jaeger direct to bail, solid. Fine next hs; dlo, some leg sep, tiniest of hops. 9.875
Samiley (ASU): word on the street is she’s debuting a 10.0 vault today. y1/2 on pike 1/2, think there was a hop back? honestly was too busy typing that long vault to fully rationalize it. 9.75
Morrison (UM): she’s a quick bar worker. solid bail. I missed the beginning. dlo, small foot slide back. 9.825
Mangahas (ASU): good full. 9.75
Wilson (UM): jaeger good; bail slight arch but brings it in; dlo step back. 9.8
Scharf (ASU): yfull, very good. 9.875
Brooks (UM): piked jaeger good; bail; nice final hs; ftdlo small hop. 9.875
Theodorou (ASU): y half on tuck half, tiny hop. Good. 9.9
Wojcik (UM): deltchev hit to bail, good; good final hs. Stuck DLO! 9.95
Vore (UM, exhibition): Maloney to bail hs, not quite ideal hs position; fine hs; stuck DLO.
AFTER 2: UM 99.025, ASU 98.300
A solid vault rotation for ASU, minus the miscue. Mostly it’s just a crime to put those vaults after watching the Michigan vaults. Michigan also brought it on bars and looks GOOD at the halfway point.
Rotation 3: Michigan BB, ASU FX
Michigan beam:
ASU floor:
Guggino (UM): very calm and collected so far; bhs loso, small lean; split straddle 3/4, small check; cat leap side somi, good; bhs 1.5 step forward. 9.675
Jaslow (ASU): solid double pike; lay lay full, secure landing; switch side popa, could use more extension on the popa; double tuck, may have been slightly short but she covered it well. 9.825
Wilson (UM): bhs loso, was off from the start and she couldn’t save it; fine leaps; double tuck step back. Not her best. 9.225
Marcheli (ASU): double tuck, stuck but with low chest; good leap combo; ro 1.5 lay full, sits it. 9.050
Morrison (UM): bhs loso, if she was slightly off you wouldn’t know; leap combo, small check; straddle 1/4, good; stuck gainer pike. 9.825
Thompson (ASU): double tuck, short and takes a couple steps forward; double pike, also a step forward there, but more controlled; good leaps; ro 1.5 to lay, solid. 9.6
Brooks (UM): bhs loso loso, secure as ever. switch switch good; front toss, solid; bhs lay 1.5 hop forward. 9.825
White (ASU): loving this music – some Hannah Montana to start it off; front double full good; saw her leaps out of the corner of my eye; fhs front full front lay good. 9.85
Heiskell (UM): cat leap side aerial good; switch switch secure; bhs loso, good; tiniest of checks on full turn; missed the dismount but looked good from what I saw. 9.925
Theodorou (ASU): nice full in to start, chest maybe a little low. triple dance combo, good; ro 1.5 to lay, secure landing. 9.875
Wojcik (UM): front aerial beat good; bhs bhs loso, secure; ro 1.5 stuck. I may have missed a leap combo in there. 9.975
Scharf (ASU): front tuck through to double tuck, good; double pike, hop back; good triple leap combo. Missed the end. 9.9
Koulos (UM, exhibition): bhs, good; front aerial 1 arm fhs, good; solid leaps; attitude turn, secure; ro 1.5 hop forward. Put her in, coach!
AFTER 3: UM 148.250, ASU 147.350
Michigan escaped counting Wilson’s fall, but did have to count Guggino’s leadoff 9.675, which isn’t ideal. ASU looked very early season on floor, but the highlights were definitely Scharf and Theodorou.
Wojcik needs a 9.95 to tie the school AA record.
Rotation 4: ASU BB, Michigan FX
ASU beam:
Michigan floor:
Thompson (ASU): bhs bhs, and she’s off; solid leap series; side aerial full small shuffle. Not an ideal lead off routine. 8.625
Heiskell (UM): nice double Arabian; ro 1.5 to lay good; good leap series; closing double pike, secure landing. 9.925
Marcheli (ASU): side aerial bhs, some knees but secure; switch leap beat jump, solid; ro 1.5 stuck. Good rebound. 9.8
Brenner (UM): good full in; ro 1.5 to lay solid; switch side popa, nice; solid double pike to close. 9.95
Jaslow (ASU): side aerial, decent-sized wobble; bhs loso secure; switch straddle 3/4, solid; cat leap bhs lay full good. 9.825
Wojcik (UM): nice double pike, may have gone oob; pretty leaps, per usual; combo pass, good; fhs Rudi straddle, good. 9.775, must have gone out probably.
White (ASU): bhs loso, secure; split jump double stag, good; side aerial lay full hop. 9.875
Morrison (UM): double pike, good control; fhs lay lay full, secure; good amplitude on her leaps; closing double tuck, solid. 9.95
Redmond (ASU): bhs loso, tiny check; check on her jumps; switch leap looked off into her dismount with a large step. 9.575
Brooks (UM): great full in to open; front punch through to double tuck good; leap combo, pretty; double pike to close, secure. 9.925.
Scharf (ASU): caught the end of her series, looked good. side somi, good; switch split secure; ro 1.5 hope forward. 9.85
Michigan at 197.775 before Wilson.
Wilson (UM): full in, good. Good middle of her routine, which I neglected to fully rationalize. good double tuck. 9.95
Samiley (ASU, exhibition): front aerial check to back pike, good. pretty dance. ring jump. beat jump straddle 3/4. Nice dismount. Littler nervy, but not bad.
Mulligan (UM, exhibition): front punch through to double tuck, good; good extension on leaps; closing double pike. Solid.
FINAL: Michigan 197.950, ASU 196.275
Michigan at nearly 197 while counting a 9.675 on beam. They’re not messing around. I will say judging may have been slightly happy in areas, but not bad overall. ASU opened well on vault and bars, floor was very early-season-esque, and the Sun Devils did a nice job coming back from a leadoff fall on beam, though they ended up counting Redmond’s shaky 9.525 routine. My other ASU question is…where’s Sarah Clark?
Highest season opener score for ASU also.
Event Winners
VT: Natalie Wojcik, Naomi Morrison (Michigan), 9.975
UB: Natalie Wojcik (Michigan), 9.950
BB: Natalie Wojcik (Michigan), 9.975
FX: Abby Brenner, Naomi Morrisona, Gabby Wilson (Michigan), 9.950
AA: Natalie Wojcik (Michigan), 39.675
Live blog by Tara Graeve
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