LIVE BLOG: No. 10 Kentucky at No. 11 Alabama

Welcome to this SEC showdown! I am Carolyn Lien here with your coverage on No. 10 Kentucky vs No. 11 Alabama for College Gym News. You can watch tonight’s event here and view the scores here.

Kentucky is coming into this competition with the No. 4 all-arounder in the country Raena Worley healthy and ready to go. Also in the mix for the Wildcats are returners Josie Angeny, Bailey Bunn and Cally Nixon, as well as former three-star recruit Jillian Procasky. Kentucky only has one known injury in Makenna Clarke, who will be out for the season. So far in 2022, the Wildcats have three gymnasts who have scored a 9.900 or above in Raena Worley, Cally Nixon and Hailey Davis. Additionally, Raena Worley was one tenth away from matching her career high score in the all-around last week in UK’s season opener, so watch to see if she can top that tonight.

Alabama is ready to move past tonight’s opponent in the rankings with scoring leaders Lexi Graber and Luisa Blanco setting the pace. Alabama is coming off a loss at Florida and the week before that, a loss at Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide has former three-star recruit Corinne Bunagan and former four-star recruit Jordyn Paradise on the roster this year, with Paradise only competing once so far this season and scoring a 9.775. Hopefully the home crowd at Coleman Coliseum will give these freshmen a boost. Makarri Doggette and Mati Waligora have also been outstanding this season, both scoring a 9.925 on bars and beam, respectively.

Now with that being said, let’s begin!

Looks like the Tide is wearing my all-time favorite leo of theirs which I like to call “The Lipstick Leo.”

https://twitter.com/BamaGymnastics/status/1484345428195766279

Rotation 1: Ala VT, UK UB

I missed the first few routines, but luckily I caught Nixon’s bars dismount, which was a full in with a small hop.

Quinn (Ala): Yurchenko 1.5, lots of power and huge bounds forward, not going to be a big score.

Bunn (UK): Straddled jaeger, hits the bail handstand. Just a big short of the last handstand, stuck double layout dismount.

Doggette (Ala): 1.5, almost stuck, tiny raise on toes, but should be a big score.

Deguzman (UK): Straddled jaeger to overshoot, quite a swift connection. Beautiful lines on her giants. Double layout dismount.

Graber (Ala): Went big on the vault, lots of bounds forward. Pretty similar landing to Kaylee Quinn’s 1.5 vault.

Worley (UK): SEC Gymnast of the Week here. Hits the first handstand, big tkatchev. Pak, slightly misses the handstand. Full-in dismount, little hop on that landing.

After 1: Ala 49.225, UK 49.100

Although the Crimson Tide had some shaky landings on vault, Makarri Doggette really came through with her near-stuck 1.5. Kentucky was overall looking pretty solid on bars after this first rotation, but hopefully they can edge out Bama in the next rotation with some solid vaults.

Rotation 2: Ala UB, UK VT

Procasky (UK): Former three-star recruit here. FTY, great body position in the air, little hop back.

Hudson (Ala): Maloney to bail, pretty good so far. This is her bars debut! Giant full to double tuck, makes it look easy, stuck landing!

Wilson (UK): Front pike half, big sloppy form in the air, chest very low on the landing. She’ll want to clean that up in the gym.

Waligora (Ala): Broadcast says that she is a junior majoring in pre-major studies. Still? Girl what? Blind half to straddled jaeger to overshoot, huge connection bonus on that sequence. Straight giants to full-twisting double layout dismount, toe-raise in place, but absolutely gorgeous dismount nonetheless.

Nixon (UK): Khazia Hislop-esque FTY, clean landing that demonstrated control.

Adams (Ala): Her hair is on pointe! Maloney to Pak, FANTASTIC handstands. She is hitting all of the handstands wow this will be a big score. Giant full, and she is over and off the bar! WHAT?? Blind full to double tuck, stuck dismount. I always like to watch the score of a routine with a fall and subtract the five tenths that they lost to see what they would have gotten if they didn’t fall, and I WILL be doing the same with this one.

Magnelli (UK): Better front pike half, legs were together in the air, pretty good. Hop back, but she is happy with it.

Machado (Ala): Very long lines on this event. Floaty Pak, looking great. Van Leeuwen, a bit crooked on the swingdown. Stuck dismount. Good bounce back and experience for her.

I think Alabama switched the layout of where they placed each event but I can’t quite figure out what they changed?

Patterson (UK): I am obsessed with her major: Digital Media Design. I mean that sounds so fun!! Last front pike half for the Wildcats, definitely the best one that has been shown so far, not stuck though.

Blanco (Ala): Cam Machado career-high! Anyways, nothing majorly wrong with this routine so far, full-in dismount, stuck! That should be another high score. OPE did she just say F**K YEAH? Hmmmm…

Worley (UK): 1.5, very clean twisting in the air and rotation once she hits the ground, beautiful college landing, but showed control. She is a star!

Doggette (Ala): HUGE tkatchev to Pak, great. Big swing on the giants. Double layout, bounce in place, but will be another good score for the Tide.

After 2: Ala 98.775, UK 98.375

Alabama is on fire tonight! Although Shania Adams had that uncharacteristic fall, it was great to see that the rest of the rotation had her back. Really great to see Cam Machado be the next one up after the fall and score a career-high, that is some great experience she is getting. The Wildcats are still looking a bit timid except for Raena Worley who is just ATTACKING. I have a feeling that this upcoming floor rotation will contain a bunch of power for them but hopefully they can reign it in and stay calm.

Rotation 3: Ala BB, UK FX

Burgess (Ala): Love this gymnast. Another gymnast with pre-major studies listed as her major on the broadcast? Hmmm. One armed BHS to LOSO, solid. She moves very quickly in her dance and smiles throughout. Cat leap to switch side, and a fall. Still moving very confidently. Side aerial to full, stuck.

Bailey Bunn (UK): Love that Wildcat claw right before her first pass. Double pike, no issues on that landing. TikTok dance before her next pass, yassss! Soulja Boy Tell Em? Alright girl! Last pass Rudi, that looks like it could be connected to a jump instead of just left alone.

Doggette (Ala): BHS LOSO, good. Tucked Korbut, so scary to watch but so pretty if executed correctly. RO 1.5 dismount, hop forward, but at least they have a hit routine to gain momentum off of.

Albores (UK): Double tuck, good landing. Commentators saying that UK has the potential to field twelve gymnasts on floor via Coach Garrison? Front layout to front full, not the most difficulty. Double pike, little shy on the landing.

Graber (Ala): First beam routine of the year for Lexi. Starts off with her BHS two foot landing, hits that beam pretty hard which shows how aggressive she is. Cat leap to Liukin, one of her favorite skills. Stuck gainer layout full dismount, she is happy with that.

Magnelli (UK): Front Rudi to LOSO, stuck. Very clean first pass, love that for her. HUGE leaps with great flexibility. Double pike, a bit whippy on the set, but she loves it. Just a two pass routine for her.

Hudson (Ala): Front aerial to BHS LOSO, nice triple series. Love her beam music! Switch leap to switch leap, missing the 180 degrees position. RO 1.5, stuck. She is great!

Procasky (UK): Collegiate floor debut for her with this routine! FHS Rudi, looks like she was a little lost in the air, but covers it. Bre Showers 2018 floor music. Front layout to I believe a front full? Double tuck, deep squat and attempt to keep it on her feet but goes OOB and off of the floor.

Waligora (Ala): BHS LOSO, clean. Random side aerial? Ok. Split jump to tuck full, little bobble on that. I did a tuck jump full in my floor routine 🙂 She tries it again almost like she thought she wouldn’t get the connection from the first one? I’m confused abut that routine.

Haigis (UK): FHS Rudi to LOSO, big split on the LOSO. Switch side to Popa, no issues on her leaps. Let’s see if she can keep it up on this last pass. Lots of height on the double pike, perfect landing! That score should be in the 9.8-9.9+ range.

Blanco (Ala): Front aerial, she possess great confidence on this. BHS LOSO LOSO, gets it. Kicks up her foot into that Scorpion and goes right into her beam-level dance requirement. Double twist dismount, little hop.

Worley (UK): Sam Peszek is commentating and I must say that she is phenomenal. I love the variety of her word choice and her attempts at trying to get the male commentator interested in our sport a little more. Full-in first pass, STUCK COLD OH MAN that needs to be GIF’d. Pronto. Next up is her RO 1.5 to front layout. Last pass, you can tell she is thinking about it. Double tuck, perfect landing. That will FOR SURE be in the 9.9s score-wise!

After 3: Ala 148.025, UK 147.700

We have some huge leading scores on each event so far tonight. Makarri Doggette is leading both vault and bars so far tonight with a 9.925 and a 9.950 respectively. Lily Hudson, the Alabama freshman, leads beam with a 9.925. Lastly, Kentucky’s Isabella Magnelli leads floor with her 9.925. Onto the last rotation!

Rotation 4: Ala FX, UK BB

Anna Haigis (UK): Switch leap to Shushonova, one of my personal favorite skills to perform. Is she my new second-favorite UK gymnast? Covers the bobble on her front aerial. RO 1.5, absolutely stuck 1.5 dismount. Tim Garrison says she will be a great leadoff and I agree!

Mitchell (Ala): Phone beginning ala Angi Cipra! Okayyyy! Double pike, not even close to the OOB area. She is performing this up! Amazing height on her jumps coming out of her leaps. Front through to a double tuck, perfect landing. She still has some energy after that last pass, wow!

Magnelli (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO, slightly off in the air, but corrects it before she lands. Could clean up the back leg on those skills. Piked gainer dismount, stuck.

Olsen (Ala): Piked full-in, chest is up on the landing, great start. Moonwalk in her choreo! She sure loves the techno music style. Front through to a double tuck to finish and she misjudges the landing and bounces back.

Riegert (UK): Side aerial to BHS, and falls. Sam giving great analysis, yasss. Switch leap to back tuck, chest is down, HUGE wobble to stay on. RO 1.5, stuck landing.

Machado (Ala): Double pike, commentators say she is in for Blanco? RO 1.5 to front layout for her combination pass. Triple wolf turn and teammates shout out loud how many she does as she does them, so cute! GOSH I JUST LOVE THIS LEO. Double tuck, no problems on the landing. Put her in more often on floor Dana! 9.925!

Bunn (UK): I have heard that she is great on this event 😉 BHS LOSO LOSO, and a fall. Not good for the Wildcats. Switch leap to split jump for her leaps, good recovery so far. Double twist dismount, stuck.

Waligora (Ala): I love this gymnast and have since her JO days so it is so great to see her in college and finally competing. Front layout to double twist, steps on the OOB but stays in. RO 1.5 to front layout, good form in that connection.

Worley (UK): Her last performance in her all around effort tonight as she and Lily Hudson are battling it out. To win the all around, she needs a 9.900. Is it possible? Front aerial, real close to the edge of the beam, but connects it to the BHS LOSO, so it makes sense now. RO 1.5, tiny hop to the side, and I mean TINY. Will she get it? 9.900!

Hudson (Ala): Front layout to double twist, difficult first pass. 2.5 twist, that is rated a D which is essentially the same as a double flipping pass so it just goes to show that you don’t always need a double flipping pass to achieve your desired start value. But, she’ll finish with a double tuck anyway. 9.950!

Angeny (UK): BHS LOS LOSO, stays on, gets right to the end of the beam. Front aerial, no issue on that. Side aerial to tuck full twist dismount.

Graber (Ala): Big full-in for her first pass. Lots of emotion in this choreo. I can definitely see her as a collegiate gymnastics coach in the future given her love for the sport and strong desire to come back for this fifth year that she is in. Last pass, front through to double pike, solidifies the landing.

FINAL: Alabama 197.650, Kentucky 196.275

As far as gymnasts that impressed me tonight, Lily Hudson really stood out for me tonight. She is definitely one to watch as she competed all-around and even scored a 9.950 in the final rotation. Also, Raena Worley definitely deserves her SEC Gymnast of the Week honors because she put on some fantastic performances tonight AND she won the all around. Word is coming in now that Alabama scored a 49.650 on floor! This early in the season? Wow! Such a great meet tonight.

AA Winner: Raena Worley (39.600)

VT Winner: Makarri Doggette (9.925)

UB Winner: Makarri Doggette (9.950)

BB Winner: Lily Hudson (9.925)

FX Winner: Lily Hudson (9.950)

Well that wraps up my coverage for tonight! Thanks for joining me! So long my friends, farewell, goodbye!

READ THIS NEXT: LIVE BLOG: No. 28 Ball State at No. 13 Kentucky


Live blog by Carolyn Lien

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2 comments

  1. Machado on bars: ‘Good experience for her’?? She was in the lineup all last year. And yes, Sam is a great commentator.

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