It’s way too early to worry about this, but these are currently the No. 5 and No. 6 teams in the Big Ten. They’re close geographically, they’re close in recent season performance, and there’s a good chance that they’ll end up fighting for a single spot in the Big Ten Champs night session. (It really depends on the format, which they seem to change every year.)
Still, despite the close-ish rankings there’s about a point between Ohio State and Penn State in both average and season high scores. While both teams made improvements between weeks 1 and 2, the Nittany Lions have had issues on beam in both meets. Bars was the Buckeyes’ biggest challenge in the first meet, but the return of Stephanie Berger from a long injury outage seems to have solved them for the moment.
Rotation 1: Ohio State VT, Penn State UB
Bear with me, my first meet went long so we’re multitasking!
Grimes (OSU): Solid FTY, a little bouncy. 9.725
Johanson (PSU): Full turn to Tkachev, some flexed feet, good Pak. Making handstands, double layout with a hop back. 9.775
Miller (OSU): FTY with a large hop back. 9.75
Johnston (PSU): Missed the first half due to… the other meet I’m watching… but blind full double back stuck. 9.825
Riccardi (OSU): FTY, stuck on her toes. Very delicate landing. 9.8
Beckwith (PSU): Blind to Jaeger, slightly soft back, again on the Pak with leg form as well. Great handstands, double layout with a hop forward. 9.825
Jennings (OSU): FTY, a little higher than Riccardi, the TINIEST scoot back. 9.85
Rushlow (PSU): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, great extension. THe PSU handstands are super precise today. Blind full slightly swimmy in the air to double back stuck. 9.85
Hlavach (OSU): Yurchenko full on, pike off high with a little hop back. It’s totally gorgeous. 9.8
Bonsall (PSU): We were watching a slow-mo of Hlavach’s vault while this one happened, hop forward on dismount. 9.825
Pike (OSU): Solid FTY, little hop back. 9.725
Bridgens (PSU): Maloney to bail great, blind full double back with a substantial hop. 9.9
After 1: Penn State 49.225, Ohio State 48.925
Some interesting lineup choices for the Bucks. No Lexi Edwards definitely makes a difference and keeps
Rotation 2:
Bonsall (PSU): Solid FTY, hop back. 9.825
Schweitzer (OSU): Maloney to bail, a little loose-leggedness but minor, blind full with leg separation to double back with a hop.
Chinnery (PSU): Pikey FTY with feet visible, medium hop. 9.825
Hlavach (OSU): Clear hip to Gienger to overshoot, huge and gorgeous, Blind full double back with a little hop back but huge air. 9.775
Rushlow (PSU): FTY solid, smaller hop. 9.85
Vetter (OSU): Blind full to Tkachev, huge air, slightly short KCH to great bail. FTDB beautiful with a hop. 9.8
Bridgens (PSU): Just a FTY today, small hop. The 1.5 apparently caused some drama in warm ups. 9.825
Berger (OSU): Maloney with leg sep in the backswing to great bail. Blind full double back stuck. 9.85
Johanson (PSU): FTY looks a little low following Bridgens, medium hop. Judges thought so too. 9.75, placed differently in the lineup she might have gotten a different score.
Miller (OSU): Toe to Maloney to bail, TEENSIEST foot flicker that the judges probably didn’t see, step back on her double layout. Great. 9.825
Salcedo (PSU): Omelianchik, high and actually overrotated today, gorgeous diver’s pike, deep with a big step forward. 9.675
Riccardi (OSU): Toe on to Ray, looked like a minor loss of form on the catch, gorgeous bail. Stalder to double back stuck. 9.9
After 2: Penn State 98.300, Ohio State 98.075
I’m not sure about some of the judging here but I’ll console myself with the absolute beauty of that Ohio State bars lineup. Just absolutely some of the loveliest gymnastics in the country.
Rotation 3: Ohio State BB, Penn State FX
Schweitzer (OSU): Front aerial to beat, BHS LOSO great. Solid leaps, side aerial tuck back full with a hop. 9.875
Bonsall (PSU): Double back a little overrotated, sells the lunge pretty well. Whip half front full a little awkward. Double pike solid. 9.825
Miller (OSU): BHS LOSO, leg up and falls. Full turn, hitch kick side aerial. Split to straddle quarter, check, tucked gainer full off the end with a step. 9.2
Johanson (PSU): Super high double pike. Step OOB on one and a half front lay, missed last pass because stream froze. 9.775
Hankins (OSU): Full turn, BHS LOSO with a smaller leg-up check. Kickover front to beat. Switch to split 1/4. Double twist, pulls the heels together. 9.75
Bridgens (PSU): Double back overrotated, pulls the heel back. Rudi LOSO almost straddled. Switch half wolf full.. Front lay front full really pretty stretched positions and well controlled. 9.85
Vetter (OSU): Full turn, BHS LOSO, beat jump to side aerial. She is just totally lovely to watch. Switch straddle quarter. Cat leap side aerial back full, baby scoot back. Spectacular. 9.9
VIhrova (PSU): Baby hop-scoot situation on her double tuck. Front lay front full. Tour jete half wolf full stuck, I love gymnasts who bother to control their leap landings. Double pike good.
Berger (OSU): Cat leap side aerial, minor check. BHS LOSO. Full turn, switch leap to split half is insane. Split to side aerial back full stuck… tripped going to salute but I think it won’t be an issue. She’s so awesome. 9.85
Salcedo (PSU): Double front controlled well. Good one!! Switch full to sissone. Absolute blast to watch. BHS LOSO to knees presumably to get her different direction acro requirement, front lay front full front pike controlled well, switch side to Shushunova 1/1. That was awesome, could go high. 9.9
Jennings (OSU): Full turn, BHS swing through side aerial with a check. Switch straddle half OK, split positions don’t look great after the masterclass of the last couple routines, cartwheel gainer full stuck.
Astarita (PSU): Open double back nailed. One and a half front lay, not too much height on the layout, tour jete half Popa, double pike a touch overrotated. 9.85
After 3: Penn State 147.600, Ohio State 147.225
Ohio State has a real chance on floor since Penn State has been iffy on beam here, but this is a big margin at this point in the meet.
Rotation 4: Penn State BB, Ohio State FX
Ayers (PSU): Front aerial BHS, tentative but made. switch straddle 1/4. Cat leap front aerial, leg up and falls. Side aerial back full with a hop. 9.1
Warga (OSU): Two and a half front tuck beautiful with a hop. Switch half wolf full. Front double full, overrotated with a big step but stays in bounds. 9.8
Astarita (PSU): Front tuck, hop back. BHS LOSO with a major leg-up check. Cat leap switch side, iffy split, BHS gainer full stuck. 9.675
Gagliardi (OSU): Front lay to Rudi, great control. Switch side to Popa. Double pike overrotated but gets her foot back really fast and keeps it in a lunge. 9.875
Salcedo (PSU): BHS LOSO, check. Switch half, check. Switch to split 3/4, punch front full stuck. 9.825
Hankins (OSU): Full in, great landing. Front layout to Barani to split. Switch ring tour jete half. Double back, baby shift of the front foot. The energy in Covelli is bananas right now. 9.9!
Bridgens (PSU): Hitch kick kickover front. Switch to side aerial, iffy split but emphatic landing. Full turn. BHS LOSO good. One and a half twist, just a hop forward.
Hlavach (OSU): Pike full in, a touch overcooked with a long lunge but keeps the front foot down. One and a half front lay. Switch side, step through, tour jete half Popa. Her leaps are so delicate. Forgot to write the last pass down because I was vibing too hard.
(PSU): Commentators said this is Vihrova but I’m 90% sure it’s not. Split to very, very hairy sheep. Made acro series, one and a half twist with a hop.
Perez (OSU): Front lay to Rudi good, a touch of leg separation in the air. Switch ring switch half, double pike step OOB. 9.725
Bladon (PSU): BHS LOSO, bend check. Cat leap side somi, lean. Rough but surviving. Switch to side aerial, another check. Gainer full stuck. Needs 9.725 to tie… 9.7!
FINAL: Ohio State 196.450, Penn State 196.425
DOWN TO THE WIRE and a totally electrifying meet. Massive scores for both teams this early in the season and a ton to be proud of. Penn State slayed its beam demon, Ohio State got a season high with a depleted roster and five up on floor, both had some visually spectacular and memorable routines and look like teams that can get 197s in a few more weeks. Just totally delighted by how this panned out. What a meet.
AA Champ: Lauren Bridgens 39.375
VT Champ: Cassidy Rushlow (PSU), Sydney Jennings (OSU) 9.850
UB Champ: Lauren Bridgens (PSU), Nicole Riccardi (OSU) 9.900
BB Champ: Tory Vetter (OSU) 9.9
FX Champ: Jenna Hlavach (OSU) 9.925
Live Blog by Rebecca Scally
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OSU’s twitter lists Miriam Perez as the fifth (and final) FX competitor. In the previous two meets, they also fielded only five FX’s, and hers wasn’t one of them; previously, it was the first 4 here plus Savannah Gonzalez