Why these teams? Why now? I don’t know! This quad is super weird, but it’s also potentially one of the most exhilarating meets of the season. All three lower-ranked teams started the season strong, but definitely have some room yet to grow. Stanford’s Ira Alexeeva had a nervy freshman debut and the Cardinal also lacked regular contributors like Chloe Widner, Morgan Hoang and Taylor Lawson. Utah State freshman Brie Clark is nothing short of a superstar, but a counted fall on vault last week held the Aggies back. Arizona looked well-rounded and prepared last week at Southern Utah, but its ultra-sharp bars rotation didn’t get much love from the judges and its floor landings have a little way to go.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma is the overwhelming favorite here but will be looking for a score after a shocking counted beam fall last weekend en route to a loss at Utah. The Sooners look phenomenal on bars but are extremely short on depth on floor and particularly vault. We’ll be hoping for some upgrades, some freshmen and a few key returners to join these lineups as the weeks go on. Will be today be one of those weeks? It’s anyone’s guess.
Rotation 1: Arizona VT, Stanford UB, Oklahoma BB, Utah State FX
Mueller (UA): Solid FTY, pikey with a hop. 9.8
Fears (UA): Good FTY, piked down with a step out and backward. 9.6
Mayberry (UA): FTY piked and underrotated with a step forward.
Herry (UA): Much higher FTY than the last few with a hop back.
Nosek (UA): Slight hip angle but high and dynamic FTY with a hop in place.
Hargrove (UA): Huge 1.5, out of control and dives forward.
Brunette (Stanford): Half turn to Deltchev, substantial form break on catch, to decent overshoot. 9.8
Alexeeva (Stanford): Catching the second half, blind to double front with a step forward. Alive!
Neault (Stanford): Shy on the first handstand, Maloney to Pak good. Blind full double back stuck-ish.
Bryant (Stanford): Slightly soft knees on the Tkachev, good Pak, flexed feet on double layout but landed well.
Gutierrez (Stanford): Blind to Jaeger clean, leg flicker on bail. Late blind to double front half out, low with the turn not complete but hops it around.
Bowers (OU): Switch switch half to beat. We’re watching her from the ceiling cam which is honestly kind of fun.
Davis (OU): Full turn, BHS LOSO nailed. Sissone to front aerial. Beat to ring good. Always the position a bit iffy on the ring but I don’t know if NCAA judges really think about that.
Woodard (OU): Side aerial BHS aggressive and clean, kickover front to beat.
Smith (OU): Front aerial good, straddle half to Korbut.
Jackson (USU): Overcooked double pike with a long lunge, good double tuck. Cut out in the middle to go watch bars.
Clark (USU): Great double layout, Popa massive. Um, we have commentary now? 2.5 to punch front, massive forward movement there but stays in bounds.
After 1: Oklahoma 49.575, Stanford 49.000, Utah State 48.900, Arizona 48.650
Rotation 2: Utah State VT, Arizona UB, Stanford BB, Oklahoma FX
Brown (USU): Big FTY, extra energy and a medium hop back. 9.825
Clark (USU): Soft knees on her FTY with a big step back. 9.75
Kane (UA): Blind to Jaeger, too far and falls. Retries, gets closer this time but falls to her knees. Sticks the double front, for what it’s worth.
Davis (OU): Front double full a little chaotic with a few foot shifts, Rudi is a little off with some visible form but lands it. 9.85
Woodard (OU): Front double full, step out on the longer side. Super clean front full front lay to finish. 9.9
Hargrove (UA): Blind full to Tkachev, peels off one hand at a time and goes flying toward the low bar, narrowly misses it and lands safe-ish on the floor. Oof. Getting checked out and won’t be finishing.
Deets (UA): Blind full to Tkachev, overshoot, good double layout with a hop.
Navarro (Stanford): One and a half twist with a hop back.
Fletcher (OU): Switch half Popa a little underrotated, front lay front full good.
McCabe (UA): Blind to pike Jaeger super clean, blind full to bail. Double layout straddled and a bit undercooked with a step forward.
Bowers (OU): Double pike underrotated with a step forward, chest was up,
Fears (UA): Tkachev, too far and falls. Clear hip to Tkachev, double layout decent.
Neault (Stanford): One and a half twist dismount stuck! 9.875
Smith (OU): Double back great, maybe a tiny front foot shuffle but not backward. One and a half front lay good, switch side Popa good. 9.925
EX Tan (Stanford): BHS back pike, switch half to split, full turn. Steady so far. Gainer pike good.
After 2: Oklahoma 99.000 and then I didn’t write down the rest because WordPress died
Oof, Arizona. This was a very upsetting rotation, but now it’s just a drop score
Rotation 3: Oklahoma VT, Utah State UB, Arizona BB, Stanford FX
Missed a couple of routines because WordPress didn’t allow me to type. Alysen Fears and Elena Deets clean through beam. Avery Stauffacher fell on her series. We didn’t get a ton
Bryant (Stanford): JK we don’t get to watch this.
Castles (Arizona): BHS LOSO great. Front aerial to sissone.
Linton (Arizona): Double wolf turn. Switch to split good. Side aerial back full stuck. Could be a very respectable score.
Zeng (Stanford): Double tuck very underrotated at the end of the routine, put her knee down.
This stream quality has been poor all along and it’s getting worse. We virtually only saw Arizona routines that rotation. Oklahoma has a real shot to go 198 and we won’t even see it.
After 3: Oklahoma 148.500, Stanford 146.925, Utah State 146.850, Arizona 144.875
I like Arizona, but this is just SO over for Arizona that I want to see somebody else.
Rotation 4: Stanford VT, Oklahoma UB, Utah State BB, Arizona FX
Bayles (I think) (USU): Front aerial BHS BHS beautiful and quick! Switch to tuck 3/4.
Nosek (Arizona): Double pike, iffy landing, double tuck with a scoot back, I think she just barely stayed in bounds. Tour jete half split full split full, short of splits. Front lay front full, shuffly landing.
McCright (USU): Side aerial to split. Side aerial back full.
Fears (Arizona): Two and a half twist with a hop to the side. One and a half front full super tidy.
Davis (OU): Saw the Pak, great, blind to giant to double front half out with a step.
Brooks (USU): Full turn, one and a half twist stuck-ish. 9.9 We are genuinely only getting the dismounts for these USU routines.
Mueller (Arizona): Slightly overrotated double pike, switch side Popa. One and a half front lay VERY low.
Clark (USU): Full turn, punch front full stuck.
Castles (Arizona): Two and a half front tuck good, one and a half to double full underrotated with messy legs.
FINAL: Oklahoma 197.900, Utah State 196.350, Stanford 195.725,
This was an exhausting and confusing viewing experience. Oklahoma got the second-best team score of the year and I have no idea how they did it, if it was fair, what made the difference? Utah State got a 49.500 on beam and I only saw the dismounts. I don’t even know if Malia Hargrove is actually injured (she looks OK, though.) Lots of potential but just a poorly executed meet.
AA Champ: Jordan Bowers 39.600
VT Champ: Jordan Bowers 9.975
UB Champ: Danae Fletcher, Jordan Bowers, Audrey Davis 9.900
BB Champ: Ragan Smith 9.975
FX Champ: Jordan Bowers, Ragan Smith, Brie Clark 9.925
Live Blog by Rebecca Scally
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