This is going to be a sneaky good meet, folks! North Carolina and Missouri both smashed expectations in their home openers and George Washington and Brown both came out looking strong. EAGL matchups are usually close and reliably exciting; throw in some Ivy League panache and SEC flair, an eponymous skill or two, and this should be a lot of fun.
Besides, who doesn’t love a good quad meet?
Shaky performances on floor kept the Tar Heels from matching their performance in Week 1, but they still looked pretty darn good for this early in the season. The freshmen continue to excel: Julia Knower edged out classmate Lali Dekanoidze for the all around win at the Penn quad, while Dekanoidze snagged top place on vault.
Missouri came out swinging in its Week 1 home opener with a massive 196.600, but had to sit out the following week due to COVID protocols within opponent LSU’s program. Can the Tigers keep that magic flowing in Chapel Hill after an unexpected bye week? It’s also worth noting that Missouri has quietly become one of the top beam teams in the country: The Tigers finished 10th overall in 2021 (with Helen Hu out for the season) and are currently ranked second.
George Washington kicked off its season in a big way against Penn, besting its 2021 debut score by nearly two points. Graduate student Deja Chambliss continues to shine, earning the Colonials’ top scores on three of four events and EAGL Gymnast of the Week honors. In addition to Chambliss, keep an on Kendall Whitman: Her eponymous vault – a front handspring onto the board, front handspring pike or layout half off – is one of the few truly unique skills being competed in the NCAA (not to mention one of the coolest).
Brown competed in its first meet in nearly two years last week, led by USAG All American and 2019 bars champ Mei Li Costa. She fell on her signature event on Sunday, but has the potential to outscore gymnasts from bigger programs when she hits.
The meet will be live streamed with commentary from Tar Heels gym alumna Maddy Hargrove (’19) filling in for Christina Chauvenet.
Scores will (hopefully…) be available here.
https://twitter.com/GoHeelsGameDay/status/1484929916542099462?s=20
Hmm… It’s 04:06 PM and the stream still hasn’t started (I promise I haven’t fallen down on the job).
Rotation 1: UNC vault, GW bars, Mizzou beam, Brown floor
Apologies, it stream started mid-rotation!
McCrary (Mizzou): front toss, well done. Bhs loso, well done. Bhs tucked full slightly underrotated and has to take a step back. 9.775
Banen (GW): Solid full pirouette to double tuck with a step back. 9.625
Walsh (Brown): Double pike, good. Didn’t quite hit the position on her ring leap.
Knower (UNC): Big Y full, but opens up early and has a large bound forward. 9.625
Katz (GW): Shy handstand. Good rotation on the Tkatchev. FTDT basically stuck. 9.725
Gatzendorfer (Mizzou): I believe this is the first we’ve seen the freshman. Feet visibly flexed on the gainer pike, but landing was good. 9.775
Dekanoidze (UNC): Her usual big Y 1.5 with a hop forward. 9.800
Walsh (Brown): Good control on her opening double tuck. Leaps a bit shy. Back 1.5 with soft knees and has to tuck the front lay; lands in a deep squat but holds on. 9.600
Sheremeta (Mizzou): Excellent bh loso. Her extension is lovely. Gainer tucked full off the end. A little crooked in the air, but a clear stick. 9.900
Chambliss (GW): Clear hip to Tkatchev, some feet but well done. Good bail. Pirouette late, but a beautiful high double tuck with a hop. 9.750
Swords (Brown): Short on the double tuck and has a large step forward. Didn’t quite hit 180 on her switch leap, but the Popa was great. One and a half to front lay with some soft knees and leg sep on the latter. 9.525
Schrieber (Mizzou): Bhs loso loso, uses the entire beam. Excellent. Switch half to split jump to beat, great. 9.950
Gardner (Brown): Switch leap to wolf full, good amplitude. I’m into the Mambo No. 5 mix. Didn’t get a good punch on her bhs and falls on her double tuck. 9.125
Hu (Mizzou): Front aerial to bhs, gorgeous. Front aerial to scale to needle scale. Truly perfect. Split 3/4 looked a hair shy, but the angle is admittedly not great. Step forward on her side gainer full. 9.825
Zona (GW): High FTDT, lands with chest down and has to step forward. 9.625
Bedell (Brown): Front through to double tuck, beautifully done. Not completely in control of the landing, but she finessed it well. Great amplitude on her leap series. Big double pike, unfortunately OOB. 9.775 is not bad at all given the OOB. She’s absolutely one to watch.
AFTER ONE ROTATION: Missouri 49.225, North Carolina 48.875, George Washington 48.400, Brown 47.925
Again, apologies for a rocky start on my end (particularly for any misspelled names or missed routines).
Rotation 2: Brown vault, UNC bars, GW beam, Mizzou floor
Schrieber (Mizzou): Front full to that floaty front loso. 9.850
Kramer (Brown): Y lay, chest a bit down on the landing. 9.500
Shearer (UNC): Lovely blind change to straddled Jaeger. 9.700
Zona (GW): Side aerial with a little hitch, but she works right through. Soft legs on the bhs loso, but not a waver. Back 1.5, stuck. 9.725
Bedell (Brown): BIG Y lay, lots of power but an uncontrolled landing. Looks ready to upgrade. 9.600
Kratzer (Mizzou): Glad to see yet another freshman make her debut! BIG opening double tuck with a bouncy landing. Great amplitude and position on her straddle series. This is such a different feel from her elite routines, and it suits her. Definitively stuck double pike. 9.850
Chambliss (GW): Gorgeous, stretched bhs loso with a bend (don’t even care, even the bend was pretty). Bhs double full with a hop. Great. 9.650
Xing (Brown): Another massive Y lay with a bounce back. 9.525
Sheremeta (Mizzou) Fhs double full, great. Rudi to back loso, well done. 9.900
Knower (UNC): Gienger with some leg sep on the regrasp. Excellent bail. High FTDT, close to the bar and a big step back. 9.700
Costa (Brown): Nice Y full. A little bit of an early twist, so doesn’t quite get the amplitude and has to pike down and take a hop. 9.525
Silverman (GW): Front aerial to bhs bhs; series was a little slow, but I think they’ll still credit the connection. Good amplitude on the switch leap series. 9.800
Moore (Mizzou): Whip through to double tuck, well done. Popa series, nice. 9.900
Dekanoidze (UNC): Shaposh to overshoot, good body tension throughout. Fabulous DLO, stuck. 9.875
Poley (Brown): Y full underrotated, chest down and a large bound forward.
(Brown): Y lay, again underrotated and steps forward. 9.325
Banen (GW): Bhs loso, very secure. Cat leap to switch side, didn’t quite hit position. 9.700
Culton (UNC): Gorgeous stalder and Tkachev as usual. Blind full to stuck double tuck. Excellent. 9.900
Burns (Mizzou): Beautifully dynamic DLO, slide back on the front foot. Floaty Popa series. Front through to a double tuck, stuck it cold. Fantastic. 9.825
Shek (GW): Bhs loso, takes an extra step out. Back 1.5 with a step. 9.675
McCrary (Mizzou): Front lay to Rudi, bounces out of the landing. Double pike a bit short, has to hop forward. 9.825
Whitman (GW): Bhs bhs loso, really nice. Slightly soft knees, but great rhythm. Switch leap to beat to straddle 3/4, very nice. RO double full with legs slightly staggered, but a stick. 9.725
AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: Missouri 98.550, North Carolina 97.800, George Washington 97.125, Brown 95.775
Looks like Missouri is testing some of its depth this week; smart move for the Tigers, if not so great for Fantasy Gym players. Kratzer’s routine was a standout for me from a performance, if not an execution perspective (although her execution was solid).
GW had some gorgeous moments on beam and no major issues. They should be pleased with this one.
Impressed by Brown’s vault rotation. Obviously, there’s a scoring ceiling when you’re competing mostly Y lays, but their technique and amplitude shows they’re ready for some upgrades.
UNC opted to stick with five competitors today, not
Rotation 3: Mizzou vault, Brown bars, UNC beam, GW floor
AFTER THREE ROTATIONS:
Kratzer (Mizzou): Nice, high Y full to start. A little pike down at the end and a small hop back. 9.800
Marshall (Mizzou): Another solid Y full. Chest looked a little forward, but I don’t think the feet moved (who can really tell from a head-on angle though…) 9.750
Gardner (Brown): Some feet on her Pak and again on the uprise. High double tuck to finish.
Summey (UNC): Fabulous opening bhs loso. Stuck back 1.5. 9.850
Davis (Mizzou): Big Y full with plenty of distance and a hop back. 9.800
York (GW): Double tuck stalled a bit in the air, and she had to put her hands down. Back 1.5 to front lay, a little flat and has to bend her knees. 9.100
Shearer (UNC): Nice bhs loso. Sticks the gainer full dismount. 9.850
Petrillo (Brown): Couldn’t quite find the landing on her double back and bounds forward.
Moore (Mizzou): Her usual enormous, flared out Y 1.5, basically stuck. “I think some of the Carolina basketball players could have walked under that!” Agreed. A well-deserved 9.950
McCrary (Mizzou): Y tucked full, a little underrotated and steps forward. 9.550
Richter (Brown): Straddled Jaeger a hair close. Shy on the final handstand. Blind full to double back a little low, but a nice landing. 9.525
Nam (UNC): Side aerial, well done. Great RO 1.5 with a small hop. 9.825
Zona (GW): BIG double tuck, great landing. Wolf full, major amplitude. 9.850
Dekanoidze (UNC): Always lovely side aerial. Bhs loso, no problem. 9.900
Poley (Brown): Gienger, good. Bail is a little shy. Big FTDT with chest down, but controlled landing. 9.625
Raymond (GW): Back 1.5 to front lay, legs a little soft and salto a little flat, but she finessed it well. Double pike right to the edge and has to take a step OOB. Good switch side to wolf full. 9.775
Culton (UNC): Bhs loso with a wave and hip bend. Cat leap to switch side, lovely. Front aerial to beat, perfect. Side aerial to full, stuck. 9.925
Cantello (Brown): Massive Tkatchev. Loses it on a handstand and has to readjust, but stays on. Great tension in her bail. Per the commentators, she was injured on her dismount, unfortunately… 7.950
Whitman (GW): FHS double full, gorgeous. Switch side to Popa, super dynamic. Her interstitial choero/acro is super cool. Oh no, underrotates her final pass and sits it. 9.325
Knower (UNC): Fabulous bhs loso. She’s another with great extension. Moderate check on her front toss. Full turn obviously ip on her toe. Beat to switch half and a leg up check. 9.525
Chambliss (GW): Double pike, excellent. Back 1.5 to front pike, nice control. Back leg low on her switch full series. Nice, high double tuck with pointed toes to end. 9.850
Costa (Brown): Gorgeous blind half to straddled Jaeger. Kch a little shy. Bail, lovely. Final handstand position excellent. Finishes her full pirouette a hair late, double tuck with pointed toes and a small hop. Great routine. 9.775
AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: Missouri 147.675, North Carolina 147.150, George Washington 145.875, Brown 143.325
Solid vault rotation for Missouri, though they’re certainly missing Celestine’s Y 1.5. Moore was the clear standout, though Kratzer demonstrated her viability as a steady lead-off.
UNC killed it on beam, even with a miss from Knower. The Heels’ 49.350 actually outscored Missouri’s 49.225, so… Not bad given how many teams have struggled on beam this weekend *cough*.
It’s too bad the Colonials had to count a fall, because that was an overall fun and dynamic floor rotation. It speaks to the quality of the routine construction and execution that Whitman earned a 9.325 with a fall.
Brown had some struggles on bars, but Costa in the anchor position was a treat as always. I (thankfully) did not see what happened to Contello, but hoping she’s OK.
Rotation 4: GW vault, Mizzou bars, Brown beam, UNC floor
Marshall (Mizzou): Ridiculously high FTDT. She finished the twist above the bar and drilled the landing. 9.875
Nam (UNC): Big double pike to open, great landing. Fhs Rudi; again, well-controlled. Switch half to wolf half, nice positions. Front full series to end. Great lead-off. 9.875
York (GW): Huge Y half with a hop. 9.750
Schreiber (Mizzou): Really nice Maloney to bail. DLO, stuck. 9.875
Liebhardt (Brown): Bhs loso, beautiful. Missed a connection after her beat. Good position on her leap series. 9.700
Zois (GW): Y full with some form and a small hop. 9.800
St. Brice (UNC): Back 1.5 with a flat front lay, has to absorb the landing a bit, but covers well. Double pike, maybe the best I’ve seen from her. 9.850
Moore (Mizzou): HUGE Tkatchev. FTDT with another great landing. 9.825
Chambliss (GW): Gigantic Y full, but a bit crooked and a hop. 9.800
McKeown (Brown): Really nice bhs loso and full turn. 9.225
Whitman (GW): Big straddle on the preflight, but great in the air and well-controlled landing. 9.800
Greenlow (UNC): Big double pike. Back 2.5, well done. Back 1.5 to front lay, a little flat but gets it around and. 9.850
Patrick (Mizzou): Straddled Jaeger a hair close, but doesn’t bother her. DLO with chest down but fights for the stick. 9.750
Sheremeta (Mizzou): Overcooks the handstand but pulls it back. Good position on her straddled Jaeger. Bail looks good. Flyaway Rudi landed a little crunched and hops forward. 9.750
Dekanoidze (UNC): Bounces out of her double tuck, but not bad. Switch ring to switch half, good positions. Back 2.5, gets it all the way around. Fhs full to front lay, perfect. 9.875
Schulze (Brown): Leg up check on her leap series. Gorgeous RO 1.5, stuck. 9.525
Gatzendorfer (Mizzou): Flawless full pirouette to stuck double tuck. 9.850
Culton (UNC): Great double tuck to open. Front full to front lay. Switch ring to switch side, nice position. Final front lay to Rudi, excellent. 9.875
Xing (Brown): Bhs pike, good. Lovely switch side. Another lovely RO back 1.5 with a step. 9.600
Knower (UNC): Big double pike, holds onto it a little too long and a deep landing. Perfect front full to front lay. Switch leap series, great amplitude. Falls OOB on her double tuck to finish. 9.100
(Brown): Floaty bhs loso, very nice. Switch side didn’t quite hit 180. Bhs sider gainer full with a hop.
FINAL: Missouri 196.850, North Carolina 196.475, George Washington 194.825, Brown 190.975
Wow, what a meet! All of the teams looked sharp, but Mizzou and UNC have left my jaw on the floor.
Missouri just tied its second best score from last year in its second meet of the year, even without Celestine or nationals qualifier Sydney Schaffer competing or home-scoring advantage. SEC, you are on notice!
The Tar Heels broke 196 once last season, late in the season; they improved on that total by over three tenths today. Again I say, “Wow.”
VT: Jocelyn Moore, Missouri 9.950
UB: Elizabeth Culton, UNC 9.900
BB: Sienna Schrieber, Missouri 9.950
FX: Deja Chambliss, GW 9.925
AA: Sienna Schrieber, Missouri 39.500
Live blog by Claire Billman
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