This weekend’s SEC gymnastics slate wraps up today with a great matchup between two tightly ranked conference foes. With two meets under their belts each and separated by only three tenths in average, this meet between the Wildcats and Tigers could come down to the final routine!
Although it should be a close one, Missouri enters as the favorite as Kentucky’s highest total of the season (196.525) falls short of Missouri’s low (196.600). The Tigers have been consistent across all four events to start the season, have yet to have a fall, and only have two routines that have scored below a 9.7. That’s an ideal start for a team trying to assert itself into the top half of the SEC, and so far so good with the Tigers in the top 10. Missouri stands out on beam, where it ranks second nationally thanks to the return of Helen Hu, and actually notched its highest score of the season without former 5-star recruit Amari Celestine in any lineups. She adds even more scoring potential for the Tigers and could be the difference maker if she’s back today.
On the contrary, beam is what has been holding Kentucky back so far this season. Having broken 49 on all three other events in both meets, the Wildcats have yet to reach that total on beam. If Kentucky can do so, it could easily find itself in the top 10. Vault has been a strength of the Wildcats using a barrage of 10.0 SV front handspring front pike halves, and Raena Worley is sitting pretty ranked fourth in the all around with a massive 39.625 average. Even coming in ranked lower, Kentucky might have the higher scoring potential of either team in this meet, it’s just up to the Wildcats to reach it.
Follow along with scores and video! (SEC Network)
Looks like we will be seeing Celestine today for Missouri! Great news for the Tigers to have her back.
Rotation 1: Kentucky Vault, Missouri Bars
Procasky (UK): YFull. Great form and gets the stick! Great start for Kentucky. 9.875
Marshall (Miz): Mounts to the high bar, giant half to jager to overshoot, close on all the catches, jumps to high bar, FTDT dismount and a step to the side. 9.825
Watson (UK): FHS front pike half. Bouncy landing, chest decently up. 9.850
Schreiber (Miz): Maloney to bail, nice handstand, jumps to high bar, dismounts with a whippy double layout and a hop back. 9.800
Magnelli (UK): FHS front pike half. Almost identical to Watson, a slide to the side. 9.775
Patrick (Miz): Nice first handstand, giant half to Jager, caught very well, archy handstand to bail, hits it, jumps to high bar, double layout and gets the stick! 9.850
Nixon (UK): YFull. Her usual big block and height, just a hop in place. 9.850
Moore (Miz): Archy first handstand, giant full to Tkatchev to overshoot, pretty piked throughout, jumps to high bar, immediate FTDT dismount with a shuffle. 9.850
Patterson (UK): FHS front pike half. The best of the three. Opened up to get a much better landing, just a small slide. 9.900
Sheremeta (Miz): Jumps up to the high bar and gets the first handstand, giant half to Jager to overshoot, a bit of bent arms but great height, dismounts front giant to Rudi, sticks! 9.825
Worley (UK): Y1.5. Good height and distance, just a tiny bit of a hop forward. 9.925
Celestine (Miz): Toe on, Maloney to pak, whipped through out, Maloney half and peels off the bar and falls, didn’t get her grips around, remounts, stadler to Celestine and a stick. 9.225
Rotation 1: Kentucky 49.400, Missouri 49.150
The Wildcats just front handspringed themselves to a great opening total. The judges today are finally on par with the judges at SEC meets in big-name arenas, and Kentucky is taking advantage so far. Worley’s Yurchenko one and a half was a great anchoring vault that’s also got her all around off to a promising start.
The miss from Celestine at the end was a bummer, but the Tigers still put together a competitive score on their weakest event. Missouri finally has some difficulty to show off on vault, and it is important for them to do so right now to not only hang with Kentucky, but to stay on pace for a total that keeps it in the top 10.
Rotation 2: Missouri Vault, Kentucky Bars
Schaffer (Miz): YFull. Tiny bit of pike but gets the stick, chest a bit down. 9.775
Davis (UK): Giant full, giant half to big Jager, good handstand, bail, jumps to high bar, dismounts double layout and sticks. 9.875
Marshall (Miz): YFull. Short of rotation and hops forward, chest down. 9.675
DeGuzman (UK): Giant half to Jager to overshoot, perfect toe point, good handstands, double layout and sticks! Great leg form too. 9.825
Schreiber (Miz): YFull. Great form, hop in place, good distance. 9.825
Nixon (UK): Maloney to bail, great form, perfect handstand, FTDT, chest a tiny bit low but another stick! 9.900
Celestine (Miz): Y1.5. Needs to bounce back big. Big block, almost gets the landing but a small step forward, big smile. 9.900
Angeny (UK): Giant half to Jager to overshoot, smooth transition, short on the final handstand, double layout, ANOTHER STICK. 9.850
Moore (Miz): Y1.5. Opens nice and early, just a small hop, should score well. 9.875
Bunn (UK): Giant half to Jager, catches a little close, good bail, good final handstand, dismounts double layout, college salutes out of a near stick. 9.850
Davis (Miz): Y1.5. Great distance but takes a big bound forward. A bit of a miss when they needed a huge score. Will be decent. 9.675
Worley (UK): Clear hip to Tkatchev, easy, nice handstand before a smooth pak, dismounts FTDT and GETS THE STICK! 9.950
Rotation 2: Missouri 49.050, Kentucky 49.425
Through 2: Kentucky 98.825, Missouri 98.200
Kentucky copied and pasted its consistent performances on vault and pasted it right onto bars, and the Wildcats are just off of 198 pace halfway through the meet. They’re now heading to the event that’s been giving them issues so far this season, so if Kentucky wants a huge score it will have to earn it.
Missouri missed out on some huge totals there, but still saw two successful 10.0 start values and brought in a total over 49. The Tigers will need to hit it out of the park on the last two events to be able to notch a win, but that outstanding beam rotation could put the pressure on.
Rotation 3: Kentucky Beam, Missouri Floor
Luksik (UK): Onodi to start things off, beautiful, BHS LOSO, steady, cat leap to switch half, well short of 180 on the split, easy turn, dismounts with a gainer pike, sticks it. 9.875
Schreiber (Miz): Mounts with a Rudi to back layout to punch front to stag jump, a little low on the punch but handles it well, and a fun pass to watch, front full to front layout stepout and moves right into dance fluidly, good leap series to finish up. 9.850
Bunn (UK): Smooth full turn to get going, BHS LOSO LOSO, small check to the side, switch leap to split jump, staring the beam down, RO double full dismount, small hop. 9.850
Kratzer (Miz): Starts her routine off with a double tuck, nicely controlled lunge, switch side straddle full, RO 1.5 front layout, arched it around and takes a bounding step forward, closes with a double pike, good landing. 9.750
Magnelli (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO, tiny leg up adjustment, switch leap to split side, great extension, front aerial, smooth into a pose, clean turn, gainer pike and sticks it! 9.875
Awesome start for the Wildcats on their trouble event.
Sheremeta (Miz): Opens up with a FHS front double full, switch side straddle full, cleanly through, FHS Rudi LOSO, controlled, fun back spin choreography, dismounts with a RO 1.5 front layout stepout and a third solid landing. 9.850
Procasky (UK): A hit here would be enormous in her first career beam routine. BHS LOSO, immediately off. Remounts quickly, cat leap switch ring, needs more ring, front aerial to beat jump, slow connection, gainer pike dismount with a step forward. 9.150
Burns (Miz): Whip double tuck to open, great landing, wolf 1.5 a little crooked, front full to front tuck, bailed out of the layout after a weird punch, switch side straddle full, off-kilter a bit again. 9.625
Worley (UK): The pressure is on for the team’s superstar. Cat leap to switch side, confident, good Caquatto-Johnson style roll on the low beam, front aerial BHS LOSO, easy work, full turn and kicks out of it, moving so well through this, dismounts RO 1.5 and just a hop forward. She delivered. 9.900
Moore (Miz): Double layout and gets the stick, no lunge needed, switch half to Popa Popa, good height on the Popa’s, front tuck through to double tuck, another perfect stick! 9.925
Angeny (UK): If she can hit, Kentucky can pull in a big score tonight. Starts off with BHS LOSO LOSO, bends over to the side but stays on, front aerial, tiny smile after, good full turn, beat jump to straddle side, side aerial layout full, closed with the stick to save it. 9.775
Celestine (Miz): Mounts with a nice full-in, tour jete half switch full, so bouncy, RO 1.5 front layout, controls it with the step forward, finishes with a double tuck, chest up and just the lunge. 9.900
Rotation 3: Kentucky 49.275, Missouri 49.275
Through 3: Kentucky 148.100, Missouri 147.475
While it wasn’t perfect, it was Kentucky’s best beam rotation of the season by far and should help take that elephant off its chest. Now, all pressure should be off heading to floor, with a great opportunity to pull in a score in the mid-197s.
Missouri did well on floor and kept itself in a good spot heading to its best event. It looks like the win will likely be out of reach, but a good score is still well within reach with Helen Hu still to grace the screen.
Rotation 4: Missouri Beam, Kentucky Floor
Marshall (Miz): Front aerial to get going, front toss BHS, smooth, easy full turn, split jump split side, tiny bend forward, BHS gainer full, small hop back while bringing the heels together. 9.800
Bunn (UK): Opens with a double pike, nice lunge to show control, switch side wolf 1.5, a little low on height, RO 1.5 front pike, just the lunge forward, dismounts with FHS Rudi. 9.825
McCrary (Miz): Front toss to start, solid, BHS LOSO, step back and check to the side, beat jump to double stag, no wobbles, transverse split half, archy wobble, full turn a little nervy, BHS tucked 1.5 and a big hop forward. 9.625
LeClair (UK): Wildcat debut. Massive height on her opening double pike, switch side straddle full wolf full, cleanly around, FHS front layout front full, controlled step, closes with a Rudi, step to the side and chest a bit low. 9.750
Schaffer (Miz): Full turn to start off, BHS BHS LOSO, issue-free, front aerial, check to her left, switch leap split jump, RO 1.5 dismount, step in place with one foot. 9.875
DeGuzman (UK): A replacement for Anna Haigis. Wolf 1.5, slightly short of rotation, RO 1.5 front full, nice open hips, good landing, switch ring tour jete half, showing off her flexibility, ends with a FHS Rudi, chest down. 9.775
Sheremeta (Miz): Beat jump, BHS LOSO, pulls the chest up quickly, split jump double stag, could throw her head back more, front aerial, easy, beautiful straight-legged full turn, tucked gainer full dismount and sticks, a little off to the right of the beam. 9.875
Magnelli (UK): Mounts with a floaty Rudi LOSO, switch side straddle full, double pike, a little low, quick and easy routine. 9.875
Schreiber (Miz): Begins with a smooth full turn, BHS LOSO LOSO, great, switch half to split jump beat jump to gainer full dismount, sticks! 9.900
Davis (UK): Double pike to open, secure lunge, switch side Popa, RO BHS 1.5 front layout, good height compared to distance, ends with a cleanly landed double tuck. 9.900
Hu (Miz): This could be special. Leg up full turn, front aerial BHS, a bit of a hesitation prior to that series, front aerial to scale, beat jump to split 3/4, gorgeous, flexing on everyone with her flexibility, BHS gainer full dismount, squats for the stick. 9.900
Worley (UK): Could also be another big number. Opens up with a HUGE full-in, switch ring to switch side, front full front layout, perfect stick, a perfectly stuck double tuck to close as well!
Rotation 4: Missouri 49.350, Kentucky 49.350
Final: Kentucky 197.450, Missouri 196.875*
Kentucky finally overcame its beam demons and closed out the meet on floor the way it needed to en route to notching a massive mid-197 score. Worley continues to show she will be a force in the all around this year and is capable of beating anyone, and should help keep the Wildcats in contention if they perform like this moving forward.
Missouri ended well on its strongest event and fell just twenty-five hundredths short of matching its season-high. It was still a promising performance overall, with Celestine showing that she is healthy and continuing to flex its beam prowess. Both teams should be competitive in the SEC this season, creating a phenomenal battle to watch as the season moves on.
*Missouri’s original score was raised .050 at the conclusion of the meet to give the Tigers a new season-best score.
Event Winners
All Around: Worley 39.750
Vault: Raena Worley (UK) 9.925
Bars: Worley 9.925
Beam: Helen Hu (Miz), Sienna Schreiber (Miz), Worley 9.900
Floor: Worley 9.975
Live blog by Brandis Heffner
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