Welcome to what is sure to be a close meet between two EAGL teams that are quickly rocketing their way through the season, both improving week after week.
LIU has been swimming through the season, chomping at its records and claiming its first program victory last week, beating Yale by just over three tenths. Not only did the Sharks claim their first victory, but the team also set several program records, including the team bar score and the best team score since the program started. Although the program is young, just in its second season, the Sharks have been throwing up big scores, including Mara Titarsolej’s 9.900 on bars. Ilka Juk set a personal best last week with a 9.825 on beam, her unique dismount an exclamation point to her routine week after week.
Not to be outdone, the Owls have been setting their own program records on the competition floor, notching the highest team score in January since 2020 and a season high on beam. Julianna Roland and Hannah Stallings both tied a program record on beam with a 9.900 this past weekend, as well as setting new career highs themselves. Stallings added an additional feather to her cap with a career high of 39.275 in the all-around, proving that she will be a force that LIU will need to contend with.
Although Temple is increasing its score week after week, starting the season with a 193.450 to scoring a 195.825 last week, LIU is close behind, jumping from a season opener of 190.825 to a 194.200 most recently. While the Sharks may not pose an imminent threat to toppling the Owls today, Temple could find itself hunted by LIU if it doesn’t keep up.
Wouldn’t be gymnastics without mysterious circumstances. The NEC Front Row app is saying the meet is to be broadcast tomorrow at 1pm or 4pm… I am also curious about what’s happening.
Good news, the prompt went from tomorrow at 1pm to “Broadcast has been delayed.” Fingers crossed! TV app says “Broadcast was set to start at 1pm” so looks like they’re doing some streaming magic over on Long Island.
And we have a stream! Teams are being announced now.
Both Temple and LIU are coming off of some high scores. Ready?
Rotation 1: LIU vault, Temple bars
Koopman (LIU): Y tuck full, steps back but controlled. 9.750
A. Stallings (Temple): Ray, nice. Bail to hs, good. Can’t tell hs from this angle but looks good, ftdb, just a step, good height. 9.700
They just said Juk on vault next but lineup says Folino. Last minute change, Sanchez.
Sanchez (LIU): Layout half, but doesn’t get it around and sits it down. 9.050
Gray (Temple): Giant full, picked gienger, nice. Full to double tuck, stuck. 9.775
Miller (LIU): Y full, bounces back but looked good. 9.750
Whalen (Temple): Bail to hs some form, tkatchev looked good. FTDB had some leg form, took a step forward. 9.775
Loo (LIU): Y full, chest down when she landed. 9.650
Brooks (Temple): Nice tkatchev, bail to hs. Giant full a little sideways but clean double tuck, takes a step. 9.725
Foster (LIU): Y half on, front off, steps forward. Lots of power. 9.775
Castrence (Temple): Giant full to tkatchev, good. HS looked a little short, double lay with form but sticks.
Ricketts (LIU): Y full doesn’t get it around and sits down. 8.925
S. Stallings (Temple): Misses piked jaeger, bail to hs clean. Giant full to clean double tuck, hops back. Nice routine otherwise. 9.075
After 1: Temple 48.800, LIU 47.975
LIU will be counting a fall on vault, not what it would be hoping for but it’s only the first rotation. Temple came out swinging and will count 9.700 or higher for its bar work. Not what LIU is looking for coming off a program high score but it’s early in the season. Sanchez stepped in last minute for Folino and despite the fall, proves that LIU has some depth to still put up a solid vault last minute.
Rotation 2: Temple vault, LIU bars
S. Stallings (Temple): Y full, looked like she picked down a bit. 9.850
Bedminster (LIU): Toe on shaposh, nice. Bail to hs a little archy. Double lay, sticks it. 9.875
Aresta (Temple): Y full, some piked shapes too, but solid. 9.775
Juk (LIU): Toe shaposh, some pak form but I love a pak otherwise. Giant full, double, two quick steps back. 9.775
Hill (Temple): Y full, bit more open than others, picks her chest up quick. 9.775
Sanchez (LIU): Missed pike jaeger. It’s not a day for piked jaegers. Pak looked good, really holds that last handstand, double lay, big step forward. 9.000
Roland (Temple): Y full, flies it around, sticks it. 9.800
Miller (LIU): Free hip shaposh, bail to hs a little loose. Double lay, hops in place. More routines with free hips, thanks. 9.825
H. Stallings (Temple): Y full, blocks to the side but lands fine and solid otherwise. 9.850
Castellanos (LIU): Bail to hs to toe to high, the FORM, tkatchev, nice. Double lay, just a hop. Great. 9.800
Castrence (Temple): Y full, has a hop back, some soft leg form. 9.800
Titarsolej (LIU): Toe shapsoh, pak, great form on both. Giant full to double tuck, just a hop. Great. 9.925
After 2: Temple 97.875, LIU 97.125
LIU improved its meet on bars, really stepping it up. Lost a few crucial tenths on landings but were able to rely on scores over 9.775 to power them through and past its vault rotation. Temple went hard on vault, proving that its season is still rolling and continues to improve. LIU improved on last week’s bar score, looking like it has set another new program record today with a 49.200.
Rotation 3: LIU beam, Temple floor
Bixler (LIU): BHS LOSO, solid. Cat leap side aerial, small balance check. Switch leap to tuck 3/4, puts her chest down. Split half, a little shy. RO 1.5, great start for LIU. I swear her foot was slightly off on that RO but made it look like nothing. 9.675
Schugman (Temple): The floor camera is directly behind the team. RO 1.5 to front full it looked like, takes a few steps back. Switch side popa, nice. Love this swing jazzy choreo. Closes with a double pike, takes a step forward. 9.675
Koopman (LIU): BHS BHS LOSO, wobbles a little. Switch to tuck 3/4, solid. Side aerial, shoulder dropped. Switch wobbles, gainer full off side. Not quite what LIU wants BUT fought for it all. 9.625
Roland (Temple): RO double pike to open, just keeps it in bounds. Switch ring to hop wolf full. Takes a few steps back on the front lay front full. Closes with a double tuck, hops forward with a step. 9.650
Castellanos (LIU): BHS BHS LOSO, smallest of wobbles. Ring beat, love it. Side aerial to lay full. Solid. 9.700
H. Stallings (Temple): RO 1.5 to front lay. Temple with the sassy jazzy routines. Little soft on the ring leap series. Oh, it’s Hamilton! Closes with double pike, chest a bit down. 9.850
Dorten (LIU): Ring beat, solid. BHS LOSO, absolute ice. Cat leap, side aerial, off the side. Split half to split, gorgeous. Punch layout, just a step to the side. 9.150
Edwards (Temple): Front double full to open. Switch to popa to wolf full, little soft on the wolf. Ro 1.5 to front lay, very clean. Solid routine. 9.875
Ricketts (LIU): Front aerial, leg slightly up. BHS LOSO, good. Switch switch to split jump, nice. Tuck 1.5, steps. Just what LIU needed. 9.700
Leary (Temple): Chest down a bit on the rudi, looked clean otherwise. Switch side to popa. Closes with a double tuck, bounces a bit and takes a step.
Juk (LIU): Slight wobble on the mount. Great bhs bhs loso series. Switch to leap, draws out the connection. BHS full to lay full, just a small hop in place. 9.750
Donabedian (Temple): Rudi to loso, smooth. Beautiful ring series. Couldn’t see her last pass but looked like a front double full (?) and based on reactions, it went well. Super clean routine overall. The judges are STILL having a conference about her routine. 9.825
After 3: Temple 146.800, LIU 145.575
Although this meet isn’t going as well they might like, the Sharks are up two tenths from where they were last week after 3 rotations, so with a strong floor rotation, the team could outperform the previous program record today. Temple went routine for routine, giving nothing away except for two stumbles early on in the lineup. Temple will need to go 49.025 on beam to tie its season high from last week where it posted a 49.050. It’ll be close. A 48.625 on floor will tie LIU’s program high, and had a 48.825 last week. Could be a rotation of program or season highs for both. No Folino in the floor lineup today.
Rotation 4: Temple beam, LIU floor
Schugman (Temple): Front aerial front aerial, small check. Cat leap to side somi, comes off. Straddle to straddle 1/4, great. RO 1.5 with a hop back. Owls will want to drop this score. 9.250
Barrington (LIU): Opens with a high double tuck, chest just a little down. Nice leaps. RO 2.5, floaty and clean. Ends with a ro 1.5 to front lay, looked the tiniest bit short but that’ll be a good score. 9.750
Ruskey (Temple): BHS LOSO, picks her front leg up but keeps it on. Front toss, hop, beat. Cat leap to switch side, solid. BHS to lay 1.5, just a hop forward. 9.650
Koopman (LIU): Opens with a triple twist, some ankle form but gets it all the way around. Switch ring looked great. Ro 2.5 weird punch and sits down the punch front. Pressure is on for both teams to hit the rest of the lineup. 8.800
Donabedian (Temple): Front aerial to bhs, slow connection, otherwise clean. Cat leap to side somi, good. Split jump to stag ring. RO 1.5, stuck. 9.825
Miller (LIU): RO double tuck, some bounce. Double tuck for second pass, as well, but more controlled. Leap series, good. Front full to front lay, just a small step. 9.650
H. Stallings (Temple): Switch to straddle 1/4, okay. BHS LOSO, solid. Split jump to loso. Side aerial to lay full, stuck. 9.850
Jones (LIU): Front double full, great. RO 1.5 to front lay, very well controlled. Leap series had great height. Closes with a rudi, chest a bit down. Good routine overall. 9.800
Castrence (Temple): One arm bhs loso, small wobble. Beautiful leap series, solid. Just the dismount. RO double full, just a hop in place. 9.825
Foster (LIU): Big double tuck, some steps back, great power. Some form on the ring leap. Great leap series into the corner. Fhs front lay to front full, great. RO 1.5 to front lay just sits it down. Great until that hiccup. 9.125
Roland (Temple): BHS LOSO, small hop but keeps it on. Hitch kick side aerial, good. Beat split 3/4, a little shy on the split. RO 1.5, hop forward. A 9.875 would tie the season high. 9.650
Loo (LIU): Big double lay, just keeps it in. Good leap series. Front tuck through to double tuck, chest down a bit, solid overall. 9.900
Final: Temple 195.750, LIU 193.850
Both teams put up some solid routines, had a few hiccups, but proved any hiccups or falls could be moved past.
Vault: H. Stallings, S. Stallings 9.850
Bars: Titarsolej 9.925
Beam: H. Stallings 9.850
Floor: Loo 9.900
All around: H. Stallings 39.250
Live Blog by Allison Freeman
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