Welcome to the first of four times that BYU and Boise State will face off this season! Next time will be at Boise State, then after that at a quad meet at Stanford, and then lastly at MRGC Championships. Maybe we should make this a series of its own! The BYU-Boise State rivalry of 2022 battle. I can see it now! Anyways, you can watch this meet on BYU’s FREE and I said FREE streaming site BYUtv and the scores here.
BYU comes into this meet ranked higher than Boise State with their highest ranked event being floor at No. 10 in the country. The Cougars have the enormous power of Sadie Miner-Van Tassell on their side as she has competed all-around in every meet so far this year and scored a 39.000+ in each one. Also look for Haley Pitou’s solid three-event work on vault, bars, and beam.
Boise State has yet to crack 49.000 in any event this season, however, they have only competed in one competition so far this year with that being against Southern Utah. A personal favorite gymnast of mine on the Bronco squad this year is Emily Muhlenhaupt. One of the reasons she came back for her COVID year was to finally score a perfect 10.000 after receiving so many 9.950s and 9.975s in the past and I am BEGGING the gym gods to finally give it to her. Another solid contributor so far this season for BSU is Hope Masiado. She was the sole competitor in the all around of the first meet of the season against Southern Utah, and I predict that we will see her in the same position this meet too.
With that being said, let’s begin!
God I love this streaming platform. Such excellent website interface, meet production, overall quality, I love it all.
Broadcast just said that Sadie Miner Van-Tassell is a vault captain. I knew that team captains were a thing, but I’ve never thought of event captains. I love the idea!
We’ve got BYU’s vault lineup ready to go, should be starting soon!
ROTATION 1: BYU VT, BSU UB
Pitou (BYU): FTY, little off to the side, but sticks it! Great leadoff vault. 9.750
Masiado (BSU): Toe on to tkachev, good so far. PERFECT distance from the bar on her Pak. Blind full to double tuck, hop forward on the landing. 9.700
Rollins (BYU): Yurchenko full on, tuck off. Love that vault! Chest down on the landing and a step forward. 9.675
Nilson (BSU): Just a TAD bit short on her first handstand, huge tkachev, good distance from the bar on that. Double layout, toe raise in place but essentially doesn’t move her feet. 9.900
Mason (BYU): FTY, big hop back, some bent knees on the BHS onto the board. The judges are being picky on these vaults and I expect nothing less on this. 9.700
Little (BSU): Maloney to Pak, really far away from the bar and has to pike it down on that Pak. Double layout, step back on the landing. Some bent legs on the second flip too. 9.800
Griffith (BYU): Yurchenko half, the slightest bit of piking in the air. Kinda looks like she missed the peak of her block and sits it down. 9.175
Lopez (BSU): Blind half to piked jaeger. Lovely second handstand after that. Very clean body positions in her handstands. Double layout dismounts, absolutely stuck! 9.900
Benson (BYU): FTY, huge amplitude off the table, hop back. 9.825
Muhlenhaupt (BSU): This is the routine that I am most looking forward to for this whole meet! GORGEOUS first handstand with her perfect toes and lines, just the slightest bit too close on her piked jaeger going into her overshoot. She has interesting technique on her last giant going into her double layout dismount, stuck! 9.925
Miner Van-Tassell (BYU): Some shoulder angle before twisting off the table, 1.5, little shift of the feet backwards on the landing. 9.850
Stokes (BSU): Already have their 49.000+ even before Stokes goes. Shaposh into bail for her releases. Double layout, slide back. 9.825
AFTER 1: BYU 48.800, BSU 49.350
What a fantastic bars rotation for Boise State! They finish their first rotation of the day with a 49.350 which is such a great improvement from last week’s 48.450. BYU has some vaults to clean up but the Cougars are going to their highest-ranked event next so hopefully they can come back and take the lead.
ROTATION 2: BYU UB, BSU VT
Masiado (BSU): Pike down on her FTY, little hop back. Wish she could finish her BHS on the table more before her twisting but that is being picky. 9.700
Miner-Van Tassell (BYU): Blind full to gienger to overshoot, that should take care of her connections. Full-in dismount, clean landing. 9.825
Nilson (BSU): FTY, hop in place. Good stretched body position in the air. 9.825
Mason (BYU): Beautiful lines on this event. Maloney to Pak, misses that last handstand before going back up to the high bar. Are there are mics on the bars because I can hear every release of the dismount? Double layout dismount. 9.875
Blackson (BSU): Big FTY, hop back but had spectacular form in the air. 9.825
Hunter (BYU): Hits the first handstand, big tkachev, the crowd loves that one. Does not complete the handstand before the clear hip. Flies in the double layout dismount, step. 9.800
Smith (BSU): First event of the day for her, nice FTY, springy hop up on the landing. 9.800
Beeston (BYU): Clear hip to gienger, huge! JUST a tad bit short on the last handstand, double layout with a hop back. This bars squad is so good! 9.775
Vulaj (BSU): I love this gymnast! I have watched her since her JO days and I am so excited to see her in college. Yurchenko full on, pike off, looks like her hand slipped on the table but she pulls it off. 9.700
Alvarado (BYU): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, some hesitation on the low bar pirouette. Hits her feet on the low bar before the double layout, really impressed with her recovery after that! 9.700
Lopez (BSU): Tight body position on the post-flight, clenches in on the landing, hop back. 9.900, well deserved.
Pitou (BYU): I think part of her leo is removed? This BYU leo has a little white mesh part on the back that isn’t on hers? Gosh, the things I notice. Currently waiting on the judges… 9.700 for Alvarado after hitting her feet on the low bar. Blind half to straddled jaeger for her release combo. Hits that bail handstand, best bail today. Great control in this routine. Full in dismount, STUCK! That will be in the 9.900s for sure! 9.925
AFTER 2: BYU 98.000, BSU 98.350
Just like I hoped, BYU comes back with their solid bars rotation after a phenomenal 9.925. Boise State is still holding onto the lead after two.
ROTATION 3: BYU BB, BSU FX
Ono (BYU): BHS BHS LOSO, little off on the BHS, slight balance check but stays on. Beautiful Y scale. Straddle jump to straddle 3/4 for her jumps. Cartwheel to gainer full for her dismount, solid leadoff! 9.850
Masiado (BSU): Double pike for her first pass. Front layout to front full, no huge deductions in this routine so far. Rudi, clean leadoff routine for the Broncos. 9.775
McClelland (BYU): Double wolf turn to start off her routine. I love her choreography! BHS LOSO, snaps those arms down. Double stag ring jump, that needs to be a picture. BHS tucked 1.5, stuck dismount. Love how that dismount looked. 9.875
McGovern (BSU): Punch Rudi right into her LOSO, wacky in the air but holds onto the landing. Double tuck, good control on the landing. 9.575
Millar (BYU): Not BYU censoring the word “cocaine” in this Dua Lipa song. Upside down smile face emoji. BHS BHS LOSO, and she falls. Cartwheel? With nothing connected to it? Front full dismount, hop forward. 8.975
Blackson (BSU): REALLY really long judges conference right now. FHS double full and barely stays in bounds. Second pass is a RO whip half to front full, and barely stays in on that one! Amazing effort from her on those saved passes. FHS Rudi, middle of the mat on that one. Good hit for the Broncos after that exceptionally long wait. 9.825
Miner Van-Tassell (BYU): Might have missed her side aerial to split jump connection after some hesitation trying to connect the two skills. BHS LOSO is good. Switch leap to split jump, I feel like that is almost the default college beam leaps combo lol. RO 1 1/2 dismount, stuck landing. 9.875
Pascal (BSU): Cute walk onto the floor, I love it! Double tuck, lots of juice and a step OOB. RO BHS 1 1/2 to front layout, close to the edge but sticks it. Last pass for her is a Rudi to split jump, good connection bonus with that pass. 9.775
Rollins (BYU): Same splits mount as Ono. Looks like Pitou is the bars captain and Rollins is the beam captain. Front aerial to BHS LOSO, that is five tenths of bonus! She needs six tenths in order to start from a 10.0 and gets almost all of it from that pass alone! Wow! BHS gainer full with a tiny step, stellar routine from Rollins! 9.950!!!!
Loyim (BSU): We have some loud cheers from the crowd regarding Rollins score, I’m curious to see what that is. RO whip to double tuck, wild landing. 9.950 for Rollins wow! If she didn’t take a step on that dismount then that score could have been a 10.0! Double pike last pass, nbd. Dramatic routine for Emma Loyim. 9.775
Margraf (BYU): She was set up really well for this routine. Front aerial to back tuck for her acro series. Big balance check on her leaps. Definitely not going to be a 9.9+. Front full dismount, stuck but good effort. 9.750
Popp (BSU): Kat Grable 2014 floor music to start off this routine, how could I forget? 🙂 Front through to double pike, a little over-rotated but holds on. Double tuck, crazy landing but saves that one too. Overall seems to lack some endurance with these passes. 9.650
AFTER 3: BYU 147.300, BSU 147.150
And BYU takes the lead after three! This should be a tight race in the fourth rotation! I am without a doubt, super impressed with Elease Rollins on beam. I believe she is the current MRGC Specialist of the Week and it is easy to see why. Hopefully she claims that title again after this week concludes.
ROTATION 4: BYU FX, BSU BB
Stokes (BSU): BHS LOSO for her flight series. Pike jump, unique jump these days. Front toss to beat jump, a bit low on that. Switch leap to piked gainer, some hesitation on that connection. 9.775
Hunter (BYU): Rudi to LOSO, very clean leg form in the air on that. Some old-timey music in her floor music, fun to see. RO 1.5 to front layout, lots of connections in this routine. 9.800
Vulaj (BSU): Gainer BHS LOSO, yes you read that right. Switch leap to switch leap to gainer LOSO, she is great at gainers! Front toss, could be higher on the landing. She is aggressive in her dance. RO 1.5, step to the side which will be a deduction. 9.750
Beeston (BYU): Some more fun choreo in this BYU floor lineup! Front layout to Rudi, just barely gets that twist around. We’ve got Prince, Soulja-Boy, the Whoa, the Floss, everything in this routine! Double tuck ending pass, good landing. 9.900
Lopez (BSU): BHS LOSO, lovely acro series. Switch leap to straddle half for her leaps. Front toss, the third of this lineup. It is not a deduction, but I would love to see some more variety in this lineup since we have seen that skill so many times and in a row nonetheless. BHS 1.5 dismount, little hop. 9.850
Dudley (BYU): Double pike, large step back, kinda out of control on the landing. Front full to front layout, no deductions on that pass. Double tuck, really low and takes some big bounds forward. 9.625
Random thought: I miss Shannon Hortman-Evans. 🙁
Little (BSU): BHS LOSO, the commentator is saying that she suffers from a form of hearing loss. Definitely want some more info on that. Front aerial to beat jump connection before her RO 1.5 dismount. Oh wow she is a published author too! OKKKKK girl!! Yasss! 9.825
Rieder (BYU): Interesting that the mat she used for her FHS double twist to front tuck is used for her FHS and not the front double or front tuck! RO LOSO, side pass, wish she split a little more in that LOSO. Rudi to close the routine. 9.875
Masiado (BSU): Handstand to BHS LOSO, unique series! Switch half, I believe that skill is rated E so she should get some bonus for that? Cat leap to side aerial to tucked full twist dismount, great landing. 9.825
Miner Van-Tassell (BYU): First pass for her is an enormous double layout! Season debut with that skill for her! Comes back with a PERFECT double pike, she is amazing! Last pass RO 1.5 to front full, another great landing! That will be in the 9.900s! Possible 10.0? 9.925 it is. Womp womp.
Popp (BSU): Anchor performer for the Broncos here is Adriana Popp. Aggressive full turn. BHS step out BHS layout! AMAZING combination. Gainer full to the side, slight hop. 9.875
Vitkauskas (BYU): Floor captain! Look at me with my new terms! #Growth. Extremely floaty front double twist opening pass. RO 1.5 to front layout, some different technique on that pass but gets the job done. Should be a huge last pass here…punch Rudi, lots of power and almost goes OOB but turns her whole body 180 degrees and stays in! After watching the replays, I think her twisting style reminds me of Gracie Kramer? 9.900
FINAL RESULTS: BYU 196.700, BSU 196.300
And BYU pulls out the win on this one! We saw some excellent performances this afternoon from both squads and I am really looking forward to seeing what they can do for the rest of the season. Well that wraps it up for me, I’ll see you next time everyone. So long my friends, farewell, goodbye!
AA Winner: Sadie Miner Van-Tassell (BYU) 39.475
VT Winner: Emily Lopez (Boise State) and Sadie Miner Van-Tassell (BYU) 9.850
UB Winner: Haley Pitou (BYU) and Emily Muhlenhaupt (Boise State) 9.925
BB Winner: Elease Rollins (BYU) 9.950
FX Winner: Sadie Miner Van-Tassell (BYU) 9.925
Live blog by Carolyn Lien
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