It’s meet Monday and tonight features another Big Ten showdown with Ohio State traveling to take on Nebraska! The Buckeyes enter as big favorites with a scoring average more than a point above the Huskers, but Nebraska has good momentum in their favor after earning an upset over Illinois in this same arena last weekend.
Yet to have a gymnast compete in the all around, Ohio State’s success this season has come from its plethora of specialists. Literally, 19 of the 20 gymnasts on the roster have competed so far this season, meaning the Buckeyes have plenty of depth. Floor has been a standout event, with Elexis Edwards leading a trio of Buckeyes with an average of 9.85 or higher on the event, and Tory Vetter leading on beam with a 9.9 average. As long as Ohio State can get five hits on its trouble event, beam, it shouldn’t have much of a problem outsourcing the Huskers and winning the meet.
Nebraska missed qualifying to the postseason as a team in 2021, and a bad home debut this season has the Huskers currently on the same projection. Thankfully, in the hit meets the talent shows that the Huskers can easily be a regionals team, but have to rid the inconsistency to do so. Kinsey Davis has been a bright spot thus far with her 9.875 average on bars, with name-twin Kynsee Roby leading beam with a 9.825. Those are Nebraska’s strongest two events, with vault and floor areas in need of improvement.
Follow along with scores and video! (Big Ten Network)
Really fun new leos for the Huskers tonight!
New leo. ✅
See you @ 7! #GBR pic.twitter.com/9WHArzMU8B
— Nebraska Women's Gym (@HuskersWGym) February 7, 2022
Rotation 1: Nebraska Vault, Ohio State Bars
Higgins (Neb): Yfull. Clean form, pikes down and a slide back. 9.775
Schweitzer (OSU): Mounts to the low bar, toe on, Maloney bail, a bit piked, jumps to high bar, giant full well past handstand, sticks the double tuck nearly, slight adjustment. 9.825
Spence (Neb): Yfull. Good block, quick twist, slide back but chest decently up. 9.850
Hankins (OSU): Hits first handstand on the high bar, giant half to Jager, barely taps her fingers on the bar and misses, remounts, nice pak, jumps up to the high bar, dismounts double layout with a hop. 8.925
Piringer (Neb): Yfull. Nice tight leg form, quite a slide back, piked right at the end. 9.825
Edwards (OSU): Opens with a toe on, Maloney to pak, very smooth, great half turn on the low bar, dismounts giant full double tuck, missed vertical and just a hop forward. 9.800
Hall (Neb): Yfull. Good distance but comes in chest down, step forward and lifts the back foot. 9.700
Berger (OSU): Toe on to Maloney to bail, hit the handstand, giant full past vertical to double tuck, college salute. 9.850
Davis (Neb): Yfull. Good block good form, just a small hop in place, best of the lineup so far. 9.875, so one judge agreed.
Just heard the news Kynsee Roby is out tonight. Big loss for Nebraska.
Miller (OSU): Toe on to Maloney to bail, held opening handstand forever, dismounts double layout with a legit stick. 9.925!
Curtis (Neb): Yfull. Good distance, flared it out, chest a little down and a hop back. 9.825
Riccardi (OSU): Gets going with toe on to Ray, fingertips grab but gets it, pak with knee issues, dismounts stalder to double tuck, hop in place. 9.925
Exhibition hit from Hlavach on bars.
Rotation 1: Nebraska 49.150, Ohio State 49.325
Season highs for both teams to open the meet! Nebraska lacked the difficulty, but has the form on its barrage of Yurchenko fulls, and could be dangerous if the landings ever get under control on the same day. This was the first time the Huskers have been 49 or better on vault this season. Ohio State should also be happy with its opening rotation, building a lead on one of its better events while under the pressure of an early fall. The Buckeyes are on pace for a 196 right now, which would be a huge road score for NQS purposes.
Note: 49.325 is a program record on bars for Ohio State!!
Rotation 2: Ohio State Vault, Nebraska Bars
Grimes (OSU): Yfull to start things off. Clean throughout, just a hop back. 9.750
Thaler (Neb): Toe on to Maloney to pak, archy and flexed feet, nice final handstand, messy giant full to stuck double tuck. 9.825
Riccardi (OSU): Yfull. Good form, not a ton of height, a hop in place. 9.800
Gibson (Neb): Toe on to Maloney to pak, quick through the pak but good form, a little late on the half turn on the low bar, hits the last handstand, double layout step forward. 9.825
Jennings (OSU): Yfull. Huge block, flares it out but takes a decent sized hop forward after leaving her chest down. 9.775
Colombo (Neb): Up on the high bar, eagle grip to piked Jager, good pak, eagle grip half turn to double tuck, chest a little low but sticks. 9.850
Edwards (OSU): Yfull. Great in the air, just the hop back. 9.875
Spence (Neb): Maloney to pak, comes in really close and clear hips out of it, jumps to the high bar, giant full to double tuck, shuffles back. 9.550
Hlavach (OSU): Yurchenko full-on, pike off. So dynamic, so much more height than most people, takes a hop back. 9.875
Davis (Neb): On the low bar, Maloney to clear hip to Hindorff, so high but can’t catch the bar, remounts, great bail, hits the last handstand, double layout and just a hop. 9.200
Malas (OSU): Yfull. Good height, takes a big hop to the side. 9.800
Simpton (Neb): Great first handstand, Maloney to pak, slightly past on the half turn, way short on final handstand, double layout, chest down and step forward. 9.800
Rotation 2: Ohio State 49.125, Nebraska 48.850
After 2: Ohio State 98.450, Nebraska 98.000
Another season high for Ohio State, and another event down on the path to a 196. With the Buckeyes’ best event, floor, still to come, they could possibly even reach high into that echelon if they can finally put together a hit beam lineup.
Nebraska missed a big opportunity at there, with a fall and a miss preventing them from capitalizing on early lineup 9.8s. The Huskers are still well within reach of a season high, but cannot afford many errors from here on out.
Rotation 3: Nebraska Beam, Ohio State Floor
Spence (Neb): Candle mount, held well, wolf turn, front aerial BHS BHS, was off on the aerial but kept moving, side somi, switch leap beat jump, RO 1.5, sticks but messy legs in the air. 9.825
Gonzalez (OSU): Opens up with a double pike, a little too much power, takes some steps back and OOB, front layout front full second pass, good landing there, double wolf turn, switch side straddle jump, not much amplitude, RO 1.5 front layout. 9.575
Hall (Neb): Check on the opening full turn, BHS LOSO, another small check, switch leap to split jump, adjustments between and after each leap, front aerial, finally just comes off the beam, RO 1.5 dismount, hop to the side. 8.925
Gagliardi (OSU): Mounts with a front layout to RUdi, switch side to Popa, a bit shy of 180, having a lot of fun with her movie night themed routine, Star Wars, Jaws, Footloose all represented, finsihes up with a double pike, well controlled lunge. 9.875
Colombo (Neb): Needs a hit, switch leap to split jump, great split positions, BHS LOSO, tiny leg form, front aerial to split jump, full turn with a small check, side aerial tuck full dismount, gets the stick. 9.850
Hankins (OSU): Full-in to open, good lunge, front layout front half split jump, good height on the jump, switch ring to tour jete half, nice leaps, ends with a double tuck, perfect lunge, chest up. 9.925!
Higgins (Neb): Candle mount, good control, beat jump to sheep jump, arm wave check, nothing major, BHS BHS LOSO, no issues, a finally check-free full turn, straddle jump, gainer pike dismount, sticks! 9.875
Edwards (OSU): Double pike to open, kicks out of it, perfect landing, RO 1.5 front layout, lifts the back leg after a step, switch 3/4 Popa, nice positions and height, double tuck to end, another kicked out perfect lunge. 9.925 again!
Davis (Neb): Nice leaps to open, BHS BHS LOSO, no wobbles, full turn, very smooth leg kick, side aerial tuck full and sticks! 9.900!
Hlavach (OSU): Begins with a piked full-in, shuffled feet on the landing, RO 1.5 front layout, switch side through to a bouncy leap combination, closes with a double tuck. 9.875
Thaler (Neb): Front aerial BHS BHS, slow but fluid, switch leap beat jump, lovely, piked front toss, secure, easy full turn, RO 1.5 and a stick! 9.900
Warga (OSU): RO 2.5 front tuck to start, switch half wolf full, quick tuck jump full, FHS front double full, way short of rotation and sits it down. 9.050
Rotation 3: Nebraska 49.350, Ohio State 49.175
After 3: Ohio State 147.625, Nebraska 147.350
Solid but not ideal rotations for each team with one fall each, but Nebraska should be thrilled with a new season high event total for any event so far this season. After rebounding poorly from the mistake on bars, it was encouraging to see the Huskers rebound so well on the notoriously tricky beam. The anchor fall leaves the Buckeyes a little disappointed having to count the 9.5 amongst a few 9.9s, but are still within reach of a 197 and should even go 196 with a mini-beam disaster. For the win, however, they’ll need to avoid that.
What an exciting and close meet! This will all come down to the final rotation!
Rotation 4: Ohio State Beam, Nebraska Floor
Schweitzer (OSU): Front aerial to beat jump, small hesitation, BHS LOSO, small front foot lift, split ring to straddle jump, nervy full turn, side aerial tucked full, sticks it but off to the side. 9.700
Spence (Neb): Opens up with a a RO 1.5 through to RO double full, some twisting form issues, falls on the double wolf turn, hit her knee on the ground, switch ring tour jete half, off balance a bit, double tuck to end, chest down. 9.675
Hankins (OSU): Small check on the full turn, BHS LOSO, breaks at the hips but stays on, front toss to beat jump, switch leap split side, RO double full, hop in place. 9.775
Hall (Neb): Needs to bounce back from the beam fall in the last rotation. Starts off with a double tuck, huge height, huge bounce out and puts her hand down on the floor, Rudi, slide back, great height on jump series, dismounts with a front layout front full. 9.075
Oliveros (OSU): Beautiful press handstand mount, solid first turn, moving much more confidently, side aerial BHS, immediately off, jinxed it, switch leap to split jump, front aerial beat jump, a leg check between, side aerial layout full, hoppy landing. 8.975
Curtis (Neb): Double pike to open, good lunge, chest a bit down, front full front layout, good control, switch ring to switch half, beautiful ring, short on the half, double tuck to close, best landing so far. 9.850
Pritchard (OSU): Hitch kick to side aerial, secure, tiny check on the turn, BHS LOSO, arm circle check, switch leap to straddle 1/4, low back leg, cat leap side aerial layout full, sticks it. 9.850
Higgins (Neb): Gets started with a front double full, Rudi second pass, switch 3/4 Popa, hits her positions, RO 1.5 front layout, good landing! 9.900
Berger (OSU): Side aerial to open, BHS LOSO, so easy, full turn, switch leap split jump 1/2, split leap to side aerial layout full, sticks! 9.875
Piringer (Neb): Double tuck to open, nice height, RO 1.5 front layout, no issues there, switch side Popa, flexed feet a bit, closes with a double pike, a bit of a slide back and goes OOB. 9.725
Jennings (OSU): A lot of pressure here. Opens with a full turn, BHS side aerial, tiny bit of hesitation but kept the leg up, switch leap to straddle half, cartwheel gainer full, just a small step. 9.850
Kuenemann (Neb): Begins with a double tuck, low with the chest, front layout front full, bent knees in both, switch half wolf full, fully rotated, ends with a RO 1.5 front layout, easy landing! 9.750
Rotation 4: Nebraska 48.900, Ohio State 49.175
Final: Ohio State 196.675, Nebraska 196.250
Season-high scores for both teams! The last rotation started off very nervy for both schools, but each also pulled it together and we’re able to put forth their best performances of the season!
A program record tying performance on bars got Ohio State off to a solid start from which it never looked back and fought through some tricky situations. With the falls and counted low-scores, there’s even plenty of room for the Buckeyes to build upon the season-best score.
Nebraska, too, left plenty of tenths on the table, but by far put forth its most complete outing today. The Huskers improved by over half a point, and should help with the push to get back into the postseason picture. Continued performances like this could easily secure Nebraska’s place at regionals as today was a promising meet.
Event Winners
All Around: Spence (Nebraska) – 38.900
Vault: Davis (Nebraska), Edwards (Ohio State), Hlavach (Ohio State) – 9.875
Bars: Miller (Ohio State), Riccardi (Ohio State) – 9.925
Beam: Davis (Nebraska), Thaler (Nebraska) – 9.900
Floor: Edwards (Ohio State), Hankins (Ohio State) – 9.925
Live blog by Brandis Heffner
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