Coming into today’s meet, the Bruins are fourth and the Cardinal are fifth in Pac-12 rankings; in other words, these two teams are fighting for a spot in the night session of the upcoming conference championships.
Though Stanford is coming off of a home lost to California, the team put up seven career-best scores and a fantastic all around performance from super senior Kyla Bryant. The Cardinal have consistently hovered around the 196 mark this season, which will put pressure on the more mercurial Bruins to hit.
UCLA put together its most complete meet of the season last week while hosting Utah, but it’s been it remains to be seen if the Bruins can replicate that kind performance on the road.
Scores and rankings aside, the upshot from last week is that Jordan Chiles is officially A Very Big Deal™ and Sekai Wright is a viral sensation.
https://twitter.com/EBONYMag/status/1490792611917045763?s=20&t=_R5uw5AhG-sguDowzY79ug
Ooh, here’s a fun update:
Guess who’s doing commentary for the Stanford vs. UCLA meet tomorrow… pic.twitter.com/cpjhsHjue9
— Casey Magnesium (@caseymagnesium) February 11, 2022
Rotation One: Stanford vault, UCLA bars
Chrobok (Stanford): Y full with some soft knees and a little pike down, medium hop back and to the side. 9.750
Campbell (UCLA): Pretty first handstand. Maloney to bail, good form. Blind half to front double tuck, a little cowboyed and a hop forward. 9.825
Zeng (Stanford): Y full, blocks waaay back on the table and has to bend her elbows. Large pike down, chest down and a step to the side. 9.650
Ulias (UCLA): Deliberate first handstand. Toe on to blind change, BIG straddled Jaeger. A little hinky in her bail to handstand, but nothing egregious. Pretty final handstand. DLO with a big hop and several steps and she fell? Oh no, looks like she tweaked her knee.
Gutierrez (Stanford): Y 1.5, some bent arms on the block and a little bit soft in the knees. Small hop on the landing. 9.750
Padurariu (UCLA): Good first handstand. Toe on, Maloney, very nice. Clean bail. Gets a little hung up on her squat on. Nicely done pirouette to double tuck; chest down a bit and a hop forward.
Brunette (Stanford): Powerful Y full with a step back. A little form in the preflight, but the best of the bunch so far. 9.800
Malabuyo (UCLA): Maloney with minor leg sep. Floaty Pak, overarches her handstand a bit but brings it back. DLO with arms flared out, basically stuck.
Neault (Stanford): Y full on pike off. Not a ton of amplitude, chest down and a large slide back. 9.725
Chiles (UCLA): Clean first handstand. Excellent piked Tkatchev to Pak. Inbar Gienger. FTDT with gorgeous form and a stick. 10.000
Bryant (Stanford): Fabulous Y full, huge amplitude and distance. Bounce back on the landing. 9.825
Flatley (UCLA): Lovely form as usual on the blind change to straddled Jaeger. Nice, tight bail to handstand. Aggressive final handstand and tap, lovely DLO stuck.
AFTER ONE ROTATION: ???
Apparently, we don’t get any scores for this meet except what the teams are tweeting. Given the 10 from Chiles, I’m going to hazard a guess that UCLA is leading with a 49-plus score.
That was a really nice and clean rotation from the Bruins. They seem to have shaken off some of the nervy mistakes that were present in some of their earlier meets. Chiles and Flatley are a stellar one-two punch.
As to be expected, Stanford had some good but not great vaults. There were several missed blocks throughout the lineup that’s affecting their ability to hone in the landings. Even with the hop, Bryant’s Y full was outstanding.
OK, here we go!
UCLA scored 49.350 on uneven bars, led by @ChilesJordan's first perfect 10 on the event!
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) February 12, 2022
Standings after 1:
1. UCLA 49.350
2 Stanford 48.975 pic.twitter.com/vAQwx1Ppor
Rotation Two: Stanford bars, UCLA vault
Wright (UCLA): Wright balked her first attempt but saluted. Not sure if this is still warm-up because we have no sound. Apparently, she did vault after that and got a 9.825, but it wasn’t on the broadcast.
Waguespack (Stanford): Gorgeous Maloney to Pak. LB half pirouette, takes her time. Beautiful DLO, stuck. Excellent start for the Cardinal. 9.850
Flatley (UCLA): Plenty of air on her Y full. Tiniest pike-down and a small hop back. 9.725
Lawson (Stanford): Pretty kch and toe-on. A little form on the Maloney and loss of tension in the bail. Great final handstand. Precise full pirouette to double tuck with a small hop back. 9.875
Poston (UCLA): Fhs pike half. Chest down on the landing and some shuffling on the landing, but one of her cleanest this year. 9.725
Brunette (Stanford): Stalls on the blind change… Oh, I think that was supposed to be an orphan half? Anyway, does a really nice Deltchev! Good form on the DLO, small hop. 9.875 would suggest that was a very well done orphan half!
Malabuyo (UCLA): Big, clean Y full with a hop in place. 9.825
Neault (Stanford): Kch to a clean Maloney and Pak. Half pirouette, bery nice. Bends the elbows a bit on her full pirouette and falls out a little late, but a superb double tuck. Stuck. 9.900
Chiles (UCLA): Just a Y full today, but it’s a beauty in the air. Rebounding hop in place. 9.875
Bryant (Stanford): Aggressive first handstand. Big Tkatchev and a hair short on the follow up handstand. Gorgeous Pak. Flawless DLO, stuck. 9.950
Campbell (UCLA): Excellent Y full. Wouldn’t be mad at a 9.950 for that, I didn’t see anything to take even on slow-mo. 9.900
Gutierrez (Stanford): Deliberate first handstand. Blind change to straddled Jaeger, very pretty. Lost her form in the bail to handstand. Blind change to a double front half out; again, loses form just a bit and lands pretty deep with chest down.
AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: UCLA 98.500, Stanford 98.425
I’m literally adding up scores on my calculator, just FYI!
That was a stellar bars rotation for Stanford. Very crisp and clean on the details and exceptional landings.
Similarly, that was a very cleaned up and well-controlled rotation from UCLA. As much as I enjoy Chiles’s Tsuk full, the Y full was a good call given how tight this meet is and will likely continue to be. Also glad to see some actual differentiation in the vault scores (I’m so easily pleased at this point in the season).
Rotation Three: Stanford beam, UCLA floor
Still no sound.
Stephenson (Stanford): Front aerial to beat jump, very calm. Bhs loso, rock solid. Overrotates the full turn, but covers nicely. Split jump to wolf, good position on both. Side gainer full a little piked, but a stick. Very nice lead-off routine. 9.725
Flatley (UCLA): Underrotates the triple full and falls back OOB. Fhs double full, well done. Switch ring to switch half, good amplitude on both. Back 1.5 to front lay, again a little underrotated and does a little stutter step. Looks like she might have tweaked her left ankle, limping off the floor.
Lawson (Stanford): Standing Arabian, gorgeous. Cat leap to switch high, very nice position. Bhs loso, slightly soft knees but not a waver. Gainer pike with a little hop in place. 9.775
Wright (UCLA): Oh, yay! Sound is back! Back 2.5 to a low punch front, slightly off center. Punch full to barani, well done. Switch half to Popa, nice height. Ulias on the sideline with crutches and an iced knee. Back 1.5 to front lay, again a little underrotated. Obviously, there are deductions, but this routine is too much fun. 9.775
Tan (Stanford): Bhs pike, very pretty. Switch half and has to put her hand on the beam. Switch half to split jump, lovely extension. Kicks out her full turn and has another large form break. Piked gainer with a college stick. Tough break. “The beam is cruel…” Indeed.
Malabuyo (UCLA): Big double tuck instead of the DLO, much more controlled. Back 1.5 to front lay, bounces out of the latter but sells it well. Switch ring to switch half, great. Double pike a bit low and has to step forward, but overall, a really strong routine from her. 9.875 is a little high given the iffy landings, but not egregious.
Judges’ conference going on, I’m assuming for Tan’s SV.
Neault (Stanford): Pretty, pretty low beam work. Bhs loso, so soft and floaty. Deliberate full turn. Airy front aerial, so pretty. Switch ring to beat, well done. Back 1.5 with a college stick. Excellent routine.
McNamara (UCLA): The sophomore transfer from Washington is in for Tratz. I believe this is her Bruin debut? Punch Rudi, a little pike, but controlled landing. Switch ring half, very low front leg and some feet form. Switch ring to switch half, much better, but still a little shy of horizontal. My inner ’80s child is enjoying the music. Back 1.5 to front lay, takes it riiiight to the line but stays in bounds. Good debut for her. 9.625
Onyshko (Stanford): Love her dance, very balletic. Bhs loso, wonderful extension. Switch ring, lovely position. Front aerial with a hesitation before the split jump; should get the connection but might get dinged for the split position. Piked gainer, stuck. Well done. 9.775
Chiles (UCLA): Hey, did y’all know Jordan Chiles trained with Simone Biles? Huge, easy DLO, great landing. Spiderman wrist, love it. Front tuck trhough to double tuck; chest was down, but she stuck it. Gogean to wolf 1.5, the latter was a little wild but she covered well. Double pike, a bit underrotated and steps forward. 9.825
Bryant (Stanford): Powerful bhs loso that she landed with a leg up, lol. Casual. Beat to switch full jump, good. Front tuck, well done. Bhs bhs double tuck landed with chest a bit forward and up on her toes, but sells the college stick. 9.800
Campbell (UCLA): Big FTDT, underrotated and lands with chest forward. Switch half to Popa, fantastic height and position. Fhs front lay to front full, slightly deep on the final landing. No problem on her dance, just fantastic. Gorgeous double tuck, stuck. 9.875
AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: ???
Again, no scores.
Some struggles for both teams in the third rotation.
Tan’s fall was the only major error, but there were plenty of small breaks throughout the lineup and the judges actually decided to take them. I love that Stanford is willing to go for the difficulty and skill variety, though.
I’m glad to see that UCLA has tweaked some of its acro skills, particularly in Malabuyo’s routine. Across the board, the acro and dance just haven’t quite kept pace with the fantastic dance and performance quality. Sounds like Flatley is out of the beam lineup, which is certainly a tough break.
Rotation Four: Stanford floor, UCLA beam
Padurariu (UCLA): Side aerial to bhs, a little soft knees. Pretty Sissone. Her usual ridiculous wolf. YIKES. Completely missed her back foot on the side aerial but still does a full out of it. Very low, crunched landing, but a landing and not a fall! 9.675
Gutierrez (Stanford): My feed glitched on her 2.5 to front tuck. Switch half to Popa, a little wild but worked through it. Always love a Shushunova. Nice double pike to finish, a little bit crunched. 9.900 is a little high.
Chiles (UCLA): Bhs loso with a big leg-up check and a beam touch. Front aerial with a near-bobble to beat and split jump. Missed her foot and should’ve bobbled, but Chiles said, “Nah.” Switch leap to wolf, nicely done. Gorgeous double pike, drilled the landing. 9.550
Stonecipher (Stanford): Whip half to Rudi, minor leg crossing but very pretty. Switch half to wolf full, great position on both. Tidy double tuck, pretty. Back spin to pop up, YAS! 9.850
Malabuyo (UCLA): Straddle mount, very nice. Bhs loso, fantastic. Front aerial to beat, really absorbs the landing. Switch half to ring, great position. The Carlton, sigh. Bhs loso to floaty full with a microhop. Her best routine this season. 9.900 is very correct.
Brunette (Stanford): Front lay a little bit flat but a very dynamic Rudi. Dynamic switch half, too. Geez, super high double tuck, bounced out just a bit. 9.875
Campbell (UCLA): Lovely extension on her bhs loso. Split leap to split half, great. Switch side combo, beautiful. Cartwheel to gainer full with a small hop back. 9.900
Hoang (Stanford): Fabulous DLO to open, great control on the landing. Switch full to Popa, a touch shy on the former. Fhs lay to a STUCK full. Took a step after the fact to show off. Excellent double pike, kicked out. Cleared the Stanford benches with that performance. A well-deserved 9.925.
Sakti (UCLA): Didn’t get to see the first part of her routine on the broadcast. Cat leap to switch half to beat, didn’t quite hit 180 on the split. Easy full turn. Side aerial with a scoot back. 9.950
Lawson (Stanford): Back 1.5 through to double tuck, wow! Switch full series, tons of air. Love a random front tuck for SV purposes. Tidy double pike to finish, stuck. 9.925
Poston (UCLA): Feed glitched so didn’t see the beginning of her leap series, but no wobbles on the straddle 3/4 (looked shy in the air, though). Bhs bhs loso with soft knees, but rock solid. Slight waver on the full turn. Excellent RO back 1.5, stuck. 9.900 is high with the form and balance check.
Bryant (Stanford): Fabulous FTDT, plenty of height and control on the landing. front tuck through to double pike, scoot back on the landing. Saw the team from behind instead of her leaps, but it’s Kyla Bryant. I’m sure they were perfect. MASSIVE open double tuck to finish. Couldn’t ask for a better finish for Stanford, and it looks like it’s going to come down to the final score (I’m assuming because, you know, there’s no live scoring at a Pac-12 meet between two top 20 teams).
Apparently, there are FOUR inquiries happening right now, so I *really* have no idea.
Score’s in for Bryant and it’s a 9.975, giving the Cardinal the win over the Bruins for the first time since 2016. Man, what a finish!
FINAL SCORE: Stanford 196.900, UCLA 196.850
Live blog by Claire Billman
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