Phew this one feels really important, doesn’t it? Michigan seemed absolutely invincible until last week’s three-fall vault outing at Nebraska. The Wolverines still left Lincoln with a win, but it was a nail-biter. The low-196 it put up didn’t do anything to help with NQS, either. Michigan is well and ahead in first, but its NQS isn’t untouchable by the ever-improving Sooner and Gator squads. Things are getting interesting.
Of course, for NQS this one isn’t critical for the hosting Sooners, although they do have a home/road 197.425 to dump in the trash. A 197.725 for Oklahoma opens the door to take the No. 1 spot depending on how Michigan scores here. The Wolverines would need a 198.250 to guarantee a No. 1 ranking after this meet. (All NQS math courtesy of Spencer.)
On top of all of that, this is a fun one for win/loss reasons, too. Michigan has only topped Oklahoma once, at the national final last year. Oklahoma has won every other head-to-head dual and postseason matchup between the two. Walking into the Lloyd Noble Center and walking out with a win is a near-impossible task this late in the season, but if any squad is up to the task, it’s this Wolverine group. No matter the outcome, it should be a completely wild ride. Strap in.
Hey look at that! The preceding basketball game ahead of this one ended early, by a whole five minutes. I’m a basketball fan, but a lot of meets this year have been shafted for a few minutes for it which is rude.
Wow. Kathy just pointed out that seven of the top 10 vaulters in the NCAA are here today. That is some stat.
The Sooner crowd seems to be one of the bigger ones I can remember. Bart pointing out that the seniors here have never lost a meet in the LNC. This meet really has everything.
Rotation 1: OU vault, UM bars
Ramsey (OU): FTY, chest forward on the landing. 9.775, maybe also hit for arm bend on the table
Brenner (UM): Short handstand. Blind to Jaeger immediate bail, one of her tighter combos there. DLO, small hop. 9.875
Stern (OU): Y1.5, big step forward, up to .3 on that depending on the judges’ mood. 9.85
Morrison (UM): Gienger, great catch! Clear hip hand bit archy, bail hand, good there. DLO true stick. 9.875
Bowers (OU): Y1.5, GREAT block, stick. Some slightly soft knees but. 10 oh okay here we go I guess.
Heiskell (UM): Blind tiny bit late to Jaeger. Pak, great, to switch kip. Nailed last handstand. Blind full double tuck true stick. 9.9
LeVasseur (OU): Y1.5, step forward. Really big and clean in the air. 9.825
Brooks (UM): Blind, pike Jaeger. Toe hand to bail hand. She is GOING for handstands, arched the last a tiny bit. FTDL, hop. 9.85, went a little too hard on those handstands
Sievers (OU): Y1.5, medium step forward. 9.825
Wojcik (UM): Toe hand to Deltchev, you know it, immediate bail, clean. DLO slung it out but nailed the landing. 9.95
Fletcher (OU): Y1.5, wow, held a stick after really fighting to hold it, she’s THRILLED with herself. Just some knees in preflight. 9.95
Vore (UM): Maloney, leg sep on backswing, was off, broke connection and took an empty swing. Bail hand. DLO small hop. That’ll be the drop score. 9.5, the extra swing hurt.
AFTER 1: OU 49.450, UM 49.450
Tied. Of course. What else did you expect in this matchup? Scores are pretty down to earth so far! The Bowers 10 was a little goofy with the knee softness, but that’s the only score I don’t like so far. Good and bad from both groups, probably getting some big time meet nerves out of the way. Let’s keep rolling!
Rotation 2: OU bars, UM vault
Guggino (UM): Y1.5, lost her balance and went up on one toe, but didn’t fully pick either foot up. 9.9, what a comeback from last week!
Sievers (OU): Maloney to pak, little leg sep on both. Late pirouette. Short handstand. FTDB true stick. 9.925
Wojcik (UM): Y1.5, huge distance, little hop. 9.9, just the hop.
LeVasseur (OU): Toe hand to Tkatchev, really great form throughout. Bail hand, good. DLO stuck. 9.975, not mad about it.
Heiskell (UM): Y1.5, SO HIGH, big bounding step forward. 9.85
Smith (OU): Ray to Pak, lost a little oomph on the pak, but she was able to swing out fine. DLO, small hop back. 9.925,
Morrison (UM): Y1.5, flies out of it, maybe .3 on that landing. 9.725
Thomas (OU): Hect mount. Toe half to Jaeger, soft legs. Bail hand good. DLO holds the stick. 9.975
Brooks (UM): Y1.5, small hop, just so much distance. 9.85
Bowers (OU): Impeccable in her handstand. Clean release to start. Pak tiny leg sep. FTDB to stick, they’re going to give that a 10 I’ll bet you money. 10 indeed. KIDDING. 9.975, okay.
Wilson (UM): Y1.5, great in the air. So she snapped her heels together with a little hop. I’d take .05 there but WE WILL SEE. 9.95, yes.
Davis (OU): Higgins to pike Jaeger, so gorgeous. Clean pak. Hits half pirouette. Higgins to double front half out stick. I mean. Wow. 9.975
AFTER 2: OU 99.275, UM 98.900
Great comeback after three falls last week for Michigan. A few steps is easier to iron out than falls. Oklahoma was stunning on bars. Scores were trending a teeny bit high, but that was first-class gymnastics. The Sooners were putting on an extension clinic.
Update from around the NCAA, Florida just put up a 198.575 (you read that right), and moves provisionally into No. 1 for now, which makes the outcome of this one all the more important.
WHAT Auburn tied that number!? This is QUITE a day.
Rotation 3: OU beam, UM floor
Dunn (OU): Bhs bhs loso, the tiniest adjustment, probably not even a deduction if we’re being honest. Clean through her leaps, the straddle half is truly spectacular. Gainer full off the side, stuck. What a leadoff. 9.875, they saw more than I did there!
Brenner (UM): Pike full-in little leg sep per usual for her, but clean lunge. RO 3/2 front lay, textbook there. Clean switch side Popa. Double pike, her team was standing in front of the landing a bit, but Kathy said “good control.” 9.875
Trautman (OU): Back on beam! Bhs loso, so steady. Cat to switch side, just a touch back in her heels on that landing. Pike front toss, little off line but pulled her shoulders back, tiny adjustment. RO 3/2, leaned out of it to salute. 9.825
Our math wizards gave me an update: UM needs 198 to tie UF, OU needs a 197.975.
Heiskell (UM): Double Arabian, controlled landing, maybe came down a little hard. That’s been such a great upgrade for her. Clean combo pass. Switch half wolf full, no issues. Double pike, same issue, unable to see that landing. 9.85
LeVasseur (OU): Bhs loso, some little knee and foot issues, both tiny. Switch to straddle quarter, good. Front aerial, again, knees and feet, worse this time and she was a little unsure on the landing. Pretty needle scale. Switch leap bhs gainer full, stuck. 9.875
Morrison (UM): FTDB, just lovely, outstanding landing. FHS front lay front full, good there. UM’s combo passes are CLEAN. Nice leaps, very high on her wolf full, maybe a tiny bit off in that shape. Double tuck, again a great lunge. Really excellent. 9.925
Davis (OU): Planche mount, a personal fave of mine. Really delicate work, even in her full turn. Bhs loso, tiny correction in her lower body on the landing. Cat to front aerial. Beat to split ring, good head release. RO 2/1, high, really had to hold her feet down, was back on her heels and I’d say took one shuffle step. 9.9
Brooks (UM): FTDB, slid her front foot the teeny tiniest bit, maybe not visible in the arena. Front through double tuck, no issues there. Clean Tour jete half split full, got those 180s. Double pike, another good landing there. 9.95, just that first foot slide, I think.
Woodard (OU): Side aerial bhs, clean. Front toss to beat, steady. Needle scale to switch leap to split, just some toe point lost. Side aerial full, held the stick. Really gorgeous throughout. 9.95
Wilson (UM): FTDB, hopped into the lunge. FHS front lay front full front tuck, went too hard for the stick and had to hop back a bit. Switch side popa, huge oversplits. Double tuck, bit deep in her knees but held control in the lunge. 9.9
Smith (OU): Bhs loso, check, just cocked a hip out. Front aerial, micro adjustment there too. She wanted a 10 I think and is going too hard for it. Straddle half to bhs swingdown was clean. Now she’s more relaxed. Bhs gainer full stuck, best gainer full in the NCAA, if you’re asking me. 9.925
Wojcik (UM): FHS front double full front pike, lunged back, controlled. Clean through her leaps. Double pike, another good landing. Switched up the order of her passes after a few off weeks. FHS rudi straddle, good control on the jump. Great to see her with a big hit here! 9.95
AFTER 3: OU 148.800, UM 148.500
The Sooners have really been rolling. They have such good beam training, there were some mistakes but every gymnast who had a bobble knew exactly what to do to pull it back in and minimize deductions. Smith’s number was a little high (I would’ve been the 9.9 judge) but nothing has been wild. Michigan was great on floor; the mistakes were all small, just a few foot slides in lunges and some jump shaping. Picky stuff, which is where you want to be in March.
Beam has been Michigan’s weakest event this year, so it all coming down to the event that won the Wolverines the national title over Oklahoma which was on floor at the time is so so so juicy. It’s a big gap to make up on beam if the Sooners don’t open the door with errors, but it’s not unreachable.
More updates: Alabama hit 198 and Kentucky beat LSU in Baton Rouge. Phew it’s a wild ride for gymnastics tonight!
Rotation 4: OU floor, UM beam
Morrison (UM): Candle mount, really held it which I wish more folks would do on that skill. Bhs loso, no deductions. Cat to switch half to beat, little pause before the beat and dropped her shoulder a smidge. RO 3/2, landed with pretty locked legs and kind of scuttle stepped, phew she seems fine but that was a stressful landing. 9.825
Johnson (OU): The hometown kid gets a huge cheer. Front lay rudi, stuck it. Double tuck, hopped her front foot in the lunge. Switch to switch half to wolf full, low back leg in the middle jump, some shape issues on the wolf. 9.9
Wilson (UM): Bhs loso, stuck cold, knees on both. Switch split switch split. Her feet seemed a little tangled in between but she had no issues in the air. Double back, just settled into her feet a bit but generous judges will call it a stick. 9.9
Woodard (OU): Punch double twist, hopped a little on her foot in the lunge out. RO whip half front full. Switch side split full, great 180s, cheated the rotation a little. Front full front lay to arabesque, really pretty way to end. 9.925
Guggino (UM): Bhs loso, some soft knees, she’s offline and can’t save it, falls. HUGE straddle to straddle half. Cat to side somi, little back in her heels. Bhs 3/2, step back. 9.2
Fletcher (OU): RO whip double tuck, good landing. She starts a little to the side of the corner because she travels sideways a touch. Front lay front full, good control, less amplitude than we’ve seen in some combo passes. Switch half popa, great splits. 5/2, little bit on her heels and slid a bit, but brought it under control really fast. 9.975
Brooks (UM): Bhs loso loso, small check in her shoulders. Switch switch, lovely. Front toss, another little check. RO double tuck, small hop. 9.825
Sievers (OU): Front through double tuck, good landing. Double pike, lowish chest and has to lunge forward. Switch side wolf full popa, imprecise on rotation throughout. 9.925, these are starting to get a little happy, but we’re not on Mars just yet.
Heiskell (UM): Cat to side aerial, clean. Switch switch, little offline and low back leg, had to take a step to recover. Bhs loso, no deductions on that. RO 3/2 held onto the stick and got the salute in quickly. 9.925, well at least the loose scores are going both ways, I suppose.
Bowers (OU): BIG double pike, hopped into the lunge but hopped sideways just a little. FHS front double full punch front, my laptop froze for a second and I missed the landing, but Kathy didn’t seem pressed. Switch to Switch half wolf full, I want a little more precision on those positions, the shapes felt a little lazy. 9.95
Wojcik (UM): Front aerial to beat, so fluid. Switch to split, lovely. Bhs bhs loso, just so steady. This is a stellar set. RO 3/2, small hop. That hop was the only deduction I saw. 9.925
Smith (OU): Double tuck, the tiniest front foot slide. RO 3/2 misses the punch front, falls. I was worried for a knee there but she seems fine. Switch side wolf full. Double pike, moved her front heel. Phew, I’m glad she’s okay, I hate watching a mistimed punch in front tumbling.
FINAL: OU 198.475, UM 197.900
That’s the Sooners’ second-best number ever, and will be enough for them to take the No. 1 spot. Florida will also slide ahead of Michigan, which will find itself at No. 3 come Monday’s ranking. The Wolverines didn’t have a bad day, they just didn’t have a stick-all-the-vaults day, and they needed to if they were going to steal one in Norman. It’s just hard to win here, as every team that has walked in the door the past, what, seven?!, years can attest. Very few have done it. The Sooners did a lot of clean gymnastics. They are clearly edging to postseason shape, and will leave this one feeling very prepared. Michigan will be happy to have rebounded from last week, and to have Natalie Wojcik firing on all cylinders.
OU, by the way, tied the NCAA record on bars with that 49.825.
EVENT WINNERS:
AA: Wojcik 39.725
VT: Bowers 10.000
UB: Bowers, LeVasseur, Davis, Thomas 9.975
BB: Woodard 9.950
FX: Fletcher 9.975
Live blog by Emily Minehart
Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year!
