This might not be the closest quad meet of all time, but it might be one of the more independently interesting. Florida delivered its first 198+ road score of the season last week at Auburn and could debut at No. 1 tonight with a 198.150 and a sub-NQS result from Oklahoma. N.C. State took a hit after a season-ending injury to star Chloe Negrete, but has showed a great deal of resilience to continue improving in the later part of the season. Rutgers’ season has been an exercise in consistency, but the Scarlet Knights have yet to crack 196 and doing so would be a major sentimental victory. Finally, Penn has delivered a number of program records this year and is still in line for its best team finish since at least 1998, but the Quakers have had a difficult couple of weeks with a surprising loss at the Ivy Classic followed by a COVID cancellation. We’ll be tracking a lot of different narratives through this one.
Rotation 1: N.C. State VT, Rutgers UBPenn BB, Florida FX
Diaz (NCSU): Solid FTY, hop back. 9.8
Clapper (UF): We didn’t see the first pass, one and a half to front lay. Switch side to Popa, OOB on the last pass. 9.75
Anand (NCSU): FHS front pike with a big bound out. 9.6
Belkoff (Penn): Triple series, big check. Split to sheep. One and a half twist dismount stuck. 9.625
Richards (UF): Double layout, little hop in place to avoid OOB, one and a half front lay with a scoot forward. 9.85
Ortega (NCSU): Good FTY, straight body position, hop back. 9.7
Lashley (Penn): BHS LOSO steady, full turn. Feels like it’s been awhile since I’ve seen her in lineups! Switch to split 3/4, beat to side aerial with an adjustment, one and a half twist with a step back. 9.65
Rutherford (NCSU): Bounce in place on another good FTY. 9.75
DeBarberie (Penn): BHS LOSO great, lovely straight legs as always, split to straddle half very solid. Side aerial, cut away and we didn’t see the end. 9.75
Skaggs (UF): Rudi double stag with great control. Tour jete half split full, one and a half front lay, good. First emphatic routine for Florida. 9.9
Lehman (NCSU): Yurchenko arabian a touch short with a medium step back. 9.6
Pringle (RU): Blind to pike Jaeger, great, a little short on her bail. Pikey double layout with a step forward. 9.8
Shepard (NCSU): FTY big but with bits of form throughout, nearly stuck. 9.825
Baumann (UF): One and a half front full great, L turn, a little front foot bounce on the double pike. 9.875
Joyner (RU): Blind to Jaeger, maybe a touch flat footed, leg sep on the bail, double layout with legs apart and a step back. 9.775
C. Marr (Penn): BHS LOSO, fall. Switch straddle quarter, something to gainer full off the side. 9.125
Balser (RU): Blind to Jaeger aggressive, a little leg sep on the Pak, FTDLO with closed hips and soft knees but well landed, just a hop. 9.75
Wong (UF): Best landing on the triple she’s done in college, tour jete half split full. Whip half front full, great control again, MAYBE walks out of the double pike a little fast but I wouldn’t take it, she got it to lunge before going anywhere. Ten hands from the team, I’m fine with it, 9.975 will have to do for today.
S. Kenefick (Penn): Commentators are so lost on these names but don’t worry Penn, I got you. Triple series, little check. Beat to straddle 3/4, one and a half twist with a hop forward.
Reed (UF): Got a MASSIVE cheer and she’s not even at home. Overcooked double layout, scoots the front foot, Front lay to Rudi is great, switch half wolf full, nailed the double pike. 9.9
M. Marr (Penn): Hitch kick side aerial and falls. Both Marr sisters, no! BHS gainer full stuck. Bummer.
After 1: Florida 49.500, Rutgers 48.775, NC State 48.575, Penn 47.775
Slightly stingy scoring all around there, with the home team maybe getting the worst of it on vault. Rutgers should be perhaps the happiest, getting through a sometimes-challenging event fine and setting up to keep growing on beam. Florida did well for a depth meet, while Penn had to count a fall on beam.
Rotation 2: Florida VT, NC State UB,
Skaggs (UF): Her usual FTY, leg sep but great height, baby hop back. 9.85
Robinson (NCSU): Blind to Jaeger, bit of feet, blind full double back with a little step. 9.75
Song (Penn): Good combo pass, switch half to wolf 3/2. Double tuck, baby scoot. 9.725
Schoenherr (UF): One and a half DEAD stuck. DEAD. Wow. 9.975
Wong (UF): Half on pike half off, the highest I’ve seen it and also dead stuck. 9.975
Merchant (NCSU): Maloney to Pak with leg sep, struggles a bit on the low bar but gets the pirouette over in the end, double lay with a baby hop. 9.775
Battavio (RU): BHS LOSO, really steady, pretty leaps, full turn, side aerial tuck back full. Steady and stylish.
Reed (UF): One and a half, hop forward. 9.85
Ortega (NCSU): Hindorff great, not sure if the bail quite made handstand, double layout with legs together and a hop back.
Blakely (UF): One and a half, another hop but not as big as Reed’s. 9.9
Zanella (RU): Switch ring to beat, BHS LOSO emphatic. Side aerial back full great. 9.9!
Davies (Penn): Short on double pike, front lay front full. 9.825
Thomas (UF): Looked like another small hop forward to me on her one and a half but can definitely improve on the 9.85s earlier in the lineups. Yeah, 9.9 is about right.
Jordan (NCSU): Good Ray, very clean Pak, Christina isn’t sure about her low bar handstand, double lay with a baby hop back. 9.85
Shepard (NCSU): Great blind to Jaeger, she’s so tidy on bars, looks like she hit her feet on the floor under her Pak. Had to cast twice on the low bar but kept it loving, FTDB with chest down, little hop. 9.5 🙁
Joyner (RU): BHS LOSO steady, switch switch half, no drama. Side aerial back full, hop.
Hsu (Penn): Rudi LOSO, weird step-dance-sideways situation that narrowly stays in bounds. One and a half front lay great, switch to switch ring full.
Huang (RU): Cat leap side aerial great. Front aerial BHS, full turn, side scale lovely, double full dismount stuck but a touch shaky. 9.875
S. Kenefick (Penn): Front double full front tuck very well done. Popa Popa maybe a touch undercooked, another front double full with a cross step.
After 2: Florida 99.100, Rutgers 98.025, NC State 97.525, Penn 96.700
Great Florida vault rotation and the Gators are on 198 pace once again without using their full depth or showing their very best landings. Leanne Wong definitely looks as good as she ever has today, and at the end of the day a just-okay Nya Reed is still a very very good gymnast.
Rutgers had a great beam rotation there and Penn excelled on floor while NC State kept it moving on bars but really could have used a good score from Shepard.
Rotation 3: Penn VT, Florida UB, NC State BB, Rutgers FX
Blakely (UF): Maloney to Pak, touch of leg sep in the maloney but gets them back together on the Pak, toe blind with a leg flicker to front giant to double front, step back. 9.825
Newman (RU): Great double pike, one and a half front lay steady. 9.825
McCusker (UF): Maloney to Pak, great van Leeuwen, tiny arch on the high bar handstand, stalder double back deep with a hop back. 9.825
Foland (NCSU): Kickover front BHS BHS with a little check.
Schoenherr (UF): Toe blind to Jaeger the usual high, gorgeous, great turnover. Good bail, blind double front half stuck, looked like one of her ankles tried to collapse on her as she landed but she brazened it out. 9.9
Pagliaro (RU): Double pike a tiny bit overrotated. Whip half front full great, wolf full wolf full with very precise rotation, we cut away. 9.825
Skaggs (UF): Tkachev to Pak, the usual little bit of leg sep, starfish double layout but stuck.
Jennings (NCSU): Full turn, BHS BHS LOSO great. Switch tuck 3/4, side aerial back full. 9.85
Thomas (UF): Maloney Pak yada yada usual, double layout extremely stuck. Very much could be a 10.
Wong (UF): Maloney to Pak, van Leeuwen great, finding the handstands, double lay also stuck dead. 9.95 boooo.
Shepard (NCSU): Switch straddle quarter, BHS LOSO emphatic. Side aerial, beat to straddle half with a little check, side aerial back full stuck. 9.9!
Joyner (RU): Double pike solid, switch full landed really well, switch side Popa sooo airy. One and a half front pike is great. 9.875
Huang (RU): Front double full looks solid, Rudi just barely made it in bounds, second Rudi is great. 9.875
Webb (NCSU): BHS LOSO, switch split, super steady. Front aerial looked like it might be short on rotation but made it, beat to messy sheep, side aerial back full stuck. 9.85
After 3: Florida 148.700, Rutgers 147.325, NCSU 146.700, Penn 145.575
Another great bars rotation at the end from Florida. These judges seem pretty determined not to give any 10s. Rutgers continued to shine on floor and is on pace for a season high.
Rotation 4: Rutgers VT, Penn UB, Florida BB, NC State FX
Skaggs (UF): Switch split, BHS LOSO slow and steady. Front aerial. Cat leap switch side, baby adjustment, side aerial back full with a tiny step. 9.9
Merchant (NCSU): Missed the first pass but it was fine, one and a half front lay with a little extra bounce in the step out. Borderline OOB in the last pass. 9.825
Kenefick (Penn): Just saw the double twist dismount, good with a step. 9.725
Blakely (UF): We were offscreen for her acro series, switch switch half super steady, side aerial back full with maybe a little scoot into the salute. 9.925!
Webb (NCSU): Double pike, leg separation. Switch ring wolf full good. Rudi double stag, one and a half front lay stuck.
Baumann (UF): Big break on the BHS LOSO, full turn, one and a half dismount solid but Florida will want to drop that one either way. 9.65
Penuela-Wermers (Penn): Just caught literally her stalder. Great. 9.7
Hughes (RU): Solid FTY, little hop in place.
Joyner (RU): Stuck the FTY wooooow.
Leese (RU): Medium hop forward on her one and a half.
Wong (UF): Switch ring, really steady, front aerial a little tentative. Double full dismount stuck-ish. 9.95
In this rotation the stream has gotten worse at including all the routines so sorry if this is getting choppier.
Clapper (UF): BHS LOSO LOSO, wow, major break in the middle and not sure how she survived the series but she did. Side aerial back full with a little shuffle.
Shepard (NCSU): Double pike, OOB. Great combo pass landing,
McCusker (UF): Needs a 9.875 to deliver another 198 for the Gators. Double wolf turn great, front aerial, lovely snappy dance. BHS LOSO with a small check. Switch to split, side aerial tuck back full with a hop back. 9.85
M. Marr (Penn): Fall to drop here from Kuhn. Maloney to Pak, super clean, double lay deep with a big step forward.
FINAL: Florida 197.975, Rutgers 196.400, N.C. State 195.950, Penn 194.300
Career day for Leanne Wong, who walks away with four titles and a tie for the top AA score of the year. It’s a day of highs and lows for Rutgers, which set a program record but also was mathematically eliminated from regionals due to the work of other teams. N.C. State and Penn were both able to make incremental progress on their NQS with solid, if not perfect, meets tonight.
AA Champ: Leanne Wong (UF) 39.850
VT Champ: Savannah Schoenherr, Leanne Wong (UF) 9.975
UB Champ: Trinity Thomas (UF) 9.975
BB Champ: Leanne Wong (UF) 9.95
FX Champ: Leanne Wong (UF) 9.975
Live Blog by Rebecca Scally
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