Hello from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama!
Top to bottom this is arguably the most competitive afternoon session of the weekend, certainly the only one to feature four top 25 teams. There’s an outside chance that Kentucky and Missouri could challenge the evening session teams’ scores with hit performances. It’s absolutely plausible that gymnasts from all four teams will factor into the individual titles, the most likely contenders being Raena Worley, Jocelyn Moore and Sienna Schrieber.
Kentucky standout Worley is ranked third nationally in the all around and has been the model of consistency all season; her season low score on any event is a 9.825, one of just five total scores below the 9.9 mark.
Missouri freshman Moore is ranked eighth on vault and has scored 9.925 or higher in her last four meets. Her teammate Schrieber is ranked twelfth on beam and is coming off of a career high 9.975.
All four teams have already secured their spots at regionals, and Missouri and Kentucky will be seeded regardless of their performances this weekend. The Wildcats are currently the top-ranked three seed and could make the jump to two seed with a strong score. Similarly, Arkansas is currently unseeded but could move as high as 14th if it meets or exceed its season high.
You can watch along at home on SECN and access live scoring here. Event streams will also be available:
https://twitter.com/RazorbackGym/status/1505206849821360145?s=20&t=H0bCxM5GJ9aP43V6-5rCcg
Bless 💀
Brace yourselves: there are three judges at SECs named Carol(e).
— Jenna (@jennakgym) March 19, 2022
Looks like Sedlacek is out for Arkansas.
Rotation One: Kentucky vault, Missouri bars, Georgia beam, Arkansas floor
Procasky (UK): Y full, pretty short with chest down. Big lunch forward. 9.600
Angeny (UK): Much better block on her Y full, just the slightest pike down and a microhop. 9.775
Wilson (UK): WOW. Big fhs pike half, stuck. Best she’s done this season. 9.825 seems a little stingy given the height and landing.
Magnelli (UK): Another solid FHs pike half, not quite as much height as Wilson. Chest down on the landing. 9.775
Patterson (UK): The final fhs pike half. Good block with a tiny hop back. 9.875
Worley (UK): BIG Y 1.5 with a small hop forward. 9.800
Marshall (Mizzou): Lovely blind change to straddled Jaeger with flared arms. HUGE FTDT with a small hop. 9.775
Celestine (Mizzou): Small leg sep on her Maloney, more significant on the pike. Nailed the Celestine. 9.775
Patrick (Mizzou): Blind change to straddled Jaeger, good. A little loose on the bail to handstand. Drilled the DLO. 9.850
Schrieber (Mizzou): Nice tight form throughout, especially on the bail. Very strong final handstand and FTDT with a minor hop. 9.850
Sheremeta (Mizzou): Blind change to straddled Jaeger, a hair close on the regrasp. Gorgeous Rudi flyaway dismount with a small adjustment. 9.800
Hu (Mizzou): Lovely first handstand. Big height on her piked Tkatchev. Clean Pak. Slightly late on her final pirouette, but sticks a high, tidy double tuck. 9.875
Magee (UGA): Ugh, looks like she came off. Nicely done RO back 1.5, small foot adjustment. 8.900
Hawthorne (UGA): Pretty bhs loso, great extension. Switch full series, very nice. Aggressive and clean Hawthorne to wolf jump. RO back 1.5 with a tiny hop forward. Great recovery. 9.825
Schild (UGA): Front aerial to bhs bhs, slightly soft knees but good temp. Back full with chest down and staggered, small foot shuffle. 9.800
Nguyen (UGA): Getting a pep talk from APL. Onodi to bhs, very smooth. Side aerial to back full with a hop back. 9.850
De Jong (UGA): Switch leap series, good position. Smooth front aerial to beat. Bhs loso, no problems. Back full with a minor shuffle. The Gym Dogs are holding steady. 9.775
Baumann (UGA): Side aerial to loso and she hops off, too bad. hitch hick half turn. Beautiful full turn initiated from the knee. Cat leap to switch side, hits 180 but a little off kilter from my POV. Nails the RO back 1.5.
Hickey (Ark): Strong opening double pike, good control on the landing. Very nice double tuck to finish. 9.825
Jones (Ark): Lovely, clean double full. Back 1.5 to front lay, good. Clean Rudi to finish. 9.875
Shaffer (Ark): Back 1.5 to front lay, small hop. Such control on her switch full series. Good double tuck. 9.875
Smith (Ark): Nailed her opening FTDP. Strong double tuck. Big amplitude on her straddle half series. Hops out of her double pike, but finesses it well. 9.650
Hambrick (Ark): Floats her opening double tuck. There’s a large Razorback contingent here and they’re clapping along. Rudi was a little uncontrolled, tacks on a back tuck. Double pike ever so slightly underrotated, chest down but covers the landing adjustment nicely. 9.800
Lovett (Ark): Flawless DLO to kick off her routine. HUGE double tuck, small front foot slide. Dynamic switch half series. Front lay a little flat to slightly short front full, stutter step on the landing. 9.850
AFTER ONE ROTATION: Arkansas 49.225, Missouri 49.150, Kentucky 49.050, Georgia 48.150
To exactly no one’s surprise, the scoring is pretty tight with not a single routine scoring over 9.875. That’s totally fine if that judging energy holds (but we know better).
Kentucky did its job on vault, with Wilson’s being the highlight for me. I understand the deduction for Worley’s hop, but
Missouri had its usual built-in deductions, but did a great job of not giving up anything else (particularly on the dismounts).
Inauspicious start and finish for the Gym Dogs on beam, which is a shame because there was a lot of great gymnastics in between.
Arkansas floor party is always fun to watch, and this rotation was no exception! Very impressed with Jones’ poise and overall execution.
Rotation Two: Arkansas vault, Kentucky bars, Missouri beam, Georgia floor
Kelley (Ark): Y full with a bit of pike down and low chest, adjustment and arm wave in place. 9.700
Pennese (Ark): Solid Y full, absolutely stuck. 9.850
Smith (Ark): WOW. Best vault of the day. Y full, stuck. Give it a 9.950, that was stellar. 9.850? That’s just wrong and I’m gonna be super salty about it for the rest of the day.
Shaffer (Ark): Another nailed vault for the Razorbacks, this time a Y 1.5 9.875
Elswick (Ark): Yet another strong Y full with a college stick, very clean in the air. 9.850
Hambrick (Ark): Solid Y 1.5 with a crossover step to finish out Arkansas. 9.825
Davis (UK): Blind change to straddled Jaeger a little crooked in the air and close on the regrasp. Tidy DLO with a bounce out. 9.700
Procasky (UK): Good form on the Pak. 9.750
Nixon (UK): Fabulous Pak. Clean handstand positions throughout. Her usual awesome FTDT, small hop. 9.775
Luksik (UK): Big Ray, well done. Tight form on her bail. Very nice DLO, maybe stuck? Didn’t have a great view. 9.800
Angeny (UK): Crisp blind change to straddled Jaeger with some feet and a little wonky on her bail. Excellent DLO, stuck. 9.825
Worley (UK): Lovely clear hip to a big Tkatchev. Pak to half pirouette on the LB, excellent. Perfect FTDT, stuck. 9.900
Marshall (Mizzou): Front toss to bhs, excellent. Straddle half, good position. Bhs to a HIGH gainer full, small shuffle. 9.800
McCrary (Mizzou): Fhs to bhs, well done. Small readjustment on her double stag. Bhs to tucked 1.5, step forward. 9.775
Schaffer (Mizzou): Bhs bhs loso, very steady. Front aerial, great. Switch leap to split jump, maybe a hair shy on the latter? Back 1.5 with a hop forward. 9.800
Sheremeta (Mizzou): Bhs loso, excellent. Very nice extension. Double stag, good. Very definitive on her front aerial. Full turn with free leg. Scorpion kick low beam choreo, very cool. Stuck tucked gainer full. 9.900
Hu (Mizzou): Gorgeous opening handstand. Y turn, lovely. Front aerial, shoulders aren’t square and she can’t save it. Repeats the front aerial to bhs, no problems this time. Front aerial to scale, a little adjustment. 9.375
Schrieber (Mizzou): Her usual lovely bhs loso loso series. Switch half to split jump, great. Beat jump to stuck gainer full. Clutch. 9.950
Perez-Lugones (UGA): Pretty double pike. Oh no, goes down on the whip half to front full. Stays down for a beat, but picks up and closes out with a strong double tuck. 8.950
Magee (UGA): A little short on her opening FTDP. Nice height on her Popa series. Front full to front lay, great. 9.800
De Jong (UGA): Underrotates the full a bit and hops forward. Tidy double tuck with chest down a bit. 9.800
Roberts (UGA): Big front through to double tuck. good control on her landing. Chest slightly down on her double pike. 9.850
Baumann (UGA): Precise double wolf turn. Chris Brooks is clapping along. Back 1.5 to full, great control. Switch side to straddle, awesome oversplit. CKC is also dancing along. STUCK double pike, fantastic routine. 9.900
Hawthorne (UGA): Enormous double pike, a little slide out but covers well. Switch full series, back leg looked a touch low on the second one. Front lay to Rudi to rebounding split jump, nice control. 9.900
AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: Arkansas 49.475, Missouri 49.375, Kentucky 98.100, Georgia 97.675
Arkansas was lights out on vault. I seriously want to know what the judges took on Smith’s vault, because it looked pretty darn perfect in real time (and the clear best of the rotation).
Kentucky was uncharacteristically nervy on bars. No major breaks, just a few tenths here and there that aren’t usually there.
Obviously not the rotation Mizzou wanted with Hu missing, but a strong performance the rest of the lineup. Schreiber continues to prove that she’s one of the best in the country.
Georgia rallied after its second opening fall, remaining calm, cool, and collected to close with two 9.900s.
Rotation Three: Georgia vault, Arkansas bars, Kentucky beam, Missouri floor
Cashman (UGA): Good Y full, slight pike down and a hop. 9.775
Magee (UGA): Good height on her Y 1.5 but opens early and has to take a step back. 9.650
Ward (UGA): Much bigger Tsuk full than we’re used to seeing from her. Really good distance, medium step. 9.750
Hawthorne (UGA): Huge Y full, tiny hop back. 9.825
Baumann (UGA): BIG Y1.5, tons of distance and height, good form in the air, crossover step. 9.850
Roberts (UGA): Y 1.5, slightly soft knees and a hop forward. 9.825
Smith (Ark): Minor leg sep on the Pak and bail. Fantastic DLO, her second stick. 9.825
Scalzo (Ark): Blind change straddled half, a little close. Rushes the bail just a bit. Good DLO, nearly stuck. 9.800
Jones (Ark): A little over on her handstand, but brings it back. DLO slightly crunched on the landing, just a small hop. 9.775
Shaffer (Ark): Excellent Maloney-Pak series, no leg sep. A beauty of a DLO, stuck. 9.825
Hambrick (Ark): Blind change to piked Jaeger, good position. Bail, no problem. High FTDT with a tiny hop. 9.850
O’Hara (Ark): Blind half to straddled Jaeger, a tiny bit close. Holds her handstand For. Eh. Ver. DLO with a college stick. 9.850
Luksik (UK): Very shy switch half, but no bobbles. Stuck gainer pike. 9.725
Procasky (UK): Looked over just in time to see her come off. Too bad. 9.250
Magnelli (UK): Slight bobble after her acro series. Switch half looked good. Kicked out the full turn. Stuck gainer pike. 9.700
Patterson (UK): Very nice full turn, kicked out. Bhs loso, gorgeous. Small adjustment after her front aerial. Switch leap to switch jump, great position. Stuck gainer pike. 9.800
Angeny (UK): Bhs loso loso, little soft knees but rock solid. Lovely front aerial. Switch side, very good. Some folks walked in front of me so I missed the dismount completely. Sigh. 9.850
Worley (UK): Hitch hick to switch side, beautiful. Front aerial with a micro-adjustment. Bhs loso, no problem. Back 1.5, again missed the landing because this is apparently when everyone is going to the bathroom. 9.80
Schrieber (Mizzou): Rudi to back lay to front tuck, great. Pretty back 1.5 front front loso. Switch half to switch full, excellent position. 9.825
Kratzer (Mizzou): Glad to see her in this lineup. She’s been great in exhibition all year. Nice double tuck to open. Straddle positions looked solid on her leap series. Back 1.5 to front lay, good rise on the latter. 9.800
Sheremeta (Mizzou): Opening double front full looked great. Rudi to high, floaty loso. 9.850
McCrary (Mizzou): Front lay to Rudi, nicely done. Switch side series, good height. Final front double twist juuust underrotated. 9.825
Moore (Mizzou): STUCK DLO to open, casual. Switch half to Popa series, really big. And a front through to double tuck, also stuck. She’s just showing off now. 9.900
Celestine (Mizzou): Big FTDT to open. Switch full sweries, leg just a touch low. Back 1.5 to lay, floats it right to the edge. Super clean double tuck to finish. The Tigers will take that. 9.925
AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: Missouri 147.725, Arkansas 147.625, Kentucky 146.975, Georgia 146.700
Georgia left a few tenths on the table with uncontrolled landings, but still the hit rotation it sorely needed.
This was a must-hit event for Arkansas, and it did just that. As is my typical complaint, I wish we’d seen more score separation because all of those 9.8ish scores were not equal.
Unfortunately, Kentucky did not have the beam rotation it was hoping for. Not a disaster, by any means (especially since they close on floor), but unlikely to get the NQS score they were looking for.
Missouri picked a good time to surge since they’re heading into one of their weaker events. That was a great rotation for the Tigers, and it’s set them up nicely for a strong away score.
Rotation Four: Missouri vault, Georgia bars, Arkansas beam, Kentucky floor
Marshall (Mizzou): BIG Y full with a large hop forward. 9.750
Patrick (Mizzou): Very low Y full, pretty sure she put both hands down. 9.050
Davis (Mizzou): Much better Y full, but opened early and had a large rkick back step. 9.775
Schreiber (Mizzou): Solid Y full, very clean and small hop back. 9.825
Celestine (Mizzou): MASSIVE Y 1.5, small crossover step. She’s dancing down the runway and did jump bump with Coach Welker. 9.850
Moore (Mizzou): BAM! Stuck, flared out Y 1.5. Whatever adjectives for “big” you can think of apply here. 9.950
Ward (UGA): Her usual blink and you’ll miss it routine (which I did). Pretty DLO with a small hop. 9.725
De Jong (UGA): Good height on her Ray, tight bail. Great DLO with a small hop. 9.850
Cashman (UGA): Well done Ray to bail. DLO with minor leg sep and some arm wave, but a stick. 9.800
Hattaway (UGA): Comes off on the Gienger. DLO with leg sep and a small adjustment. 8.900
Roberts (UGA): Leg sep on the Maloney to Pak. DLO with a shuffle. 9.825
Nguyen (UGA): A little off on her handstands, but powers through. Blind change to piked Tkatchev, good. Close on the Pak but again powers through to the switch kip. DLO, more or less stuck. 9.900 is way too high, but particularly in the context of today’s scores.
Gamiao (Ark): Clean RO back 1.5 with a readjustment. 9.675
Smith (Ark): Bhs loso with soft legs and a leg up check, but stays on. 9.500
Gianfagna (Ark): Bhs loso, rock solid. Beat jump to switch half, not quite horizontal. RO back 1.5 with some crosse legs, but definitive stick. 9.825
Lovett (Ark): Front aerial to back loso, large break at the waist but stays on. Switch split combo, good height and position. Side aerial to a stuck full. 9.650
Hambrick (Ark): Bhs loso, not super tight and takes an extra step out. Low back leg on the switch half. Cartwheel gainer full, small hop. Nothing disastrous, just slightly tentative throughout. 9.800
Elswick (Ark): They gave her Motown Philly for her beam song and I’m HERE FOR IT. Bhs loso, fantastic extension. Switch 3/4 great. Front aerial, solid. Bhs 1.5 with a small hop forward, gorgeous. 9.875
Procasky (UK): Very flat front full to front lay, deep landing. Tidy double tuck in the air, but chest down on the landing. 9.700
Patterson (UK): Back 1.5 to front lay, well done. Switch ring, a little short of horizontal. Awesome double tuck to dropped split. Good comeback. Strong double pike. 9.800
Magnelli. (UK): Punch Rudi to front loso, fantastic. Great form. Switch side to Popa, good height. 9.850
Haigis (UK): Fhs full to front loso, excellent control. Switch half to Popa, big amplitude. Lovely double pike to finish. 9.875
Davis (UK): Very solid double pike to open. Dynamic Popa series, very nice. Back 1.5 to front lay, love how she opened up and just floated the combo. Easy double tuck, great. 9.900
Worley (UK): FTDT, complete control throughout, milks the landing. Switch ring to switch side. Fhs front full to front lay, stuck dead. Shushunova half, great. Double tuck with the teensiest, tiniest bounce back. Fabulous finish for the Wildcats. 9.950
FINAL: Missouri 196.875, Arkansas 196.450, Kentucky 196.350, Georgia 195.800
Stay tuned for session two in a couple of hours when we’ll find out exactly what all these numbers mean!
Live Blog by Claire Billman
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