After slow starts to each of their seasons, Arizona and West Virginia face off to start off the Norman Regional in a battle of two hot teams. Neither were locked into regionals in the waning weeks of the regular season, and both teams finished on strong notes to secure their spots in the postseason.
The Mountaineers are led by a pair of individual qualifiers, Abbie Pierson and Kendra Combs. Both qualified on floor with Pierson adding beam to her repertoire should West Virginia not win today. Unsurprisingly, floor is this team’s top ranked event at 19th and the only event where it ranks in the top 30. While the Mountaineers’ season-high does trail the Wildcats’ by two tenths (196.850 to 196.650), they just hit theirs at conference championships compared to back in February when Arizona notched its best. West Virginia is doing its best gymnastics at the best possible time.
Leading all arounder, Malia Hargrove, leads a quartet of individual qualifiers for the Wildcats that also includes Alysen Fears on bars, Sirena Linton on beam, and Caroline Herry on floor. Arizona ranks 25th on beam and 27th on floor where Hargrove especially shines and Herry has been great after not even competing on the event last season. Technically the underdog with the lower ranking, the Wildcats have already tasted the sweetness of an upset this season, pulling off a stunning win over Utah to notch their first win of the year in that season-high performance.
With both teams alike in beam and floor being their strong events, the meet could likely be decided by who’s able to go over 49 on vault, the event both teams struggle with most. Hargrove and Pierson both have Yurchenko one and a halves that will need to be stuck today more than ever.
Follow along with scores and video! (ESPN+)
Looks like we will not be alternating routines today (boo!) and instead competing simultaneously.
Rotation One: West Virginia Vault, Arizona Bars
Alban (WVU): Yfull. Good distance, a bit flat, step back. 9.675
Mueller (AZ): Toe on to Tkatchev, hit her foot on the bar but stayed on, archy bail and falls off, remounts, dismounts double layout with a hop. 8.875
Lewis (WVU): Yfull. Very flat, sticks but goes deep into a squat to do so, bit off to the side as well. 9.650
Kane (AZ): Very long wait before her routine. Giant half to Jager to overshoot, good height in the Jager, nice final handstand, giant half to double front, small foot shuffle but a near stick. 9.775
Yancey (WVU): Yfull. Beautiful in the air, lacked a bit of distance. Small hop to the side. 9.800
Hornung (WVU): Yfull. Good distance, not a lot of height, small slide. 9.750
McCabe (AZ): Mounts to the high bar, great first handstand, giant half to piked Jager, a little close, giant full to bail, slightly past vertical, dismounts double layout, gets the stick. 9.825
Pierson (WVU): Y1.5. Huge block, barely got the last half twist in despite the great height, takes a step forward. 9.775
Deets (AZ): Gets started on the high bar, giant full to Tkatchev, nice, good handstands including her bail, dismounts double layout, hop back.
Fletcher (WVU): Yurchenko full-on back tuck off. Came in very low, took a weird cross-step to the side and looked like her knees buckled a bit. 9.550
Fears (AZ): Starts on the high bar, good handstand, Tkatchev, good height, clear hip to bail, a little crooked, nice final handstand, dismounts double layout, nice in the air and sticks! 9.850
Hargrove (AZ): Begins on the high bar, hit first handstand, great giant full, Tkatchev, bail, all hit so far, dismounts FTDT and sticks! 9.900
Rotation One: West Virginia 48.650, Arizona 49.200
Both teams got off to a shaky start, with a fall right away for the Wildcats and issues taking over the Mountaineers’ landings. However, Arizona did very well to bounce back after that fall and put up five good scores to make it through one of its weaker events and are still on pace for a good score and shot at advancing. Vault is where West Virginia typically struggles, but it would have loved to have nailed landings and potentially have led after the first rotation. If it wants to continue its season, West Virginia must now mount a comeback.
Rotation Two: Arizona Vault, West Virginia Bars
Herry (AZ): Yfull. Clean in the air, small hop back, slight pike down on the landing. 9.700
Hornung (WVU): Opens with a Jager, slightly close, flexed feet, nice bail, good final handstand, giant half to front giant half to double tuck, sticks. 9.700
Mueller (AZ): Yfull. Sticks! Piked down and flexed feet in the air. 9.750
Larusso (AZ): Yfull. Almost identical to Mueller’s but takes a step back. 9.700
Yancey (WVU): Nice pak to open, good form, toe on, Maloney half, slightest of leg separations, slightly short on final handstand, small hop forward on FTDT dismount. 9.800
Nosek (AZ): Yfull. Good block nice distance, small slide back. 9.775
Castles (AZ): Yfull. Way piked down on the landing, chest forward, step forward. 9.625
Combs (WVU): Maloney to pak, super floaty, half pirouette, jumps to high bar and is short on final handstand, giant full to double tuck, hop in place. 9.825
Hargrove (AZ): Yfull. So much air time after a good block, doesn’t pike down, slides back on the landing. 9.800
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Hit the first handstand, leg separation on the giant half to piked Jager to overshoot, the rest done very well, giant full to double tuck, hop forward, same leg separation issue. 9.800
Abarca (WVU): Great starting handstand, giant full to Geinger, giant full was legit, bail, way short of vertical, nice handstand to giant full to double tuck, caps it off with a stick. 9.800
Pierson (WVU): Toe on, Maloney, soft feet and toes, toe half to Ezhova, problems with going for a pirouette and hops off the bar, chalks, remounts, dismounts with a unique kip cast to back tuck!
Rotation Two: Arizona 48.725, West Virginia 48.925
Through Rotation Two: Arizona 97.925, West Virginia 97.575
It’s a close one halfway through! The anchor bars fall for West Virginia ruined its chances at a season high on the event, but an overall hit rotation helped it crucially cut into the lead with its best events still to come. Arizona’s lack of vault difficulty showed up in the scores, as the Wildcats had a much better day on vault than the Mountaineers but didn’t have the added difficulty tenths to build more of an edge.
Rotation Three: West Virginia Beam, Arizona Floor
Orman (AZ): Opens with a front layout to Rudi, sticks it, switch side to Popa, slightly under rotated, double pike second pass, a bit short, lunges forward out of it. 9.725
A hit by leadoff Handono (WVU) on beam. 9.625
Pierson (WVU): Opens with a full turn, standing front tuck to BHS, slightly squatted but an impressive combo, split jump to straddle side, beat jump, BHS tucked full dismount, sticks it. 9.750
Mueller (AZ) looked like a hit on floor. Final pass of a double tuck was a bit short. 9.850
Deets (AZ): Gets going with a front layout to front full, bouncy steps forward out of it, nice height in the leaps, hoppy out of it, closes with a double tuck, great height and just drops out of it. 9.825
Hornung and Combs (WVU) both hit beam. 9.800 and 9.750.
Fears (AZ): Starts with a double tuck, chest a little low, switch side to Popa, a little rushed throughout, RO BHS 2.5 with a great landing, ends with a RO 1.5 front full and gets another solid landing. 9.875
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Mounts and starts off with a cat leap to front aerial to back tuck, no issues, cat leap to switch leap to back tuck, beat jump, full turn, stuck gainer full! 9.850
Herry (AZ): Begins with an easy double tuck, well controlled lunge, switch half to Popa, good height, RO 1.5 front layout, ends with a double pike, a little under, lunges forward. 9.900
Asper (WVU): Opens with BHS LOSO LOSO, looked low but had no problems with it, switch leap to straddle half, full turn, moving quickly and confidently, RO 1.5 dismount and sticks! 9.825
Hargrove (AZ): Mounts with a full-in, slightly under but holds onto it sans lunge to cover, RO whip half front full, slightly off direction but controlled, switch ring to tour jete half, great double tuck to close! 9.875
Rotation Three: West Virginia 48.975, Arizona 49.325
Through Rotation Three: Arizona, 147.250, West Virginia 146.550
A great floor rotation by the Wildcats puts them now in a great position to survive today should five of their gymnasts survive the beam. Arizona made the most of floor, like it needed to, and is now rewarded with this position and must take advantage. While down, West Virginia isn’t out of it yet. The Mountaineers’ top 20 ranking on floor is the only top 20 ranking on any event by either team and could easily make up the difference with hits and a little help from their foe.
Rotation Four: Arizona Beam, West Virginia Floor
Fears (AZ): Starts off with a BHS LOSO, full turn, side aerial to sissone, a little shy of 180 in the split, switch leap to straddle side, RO 1.5 dismount, fights but takes a tiny hop forward. 9.850
A hit by Hornung (WVU) to lead off floor. 9.800
Herry (AZ): Full turn to open up, BHS LOSO, tiny check, side somi, a few wobbles, big lean and leg up check after her leap series, BHS 1.5 dismount, slides back. 9.650
Lewis (WVU): Rudi to LOSO to start, cleanly through her leaps, great double tuck to close, easy lunge. 9.875
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Gets going with a front layout to Rudi to LOSO, misses the punch for the LOSO and does a faux headspring backwards, stops the routine but thankfully walks off the floor.
Pierson (WVU): Giant double layout to start, BHS front layout front full, beautiful layout position throughout, switch side to Popa, ends with a double tuck, slight shuffle back but good height. 9.875
Castles (AZ) had a very long wait after a conference over Herry’s score and also a switch from Deets in the original lineup. Her teammates cheered like she hit. 9.850
Hargrove (AZ): Opens with BHS LOSO, hits, cat leap to side aerial, small lean, full turn, split leap to sheep jump, didn’t get fully into the sheep position, RO 1.5, deep squat to fight for the stick but slides back. 9.850
Yancey (WVU): Closed with a nice double tuck. 9.900
Mueller (AZ): Great side aerial LOSO flight series. Gets a crucial hit. 9.875
Combs (WVU): Front tuck through to double pike to mount, big lunge back but stays in bounds, incredibly bouncy leap series, no lack of height there, finishes with a double tuck, controlled that lunge easily. 9.900
Linton (AZ): Smooth double wolf turn to open, BHS BHS LOSO, small check to the side, switch leap to split jump, side aerial to layout full, sticks it! 9.850
Rotation Four: Arizona 49.275, West Virginia 49.350
Final: Arizona 196.525, West Virginia 195.925
The Wildcats are your Round One winners in the Norman Regional! Arizona, overall, did have the better day and were able to put forth one of its best performances of the season at the right time. If the Wildcats can compete like this tomorrow, they’ll not only stay competitive as a team, but could also push some individual qualifiers through to nationals.
It was a rough day overall for the Mountaineers, who hung in there after an injury in the middle of the final rotation. Still, West Virginia has a few individual gymnasts who will compete tomorrow and stand a chance at a nationals berth. Especially Abbie Pierson and her massive double layout on floor.
Survive and advance!
Live blog by Brandis Heffner
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