LIVE BLOG: Raleigh Regional Round Two, Session Two

Hello again from Reynolds Coliseum here in Raleigh! Has everyone recovered from the session one drama? 

This session’s match-ups aren’t quite as tight as session one’s, with Michigan expected to cruise through pretty easily *knock on wood.* It should be an exciting battle for the second spot in Saturday’s final, though!

UCLA has been hot and cold all year long, having to grapple with more than its fair share of stressors, and away meets have been particularly unforgiving. Can the Bruins make a late push towards postseason glory? 

If UCLA opens the door, Maryland is certainly capable of taking advantage. The Terps have gone 197 in three of their last four meets, and its vault and bars lineups are among the best in the country. Beam is going to be the difference maker for this Maryland team: They simply cannot challenge UCLA without a hit rotation. 

The dark horse in this session is UNC. The Tar Heels were good yesterday against Towson, but not at their best. That said, they’re capable of hitting the 49.2 mark on all four events, which would put pressure on both the Bruins and the Terps. It’s a tall order, but not impossible. 

Let’s not forget about the individual competitors in this session: 

• Rutgers’ star all arounder Hannah Joyner will be rotating with the Tar Heels.
• Joyner’s teammate Emily Leese will be competing on vault and rotating with UCLA along with Towson’s Jenna Weitz on beam and George Washington’s Kendall Whitman on floor. 
• Temple’s Julianna Roland, also on vault, will be with Maryland along with teammate Brooke Donabedian on floor and Pitt’s Katie Chamberlain on bars. Chamberlain also qualified to regionals last year, but was unable to compete due to injury. 

You can watch along at home on ESPN+ and find live scores here. 

FYI, the live scores are currently not working but the staff are workig on it. Hopefully, that will change but if it doesn’t, I’ll do my best to update scores as I see them!

Rotation One: UCLA vault, Maryland bars, UNC beam, Michigan floor

Flatley (UCLA): Big, floaty Y full to open, basically stuck. 

Malabuyo (UCLA): Another big clean full, stuck I think. 

Chiles (UCLA): Really nice Tsuk full, solid block and plenty of distance. Again, couldn’t see the landing, but looked well-controlled. 

Poston (UCLA): Fhs pike half, chest down but a good landing. 

Wright (UCLA): Lots of distance on her Y full, hop back. 

Campbell (UCLA): WOW. Fabulous Y full, stuck. Nothing to take there. 

Leese (Rutgers): Underrotates her Y 1.5 and staggers back but stays on her feet. 

 

Knodo (Maryland): Blind change to a high straddled Jaeger. Aggressive final handstand. Lovely DLO in the air, couldn’t see the landing. 

Debarberie (Maryland): Blind change to straddled Jaeger. Got a little hung up on her final blind full and a couple steps back on her double tuck. 

Silberman (Maryland): Nice height on the Gienger. Pinggs off her DLO just a bit and has a large bound forward. 

Tsiknias (Maryland): Blind change to a giant straddled Jaeger. Slightly shy on her final handstand. Gorgeous DLO, maybe a small hop back? 

Barber (Maryland): Clear hip to Hindorff, nicely done. Perfect final handstand, held for a while. DLO with a hop. 

Chamberlain (Pitt): Blind change to straddled Jaeger and comes off, ugh. Nice position on her bail. Large step forward on the dismount. 

 

Summey (UNC): Bhs loso with a small hip check. Beat jump to straddle 3/4, chest down just a bit. Balks on her cat leap. Redoes the cat leap to side aerial and comes off, too bad.  

Shearer (UNC): Bhs loso with soft knees, but solid. Front toss with an extra step. 

Nam (UNC): Cat leap to side aerial, well done. RO back 1.5, stuck. Gorgeous dismount. 

Culton (UNC): Beautiful bhs loso. Cat leap to a HIGH switch side. Balks on her front aerial attempt, but redoes it no problem and connects to the beat jump. Side aerial to full with a small step. 

Knower (UNC): Gorgeous bhs loso, just a hint of a hip adjustment. Front toss, awesome. Beat jump to switch side with a big leg-up chack but hangs onto it. Back double twist, stuck. She fought for that one. 

Greenlow (UNC): Lovely, kicked out full turn. Bhs loso with some leg form and a hip check, but feet don’t move. Not sure what skill, but she came off. Split series looked great. RO back 1.5, nearly stuck. 

Joyner (Rutgers): Lovely kicked out full turn. Bhs loso, flawless. Switch leap to switch half; a bit of a pause in between. Side aerial to full with the tiniest hop in place. 

 

Brenner (Michigan): Huge FTDT to open. Fhs full to front lay, very nice. Switch side, very nice. Strong double pike with a foot slide to finish. 

Heiskell (Michigan): Front double Arabian with a bit of a foot adjustment. Fhs full to front lay, excellent. Very nice double pike, no problem on the landings. 

Wojcik (Michigan): Back 1.5 to front pike, a little iffy on the landing but finesses it nicely. Lovely double pike. 

Morrison (Michigan): Very nice half in half out with a front foot slide. Fhs half to front full, a bit flat. Switch half to wolf full, tons of air. Geez, ceiling-scrapping double tuck, totally stuck. 

Wilson (Michigan): Massive open half in half out with a chin check, love it. Front lay to front full to front tuck, no problem. Giant Popa series. Easy, open double tuck, stuck. 

Koulos (Michigan): Front lay to front full to front tuck, slightly underrotated and scoots back. Popa to straight jump double, very cool! Back 2.5, clean but landed OOB. 

AFTER ONE ROTATION: UCLA 39.400, Michigan 49. 350, Maryland 48.775, UNC, 48.325

Tough start for both UNC and Maryland, counting falls on their best events. C’est la vie.

UCLA was pretty darn good on vault. Granted, I could actually see any of the landings, but based on the relative lack of head movement and the 49.400, seems like there wasn’t a whole lot to take! Those extra tenths could come in handy later on. 

Michigan floor was Michigan floor: An absolute treat. Glad to see Koulos back in the lineup! 

Rotation Two: Michigan vault, UCLA bars, Maryland beam, UNC floor

Guggino (Michigan): YIKES! Big Y 1.5 but she sits it down. 

Wojcik (Michigan): Gorgeous Y 1.5. Don’t think it was stuck based on her head movement (maybe just a very enthusiastic college stick). 

Heiskell (Michigan): Another beauty. Y 1.5, negligible movement on the landing. 

Morrison (Michigan): Y 1.5 that look stuck to me. 

Brooks (Michigan): Y 1.5 with an adjustment of some sort. 

Wilson (Michigan): Almost identical to Brooks’ Y 1.5

 

Campbell (UCLA): A bit shy on her final handstand. Blind change to cowboyed double front with a hop. 

Esparza (UCLA): Big straddled Jaeger. Clean DLO, stuck. 

Padurariu (UCLA): Crisp first handstand. Blind change to piked Jaeger, gorgeous. Fantastic bail. Slightly past vertical on her final handstand, but a beautiful full pirouette to stuck double full. 

Malabuyo (UCLA): Little leg sep on her Maloney, fabulous Pak. Pretty DLO with a hop back. 

Chiles (UCLA): Piked Tkatchev to Pak, excellent. A bit close on her inbar Gieger but powers through it. HIGH FTDT that I think was stuck. 

Flatley (UCLA):  Blind change to straddled Jaeger caught on her fingertips. Bail was nice. DLO STUCK. 

 

Weir (Maryland): Bhs loso, gorgeous. Standing loso, ouch… Straddles the beam but doesn’t actually come off. Bhs 1.5 with a step and tears. Hopefully, just a stinger. 

Silberman (Maryland): Bhs loso with some form and a little leg-up check. 

McClure (Maryland): Front aerial with hips off center to bhs; don’t know how she managed to keep that on! Gainer punch front full with a small shuffle. 

Kogler (Maryland): Really pretty bhs loso with a minor foot adjustment. Front walkover, yay! Switch leap series, gorgeous. Missed her dismount but saw her stick the landing and get a big coach hug. 

Debarberie (Maryland): Rock solid bhs loso. Really great RO back 1.5 with good rise, and another stick.

Barber (Maryland): Front aerial to beat, good. Bhs loso, so steady. Front toss with a forward lean and leg up. Truly excellent RO back double full, stuck. 

 

Nam (UNC): Fantastic double pike to open. Big back 1.5 to front full, great control. 

St. Brice (UNC): Big front trhough to double tuck. Back leg shy on both of her leaps, but gets them fully rotated. HUGE double pike; front heel came up but the toe stayed planted. 

Greenlow (UNC): Big double pike to open. Switch full  to wolf full, very nice. Front tuckthrough to front full (I think?), small hop back on the latter. Back 1.5 to front lay, well done. 

Culton (UNC): Fantastic opening double tuck. Switch ring to switch side, lovely. Nice height on her Popa series. 

Knower (UNC): MASSIVE double pike right to the edge of the mat (stays in). Fhs front full to front lay, well done. Switch half to switch full, nice amplitude on both. Nails her double tuck and lets out a cheer before finishing her choreo, I love it. 

Weil (UNC): Crowd is chanting, “Let’s go, Jay!” RO double tuck, no bhs. Solid landing. Front full to front lay, really great rise on both. Switch half to Popa, nice position. Great double pike with a minor foot slide. Fhs to butt bounce to finish. One of her best routines this season. 

Joyner (Rutgers): Gorgeous double pike, no problems. Exemplary Gogean, finished the rotation in the air and came down straight. Fhs front full to front lay, minor foot shuffle. Switch side to Popa, just hung in the air. Back 1.5 to front pike, fantastic. Welp, that was really darn good!

AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: UCLA 98.875, Michigan 98.725, Maryland 97.925, UNC 97.375

Who had UCLA leading after two? When we say “chaotic,” THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. That was a stellar bars rotation (at least what I could see of it), devoid of the little tenths off that have been an issue this season. 

I mean, what can you say about Michigan vault? Completely shook off the lead-off fall from Guggino and just did their thing. Not their best (by which I mean not a 49.800 or whatever), but they don’t really need to be their absolute best tonight. 

Props to Maryland and UNC for coming back strong after first rotation jitters. Maryland did a great job of keeping beam from going completely off the rails. 

Rotation Three: UNC vault, Michigan bars, UCLA beam, Maryland floor

Woohoo, we have working stats! Shoutout to NCSU’s SID Hailey Loftin who has been ON IT this week. 

Greene (UNC): Very strong Y full, slight pike down. 

Schaefer (UNC): Y tucked full, stuck. Great height. 

Summey (UNC): Really big Y full, tiniest hint of a pike throughout. I *think* it was stuck. 

Shinohara (UNC): Another strong Y full, medium hop back. 

Knower (UNC): Big Y full with a hop back. 

Weil (UNC): Fhs pike, lost her shape on the second salto and a small hopforward. 

Joyner (Rutgers): Powerful Y full with a small hop back. 

 

Heiskell (Michigan): Ouch, comes off on her straddled Jaeger. Clean bail. Beautiful full pirouette to double tuck. 

Brenner (Michigan): Blind change to straddled Jaeger. Really nice DLO, stuck or very close to it. 

Morrison (Michigan): Clean Ginenger to a well-controlled bail. DLO with a small adjustment. 

Brooks (Michigan): Great piked Tkatchev. Nice position on her bail. FTDL with a little hop back. 

Wojcik (Michigan): The usual big, wild, Deltchev that she always manages to pull off. Exquisite DLO with a deep knee bend, but a stick. 

Koulous (Michigan): Blind change to straddled Jaeger, very nice. Good tension on her bail. DLO landed very deep and takes a hop forward. 

 

Padurariu (UCLA): Front aerial to bhs, clean. Kicked out full turn, good. 

Chiles (UCLA): Front aerial to bhs, great. Switch split to straddle to wolf jump, nice amplitude on all three. Fights, but comes off on the side somi. Double pike with chest down, couldn’t see her feet. 

Flatley (UCLA): Front aerial to bhs loso, fabulous. Switch leap to split jump, fully extended on both. RO back 1.5 with a hop forward. 

Campbell (UCLA): Bhs loso, well done. Bit of a wave and check after her leaps. Side gainer full, stuck. 

Sakti (UCLA): Switch leap to bhs loso with a hip wave. Cat leap to switch half to beat jump; a little shy of 180 on the switch half. Little readjustment on her full turn. Side aerial to full with a small hop back. 

Malabuyo (UCLA): Wolf turn, nice. Bhs loso with slightly soft knees. Front aerial with a big waist bend; almost comes off but saves it. Split jump to ring to beat, very shy on the ring. Bhs loso to a really high full that I think was stuck. 

Weitz (Towson): Switch split to loso with a check but stays on. Front aerial to bhs, slight knee bend. Switch leap to split jump. Pretty full turn, kicked out. Side aerial to a stuck full and the crowd goes wild!

Rubio (Maryland): High double pike; foot form and a little surprised on the landing but kept her feet still. Back 1.5 to flat front full. 

Glauber (Maryland): Someone was standing in front of me so I literally couldn’t see a thing. Sigh. 

Osterhour (Maryland): Well done front tuck through to double tuck. Switch ring to switch half, gets a bit tangled up on the landing. 

McClure (Maryland): Fantastic opening double tuck, so high! Front lay to Rudi with a bit of bounce back. Didn’t quite get the punch she needed from the front lay. Switch full series, good. Front lay to underrotated front full and steps back; again, didn’t get the punch she needed. 

Rothenbuescher (Maryland): Whip to double tuck, a little off balance on the landing but covers well. Side somi. Switch side to Popa to wolf full, a little correction on her landings. 

Barber (Maryland): Wow, awesome FTDT to open, definitively stuck. Back 1.5 to front pike, again stuck. Switch full to Popas, good position. Tidy double tuck to finish. 

Donabedian (Temple): Fhs Rudi to loso, gorgeous! Switch full to switch ring half, great. Double Y turn, nicely done. Fhs double front full, slightly underrotated and a little crunched on the landing. Great job!

AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: UCLA 148.175, Michigan 147.275, Maryland 146.850, UNC 146.450

Scores have stopped working again, so I’m not sure what’s going on… I don’t see how Michigan can be that far back? 

Granted, I’m not a mathematician, but UCLA’s beam total seems pretty high given the number of checks. 

Maryland had a solid floor routine, capped off with a beauty by Barber and UNC had one of their best vault rotations of the year!

Rotation Four: Maryland vault, UNC bars, Michigan beam, UCLA floor

OK, sources are saying that Koulos’s score did not count because Vore was listed in the official lineup. Welp… That’s a costly error. Michigan still has a decent buffer over Maryland, but is now in a must-hit position. The Wolverines absolutely cannot afford another fall. 

Kogler (Maryland): Y full, big air and just a minor hop. 

Silberman (Maryland): RO half on tuck off (I think), little hop. 

Debarberie (Maryland): Giant Y full with a sizeable hop back. 

Weir(Maryland): Another strong Y full. Terps are fighting!

Rubio (Maryland): 

Barber (Maryland): Gorgeous Y full, I think stuck? She looked utterly in control. 

Roland (Temple): Oh geez… Looks like she lost her place in the air and landed flat on her back. She’s OK, thank goodness. 

 

Greene (UNC): A little shy on her first handstand. Low Tkatchev, but gets it over. Pretty FTDT with a small hop. 

Greenlow (UNC): Big leg sep on her Gienger. Very close on the Pak, maybe hit the floor? Front double tuck with a hop. 

Knower (UNC): Big leg sep on her Gienger. Great bail. 

Schaefer (UNC): Blind change to straddled Jaeger a touch close on the regrasp. Great FTDT, no clue what the landing was like but Amelia Hundley is happy. 

Culton (UNC): Fabulous stalder to Tkatchev. No leg sep in the bail that I saw. Flawless final handstand. Stalder to double tuck, gorgeous. 

Joyner (Rutgers): Blind change to straddled jaeger with some feet form. Lovely DLO, stuck. Great day for Joyner. 

 

Morrison (Michigan): Solid bhs loso. Solid leaps and a stuck RO back 1.5.

Wilson (Michigan): Bhs loso, rock solid. Good positions on her switch leap series. 

Vore (Michigan): Bhs loso with a hip check. Front toss, rock solid. Straddle to switch half. RO back 1.5 with a good landing. 

Brooks (Michigan): Lovely bhs loso. Front toss, no problem. HUGE double back that looked pretty much stuck from here. 

Heiskell (Michigan): Switch leap series and she comes off, omg.. Bhs loso was good. RO back 1.5 with nice rise and a small hop forward. Not to be hyperbolic, but that’s potentially disastrous… 

Wojcik (Michigan): Front aerial with a tiny should dip. Switch leap to switch jump. Bhs bhs loso, gorgeous. RO back 1.5 with a lean but stuck. 

OK, I don’t know what magic Bev Plocki pulled, but Michigan is no longer counting a fall on bars, so the beam fall is somewhat less of an issue.

 

Flatley (UCLA): Huge opening triple full, little foot slide. Gorgeous switch ring to switch half. Clean final back 1.5. 

Moors (UCLA): Slightly underrotated tucked double Arabian, step back. Switch ring to switch full to wolf half, good. 

Malabuyo (UCLA): Nice double tuck to open, great landing. Front full to front lay, a little flat. Switch ring to switch half, very well done. A little short on her final double pike, chest down and a step forward 

Tratz (UCLA): Strong double pike to open. Back 1.5 to front lay, beautifully done. 

Chiles (UCLA): Huge DLO to open, small foot slide back. Strong double pike to close. 

Campbell (UCLA): Nailed her opening FTDT. Was at 180 but not quote horizontal on her switch full (but who cares, it was still great). Dances out of her front lay to front full. And a stuck double tuck to punctuate a phenomenal showing from the Bruins. 

Whitman (GW): Fhs to a sky-high double front, pretty sure she was OOB but it was a beauty nonetheles. Back 2.5 to fron lay, just huge. Back loso was a good six feet in the air. Great position on her Popa series. Fhs front double full, fabulous. What a performance! That OOB will probably keep her out of the running, but that was one of the best routines I’ve seen today. 

AFTER FOUR ROTATIONS: UCLA 197. 800, Michigan 197.400, Maryland 196.025, UNC 195.150

I have absolutely no clue what happened with Michigan’s score between rotations 3 and 4, but they certainly gave me a scare. 

Glad to see UCLA finally put all the pieces together. That was a truly great performance. 

Not the best day for either UNC or Maryland, but they should be exceptionally proud of their performances here. 

 

So UCLA, Michigan, Missouri, and Iowa will be in Saturday’s final, and we’ll figure out which individuals will advance to nationals after that. 

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Live blog by Claire Billman 

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