Welcome to the second half of your marathon round two! Most notably, you have a showdown of Olympic teammates, Grace McCallum of Utah and Jade Carey of Oregon State. Utah is the easy pick to win this session, the Utes have been cruising through the season and have an eight-tenths advantage over the Beavers’ NQS. In addition, Utah’s high score is just over a point than Oregon State’s best showing all year. Mostly, Utah doesn’t have much to worry about today. Oregon State, on the other hand, has Illinois right on its beaver tails. If the Illini hit with their 197.350 season high and the Beavers bring their 197.155 NQS, well, Oregon will be packing bags. Adding chaos to the mix will be either Stanford or San Jose State, depending on who won that right yesterday (I wrote this intro in advance, so cut me some slack).
Just to add some pressure, if an individual has a dream of qualifying to nationals should their team not advance, they must top all the scores from session one and session two. No pressure for anyone whatsoever, at all. Your individual qualifiers this session are Emma Morgenthaler (Sacramento, VT), Natalie Hamp (N. Illinois, UB), Clara Colombo (Nebraska, UB), Amber Koeth (Sacramento, BB), Tara Kofmehl (N. Illinois, FX), Megan Ray (UCD, FX). A handful of individuals are dependent on if their team qualified earlier in the week: Kyla Bryant (Stanford, AA), Jada Mazury (SJSU, AA), Madison Kirsch (SJSU, VT), Anapaula Gutierrez (Stanford, VT), Emma Milne (SJSU, BB), and Brenna Neault (Stanford, BB).
Per the above note, we have Stanford who won the right to see today.
Announcing teams now! You can find live scores here.
Rotation 1: Oregon State VT, Illinois UB, Stanford BB, Utah FX
Garcia (OSU): Y full with a hop back.
Gutierrez (Stanford): Wolf turn solid. Good series. Little shy on the switch half on beam. RO 1.5 with a hop forward.
Borden (Illinois): Straddle jaeger, good. Caught the end of her twisty dismount, but stuck and gorgeous.
Gilstrap (Utah): Double tuck to open, love the Queen floor music. Little low on the twisting, slightly underrotated the second pass. Good routine overall though.
Navarro (Stanford): Great triple series. Excellent leap series. Stuck dismount.
Utah with good vaults but not a ton of solid landings, just yet.
Fall for Illinois on bars.
Gonzales (OSU): Half on back pike off, takes a step, chest down.
Stanhope (Utah): Double tuck to open, nearly missed it because I thought they were playing between routines music. Great loops, good popa. Great last pass.
Dagen (OSU): Y 1.5, hops. Good sitnace though.
Neault (Stanford): BHS LOSO, good. It is LOUD here this session. Front aerial, smooths over a wobble. Nearly stuck her dismount amid Carey vaulting.
Carey (OSU): Y double full, could’ve been a hop, could’ve been a stick, she landed with her feet just behind the judges head.
Stanhope (Utah): FTDB and doesn’t move her feet. Good leap series, slightly shy on the split jump full. Front lay front full, good.
Kirsch (SJS): Tucked y 1.5, just a hop but great height.
Bryant (Stanford): Good series. Love the beat jump to switch split jump, that’ll never get old for me. Hangs onto the front tuck in place with her toes, but great. BHS BHS double tuck, takes a step.
O’Donnell (Illinois): Straddle jaeger, good. Giant full to a stuck double tuck it looked like.
McCallum (Utah): FTDB to open, just a smiiiidge low on the landing. Leap series good, could go a little bit more on the full split. Front lay, rudi nice.
Illinois with a stuck bar routine.
Widner (Stanford): Switch leap split jump, good. Great bhs loso series. She’s so calm and collected. Front aerial to split jump. Side aerial lay fucll, stuck.
Takekawa (Illinois): Piked jaeger, great, bail to hs, her lugs are GLUED together. Good last hs. Stick that double lay. Great!
O’Keefe (Utah): Double pike to open, good height. Great leap series.
Lawson (Stanford): Arabian, absolutely solid. Cat leap to switch half, little soft in the knees. Sticks the spiked gainer off the end.
Colombo (Nebraska): Good release. Love her handstand work, sticks the double tuck.
It could not be louder. The distraction is real.
Soloski (Utah): Opens with a big double lay but steps out of bounds. Split full in her leap series was gorgeous. RO 1.5 to front lay, nice. Good other than the oob.
Mazury (SJS): Hitch kick to side aerial, love a hitch kick. BHS LOSO, slight balance check. Beat to straddle half, small check. RO 1.5, almost underrotates it looking for the stick and takes a biiiiig step back.
After 1: Illinois 49.400, Stanford 49.350, OSU 49.325, Utah 49.300
Could it BE any closer?! And you thought the first session today was going to be a cut-and-dry meet.
Rotation 2: Utah VT, Oregon State UB, Illinois BB, Stanford FX
O’Keefe (Utah): Y full, a little flair, small hop.
Yamaoka (OSU): Good routine so far, giant full sloooow, to double tuck, just a step.
Neault (Stanford): Double pike to open, slightly loow on the landing, good leaps. Archy front lay.
Borden (Illinois): Front aerial slooow wobble connection to the fhs, good jump series. Love her beam choreo. Sticks her dismount.
Beeman (OSU): Great release, good distance. Pak, great last hs. Just a hop on the double tuck.
Less than ideal landing from Rucker on big step back.
Gutierrez (Stanford): 2.5 to front tuck opening pass.
Mizuki (Illinois): Bobbles on the series big time but saves it. Good stradddle 3/4. Cat leap to side aerial, she’s recovered great from that wobble earlier. OPiked gainer stuck.
McCallum (Utah): Usual vault, hops it back. Caught the tail end after Mizuki saluted.
Brunette (Stanford): Someone tell me what this floor music is. Great back double full to open. Double tuck, good.
Hall (Utah): Y 1.5, bounces forward with a ton of power.
Mueller (Illinois): Great series, pauses in place. Beat to front toss, good. RO 1.5, wants the stick, just a small hop back.
Jakubczyk (OSU): A few errant swings out of the corner of my eye, sticks the double tuck. OSU will want that dropped.
Townes (Illinois): Cat leap front toss, I believe, good. Great jump series. BHS LOSO, lifts the front foot up the tiniest bit.
Carey (OSU): Almost over on the first hs, shaposh, Bhardwaj, hops in place on the dismount. Still goes 9.925.
Lawson (Stanford): Ends with a stunning double pike with pointed feet.
Knight (Illinois): Candlestick mount. Side aerial to bhs, tiniest bit off center but doesn’t show it. Side somi to tuck full, takes a step.
Hamp (NIU): Great height on the tkatchev, nice bail to hs. Good last hs. Gaint full to double lay, sticks it.
Bryant (Stanford): Full in to open, great height. Front tuck through to double pike, well controlled. Switch side to popa looked good. Ends with an open double tuck.
Takekawa (Illinois): Side aerial to bhs, nice. Small bobble on the full turn. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, small check there. BHS to gainer full off side, great routine.
Mazury (SJS): Double pike lands a little low but doesn’t move her feet. Stanford learned the SJSU chant to go with her choreo.
Koeth (Sac State): Backwalkover mount, love it. BHS LOSO and slips off. That’ll be a nice beam burn. Checking things out currently. They’ve called this rotation. Ohhh they called it too early. We’re back up. Split jump to ring, gorgeous. Nerves of steel. Love the tick tock choreo. Her choreo and flexibility is stunning. BHS gainer full and sticks it. The entire arena erupts.
After 2: TIED – Stanford 98.775 and Illinois 98.775, Utah 98.625, OSU 98.475
Stanford and Illinois both tied for first going into the third rotation. This meet is getting more and more interesting. Still just three-tenths between all of the teams. Stick with it, East coasters.
Rotation 3: Stanford VT, Utah UB, Oregon State BB, Illinois FX
Morgan (Utah): Maloney to Bhardwaj, nice. Great last hs, sticks her double tuck no problem.
Young (OSU): Great BHS LOSO series. Split jump stag ring series, good. Sticks the dismount, good momentum for OSU.
Ewald (Illinois): Opens with a fhs rudi loso, good.
Navarro (Stanford): Y full, bounces back.
McCallum (Utah): Maloney to pak, shy on that hs. Then comes off the bar. Not what Utah wants. Sticks the double tuck, maybe a hop in place.
Letzsch (OSU): Front aerial bhs, good. Switch ring, nice shape. Split jump to split ring. Side aerial to full, lifts a foot up slightly.
Gutierrez (Stanford): Y 1.5, good landing, some knees in the air.
Nataraj (Illinois): Good double tuck.
Brunette (Stanford): Y full, hops.
Thompson (Utah): Pak, shaposh back up to a piked gienger between the gars. Double lay with a hop.
Mueller (Illinois): Double pike to open. Front full to front lay looked good. Excellent leap series.
Bryant (Stanford): Y full, hops it again.
OSU stuck another beam routine.
O’Keefe (Utah): Maloney to pak, good. Great last hs. Arabian dismount, just a step.
Gonzales (OSU): Front aerial, leg up. Backs up to repeat. Front aerial soffffft connection, comes off on the side aerial. Step on the landing.
Isa (Utah): Shy on the first hs, good tkatchev. Bail to hs, nice. Shy on the last one. Giant full to double lay, wobbbbblees in the knees but doesn’t move her feet. Utah survives bars.
Takekawa (Illinois): Good routine so far. Rudi to .. split straddle jump shape.
Dagen (OSU): BHS LOSO, leg up but fixes it and stays on. Switch leap series, good. Side aerial to lay full, little hop, could be a college stick.
Knight (Illinois): FHS front double full to open. Good double tuck, takes a step forward out of it. RO 1.5 to front lay, gets it around fine.
Carey (OSU): Forward roll mount. Front aerial pauses, bhs loso, good. Switch leap to switch half beat, good. Gainer full off side, solid end for OSU on beam.
Townes (Illinois): RO 1.5 to front full, she flooooaaats that front full. Little wonky in the leap series but hits her splits.
Milne (SJS): Side aerial to loso, small check but nothing overly concerning. Wolf to sheep, good position on the sheep. Side aerial to lay full, stuck.
Ray (Davis): Played the wrong music. Waiting. Double pike to open, nice. Little soft on the last split in her leap series but dynamic otherwise. FHS front full front lay stag, nice. Ends with a double tuck, chest slightly down. Love this floor music mashup.
After 3: Utah 148.100, Illinois 148.075, Stanford 148.00, OSU 147.950
Well, we shuffled a bit. And closed the gap even more. Just .15 separates all of these teams. Which is BANANAS.
Rotation 4: Illinois VT, Stanford UB, Utah BB, Oregon State FX
Waguespack (Stanford): Great last hs. Sticks the double lay.
Morgan (Utah): Great triple series, smallest of balance checks. Great routine so far. Sticks the dismount,
Bird (OSU): Big double pike to open, nice. Front lay front full. This rotation is going to be close to the end.
We still haven’t vaulted yet.
Takekawa (Illinois): Y full, small hop.
Lawson (Stanford): Maloney to bail to hs, good. Small hop on the double tuck.
Rendall (Utah): Last minute change, Rendall in for McCallum. Great series. Switch leap to straddle quarter, good. RO 1.5, small step back.
Great routine from Bird on floor.
Brunette sticks her dismount on bars.
Burch (Utah): Excellent series. Sticks her gainer full off the side.
Young (OSU): Ends with a great double pike, good routine.
Townes (Illinois): Y 1.5, looked stuck from here.
Neault (Stanford): Great routine so far. Good hs. Sticks her double tuck, too.
Isa (Utah): BHS LOSO LOSO, great. Beat to straddle quarter, not a problem. BHS to gainer full off side, sticks it.
Bryant (Stanford): Everything looked good from the corner of my eye, hops into the salute on her double lay.
Simons (Illinois): Way to cap off the rotation with that good lay full.
Letzsch (OSU): Front double full to open is nice. Front lay front full, also nice.
Widner (Stanford): Tkatchev nice. Bail to hs so good. Just shy on that last hs. Smallest of hops in the double tuck.
Eaker (Utah): Side aerial to loso, solid. Switch leap to bhs swing down. Cat leap to side aerial to tuck full, sticks it.
Mazury (SJS): Great routine, just a step on the double lay.
Carey (OSU): Opens with the double double, good. Front full to front lay to split jump, good use of rebound with that jump. Closes with a double tuck, could’ve called that stuck but took the college allotted step for finesse.
O’Keefe (Utah): Excellent series while everyone was cheering at the end of Carey’s routine. Switch leap to leap, good. Crowd booing the floor judges. Cat leap to side aerail to lay full, STUCK.
Whoops, off by one on this OSU floor rotation. I’ll fix that.
Yanish (OSU): Double lay to start. Ends with a double tuck and a small hop forward but that’ll still score big.
Kofmehl (NIU): Great routine, ends with a double tuck and a step back.
Final: Utah 197.800, Stanford 197.450, OSU 197.425, Illinois 197.375
Utah sailed its way to Saturday on beam. Stanford and OSU and Illinois– that … was a close meet. Utah and Stanford will face Alabama and MSU on Saturday while OSU and Illinois will call it a season.
VT: Carey 9.975
UB: Takekawa, Burch 9.950
BB: Carey 9.975
FX: Carey 9.975
AA: Carey 39.850
Live Blog by Allison Freeman
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