Hold onto your Primanti Bros. and IC, yinzers, it’s time for the second annual Keystone Classic! Host Pitt missed out on last year’s event due to COVID protocols, so this is the first time we’ll see all of the PA-based teams going head to head (to head to head). This should be a sneaky good meet. Penn State is the favorite on paper as the only ranked team competing, but realistically these are four closely matched squads.
The Nittany Lions are coming back from an uneven 2022 season in which they failed to qualify as a team for regionals. Beam was an unmitigated disaster, with the lineup notching three sub-48 scores but only cracking 49 once. The good news is that Penn State has a deep freshman class led by former five-star recruit Ava Piedrahita and former four-star Amani Herring, as well as Florida transfer Gabbie Gallentine.
Temple made a splash with a third-place finish at its first EAGL championship and was recently ranked second in the conference’s coaches poll. Bearing in mind that this is a very young team with 17 underclassmen,Temple has a knack for hitting when it counts. If the other teams open the door, expect the Owls to capitalize on their mistakes.
Pitt rose six spots in the rankings last year, and as a 2023 regionals host, it will be angling to sneak into the top 36. The Panthers have lost a significant number of last year’s roster but have a number heavy-hitting freshmen joining the ranks.
Last but not least, dark horse Penn is well-equipped to upset any or all of these teams. The Quakers had the lowest 2022 NQS of the competitors by a wide margin, but their season high 196.950 bested all three teams by at least two tenths. With added difficulty on vault and the 21st-ranked freshman class in the country, Penn is poised to improve on last year’s results.
The meet will be streamed live on ACCNX with live scoring available here.
Rotation One: Pitt VT, Temple UB, PSU BB, Penn FX
Garvey (Pitt): Solid Y full to kick off the season. Twisted a touch early, the slightest of pike in the hips,and a small step back, but really good distance. 9.700
Piedrahita (PSU): Saw a round-off and the actual dismount out of frame, but the commentators said it was a great beam routine for the former five star recruit!
Weiss (Pitt): Yfull very similar to Garvey’s. 9.700
Dorunda (Temple): Crisp full pirouette to a high, stuck double tuck.
Washington (Pitt): Excellent Y full. Excellent height and body position and a definitive stick! 9.875
Elmore (Temple): Lovely cast handstand. Great position and rhythm on her full pirouette to a double pike with a small hop.
Johansson (PSU): Um… She just faceplanted onto the beam heading into her dismount. Hope she’s OK?
Dukees (Pitt): Another solid Y full. A bit more of a bounce back that the previous gymnasts, but a strong showing none the less. 9.750
Ward (Pitt): Excellent Y full from the senior! Straight body and a stick. Not as much distance as Washington, but really nice. 9.850
H. Stallings (Temple): Big Tkatchev to bail, love the tension in her body. High FTDT with a tiny hop.
Copperwheat (Pitt): Closing out with another strong Y full! Legs were a bit soft in the air and a small hop back. 9.800
Gibble (PSU): Beat to ring, front leg a bit low. cartwheel to full out of frame.
Kerico (Penn): Back 1.5 to front lay; didn’t get a ton of pop on the twist, so the front lay was a little archy. Popa series with an oversplit, very well done. Excellent double tuck with a controlled lunge to close.
Herring (PSU): Gorgeous front toss to bhs. Lovely deliberate full turn. Switch kick to switch side. Gainer tucked full off the end. Awesome debut for the freshman! S
Song (Penn): Front tuck through to double tuck, very nicely done. Underrotated and crunched landing on the double pike, but she covers well.
Johnston (PSU): Shoot through mount. Very slow on the bhs losos and has a significant leg up and out check. Switch jump to sheep, good. Side aerial, no problem. RO back 1.5 with a little form and a large step forward.
Kenefick (Penn): Back 2.5 to punch front, fantastic form (may have gone OOB?). Nice extension on her Popa series. Fhs front double full; cheats the landing just a bit, but her twisting form is so good I’m willing to ignore it.
The live scoring didn’t kick in until right now, so bear with me!
AFTER ONE ROTATION: Pittsburgh 48.975, Temple 48.900, Penn State 48.650, Penn 48.525
So this is about as competitive as we expected, and I LOVE IT! Pitt looked unbelievably good on vault with Washington the clear standout. I honestly wouldn’t have minded if she gone 9.900. We didn’t see any full routines from Temple, but what we saw looked really good and seems to have been reflected in the scores. Penn State had some iffy moments on beam, but Herring looked like an absolute veteran. Again, we didn’t see any full routines from Penn, but they look completely at home against DI competitors.
Rotation Two: Penn VT, Pitt UB, Temple BB, PSU FX
Lassiter (Penn): Good Y full with a bit of pike in the hops and a hop back. 9.650
Kenefick (Penn): 9.775
Kerico (Penn): Big Y full with slight pikedown and a side step. 9.675
Agarwala (Penn): RO full on tuck off. Misses the block and basically lands on her knees. 9.000
Song (Penn): Very little height on her Y full, and had to crunch up in the air as a result. 9.725 is a little high for me.
Belkoff (Penn): 9.250
Washington (Pitt): Significant leg sep on Maloney and Shaposh. More leg sep on the VL. Good full pirouette to a tidy double tuck with a hop. 9.675
Garvey (Pitt): Straddled Jaeger, no problem. Toe on pike half dismount basically stuck. 9.725
Jakub (Pitt): Peels off on her Maloney. Much better on the second attempt. Solid Pak. A little late on her blind full and lands her double tuck with her chest well forward. 8.800
Ewing (Pitt): Blind change to piked Jaeger, high amplitude. No problems on the bail. Full pirouette to tight double tuck with a hop back. 9.825
Pawlak (Pitt): Lovely DLO position in the air, small step forward that should disappear with experience. 9.800
Copperwheat (Pitt): Blind change to straddled Jaeger with excellent height but some foot form. Bail, well done. Gorgeous handstands throughout. Huge FTDT with a little stutter step passed off as a college stick. 9.775
Schugman (Temple): 9.850
Dorunda (Temple): Good position on her switch side. Side aerial with shoulders out of alignment and has to do some readjustment. Bhs to back 1.5, lovely form and just a small hop. 9.725
S. Stallings (Temple): Side somi with a small readjustment. Another slight check on her full turn. RO back 1.5 with a hop forward, but nice rise in the air. 9.775
B. Donabedian (Temple): Struggling through her front aerial bhs, but keeps moving so should get credited. 9.825
H. Stallings (Temple): Bhs loso with a minor check. Split jump to switch side. Cat leap to side aerial with a touch of form. Bhs back 1.5 (couldn’t see the landing). 9.875
Roland (Temple): 9.825
Johnston (PSU): Back 1.5 to front lay with some form. 9.775
Piedrahita (PSU): Stellar back 1.5 to front lay. Gorgeous position on her wolf full. High double tuck with a perfectly controlled landing. 9.850
Rushlow (PSU): Back 1.5 to front lay with very loose form. Falls on the fhs Rudi. 9.025
Virhova (PSU): Strong double pike to finish. 9.775
Johanson (PSU): Back 1.5 to back half to straight jump, nice form throughout. Good position and extension on her leap series and a well-controlled double tuck. 9.875
Herring (PSU): FABULOUS position on her Popa and straddle half. A hair under on her double tuck and has to step forward, but covers it well. 9.825
AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: Temple 98.050, Pittsburgh 97.775, Penn State 97.750, Penn 96.775
Still tight after two rotations! Penn really needed to close the gap on vault in order to stay competitive through the final two rotations, but it’s not over till
Even with a few hiccups, this is a formidable-looking Pitt team. Snider has proven she knows how to convert potential into results from her newcomers, and that’s certainly the case so far.
Temple continues to do what it does best: Keep calm and carry on. There were several moments where they could (and probably should) have come off the beam, but worked through instead.
I remain impressed by Penn State’s freshmen. They look utterly unphased.
Rotation Three: PSU VT, Penn UB, Pitt BB, Temple FX
Selcado (PSU): Omelianchik goes straight up and not so much out, but minimal issues on the landing. 9.750
Piedrahita (PSU): Another Omelianchik. Much better block and a minor forward hop. 9.825
Herring (PSU): 9.800
Johanson (PSU): 9.625
Johnston (PSU): 9.650
Vihrova (PSU): 9.725
Keneflick (Penn): 9.675
Lassiter (Penn): A bit of form on her straddled Jaeger and comes off. Pings off on her FTDT and lands deep. 8.875
Song (Penn): Really gorgeous FTDT with a small hop in place. 9.650
Kerico (Penn): A little loose on her bail, but reeled it in). Really tight and high FTDT. Opened up a little late and had to take a step forward. 9.750
Penuela-Wermers (Penn): Well under on her bail and ends up in a front support. Stalder to cowboyed double tuck with a step. 8.725
Oniki (Penn): 9.725
Ewing (Pitt): Kicked out full turn. Front aerial to bhs with a small hip check. Side somi, well done. Switch side was nice, but switch half didn’t quite hit the mark. 9.925 is high.
Jakub (Pitt): Candle mount, nicely done. Bhs loso with soft knees, but rock solid. Switch leap to split jump, good. Side aerial with a hint of a readjustment. Gainer front pike with a veteran college salute. Nice recovery after her bars fall. 9.825
Duke (Pitt): Full turn with a hip check. Good form on her bhs loso and a small leg-up check. Side aerial with another leg up; love her fight! RO back 1.5 with a little leg sep and a hop. That was nervy but GRITTY. 9.600
Weiss (Pitt): One of the Panthers’ few upperclassmen! Kicked out full turn. Bhs loso with a hip check, very nice save. Switch leap to switch side both a little shy. Cat leap to front aerial to beat; somehow pulled that connection out after a weird front aerial landing. 9.675
Garvey (Pitt): Lovely full turn. Switch leap series to pike jump, great! Visibly exhales through her bhs loso. Front tuck to beat, excellent. Stuck gainer pike. Wonderful beam debut for the freshman! 9.950 and I’m OK with that score!
Copperwheat (Pitt): Comes off on her bhs loso series. Solid full turn and side aerial. RO back 1.5 a little off center and has to step out. 9.350
H. Stallings (Temple): Switch half was well shy of 180, but Popa was excellent. Ran out of gas on her double pack and hand to put both hands down. 8.975
Dorunda (Temple): Front lay to Rudi, nicely done. 9.550
Ruskey (Temple): Sky high double pike. 9.825
Roland (Temple): Chest well down on her final double tuck and has to take a couple of steps forward. 9.100
Schugman (Temple): 9.675
B. Donabedian (Temple): Fhs Rudi to a very crunched loso (the Rudi was gorgeous). Lovely positions on her switch half and switch full. Front aerial is a fun random skill. Fhs front double full a touch under-rotated, but she sells like a champ. 9.750
AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: Pittsburgh 146.750, Penn State 146.400, Temple 145.950, Penn 144.450
We saw some rough edges for everyone except Pitt, whose beam rotation was seriously impressive. Garvey is going to be a hot commodity on fantasy gym after that set! You can’t help but be impressed by the quality of routines and competitiveness we’re seeing from all of the freshmen competing tonight.
Rotation Four: Temple VT, PSU UB, Penn BB, Pitt FX
Johnson (Temple): 9.575
Ruskey (Temple): Block is iffy on her Y full and she has significant pike down and a bound forward.
Schugman (Temple): 9.625
H. Stallings (Temple): 9.650
Aresta (Temple): Y 1.5 looked great in the air, a little lock-legged on the landing. 9.675
Glynn (Temple): 9.750
Piedrahita (PSU): Textbook FTDT, stuck. 9.800
Johnston (PSU): Full pirouette finishing right over the bar to a cowboyed double tuck that’s basically stuck. 9.825
Johanson (PSU): Some knees on her Tkatchev. Good tension in her bail. DLO with a small foot shuffle. 9.750
Gallentine (PSU): FTDL with chest down a bit and has to step forward. 9.775
Rushlow (PSU): Very nice blind change to straddled Jaeger. Tidy FTDT with a tiny readjustment on the landing. 9.800
Vihrova (PSU): 9.775
Belkoff (Penn): Switch leap to sheep jump, very solid. RO back 1.5 with a touch of form. 9.775
Kenefick (Penn): Pretty RO back 1.5 with a small hop forward. 9.725
Wu (Penn): Front aerial looked good, but was maybe supposed to connect? Flawless bhs loso. Wonderful extension on her split leap and a good sheep jump. Drills her RO back 1.5. 9.800
Kuhn (Penn): Bhs gainer full with a big bounce back. 9.625
Marr (Penn): Good position on her switch leap, but cheats the entry into the switch side. Bhs side gainer full is flawless. 9.825
Kerico (Penn): Split jump to switch half, well done. Absolutely floats the bhs loso. RO back 1.5 with a small hop. 9.875
Ward (Pitt): Falls on her opening fhs Rudi and falls. A little wild on her switch full and wolf. Good front full to front lay. 9.025
Winder (Pitt): Giant RO double pike with a minor front foot slide. Front lay to front full to front tuck, no issues. Oh, apparently she choreographed this routine! Final RO to double tuck is big in the air, just another small foot slide. Excellent routines. 9.800
Ewing (Pitt): Back 1.5 to a floaty front lay. Switch full to Popa, love the big amplitude. Strong double pike to finish. 9.850
Copperwheat (Pitt): I will never get tired of giving British gymnasts the James Bond theme music. Front tuck through to double pike, good control. Switch full to wolf full series, no problems. Side somi to shoulder choreo, how cool! Lovely final double tuck. Pitt is doing the most to win this thing! 9.875
Garvey (Pitt): Punch front double full goes riiiight up to the line, but stays in. Gorgeous double pike, kicks it out. Front lay to front full, again right up to the line. Fantastic finish for the Pittsburgh native’s collegiate debut! 9.775
Washington (Pitt): HUGE double pike to start. Switch full looked good, wolf full was just shy of horizontal. Front full to front lay with a choreographed kick out of it. Nails the double tuck to clinch it for the Panthers. 9.900
Final: Pittsburgh 195.950, Penn State 195.075, Temple 194.224, Penn 193.450
VT: Washington (Pitt) 9.875
UB: S. Stallings (Temple) 9.850
BB: Garvey (Pitt) 9.950
FX: Washington (Pitt) 9.900
AA: Piedrahita (Penn State)
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Live blog by Claire Billman
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