It’s Excite Night, so everyone get your energy up! Based on week one performances, these teams were separated by two tenths. Let’s not forget the last time these teams met either where Kentucky surpassed LSU in the PMAC by the narrowest of margins after a beam equipment malfunction led to a mulligan on the last rotation. I’m sure that memory is one that’s somewhat haunting for an LSU program that prides itself on putting defeating the best teams in the country, especially for its home fans. Needless to say, that means these teams are pretty closely matched, but Kentucky has the home floor advantage this time around.
LSU’s first meet against Utah was capped at 196.775 mainly due to counting a few too many 9.7s on bars and beam. Bright spots were Aleah Finnegan putting on a clinic in the all around, including a near-perfect 9.950 on floor. Finnegan is really stepping into her own this season, so don’t expect her to put on the breaks tonight. She also has an upgraded Omelianchik on vault that is dynamic and stickable. Haleigh Bryant and Kiya Johnson are also athletes to watch. Bryant’s power and grace always keep her in the highest of scoring brackets. Although she’s known for her perfection on vault, she is an underrated all around competitor, currently tied for 11th in the country. Johnson posted a strong double twisting Yurchenko last weekend, and her floor is coming along quite nicely for January, especially for an athlete who’s been managing chronic achilles pain her entire career.
Speaking of vault, I swear Kentucky has more FHS front pike halves than the rest of the NCAA combined. But I can’t knock them, get that 10.0 start value by any means necessary. The Wildcat’s leader is Raena Worley, as invisible as ever, posting a 39.425 in the season opener at Ohio State. Jillian Procasky also posted a career high all around score in week one with a 39.325. She is definitely on the come up.
Meet-makers for both of these teams will be beam and vault landings. If both of those things go well, may the best team win.
Kentucky will be rocking this new leotard tonight! I will now be accepting guesses on how many crystals are on a single leo.
Rotation 1: Kentucky VT, LSU UB
LaClair (UK): Yurchenko full. Some leg separation in the air and a hop back. Good start for the Wildcats. 9.775
Kiya Johnson (LSU): She’s slated for the AA tonight! woohoo! I’m not sure what there is to discuss prior to a single bar routine, but we’re waiting. Maloney, Overshoot handstand. Interesting video angle. Good last handstand. Double layout. Stuck. Perfect form in the air. 9.900
Procasky (UK): Yurchenko full. A straddle flair at the end with a slide back. 9.800
Arenas (LSU): Tkatcvhev to pak. Some straddle on the pak with a pause. Legs apart some on the double layout with a slide back. A SMIDGE according to Sacramone. 9.825
Wilson (UK): FHS front pike half. Tight pike shape with a hop back. Good first 10.0 vault. 9.825
Jefferey (LSU): Maloney, pak. Good legs. A little late on the half on low bar. straight body cast. Half in, half out, STUCK. Textbook on the dismount. 9.900
Patterson (UK): FHS front pike half. STUCK. OKAY! 9.900
Finnegan (LSU): Piked delchev. Toe hand, Overshoot. A little loose in the back on the catch. Perfect HS. Arabian double front dismount. Stuck again. WOW! The Tigers are not messing around. 9.900
Magnelli (UK): FHS front pike half. Another stick. Landed still in the pike position, but did not budge on the landing. 9.925
Shchennikova (LSU): Ray to pak. Smooth connection. Slow on the turn on low. Double layout. Piked down the second flip with a step forward. 9.725
Worley (UK): Yurchenko one and a half. She’s set up for a good score here. Just a hop forward. Good shape in the air. 9.850
Kentucky will be dropping a 9.800! We’re waiting for a judges conference.
Bryant (LSU): Blind, Jaeger. Huge. Her normal. Snappy handstands. Overshoot right in handstand. Blind, double front with a half. It’s casual. Stuck again. 9.925
AFTER ONE: LSU 49.450, Kentucky 49.300
Holy cannoli! Both teams were really going for it in that rotation, bring the EXCITE to excite night. So many sticks. The energy is insane! We’ve already seen six scores of 9.900 or higher, and we’ve only just begun. What a life.
Rotation 2: LSU VT, Kentucky UB
Arenas (LSU): Yurchenko full, the slightest shuffle back on the landing. Great shape in the air. 9.800
Davis (UK): Blind, Jaeger. Overshoot to hand. Double layout, nice and straight in the air. Stuck landing. And so it begins. Good lead off. 9.875
Shchennikova (LSU): Sat down the Yurchenko one and a half, today. Didn’t quite get the explosion off the table, tried to control it a bit much. 9.125
Bunn (UK): In for Procasky. Blind, Jaeger. A little jerky. Overshoot. Good. Double layout, stuck. Landed a little straight legged, but no matter. Maybe the slightest movement of the foot on replay. 9.825
KJ Johnson (LSU): Yurchenko full. Flared it out at the end. A small slide back. Not much to take there except the landing. Better direction this week. 9.875
Riegert (UK): Blind, Jaeger. A little sideways in the air. Toe hand, overshoot. Nice and floaty. Double layout. Some shape changes in the air. Step forward, couldn’t quite hold the stick. 9.800
Finnegan (LSU): Yurchenko half on, front pike off. A little short with a step back. Good technique on the preflight. 9.750. The judges hit her for the short landing, it seems.
DeGuzman (UK): Blind, Jaeger, overshoot. Smooth connection there. Short on the last handstand. STUCK double layout. A little leg separation in the air, but the judges likely can’t see that from the side. 9.900
Kiya Johnson (LSU): Nearly stuck the Yurchenko one and a half but had to take a small cross step to hold it. 9.875
Luksik (UK): Ray. Absolutely HUGE. Toe hand, overshoot. Good. Double layout, legs perfectly together. Stuck again. Did you expect anything less? 9.925. Career high.
Bryant (LSU): FHS front pike half. Elite level height. Just a slide back. How does Bryant get that open before landing that vault? No one knows. 9.900
Please no flash photography in Rupp Arena.
Worley (UK): Clear hip handstand, Tkatchev. Held the handstand. Pak. FTDT, overcooked it a tad and had to hop back. 9.800
AFTER TWO: LSU 98.675, Kentucky 98.625
Kentucky did what it needed to do to stay in this meet–STICK SOME DISMOUNTS. LSU left some tenths out there, but avoided counting a fall. It’s a close one, folks.
Rotation 3: Kentucky BB, LSU FX
We love a good Fisk Feature in the middle of an SEC meet. The Bulldogs will be on BTN+ competing at Michigan in a few minutes.
The amount of joy I get from Carissa Clay’s bright blue meet hair each week is UNMATCHED.
Luksik (UK): Onodi! Unique and lovely. BHS LOSO. So solid. Cat leap, switch half. Not enough split. Beat jump… Gainer pike off the end. Small step back. Good lead off routine. 9.750
Ballard (LSU): Double layout. Amplitude was next level, strong shape. Back 1.5 front layout to stag. If it’s one thing that Sierra is going to do, it’s dance her heart out. Strong leap series. Double pike. Held it for some emphasis before the lunge. Good set for her. 9.850
Procasky (UK): Who is the head judge? We’ll see. BHS LOSO. A bit squatty to control. No wobble though. Cat leap, switch ring. Pretty big wobble. Front aerial to beat. Double stag to beat jump. Gainer pike with a slide back. A couple slow leap connections in there, so we’ll see how this scores.
Shchennikova (LSU): Front double full. Good legs together in the air. Could’ve controlled a little better into the scale. Back 1.5 front layout. Good control. Switch leap, switch half ring. Looked smidge tired. Idk how else to explain that. Rudi to split jump. Another strong landing. Way to bounce back from vault! 9.850
Can confirm the judges are discussing Procasky’s score. Likely a start value issue. 9.575
Patterson and Worley just casually singing This Girl is on Fire.
Bunn (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO. Made it look SO easy. Looking fierce. Switch leap, split. A little awkward on the connection but managed. RO double full. A little under with a step forward. Good set. 9.850
KJ Johnson (LSU): FTDT to start. YES. Good control. Back 1.5 front layout. Good. I do wish her feet pointed a tad more on her dance. Do I sound like KJC? Double tuck. Awkwardly picked up the right foot on the landing. 9.850 is the floor score of the day.
Patterson (UK): Small check on the turn. BHS LOSO right to the end. Good. Front aerial to split jump. Good extension on the jump. Switch leap, switch leap. 180 on both. Love it. Gainer pike. Stuck. One of the best beam routines I’ve seen from her. Perfect timing! 9.925
Finnegan (LSU): Arabian double front. Opened a tad early, couldn’t connect the stag leap today. Two and a half punch front. A little off on the punch but saved. Stunning leap, as usual. Back 1.5 front layout. Very squatty on the landing. Not her best but stayed on her feet. 9.500. Sheesh.
Worley (UK): Cat leap, switch side. She is singing. I could not love her more than this moment. Front aerial, BHS LOSO. Nailed it! RO back 1.5. Stuck. Just another day in the neighborhood. 9.950. Tying her career high.
Bryant (LSU): Stuck double front. Sorry. Picking my jaw up off the floor. Front lay, Rudi. Chest a bit down. Controlled fine. Switch ring, switch half. Pretty. Front double full. Legs a bit apart in the air and not as controlled on the landing. 9.775
Magnelli (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO. Another hit triple series. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. Front aerial, check. Ran away with some quick dance. Nothing to see here. Gainer pike off the end is stuck again. 9.850
Kiya Johnson (LSU): FTDT. Good control. A little attitude with the dance, love that. Back 1.5 front layout. Good line in the air and held the landing for emphasis. Switch half, popa. Dynamic throughout. Double pike. She is grabbing the back of her leg. Oh my gosh. 9.150
The team is crying. I hate this.
AFTER THREE: Kentucky 147.950, LSU 147.500
Well that was a sad ending to the rotation. LSU started hot but started getting tight on landings as the rotation went on. Conversely, Kentucky started shaky, but the back half of the lineup brought the heat like it had something to prove.
Rotation 4: LSU BB, Kentucky FX
Elena Arenas will be in for Kiya Johnson.
Rivers (LSU): BHS LOSO. Snapped the arms down with confidence. Switch half, looked a bit stiff in the air. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. Good extension on that one. RO double full. Just held onto the stick with her chest down. 9.850
Procasky (UK): Front lay, front full. Good. I’m leaning two pass routine with that opener. Switch ring, tour jete half. Double tuck. Good control. Yep. Two passes. 9.800
Wilson (LSU): BHS LOSO. Good series. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. A wave of the arms. Front aerial. Strong. AND I’LL RISE UP. Missed her foot on second BHS before the dismount. Did a half turn before landing on the floor. Laid on the floor for a minute before getting up. 9.600? With no dismount? Okay. I’m silly. 8.600
LaClair (UK): Double pike. Good height and control. Switch side, popa, wolf full. Front lay, front full. Strong line. Rudi. Very short. Tried to save it with a couple steps forward but has to put her knee down. 9.125
We should not compete on Friday the 13th. Never again.
KJ Johnson (LSU): A reverse plange. So pretty. My back hurts. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. Good. Not particularly dynamic. BHS LOSO. Strong finish. Side aerial. Stepped in front before the sissone. Nearly missed her foot. BHS back 1.5 dismount. Small step. 9.575. Not ideal. That will count.
Magnelli (UK): Rudi LOSO. A little underrotated on the Rudi but good LOSO out of it. Good extension of the leaps. Double pike. Held on a bit long so had a large lunge out. Good set after LaClair’s fall. 9.800
Bryant (LSU): We’re waiting a long time. Front aerial, BHS. Nice and smooth. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. Patient. Standing front. Absolutely hit. Straddle jump just to show off the flexibility. Ya know. Punch Rudi. One of her best. Stuck.
Patterson (UK): Back 1.5 front layout. I have never seen more amplitude on that pass. EVER? Switch half ring. Actually nice. Switch ring, switch side. Double tuck, undercooked with a LARGE lunge forward. Almost didn’t make it to the four incher low key. 9.725
I’m sorry. How are we struggling to figure out Bryant’s start value? 9.950. Thank you.
Finnegan (LSU): BHS LOSO LOSO. Balance check but fixes well. Good split on the leaps. Front aerial. A little underrotated but managed with just a lean. Gainer full. A medium cross step to the side. 9.775
Davis (UK): This floor music is dedicated to her dad. I’m trying not to get emotional. Double pike A little chest down. Switch side, popa. Good amplitude and bounce on those. Back 1.5 front layout. Looked very intentional with her technique on the 1.5. THUNDER. Double tuck. Strong landing. Rock on, Miss Davis. 9.925
Arenas (LSU): Switch leap, split. Good height. Back hip a bit tight. BHS LOSO. So calm. So confident. Front toss. Managed well. Could’ve used a touch more amplitude. Switch half. RO back 1.5 stuck. That’s a clutch routine from Arenas. 9.925. A career high. So happy for her.
Worley (UK): Elise Ray choreography incoming. FTDT. HUGE. Wow. Switch ring, switch side. Yes. Front full, front lay. This routine is very different for Worley. I’m about it! Double tuck. Nailed it! Kentucky needs a 9.400 to win… 9.925
Final: Kentucky 197.125, LSU 196.575
That was a gutsy performance from both teams tonight, especially for LSU after Kiya Johnson’s injury. It takes a different level of athlete to fight off tears to end a meet like that. It does beg the question what this team will look like on Monday against Oklahoma and later on this season.
Kentucky wanted us all to know that last season’s dual victory was not a fluke. I believe you Wildcats! A 197 this early in the year is a good sign of things to come.
AA Winner: Haleigh Bryant (LSU) 39.575
VT Winner: Isabella Magnelli (UK), 9.925
UB Winner: Haleigh Bryant (LSU), 9.950
BB Winner: Haleigh Bryant (LSU) & Raena Worley (UK), 9.950
FX Winner: Hailey Davis (UK) & Raena Worley (UK), 9.925
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Illustrating the Differences Between Level 10 and NCAA Judging
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