Opportunity abounds at this incongruous little quad meet. For No. T-10 Ohio State (yeah I just wanted to type that again), one of the heroes of the Week 1, there’s very little to fault in that opening performance. But can the Buckeyes do it on the road? Since they’re already doing gymnastics like it’s March, may as well go for a NQS road score, right? Plus, even though this one isn’t exactly an upset, getting two SEC wins in two weeks would feel great for this team. There are a couple of high-scoring routines from last year—Jenna Hlavach on floor and Tory Vetter on beam, for example—that didn’t make an appearance in Week 1. It’s probably just a deep team rotating its options, but it would be fun to see them sometime.
Georgia would love to be a great team again, but before it can be great it needs to remember how to be OK, and Week 1 was just fine for the Bulldogs. There weren’t a lot of high scores, but there also wasn’t a lot of drama and that counts for something. On Friday, the Bulldogs caught fire on bars to produce a score about half a point higher than last week’s. Vault has still not cracked 49.000 this season, so that’s a goal.This home opener is an opportunity to figure out which newcomer routines can go 9.900+ in front of home judges. It’ll also be great to see some exhibitions and figure out what routines might be coming soon. Call us delusional, we’re still holding out hope of seeing Jacquie Moran soon.
Fisk has so much to be proud of its first two weeks, but it can improve a LOT on its opening gambits by just falling a bit less. Rotation issues on floor might be baked in, at least for this season, but a lot of the costly slips on bars and beam might be preventable with just a few less jitters. Fisk is organizing a fan bus from Nashville to Athens, so hopefully there will be a loud and supportive Bulldog fan section tonight.
Rutgers put together a fantastic meet at Super 16, especially for a team carrying as many injuries as the Knights are right now, and then was even better at home on Saturday. Elia Aird is looking like a real star. Just a few more made handstands on bars would mean a very NQS-able 195.000+ score on the road this week.
My favorite commentator, Kevin Copp, is here! It’s going to be a great day.
Rotation 1: Georgia VT, Ohio State UB, Rutgers BB, Fisk FX
de Jong (UGA): FTY, one of her better ones, straight-ish with a hop back. 9.7
Pritchard (OSU): Toe on to Gienger to overshoot, little bit of leg separation on the Gienger, not sure she made that high bar handstand, blind full double back stuck. 9.775
Battavio (RU): Big check on a side aerial, front full dismount with a check. 9.6
Muhammad (Fisk): Tour jete half split full is a smidge short. Double tuck, pulled hard to get it around, chest a little low. 9.65
Harris (OSU): A little short on the first handstand, Ray, tiny arch, good bail. Short on a handstand, blind full double back stuck. 9.825
Pagliaro (RU): Switch switch half, short. BHS LOSO, big check. Front gainer full
King (UGA): Slightly piked FTY, BIG hop back.
McDonald (Fisk): Switch side Popa good, double tuck GREAT, well-rotated. 9.675
Just saw a hop back on a double tuck from Lexi Edwards. 9.8
Elsadek (UGA): Nice straight FTY, hop forward.
Aird (RU): Candle mount good, BHS LOSO with straight knees, check. Switch half, didn’t make split, repeats it to connect to split. Another front gainer full! Those are so cool.
Vetter (OSU): Blind full to Tkachev, flexed feet, overshoot good. FTDB with a big hop forward. 9.725
Cashman (RU): Her usual FTY, smaller hop.
Riccardi (OSU): Ray, Pak, pretty, full turn to double back nearly stuck. 9.875
Coleman (Fisk): Front through double pike, switch half is funky. Switch half Popa aggressive positions. Double back, step to the side. 9.75
Howard (UGA): FTY, nice and straight, tiny step. Cheers for that one.
Miller (OSU): Maloney to bail good, DLO stuck. WOW. 9.95!! Yeah, there just wasn’t a lot to take there.
Ortiz (RU): Triple series, check. Split to double stag a little short. Gainer full, little hop back.
Hawthorne (UGA): Great FTY, little hop in place.
Hankins is I think an exhibition for OSU, blind to Jaeger, nice Pak. Double lay a little shapey, hop forward.
Richmon (Fisk): One and a half front lay lovely! Front through double back, cowboyed but made.
Joyner (RU): BHS LOSO, easy. Great leap positions on switch switch half, double full dismount with leg separation and a hop. 9.875
Angeny I think is the Georgia vault exhibition, just a small hop on her FTY. Better than some of the lineup vaults for sure. Another really solid one from Finnegan.
Mora (Fisk): Front lay front full front tuck, slightly scrappy wolf jump combo, switch ring switch half is good.
Zanella (RU): Full turn, side aerial one and a half twist with a cross step back. Double pike, short with a step forward. 9.8
Leese in the exhibition for Rutgers; Kickover front to BHS is good, split to straddle 3/4, check on a full turn.
Price (Fisk): Nailed the double pike. Front lay front full a little bouncy, super precise leap rotation, two and a half twist great. Amazing. 9.875
After 1: Ohio State 49.225, Georgia 48.675, Fisk 48.675, Rutgers 48.525
Grain of salt with all these scores. The live score never came up, so I’m getting some from Twitter and some from EIC Elizabeth Grimsley’s parents who are in the arena. Hoping for the best here.
Best floor rotation I’ve seen Fisk do this year! The double saltos are much more rotated than they were at Super 16.
Rotation 2: Fisk VT, Georgia UB, Ohio State BB, Rutgers FX
Cashman (UGA): Tkachev, toe on ARCHED to bail. Double layout, step. 9.7
Oliveros (OSU): Great press work. Front aerial BHS, switch switch half beat. Side aerial, gainer pike with the TINIEST step. I mean millimeters. 9.775
Richmon (Fisk): Nice Yurchenko layout, open hips. Hop back. 9.35
Zanella (RU): Double back a little scooty. Back double full, hop, switch ring to switch ring half. 9.75
Angeny (UGA): Shy on the first handstand, blind to Jaeger with flexed feet to overshoot and MISSES A HAND but keeps working. Not cute but survived. Good double layout, hop. 9.475
Hankins (OSU): Full turn, BHS LOSO with a medium check. Switch to split 1/4. Double full, hop back. 9.725
Pagliaro (RU): Great double pike, beautiful lunge. Front lay front full clean, Rudi a little scooty. 9.725
Coleman (Fisk): Yurchenko layout, nice and straight, big hop back. 9.425
Howard (UGA): Church to overshoot, caught on her wrist but works through, think she may have hit a foot on the Church. Blind full double tuck stuck. 9.75
Daniels (Fisk): Yurchenko layout, takes like three hops for some reason. Some of them were during saluting, but it was weird. 9.4
Harris (OSU): Lovely Valdez, switch to straddle quarter. Full turn, front aerial back tuck. Stuck double full. 9.85 is too low.
Scott (UGA): Maloney to Pak, great. Stuck double lay. WOW. 9.85 is too low for this one too.
Wood (RU): Rudi LOSO is rocking. Bouncy leap combo, she got cut off. 9.725
Reed Hammon (Fisk): Great FTY, hop back. 9.65
Jennings (OSU): BHS to side aerial, arm swing. Split to straddle quarter, awkward. Cartwheel gainer full stuck.
Finnegan (UGA): Great Ray, Pak with leg separation, FTDB a little deep with a hop forward. 9.8
de Jong (UGA): Maloney to bail good. Questionable handstand there, double layout with a hop back. 9.925
Price (Fisk): Great FTY, small hop back but immaculate in the air. 9.875
Aird (RU): Think we missed the first pass. Good control on double tuck. 9.8
Pritchard (OSU): Side aerial, BHS LOSO nice and sharp. Switch straddle quarter a little awkward. One and a half twist, little hop. 9.8
Deniz in the ex for Georgia. Casts over immediately and falls. Made the routine on the second try, but scrappy.
Joyner (RU): Awesome double pike. Good switch full. Front full front lay a little low and whippy, one and a half front lay great. 9.825
Hodges (OSU): Switch to split 3/4, check. BHS LOSO, little adjustment. Gainer LOSO is perfect, drilled the one and a half twist. Had a 9.475 to drop and that’ll be PLENTY. 9.9
Leese (RU): Full in kind of deep. Front through double back great. 9.725
Warga in the beam ex for OSU. Extra step on her series, piked kickover with a check, stuck gainer pike.
After 2: Ohio State 98.275, Georgia 97.700, Rutgers 97.350, Fisk 96.350
Georgia fighting through this one. Won’t be a huge score, but that bars rotation was resilient. Fisk just five up on vault again but got through fine, Ohio State had a good beam rotation if not the absolute best it could do, and Rutgers stayed on track on floor.
Kind of the same rotation for everyone: It didn’t go perfectly, but they kept fighting and salvaged a workable score.
Rotation 3: Rutgers VT, Fisk UB, Georgia BB, Ohio State FX
Howard (UGA): BHS LOSO, tiny adjustment. Thought she had it but had to shift her shoulders. Hitch kick switch half good. Side aerial, gainer full drilled. 9.9
Gonzalez (OSU): Great double pike, solid combo pass, super steady so far. One and a half front lay with a little bounce forward. 9.775
Jones (I think) (RU): FTY, pikey throughout and low chest with a step. 9.35
Hawthorne (UGA): BHS LOSO, little bit of knees which I would never comment on except that Howard’s were so perfect a moment ago and it gave me standards. Standing switch standing switch, kickover front to beat. Check on a full turn, one and a half stuck. 9.775
Vetter (OSU): Pretty double tuck. Front lay to Rudi, gorgeous landing. Nice and tidy. 9.825
Lorente Garcia (I think) (RU): Flat off the table, WAY short, ouch, just about manages to keep her knees from dropping.
Okay, commentators are super lost on which Rutgers gymnast is who, they just called a white girl Hannah Joyner so I’m going to stop trusting them.
Coleman (Fisk): Super shapey true Shap, made bail, toe on front tuck with a hop. 9.2
Harris (OSU): We joined for her straddle leap series, front double full to stag jump, Front full front lay a little whippy but stuck. 9.775
Scott (UGA): Front handspring BHS LOSO actually pretty quick today. Split to switch to Korbut, great, front full stuck-ish.
Price (Fisk): Just caught her DRILL her FTDB landing. 9.875
Gagliardi (OSU): Rudi double stag awesome. Switch side Popa lovely, great double pike, not a ton to take so far. Really nice. 9.9
Fitzgerald (UGA): Split to straddle 3/4, BHS LOSO…. way off to the side but gets it back. Kickover front, check, one and a half twist with a hop.
Edwards (OSU): Lovely double pike. One and a half to front lay, beautiful body line. Little shuffley on the last pass. 9.925
Leese (RU): Nice straight one and a half, medium hop forward. 9.775 oh come on.
de Jong (UGA): Switch to straddle quarter. BHS LOSO was a little off, arrests it with her arms. One and a half twist, hop. 9.8
Hodges (OSU): This was supposed to be Hankins, sounds like a late switch. Double pike, a little overrotated. Rudi LOSO is gorgeous.
After 3: Ohio State 147.525, Georgia 146.775, Rutgers 145.900, Fisk 143.800
Bars is not Fisk’s event and that’s OK. Nice solid floor rotation for the Buckeyes with room to grow, another resilient rotation for Georgia, and Rutgers wasn’t necessarily friends with the landing mat but everyone’s ankles survived and sometimes that’s a win.
Rotation 4: Ohio State VT, Rutgers UB, Fisk BB, Georgia FX
Wiggins (Fisk): Split full, vug check, full turn. Off on her series. BHS one and a half, awkward, hop back.
Elsadek (UGA): Double pike, overrotated, step-hop back. Front lay front full. Nice double tuck. 9.775
Riccardi (OSU): Hop forward on her FTY, a smidge underrotated.
Ortiz (RU): Blind to pike Jaeger, smidge of feet, some of the handstands aren’t quite there, bail. Blind full double back with a little hop forward. Solid.
Williams (UGA): Great double pike. Nice control on the double back. Good one! Her season debut in Stegeman and she looks delighted. 9.85
Nailah Adams off on a pirouette for Rutgers. Made it on the second try, full turn to Tkachev to overshoot with some form, FTDB with MESSY form and a step back. 9.1
Malas (OSU): FTY, nice and open, little hop back. 9.8
Cashman (UGA): One and a half front full, well controlled. Switch side Popa.
Hlavach (OSU): MY STREAM DIED OH NO.
Aird (RU): Blind to pike Jaeger is lovely. Shy on a handstand, clear hip to bail, piked double lay stuck.
Reed Hammon (Fisk): Kickover front, check, BHS. No way that series goes unfortunately. Cat leap side aerial, check. Split to split 3/4,
Harris (OSU): One and a half a little short, step back. 9.725
Joyner (RU): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, nice and clean, making the handstands, double layout and I think she might have hit her toes… shapey, big hop forward.
Howard (UGA): Front through double tuck, nailed. Tour jete half wolf full wolf full good, shuffle back on a double pike.
Balser (RU): Blind to Jaeger, good, a little over on a handstand, bail. Double layout… fake stick, step to salute.
McDonald (Fisk): Kickover front BHS, wasn’t quite square but kept it moving. Switch switch, short on the splits. Side aerial, off. Full turn. Gainer pike, way off to the side but stuck.
De Jong (UGA): Rudi LOSO nice and clean. Switch side wolf full good, triple twist with a hop. 9.85
Price (Fisk): Has a look at the AA title. Full turn, front aerial BHS LOSO great, big smile. Switch split, good. One and a half twist with a big hop. I think that’s enough.
Hawthorne (UGA): Double pike just a little overrotated, front lay to Rudi to split with a little hop. 9.95
FINAL: Ohio State 196.250, Georgia 196.125, Rutgers 194.675, Fisk 190.100
Nice solid win for Ohio State, honestly not quite as close as the scores made it look. Georgia toughed out a decent score on a day that definitely could have become a meltdown, Rutgers put up a solid road number, and Fisk set a new program record! First ever 190+ for the Bulldogs.
VT: Soraya Hawthorne. Morgan Price 9.875
UB: Colby Miller 9.950
BB: Naya Howard, Ella Hodges 9.900
FX: Soraya Hawthorne 9.950
AA: Morgan Price 39.375
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Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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I switched from this meet to LSU-OU. If this was Baton Rouge scoring tOSU would be over 196.5 and UGA about .2 behind. tOSU looked pretty good on UB and Beam but great on FX.
It was definitely and FX meet as I thought everyone looked best there.
I really thought Scott would go higher on her two routines. Say what you will, there was no SEC home scoring for anyone at this meet.