San Jose State impressed many fans in the 2022 season, coming out swinging with impressive work on all four events. Despite taking the MPSF title, 2022 will be viewed as somewhat of a disappointment for the Spartans after losing to Stanford in the play-in round of regionals. Air Force generally stuck around the 194 range, but were able to capture second place at its session of USAG championships.
San Jose State competed over the weekend in its season opener against fellow bay-area school Stanford, the very team that kicked them out of the postseason picture. Just a few days later, the Spartans made it all the way to Colorado to compete in its first in conference meet. Air Force is having its season opener at home, and will be hoping to start off the season strong. Briona Carswell will be one to look out for at Air Force after notching a 9.9 season high on floor in 2022. San Jose State senior Jada Mazury had a breakout 2022 season, ending with a NQS over 9.9 on both bars and floor.
Let’s get into this star-spangled meet!
Rotation 1: Air Force Vault, San Jose State Bars
Alright so right off the bat we don’t have live scores for this meet, I’ll attempt to keep us updated as things go on. Starting off with some Air Force honors for Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Nelson (AF) VT: Yurchenko layout full, big hop out of the area and a bit of pike in the air. 9.525
Lopes (SJSU) UB: Good first handstand. Maloney to bail, good handstand on the latter. Gets the final handstand. Small hop back on the double tuck dismount. 9.675
Meccia (AF) VT: Another Yurchenko full, similar form to Nelson but a more controlled landing. Keeps it in the lined area. 9.55
Weyhmiller (SJSU) UB: Catches her Jeager nicely, A bit close on the Pak messes up her rhythm. Nice final handstand. Beautiful double layout in the air but a large step back. 9.45
McKean (AF) VT: Cleanest landing of the bunch, similar pike down and less amplitude but a much cleaner landing. 9.6
Konieczny (SJSU) UB: Blind change to jeager, good handstand afterwards. Keeps the legs glued together on the bail. Full twisting double back lands on the edge of the mat and a large step back. 9.725
Brochi (AF) VT: Yurchenko full, twists a bit off of the table but lands nicely with a hop upwards in place. 9.65
Macpherson (SJSU) UB: Tkatchev has great height but a small arch on the next handstand. Really crisp position in the bail. Wonky-ish giant full straight into a full twisting double tuck, stuck. Great work. 9.75
Greene (AF) VT: Better height and amplitude on her Yurchenko full. Small hop back. 9.7
Mazury (SJSU) UB: Blind to piked Jeager, nicely outstretched on the catch. Pak has the tiniest bit of leg separation. Double layout with a noticeable leg separation and a step back. 9.75
Boll (AF) VT: Another Yurchenko full, similar pike down and medium sized hop back. 9.65
Milne (SJSU) UB: Maloney to Pak, legs mostly together. Nice handstand on the pirouette half on the low bar. Sticks her double layout. Great work all around for the Spartans. 9.875
Air Force came in with a lineup of vaults that were all remarkably similar. Puts up a Yurchenko layout in the exhibition position. A solid job with no major mistakes, just some large hops and pike in the air. San Jose State delivered a masterclass on bars, with even Kyra Cato in the exhibition spot putting up a very nice routine. Scores are a solid shrug emoji at the moment.
AFTER ONE: Air Force 48.115 SJSU 48.775
Rotation 2: Air Force Uneven Bars, San Jose State Vault
My stream, much like the lives scores, seems to be protesting at the moment.
Gentry (SJSU) VT: Watching this essentially in stop motion but looked to be a nice Yurchenko full, a little bit of pike in the air. Large step backwards. 9.675
Brochi (AF) UB: Good first handstand. Geinger with some major leg separation. Not bad on the bail, a tad short of handstand. Final handstand is nice, sticks what looked to be a double layout dismount but no real way to be sure with my choppy stream. Commentator confirms double layout! 9.7
Cato (SJSU) VT: Another Yurchenko full, very pretty in the air, a small hop backwards on the landing, right down the middle of the vault area. 9.675
Nelson (AF) UB: Nice first handstand. Leg separation in the Maloney followed by a short bail. Hands down on her double front dismount, massive cowboy there. 8.95
Mazury (SJSU) VT: Yurchenko full on, pike off. Small hop backwards and to the side, the normal amplitude issues which plague full on vaults. Good shape in the air though. 9.7
McKean (AF) UB: Nice first handstand. Blind to piked jeager, flexes her feet on the catch. Small leg separation on the bail. Giant full is nice, finishes with a small hop on her double tuck dismount. 9.65
Macpherson (SJSU) VT: Yurchenko full, great layout position and absolutely DRILLS the landing. Nice distance and a nice stick. 9.8
Zander (AF) UB: Toe on to Maloney to bail, a fair bit short of handstand. Giant full is nice, tiny hop back on her double tuck. 9.575
Kirsch (SJSU) VT: Yurchenko tucked 3/2, not bad form off of the table, especially for a tucked vault. Medium hop forward on the landing. 9.85
Commentators complaining about live scores and like… me too buddy.
Carlisle (AF) UB: Maloney to bail is nice, closer to hitting that handstand. Close to handstand on her giant full and a big bound forward on her double tuck dismount. 9.6
Lopes (SJSU) VT: Yurchenko 3/2 stuck COLD. San Jose State is not coming to play with these vaults. 9.825
Boll (AF) UB: Maloney to bail, gets the handstand on the bail. Double layout dismount is stuck with an arm wave, nice work to finish out the rotation. 9.8
AFTER TWO: Air Force 95.475, San Jose State 97.625
San Jose State impressed on vault, putting up three 10.0 start values. The obvious highlight was Lopes’ stuck Yurchenko 1.5 to finish off the Spartans. Air Force had some small mistakes that limited scoring potential, but came away not having to count any major mistakes or the fall early in the lineup.
Rotation 3: Air Force Balance Beam, San Jose State Floor
Just so everyone knows, customer support has been contacted by Air Force about the scoring situation. I feel like I am witnessing DRAMA right now. Our hero’s journey has been complete, we have scores.
Brochi (AF) BB: Back handspring to loso, good form and no wobble. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, pretty good split positions on those. Full turn. Pitbull beam music right now. Beat jump to side aerial, again no wobbles. Roundoff to back 3/2 dismount with a small hop forward, great work! 9.775
Kelperis (SJSU) FX: First pass is a back 3/2 to front 1/1, pretty severely underrotates and flops around to avoid falling. Cat leap full… interesting. Stag leap to attempted Gogean. Roundoff to double tuck is controlled nicely.
Boll (AF) BB: Split jump to straddle 3/4, once again nice positions. Back handspring to loso has a little bend at the hips on landing. Full turn. Onodi is very nice, no wobbles to be found. Back handspring to layout 3/2 to aggressive back breaking salute. Two great routines. 9.8
Cato (SJSU) FX: Front 2/1 is mostly around wit a step to the side. Switch ring to switch half is nice, good split positions. Very dramatic choreo, I do enjoy it. Y-turn full, pretty. Second pass is a front tuck through to double pike, nowhere near enough rotation and lands on her knees. 8.25
Carswell (AF) BB: Wolf turn 2/1 is okay as far as wolf turns go. Back handspring to loso, no wobbles there. Tic-toc to fulfill the forward skill requirement. Straddle jump to straddle 1/4, confident. Cat leap to switch side with an arm wave. Back handspring to gainer full, two small steps. 9.725
Macpherson (SJSU) FX: Starts off with a double pike, keeps the front foot planted. Switch ring to switch side to straight jump full, unique. Second pass is a back 3/2 to front layout, dances out of it nicely. Switch half to floor split! Fun! A lot to like in this routine. Finishes up with a double tuck, slightly underrotated. Gets SJSU back on track for sure!
Sabado (AF) BB: Marissa Dick’s mount. Back handspring to loso is nice, good positions in the air. Front aerial to scale. Switch leap to split ring, a bit short of a true ring position. Roundoff to layout 3/2 with a hop back. 9.75
Lopes (SJSU) FX: Full in to start out, bit of a foot slide back. Switch side to Popa to Popa, split positions notably short on the latter two. Comes back with a front tuck to double tuck, very nice control on the landing. 9.825
Greene (AF) BB: Full turn to start out. Gainer back handspring to loso, step back but avoids major deduction. Switch leap to switch leap, a tad shy but not terrible split positions. Cat leap to standing loso to beat jump, Air Force showing some very original combos today. Sticks her layout 3/2 dismount. 9.8
Mazury (SJSU) FX: Front layout to Rudi, keeps the front foot in place. Split leap 1/1 to Popa is actually fully around, which feels like a miracle these days in NCAA. Small foot slide on her double pike but keeps it under control. Another very nice routine, the leap series was the highlight for sure. 9.875
Zander (AF) BB: Front toss to beat, good amplitude especially on the beat jump. Front aerial to back handspring, a bit slow to connect but no wobbles. Falls on her jumps, switch leap to split 3/4, also short of position on both. Full turn. Sticks her front layout 1/1 dismount. 8.925
Gentry (SJSU) FX: Large step back on her double tuck, keeps it in bounds. Switch side to Popa, the latter is VERY short of 180 degrees. Back 3/2 to front layout is controlled nicely. Third pass is a double pike, the best landing of her passes.
Besides the fall from Cato, San Jose State looked very nice across the board. Mazury was the highlight there, along with the very energetic routine from Macpherson. Air Force really impressed me on beam, hitting five out of six routines and showing off a lot of incredibly original work. Certainly punching above its ranking-based weight class in terms of raw ability there.
AFTER THREE: Air Force 145.325 San Jose State 146.2
Rotation 4: Air Force Floor, San Jose State Beam
We seemingly are back to our scoreless, lawless existence, at least for San Jose State on floor. Air Force is finally coming through and posting scores on Twitter. Never mind we’re getting scores!
Cato (SJSU) BB: Full turn. Back handspring to loso, keeps the back foot planted. Side aerial is nice, no wobbles there. Switch leap to switch half, a tad short of split on the second leap there. Roundoff to back 3/2 with a small hop. Good start from the freshman.
Carswell (AF) FX: First pass is a front layout step out through to double back, great control on the landing. Switch ring to switch half is nice. Roundoff to LOSO. Double wolf turn is also nicely controlled. Final pass is a double tuck with a large step back.
Lopes (SJSU) BB: Cat leap to switch side, not at a great angle for positions. Back handspring to back handspring to loso is very nice. Full turn. Side aerial to tucked 3/2 dismount with a medium hop forward.
Wills (AF) FX: Starts off with a double pike with a step back, looked OOB but not sure from this angle. Comes back with a double tuck. Switch ring to switch half, short on both. Can’t hear her music but can hear someone saying HIT! Front layout to front full is a struggle, with a large step OOB.
Mazury (SJSU) BB: Full turn, kicks out of that nicely. Side aerial is solid. Back handspring to loso is very nice in the air and wobble free, this is the first routine that I’ve noticed having background music? Beat jump to straddle half is beautiful, no question about the positions. Sticks her layout 3/2 dismount. Amazing.
Sabado (AF) FX: Double pike, keeps front foot planted. Front layout to front full to split. Switch leap to switch ring 1/2, fully rotated but questionable positions, especially on the second leap. Back 3/2 to found layout to finish, nice work!
Macpherson (SJSU) BB: Some more country realness beam music. Switch leap to split is very nice, hits full split in both. Bhs to bhs to loso, keeps her legs fully extended throughout. Full turn. Gainer loso, a bit of a lean correction but straightens out quickly. Roundoff to layout 3/2 dismount with a small step back.
Waiting for a judging conference on floor it looks like.
Carlisle (AF) FX: Double tuck to start, fairly large hop back. Having a lot of fun with the choreo. Front full to front layout to stag is nice except the fully flexed feet on the jump. Switch side to Popa, meh positions. Finishes up with a mostly rotated rudi with a crossover step backwards.
Milne (SJSU) BB: Side aerial to loso, just amazing, no wobbles. Switch leap to Korbut is also great, no pause between the two at all. Full turn, very confident. Roundoff to back 3/2, kind of goes running forward as she salutes but an amazing routine otherwise.
Greene (AF) FX: Front 2/1, fully around with a small stutter step. Second pass is a Rudi, hop back out of that, looks like a potential missed connection? Switch side to Popa is a bit awkward. Back 3/2 to layout, not much rise on the layout but rotates it fully.
Kirsch (SJSU) BB: Starts off with a candle mount. Back handspring to Onodi!!! Very nice, wow! 3/2 turn, stunning originality. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. Back handspring to tucked 3/2 dismount, small hop forward. Not over that series at all, WOW!
Brochi (AF) FX: Looks like a music issue going on here, going onto the floor again now. Wii theme music, I’m obsessed. Back 5/2, very nice. Switch half to Popa, fully around. Obsessed with this routine. Front 2/1 second pass, very nice as well, well controlled. Finishes with front 1/1 to front layout. Great work across the board and I LOVE the music.
Final: Air Force 194.15, San Jose State 195.25
Alright! That does it. Honestly, I was very impressed by both of these teams. San Jose State put up great routines across all four events, with beam and bars being highlights. Air Force also really impressed, especially on beam and floor, where originality and fun choreography set the Falcons apart. Jada Mazury continued to be vital for the Spartans, putting up great routines on all four. Amber Boll was a highlight for Air Force on three events, and Velandra Brochi put up a respectable all-around performance.
Event Winners:
Vault: Madison Kirsch (SJSU) 9.85
Bars: Emma Milne (SJSU) 9.875
Beam: Jada Mazury (SJSU) 9.9
Floor: Jada Mazury (SJSU) 9.875
All-Around: Jada Mazury (SJSU) 39.225
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Live blog by Ian LeWarn
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