Last time these two teams met during the regular season it was the first 197 for both teams that year. After that meet in Week 2, each team took its season in a different direction, with bars troubles getting the best of Arkansas and Auburn having a program best finish along with the longest active streak of 197-plus scores. Coming into this meet, the trends have largely continued in 2023. Arkansas had a rough bar rotation last week that the Razorbacks will be looking to bounce back from, and Auburn is coming off of a less-than-ideal meet at Florida that still resulted in a strong early season road score.
This is the first home meet of the season for Auburn, and the Tigers will be looking to home in on vault landings like the team did Week 1 in Las Vegas. Watch for Sara Hubbard’s and Derrian Gobourne’s vault landings in particular. Those will set the tone for the meet. Arkansas will be looking to bounce back on bars, so keep your eyes out for potential changes in the lineup there. Norah Flatley had her floor debut last week—her triple full is can’t-miss.
Rotation 1: Auburn vault, Arkansas bars
Hollingsworth (AUB): Big bounce back on her Yurchenko full. Had a little pike in the hips and landed off to the side of the mat. 9.7
Swaney (ARK): Great first handstand. Muscles the toe hand before the Ray that was nice. Leg separation on the Pak. Shuffle of the feet on the double layout dismount. 9.825
Groth (AUB): Good body position on her full with less height. It was like she was going for the stick, but had to hop back after coming in deep to the landing. 9.725
Scalzo (ARK): Short first handstand. Fully extended arms on the catch of the jaeger. Smoothly into the overshoot. Has a awkward hop to the side on the double layout dismount. 9.825
Hubbard (AUB): Nice Yurchenko 1.5 Some knees and a good size hop forward and landed a little off to the side. 9.825
Drotar (ARK): Legs together on the Maloney to Pak combination. Slightly off on the final handstand. Hop on the floaty double layout dismount. 9.8
Stevens (AUB): Great landing on that 1.5 Some knees throughout, but that was stuck. 9.925
Jones (ARK): Over on the giant half. A little low on the piked jaeger. The pak was very high. Short on the cast half on the low bar. Good stick on the double layout dismount. 9.85
Lee (AUB): Almost stuck that Half on half off. She thought she stuck it and took a step on her salute. Pointed toes throughout and good tuck position. 9.95
Pratt (ARK): Good Ray. Hit the bail to toe shoot. Pretty good size bounce back on the double layout. 9.825
Gobourne (AUB): Legs apart a little when she hit the table on her 1.5 Slightest shuffle back of the feet on the landing. 9.85
Flatley (ARK): Big jaeger with great toepoint. Slight leg separation on the bail. Sticks the double layout dismount. 9.9
After 1: Auburn 49.275, Arkansas 49.225
Auburn will not be satisfied with that vault score. While the back part of the lineup was great, the front half lacked the landings to score well. Arkansas bounced back from a couple of rough meets on bars with six hit routines which is a success.
Rotation 2: Arkansas vault, Auburn bars
Weaver (ARK): Big Yurchenko full with good body position throughout and a small hop back. 9.85
Hollingsworth (AUB): Good first handstand. Leg separations on both the Maloney and bail where the handstand was a little off. She stuck the full twisting double back dismount though with staggered feet. 9.85
Flatley (ARK): Slightly smaller Yurchenko full, but flared with just a small hop back. 9.85
McLaughlin (AUB): Kept her legs together on the Maloney to Pak combination. Over on the giant full, but just about stuck the double tuck dismount. A little slide back. 9.85
Price (ARK): She had the most distance on her full and had the slide back on the landing. 9.9
Groth (AUB): Good distance on her Ray. Slightly wonky pak. Good handstands on both pirouettes and she stuck her double tuck dismount. Patient swing throughout. 9.825
Smith (ARK): Strong full for her with another hop back. These all feel very similar. 9.85
Stevens (AUB): Bent elbows on the toe hand to solid Ray. Hit the handstand in the bail. Kind of whips the double layout and has the slightest slide back on the landing. 9.85
Sedlacek (ARK): Undercooks the 1.5. She had bent knees throughout and hand multiple large steps back toward the vault. 9.525
Gobourne (AUB): Very big tkatchev to pak combination. Short last handstand and has a small hop forward on the dismount. 9.85
Williams (ARK): Much better 1.5 with only a slight bend to the knees, some leg separation on the table and had a hop forward. 9.875
Lee (AUB): She seemed slightly off in her jaeger to pak, but still connects it to the Maloney, that had the slightest leg separation, to geinger. Solid last handstand. Good giant full and stuck the double tuck dismount. 9.975 the crowd thought it would be a 10
After 2: Auburn 98.650, Arkansas 98.550
It seemed like everyone was scoring the same, yet I also felt like most of the vaults from Arkansas were replicas of each other so… Those last routines from each team were the highlights of that rotation.
Rotation 3: Auburn beam, Arkansas floor
Hollingsworth (AUB): Solid full turn to start. Lean on the loso series. Lack of confidence on the switch to switch half. Not really connected to the beat jump. Solid side aerial. Stuck the gainer full off the side. 9.725
Jones (ARK): A little undercooked on the front double full, but keeps it to her feet with minimal landing deductions. Solid switch ring to switch half. Great control on the back 1.5 to front layout. Good rise on the second flip there. Right to the lunge on the Rudi, and keeps the front foot down. 9.8
Brusch (AUB): Smooth connection on the front aerial to split jump. Very solid on the loso series. Clean switch to straddle quarter. Sticks the gainer full, but does not bring her heels together. Solid routine. 9.85
Hickey (ARK): Kept the front foot down on the double pike. Great control on the back 1.5 to front layout. Around on the leaps. Bounces out of the double tuck a little bit. 9.825
Stevens (AUB): Slight lean on the triple series. Knees and flexed feet throughout. Solid leap series. Right on with the Stevens, and right into the wolf turn. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.8
Lovett (ARK): Comes in short on the double layout and takes a step forward. Sky high on the double back and took a couple steps back. Over rotates the switch half to make the Popa look like it is all the way around. Steps sideways out of the front full to front layout. 9.75
Groth (AUB): Super solid on the bhs loso bhs series. Great rhythm in the switch to switch half series. Switch half was slightly short. Does the side aerial to back 1.5 tucked dismount and underrotates it a little and has a hop back. 9.9
Williams (ARK): Leg separation in the full in, but landed well. Good control on the back1.5 to front layout. The switch side to Popa is around. Slight slide back of the front foot on the landing of the double tuck. 9.9
McLaughlin (AUB): Slight pause after the switch leap into the loso series which was secure as well as the beat jump to side aerial. Almost wobbles on the switch to straddle quarter. Sticks the gainer pike off the end of the beam. 9.9
Flatley (ARK): Great back triple full with just a slight slide back of the front foot. Slightly under on the front double full and takes a step back. Sky high on the back 1.5 to front layout controls her lunge out. 9.9
Lee (AUB): Clean double wolf. Solid split jump to sissone. Wobbles after the switch leap before the switch half. Slight lean on the end of the aerial loso loso. The front gainer full dismount was almost stuck, but she stepped forward. Slightly off the whole routine, but not sure how many of the hesitations will be deductions. 9.85
Price (ARK): Great double layout and lunge out. Sky high on the switch side to Popa. Solid back 1.5 to front pike. Comes in with the chest low on the double pike at the end and bounces in place.
After 3: Auburn 147.950, Arkansas 147.850
Arkansas had solid landings on floor and Auburn had a little bit of nerves on beam, but the back and fourth between both teams was strong. Auburn will be looking to end with some good landings on floor and Arkansas will be looking to hit some beam routines and stick dismounts.
Rotation 4: Arkansas beam, Auburn floor
Gamiao (ARK): Strong finish to the loso loso series. Slight wobble on the side somi. Good positions on the switch to split jump. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. Very strong routine. 9.875
Hollingsworth (AUB): Great open full twisting double back with secure landing. Around on the switch half to Popa. Solid landing on the front tuck through to double tuck to finish. Right to the lunge. 9.9
Lovett (ARK): Balance check after the front aerial. Had to redo the aerial to get acrobatic series. Slight check after the switch to split jump. Gainer front full dismount off the end with a hop to the side.
Brusch (AUB): Good landing on the front tuck through to double back. Almost bounces out of it, but keeps the front foot down. Really high on the switch half to Popa to wolf full and is around on all of the jumps. Chest slightly low on the double pike to end, but had a controlled lunge out of it. 9.85
Judges conference on Lovett’s score. One judge had a 9.4 and the other had a 9.7. 9.55 is the score.
Swaney (ARK): Somehow saves falling off the beam on the bhs loso loso series. Has to put her hands on the beam after a leg up wobble. The switch to split jump is secure. I didn’t catch the landing of the back 1.5 to see if it was stuck. 9.45 The 9.55 will have to count.
Groth (AUB): Very controlled step forward out of the front double full. Misses the punch after the back 1.5 and only does a front tuck out of it and sits it down. Sticks the Rudi to end. 9.3
Hambrick (ARK): Off on the loso series. Comes back strong on the switch to switch half. Leans forward on the split 3/4. Holds on to the stick on the cartwheel gainer full dismount, but has to lean way forward with her chest. The 9.45 will have to count too. 9.275
The last three for Auburn just need to stay on their feet.
Stevens (AUB): Solid landing on the front layout to Rudi. Around on the leaps. Sticks the double tuck with a good chest position. Strong routine after the Groth fall. 9.875
Weaver (ARK): Arkansas needs a reset routine here. Solid landing of the bhs loso loso series. Secure switch to straddle jumps. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. Great routine. The Razorbacks needed that. 9.95
Lee (AUB): Debuting a new floor routine. Slight bounce back out of the double layout. Great position on the switch ring to tour jete half. Controlled step forward out of the back 1.5 to front full. It almost looked like she came in short, but save it. 9.975
Flatley (ARK): Slight foot shift at the end of the front aerial to bhs loso. Great L turn to split jump to beat jump. Scooch back on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.9
Gobourne (AUB): Almost steps out of bounds before the first pass. Good control on the open double back. Just a slight bounce. Around on the leaps. Good control on the floaty front full to front layout. Bounces into the lunge after the double tuck, but keeps the front foot down. 9.95
FINAL: Auburn 197.500, Arkansas 196.575
Arkansas will be very happy with the first three rotations. The beam rotation fell a part a bit in the middle which stopped the Razorbacks from going 197. Auburn closed out the meet strong and had its highest score of the year so far.
VT: Lee 9.950
UB: Lee 9.975
BB: Weaver 9.950
FX: Lee 9.975
AA: Lee 39.750
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
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