Head coach Janelle McDonald and her staff have wasted no time in turning a new leaf for the historic UCLA Bruins program after two tumultuous seasons. The Bruins put up a respectable opening performance at the Super 16 meet in Vegas, but their performance in the Wasatch Classic solidified that UCLA is back and did not come to play. UCLA scored over 49.500 on three events, including a monster 49.600 on floor. A less than stellar vault rotation kept the score from being truly ginormous, though.
The Washington Huskies have been partaking in a renaissance of their own, headed by second-year head coach Jen Llewellyn. While Washington hasn’t quite reached the 11th place landmark finish of the shortened 2020 season, the 196.550 scored at the Wasatch Classic put the Huskies second in their session and helped keep the team afloat in the incredibly competitive Pac-12 rankings, where fourth and seventh are separated by just over a tenth.
Looking back at past meetings between these two teams, things get a little…messy. The last time both of these teams hit all four events in a dual meet against each other was 2019. Washington won the 2020 meeting after a three-fall beam rotation from UCLA. The following season, Washington recorded its lowest home score since 2010 while UCLA once again had beam struggles. The Bruins fared a little better in 2022 while the Huskies were knocked out of contention after counting an 8.725 on bars. Coming into this matchup, goal No. 1 will be to simply survive and hit 36/36.
We’ve got live scores here: https://t.co/fae496xaxC
Rotation 1: Washington Vault, UCLA Bars
Innes (UW) VT: Starting off with a Yurchenko full, not bad! A bit of a pike down in the air, two small hops on the landing. 9.5
Campbell (UCLA) UB: Maloney to bail, leg separation on both. Double front, once again some leg separation and a hop forward. 9.8
Brooks (UW) VT: Yurchenko half, a tiny bit short. Hop to the side, keeps in within the lines. 9.675
Lee (UCLA) UB: Pak, pretty major leg form on that. Keeps the legs together on her Van Leeuwen. Double layout is stuck. 9.8
Navarro (UW) VT: Just a Yurchenko full for her, capable of a 1.5. Best form in the air by far of the first three vaults, right down the middle of the lines. Small hop back. 9.775
Steele (UCLA) UB: Season debut for her after injury. Leg separation on the Maloney, connected to Pak. Good cast half. Very archer double layout, hop forward. 9.825
Killough-Wilhelm (UW) VT: Yurchenko full. Beautiful form in the air, great body position and pretty good distance. Small hop backwards on the landing. 9.85
Harris (UCLA) UB: Starts off on the high bar with a Ray, great height. Bail is very nice. Great final handstand. Blind full to double layout is stuck! 9.925
Cunningham (UW) VT: Huge Yurchenko full as usual. Medium sized hop back, great amplitude overall. 9.875
Chiles (UCLA) UB: Piked tkachev to Pak, great form. Holds her low bar handstand. Maloney to Geinger is a little close. College stick on the FTDT, not the most control and never really brings her feet together. 9.925
Schrady (UW) VT: A final Yurchenko full for Washington, looking to drop a 9.5. Pretty piked in the air, feet a bit apart on the landing. Perfectly mediocre. 9.575
Frazier (UCLA) UB: Maloney to Pak, keeps the legs together. Very nice half turn on the low bar. Floaty double layout with a hop back. 9.875
AFTER ONE: Washington 48.750, UCLA 49.35
Obviously a good start for UCLA, but not the 49.5s that we’ve seen this team be capable of. There are a few routines in the beginning of the lineup that have quite a few things built in, which are gonna limit scores unless the judges really feel like going there which, you know, it happens. Washington put up a palatable lineup, with Cunningham and Killough-Wilhelm unsurprisingly being highlights. Navarro bringing her 1.5 back will be a big score boost.
Rotation 2: Washington Uneven Bars, UCLA Vault
Some interesting info here about how Janelle is working with Cecile and Laurent Landi to keep Jordan ready for elite after the NCAA season. The UW football team is being honored after its bowl game performance, I’m over here like, “More gymnastics please and thanks.”
Jim Watson can NOT handle the thought of snow. He’s from San Diego, you guys.
Anyimi (UCLA) VT: Yurchenko full to start out. Lands a little bit over the line from the look of it, great distance though. Pike down in the air. Bit of a slippery block. 9.7
Brooks (UW) UB: Sharposh to hip circle to bail, leg separation all around. Giant full to double tuck, small hop back. 9.775
Lee (UCLA) VT: Second Yurchenko full, certainly more amplitude, small hop back. Nice work. 9.85
Russon (UW) UB: Blind change to Jeager to overshoot, not the most amplitude but nothing major. Blind full to double tuck, really going for the stick but a tiny step forward. 9.75
Campbell (UCLA) VT: Her usual full, amazing height and amplitude overall. Stuck cold! Just a breathtaking vault. Chest maybe a tiny bit forward. 9.9
Moody (UW) UB: Season debut for her. Toe-on to Maloney to Pak, a bit messy. Bit of hesitation on the cast half. FTDT dismount with a sizeable hop back. 9.725
Harris (UCLA) VT: First 10.0 start, Yurchenko 1.5. PERFECT landing, great in the air, the whole package. Gonna be a HUGE score. 9.95
Oppegard (UW) UB: Blind change to Jeager, bit of wonky leg form. Shy on the next handstand and the bail. Gets the final handstand. Tiny step back on her double layout. 9.75
Chiles (UCLA) VT: Double twisting Yurchenko. Pretty short with a large step back. Messy legs in the air which will be ignored because it’s a DTY. Pike down as well. Stinger on the ankles for sure. 9.65. Time to go back to a Tsuk full?
Tubbs (UW) UB: Maloney to Bail, nice tow point and leg form on that. Little bit short on the final handstand. Great height on her double layout, but a small hop back. 9.8
Chiles being looked at for potential injury after her vault.
Frazier (UCLA) VT: Yurchenko full, a bit of pike in the air and a large hop up and back. Ends what has been an only okay lineup for UCLA. 9.725
Killough-Wilhelm (UW) UB: Finally anchoring. Piked Jeager to overshoot, this is what dreams are made of. Blind to front giant half to double tuck, tiny hop back. No sticks for the Huskies on bars today across the board. 9.825
AFTER TWO: Washington 97.65, UCLA 98.475
Things are going just OK! UCLA hasn’t put up the highest scores on vault overall this year, but a miss from Chiles and only okay performance from Frazier are less than stellar, despite an amazing vault from Harris. Chiles’ in particular looked a tad bit concerning injury wise, hoping she’s all good. Washington put up a rather flatlined performance on the bars, but can still savage a passable team score with good performances on beam and floor. Killough-Wilhelm had the potential to score higher, but wasn’t really set up for a huge score.
Rotation 3: Washington Balance Beam, UCLA Floor
Frazier’s vault was her 100th college routine without a fall!
Brooks (UW) BB: Finally, Killough-Wilhelm isn’t leading off, a true miracle. Some chalk-ography going on here. Full turn. Front toss to back handspring, solid. Switch leap to split jump, tiny arm wiggle but no wobble. Front aerial to beat jump. Stag jump to gainer full, stuck with the signature Washington legs apart squat. 9.85
McNamara (UCLA) FX: Music error to start off. Rudi to straddle jump is okay. She is certainly doing choreography. Switch leap to Johnson half-ish to wolf jump, choices! At least no switch ring half. Back 3/2 to front layout, landed well. 9.825
Moody (UW) BB: Once again, this is a season debut for her. Back handspring to loso to beat jump, good composition choice to hide any wobbles. Switch leap to split jump, pretty good positions in the air. Full turn. Side aerial with a leg up check. Roundoff to back 3/2 with a hop forward. 9.675
Lashbrooke (UCLA) FX: Her first scored routine of the season after an exhibition last week. Double tuck, hop back, barely keeps it in bounds. Second pass is a back 3/2 to front layout, some crazy legs. Switch side to Popa, meh. Double pike to close, keeps the front foot planted. Not too shabby for two years off. 9.85. Aw her and Emily Lee are new achilles buddies.
Bowles (UW) BB: Here we go. Side aerial to back handspring, large leg up check, very crooked. Full turn is well controlled. Split jump to straight jump full that is about two inches off of the beam, it’s a no from me. Beat jump to side aerial is nice. Front gainer full is stuck mostly. 9.45
Malabuyo (UCLA) FX: In for Anyimi. Double tuck, stuck cold. Comes back with a back 3/2 to front layout, rotated on a prayer, very crunchy layout in the air. Cold Hearted by Paula Abdul! Switch ring to switch half, great ring position. Final pass is a double pike, bit deep with a small slide back. Vibeology to close out! 9.825
Navarro (UW) BB: Looking to turn this rotation around after some lower scores. Back handspring to back handspring to loso, solid landing and RIGHT to the end of the beam. Beat jump to switch side, no wobbles there either, she does have a harder leap combo but better to play it safe here. Full turn. Roundoff to back 3/2, tiny slide back. 9.85
Harris (UCLA) FX: Starting off with a huge full-in, great landing on that as well. Second pass is a double tuck, another great landing with the front foot planted. Split full to straddle half, great positions in the air. Ends with a back 3/2 to Barani to stag, the messiest of her passes in the air, but another good landing. Great day for her so far. 9.925
Roberts (UW) BB: Back handspring to back handspring to loso, tiny wobble. Full turn. Switch leap to stag ring, both are solidly not there in the air. Cat leap to gainer full, stuck. Some good and some avert your eyes in there. 9.7
Chiles (UCLA) FX: Double layout, huge in the air and keeps the front foot planted. Having an absolute blast out there, still working on choreo with BJ apparently. Quickly jumps out of the front tuck to double tuck, a bit short but covers well. Split full to wolf full. Final pass is a double pike, very solid once again. 9.95
Jordan warmed up a FTDLO, but stuck with the DLO for her routine, probably a good idea after her vault.
Killough-Wilhelm (UW) BB: Once again not set up for a huge score but we’ll see what she does. Front aerial to back handspring to loso, genuinely perfect. Full turn. Bishop Briggs River is great beam music for her. Piked front toss to beat jump is also solid. Switch leap to split jump, not at a great angle for positions but no wobbles. Side aerial to back 3/2, basically stuck. WOW! 9.85? I’m a little confused, I’ll say it.
Campbell (UCLA) FX: Full in first pass, tiny bit short but once again covers well. Split full to Popa, very floaty. Second pass is a front layout to front full, landed well. Tiny bit of SloMo by Chanel in her music, we love to see it. Double tuck to close, tiny tiny foot slide back. 9.925
AFTER THREE: Washington 146.625, UCLA 147.95
Welp, I guess things are not getting better for Washington. The final half of that lineup makes up for the first half, but Brooks and Killough-Wilhelm did a lot of heavy lifting today. UCLA once again put up a great floor performance, though there is certainly a quality difference between the first and second halves of that lineup as well. UCLA is unlikely to match its score from last week, but will likely come away with a respectable away score all things considered.
Rotation 4: Washington Floor, UCLA Beam
Not sure if it’s just me but Jim suddenly sounds VERY crunchy.
The DJ here looks just a little bit like Cale Robinson. In other news, Jim is feeling validated by seeing an old person use a laptop in Vegas, good for him I guess.
Lee (UCLA) BB: Okay like probably not, but convinced this music is an attempt to throw her off by the DJ. Full turn. Back handspring to loso, solid. Switch leap to straddle jump, also very nice, especially on the jump. Front aerial to split with a leg up check. Gainer full is stuck. 9.825
Killough-Wilhelm (UW) FX: Front 2/1, controlled well, great twisting form. Switch leap to switch ring half, actually passable switch ring half which is a nice change. Back 3/2 to front tuck, was meant to be a layout. Jeffrey Langenstein looks concerned for her start value, me too dude. 9.8
Alipio (UCLA) BB: Full turn, small wobble. Front aerial to back tuck, huge bend at the saist and leg up wobble. Switch half to beat jump, good. Side aerial to split, wobble between the two, not really connected. Gainer tuck full off the end is about 1/8 of a twist short but stuck. 9.575
Innes (UW) FX: Front 2/1, a bit overcooked but dances out of that. Switch to wolf full to wolf full, fully wild. Back 3/2 to front layout, small hop forward. Lone stag leap, okie. Final pass is a lone rudi, good height and a foot slide back. 9.75
Campbell (UCLA) BB: Back handspring to loso, crooked on the latter, leg up check. Side aerial is wobble-free. Full turn. Split leap to switch half, good positions. Gainer full, stuck. 9.725
UCLA beam is still UCLA beam, in case you were wondering.
Navarro (UW) FX: Starting off with a double tuck, keeps the front foot planted, chest stays up. Switch side to Popa, a bit jumpy out of that but nothing major. Back 3/2 to front layout, BARELY stays in bounds. Double pike, again barely keeps it in but good landing. 9.9
Chiles (UCLA) BB: Back handpspring to loso to loso, bend at the hips but keeps it on. Switch leap to wolf jump, another larger bend at the hips. Side aerial with a leg up turn, finesses it into an amazing scale. Double pike with a hop. Full chaos, I love it. 9.7 feels a bit high for the two major checks.
Roberts (UW) FX: Floor music sounds like a slowed down version of the Shake It Up theme song. Pretty tucked double pike, or piked double tuck? Unsure? Back 3/2 to front layout, dances out of it. Switch half to wolf full, fully around but a bit of foot flexion. Double pike to close, low chest but pulls it around. 9.75
Harris (UCLA) BB: Could be a huge all-around score for her if she hits. Back handspring to loso to back handspring, soft knees in the air but no wobble. Switch leap to split jump to full turn, a bit slow in connection but okay. Small wobble on her side aerial. Roundoff to back 3/2 stuck. Will seal an all-around win for her. 9.925… hmmm.
Cunningham (UW) FX: Starts off with a front tuck through to double tuck, great control there. Wants to go to physical therapy school after UW. Switch half to wolf full to wolf full for her jump combo. Double pike to close, keeps the front foot planted. Great job, exactly what we have come to expect from her. 9.95!!!
Malabuyo (UCLA) BB: Wolf turn full. Back handspring to loso, small hip bend on that. Front aerial to wobble, no connection. Split to ring to beat, good control on that. Hop back on her gainer full, not her best work but some good moments. 9.775
Russon (UW) FX: In for Thu Nguyen, career debut for her. Split ring full to start, nope. Double pike, a few steps, right on the line. Switch leap to attempted split 3/2, not really around at all. Front layout to front full, steps back out of it. A lot of attempted dance difficulty in there which the start value is contingent on, but it is certainly an ambitious pursuit that may not have paid off. 9.8
Final: Washington 195.825, UCLA 196.9
Here’s the good news: both teams came away without counting a fall, which is a rarity for this matchup. The bad news here is that both teams will be looking to drop these scores when NQS season comes around. UCLA got a season low here after a shaky beam rotation (what year is it again?), whereas Washington struggled to put up truly impressive scores throughout. That being said, both of these teams showed a lot of potential through the wobbles, and are way ahead of where they were this time last season. It was kind of a middle of the road Friday night for the Pac-12 overall, and this meet fits into that quite nicely.
Event Winners:
Vault: Selena Harris (UCLA) 9.95
Bars: Selena Harris (UCLA), Jordan Chiles (UCLA) 9.925
Beam: Selena Harris (UCLA) 9.925
Floor: Jordan Chiles (UCLA), Amara Cunningham (UW) 9.95
All Around: Selena Harris (UCLA) 39.725
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Live blog by Ian LeWarn
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