It’s a Saturday afternoon top 25 Pac-12 showdown!
Utah returns home to host Washington after a good performance in Oklahoma. The Utes will certainly want to go higher than 197.275, but that’s nothing to slouch at. They’ll particularly look to improve upon their vault and floor performances from Norman; the beam squad has potential to do more as well. Former five-star Makenna Smith is coming into her own for the Utes, and Kara Eaker’s exquisite beam work has already earned her a perfect 10 this season.
Washington has had a rocky start to the season, with two of three scores in the mid-to-high 195s. In the midst of that, Skylar Killough-Wilhelm has been a rock for this Husky squad. The Huskies have already shown improvement on beam and floor, but will look to improve on vault and bars.
Utah tentative lineups:
ICYMI, Washington is debuting a new leo inspired by its library:
Rotation 1: Utah VT, UW UB
Gilstrap (Utah): yfull, pretty clean. Good start. 9.85
Moody (UW): Maloney some form to pak, leg sep; handstands good so far; ftdt, some feet and a tiny hop with a slightly low chest. Nice way to start. 9.8
Brenner (Utah): y1.5, looked like she twisted early, just a hop forward. 9.85
Russon (UW): hits first hs; straddled jaeger connected to bail, hit; final hs slightly short, double tuck deep landing, hop forward. 9.8
Smith (Utah): Omelianchik, small hop forward. Very powerful and clean overall. 9.9, deserved.
Oppegard (UW): fine first hs; straddled jaeger, some knees; hit bail hs; dlo, another short landing with a step forward. 9.7
Rucker (Utah): y1.5, gets good height and distance, hop forward. 9.875
Brooks (UW): nails first hs; shaposh, some leg sep; double tuck, small hop. Solid. 9.8
McCallum (Utah): y1.5, crossed step back and offcenter landing. Jimmy Pratt taught her a 1.5 in the offseason because she asked for it. 9.85
Tubbs (UW): hit first hs; shap to bail hs, good; short final hs; dlo, leg sep, good-sized step back. 9.7
Hoffman (Utah): Pac-12 graphics are showing a 9.95 SV, heard via Twitter she was doing 1.5s in warmups though. We’ll see what she does. She goes for it, and she STICKS it. Very nice. 9.95
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): piked jaeger to bail, lovely; nice final hs; double tuck, great form and stuck. UW finally gets the stick. 9.9
After 1: Utah 49.425, UW 49.000
Utah with a great vault rotation to open the meet, and there’s still room for improvement! Washington wasn’t quite dialed in, but it hit 49.
Rotation 2: UW VT, Utah UB
Per P12N, Washington has never beaten Utah, the only team in the conference to not accomplish that feat yet.
Davis (UW): yfull, some piking, small hop back. She’s back in the lineup after “taking last week off.” 9.775
Morgan (Utah): Maloney to bhardwaj, some legs on the bhardwaj; great final hs; small hop on toe on front pike half. 9.85
Brooks (UW): yhalf, not the most dynamic and preflight leg sep, but stuck. 9.85
Smith (Utah): Maloney to pak, good; they’re testing depth today per Farden; double Arabian, some cowboy and a tiny step. 9.825
Navarro (UW): yfull, clean overall and nearly stuck. 9.825
Brenner (Utah): good first hs; straddled jaeger to bail, nice; solid final hs; dlo, tiny leg sep and a “heels together” type of stick. 9.85
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): yfull, so clean and good distance, tiny pike down and hop. 9.825
O’Keefe (Utah): lovely Maloney to pak; little wonky on the handstand; double Arabian, some legs, basically stuck but a deep knee bend. 9.95, seems high.
Cunningham (UW): yfull, pretty clean in air, pike down and a hop back. 9.825
Isa (Utah): straight body hs, hit; ray to bail hs, solid; ok final hs; dlo, small hop back. Didn’t feel like her best, but still a good routine. 9.85
Innes (UW): yfull, solid overall, hop back. 9.775
McCallum (Utah): Maloney to pak, tiniest leg sep; van leeuwen, solid; ftdt stuck and steps into her salute. We’ll see if they give it to her. 9.95 – 10 from one judge.
After 2: Utah 98.875, UW 98.100
Utah with a good but not excellent bars rotation. Washington wasn’t perfect on vault, but managed to go over 49 and remains on 196 pace.
Rotation 3: Utah BB, UW FX
Sounds like Makenna Smith is pushing for the AA!
Morgan (Utah): front walkover mount; bhs bhs loso, slightly off with a tiny leg raise; split straddle half, good positions; front gainer full, looked like a stick. A leadoff hit. 9.825
Innes (UW): fhs double full, pretty large, less-controlled step; solid leaps; Brenna Brooks has been working with her on her performance quality, apparently; combo pass, better landing; fhs rudi, pretty good. 9.8
McCallum (Utah): triple wolf, counts it out, double wolf – she likely counts it out as “choreography” to break up the wolf turns; split straddle 1/4, fine; pretty sure I missed her across series – on replay, it looked good; front gainer full, solid. 9.9
Roberts (UW): solid double tuck; Lindenwood transfer so she’s reunited with Llewellyn; combo pass good; slightly chaotic leap rotation, but gets it around ok; double pike, larger step. 9.8
Paulson (Utah): bhs loso, solid; she does a different Taylor Swift song every week! Here for it. Slight check on her leap combo; beat jump side aerial 1.5 stuck. Not her best, but a hit. 9.9, beam judges are HAPPY today.
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): fhs double full, controlled; switch leap switch ring half, good positions; back 1.5 to lay, nice. 9.85
Eaker (Utah): leg up and significant bobble on her switch leap mount; side aerial loso, minimizes landing deductions well; stuck gainer full. 9.9. Beam judges have officially lost their minds.
Navarro (UW): double tuck, nice overall; switch side popa, good; back 1.5 to lay, pulls it around. double pike, good work to pull it around. 9.85
Isa (Utah): bhs loso loso, tiny hip check; good positions on her leaps; gainer full, stuck. These landings are on fire. 9.95
Cunningham (UW): front punch through to double tuck, slightly low chest; triple leap combo, good precision; short double pike to close with a step forward. 9.875
O’Keefe (Utah): side aerial loso, rock solid; switch leap switch leap, lovely; gainer full, stuck, slightly low chest. Definitely Utah’s best beam routine. 9.975
Nguyen (UW): great double tuck to open. Your amusing fact of the day is Siri announced a CGN slack message with “Thu” as “Thursday” to me last week. Leaps solid. Short double pike to close. 9.825
After 3: Utah 148.500, UW 147.300
Utah took advantage of very happy beam judges. It definitely wasn’t the Utes’ best beam rotation, despite the scores – which they are certainly capable of when they fully hit. This was just not it. Washington, meanwhile, had a solid floor performance – not without errors, but good overall.
Rotation 4: UW BB, Utah FX
Brooks (UW): very calm and steady so far; front toss bhs, solid; switch leap split jump, her hips looked off, I’m impressed with her ability to save it with minimal deductions; front aerial to beat, small check on aerial; Good landing on her dismount. 9.8
Utah needs a 49.5 on floor to go 198.
Paulson (Utah): front punch through to 2.5, good control; lay lay full, another clean landing; good leap positions; ro 1.5 to lay, very nicely controlled. A great way for Utah to start. 9.85
Russon (UW): making her return to the beam lineup; front aerial sissone, good; bhs loso, she’s off in the air and can’t save it; switch split 3/4, solid; ro 1.5 stuck. 9.325
Gilstrap (Utah): her movement and performance quality is just lovely; lay rudi, nice rise and control; switch leap switch ring half, pristine; cartwheel loso to get her back tumbling in; lay lay full, solid. 9.875
Moody (UW): bhs loso, toe raise on landing; good leap positions; side aerial split jump, better control; ro 1.5, tiny step forward. Gets Washington back on track. 9.8
Brenner (Utah): her Utah floor debut; jamming to some We Will Rock You to start; nice double pike to open; ro 1.5 to lay, solid; switch side popa, weird rotation but pulls it around; closing double tuck, not a perfect landing but pretty close. 9.875
Navarro (UW): bhs bhs loso, very lovely; beat jump switch side, not quite 180; ro 1.5, heels together stick. Best beam routine for Washington thus far. 9.9
Smith (Utah): opening front double full, some legs, good landing; fhs rudi loso, nice; switch ring split half, solid; back 2.5, slightly short with a step back, landed pretty locked-legged but she seems ok. 9.8
Davis (UW): bhs bhs loso, tiniest correction; beat jump straddle 3/4, solid; ro 1.5, some leg form but stuck. 9.875
Rucker (Utah): ftdt, good landing; hits leap positions; lay lay full, nice control. 9.925
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): front aerial bhs loso, hip bend check; front toss beat jump, solid; switch leap split jump, lovely; side aerial 1.5, stuck. UW won’t count the fall, but definitely not her best beam routine. 9.675
McCallum (Utah): ftdt, nice control; solid leaps; front lay rudi, good. 9.95
FINAL: Utah 197.975, UW 196.350
That’s Washington’s best performance to date, and there’s still room for improvement. Utah definitely had a good meet and narrowly misses 198, though scores were definitely inflated at times.
Event Winners:
VT: Hoffman (Utah), 9.95
UB: O’Keefe (Utah), 9.95
BB: O’Keefe (Utah), 9.975
FX: McCallum (Utah), 9.95
AA: McCallum (Utah), 39.650
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