It’s the first of back-to-back meetings for Boise State and Utah State, with the Broncos traveling to Logan next Friday.
Don’t be fooled by the rankings — this meet has the potential to be a good one. Both teams have gotten off to slow starts overall; Boise State has improved in every meet, while Utah State has shown inconsistency. Utah State boasts the highest score of the two so far with a 195.900, but this is a Boise State team trending up and slowly eliminating mistakes. Both teams will look to pass the elusive 196 mark tonight, the Broncos having the advantage of competing at home. Beam has statistically been Boise State’s best event this season at No. 13 behind the likes of Emma Loyim, Adriana Popp, and Emily Lopez, but don’t sleep on the Bronco bar squad — Lopez is a highlight there as well. The Aggies are relying on the experience of upperclassmen Sofi Sullivan, Brianna Brooks, and Grace Rojas to lead the way as others take on increased roles than seasons’ past; Sullivan currently holds Utah State’s beam record and is especially great on the event.
Rotation 1:
Nakayama (BSU): yfull, pretty short 9.6
Gutierrez (USU): missed beginning, short hs, dlo fine. 9.725
Loyim (BSU): stuck yhalf 9.85
Rojas (USU): Maloney to bail, some legs. Stuck dlo. 9.85
Popp (BSU): stuck fhs pike half, slightly low chest 9.95
Bibbey (USU): hitting handstands so far; nice stuck dlo 9.825
Vulaj (BSU): yfull on pike, small hop. 9.775
Brooks (USU): solid ray to bail. Good handstands. Stuck dlo. 9.875
Lopez (BSU): very clean yfull. 9.925
Aragon (USU): good tkatchev; crashes bail but stays on bar; ftdt fine. 9.575
Blackson (BSU): good yfull. – looks like she did a 1.5 but my context clues from stream issues threw me off! My bad. 9.9
Kirstine (USU): archy first hs; solid Maloney to pak; stuck double tuck. 9.775
This stream has been a mess, so apologies if I miss anything!
After 1: BSU 49.400, USU 49.000
Solid starts for both teams, with USU hitting 49 with lots of sticks and clean vaults from Boise State.
Rotation 2:
Stuart (USU): yfull, pike down and hop 9.725
Little (BSU): missed the start but she came off going for her dismount. 8.925
Gatzlaff (USU): nice yfull, better distance and a small hop. 9.775
Nakayama (BSU): Maloney to pak, leg sep. slightly short hs. Ftdt, small step. Fine overall. 9.725
Missed some due to stream issues! Should be back now.
Hamby (BSU): only caught the end. Good dismount! 9.725
Evans (USU): full on pike, low chest and hop back. 9.775
Lopez (BSU): lovely piked jaeger, good handstands overall. 9.9
Eagles (USU): closes with a nice full. 9.725
Blackson (BSU): bail hs good. Nice Markelov and a stuck dismount to close! 9.925
After 2: USU 98.000, BSU 97.775
Boise State ends up counting a miss on bars which gives Utah state the edge after 2. The Aggies, meanwhile, had one of their best vault rotation to date this season.
Rotation 3:
Vulaj (BSU): my stream went black so I missed the start. What I saw was solid, and she finished with a nearly stuck ro 1.5. 9.825
Peterson (USU): short lay rudi; I missed her leaps; bouncy short double tuck to close. 8.925
Little (BSU): working very smoothly so far. Switch straddle 1/4, good positions. Another good front aerial to beat jump and closes with a stuck ro 1.5. 9.875
Gatzlaff (USU): double tuck, nice. Good leaps. Rudi split jump short. Solid closing pass. 9.825
Elkabchi (BSU): bhs loso, big check. Leaps fine. Cat leap side aerial secure. Ro 1.5, step. A hit, but not her best. 9.475
Toomey (USU): rudi loso fine overall; solid leaps. Front full front full, some legs but ok landing. 9.875
Lopez (BSU): hits triple series. Leap combo, good positions. Moving well throughout. Small bobble on front toss. Finishes with a solid full dismount. 9.825
Ostendorf (USU): front lay rudi, missed her leaps, double tuck to close. 9.925
Loyim (BSU): I missed her series. Side aerial secure. Slightly short of 180 on her leaps. 9.875
Evans (USU): solid opening pass. switch ring switch half good positions; controlled double tuck. 9.9
Popp (BSU): bhs bhs lo rock solid. good leap positions. lay full stuck. 9.9
Brooks (USU): fine first pass. Missed her leaps. Front lay front full, short and tentative on landing with form.
After 3: USU 147.325, BSU 147.075
WOWWW Utah State floor! Very solid overall and a 49.4 to show for it! Boise also put up a good showing on beam overall to keep pace with the Aggies.
Rotation 4:
Ostendorf (USU): bhs loso secure. Solid leaps. Working the beam well. Clean ro 1.5 with little to no movement. 9.675, I must have missed something.
Vulaj (BSU): Hits first pass. Solid leap positions. Short double pike to close. 9.8
Aragon (USU): missed the start but good bhs loso and front toss split. Bhs 1.5 small step. 9.7
Lucas (BSU): Rudi loso good. switch side straddle qtr. double tuck stuck but lowish chest. 9.85
Rojas (USU): starts strong but comes off on her bhs loso. Side aerial is a little tentative and she finishes with a fine dismount. Pressure is on for the rest of the lineup. 9.175
Loyim (BSU): Whip to double tuck good. Hits her leap positions well. Solid double pike to close. 9.925
Brooks (USU): switch half split check, rest of the routine is fine from what I saw but that’s a major deduction. 9.675
McGovern (BSU): rudi loso, fine overall. Solid leaps. Clean double tuck to close. Nice! 9.875
Kirstine (USU): nervy to start with checks on her series and side aerial. Better on side somi and leaps. Back 1.5 with a step. 9.5
Blackson (BSU): front double full to punch front but oob; tour jete half split full solid. Closes with a good back 1.5. 9.8
Bayles (USU): front aerial bhs, secure from what I saw. Lovely split positions. Back 1.5 if I’m remembering right, step. 9.8
Leitch (BSU): dbl pike large lunge. Hits her leaps. I missed her middle pass. Closes with a short double tuck. Endurance just isn’t quite there yet. 9.65
FINAL: BSU 196.325, USU 195.525
Beam scores were lower than I anticipated, so I’m guessing there’s some start value/connection issues in addition to the balance checks. I also noticed Sofi Sullivan was notably absent on beam, that will be something to monitor moving forward. Boise finished strong on floor, but there’s plenty of room for improvement, especially on the endurance front. Boise finally hits 196, while Utah State put up a solid 195 on the road.
Thanks for joining me on this slightly-chaotic, terrible stream version of a live blog!
Event Winners:
VT: Popp (BSU) 9.950
UB: Blackson (BSU) 9.925
BB: Popp (BSU) 9.900
FX: Loyim (BSU) Ostendorf (USU) 9.925
AA: Brooks (USU) 39.200
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Live blog by Tara Graeve
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