While it is only week five of the season, N.C. State and North Carolina are already meeting for the second time this season. Both teams have been on 196 plus streaks and will be looking to continue that here. All of North Carolina’s 196 scores were at home, so reaching that mark away will be the foal here as NQS season is creeping up. Western Michigan has yet to hit the 196 mark after being close the last two weeks and will be looking to hit that mark here.
Chloe Negrete for the Wolfpack and Julia Knower for the Tar Heels have been on fire the past couple of weeks and will be a big part of both teams’ success this week. Look out for Negrete on beam where she has gone 9.900 the past two weeks, as well as Knower on floor where she went 9.950. Payton Murphy has been leading the Broncos’ charge this season, notching 9.875 or higher on three events and tying her own program all-around record. Ronni Binstock has similarly played a key role, returning from absence last season as a major floor contributor and a steady leadoff on vault and beam, and will be one to watch on those events.
Rotation 1: N.C. State vault, Western Michigan bars, North Carolina beam
A. Singh (WMU): Stuck double layout dismount. Leg separation. 9.75
Diaz (NCS): Good amplitude on her full. Hop back. 9.725
Nam (UNC): Big balance break on the loso series. Small hop on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.45
Zultevicz (NCS): Late step back on her full. Not the best form in the air with some soft knees and leg separation. 9.7
Faulkner (WMU): Fall on the opening geinger. Shuffle on the double tuck dismount. 8.875
Fink (UNC): Solid switch switch to split jump. Slight lean on the loso series. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.75
Ortega (NCS): Higher full with a much better body position and landing. Slight check on the front aerial. 9.825
Petrousek (WMU): Nice tkatchev. Step back on the double pike dismount. 9.8
Rutherford (NCS): Godd position on her full with just a slight pike and a hop back. 9.75
Roy (WMU):Good Maloney. Slightly short on the bail. Good last handstand. Flung out the double layout a little and had a big step forward. 9.625
Thompson (UNC): Solid bhs bhs loso series. 9.75
Shepard (NCS): Piked down the full more than she needed to and had a hop in place. Small step to the side on the dismount. 9.85
Murphy (WMU): Great jaeger and bail. On top of the bar finish on the giant full and almost stuck the dismount. 9.825
Culton (UNC): Solid on the loso series. Lean on the front aerial, but kept it moving into the split jump. The slightest of steps on the gainer full dismount. 9.825
Negrete (NCS): Bigger hop back on her full than her normal, but good in the air. 9.85
Moravansky (WMU): Bounce back on the double layout dismount. 9.8
Knower (UNC): Floaty loso series. Great front toss, just the slightest lean. It looked like she was off on the switch leap, but kept moving into the 3/4 jump. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount. 9.8
Schulze (UNC): Not all the way rotation on the split full. Leg up check on the loso series. Lean after the switch leap before the split jump. Very nervy routine. Small hop forward on the side aerial back 1.5 dismount.
After 1: N.C. State 49.000, North Carolina 48.825, Western Michigan 48.800
Both Western Michigan and North Carolina had a low score early in the rotation, and will be glad to have gotten out of that rotation within two tenths of N.C. State. N.C. State had a pretty normal vault rotation, but did not get the sticks it would have liked.
Rotation 2: N.C. State bars, Western Michigan beam, North Carolina floor
Adomaties (NCS): Good dimount landing, came in late to that routine. 9.7
Binstock (WMU): Solid loso series. Good positions on the leaps. Held onto the stuck landing with a lean forward. 9.675
Nam (UNC): Great control on the double pike to open. Around on the leaps. Steps to the side at the end of the back 1.5 to front full, slightly ender. 9.6
Childs (NCS): Fall on the opening release. Recovers well. Over on the last handstand a bit, but sticks the landing. 8.725
Petrousek (WMU): Solid on the loso series and leaps. Not all the way around on the tuck full. Sticks the punch front full. Great dismount. 9.75
Greene (UNC): Good first double pike. Good control on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.85
Obregon (NCS): Slight foot movement on the double layout dismount. A hit after the earlier fall. Good control on the double tuck to end. 9.725
G. Singh (WMU): Big bend at the waist and had to grab her legs after the loso series to stay on. Tight on the leaps. Sticks the gainer pike dismount. 9.6
Ortega (NCS): Big Hindorff. Solid bail. Deep in the dismount landing and tried to pull of a college stick on the landing with a step forward. 9.825
Greenlow (UNC): Good control on the double pike. Kept the front foot down. Just a small hop forward on the front tuck through to back 2.5 twist. Fell on the last pass. 9.1
Moravansky (WMU): Solid on the triple series. Small hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.775
Shepard (NCS): They only showed the full twisting double back dismount, some flexed feet and small hop. 9.85
Gruber (WMU): Good position on the switch half. The second jump combination was solid. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount. 9.7
Rutherford (NCS): Solid bail. Good last handstand. Leg separation on the double layout with a small hop back. 9.85
Culton (UNC): Big double tuck with a controlled lunge. Great control on the front layout to Rudi. 9.85
Murphy (WMU): Huge piked front toss with the slightest lean. Bent arms on the bhs in the loso series. Slightly off throughout the split jump to split ring. Bounce back on the gainer full. 9.775
Forbes (UNC): Big full in, but the front foot slid back slightly. Great control on the front full to front layout. Nice switch half to Popa. Mostly around. Opened up out of the double tuck too early and took a step forward into the lunge instead of back. 9.725
Knower (UNC): Huge double pike with pointed toes and a controlled landing. Controlled the step forward out of the front full front layout. Looked slightly off on the tour jete half to split full, but around. Controlled the double tuck landing at the end. 9.925
After 2: N.C. State 97.950, North Caroline 97.750, Western Michigan 97.475
So far each team is off the pace needed for a 196 that would have been the goal going into the day. This rotation continued what we were seeing the first rotation where the gymnasts were just a little bit off and teams having a fall or low score, but were able to drop it.
Rotation 3: North Carolina vault, N.C. State beam, Western Michigan floor
Greene (UNC): Slight pike down on her full and a pike down. 9.7
Diaz (NCS): Solid front aerial to bhs. Clean dance series. Hit the position well on the switch half. Stuck the tucked back 1.5 dismount. 9.8
Moravansky (WMU): A big lunge on the opening pass. Slid the front foot back too much. Stepped slightly forward out of the double tuck. A little bit too much power on the front full front layout, but not too uncontrolled. 9.775
Fink (UNC): Good height on the full. 9.725
Prejean (UNC): Big full to the 8-inch mat with a hop back. Still working their way back from injury. 9.725
Jennings (NCS): Solid triple series. Clean leap positions. Step back on the landing. 9.6
Knower (UNC): Huge layout full with a small hop. 9.825
Petrousek (WMU): Missed the first pass. The camera was on the other two events. Solid front full to front layout. Big double pike, but slid the front foot back slightly. 9.8
Forbes (UNC): Great height, form, distance on her Yurchenko 1.5, but had a large step forward. 9.8
Zultevicz (NCS): Very solid loso series. Slightly short of split on the switch to split jump. High cat leap to side aerial to sissone. The last piece was a little off. Holds the stick. 9.825
Dekanoidze (UNC): Big full to eight incher with the hop back. I am ready for her to bring back the 1.5. 9.85
Binkstock (WMU): Great opening pass. A little short on the double pike to end. Had to step forward. 9.85
Ortega (NCS): Overrotated the L turn, but stayed on. Took her normal step forward after the bhs Onodi series. Good front handspring to split jump. 9.75
Roy (WMU): Full in to open, but stepped out of bounds. Great control on the front tuck through to double tuck. 9.4
Shepard (NCS): Overdid her L turn as well, but not as much of a check after like Ortega. Great leaps. Solid on the loso series. Clean on the side aerial. Does a second dance series with good positions as well. Stuck the side aerial to back 1.5. That was a great routine. 9.8
St. Clair (WMU): Clean back 1.5 to front layout to open. Around on the tour jete half to split full. Stuck the front double full to hide the under rotation. 9.725
Negrete (NCS): A long pause before this routine. Leap up to the beam. Clean full turn. Solid front aerial to bhs. Great leaps. Slight hop back on the double full dismount. 9.875
Murphy (WMU): Big front tuck through to double tuck with a great landing. Great switch ring to tour jete half. Clean Rudi to straddle jump. Great amplitude throughout the routine. Good control on the double pike to end. 9.925
After 3: N.C. State 147.000, North Carolina 146.750, Western Michigan 146.550
That was the best rotation of the day so far. Some small things in each of the routines, but no falls hampered the lineups in this rotation. N.C. State lost to North Carolina in the last meeting between those schools in the opening weekend and could flip the result here with a strong finish.
Rotation 4: Western Michigan vault, North Carolina bars, N.C. State floor
A. Singh (WMU): Alomost sat down her half. 9.4
Shearer (UNC): High straddled jaeger. Slight leg separation on the bail. Step forward on the double layout dismount. 9.75
Diaz (NCS): Good double pike to open. Great control on the double tuck at the end with her chest up. 9.85
Knower (UNC): Only saw the dismount there and is was a college stick on the full twisting double back. 9.775
Petrousek (WMU): Slight pike in the hips on the full with a pretty big hop back. Slightly off to the side. 9.675
Fink (UNC): A little far on the jaeger but caught the bar. Slightly short on the last handstand. Piked down the double layout dismount too much causing a hop. 9.7
Faulkner (WMU): Really big full with good body position throughout and a hop on the landing. 9.775
Murphy (WMU): Solid full with a hop back. 9.825
Culton (UNC): Great toepoint throughout. Strong stalder to stuck double tuck dismount. 9.85
Benson (NCS): Missed the first pass. Around on the jumps. Good control on the back 1.5 to front pike. Does a second leap series, not as solid on the landing. Went down on the last pass. Short on the landing 9.075
St. Clair (WMU): Missed the vault, but the commentators said it was a Tsuk 1.5 done really well. 9.825
Dekanoidze (UNC): Came in part way though. Hit the last handstand and went on her toes to try to hold the double layout stick. 9.95
Moravansky (WMU): A stuck full to end the rotation. Good height and pretty good body position. 9.775
Benson is being helped off the floor.
Schaefer (UNC): Deep on the full twisting double back dismount and a small hop. The stream only showed the dismount. 9.875
Zultevicz (NCS): Great control on back 2.5 to punch front. Big double tuck with good control to end. 9.75
Rutherford (NCS): Got the back 2.5 to punch front this week. She missed that pass at Auburn last week. High double tuck, but underrotates it and takes the step forward. 9.875
Shepard (NCS): Had a big lunge back on the double pike, but does not move the front foot. Missed the punch after the front layout going into the Rudi and came in low and lunged awkwardly out of that. Perfectly stuck the double tuck to end. 9.875. huh?
Negrete (NCS): N.C. State will win with a hit from Negrete here. Good control on the double pike to open. Perfectly around on the solo leap. Made the front full to front layout. The layout whipped a little bit. The leaps were around. Great control on the double tuck to end. That will do it. 9.925
FINAL: N.C. State 196.275, North Caroline 195.975, Western Michigan 195.525
N.C. State came back on floor after a fall from Benson to break the 196 marker again as well as the win over North Carolina. Western Michigan and North Carolina fell short of the 196 mark, but that 195.975 is still the highest road score of the season for the Tar Heels.
VT: Shepard, Negrete, Dekanoidze 9.85
UB: Dekanoidze 9.95
BB: Negrete 9.875
FX: Negrete, Knower, Murphy 9.925
AA: Shepard 39.375
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
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