Another Friday, another MRGC dual match up! Boise State and Utah State competed against each other last weekend in Boise and compete again in Logan tonight. Last week, the Broncos defeated the Aggies by over half a point after posting a massive 49.400 on vault thanks in part to Adriana Popp’s stuck front handspring pike half that went 9.950. For Utah State, the goal for tonight will be to hit beam and score over 196 after having to count a fall last weekend. Look for all arounder Brianna Brooks to be an important contributor for the Aggies tonight.
Okay, looks like touch warmups are underway, so we should be starting in just a few minutes now!
Rotation 1: Utah State VT, Boise State UB
Gatzlaff (VT): Nice yfull, gets good distance on this vault. Big hop. 9.725
Little (UB): Okay the camera angle was literally everywhere, but this routine was a hit before the double layout dismount that was piked with a hop forwards. 9.500
Ostendorf (VT): Stuck yfull, piked down the ending just a little bit, but a really solid vault overall. 9.800
Morden (UB): Nice first handstand. Piked jaeger and bail are both nicely done. Good final handstand. FTDT with a hop, solid. 9.775
Brooks (VT): Yfull, not the most distance and starts twisting early on the table. Small hop but well controlled. 9.700
McGovern (UB): Solid first handstand. Gienger with a leg separation, directly connected to a shootover. Last handstand is really good, FTDT with a hop. 9.800
Evans (VT): Yurchenko full on, pike off with a hop. Does have some directional issues, but clean in the air. 9.775
Hamby (UB): Good first handstand. Tkatchev to overshoot and misses her hands. I thought it was a fall, but we’ll see how it’s judged because she kept moving very quickly and the commentators called it a brush. Double layout with a hop. 9.025
Eagles (VT): Dyanmic yfull, has some bent knees in the air and a hop. 9.625
Lopez (UB): Nice first handstand and beautiful piked Jaeger. Good bail to handstand. Holds final handstand. Double layout is stuck. Great routine. 9.95
Southam (VT): Yurchenko half, misses the block and sits it down. 9.175
Blackson (UB): Good first handstand, clean bail. Khorkina is really dynamic. Almost arches the final handstand over, but recovers well. Stuck double layout. 9.900
After 1: Boise State 48.925, Utah State 48.625
Blackson and Lopez were excellent for Boise State and carried the Broncos to a near 49 despite having to count a 9.5 on bars. As for Utah State, vault was okay, but the Aggies suffered from hops as well as leg form issues on multiple vaults. Ostendorf and Evans were highlights of that rotation in terms of both form and landing control.
Rotation 2: Boise State VT, Utah State UB
Nakayama (VT): yfull with a hop back. Really good layout shape until the very end with just a small pike down. 9.750
Kirstine (UB): Maloney to Pak, small leg separation on the Pak. Good pirouette, nice final handstand, but falls on the giant full. Remounts, giant full to double tuck with a step. 9.250
Loyim (VT): Yurchenko layout half, almost sticks but lands a bit deep and has to step out of it. 9.725
Aragon (UB): Beautiful first handstand, love the extension through her toes. Tkatchev is fine. Bail is good. Great final handstand. FTDT and crashes, looks like she pulled in on the dismount some. Such a shame, because the rest of the routine was great. 8.800
Vulag (VT): Yurchenko full on, pike off. Keeps her legs together really well throughout this vault, just some directional issues and a hop back. 9.725
Bibbey (UB): Big Tkatchev to open, just some flexed feet. Short handstand afterwards. Bail with some leg separation. Good final handstand. Dismounts with a stuck double layout, exactly what Utah State needed to get back on track. 9.675
Popp (VT): Front handspring pike half with just a small foot movement. Nice amplitude, but not the most distance. 9.850
Gutierrez (UB): Short first handstand, Maloney with leg separation, catches but then falls. Tries to redo the Maloney combination and falls again on the toe on. Maloney to Bail is solid this time. Good handstand, double layout with a hop. 8.475
Lopez (VT): Really big yfull that’s stuck. Does land with her chest down and has to fight for the stick some.
Rojas (UB): Solid first handstand. Maloney to Bail with some shaping and leg form issues on the Maloney. Nice final handstand, double layout is stuck. Good routine.
Blackson (VT): Stuck Yurchenko 1.5! Lands in a bit of a deep squat and a little bit of bent leg throughout, but should be a good score regardless.
Brooks (UB): Nice first handstand. Ray to shootover, some leg separation on the shootover. Stuck double layout.
After 2: Boise State 97.950, Utah State 96.000
So that rotation was really rough for Utah State, having to count two falls. However, it was impressive to see freshman Avery Bibbey perform well under pressure in that third spot. As for Boise State, that vault rotation was really solid, and the three 10.0 vaults it competed were all well done, especially Blackson and Popp.
Rotation 3: Utah State BB, Boise State FX
Kirstine (BB): Bhs loso is solid. Good side aerial. Cat leap, side somi. Has to repeat the switch leap, straddle quarter, well done. Gainer front full with a hop. 9.800
Vulaj (FX): Back 1.5 to front full is well controlled. She’s really committed to the choreo, which is nice. Switch leap, tour jete full. The tour jete full was a little cheated. Double pike and OOB on her last pass. 9.650
Eagles (BB): Bhs loso with a small check. Side aerial to split jump is solid. Switch leap, split jump is good. Dismounts with a stuck 1.5. 9.825
Lucas (FX): Opens with a double pike, good control on the landing. Switch side, popa is solid. Back 1.5, front lay, stumbles forward some, but manages to keep it in bounds. Last pass is a double tuck, chest a little bit low and a step back, but just keeps it in bounds. 9.800
Rojas (BB): Switch leap, switch leap, straddle quarter with a large chest down wobble. Bhs loso with a small hip check to find her balance. Beat jump, side aerial and falls. Cartwheel, gainer full is stuck. 9.000
Loyim (FX): Whip to double tuck to open, bit a of a large step back. Switch half, popa. She hits 180, but the straddle position was a bit asymmetrical. Double pike to finish is solid. 9.800
Ostendorf (BB): Bhs loso is well done. Split jump, tuck jump full, not the most precise tuck position. Front toss wit ha check. Dismounts with a 1.5 and a college salute and step out of it. 9.750
McGovern (FX): Rudi to loso as the opening pass, she twists really quickly on the rudi. Switch half, tuck jump 1.5, a little messy on the tuck jump. Double tuck with a step back, lacking just a little bit of control there. 9.825
Brooks (BB): Front aerial, bhs swing down. Love the choreography that follows. Switch half, split jump, a bit short of split on the switch half. Bhs, gainer full with a stick, nice. 9.825
Blackson (FX): Love the Hollaback girl opening music. Gorgeous front double full to front tuck, great from and control. Leaps are solid. Back 2.5 to finish, good control, just a little bit of crossed legs. 9.900
Bayles (BB): Front aerial to bhs is solid. Switch leap, tuck 3/4, her arms were a little all over the place during that series, but the jump positions were okay. Front aerial, split jump, back leg was low on the split jump. Back 1.5 with a hop. 9.725
Leitch (FX): Double pike to open, demonstrates nice control in the lunge afterwards. Switch half, wolf full, missing some extension on the switch half. Front lay, front full, good elements but has an uncontrolled step out of it. Double tuck, chest just a little down, but again, excellent control. 9.850
After 3: Boise State 147.125, Utah State 144.925
A solid rotation for both teams. Utah State rebounded nicely after bars, and after a fall during that rotation. Definitely some form issues on the leaps throughout that rotation, but overall a very confident beam team. As for Boise State, that was a solid, impressive rotation. Blackson was a highlight with her form and Leitch’s control on her double salto passes was very pleasant. Overall, I was also impressed with the commitment to choreography throughout that entire floor line up. Last rotation is starting soon!
Rotation 4: Boise State BB, Utah State FX
Injury Update: Amari Evans for Utah State went down during touch warmup and was carried off the floor by staff.
Vulaj (BB): Came into this routine midway because of the injury. Switch leap, switch leap, gainer loso. Love how she works directly out of her full turn directly into the choreography. Wobbles on choreo. Front toss is nice. Stuck 1.5 dismount. 9.500.
Brooks (FX): Front lay, front rudi, nice control on the landing, but had a noticeable leg separation on the front layout. Front lay, front full, good control. Switch leap, switch ring half, not the best ring position. 9.775
Little (BB): Bhs loso, some bent knees but solid. Switch leap, straddle quarter, small check. Front aerial with a leg up balance check. Love the display of flexibility with the leg up pose. Dismounts with a stuck 1.5, nice. 9.700
Gatzlaff (FX): Opens with a double tuck, lands with her chest down and has to take a step forward. Switch half, wolf full is fine. Rudi to split jump, travels really far back on the split jump but stays in bounds. Back 1.5, front lay, great control on that pass. 9.775
Elkachi (BB): Signifiant wobble on the series. Beat jump, side aerial is clean. Tuck jump, split half with a leg up check. Dismounts with a 1.5, my stream went out so not sure about the landing on that dismount. 9.725
Toomey (FX): Opens with a Rudi, to loso, really clean twisting form. Switch half, to wolf full, lacking split on the switch half and rotation on the wolf full. Front full, front full to end, again really nice twisting form and good control on the landing as well. 9.825
Lopez (BB): Bhs, loso, bhs is solid. Holds the releve nicely after finishing her full turn. Split jump, split half, leg up check. Front toss is great. Gainer full off the side with a hop. 9.825
Ostendorf (FX): Opens with a front lay, front Rudi, nice ampltiude on the Rudi. Wolf full, to switch side to straddle jump. The final straddle jump was a little asymmetrical. Closes with a nice double tuck, good amplitude and landing control. 9.825
Loyim (BB): Bhs, loso, loso is beautiful, great form throughout. Solid side aerial. Switch leap, switch leap, might have been lacking a little bit of split, but nothing major. Gainer full with a hop forwards. 9.850
Bibbey (FX): Love the Taylor Swift opening music. Front handspring, front rudi, controlled landing. Did a trio of jumps, the camera was super close, so I couldn’t see them very well, but they were a little out of control. Back 1.5 to front tuck, was supposed to be a layout, will likely be a start value issue. 9.300
Popp (BB): Clean front aerial. Bhs, bhs, layout to two feet, very well done. Cat leap, balks. Redoes it, cat leap, switch half, missing some split on the switch half. Stuck gainer full to dismount, good. 9.850
Update, Utah State will not be competing a 6th routine after the injury to Evans.
FINAL: Boise State 196.075, Utah State 193.425
VT: Courtney Blackson 9.875
UB: Emily Lopez 9.950
BB: Emma Loyim, Adriana Popp, 9.850
FX: Courtney Blackson 9.900
AA: Brianna Brooks 39.075
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
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