Two of the three unbeaten teams left in Pac-12 conference action will battle tonight as No. 13 Oregon State hosts No. 7 California in a dual that will have huge implications in the race for the regular season title. The Golden Bears are atop the conference at 3-0—ahead of the 2-0 Utes—while the Beavers sit third at 1-0-1, so the winner of this matchup will pick up a lot of momentum.
The Beavers started the season in their typical fashion, slowly, with a concerning 195 and 196 where nobody but Jade Carey was hitting. However, Oregon State’s last four scores have been incredibly consistent with all four between 197.200 and 197.300 to distance itself from its debut and look like the nationals contender it is. Simply hitting on bars has been key in putting up the competitive totals, but the Beavers are also stellar on beam where standout routines from Kaitlin Garcia, Jenna Domingo, and Sydney Gonzales have propelled them to a No. 5 ranking on the event.
California has become synonymous with its heavy all arounder strategy and employed exactly that in notching last week’s 197.600 season high. The Golden Bears had five gymnasts in the all around last week, and used just seven gymnasts total, as they continue to exceed early expectations. The combination of stalwarts Andi Li and Nevaeh DeSouza alongside four-event newcomers eMjae Frazier, Maddie Williams, and Mya Lauzon has worked perfectly as at least one of them has been able to pop off every weekend. It was Lauzon’s turn last week, as her whopping 39.700 tied the program record and could challenge the likes of Carey tonight if she stays hot.
Follow along with live scores and video! (OSU Live Stream)
Rotation 1: Oregon State Vault, California Bars
Briones (OSU): FTY. Good off the table, just a hop in place, chest a tad forward. 9.825
DeSouza (Cal): Good piked Jaeger to overshoot according to commentator, we didn’t see it, sticks her FTDT. 9.900
Garcia (OSU): FTY. Leg separation coming onto the table, small hop back. 9.750
Frazier (Cal): Hit handstand, Maloney to pak, leg separation, good half pirouette, short on final handstand, double layout with a small hop. 9.800
Letzsch (OSU): FTY. Clean throughout, tiny hop back, slight pike down. 9.750
Perea (Cal): Mounts to the high bar, good handstand, pak, easy, good handstand, toe on, Maloney half, slightly short handstand, double layout small slide back. 9.900
Gonzales (OSU): Yurchenko full-on pike. Good amplitude, legs glued together, bouncy hops back. 9.775
Williams (Cal): Opens with a great handstand, Maloney to pak, amazing toe point, nails the half pirouette, final handstand hit, sticks the double layout! 9.900
Dagen (OSU): Y1.5. Good block, usual soft knees, bounding step forward. 9.800
Li (Cal): Mounts and hits the first handstand, pak, smooth, good handstand, nice Maloney half, giant full to double tuck, stuck easily. 9.975
Carey (OSU): DTY. HUGE off the table, small hop back, twists so fast. 9.925
Lauzon (Cal): Hits the first handstand, toe on, Maloney to pak, half pirouette, just a tad short, hits the last handstand, dismount FTDT, leans into a small step. 9.875
After 1: California 49.550, Oregon State 49.075
As expected, California storms to an early lead as it began on its standout event and slightly improving on last week’s season-high. For a team looking to continue rising in the rankings and etching itself into the nationals picture, this was the ideal start, especially on the road. Oregon State will be alright with its hits, but for a team with three 10.0 start values, it shouldn’t be fighting to break 49. If the Beavers want to break into the top 10, they’ll have to improve those early lineup fulls. But, for tonight, a low-49 will keep them in it after one.
Rotation 2: California Vault, Oregon State Bars
Li (Cal): FTY. Not crazy powerful but beautiful, flairs it and gets the stick. 9.850
Beeman (OSU): Blind change to Jaeger, loses form a bit on the catch, pak, hits the last handstand, stalder, to stuck double tuck. 9.850
Williams (Cal): FTY. Clean in the air, slight pike down and a small slide to the side. 9.800
Weaver (OSU): Opening handstand is great, giant full to Gienger, nice, awesome handstand, good bail, hits the last handstand, giant full to double tuck and a big step back. 9.825
Brown (Cal): FTY. Good lines in the air, nice distance, hop in place. 9.775
Caso (OSU): Starts with a hit handstand, Maloney to pak, no issues, good handstand, Maloney half, small leg separation, stadler to double tuck, step back. 9.800
DeSouza (Cal): Y1.5. Messy legs onto the table but just a small hop in place. 9.850
McMillan (OSU): Good handstand, toe on, Maloney to bail, great extension, last handstand is nice, dismounts double layout, another step back. 9.475
Lauzon (Cal): Y1.5. Clean in the air, lots of power and distance, big hop forward. 9.875
Briones (OSU): Hits the first handstand, Eagle grip to Jaeger, nice, pak, last handstand is a tad short, dismounts double layout, hop in place. 9.900
Frazier (Cal): DTY. Ok block, a bit of shape issues in the air, chest a bit forward and a step. 9.775
Carey (OSU): Opens with a lovely handstand, Maloney to Bhardwaj, great, Maloney half is great, dismounts with a high and stuck FTDT! 9.975!
Rotation 2: California 49.150, Oregon State 49.350
After 2: California 98.700, Oregon State 98.425
The Beavers are starting to put it together on bars! They improved on their season-high from last week and in inching towards mid-49 totals they’re becoming more competitive nationally. They still gave a lot away on landings, too. Plus, tonight it keeps them within striking distance of the Golden Bears who will be happy with their performance on vault. They didn’t get the big number they’ve gotten from Frazier in the anchor spot before, but the rest of their lineup hit and that’s enough for California to have outpaced Oregon State on both events at the halfway point.
Rotation 3: Oregon State Beam, California Floor
Peterson (OSU): Lovely and unique low beam mount to start, BHS BHS LOSO, full turn, switch half to straddle jump, gainer pike, small hop. 9.775
Perea (Cal): Opens with a RO double tuck, great landing, RO double pike, front foot slides slightly in that lunge, double wolf turn, switch half to wolf full, slightly under on the wolf full, RO 1.5 front layout, no issues. 9.825
Domingo (OSU): Starts with a front aerial to back pike, small adjustment, full turn, split down on the low beam, showing off her toe point, switch leap to split jump to split 3/4, gainer full is stuck. 9.850
DeSouza (Cal): Gets going with a Rudi to double stag, traveled slightly in the leap, double tuck second pass, chest down and slides back, moves quickly into a switch side wolf full, dismounts with a RO 1.5 front full. 9.875
Letzsch (OSU): Straddle split low on the beam to mount, front aerial to back tuck, smooth, split jump to ring jump to beat jump, full turn, dismounts front full off the front of the beam, holds on for the stick. 9.900
Williams (Cal): Front layout to Rudi to open, problem-free, double wolf turn, switch half to split jump, nice shapes, dismounts RO 1.5 front layout, sticks to avoid OOB if she stepped forward. 9.875
Gonzales (OSU): Opens with front aerial to back tuck, mastered the series like many of her teammates, full turn, side aerial, cat leap to switch half, nailing the series since the change, front full off the front of the beam, stuck! 9.875
Li (Cal): Mounts with a FHS front double full, nice landing, cartwheel LOSO to get the back tumbling requirement, FHS front full front layout, clean in the air and landing, switch leap to switch ring half, bounces out of it. 9.925
Dagen (OSU): Begins with her series, BHS LOSO, hits, switch leap to switch half, better splits than in years past, full turn, RO 1.5 dismount, small hop forward. 9.875
Lauzon (Cal): Starts with a FHS front double full front tuck, stuck cold, looks energized by that, switch side to straddle full, RO 1.5 front full, another stick! 9.875
Carey (OSU): Forward roll onto the beam, full turn, front aerial, small check, moves into some choreo, BHS LOSO, great, switch leap to switch half, hits all the positions, dismounts gainer full, sticks. 9.950
Frazier (Cal): Opens with a double layout, short and takes a step forward, switch ring to switch half to split leap, front tuck to double tuck, great landing. 9.925
Rotation 3: Oregon State 49.450, California 49.375
After 3: California 148.075, Oregon State 147.875
Oregon State, on its best event, picks up some ground exactly when it needs to and inches a bit closer to California heading into the final rotation. Floor isn’t the Golden Bears best event, so they’ll take only being beat out by less than a tenth heading into a strong event with the lead. With Jade Carey anchoring, the Beavers have the opportunity for a huge total if they want to set her up, as they’ll likely need that and/or help from the Golden Bears to pull this one out.
Rotation 4: California Beam, Oregon State Floor
DeSouza (Cal): Opens with her low beam work, cat leap to front aerial, BHS LOSO, slight knees in the air, beat jump to sheep jump, Sissone, full turn, dismounts RO 1.5, stuck. 9.875
Miller (OSU): Mounts with a double pike, big lunge back, front foot moved a bit, good leap series, RO 1.5 front layout, clean landing, closes with a double tuck, chest down slightly but good control. 9.900
Williams (Cal): Gets underway down low, front aerial to split jump, BHS LOSO, steady, switch leap to beat jump, BHS gainer full, hop back. 9.800
Young (OSU): Begins with a nice double pike, second pass double tuck is just as nice, switch leap to ring leap full, great height in the leaps, FHS front layout front full into her final pose. 9.875
Li (Cal): Front aerial to split jump to get underway, BHS LOSO, looked off in the air but not on the landing, full turn, beat jump to sheep jump, solid, tucker gainer full dismount and stuck. 9.875
Gonzales (OSU): Starts off with a front full front layout, very clean in the air, nice shapes, switch half to split leap, double pike, step forward, switch ring to switch half, front leg needed to be higher in both. 9.850
Frazier (Cal): Missed her open, front aerial, small check and breaks the connection, goes to a backup BHS LOSO, small lean, switch ring split jump, GREAT, cartwheel 1.5, hop forward. 9.800
Letzsch (OSU): Mounts with a RO 1.5 front full, missed the punch and tucks it around but stays on her feet, switch ring half to split jump half out of it, ends with a double tuck, slides back in the lunge. 9.675
Lauzon (Cal): Wolf turns to open, joined late so didn’t see how many, BHS BHS LOSO, no movement, switch leap to split jump, RO double full, tries to hang on to the dismount but takes a step into her salute. 9.750
Dagen (OSU): Gets going with front layout to Rudi, chest a bit down, switch half straddle full straddle jump, cleanly through, double pike last pass, great landing. 9.900
Perea (Cal): Missed her opening wolf turns again, front toss to back tuck, smooth connection, works down low to the beam, switch leap to split jump beat jump, easy, side somi to tucked 1.5 dismount and STUCK! 9.925
Carey (OSU): Massive double double to open, maybe her best landing yet, switch half to straddle full, flawless, front layout to double pike, another perfectly controlled lunge! 9.975
Rotation 4: California 49.275, Oregon State 49.500
FINAL: Oregon State 197.375, California 197.350
Wow, what a comeback! The near-perfect total from Carey to end the night ends up pushing the Beavers just over the Golden Bears! Minor errors by California kept the door open and the beginning of Oregon State’s lineup assisted Carey perfectly for the walk-off win and a massive floor total. The Beavers remain unbeaten in conference action alongside Utah, with this upset result likely going to have major implications in the conference regular season results in a few weeks.
*After the broadcast concluded, Mya Lauzon’s floor score from the third rotation was raised to a 9.900, ultimately resulting in a tie meet.
VT: Carey (OSU), 9.925
UB: Carey, Li (Cal), 9.975
BB: Carey, 9.950
FX: Carey, 9.975
AA: Carey 39.825
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Live blog by Brandis Heffner
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Scores were updated, this ended up another tie….