Both teams are coming into this Friday night matchup in Rec Hall on the heels of strong outings. The Buckeyes did exactly what they needed to on Monday at Illinois, putting up a 196.825 road number that landed them an opening NQS of 196.675, a great starting point. Another big road number here would go a long way toward helping Ohio State keep its high ranking going into the NQS switch next week.
The Nittany Lions have been more settled in the mid-196 range, especially at home, which is what the team should be targeting tonight as its floor. Amani Herring has been excellent at points throughout the year, and a strong day from the freshman would go a long way toward that number, as would another lights-out bar outing from Cassidy Rushlow.
Payton Harris is the emerging star for Ohio State, but Ella Hodges continues to be a highlight on both beam and floor. Both are important pieces for the Buckeyes in the quest for a road 197. The broadcast on Monday mentioned that Jenna Hlavach is making her way back from nagging injuries: She could play an important role as well.
Rotation 1: Penn State vault, Ohio State bars
Vihrova (PSU): FHS pike, true stick! Great vault to kick things off. 9.85
Pritchard (tOSU): Toe hand to pike Gienger, little soft knees, immediate bail. Short handstand. Blind full double tuck, landed feet uneven and pulled them together. 9.825
Johnston (PSU): Bit of a wait, not sure why, since we already have Vihrova’s score in. Yfull, some pike down and maybe a stick? Hard to see her feet. 9.8
Harris (tOSU): Great hanstand to Tkatchev, som leg form on catch. Bail hand, short. Blind full double tuck, hop back. 9.725
Herring (PSU): Yfull, bent arms on the table and a little pike, but a great stick! 9.8
Edwards (tOSU): I’m wondering if we’re down a judge and one is running between bars and vault. Lots of waiting. Toe hand to Maloney, so floaty, small leg sep, good Pak. Clean on her pirouette. Blind full, arched and leg sep but pulled it over, double tuck stuck. 9.775
Salcedo (PSU): Omelianchik, not a lot of distance but a good landing. Some form in the preflight. 9.85
Vetter (tOSU): Okay, no, I see four judges. We’re just slow pokey today. blind full late to Tkatchev, not a lot of tunover. Arched handstand to bail hand. FTDB, hop back. 9.625
Johansson (PSU): FTY, good body position, another stick. Wow, Penn State has sticky feet. 9.85
Riccardi (tOSU): Toe hand to Ray, just too far out and she falls. Pak, slightly closed shoulders. Stalder to double tuck, hop back. Tough break. This is not the Buckeyes’ day on bars. 9.05
Piedrahita (PSU): Omelianchik, small hop, some leg sep. 9.925
Miller (tOSU): Ohio State really needs a big hit to salvage this rotation. Toe hand to Maloney, clean. Bail hand, also nice. DLO, forward on her landing and hops to salute. 9.825
Bladon (PSU, ex): FTY, big pike down.
Mintz (tOSU, ex): Blind to Jaeger, soft knees on catch. Pak, good. DLO, chest forward but held her feet.
After 1: Penn State 49.275, Ohio State 48.775
Not the start the Buckeyes needed. Everyone was a little hoppy, and there were some biggish errors on handstands and releases. Penn State, meanwhile, took the open door and ran through it, nailing landings. Momentum is solidly the Nittany Lions’.
Rotation 2: Penn State bars, Ohio State vault
Vetter (tOSU): Yfull, stuck. 9.875
Johanson (PSU): Toe hand good to Tkatchev, low and little turnover. Pak, some leg sep. Late on her half pirouette. DLO step back. 9.7, in line with the scores form the first rotation
Malas (tOSU): Yfull, some pike down, couldn’t see her feet on the landing. 9.85
Johnston (PSU): Short hanstand to Maloney, nice bail hand. Blind full bit late to double tuck, staggered feet but stuck. 9.8
Riccardi (tOSU): Yfull, high but piked it down and hopped back. 9.825
Vihrova (PSU): Good handstand. Blind to Jaeger, leg form on the catch. Bail hand, arched a bit. Blind full double tuck, chest forward but doesn’t move her feet. 9.825
Jennings (tOSU): Yfull, true stick, just some leg sep during the block. 9.9, true, best full yet.
Mace (PSU): Toe hand to Maloney, juuust caught, leg form on the back swing and Pak. DLO, step back, had some knee form on the bottom of both giants. 9.725
Harris (tOSU): Y1.5, step to the side and forward, over the directional line. 9.85
Piedrahita (PSU): Toe hand to Maloney, soft knee. Nice Pak, bit of shoulder angle. Short handstand. FTDB, small hop. 9.825
Edwards (tOSU): Yfull, so pretty in the air and stuck. I could watch that vault all day. 9.9
Rushlow (PSU): Blind to Jaeger, great distance, immediate bail. Slightly short on her last hanstand. FTDB, deep knees but stuck. 9.95
Mintz (tOSU, ex): YFull, big pike and a hop back.
Gallentine (PSU, ex): Toe hand to Maloney, nice. Good Pak. DLO stuck. Wow, she’ll be back in the lineup next week.
After 2: Penn State 98.400, Ohio State 98.150
Penn State is really on a roll! The Buckeyes made up some ground with a very strong vault rotation headlined by Jennings and Edwards’ fulls, but the Nittany Lions remain in the drivers seat. That Rushlow routine is truly very nice, week in and week out. Ohio State can be lights out on floor, so if Penn State manages to stay ahead after rotation three, it’ll be in good shape to steal this one.
Rotation 3: Penn State beam, Ohio State floor
Piedrahita (PSU): Bhs loso, steady. She’s so calm. Cat to side aerial, foot form, imprecise position in the cat. Switch to tuck 3/4, didn’t fully get her knees up in the tuck shape. RO 3/2 soft knees and a small step. 9.675, lots of little things added up.
Gonzalez (tOSU): Double pike, pretty low in the chest and knees. Front lay front 1/1, much better landing. Some imprecision in her leap series rotation. RO 3/2 front lay, good landing, missed some amplitude in the lay but it wasn’t too low. 9.75
Salcedo (PSU): Bhs loso, adjusted her foot on the landing. Standing front, dances right out. Her front saltos are so satisfying on every event. Nice wolf jump. Split to split 3/4, lovely 180s. Front 1/1 stuck. 9.875
Vetter (tOSU): True stick on her double tuck, she looked right at a judge. Switch full Popa Popa, traveled a bit sideways in the second Popa and was a little off balance in the air. Front lay arched down to rudi, low chest but emphasizes the stick. She can sell it! 9.825
Gibble (PSU): Front aerial, check. Small shoulder drop on her full turn. Bhs loso, another small shoulder check and foot form. Cat to switch side, excellent straddle position. Beat to ring jump, pretty. Cartwheel 3/2 hop forward. 9.675
Harris (tOSU): Double pike, good landing, just flexed feet in the air. Switch side Popa, cheated that rotation a little. FHS 2/1 stag jump, some leg separation but controlled in the jump. FHS front 1/1 front lay, good landing and shaping in the front saltos. 9.85
Rushlow (PSU): Pretty in her jump series. Bhs loso, turned to the side and bent at the hips. Cat side aerial was strong. RO 3/2, back on her heels on the landing and a step back. 9.65
Gagliardi (tOSU): Front lay rudi stag, traveled to the side in the stag and it was a little uncontrolled, but she pulled it together for the landing. Switch side Popa was nice. High double pike, lunged forward. 9.9
Herring (PSU): She has the ability to really get this back on track for Penn State. Pike front toss to bhs, maybe a rhythm deduction between but I think they’ll give her the connection. Side somi, check. Really nice Cat to switch side. Tuck front 1/1 off the end, hop forward. 9.75
Edwards (tOSU): Came backward a bit in the lunge out of her double pike. Too much juice. RO 3/2 front lay, good positions, just kind of skidded her feet before stepping forward out. Switch side to Popa was nice. Double tuck, small balance check in her lunge. Just 10% off on every landing. 9.875
Johnston (PSU): Bhs loso, nice extension and steady. Split to sheep, dropped one shoulder a bit, .05 if they’re being picky. Side aerial, steady. RO 3/2 hop forward. 9.775
Hodges (tOSU): She has been a 9.9+ machine the past few weeks. Double pike, slid backward in the lunge. Tour jete half Popa Popa, really nice shapes, just traveled forward a little in the Popas. FHS rudi loso, very nice. 9.925! She’s done it again.
Johanson (PSU, ex.): Bhs loso, soft knees and foot form, falls. Beat to side aerial, check. Cat to switch side, clean. RO 3/2 true stick.
Riccardi (tOSU, ex.): Long wait on Hodges’ score. Looks like there’s a conference. Good double pike. Ton of power on her tour jete half Popa, really rotated fast, but clean. RO 3/2 front lay, bit of arch but not a ton. Double tuck, excellent controlled lunge. Much better than her exhibition on Monday.
After 3: Ohio State 147.525, Penn State 147.150
Ohio State’s best lineup came through, while Penn State suffered from a nervy lineup and just couldn’t put together enough clean sets to keep the lead. Still, the Buckeyes have to survive road beam, and Penn State has some high-scoring floor sets.
Rotation 4: Penn State floor, Ohio State beam
Pritchard (tOSU): We jumped into the middle of her routine. Bhs loso, check. Swithc to straddle 1/4, nice. RO 3/2 soft knees and a hop forward. 9.725
Johnston (PSU): Slid back a bit in the lunge after her double pike. REALLY short of 180 on her second and third leaps. Low chest on her middle pass, I think it was a rudi but my typing fingers got ahead of my brain. RO 3/2 front lay, her best pass. 9.725
Hankins (tOSU): Oh we’re seeing a replay instead of the routine happening. BTN+ you were doing so well. Check on the full turn. Bhs loso, soft knees and a check. Front toss, step forward. Switch to split 1/4, nice. RO 2/1, low chest but held her feet. 9.825
Rushlow (PSU): Double tuck, great, her set is so good. Switch ring to full to wolf full, really wonky in the wolf shape and rotation. RO 3/2 front lay, some leg sep in the twist. FHS rudi, good landing. 9.725
Harris (tOSU): Valdez, we stan. Switch to straddle 1/4, great landing, really emphasized it. Front aerial back tuck, soft knees and a check. RO 2/1 stuck. 9.9
Piedrahita (PSU): Double pike, runs back out of it, OOB. RO 3/2 front lay, arched it down. Clean leaps. Double tuck, chest low and a hop forward. 8.925
Jennings (tOSU): She has such a casual way about her on the beam. Bhs check to side aerial, that could be iffy for connection. Clean jumps. Cartwheel gainer full off the side, hop back.
Vihrova (PSU): Long long wait here, that first pass for Piedrahita gave the judges a real test. Full-in, low chest, stepped on the line maybe? I couldn’t see judges so not sure if a hand went up to signal OOB, but it was close. Wonky on the wolf full out of her leap pass, really labored. Front lay front full, some form in the twist but stuck. 9.75
Vetter (tOSU): She has turn out on beam. On BEAM. Bhs loso, just some foot form. Side aerial, small check. Switch check to straddle 1/4. RO 2/1, twisting form, jumped her feet together. 9.9
Johanson (PSU): Double pike, little low in the chest. RO 3/2 barani straight jump, nice there. Double tuck, bounced in the lunge a few times. 9.85
Hodges (tOSU): Small check. on her jumps. Falls on her bhs loso. Nice gainer loso. RO 3/2, back in her squat and has to step back. 9.175
Herring (PSU): Double Arabian, jumped right into the lunge, that’s such an impressive pass. Side somi. Switch side half straddle, I love that leap series, nice split positions. RO 3/2 front lay, back on her heels on that landing. 9.85
Oliveros (tOSU, ex.): Press mount, lovely. Front aerial check to bhs another check Cat to switch half, check, knee form and short of 180. Side aerial, leg up check. Just not her night. Gainer pike off the end stuck.
Gibble (PSU, ex.): Pretty and stuck! RO 3/2 front lay. Switch ring to tour jete half, nice there. This routine is lovely. Double pike, low and put her hands down. Ring 1/1.
FINAL: Ohio State 196.725, Penn State 196.125
HUGE road number for the Buckeyes, especially considering an off bar rotation. That’s a good sign moving forward. Likewise Penn State, breaking 196 even with a tough day on beam. Two teams on the rise!
VT: Piedrahita, 9.925
UB: Rushlow, 9.950
BB: Harris, Vetter, 9.900
FX: Hodges, 9.925
AA: Harris 39.325
READ THIS NEXT: From Latvia to University Park, Elina Vihrova’s Road to Penn State Was Hard but Worth It
Live blog by Emily Minehart
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