MRGC conference play is well underway, and tonight marks the second meeting of two of the conference’s most competitive teams, the Boise State Broncos and the BYU Cougars. The last time these two teams met in January, BYU came out on top. However, with the home turf advantage, will Boise State be able to capitalize on the opportunity for revenge?
BYU may be the lower-ranked of the two teams at the moment, but a lot of this is thanks to an opening weekend 193 bogging down the Cougars’ average. BYU has rallied as the season progresses, scoring above 196 in all of its last three meets, including two away duals. A lot of the Cougars’ success comes down to Anna Bramblett and Rebekah Bean Ripley, both of whom are having breakout seasons after being marred with injuries, scoring 9.95 and 9.9 on bars and floor, respectively to tally each rotation’s high score. It would also be impossible to mention BYU without talking about Elease Rollins, who comes into this meet ranked first on beam in the conference and 20th in the nation.
The Cougars aren’t the only team in the MRGC that has experienced recent success, however. Boise State has hit 196 in both of its last two meets, even scoring an impressive 196.325 while counting a fall on bars. Emily Lopez and Courtney Blackson have made up the backbone of the Broncos’ lineups, with the former being the top-ranked gymnast in the conference on bars.
With NQS coming into effect for next week’s rankings, let’s see if these two teams can capitalize on the opportunity to drop some lower early-season scores.
Rotation 1: Boise State Vault, BYU Bars
Currently streamless in Seattle. A reminder that this is Boise State’s senior night!
Kho (BSU) VT: Starting off with a Yurchenko full, nice landing. Only a small hop, not the most amplitude with a pike down. 9.725
Lealaogata (BYU) UB: Maloney to Pak, a bit of flexed feet. Big form break in her cast half. Arched on her final handstand. Large step forward on her double layout dismount. 9.55
Loyim (BSU) VT: Yurchenko half, twists rather late on that, great layout position in the air. Not a lot of amplitude, but gets the stick on the landing. 9.775
Benson (BYU) UB: Starting off on the high bar. Toe on to Tkachev, nice height but some flexed feet. Good handstand in the bail. Nice final handstand. Double layout, small step forward. 9.7
Vulaj (BSU) VT: Yurchenko full on, pike off. A bit of a shuffle step back. Good commitment to the piked shape in the air. 9.85
A lot of camera on Alvarado for a Bramblett routine coming up.
Bramblett (BYU) UB: Blind change to Jeager, peels off and fully faceplants. Getting checked out by coaches. Taking a while but is remounting. Overshoot, almost loses her balance standing on the bar. Double layout, step back. 8.65
Popp (BSU) VT: Front handspring pike 1/2, great form in the air, only a small hop forward. Really great piked shape in the air, not the most distance overall. 9.875
Looks like we’re getting a judges’ conference for Bramblett.
Eaquinto (BYU) UB: Maloney to Pak, very smooth. A tad short on her cast half. Double layout is stuck. Great routine, but this rotation is probably one to forget already. 9.825
Lopez (BSU) VT: Yurchenko full, stuck cold. Great form in the air as well. Boise State really bringing it today with these landings. A tiny bit of pike down to land, but milks every tenth she can. 9.9
Hunter (BYU) UB: Huge Tkachev, too close to the bar and has to hop off. Welp, this meet is all but over now in terms of getting a good score for NQS. Repeats the skill, gets it this time. Hip circle to bail, a little bit short. Nice final handstand. Double layout, low chest and a step forward. 9.3
Blackson (BSU) VT: Yurchenko 1.5, one of the most underrated vaults in the country. Really great leg form in the air, flares it out a little at the end. A bit of a foot shuffle but not giving the judges much to take. 9.9
Another conference for Hunter’s bars score.
Alvarado (BYU) UB: Great Pak to start out. Toe on to Van Leeuwen. Very short on her final handstand. Sticks her double layout.
AFTER ONE: BYU 48.200, Boise State 49.300
Well for what it’s worth, Boise State did a great job. The final half of that lineup is punching way above its weight class. That was by all means a mild disaster for BYU on what is on paper the Cougars’ best event. You can’t win them all. BYU already has some good road scores to work with, so this isn’t too big of a blow but still a missed opportunity.
Rotation 2: Boise State Uneven Bars, BYU Vault
Dudley (BYU) VT: Starting off with a Y-full, a tad underrotated with a hop forward. 9.675
Little (BSU) UB: Maloney to Pak, it was ok. Cast half was nice. Low on final handstand. Blind full to double tuck, step back. 9.725
Raesly-Patton (BYU) VT: Full on, tuck off. Little amplitude. 9.75
Morden (BSU) UB: Starts on bars, blind to Piked Jeager, catches. Bail is to handstand. Nice handstand. Almost touches the ground on her FTDT, she looks happy about it. 9.675
Benson (BYU) VT: Average Yfull. Commentators say she gets a lot of distance. 9.85
McGovern (BSU) UB: This is her first year in the bars lineup. Geinger is nice. FTDT with a hop back. Pretty good routine, great even. 9.725
Rollins (BYU) VT: Full on tuck off, negative amplitude. Little shuffle of the feet but a great vault. This is no longer a 10 start value. 9.725
Hamby (BSU) UB: Ray to overshoot. Stands on the bar to get back on to the high bar. Double layout with a hop back. She is happy. 9.8
Mason (BYU) VT: Sits down her 1.5. She was a little bit high on the vault, didn’t get that big, powerful block. 9.275
Blackson (BSU) UB: She is very aggressive on the bars. Nice bail, holds it for a second. Blind to Markelov, very nice. Small hop back on her double layout. Just same old Courtney, doing what she does. 9.875
Eaquinto (BYU) VT: Just a full, really nice and clean. A great job right there. Great second rotation for BYU. 9.825
Lopez (BSU) UB: Blind to Piked Jeager, pretty. Bail right to handstand. Gets the final handstand. Oh no my stream is buffering. I would assume that she dismounted. Alright it’s a commercial break. now. OMG SHE GOT A 10.
AFTER TWO: BYU 97.025, Boise State 98.425
She did this for Emily Muhlenhaupt.
Rotation 3: Boise State Balance Beam, BYU Floor
It’s Pete’s birthday.
Vulaj (BSU) BB: Really hoping to continue streak of awesome. Gainer bhs to loso, she’s so calm. Switch to switch to gainer LOSO, maybe just a little bit off. Full turn. Moves through this really quickly. Front toss to leg up wobble. Dismounts. 9.7
Millar (BYU) FX: Jumps are great, amazing work. Double tuck, big. BYU is always known for playing to the crowd, super fun routines. Front layout to front full, once again big. And it’s over. 9.825
Little (BSU) BB: Has a little bit of a different style. The style is almost falling on her series. Full turn straight into some dance. Switch to straddle 1/4. She def hit that requirement. Really nice. Did a front aerial to beat jump. Stuck dismount, leaves a good taste in the judges mouth. 9.725
Benson (BYU) FX: They really slay. Double tuck, nice, controlled that landing. Split full to Popa, not really but it’s okay. Front layout to front full. Thrift shop music is a choice. Choices, y’all. Finishes with double pike, great landing. Really good routine for her. 9.85
Elkabchi (BSU) BB: Full turn. Back handspring to loso, nice, super clean. Beat jump to side aerial, another nice clean little pass. Straddle 1/2 to tuck jump, just getting all those little requirements. Getting that bonus. Just that little hop forward on the back 3/2. 9.825
Dudley (BYU) FX: Big double pike. Scored a career-high last week, 9.875. Front full to front layout for her second pass, hits it nicely. Switch side to wolf full, meh. Final pass double tuck, big, great control on that landing. Whoo! 9.825
Lopez (BSU) BB: Back handspring to loso to back handspring, beautiful, dances out of it. Just looks effortless. Full turn. Split to straddle 1/2, fully okay, certainly were jumps. Front toss, finishes right through her fingers. Gainer full, small hop back. 9.875
Schooley (BYU) FX: Switch side half, that’s a D now. Back 3/2 to front tuck out, who knows what it was meant to look like. Switch ring to switch side, pretty. Double tuck for her second pass, she did that two-pass routine. 9.55
Loyim (BSU) BB: Back handspring to loso to loso, just nails it. Makes it look so easy. Full turn. Side aerial, good brings her chest up. Switch to switch, solid. Sticks her gainer full. Another amazing routine from the Broncos. 9.875
Rollins (BYU) FX: The Cougars are doing great on this event. Big double back, she did step out of bound there. She did some leaps, I was personally not a big fan of whatever just happened. Front layout to front full, little bit of form. 9.575
Popp (BSU) BB: She’s popping off. Or something. Front aerial, not the danger zone. Full turn. Back handspring to bhs to layout, it’s so hard y’all. Switch to switch half to back tuck. She’s a beamer at heart. Stuck gainer full. 9.85
Ripley (BYU) FX: She’s a Barbie. Front through to double tuck, goes mildly flying. Switch side to Popa to wolf full. She is likely to do a second pass by all estimations. Double pike, she doesn’t fall.
AFTER THREE: BYU 145.850, Boise State 147.550
Rotation 4: Boise State Floor, BYU Beam
Let’s get this over with.
Mason (BYU) BB: Full turn. Hit. Back handspring to loso. Hit. Cat leap to side aerial. Hit. Leaps. Hit. Switch to split. No wobble in that dance. Dismounts with a dismount, back 2/1, good for her.
Vulaj (BSU) FX: First pass is a twisting combination. There was a horse sound. Switch to Gogean, I laughed a tad. Live for the music. She will do a two pass routine. Double pike. 9.85
Having some stream issues right now. Alright, y’all it looks like my stream has given up on me entirely. It was good while it lasted. I will fill everyone in with scores once they come in.
Final: BYU 194.875, Boise State 196.5
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Live blog by Ian LeWarn
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