Happy meet day! Today’s Big Ten matchup may not be the most evenly-matched meet of the weekend, but each of these teams are beginning the fight for their postseason goals. Iowa is trying to earn a seeded spot at regionals, while Rutgers is just trying to earn any spot.
Rutgers is coming off its second-highest score of the season with a 196.325. That score did happen at home though, and Rutgers has had some struggles on the road this year. But if the Scarlet Knights are able to hit to their full potential, they could give the Hawkeyes some trouble. Rutgers is also looking to get a much-needed high road score to count towards its NQS
On the other hand, the Hawkeyes’ scores have been dropping for the past four weeks. Part of that score decrease can be attributed to counting a fall on beam last week. If Iowa is able to stick beam, and the rest of its routines, it should be able to hold off the Scarlet Knights. A high score would be very beneficial for Iowa if it wants to make it into the top sixteen before regionals.
I believe Iowa is wearing a new leo today, it’s very pretty!
Rotation 1: Iowa VT, Rutgers UB
Masella (Iowa): Yurchenko full, looks like she stuck it! Nice open body position. 9.725
Zieden-Weber (RU): Starts with a Tkatchev and then a shootover which is a little bit low. She’s a little short on all these handstands. Sticks the blind full double back! 9.7
LaPlante (Iowa): Yurchenko full, also a nice straight body but takes a big hop back.
Lorente-Garcia (RU): Maloney to Pak combination to start, it’s pretty loose throughout. Short on the last handstand and takes a step forward on the double layout. 9.675
Munoz (Iowa): Nice high Yurchenko full, takes a small hop in place on the landing. 9.825
Ortiz (RU): Starts on the high bar with a blind to piked Jaeger, nice form! Misses the next handstand into her shootover. A little short on the last handstand, then a blind full double tuck with a step backwards.
Zuhlke (Iowa): She sticks her signature vault! Her feet are a little bit apart on the landing but overall it was very clean. 9.775
Aird (RU): Blind into another nice piked Jaeger. Nice shootover. A little bit short on her handstands, but she has nice lines. Pikes down the double layout a little bit and takes a step. 9.775
Zivat (Iowa): Tsuk full, just a slight hop backwards.
Joyner (RU): Blind into a Jaeger, not too much amplitude unfortunately. Nice shootover, then hits the last handstand. Double layout dismount, she piked it down and hopped forward.
Henderson (Iowa): Yurchenko 1.5??? It was so high and pretty! Great lines, amplitude and took a small hop forwards. That’s the first time she’s competed it! 9.925
Balser (RU): Nice Jaeger to start out. Beautiful Pak down to low. A little short on the last handstand. Gorgeous double layout and she gives us the college stick. She has such nice lines throughout the whole routine!
After 1: Iowa 49.05, Rutgers 48.825
It was a solid rotation for both teams! Iowa showed some great amplitude and control on its landings, and we got to see JerQuavia Henderson debut her gorgeous Yurchenko 1.5! Rutgers had six clean bar routines, but if it focuses on the handstands, the Scarlet Knights could get back some extra tenths.
Rotation 2: Rutgers VT, Iowa UB
Webster (RU): Tucked Tsuk full, took a pretty big step back. 9.4
Zuhlke (Iowa): Starts on the high bar with a Hindorff. Pak to the low bar, some form issues throughout. Hits the last handstand, blind full into a double back and takes a tiny hop in place. 9.75
Lorente-Garcia (RU): Yurchenko full, some bent legs at the beginning but she cleaned it up at the end. Small hop back on the landing. 9.675
LaPlante (Iowa): Blind to Jaeger to start, looks like she was supposed to connect it to a bail but she took an extra swing. A little short on the last handstand. Finishes with a stuck double layout. 8.925
Dildy (RU): Nice Yurchenko full, had some nice amplitude and just a hop back.
Rojas (Iowa): She had to wait a long time to start. Nice Geinger to start, short on these handstands. Nice shootover. Hits that last handstand straight into a stuck full in! 9.8
Jones (RU): Yurchenko full, nice body position and hops back.
Castellanos (Iowa): Nice Ray to start out, very short handstand into her shootover. Double layout and hops forward.
Joyner (RU): Nice Yurchenko full, also took a small hop back.
Kenlin (Iowa): Great handstand to start out, then a beautiful Maloney to Pak combination. Toe blind full to the double back, she was a little off on the blind full and separated her feet but she saved it.
Leese (RU): Gorgeous Yurchenko 1.5, just hops forwards.
Munoz (Iowa): Cal hop to a nice piked Jaeger, just a little close to the bar. Nice shootover. Hits that last handstand. Finishes with a free hip into a double layout with a small hop back.
After 2: Iowa 97.725, Rutgers 97.2
Lots of tenths given away from both teams in this rotation! Rutgers didn’t stick any of its vaults, and Iowa had quite a few missed handstands and some hops on its landings. Iowa did fight back and drop the fall from Kendall LaPlante, but the Hawkeyes still had to count two scores in the 9.6 range.
Rotation 3: Iowa BB, Rutgers FX
Henderson (Iowa): Very solid full turn to start out. Beautiful flic lay, no wobbles at all. Switch leap straddle quarter. Finishes with a really nice roundoff double tuck, just a small hop back. Really good leadoff! 9.825
Zannella (RU): First pass is a super high double tuck with a nice controlled landing. Next is a whip to double twist, some knee bend throughout. Finishes with a front layout front full, also had some knee bend there and a shaky landing. Switch ring to switch ring half. 9.65
Ebeling (Iowa): Very nice flic lay to start. Another great full turn. Split jump ring jump. Front aerial, wobbles but saves it. Finishes with a stuck gainer pike! 9.775
Balser (RU): Starts with a double tuck, has some flexed feet but a nice landing. Switch ring to switch half to Popa. Next is a back 1.5 to front layout, takes the layout out kind of far but stays in bounds. Last pas is a Rudi and she takes a jump back. 9.675
Nick (Iowa): Switch leap mount to a split leap, she wobbles on the mount. Solid flic lay. Gorgeous front aerial. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5 and she sticks it. 9.875
Jones (RU): Nice controlled double pike for her first pass. Front layout to Rudi, steps forward on the landing. Switch side to Popa. Finishes with a back 1.5 to front layout, nice control on the landing. 9.8
Rojas (Iowa): Flic flic lay series, very solid! Switch leap to split three quarter, didn’t quite hit 180 on the jump. Dismounts with a side gainer full and hops back. She fell last week, so I’m sure it was nice to hit today! 9.825
Wood (RU): First pass is a Rudi to back layout step out, had some flexed feet but overall solid. Tour jete half to split jump full to tuck full, maybe a little shy of 180. Next is a front double twist, she steps back but she saves it. 9.675
Kenlin (Iowa): Really nice flic lay to open the routine. Beautiful front aerial to split jump to split three quarter, just a small wobble on that last jump. Cartwheel to side gainer full dismount and she sticks it but they may take a deduction for a low chest. 9.875
Joyner (RU): Nice double pike to start out, good control on the landing. Nice switch full with nice split position. Front full front layout next, maybe a little crooked on the second flip. Switch side to Popa, again she has great positions. Back 1.5 to front pike to finish up, her front pike was super high and had great control.
Zuhlke (Iowa): Flic flic lay, she almost saves it but she falls. Luckily they have five hits already. Switch leap to split three quarter. Finishes with a stuck cartwheel to side gainer full.
Leese (RU): Nice controlled full in for her first pass, just some leg separation. Switch half to Popa. Finishes with a front tuck through to double tuck, just steps forward when she lands.
After 3: Iowa 146.9, Rutgers 145.95
Wow, Iowa really came to play on beam! The Hawkeyes were very focused on the details. Every series had no wobble, with the exception of Allison Zuhlke’s which was able to be dropped. As for Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights had some great amplitude in their tumbling and some very controlled landings. They did have some shakiness on a few landings, but overall it was a solid rotation.
Rotation 4: Rutgers BB, Iowa FX
Battavio (RU): Nice flic lay to start her routine, just a small wobble. Split jump to split full. Nice side aerial, just some flexed feet. Finishes with a tucked front full but she fell on the landing. 9.25
Castillo (Iowa): Nice front tuck through to double pike to start. Very nice switch half to straddle half, great positions. Last pass is a double tuck, nice control on the landing. 9.875
Leese (RU): Front toss, she wobbles but saves the fall. She repeats it for the connection, this time she does a nice front toss to back handspring series. Split jump to straddle three quarter. Dismounts with a tucked front full and takes a tiny hop forward. 9.65
Libby (Iowa): Front double twist to start out, takes a pretty big jump forward. Next is a back 1.5 to front layout, much better control on that pass. Nice wolf full to switch half. Finishes with a solid Rudi. 9.7
Manifold (RU): Starts with a flic lay, just had some slightly bent knees. Nice cat leap to side aerial. Switch leap to split three quarter. Super solid full turn. Front full dismount with a hop in place. Nice routine! 9.85
Zivat (Iowa): Front tuck through to double tuck for her first pass, her chest is a little bit low on the landing. Tour jete half to a split jump full. Next is a Rudi to back layout step out, nice height on both elements.
Ortiz (RU): Pretty full turn to start the routine. Awesome flic flic lay series. Split jump to double stag jump. Finishes with a side gainer full and hops forward. 9.8
Munoz (Iowa): Alright, they said she’ll be competing a double layout for the first time today, let’s see if she throws it. Yep! And it looked pretty nice, just a step forwards. Switch half to Popa to wolf jump. Nice front tuck through to double tuck and she sticks it, but her chest may have been a tiny bit low. 9.8
Joyner (RU): Very floaty flic lay series. Beautiful switch leap to switch half, great position and a very solid landing. Gorgeous roundoff 1.5 dismount to a stick! That was an awesome routine. The team is really excited, and they should be! 9.95, well deserved!
Kenlin (Iowa): Starts with a front double twist, slides forward a little bit but overall it’s solid. Switch leap to tour jete half ring. Finishes with a back 1.5 to front layout, nice control. 9.85
Zannella (RU): Split jump to ring jump. Super solid flic flic lay. She looks so confident. Nice side aerial to tucked 1.5 and it’s another stick! They can drop the fall from Battavio! 9.925
Henderson (Iowa): Starts with an awesome full in, her lunge may have just been a little too big to have no deduction. Beautiful switch side to Popa to straddle jump, she shows a lot of flexibility. Front tuck through to double tuck, nice height and a very controlled landing.
Final: Iowa 196.2, Rutgers 195.125
Both teams finished strong in the last rotation! Rutgers had some awesome beam routines and had an event total of 49.175. Today’s 195.25 gives Rutgers a much-needed solid away score to count towards its NQS. Iowa also had a good meet. It wasn’t necessarily a huge score, but the Hawkeyes showed some great routines and had a great bounce-back beam rotation from last week!
Event Winners:
Vault: Henderson, Iowa, 9.925
Bars: Balser, Rutgers, 9.825
Beam: Joyner, Rutgers, 9.95
Floor: Henderson, Iowa, 9.925
All Around: Joyner, Rutgers, 39.275
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Live blog by Emily Lockard
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