Pittsburgh always goes all out for themed home meets, and this Pride meet expects to be no different. Pittsburgh set a program record the last time the Panthers hosted a Pride meet and will look to put up that level of performance to record its second 196 of the season. North Carolina put up its first away 196-plus at New Hampshire last weekend and will be looking to put up another high away score here with the first NQS rankings looming.
The Tar Heels will open up the meet on bars which has been a great event so far this season. Watch out for Lali Dekanoidze there who has scored a 9.975 three times this season. Also keep an eye on Kaya Forbes on the leg events, who had a rough meet last week and will be looking to bounce back. Pittsburgh tied the program record bars score the last time the Panthers competed at home, and will be looking to have another great rotation there. Natalia Pawlak has started to get into a groove on bars with a career high 9.950 last week, so look out for her in the second rotation.
Rotation 1: Pittsburgh vault, North Carolina bars
Washington (PIT): Big full, started turning a little early on the table and took a small hop forward. 9.8
Shearer (UNC): Big jaeger to start. Comes in short on the bail and falls. Strong double layout to finish. Almost holds the stick, but steps to salute. 9.05
Duke (PIT): Another strong full. Good body position throughout. Small hop back. 9.8
Knower (UNC): Strong handstand. Good geinger. A little loose on the bail. Very high and stuck FTDB dismount. 9.75
Copperwheat (PIT): Just a little piking in that full and a larger hop back than Duke, but not too large. 9.775
Fink (UNC): Some feet on the jaeger. Strong bail. Some leg separation in the double layout and has a hop back. The camera angle isn’t favorable for seeing handstand angles to really comment on those. 9.775
Ward (PIT): Another big full. Some feet and flairs it out. Similar size hop back to Copperwheat. 9.8
Culton (UNC): Low on the tkatchev after the stalder. Good bail. Just a small hop back on the double tuck dismount. Great toe point throughout. 9.825
Weiss (PIT): A little pike at the end of that full after turning a little early on the table. Some legs. Small hop forward. 9.675
Dekanoidze (UNC): Great Maloney to bail. Small hop in place on the double layout. It might have been more mat bouncing her than a hop though. 9.925
Zitcovich (PIT): Piked down on that full. Some flexed feet. Large hop backwards. 9.575
Schaefer (UNC): Might have hit the bar going into the jaeger? Back arch on the clear hip. Good bail. Small hop on the FTDB. Should still be able to replace the fall from the leadoff. 9.75
After 1: North Carolina 49.025, Pittsburgh 48.850
There were not any stuck vaults for the Panthers in that rotation which hurt the scores there. North Carolina will be glad to not have had to count a fall in that rotation, but it was not the high scoring event that it needed to be.
Rotation 2: North Carolina vault, Pittsburgh bars
Greene (UNC): Piking throughout that full with a small hop back. 9.775
Washington (PIT): Leg separations and feet on both the Maloney and the pak. Good finishing position on the giant full and stuck the double back dismount. 9.825
Fink (UNC): Much better body position on that full. Only the slightest pike at the end. Small hop back. 9.825
Garvey (PIT): Over on the first handstand. Lost form on the regrasp of the jaeger. Came back well on the bal. Flung herself back on the salute of the dismount and steps back. 9.4
Prejean (UNC): Great height on that full. Added another mat this week. Small hop. 9.775
Ewing (PIT): Solid piked jaeger. Hit the handstand on the bail. Good finishing position on the giant full and takes a small step with one foot on the double back dismount. 9.7
Knower (UNC): Big full but is too forward on the landing and bounces forward. 9.6
Pawlak (PIT): Very clean on the Maloney to clear hip to bail. Sticks the double layout with an arm swing. 9.8
Forbes (UNC): Almost sticks her 1.5. That was one of her best this season. Under rotates the vault slightly and has to shuffle her feet back. 9.8
Copperwheat (PIT):Very high jaeger. Some feet. Good bail position. Stuck the FTDT dismount. 9.9
Dekanoidze (UNC): Great full with a small hop back. Slight leg separation on the table. Patiently waiting for that to be upgraded back to the 1.5. 9.875
Hutchison (PIT): Good jeager, but loose on the shootover that causes her to brush her feet on the mat. Stuck the dismount. 9.6
After 2: North Carolina 98.075, Pittsburgh 97.675
North Carolina was very close to having a great vault rotation there, but remains on pace for a 196, but there is little room for error. Pittsburgh had a couple of routines on bars that the Panthers would want back, but Copperwheat’s 9.9 will help soften the blow.
Rotation 3: Pittsburgh beam, North Carolina floor
Ewing (PIT): Strong full turn to start. Hesitation at the end of that front aerial. Repeats to do the bhs out of it. Side aerial with a leg up balance check. Switch with a pause before the switch half. Stuck the gainer full. Very nervy throughout. 9.575
Nam (UNC): Big double pike to open. Flexed feet, but controlled the lunge. Wolf 1.5 is around. Strange rotation in the switch half to wolf full. I think the wolf full was over. Controlled the back 1.5 to front full. Some legs. 9.825
Jakab (PIT): Candle mount to open. Small check on the loso series. A little short of split on the switch to split jump. Waiver after the side aerial, but still tried to connect to the split jump. Small step forward on the gainer pike dismount. 9.475
Greene (UNC): Controlled the double pike to open. Made it around on her jump series. Solid back 1.5 to front layout. Low chest on the double tuck to end and had to step forward. 9.725
Weiss (PIT): Solid loso series. Great on the switch to straddle quarter. Long pause after the cat leap before the front aerial to beat jump. Hop back on the gainer pike dismount. 9.65
Greenlow (UNC): Controlled the lunge on her opening double pike. Front tuck to back 2.5 with a little lack of control at the end. Around on the leaps. Great landing on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.85
Cleveland (PIT): Small break at the hips during the loso series. Strong dance combo. Big leg up break on the side aerial. A large step back on the punch front tuck full dismount. Pittsburgh is having a rough go on beam so far. 9.45
Forbes (UNC): Big full in to open with a controlled lunge. Small leg separation on the second flip. Underrotates the front layout in the back 1.5 to front layout series and takes a step back. Strong leaps. The front foot slides back a little on the landing of the double tuck. 9.825
Garvey (PIT): 2 switch split jumps to pike jump is solid. Shoulder dip at the end of the loso series. Very solid front tuck to beat jump. Small step forward on the gainer pike dismount. 9.75
Knower (UNC): Holds on to the two foot stick on the double pike. Very big front full to front layout. The step out might have been a little too big. Around on the leaps with great amplitude. Great control on the double tuck at the end. 9.9
Copperwheat (PIT): Very solid switch to split jump. Clean on the side somi. Some feet. Aggressive on the loso series. Great on the double turn to beat jump. Small hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. Great routine. 9.85
Wozniak (UNC): Good control on the back 1.5 to front layout. Squeaking out the jump rotations. Undercooks the double tuck and takes a step forward. 9.725
Duke (PIT): exhibition: Walks back out of the loso series. A little off on the side aerial but works into the split jump. Great jump combo. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. That one likely would have counted in this lineup.
After 3: North Carolina 147.200, Pittsburgh 145.975
The Panthers had a bit of a balance situation there and could not be saved by the back couple of gymnasts in the lineup. North Carolina had one of its stronger floor rotations that sets the Tar Heels up for a 196 road score with a strong beam rotation.
Rotation 4: North Carolina beam, Pittsburgh floor
Nam (UNC): Solid loso series. The back leg might be a little low on the switch leap before the straddle quarter. A little under on the side aerial and raises the back leg. Small hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.75
Winder (PIT): Very high ro double pike and controlled the lunge. Great amplitude on the front layout front full front tuck. Great control on the ro double tuck to end. Great routine. 9.85
Fink (UNC): Might have been shy of split in the switch to switch to split jump. Under on the loso in the series and has a large check. Tentative full turn. Small step on the front aerial. Small hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.625
Hutchison (PIT): Just stays in on the step out from the front double full. Slightly under in rotation on the second leap in her combo. Rises on the second salto in the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.8
Thompson (UNC): Solid on the bhs bhs loso series. Small check on the switch to straddle quarter. Some knees. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.75
Ewing (PIT): High double tuck to open and jumps into the lunge position. A little archy on the layout on the back 1.5 to front layout. Good switch half to wolf full. Low chest on the double pike and steps forward to the lunge. 9.75
Culton (UNC): Fall on the loso series. Solid cat leap to side aerial. Strong front aerial to split jump. Balance check on the full turn. Stuck the gainer full. That is a routine the Tar Heels would want to get back. 9.15
Copperwheat (PIT): Front tuck to double pike. Had to whip the double pike around. Slight slide of the front foot. A little out of control on the leaps. Under on the double tuck and took a couple of steps forward. 9.725
Knower (UNC): Solid loso series. Very high front toss and solid landing. Slight check on the split 3/4s after the switch leap. Almost sticks the back 1.5, but takes a small step to the side. 9.8
Washington (PIT): Loss of control on the double pike, but stays in bounds. High leaps. Great front layout to front full and controls the step into her kicking her teammates. Good control on the double tuck to end. 9.8
Schulze (UNC): Solid split to split full. Good control on the landing of the loso series. Hits the switch to wolf jump. Clean full turn. Undercooks the back 1.5 after the side aerial and takes multiple steps to the side. It was so close to a strong routine. 9.575
Ward (PIT): High front full to front layout. Good position on the switch ring to switch half to wolf 1.5. Out of control on the Rudi to end and bounces back. She stays in bounds though. 9.775
FINAL: North Carolina 195.700, Pittsburgh 194.950
Pittsburgh will be happy to bounce back from the beam rotation with a strong floor rotation, but the meet did not go how the Panthers would have hoped. North Carolina was on pace through three rotations to get a second 196 on the road before the NQS rankings open on Monday, but a shaky beam rotation hindered that.
VT: Dekanoidze 9.875
UB: Dekanoidze 9.925
BB: Copperwheat 9.85
FX: Knower 9.9
AA: Copperwheat 39.25
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
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