Bowling Green is on the road today in Morgantown, looking to replicate their successes from Senior Night last weekend. The Falcons are still on the hunt for an event score over 49.000, and have been showing floor consistency in February that can break that barrier this afternoon. West Virginia has shown 49.000’s on three events over the first half of the season, but will need to boost 9.700-range routines on bars into the 9.800’s in order to achieve four 49.000’s in one meet.
The Mountaineers’ floor core remains a strong one, currently 24th in the country. In just the first week of NQS scoring, they lay claim to three over 9.800 – Kiana Lewis, Abbie Pierson, and Emily Holmes-Hackerd. Expect all arounder Kianna Yancey to join that list soon, with one more floor routine needed.
The Falcons have four potential answers to Yancey in the all around, rotating between Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso, Katrina Mendez Abolnik, Taylor Jensen, and Kathryn Weilbacher. Their not-so-secret weapon Isabella Rivelli comes into today’s dual meet as the top bar worker, having already notched herself 9.900’s at each home meet so far.
Today’s out of conference matchup will be streamed on ESPN+, with live scoring through StatsBroadcast.
Rotation One: West Virginia VT, Bowling Green UB
Yancey (WVU): A little high onto the table, but gets a great block out of it and then takes a small hop back out of her FTY. 9.850.
Bingham (BGSU): starts with a huge Tkatchev, and then shootover. great handstands going into her giants but has different body shapes in each salto in her stuck double layout. 9.675.
Irwin (WVU): slight knee bend, but does a great job maintaining an open hip angle on her Y 1/2. Tiniest of hops forwards. 9.825.
Harsch (BGSU): great first handstand, into a blind half and a straddle Jaeger. rushes a bit on her bail to handstand, but brings it up nicely to the high bar again. rushed blind full and doesn’t get loads of height on her double tuck — has to lunge forward to save it. 9.250.
Lewis (WVU): into the rafters on her Y full, has to pike down and hop. the behind-the-vault angle does her pre-flight huge justice, highlighting how straight her elbows are while blocking. 9.800.
Jensen (BGSU): opens with a free hip to Tkatchev to shootover combo, small leg separation on the shootover. not shy on her handstands at all, and cranks into her double layout. 9.650.
Pierson (WVU): not the block she’s used to getting but maintains great shape in the air on her FTY. near stick. 9.850.
Weilbacher (BGSU): redoes her initial kip handstand, and puts it to a great Tkatchev. leg separation in her Pak but keeps the momentum. BIG toe handstand into her FTDT. 9.550.
Wehry (WVU): big fhs front pike half! the twist carries her a bit sideways but very clean in the air. 9.875.
Bornhorn (BGSU): Long conference before being given the go ahead. Starts with a blind half to Jaeger shootover combination, checks off the low bar quickly. Finishes with a blind full to double tuck, but puts a giant in between the two and will lose bonus. 9.550.
Collins (WVU): Y half, pikes a tad in the post flight and lunges forwards to save it. 9.650.
Rivelli (BGSU): Another longer-than-usual wait time. Blind half to a high Jaeger and shootover, legs glued. Handstands come naturally to Rivelli, and the carries them through to her stuck double layout with her chest up. Big redemption routine. 9.825.
AFTER ONE: West Virginia 49.200, Bowling Green 48.250.
Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso is out today, forcing the Falcons to push their depth on all four events. Big judging differences at bars started off the meet today, and as we move to rotation two we’ll be keeping an eye on judging splits. For the Mountaineers, a steady vault rotation with career highs for Wehry and Yancey has given them a sizeable buffer going to bars.
Rotation Two: Bowling Green VT, West Virginia UB
Bingham (BGSU): Low on her FTY, lands with a deep bend and chest down after twisting off the table. 9.625.
Yancey (WVU): Starts with a Pak, toe handstand, to Van Leeuwen! Finishes off with some giants to a double layout — small hop. Very efficient routine. 9.775.
Harsch (BGSU): Gets height but rotates slow, major pike down. 9.775.
Combs (WVU): Maloney to Pak with some leg separation. Pirouettes right over the bar, and is NOT handstand shy at all. Blind full to double tuck with no issues. 9.775.
Goldstrom (BGSU): Doesn’t get much distance, and nearly clips the vault in the post flight of her FTY. 9.525.
Leigh (WVU): giant, blind half, straddle Jaeger. textbook Pak, then back up to continue her handstand masterclass. Steps forward out of her DLO, but overall great routine. 9.750.
Weilbacher (BGSU): First steady FTY for the Falcons today, small hop. 9.775.
Smith (WVU): free hip to handstand, into a Tkatchev but peels off. Shootover right to handstand, and then back up to the high bar. Big double layout, but not without a hop. 8.950.
Jensen (BGSU): Stuck FTY! Keeps it right in the middle of the lines as well. 9.900, good for a career high.
Alban (WVU): starts with a Deltchev right out of her kip handstand, then gets into a free hip to shootover. very clean swing, and floats her giants into a stuck double layout. 9.850.
Mendez Abolnik (BGSU): Near-stuck FTY, opting to not do the 1.5 today. 9.850.
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Shy on her first handstand, but takes it to her piked Jaeger with no issues. Low shootover, but back up for her blind full to double tuck. Only a small step forwards. 9.600, then changed to 9.725.
AFTER TWO: West Virginia 98.075, Bowling Green 97.175
After both teams facing today’s bars judges, we have a clearer picture. Bowling Green is chipping at West Virginia’s lead thanks to the back end of their vault lineup, but not enough to rival the Mountaineers’ deep vaulters that started off the meet. The Falcons will need to kick into high gear to find floor stamina, while our home team will need to stay on beam before finishing on their most comfortable event.
For anyone following along for the storyline of the bars judges, they’ve changed 25% of today’s final scores after being posted.
Rotation Three: West Virginia BB, Bowling Green FX
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): cat leap, front aerial to back tuck series without any issues to start off. switch leap to a second back tuck for good measure. Gainer full off the side, with a step but keeps it within shoulder width. 9.775.
Lawrence (BGSU): solid front layout to Rudi, lands with her chest up. switch side to Popa both rotated precisely. Closes with a double tuck, and a small step. 9.775.
Pierson (WVU): standing front tuck, bhs! standing pike to straddle, and straddle 1/4 as her mixed series. no shoulder movement landing it. roundoff tucked 1.5 to finish, steps forward. 9.775.
Coburn (BGSU): taking her time before her first pass — double pike with a big lunge backwards. switch side to Popa to the corner. fhs front full to a low front tuck and puts her hands down. Finishes with a double tuck to her feet. 9.025.
Yancey (WVU): bhs loso loso to start, very calm. split to straddle 1/4 with a small check. stuck roundoff 1.5! 9.850.
Harsch (BGSU): hops to lunge forwards out of her opening 2.5 twist. VERY floaty front full front pike as a second pass, and then almost right away into her roundoff 1.5 front lay. Great routine, and I’m not just saying that because Paint it Black was also my floor music in high school. 9.800.
Combs (WVU): Front aerial to back tuck, small check. gets great lift on her switch side, and then again on her pike jump. Finishes with a stuck front tuck full dismount, and opens the tuck at the right time to spot it. 9.775.
Mendez Abolnik (BGSU): Double pike, stuck cold but adds the lunge for performance. Tons of height on her jumps too. Front layout to front full, steps forwards but not in the same controlled way as her first pass. Finishes with a low double tuck, lunging forwards but saving it. 9.750.
Leigh (WVU): front aerial to bhs, small pause but likely will be a tempo instead of a connection break. straddle half hits 180 degrees, as does her switch half. cartwheel gainer full off the side, hops back. 9.750.
Weilbacher (BGSU): opens with a front tuck through to double tuck, chest up on the landing. Having fun interacting with her teammates, and brings that energy into her switch half and two Popas. Closes it out with a double pike, chest down but stands it up quickly. 9.875.
Handono (WVU): bhs loso with slight knee bends. front toss to split jump with loads of height. check on her switch split to split 1/4, low back leg on both. Dismounts with a roundoff tucked 1.5, big step sideways off the mat. 9.525.
Jensen (BGSU): Stumbles backwards to save her fhs front double twist. Switch side to two Popas and each gets higher than the last. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5 front layout, no landing troubles. 9.850.
AFTER THREE: West Virginia 147.000, Bowling Green 146.225.
A solid third rotation for both teams, who will look to carry their momentum into their last event. Bowling Green reached their first event total over 49 of the afternoon to show improvement after bars and vault, though it won’t be enough to overtake West Virginia — the Mountaineers have not yet gone below 48.875 between their first three rotations, and will finish on their historically strongest event.
Rotation Four: Bowling Green BB, West Virginia FX
Castiglia (BGSU): Opens with a front toss to bhs, and then does a front toss piked on its own. Maintains great tempo in her triple jump series. Finishes with a punch front layout full, near stick. 9.775.
Lewis (WVU): Fhs Rudi loso to start, a tad low on the loso. Switch full to split full are both high and rotated precisely. Taking her time before her second pass, and engaging with her team. Plenty of height on her double tuck, completed with the controlled lunge. 9.900.
Brzoska (BGSU): Bhs loso with no landing problems. Hesitates in her jump combination, but moves on. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5, opens up early and takes a small step. 9.550.
Yancey (WVU): Double pike that goes out of the frame for her first pass, and then fluidly into her switch ring and toure jete 1/2. Effortless roundoff 1.5 to barani and a stag jump for good measure. Closing it off with a double tuck, small bounce back into her lunge. 9.925. Career high on floor and all around this afternoon.
Ross (BGSU): Long pause setting up the series, then a flawless bhs loso. Beautiful mixed series after, aerial to sissone. Double stag jump after, fluid landing after the head release. Small step landing her bhs 1.5 dismount. 9.650.
Pierson (WVU): Double layout to open, absorbs the landing with her lunge back. Switch side, Popa, wolf full to the corner, then takes her time before her second pass. Fhs front layout front full to finish it off, good amplitude on her set before twisting the full. 9.900.
Bingham (BGSU): attacks her bhs loso, and cat leap to aerial. beat jump to split 3/4, back leg a tad low. College sticks her roundoff 1.5. 9.825.
Combs (WVU): Front tuck through to double pike, solid landing. Switch side to wolf full to Popa, each of the three goes higher, great stall before hitting each shape. Finishes with a double tuck, in that caliber of “done so cleanly you forget it’s still hard”. 9.900.
Jensen (BGSU): Fluid bhs loso, and then gets great lift on her split and straddle 3/4 in connection. Equally fluid side aerial. Bhs 1.5 dismount, small hop forwards. 9.850.
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): Fhs Rudi two foot layout to straddle, great job at keeping the layout not appear whippy and travelled. Huge height again on her leap series. Closes with a double pike, slides into the backwards lunge. 9.950.
Weilbacher (BGSU): slight bent knees but no landing issues on her bhs loso. Checks and ultimately falls on her front toss. Dismounts with a stuck gainer pike off the end. 8.975.
Collins (WVU): Floaty Rudi to loso for her first pass. Switch full to wolf full into the corner, and connecting with her teammates waiting for her there. Stuck double tuck to close off the rotation, keeping her front foot GLUED while lunging back.
FINAL: West Virginia 196.575, Bowling Green 194.800.
West Virginia finishes today’s home meet tying their score from last week’s road meet, and still has room to improve on their hunt for a 197. Bowling Green’s bars troubles set them out of the team title contention early, but rebounded in the back half of the meet for their highest road score of the season by over a point.
The Mountaineers will travel to Norman to face Oklahoma on February 24th, while the Falcons will be on the road that same day for George Washington’s quint meet.
VT Winner: Jensen, 9.900
UB Winner: Alban, 9.850
BB Winner: Yancey, 9.850
FX Winner: Holmes-Hackerd, 9.950
AA Winner: Yancey, 39.400
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Live Blog by Peri Goodman
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