I mean, just look at those rankings. Michigan is probably (probably) going to run away with this one, but the ordering in the middle of this session could go literally any direction. You have to like Maryland, which has been really hot lately, but Iowa has the highest ceiling this year while Illinois has a ceiling that we haven’t really seen yet this year, so who knows what could happen if the Illini get hot. Penn State might look a step behind based on rankings, but the Nittany Lions have peak scores in the mid-196.000 range that are very competitive with hit meets from every other team here except Michigan.
Don’t forget that seeding—and session assignment—at the Big Ten Championships is determined by head to head within the conference, not by NQS. Figuring that out is way above my pay grade, so just go ahead and follow managing editor Emily Minehart on Twitter, because she actually keeps track of the standings and will update you once we know something concrete.
Rotation 1: Michigan VT, Maryland UB, Illinois BB, Penn State FX
LeBlanc (UMD): Pike Jaeger, flexed feet, to nice steady overshoot. Slightly sketchy cast handstand, DLO with a hop back. 9.8
Wojcik (UM): Big leg sep on the table on her one and a half, medium-large hop forward. 9.825
Knight (UIUC): Candle mount with pretty invert work, switch to split steady. Side aerial BHS is pretty! Side somi, full turn, really tidy so far. Gainer full off the side with a tiny scoot back. 9.875, awesome1
Gatzendorfer (UMD): Toe on to Maloney, a little soft in the backswing, to whippy Pak with leg sep. Stalder double back DRILLED. 9.775
Wilson (UM): One and a half, comes in a bit short with two huge steps back. Very much could have sat that. 9.5
Morrison (UM): Twisting way onto the table and sits her one and a half. Odd day. 9.225
Rushlow (PSU): Double tuck, a little scooty. Mistimes a tour jete half, not sure that’ll be creditable since she was so short, to underrotated wolf full. One and a half front lay, has to yank that around. Rudi, overcooked with a big step back. Just not her routine. 9.575
Brooks (UM): Undercooked one and a half, big step back. WHAT IS GOING ON 9.75
Mueller (UIUC): Full turn, BHS LOSO with a touch of form but solid control. Switch, check. I wonder if she wanted a connection there. Switch straddle quarter, there we go. Beat jump to kickover front steady. One and a half stuck. Nice.
Piedrahita (PSU): Pretty double pike, just a touch of scoot back. One and a half front lay, so airy, switch half wolf full. Nice double back. 9.85
Heiskell (UM): One and a half, good, medium hop forward. First really good one. 9.925
Townes (UIUC): Switch to straddle quarter, a touch unsteady but no check. Cat leap kickover front with a small check. BHS LOSO super solid, full turn, tucked one and a half twist with an arm swing but held her feet. 9.725
Vihrova (PSU): Full in, that’s new! Chest a bit low but hops to lunge just fine. Switch ring half to tour jete half wolf full is chaotic throughout with some sketchy positions. Front lay front full is nice.
Nataraj (UIUC): BHS LOSO, pretty form, small adjustment. Switch to straddle quarter, front aerial, full turn. Lots of style, lots of energy. One and a half twist, a touch lock-legged with a tiny adjustment forward. 9.875
Morgan (UM): HELLO????? FTY, slightly soft knees but almost stuck. 9.9
Tsiknias (UMD): Blind to Jaeger, straight body and so airy, nice bail. DLO with a hop back. Pretty! 9.85
Takekawa (UIUC): Side aerial BHS, lovely, switch to straddle quarter, drilled the gainer full dismount. Awesome. 9.9
After 1: Illinois 49.350, Penn State 48.950, Michigan 48.900, Maryland 48.900
Just as we all predicted. I’m going to score that a solid oopsie out of 50 for Michigan.
Rotation 2: Penn State VT, Michigan UB, Maryland BB, Iowa FX
Silberman (UMD): Full turn solid. BHS BHS LOSO, soft knees and a check. Switch to straddle quarter. Why does everyone at this meet do that combo? One and a half twist, big hop forward. 9.625
Heiskell (UM): Blind to Jaeger, CLOSE with super soft elbows. Solid Pak, maybe a touch short on that last cast handstand, blind full double back. 9.825
Vihrova (PSU): Nice Omeli with a hop forward.
Koulos (UM): Cast handstands looking sketchy, Jaeger a little close, okay bail. Double lay, leg sep but stuck. 9.825
Libby (Iowa): Front double full, solid. One and a half front lay is really solid. Switch ring switch half OK, I wasn’t super convinced by that ring position, solid Rudi. 9.875
Johnston (PSU): FTY, piked down but stuck. 9.85
Wilson (UM): Blind to pike Jaeger, some feet throughout, solid bail. Missed a cast handstand. Double layout, looked a little deep but stuck. 9.9
Munoz (Iowa): Goooorgeous double lay. Front through double back, bounce but we think she’s in bounds. 9.825
Bauman (UM): Blind to Jaeger, the turnover is just magnificent, to overshoot. Blind to double front stuck with feet a little staggered. 9.95!!
Brooks (UM): Blind, late, to pike Jaeger. Toe on to bail, a touch to the side but judges can’t see that. FTDLO with a medium hop back. 9.85
Salcedo (PSU): The most dynamic Omeli ever, medium hop forward. I just adore that vault. 9.85
Wojcik (UM): Toe to Deltchev, gorgeous, to overshoot. Missed a handstand, DLO with a hop back. 9.85
Piedrahita (PSU): Nice Omeli, clean and pretty, tiny scoot. Love. 9.95!!
Kenlin (Iowa): Nice front double full, a little long on the step out. Switch to switch ring full. Steady combo pass. Looking good.
McClure (UMD): Pretty full turn, front aerial with a check. Gotta try it again…. maybe later. Switch straddle quarter. Cat leap kickover front, check. Front aerial, big check. Welp. We do not have an acro series. Step-in Rudi with a hop. Oopsie. 9.075, don’t like that.
Henderson (Iowa): Full in, majorly overrotated, bounced back about a yard. Switch side Popa is nice. Front through double back, stuck. Nice. Giggling in her ending pose. 9.925
Komoroski (UMD): One-arm BHS into LOSO is SO clean. This rotation has been a mess so getting a hit would be super impressive. Front aerial, tiny adjustment. Switch to split. Beat to sheep, nice, full turn. One and a half, hop forward. That was very nice to watch. 9.825
Kogler (UMD): Switch straddle quarter. BHS BHS LOSO, steady. Front walkover, nice switch to split, full turn. Looking good. Gainer full with a hop in place. 9.9
After 2: Michigan 98.275, Penn State 98.275, Maryland 96.200, Iowa 49.400, Illinois 49.350
Maryland’s taken itself out of this, unfortunately.
Rotation 3: Iowa VT, Penn State UB, Michigan BB, Illinois FX
Bauman (UM): Nice acro series, cat leap to switch half to beat. Pretty and steady. Side somi nailed. Gainer pike, step. 9.875
Masella (Iowa): FTY stuck DEAD. So satisfying. 9.9
Wilson (UM): BHS LOSO, nice and high. Standing switch x2, splits not great, full turn. Double tuck with a foot shuffle. 9.9
Johnston (PSU): Shapey Maloney to solid bail. Blind full, archy back, to double back stuck.
LaPlante (Iowa): FTY looks nice, medium hop back. 9.825
Koulos (UM): BHS LOSO, fall. Arabesque full turn, split to straddle 3/4, front aerial, one and a half twist with a cross step back. 9.35
Vihrova (PSU): Blind to Jaeger, loses a TOUCH of form as the catch, good bail. Missed a handstand, blind full double back with a baby step back.
Zuhlke (Iowa): Zuhlke, obvi. Nearly stuck and fabulous. 9.9!
Brooks (UM): BHS LOSO great. Switch switch with soft back knees, check on a full turn. Kickover front. Back 2/1, stuck but a touch underrotated. 9.8
Munoz (Iowa): Huge straight FTY, absolutely stuck. Just fabulous. 9.9
Nataraj (UIUC): Full in, great control. Switch ring switch half, nice control on front lay front full. Nice.
Piedrahita (PSU): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, pretty. Half turn o the low bar is a little soft, FTDB stuck. 9.825 boooo
Heiskell (UM): Cat leap side aerial, nice. Pretty switch switch. BHS LOSO, lean. One and a half twist stuck. 9.95 nice
Henderson (Iowa): One and a half, significantly overcooked with a big hop forward. 9.75
Wojcik (UM): Front aerial to beat. Triple series, great, one and a half twist with a medium hop back.
Rushlow (PSU): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, great extension. FTDB high and clean with toe point for days and DRILLED.
Townes (UIUC): Front double twist, step to the side, toe on the line but not over. One and a half front full is gorgeous.
After 3: Michigan 147.725, Penn State 147.275, Iowa 98.675, Illinois 98.625, Maryland 96.200
Michigan much closer to the lead than before, but Iowa and Illinois are still very much in this meet. In fact, Maryland is really the only team out of the picture right now.
Rotation 4: Illinois VT, Iowa UB, Penn State BB, Maryland FX
Mueller (UIUC): Pikey FTY, hops back about a foot. 9.85
Piedrahita (PSU): BHS LOSO, big check but hangs on. Cat leap side aerial, switch tuck 3/4 is nice, one and a half twist stuck.
Zuhlke (Iowa): Nice Hindorff, Pak a little dumpy with some form. Blind full, a little wild, to double back stuck.
Waight (UIUC): Yurchenko half, also kind of pikey, hop froward. 9.875
Johanson (PSU): Side aerial, check. Cat leap switch side is nice. One and a half twist, hop forward.
Masella (Iowa): Blind to pike Jaeger, some loose feet, nice bail. Short on a handstand, DLO stuck-ish on her toes.
Green (FTY): Big FTY, large step back and some pike down. 9.75
Salcedo (PSU): BHS LOSO, high with gorgeous form. Standing front full, pretty pretty leaps with a check, solid dismount.
FitzGibbon (UIUC): Leg sep onto the table and a bit of pike in her FTY, almost stuck.
Gibble (PSU): Front aerial, little check. Full turn. BHS LOSO, touch of form but really solid. Cat leap switch side with lovely position, beat to ring jump, one and a half twist with a pace forward. Really good.
Silberman (UMD): First we’ve seen of UMD. I think that was a one and a half Barani but we cut to it really sorry. Straddle leaps a little low, front double full a little bouncy.
Townes (UIUC): Soft on the table on her one and a half, a bit of knees, hop back.
Rushlow (PSU): Beat to split 3/4, a little off kilter, BHS LOSO great. Side aerial nice. One and a half twist stuck WOW. Not a ton to complain about there. 9.85 is anti-fun.
Rothenbuescher (UMD): Whip double back, nice! Maybe a front foot shift. Switch side Popa. Double pike, looks a little startled by the landing.
Nataraj (UIUC): Flat on the table on her one and a half and just sat.
I missed a few routines here due to stream nonsense, but I think we got the gist of this rotation.
After 4: Penn State 196.100, Michigan 147.725, Illinois 147.700, Iowa 147.600, Maryland 145.400
Look at those scores. This could be such a nailbiter, or alternatively Michigan could be normal and just stroll away. Either way.
Rotation 5: Maryland VT, Illinois UB, Iowa BB, Michigan FX
Koulos (UM): Two and a half punch front, bouncy but in bounds on the landing. Switch half wolf full, nice double pike.
Borden (UIUC): Hop change to Jaeger, it’s SUPER sideways, to overshoot. Rudi dismount stuck.
Mueller (UIUC): Blind to Jaeger, a little off but works through, bail kinda wonky. Keeps it moving. DLO short and deep, step forward. 9.65
Henderson (Iowa): BHS LOSO nice! Lots of airtime. Switch straddle quarter, both short of splits. Double tuck, hop back.
Wojcik (UM): Tour jete something, super indistinct rotation. One and a half front lay good, maybe a little much forward travel. Tour jete half split full is nice. Steady double pike.
Mizuki (UIUC): Blind to pike Jaeger, so high and lovely. Bail caught a little piked, blind full double back, pace back.
Morrison (UM): Half in half out, pretty overcooked and stumbles back. She could have sat that, super awkward. Nice front lay front full. Double pike under, big step forward.
O’Donnell (UIUC): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, really good lines, blind full with a little foot wiggle to double tuck, tiny step.
Weir (UMD): FTY, decent amplitude and just a touch of pike, hop back.
Brooks (UM): Full in, large step back, CLOSE to the line but Karas thinks she’s OK. Tour jete half split full. Great front through double tuck.
Kenlin (Iowa): BHS LOSO LOSO, check. Upgrade for her. Front aerial is pretty. Solid dismount.
Silberman (UMD): Full on pike off, landed dead upright with a hop back.
Wilson (UM): Full out, chest a little low but hops to lunge OK. Front lay front full, long and quick step forward. Switch side Popa, underrotated, flexed feet. Double tuck, overcooked with front foot drag.
FINAL: Michigan 197.100, Iowa 196.975, Illinois 196.825 Penn State 196.100, Maryland 194.475
Michigan squeaked that one out, but Iowa and Illinois are the stories of the day, keeping it tight while the Wolverines fumbled. Also, this meet always turns my brain to absolute mush. That was fun, let’s all go to bed now.
VT: Ava Piedrahita 9.950
UB: Carly Bauman 9.950
BB: Abby Heiskell 9.950
FX: Sierra Brooks, JerQuavia Henderson 9.925
AA: Natalie Wojcik 39.500
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Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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