Merry corn day, folks.
If you’re new here, yes, this meet is really called that. Every sport that these two teams both sponsor faces off once a year, and the total head-to-head is calculated. Talk about a rivalry.
Unfortunately, Iowa State got off to such a hot start this year that it’s already won the series even with two sports (gymnastics and softball) still to go. This meet is essentially a dead rubber. Still, if heavily-favored Iowa can win today, it’ll be good for the Hawkeyes’ dignity.
Also I guess there are probably gymnastics ranking consequences. Whatever.
Rotation 1: Iowa VT, Iowa State FX
Missed a couple routines because this meet started RIGHT on time and BTN+ didn’t want to start the stream…
Basuel (ISU): Blind to Jaeger, a big close, slightly arched a handstand. Double layout, underrotated with a hop.
Zuhlke (Iowa): Zuhlke with a medium hop back.
Ford (ISU): Shy on her first handstand, true Shap to bail pretty loose and didn’t make the handstand. Missed the last cast handstand, double layout shapey with a hop forward. 9.775 what
Munoz (Iowa): FTY, big and clean, major hop back. 9.825
Horowitz (ISU): Blind to Jaeger, pretty but close, toe on to bail arched a little. Double layout, looked like she had it for a second but had to take a step back. 9.75
Zivat (Iowa): Tsuk full, a little leg form approaching the mat as usual, small hop back and then has to hop back forward to salute.
Loyim (ISU): Blind, arched a touch, to pike Jaeger with a slightly loose catch. Nice Pak, maybe a touch low, awkward half pirouette on the low bar. Double layout with a low chest and a hop. Her handstands are made in the sense that her feet are above her head but the body line is always a touch off. 9.75
Henderson (Iowa): Huge FTY, major hop back. 9.8
Cooke (ISU): True Shap to Pak, wow, super clean. Maybe a touch late on her half pirouette, double layout with a tiny hop. 9.825, could definitely have gone higher if the lineup before her had given her some momentum.
Eleven-minute rotation, what was that?
Avery Chambers threw a one and a half on vault for Iowa ex but sat it. Morgan Engels did an okay ex for Iowa State, didn’t look quite as clean as the others.
After 1: Iowa 49.025, Iowa State 48.825
Not the tightest rotation on either side, but a solid way to get started.
Rotation 2: Iowa State VT, Iowa UB
Palacios (ISU): FTY, piked down substantially with a hop to the side. 9.675
Zuhlke (Iowa): Hindorff, not sure about that handstand, nice Pak to half pirouette. Blind full is a bit late to double back, small hop back. 9.75
Boychuk (ISU): High clean FTY, pikes down with a medium hop. She did not need that pike down, she had a ton of airtime. 9.75
Masella (Iowa): Missed the first handstand, close catch on her pike Jaeger. Nice bail, double layout stuck. 9.825, that stick helped a lot because there were issues earlier on.
Bergstrom (Iowa State): Nice pretty FTY, small hop back. Much more open hips than her teammates so far. 9.825
Rojas (Iowa): Toe to Gienger, a touch loose-legged on the catch, fights for a cast handstand. Bail is OK, FTDB a little low but stuck.
Parker (ISU): FTY, a touch short but stuck and MILKS that landing position for several seconds before clapping and then turning to salute. So satisfying. 9.75
Henderson (Iowa): Toe on to Maloney, loses form on the backswing, some leg split on the bail. Foot form throughout. FTDB with a little hop back. 9.85………………
Hong (ISU): Some leg sep in her FTY, way short with a big hop forward. 9.425
Munoz (Iowa): Pike Jaeger, caught medium close, nice bail. Clear hip to double lay, a touch low but stuck. Nice one. 9.85
Diab (ISU): Tsuk, MISSES HER SECOND HAND?!?, gets her feet down and runs out safely
Kenlin (ISU): Maloney to Pak, nice, misses a handstand badly. Blind full, super late, to double back stuck.
Really pretty bars ex from Kaia Vanney for Iowa.
After 2: Iowa 98.125, Iowa State 97.250
Mini-disaster there on vault for ISU. That’ll be hard to overcome.
Rotation 3: Iowa BB, Iowa State FX
Henderson (Iowa): Full turn, solid. BHS LOSO looks a little off but is actually fine. Switch straddle quarter. Double back dismount with a medium hop back. 9.825
Boychuk (ISU): Solid double pike. One and a half, touch of form that judges may not have even seen, solid landing. Switch half Popa. Double back, chest down. 9.75
Zuhlke (Iowa): BHS BHS LOSO, flexed feet but otherwise clean. Switch to split 3/4 is nice. Cartwheel gainer full, scoot back. 9.875
Cooke (ISU): Front double full, deep and a step OOB. Double L turn, solid, one and a half front full chaotic with a stumble back. Probably three steps there. 9.65
Ebeling (Iowa): BHS LOSO, leg up check and falls. Full turn, split to ring jump with no head release to beat. Front aerial. Gainer pike, pretty and stuck. 9.825
Palacios (ISU): Switch side half! Front through double back, looks a touch short, takes a small step back. Switch side split full, her leaps are so interesting. Double pike, overrotated with a scoot back. 9.825
Nick (Iowa): Switch mount to split, very nice. BHS LOSO tentative with leg form. One and a half twist, hop back.
Loyim (ISU): Double layout, a little low and I think that step went OOB. One and a half front tuck, big jump forward. 9.575
Rojas (Iowa): FELL ON A FULL TURN AND THEN NAILED HER TRIPLE SERIES. She’s the person every gymnastics commentator is talking about. Gainer full stuck.
Maldonado (ISU): Front lay to Rudi, nailed! Really nice double pike, she’s thrilled. Tour jete half wolf full, not sure about that split. 9.825 feels stingy.
Kenlin (Iowa): Front aerial…. breaks the connection with a leg-up check. It looked fine! BHS LOSO, big check and falls. What in the world, she never does this. Switch split pretty. At least she got the full turn. Gainer full nice.
Diab (ISU): Front double full front lay, just lovely. Tour jete half Popa. Front lay front full stag GORGEOUS, you could never doubt for a second that she had that under control. Rudi LOSO. I didn’t see a whole ton there. 9.925
Munoz in the ex for Iowa.
After 3: Iowa State 146.225, Iowa 145.975
Very far from what Iowa wanted about that rotation. We’ll see if ISU’s lead can withstand home floor… not to mention beam.
Rotation 4: Iowa State BB, Iowa FX
Thomas (ISU): Oh hi, old friend! Kickover front… off. Repeats it to BHS, lovely. Full turn. Switch straddle quarter. One and a half stuck. 9.25
Castillo (Iowa): Nice front through double pike, very dainty landing. Switch side half to straddle to Shushunova. If you’re a straddle girlie you should show it off. Great double back. 9.875
Boychuk (ISU): Wolf turn, lean forward. Cat leap switch half a little short of split but confidently made. BHS LOSO, leg form and falls. Well. Side somi, gainer full stuck.
Libby (Iowa): Front double full, a touch overturned, no drama. One and a half front lay, switch ring switch half. Nice Rudi. Very pretty. 9.825
Bergstrom (ISU): Cat leap kickover front BHS, very pretty. She has a flexible back and she uses it to present like crazy which I love. Switch half. One and a half twist stuck, nice. 9.825
Munoz (Iowa): Double lay, short with low chest and a shuffle landing. Nice tidy leaps. Front through double back, chest a little low again. 9.85
Maldonado (ISU): Kickover front great. BHS LOSO, a little awkward but gets it without an obvious check. Switch straddle forward nice. Full turn maybe a little tentative. Beat straddle 3/4, gainer full with a hop forward. 9.75
Zivat (Iowa): Front through double back, overrotated with a scoot back. Tour jete half split full awkward again, splits are 180 but not level, BIG lunge out. Rudi LOSO with some leg form in the air.
Horowitz (ISU): Kickover front, ehhhhhh, BHS. Not sure if she’s getting that connection, there was a substantial waver in the middle. Full turn nice. Cat leap side aerial. Orphan beat jump. Gainer full stuck. 9.375 they took the series.
Kenlin (Iowa): Front full….? Bailed out of her double full I guess. One and a half AWKWARD, barely stood that up. Badly short and fought for the front lay with a couple steps back. 9.3
Loyim (ISU): Switch switch side is aggressive, BHS LOSO nailed. Full turn. Front aerial to beat. Gainer full stuck. 9.775
Henderson (Iowa): Full in, big rebound back. Front through double back, another little scoot back. Solid but not her tidiest. 9.925 is a lil generous but on senior night I get it.
FINAL: Iowa 195.275, Iowa State 194.200
Well! That was a little bit of a nightmare, but we got through it. Props to Iowa State, especially Josie Bergstrom, for getting beam back under control after things had started to look really bad. Iowa also had a fun floor rotation, if not its very best, to get this meet back on track. The takeaway: Beam is the enemy.
VT: Karina Munoz, Josie Bergstrom 9.825
UB: Karina Munoz, JerQuavia Henderson 9.850
BB: Alison Zuhlke 9.875
FX: JerQuavia Henderson, Maddie Diab 9.925
AA: JerQuavia Henderson, 39.400
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Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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