With three conferences represented and a rematch of a Pac-12 dual in store in this quad meet, it should be an exciting one! California opens its postseason-mimicking double quad meet weekend by hosting Ohio State from the Big Ten, Stanford from the Pac-12, and Utah State from the MRGC.
The Golden Bears enter their home meet with plenty of positive momentum. The main goal for California tonight will be improving its NQS to improve its seeding for the postseason. It’s the only school currently in the top eight without a score in the 198s—after falling just a quarter tenth short a few weeks ago—with a score of that caliber also necessary to elevate its NQS. Freshman eMjae Frazier has been a huge reason why the Golden Bears are in the hunt for nationals this season, with her 10 on floor last weekend one of the highlights for this program in 2023.
Ohio State enters this evening in a similar spot—needing a big total to boost its NQS. The Buckeyes are jockeying for position amongst the last few seeds for regionals, as that will put them in the best place to pull off some upsets to make a run at a nationals appearance. They’ll be hoping for something in the mid-197s or higher tonight, a doable total. Elexis Edwards will give Frazier some competition on floor tonight, as she’s coming off a near-perfect 9.975 on floor in the second of Ohio State’s meets last weekend.
Considered a lock for regionals but mathematically unable to jump into the top 16 seeds this weekend, this quad meet is about picking up momentum for Stanford. Rookie Anna Roberts has given the Cardinal a lift this season as they’ve drastically improved from last season and are contenders to make noise this postseason. On the flip side, it’s been a rough year so far for Utah State, as it battles back from losing its head coach a significant chunk of its roster this offseason. With a team-high of 9.925 on beam last weekend, Brianna Brooks is the Aggie to keep an eye on.
Follow along with live scores and video! (California Live Stream)
Rotation 1: California Vault, Ohio State Bars, Utah State Beam, Stanford Floor
Li (Cal): FTY. Super clean form, flairs it out, tiny slide back. 9.850
Pritchard (OSU): Geinger to overshoot, giant full to double tuck, wonky landing, knees almost gave out into a step. 9.725
Harris (OSU): Slightly close on the Tkatchev, slightly short on the bail, nice giant full to stuck double tuck. 9.800
Williams (Cal): FTY. Clean in the air, less amplitude than Li but gets the stick. 9.875
Eagles (USU): Full turn, secure BHS LOSO, side aerial to split jump, some soft knees, dismounts RO 1.5, small hop. 9.825
Brown (Cal): FTY. Slight pike and a slide back. 9.825
DeSouza (Cal): Y1.5. Great block, better form that usual, squares nice and early for the stick! 9.900
Lauzon (Cal): Y1.5. Nearly identical to DeSouza but slides her left foot back slightly. Cal is going for these vaults today. 9.925
Frazier (Cal): DTY. Shoulder angle on the block, step back on the landing. 9.850
Neault (Stan): Opens with a double pike, chest a bit low, solid Rudi, switch leap to tour jete half ring, low front leg, RO 1.5 front layout, needed the layout to rise a bit more. 9.875
Miller (OSU): Toe on, Maloney to bail, leg separation on both, slightly short last handstand, college salutes out of the double layout. 9.725
Nguyen (Stan): Mounts with a big double layout, front foot slides back a tad in the lunge, easy leap pass, super quick tumbling, RO 2.5 front layout. 9.850
Last Utah State gymnast went down on her beam dismount. I believe Carly Bayles landed with locked legs.
Roberts (Stan): Begins with a good front layout to Rudi, switch half to straddle full, slightly overrotated, closes with a double pike, slight raise of the front foot. 9.875
Widner (Stan): Gets underway with a double layout, steps on the line but stays in bounds, piked down the second flip a bit, front tuck to double pike, low chest on the landing, switch leap to switch half to straddle full, hits all the positions. 9.900
After 1: California 49.400, Stanford 49.250, Ohio State 48.925, Utah State 48.425
Two promising starts for the Pac-12 programs! The Golden Bears will be happy with their start, going all-out on vault and earning one of their top three scores on the event this season. That’s been an iffy event for California at times, so that puts it in a great position with the early lead. Stanford is capable of more on floor, but with six hits and a solid second place standing so far, it can’t complain. Bars continues to be Ohio State’s least consistent event, with another sub-49 total tonight on an event where it can score in the mid-49s. Losing that potential puts the Buckeyes in a tough spot with plenty of room to make up. The injury to the Aggies was a huge momentum killer, but Dani Kirstine deserves a shoutout for getting up there after the pause and hitting her set to end the rotation.
Rotation 2: Stanford Vault, California Bars, Ohio State Beam, Utah State Floor
DeSouza (Cal): Blind change to piked Jaeger to overshoot, good fluidity, dismounts FTDT, close but sticks. 9.850
Neault (Stan): Yurchenko full-on pike. Chest down and a hop forward. 9.850
Frazier (Cal): Maloney to Pak, loses her back a bit in the Pak, dismounts double layout, stuck cold. 9.925
Widner (Stan): FTY. Clean in the air, slight pike down, hop. 9.725
Brooks (USU): Front layout to Rudi, stumbly landing, front layout front full, easy leap series to close. 9.675
Nguyen (Stan): DTY. Bent arms on the block, quick twist, chest forward and a step to the side. 9.850
Roberts (Stan): Y1.5. Good in the air, goes for the stick, small hop forward. 9.900
Li (Cal): Pak, a bit close, great Maloney half, giant full to stuck double tuck. 9.950
Jennings (OSU): Opens with a full turn, side aerial side aerial, clean leaps, cartwheel gainer full, sticks. 9.900
Williams (Cal): Maloney to Pak, easy, big step on the double layout dismount. 9.850
Vetter (OSU): BHS LOSO, slight lean, switch leap switch side, no issues, RO double full dismount, bent knees but sticks. 9.825
Warga (OSU): Gets going with a full turn, rushed it and covers a step with choreo, front aerial to BHS, had to fight for the connection, cat leap to switch half, secure front toss, gainer pike dismount is stuck. 9.850
Stuart (USU): RO whip half front full, bouncy landing, chest down double tuck second pass, switch leap to switch ring half, tentative in both, very short in the second leap. 9.700
Rotation 2: Stanford 49.200, California 49.550, Ohio State 49.275, Utah State 49.100
After 2: California 98.950, Stanford 98.450, Ohio State 98.200, Utah State 97.525
While they certainly left a few tenths on the table on their best event, the Golden Bears should be content with their bars total and lead at the halfway point of the quad. Their normal beam and floor should be enough to hold on in most scenarios. The Buckeyes got back on track with a hit beam lineup, but still have a steep hill to climb to catch the Cardinal. Stanford has put together some great bars and beam lineups this year, but also a few clunkers, so its destiny is in its hands. Utah State is picking up some momentum with a 49-plus score on floor to rebound from the tough opening rotation.
Rotation 3: Utah State Vault, Stanford Bars, California Beam, Ohio State Floor
DeSouza (Cal): Cat leap to front aerial, maybe a shoulder dip, BHS LOSO, secure, beat jump to sheep jump, Sissone, full turn, RO 1.5 dismount, small hop forward. 9.875
Neault (Stan): Maloney to Pak, a bit over in the half pirouette and short on the last handstand, toe on to double tuck, sticks. 9.900
Williams (Cal): Smooth double wolf turn, front aerial to split jump, slowish connection, BHS LOSO, switch leap to beat jump into choreo, BHS gainer full, pikes down but sticks. 9.900
Ostendorf (USU): FTY. Dynamic in the air and dials in for the stick! Slight pike down. 9.875
Li (Cal): Front aerial LOSO, full turn, a tad over, switch leap to split jump to beat jump, tucked gainer full, stuck out of the camera frame. 9.925
Widner (Stan): Tkatchev, giant full to bail, hits the handstands, dismounts double layout, arm circle but doesn’t move her feet. 9.925
Frazier (Cal): Full turn to start, front aerial to LOSO, solid, switch ring to split jump, great shapes, cartwheel 1.5 dismount, step forward. 9.825
Harris (OSU): Mounts with a massive double pike, tiny slide of the front foot in the lunge, good bouncy leap pass, FHS front double full stag jump, low in the jump, barely got it, front layout front full. 9.750
Lauzon (Cal): Hits the wolf turn, BHS BHS LOSO, left the shoulders a tad forward, switch leap to split jump, dismounts RO double full, great height and drops in for the stick. 9.975!
Edwards (OSU): Begins with a great double pike, second pass RO 1.5 front layout, smooth, switch side straddle full, problem-free, ends with a fantastic double tuck. 9.875
Perea (Cal): Fluid double wolf turn, front toss back tuck, low squat in the front toss but kept it moving, switch leap split jump beat jump, side somi tuck 1.5 dismount, small hop in place. 9.925
Hodges (OSU): Double pike, tour jete half straddle full x2, great amplitude, closes with a Rudi LOSO, cut off the lift a bit but controlled landing. 9.900
Rotation 3: Utah State 48.975, Stanford 49.475, California 49.600
After 3: California 148.550, Stanford 147.975, Ohio State 147.475, Utah State 146.500
California is on 198-watch! With a 198.050 currently the top score in program history, this is an excellent chance for them to make their mark in the record books. Stanford is also having a great meet, just a strong beam lineup away from a new season-high itself. Utah State continued it’s positive momentum with a new season-best on vault, while the Buckeyes have the vaults to put pressure on the Cardinal if beam woes start to creep in.
Rotation 4: Ohio State Vault, Utah State Bars, Stanford Beam, California Floor
DeSouza (Cal): Starts off with a Rudi LOSO, good patience before the leg split, switch side half wolf jump, closes with a RO 1.5 front full, no issues. 9.875
Vetter (OSU): FTY. Bit of leg separation going into the landing, but good flair and just a tiny hop. 9.900
Riccardi (OSU): FTY. Dynamic and clean in the air, gets the stick! 9.900
Perea (Cal): Opens with a double pike, slides back in the lunge, nearly falls out of the triple wolf turn, switch half wolf full, short of rotation on the second leap, good RO 1.5 front layout. 9.850
Jennings (OSU): FTY. Another flair and another stick! 9.925
Edwards (OSU): FTY. Legs apart onto the table, flair but just a slide back this time. 9.850
Williams (Cal): Starts with front layout to Rudi, great landing, wolf turn, switch half split jump, excellent toe point, dismounts with a RO 1.5 front layout, good rise in the second skill. 9.900
Roberts (Stan): Wolf 1.5 to begin, switch leap split jump, BHS LOSO, secure but a very long pause prior to it, side aerial to beat jump but another pause, dismounts RO 1.5, near stick into the salute. 9.900
Widner (Stan): Switch leap split jump, superb extension, BHS LOSO, solid, front aerial to split jump, a bit of a pause before that combo, full turn, dismounts BHS gainer full, floaty and stuck. 9.975!
Lauzon (Cal): Mounts with FHS front double full front tuck, stuck, switch side straddle full, nice shapes in the air, ends with RO 1.5 front full, another stellar landing. 9.950
Frazier (Cal): Double layout to open, huge, tiny slide with the front foot, easy leaps, just hangs in the air, closes with a front tuck through to double tuck, massive and perfectly stuck. 9.925
Rotation 4: Ohio State 49.425, Utah State 48.500, Stanford 49.475, California 49.550
FINAL: California 198.100, Stanford 197.400, Ohio State 196.900, Utah State 195.000
History! The Golden Bears break 198 for just the second time in school history to win the first of two home quad meets on the weekend. Stanford’s upset of Ohio State for second place tonight give them huge momentum heading into Pac-12 Championships next weekend as the Cardinal just missed a season-high team total. The Buckeyes responded well to early mistakes, including a huge season-best vault rotation. The Aggies had some highlight moments as well as their 195 is an improvement over last week.
VT: Jennings (OSU), Lauzon (Cal), 9.925
UB: Alexeeva (Stan), Li (Cal), Perea (Cal), 9.950
BB: Lauzon, Widner (Stan), 9.975
FX: Lauzon 9.950
AA: Li 39.625
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Live blog by Brandis Heffner.
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