MPSF Championships are here, and some important regional implications are on the line in this meet. Firstly, San Jose State needs a 196.400 to clinch its regional spot. UC Davis also has an outside chance of making regionals, but needs some help from other teams. Sacramento State, Air Force, and Alaska have all been eliminated from regionals, but are looking to end their seasons on a high note. San Jose State and UC Davis will be the favorites to take the title today. While San Jose State has been more consistent than UC Davis this season, UC Davis has the a higher peak score of 196.750.
Aside from regionals implications, this meet will have lots of exciting gymnastics. San Jose State’s Madison Kirsch does a backhandspring onodi beam series that is must watch. UC Davis’s vault rotation is one of the most unique in the country, featuring five different vaults led by Megan Ray and Keanna Abraham. Sacramento State has some stunning beam work thanks to Sarah Lutrel and Amber Koeth who has the potential to score 9.950. Air Force’s Velandra Brochi has been a consistent all arounder for the Falcons all season scoring 38.8+ in all but two meets. And last, but certainly not least, Alaska has a formidable beam lineup that’s scored as high as 48.875 thanks to to the work of Rachel Decious and Montana Fairbairn.
Intros are done and touch warmups are about to start!
Rotation 1: UC Davis VT, Alaska UB, Sac State BB, Air Force FX, San Jose State Bye
Fitzgerald (VT): yfull, step back, nice layout extension, not the biggest vault ever. 9.650
Gilman (BB): solid bhs loso series, side aerial is good. straddle jump, straddle 3/4, bit short of split on the second jump. 1.5 dismount, stuck with an arm wave solid.
Pires (VT): yurchenko full on, tuck off. lacking some ampltiude, but well controlled with just one step.
Walker (UB): Solid handstand. Giant full, Tkatchev with flexed feet. Bail is short of handstand. Short final handstand.Double pike with just a step.
(FX): Front layout throughout to double pike, well controlled just keeps it in bounds. Switch ring, switch half, nice positions. Loso in the middle of the floor. Double tuck, chest forward but works out of it well
Moneymaker (VT): Yfull, nice distance, medium sized step.
Otsu (VT): Omelianchek, bends her knees a bit towards the end, hop forward.
Houghton (BB): Bhs, loso, bent legs but secure. Switch leap, straddle quarter, straddle jump was lacking split. Split full, leg up check. Stuck double full is really nice.
Ray (VT): Yurchenko half on, tuck half off, almost sticks it but has to take a step.
Abraham (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, great distance just a bit off line with a crossover step.
Lutrel (BB): bhs loso and falls. Switch leap, split 3/4, second split is short of 180. Stuck 1.5 dismount
Brochi (FX): Really high back 2.5 with a stumble. Final pass is a well controlled front lay, front full
Gillen (BB): bhs, loso is secure. standing loso. punch front tuck full with a step.
Greene (FX): Nice front double full but takes it out of bounds. Rudi is very clean. Switch side, popa is lacking just a little bit of control
Barahona (UB): Straddled Jaeger, good handstand afterward. Messy Pak, has a rhytmn issue afterwards. Giant full, double tuck with a step back
McClure (UB): Solid Handstand, Maloney, not a lot of momentum and a form break. Bail is short of handstand with significant leg separation. Giant full double tuck and a fall.
Carlisle (FX): Great full in to open, she might’ve gone out of bounds though. Switch side, popa, good splits. Front full, front layout, lacking just a little bit of rotation on the front layout. Wolf jump full is a little messy, great routine over all though, team is pumped.
Koeth (BB): bhs, loso, bhs is pristine. Split jump, ring jump, takes a step back to save a balance check. Bhs, gainer full is stuck.
After 1: Air Force 48.950, UC Davis 48.625, Sac State 48.300, Alaska 46.200
Well after one Air Force has the lead after a really solid floor rotation! Madison Carlisle’s full in was a real highlight. UC Davis was okay on vault, but judging was also quite tight there as well. That doesn’t bode well for its (or San Jose State’s) regional hopes. Sac State had to count a fall on beam which is unfortunate and Alaska had some issues on bars as well. On to the next rotation!
Rotation 2: Air Force VT, San Jose State UB, Alaska BB, Sac State FX, UC Davis Bye
Lopes (UB): Nice handstand, Maloney, Bail, no visible leg separation from the side. Good handstand. Giant full is a bit late, but stuck double tuck.
Nelson (VT): Yfull, looked good in the air, but I don’t think she was quite ready for the landing. Lands quite deep and hops forward.
Tavenner (FX): front lay, Rudi, messy leg form. Switch half, popa, indistinct landing position on the switch half. Double tuck, lands with her chest down.
Brochi (VT): yfull, nice amplitude and extension, step back.
Macpherson (UB): Caught just the end of this routine, great giant full into a stuck FTDT
Greene (VT): Yfull, really big vault, lands with her chest a bit forward and ha a hop in place.
Mazury (UB): Piked Jaeger is okay. Good handstand, Pak with loose knees. Nice final handstand. Stuck double layout.
Milne (UB): Clean first handstand. Maloney, Pak. Half pirouette is right on the bar, just a little bit of loose back. Stuck double layout with an arm wave.
Lutrel (FX): Double pike to open, larger lunge right into the corner. Front lay, front full with a but of a stumble. Split full is short of split, double tuck with a step forward.
Morgenthaler (FX): Front Rudi, loso, love the amplitude she gets on the loso. Tour jete half, popa. Tour jete was shrot of split. Double pike with a hop and a lunge back. 1.5 wolf turn, chest is a bit forward on that, but solid overall.
Long wait on beam right now.
Koeth (FX): Double tuck with a lunge backwards, lacking some control. Double twisting cat leap, wolf full, very pretty. Wolf jump, switch leap is clean. Back 1.5, front lay is solid.
Decious (BB): Front aerial, loso, beat jump, well connected just some bent legs on the acro. Switch leap, split jump, back leg is low on the second. Front full with a hop.
Barahona (BB): Double wolf turn, was solid until the end and then she almost fell. Bhs loso is secure. Cat leap, side aerial and falls, she looked off on the cat leapand never really had a chance. Switch leap, split jump is fine. Stuck 1.5 dismount.
Farrell (BB): Wolf turn is solid. Front aerial, bhs, some bent legs on both skills but connects them well. Split jump, split ring, beat jump, missing some ring position and some flexed feet as well. Front aerial with a balance check. Stuck gainer pike
After 2: Air Force 97.350, Sac State 97.175, Alaska 94.325, San Jose State 49.100, UC Davis 48.625
After two rotations, San Jose State is leading by average event score and also got exactly the score it needs to stay on pace for the socre that will guarantee it a regionals spot. Sacramento State was solid on floor for a 48.825 with Koeth having the highest score for the Hornets. Air Force was fine on vault, but a few short vaults kept its rotation total down. Alaska had to count a fall on beam, but Decious and Farrell had very pretty sets.
Rotation 3: Sac State VT, UC Davis UB, San Jose State BB, Alaska FX, Air Force Bye
Weyhmiller (BB): Bhs loso is solid. Side aerial, secure. Switch leap, switch half, nice split positions. Back 1.5 with a step.
Moneymaker (UB): Good first handstand, Maloney, Bail, small leg separation on the Bail. A little short on the last handstand. Double layout with a stumble forward.
Fitzgerald (VT): Yurchenko full on, tuck off, just a small step, nice vault
Lopes (BB): Cat leap, switch side, switch side is a little asymetrical. Bhs, bhs, loso and falls. Bhs, tucked 1.5 with a hop. Pressure on for the rest of the lineup.
Tavenner (VT): yfull with a hop back, landing is bit soft.
Clagg (UB): Short handstand. Tkachev with flexed feed. Leg separation on the bail. Nice final handstand. Double layout with a hop.
Cato (BB): Front aerial, bhs, loso secure. Side aerial balance check but holds on. Back 1.5 with a big step.
Fitz-Gerald(UB): Jaeger, overshoot, not the most amplitude on the Jaeger but a clean combination. Hit handstand, stuck double layout
Morgenthaler (VT): Yurchenko 1.5 with a step backwards, looked really nice in the air, might have been trying too hard to stick.
Macpherson (BB): Switch leap, split jump, excellent split positions. Bhs, bhs, loso secure. Standing loso is solid. Stuck 1.5, GREAT routine and at a time when the Spartans needed it.
Michovsky (UB): Jaeger, overshoot, very clean. Slightly short final handstand. Giant full to a double tuck with a step.
Long conference on beam for Macpherson, not sure why. Scores a 9.800, was expecting it to be a little higher.
Gomez (FX): Double tuck to open, lands with her chest well up. Switch half, wolf full. Rudi, a bit short of rotation, but works out of it well. Back 1.5, front pike, bent legs on the back 1.5 but landing control was solid.
Milne (BB): Side aerial, loso, excellent. Switch leap, bhs swing down is right on. Full turn and almost falls. Another small check on choreography. 1.5 is stuck, besides the full turn that was great.
Manley (FX): Excellent double pike to start, great amplitude and landing control. Front tuck in the middle of the floor. Back 1.5 through to back 1.5, very unique combination pass.Switch side, wolf 1.5, lacking some landing control there.
Kirsch (BB): Candle mount is fine. Bhs, onodi and falls. Switch leap, straddle quarter. Back 1.5 is stuck.
Decious (FX): Rudi to start, not the highest, but well controlled.Love this low to the ground choreography with the knife sound effect. Switch leap, wolf 1.5, straight leg on wolf jump is quite low. Front lay, front full, some leg form. Back 1.5, front lay, solid.
After 3: Sac State 145.550, Alaska 142.800, UC Davis 97.825, San Jose State 97.525, Air Force 97.350
After having to count a fall on beam, San Jose State is likely out of the regionals picture. It also puts them behind the pace of UC Davis who had an impressive 49.200 on bars thanks to solid routines from Fitz-Gerald and Scafani. Alaska was solid on floor and had 3 scores of 9.700+. Sac State was fine on vault, but got hit pretty hard for some short landings.
Rotation 4: Alaska VT, Air Force UB, UC Davis BB, San Jose State FX, Sac State Bye
Scafani (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso is secure. Very nice switch side. Full turn. Gainer full is stuck.
Gomez (VT): Tucked yfull, nice distance, lacking some ampltiude. Step backwards.
Manley (VT):Tucked yfull. Has very bent arms on the table and misses her block some. I’m impressed she was able to put that vault to her feet.
Weyhmiller (FX): Nice double to open, keeps her legs together nicely in the salto. Back 1.5, front lay very well controlled. Switch leap, siwtch ring half, second leap is short of split. Double pike to finish is fine, chest nicely up.
Abraham (BB): Very secure bhs layout to two feet. Full turn. Switch side is good. Bhs 1.5 with a step forward.
Hildebrand (VT): Front hand front tuck with a step back, solid.
Kelperis (FX): Back 1.5 to front full tour jete half. Double tuck is a little out of control to finish, but nothing egregious.
Carlisle (UB): Maloney to Bail, short of handstand on the bail. Good final hadnstand. Giant full is a bit late, double tuck with a step forward.
Ray (BB): Bhs loso is very secure. Switch half split jump is solid. Front tuck full with a step forward.
Brochi (UB): Only catching the end of this. Nice handstand, clean Bail. Double layout is stuck.
Otsu (BB): Wolf turn is solid. Bhs loso with an arm wave to save a balance check. L hop, switch side, second leg is low on the switch side. Side somi, lands with her legs really far apart but no wobble. Stuck gainer pike.
Mazury (FX): Front lay, Rudi excellent control. Tour jete half, popa, fine. Double pike great control.
Nelson (UB): Maloney, Bail, small leg separation on the backswing. Good final handstand. Double front with a bound forward.
Lyle (BB): Side aerial, bhs is great, nice extension. Switch leap, straddle quarter is good. Dismounts with a gainer full with a step into the salute.
Lopes (FX): Double pike, really steps into the lunge emphasizing the control. Popa, split full, split full, leg form is a bit loose on the splits fulls. Front tuck through to double tuck, another well controlled pass.
Schuelke-Lombardi (BB): Full turn is a little rushed. Front toss, bhs. Side aerial is nice. Gainer full with a step.
After 4: Alaska 190.075, UC Davis 146.975, San Jose State 146.800, Air Force 146.375, Sac State 145.550
That was a really exciting fourth rotation with three teams breaking 49! Air Force’s Amber Boll posted a 9.925 on bars which is the highest score of the day so far. UC Davis was solid front to back on beam, with Scafani’s lead off 9.900 on beam setting the tone. San Jose State gained half a tenth on UC Davis, but with San Jose State going to vault amd UC Davis going to floor, its going to be hard to close that gap.
Rotation 5: San Jose State VT, Sac State UB, Air Force BB, UC Davis FX, Alaska Bye
Cato (VT): yfull and crashes it, she looks hurt. Oh no, definitely not how you want to end the season.
Holtan (FX): Front lay, front full, nice control. Tour jete half, travels kind of far, but hits the split positions well. Double pike with a large step back, she was really close to the line, but couldn’t tell if she went out of bounds. Second leap series was fine.
Macpherson (VT): Yfull, hop backwards, nice layout shape.
Brochi (BB): Bhs loso is clean, great extension. Switch leap, straddle quarter, hits split positions.Beat jump, side aerial, a little off center but no balance check. Back 1.5 with a small step
Pires (FX): Back 1.5, front lay, not the most amplitude but solid. Switch side 1/2. Double tuck is well controlled. Tour jete half, split jump full.
Kirsch (VT): tucked yurchenko 1.5 with a step forward, better control than she’s had most of the season
Lopes (VT): Yurchenko 1.5 with a near stick, she stuck it but didn’t hold the landing and did a step and salute.
Oh no, spotted falls on bars and beam right after that vault.
Moneymaker (FX): Front tuck through to double pike, well controlled lunge. Switch half, wolf full, nice precision on those leap landing positions. Double tuck is nearly stuck to finish.
Koeth (UB): Maloney to Bail. Maloney is greatm just short of handstand on the Bail. Good final handstand, giant ful to double tuck with a steo
Boll (BB): Coming in midway, great Onodi! Bhs 1.5 to dismount with a hop.
Trejo (FX): Whip to double tuck, lunge is a little large but well controlled. Straddle jump front tuck. Double pike with a hop backward. Switch leap, switch side 1/2, last landing position was a little indistinct.
Zander (BB): Front toss, beat jump, very nice. Front aerial, bhs is secure. Switch leap, split jump 3/4. 1.5 with a small hop to dismount
Abraham (FX): Great double layout to open, better control than she’s had in the past few weeks. Switch side, half, lacking some split. Front lay, front full, excellent control. Double tuck to finish, great routine!
Ray (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, controlled lunge. Tour jete half, split jump full, popa, all hit 180. Double pike, good control again. That should do it for the Aggies!!
FINAL: UC Davis 196.200, San Jose State 195.600, Air Force 195.475, Sacramento State 194.500, Alaska 190.075
UC Davis wins the 2023 MPSF Championship thanks to consistent work across all four events! Unfortunately, a 196.200 was not enough to keep them in regionals contention. Similarly, San Jose State will also be on the outside looking into regionals after having to count a fall on beam today. Air Force was also quite impressive today with lots of crisp skills on beam in particular, and the MPSF bar champion Amber Boll’s 9.925 bar set. Sac State hit 49.000 on bars for only the second time this season and Alaska broke 190 again! All in all an exciting afternoon of gymnastics.
VT: Jaudai Lopes, Ariana Castrence 9.825
UB: Amber Boll 9.925
BB: Ava Scafani 9.900
FX: Megan Ray 9.900
AA: Lauren Macpherson
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
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