This meet is exciting in a lot of ways, but most of all I’m excited that after this result nobody will remember the regular-season title any more. I just don’t want to think about it.
In seriousness, this meet could get very, very real. Utah has been a little weaker in the last few weeks, but by ‘weaker’ we still mean scores in the high 197s. The return of Lucy Stanhope to lineups last week is a great step, while we’re watching Kara Eaker and Jillian Hoffman, both of whom have been absent short-term lately but may return. UCLA has momentum on its side, doing its best gymnastics in the last few weeks and breaking into the top four for the first time just this week, but it would be disrespectful to neglect Cal, which produced a mind-blowing double-198 weekend last week. While Oregon State would likely need errors from other teams to contend here, its very best scores of the season would be in the mix, and Jade Carey isn’t the only individual who could contend for individual conference titles.
Rotation 1: UCLA VT, Utah UB, Oregon State BB, Cal FX
M. Frazier (UCLA): FTY, touch of pike throughout but dynamic, medium hop back. 9.775
DeSouza (Cal): Rudi LOSO, super high. Switch side wolf half, that’s interesting, one and a half front full nice and clean.
Smith (UU): Toe on, handstand so balanced she almost gets stuck, Shap to Pak lovely. Double Arabian, hop forward.
Lee (UCLA): Following a 9.575 from Malabuyo. FTY, not super high but looks like she’s in control the whole time, medium hop. 9.8
Brenner (UU): Jaeger to overshoot, feet a little soft throughout, imprecise last cast handstand, double layout a touch squatty but stuck. 9.875
Campbell (UCLA): Her usual magic, looked like a scoot back to me but she might get away with it under the ‘pulling heels together’ category. 9.9
Williams (Cal): Front lay to Rudi solid, waaaacky double wolf turn but she survives it. Switch half to split. One and a half front lay, super control
Chiles (UCLA): DTY, soft on the table with a little form, medium hop back.
O’Keefe (UU): Maloney to Pak, great half turn, missed a high bar handstand, planted the double layout. All I saw was that cast handstand.
Li (Cal): Absolutely nailed the front double full. BHS LOSO for requirements, the hip hop segment in this routine cracks me up. Front full front lay mistimed with some soft knees as she fights to get her feet down, landing ultimately fine.
Isa (UU): Over on the first handstand, bends her knees and narrowly avoids coming off. Got the rest but that’s obviously the drop score.
Carey (OSU): Front aerial. BHS, from the end view there’s a lot of form and flexed feet but clean landing. Switch switch half, little adjustment. Gainer full. 9.975 ooooook
Domingo (OSU): Front aerial back pike clean. Full turn, shaky. Clean through the complicated turning leap series that I blanked on writing down, stuck dismount. 9.9
E. Frazier (Cal): Great double lay. Switch ring switch half sissone, good. Front through double back, chest a little low when she hits the ground but gets it up fast. 9.95
After 1: Oregon State 49.500, Cal 49.475, Utah 49.375, UCLA 49.175
This is literally the reverse of the seed order. Nifty, right?
It’s all fun and games for now, but Utah has really got to make the most of this beam rotation. UCLA has more upside toward the end of the meet, but you also don’t feel great three tenths back from the Beavers.
Rotation 2: Cal VT, UCLA UB, Utah BB, Oregon State FX
Li (Cal): FTY, solid with the tiniest hop back. Earned the huge creepy bear head for that. 9.8
Morgan (UU): BHS BHS LOSO just nailed. Split to straddle… quarter? Half? Landed in between those two things with a check. Forward gainer full off the side, stuck dead. Feet a little far apart being picky. 9.9
Steele (UCLA): Super patient first handstand, Maloney to Pak high and clean. Missed a handstand on the high bar, double layout with a hop back. 9.75
Young (OSU): Double pike good. Solid double tuck, switch to ring leap 1/1. Fumbles the landing on her front lay front full. 9.85
Padurariu (UCLA): Toe to Maloney to bail. Looking good. FTDB stuck with low chest. 9.9
Paulson (UU): Two-time defending conference champ. Not sure if I even knew that. Side aerial LOSO, medium check. Did I jinx her? Switch to sissone, whoa, one of her feet slipped and very quickly gets it back on, but there’s a visible fumble. Beat to side aerial to one and a half, not quite stuck. 9.775
E. Frazier (Cal): DTY, this is not her angle. Extensive form both on and off the table, big step back. 9.8
M. Frazier (UCLA): Maloney, some leg sep and soft elbows on the backswing. gorgeous Pak as always. Little bit of feet on the van Leeuwen, not sure of that last cast handstand, DLO with a scoot. 9.875
Eaker (UU): She’s been out for a few weeks with a concussion, following a couple 9.7s. Mount leap series is immaculate, full turn lovely. Side aerial LOSO, not sure she was 100% confident on that in the air but lands it so easily. Gainer full off the side. I’d be okay with… most any score for that. 9.95
Chiles (UCLA): Piked Tkachev to Pak with bent elbows. Maloney to Gienger, low and close but the judges literally never care. FTDB stuck. 9.975
Isa (UU): BHS LOSO LOSO, off in the middle, saves it with just a tiny lean as she salutes. Full turn. I swear her low choreography gets more elaborate every time I watch this routine. Gainer full stuck. 9.95
Dagen (OSU): Coaching from Lacy before she starts. Front lay to Rudi, some leg form and a scoot back. Lovely straddle positions. Looks a little surprised by her double pike landing but gets to lunge OK.
O’Keefe (UU): Side aerial LOSO, baby check. She was struggling on that a little in touch. Switch split fine. Flashes the 22, just nailed the gainer full dismount. 9.95
Carey (OSU): Double double. Wait, did she actually control that landing? I swear this never happens. Switch half Popa, hops back into dance which probably wouldn’t be deducted but should be. Front lay to double pike, also pretty well controlled. Definitely one of her best. 9.975
After 2: Oregon State 99.000, Utah 98.900, Cal 98.750, UCLA 98.750
I have no idea what’s going to happen here.
Rotation 3: Oregon State VT, Cal UB, UCLA BB, Utah FX
DeSouza (Cal): Blind, late, to pike Jaeger to overshoot. FTDB a little close to the bar but stuck.
Brenner (UU): Double pike, overrotated with a big scoot back and the OOB flag goes up. One and a half front lay, still grinning her head off, switch side Popa with a sketchy split in the Popa.
E. Frazier (Cal): Maloney, lost her knees in the backswing. Pak too close with a hip circle out of it. DLO, step forward.
Gilstrap (UU): Front lay to Rudi lovely. Switch to switch ring half, not sure about that front leg. I like this routine, Fur Elise haters be damned. Front lay front full, dead controlled. 9.925
Padurariu (UCLA): Double wolf, little check. Side aerial BHS and her arms are up SO early. Switch… was that supposed to be connected? Beat to sheep. I think maybe but she had a backup plan. Missed a foot on her dismount, one and a half with a step back. 9.85 is too high.
Dagen (OSU): One and a half, leg split on the table and some form, big dive forward.
Li (Cal): Pak, sometimes I wonder if she’s a little high on that but she always makes it work. Full turn double back lovely.
Chiles (UCLA): Front aerial BHS LOSO, foot form throughout and falls. Double pike with chest way low… as usual.
Carey (OSU): Soft on the table and leg form on her DTY as usual… medium hop forward. That’s unusual. 9.875
Harris (UCLA): BHS LOSO BHS, right to the end of the beam and dead smooth. Switch split full turn tentative but no problems. Nailed the kickover front. Nailed the one and a half. Great and gutsy. 9.95
Rucker (UU): Half in half out gorgeous, pretty substantially undercooks her turning leap series, front lay front full is solid. 9.9
Malabuyo (UCLA): BHS LOSO, drops one shoulder. Front aerial… check. She’s covering these but they are visible. Swit to split ring to beat. Got the dismount. 9.925
O’Keefe (UU): Double pike, overrotated and a scoot back. Front lay front full is looooovely, so stretched. Switch to tour jete full, nice and clean. Perfect control on the one and a half front lay. 9.95
Williams (Cal): Getting a replay. Maloney to Pak, slow and easy, toes never come apart. Drilled the double layout. Just lovely.
After 3: Utah 148.500, UCLA 148.250, Cal 148.200, Oregon State 148.125
Unbelievably tight. I’m scared. Vault has scored low all day, while beam has been generous, so it could get even closer.
Rotation 4: Utah VT, Oregon State UB, Cal BB, UCLA FX
O’Keefe (UU): FTY, not the most dynamic but flared with a tiny hop. 9.825
Lee (UCLA): Double back great. Front lay front full, super control. Switch ring switch half, she’s not messing around with these landings. Double pike, looks like she bends her knees on the way down, low chest but good lunge. 9.875
Brenner (UU): One elbow SOOOO bent on the table that I gasped but actually nothing happened and she essentially stuck her one and a half. 9.925
Williams (Cal): The idea of a beamer of Williams’ quality being in the 2 spot is absurd, but that’s the Bears. Nailed the double wolf, BHS LOSO looks a little off but keeps it straight with her arms. Split to beat. BHS gainer full, stuck with a lean forward. 9.85
Malabuyo (UCLA): See previous comment about quality and the 2 spot. Double tuck, overrotated with a very long lunge. One and a half front lay is pretty, dances straight out. Switch ring switch half, I’ll call that perfect. Nice double pike to finish.
Smith (UU): Omelianchik, gorg as usual, little hop.
McMillan (OSU): Not sure about her first handstand, toe on BARELY gets over the bar, Maloney loose with some form to good bail. Borderline last cast, DLO super whippy with a hop back. 9.8
Harris (UCLA): Full in, tons of power, little scoot back to lunge. Nailed the double tuck, perfect lunge. Tour jete half overrotated to Popa under, total rotation was fine but hit the ground at the wrong place and once in a while a judge will choose to wallop somebody for that. One and a half to Barani to double stag, slightly soft knees.
Carey (OSU): Closing routine for the Beavers, who look out of the game now. Maloney to Bhardwaj, van Leeuwen, looking pretty clean. Full out, scoot back. 9.975, lol.
Stanhope (UU): Scoreboard is messing up. One and a half, lands a little lock-legged with a small step back plus her usual bits of form.
Frazier (UCLA): Whips to double back, scoot back. Tour jete half Popa Popa, tons of air. Double pike with a big rebound back. 9.9, no sir. There were two tenths of landing alone there.
Rucker (UU): This was previous but we don’t have a score yet. One and a half, big cross step forward.
Perea (Cal): Kickover front back tuck series, shaky throughout. DRILLED the side somi tuck one and a half. Screaming her head off.
Campbell (UCLA): Full in, weird front foot for an instant but got through it. Great leaps, super precise. Front lay front full, gorgeous with long-ish lunge.
Lauzon (Cal): replay, gorgeous tictoc, wolf turn, BHS BHS LOSO crooked in the air but nailed landing. Switch split great, nailed the double full.
Chiles (UCLA): By my math, she can’t win this for UCLA. Double lay great. Another great landing on the front through double back. Tour jete half wolf full, underrotated, great double pike.
FINAL: Utah 197.925, UCLA 197.850, Cal 197.825, Oregon State 197.200
VT: Abby Brenner 9.925
UB: Madelyn Williams, Selena Harris 9.950
BB: Mya Lauzon, Jade Carey 9.975
FX: Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey 9.975
AA: Jade Carey 39.750
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