The Alabama/Kentucky matchup is the tightest one this postseason. Both teams are likely to advance out of this session and battle in the regional final for the second berth to Fort Worth along with the host Sooners. The SEC duo is well ahead of the Big Ten teams here, though both have shown great potential. Illinois has been consistent all year but has yet to have a complete, breakout meet. Iowa has struggled in recent weeks with beam.
Makarri Doggette didn’t compete bars at the SEC championship meet, so that’s something to keep an eye on for the Crimson Tide. She has been perfect there and would be a boost to the lineup. Alabama finished second in the SEC while the Wildcats finished fourth. Kentucky came into the championship with its highest seed in program history, a marker of the historically good season it is having.
The judges have taken their seats! We are getting close!
You’ll be pleased to know that yes indeed the parents have showed out. Illinois is sporting the classic striped overalls and I spy a very bedazzled orange ball cap. Iowa has custom-made yellow signs. Kent State’s contingent is in matching shirts. The Kentucky parents appear to be coordinating…something? At any rate someone is in a royal blue feather boa.
I can hear the gymnasts doing their premeet cheering in the tunnel, which must mean we’re moments from march-in.
I’m giving the unofficial parent cheer-off crown to Kentucky, but Alabama was RIGHT there.
Rotation 1: Iowa vault, Illinois bars, Alabama beam, Kentucky floor
JerQuavia Henderson just nailed a Y1.5 in one-touch. It’s getting hype in here.
AND HERE WE GO.
I have no lineups and I’m up pretty high folks so apologies in advance on missed ID’s.
Masella (Iowa): Yfull, low and falls to her knees
Burgess (UA): One-arm bhs to bhs was really nice. 9.9 what a way to start!
Procasky (UK): Nailed her closing double tuck, really high.
Borden (UIUC): Hige Jaeger to immediate bail. Hit her rudi dismount, bit underrotated.
Everyone is holding, idk what happened there for a minute.
Rybicki (UA): Solid bhs loso. Hop back on her dismount.
Wilson (UK): Good double tuck to open. Cheated her jump rotation a little.
Ewald (UIUC): Blind to Jaeger, soft knees on the catch. Pretty Pak. FTDB stuck, oh Illinois is getting in on the cheering now.
Chambers (Iowa): Yfull, just a hop.
Mizuki (UIUC): clean pike Jaeger, short on her bail hand. True stick on her dismount.
Zuhlke (Iowa): Her eponymous vault. Hop back and to the side.
Patterson (UK): 3/2 punch lay was nice, just skidded her feet a little on the lay. Clean double tuck to end.
Adams (UA): Tiny check on her front aerial. Another on her series. These are .05 adjustments, so small.
Castillo (Iowa): Yfull, some pike down and a small hop in place.
Gladeiux (UA): Knees and a check on her series. Check on leaps too.
Knight (UIUC): Caught close on her Ray and had to stop and kip out.
Magnelli (UK): Rudi loso was clean.
Munoz (Iowa): Yfull, big and a good landing.
No Zivat for Iowa.
Henderson (Iowa): Yfull, huge and lovely, small hop.
Davis (UK): Really clean work on her combo pass, patient stepping into the lunge. Small hop on the double tuck.
Hudson (UA): Her usual pretty, calm work. Rock solid. Hop forward on her dismount.
O’Donnell (UIUC): Blind to Jeager, too far out and a fall, that’s two major errors for Illinois.
Decavitch (KSU): Yfull, big step back but great distance.
Blanco (UA): Fall on her series. Stuck dismount.
Takekawa (UIUC): Clean pike Jaeger. DLO, held the stick.
Worley (UK): Nailed her full-in. Held a stick on her combo series. Did it on the double tuck, too! Oh she is here to PLAY.
Joyner (RU): Blind to Jaeger, little close. Strong bail hand. DLO small hop in place.
Guns (KSU): She gets the stage to herself! Everyone else is done! Punch lay rudi, clean, just had her weight back in her heels on the landing a bit. Switch ring switch half was nice. Tour jete half, pretty, got the rotation cleanly. Double pike, low chest and stepped forward. Kentucky and Iowa both cheered her on the whole way. 🙂
After 1: UK 49.450, UA 49.175, Iowa 49.075, UIUC 48.659
Well OK then. Kentucky means business and is in top form. Alabama had some nervousness creep in, and the fall in what would’ve otherwise been a big number hurt. Iowa did it’s job on vault, getting a solid number, while Illinois’ two mistakes mean the Illini need to hope for errors from other teams.
Rotation 2: Kentucky vault, Iowa bars, Illinois beam, Alabama floor
Procasky (UK): Nailed her Yfull.
Zuhlke (Iowa): Fall on her release. Caught the Hindorff on redo.
Knight (UIUC): Looked up to see her have a medium check. Fall on beat to side aerial. Just not her day.
Waligora (UA): Nice front lay to 2/1.
Wilson (UK): FHS pike 1/2, scooted her feet back the smallest bit.
Mizuki (UIUC): Clean series. Nice on the switch side straddle half.
Machado (UA): Picked her front foot up a little in her double pike. Low on the last salto in her combo pass but a good landing.
Masella (Iowa): Blind to pike Jaeger, messy form but good height.
Patterson (UK): FHS pike 1/2 hop back.
Rojas (Iowa): Nice Gienger, little close. Hop on landing.
Magnelli (UK): FHS pike 1/2, not great distance.
Worley (UK): Y1.5, hop to the side.
Adams (UA): Clean double pike. Fell out of her jumps a good bit. Another good landing on her combo.
Mueller (UIUC): Bhs loso, soft knees and a check. Hop on her RO 3/2
Henderson (Iowa): Maloney leg sep to bail hand, foot form. FTDB hop back.
Bourque (UK): Y1.5, hop forward.
Munoz (Iowa): Blind to pike Jaeger, some form on the catch. Leg sep on her bail hand. DLO chest forward.
Townes (UIUC): Switch low back leg to straddle 1/4. Cat to front toss, solid. Stuck dismount.
Gladieux (UA): FTDB, came in a bit short and hopped forward. Underrorated her leaps. Good landing on her combo pass.
Kenlin (Iowa): Toe hand Mlaoney, nice. Pak caught with slightly closed shoulders. Short hanstand. Toe full double tuck, low and a hop.
Hudson (UA): Front lay to 2/1, adjusted her front foot in the lunge. Switch half wolf full was nice. Really solid 5/2. Slid back in her double tuck lunge.
Nataraj (UIUC): Clean series. Switch to straddle 1/4 was solid. RO 3/2, stuck.
Decavitch (KSU): Maloney to Pak, caught a bit far out but saved it. DLO, step back.
Takekawa (UIUC): Solid side aerial bhs. Check on her full turn. Switch to straddle 1/2 was nice. Bhs gainer 1/1 stuck.
Blanco (UA): Clean double pike. Slid her front foot in her double tuck. Switch ring to switch side was nice. Solid combo pass to end, maybe a smidge low amplitude-wise. 10-chants from the UA fans in the crowd.
Joyner (RU): Bhs los, so solid. Switch to switch half, the best I’ve ever seen her do the half. RO 3/2, hop in place on her heels.
Franz (KSU): Nice opening pass to a loso. Switch half to wolf full, foot from in both. Double tuck, adjusted her front foot in the lunge.
After 2: UK 98.650, UA 98.575, Iowa 98.075, UIUC 97.850
Kentucky maintains its lead! It seems pretty likely that Kentucky and Alabama will advance, so the edge is significant mostly thinking about Saturday. A good sign for the Wildcats or leaving it all on the floor a meet too soon? Only time will tell, and of course we’re only halfway through.
Rotation 3: Alabama vault, Kentucky bars, Iowa beam, Illinois floor
Gladieux (UA): Nice Yfull, really patient landig.
Davis (UK): Some leg form on her Jaeger catch. Hop on her DLO landing.
Henderson (Iowa): RO double tuck, low chest.
Takekawa (UIUIC): Rudi to split jump was nice, travelled less than she does sometimes. Clean double tuck. Switch side split full, cheated the rotation.
Paradise (UA): Y1.5 head was out throughout but a good landing.
Procasky (UK): Maloney pretty to good Pak. Blind full late to double tuck, deep squat but held the stick.
Ebeling (Iowa): Switch half soft knees and a check. Cartwheel was nice, sideways element there.
Waight (UIUC): Slid a bit in the double pike landing. Moved a foot in her double tuck lunge too.
Bunn (UK): Blind to Jaeger, foot form. DLO stuck.
Doggette (UA): Y1.5, short, three running steps back.
Hudson (UA): Y1.5, high! small hop.
Zuhlke (Iowa): Bhs loso, big leg up check. Fall, not sure on what, and aerial maybe.
Deguzman (UK): Blind to Jaeager immediate bail, great throughout. DLO hop back.
Ewald (UIUC): Short on her 2/1, few steps out to the side. FHS rudi loso, much better there.
Nick (Iowa): Nice front aerial!
Blanco UA): Y1.5, hop forward.
Luksik (UK): Caught release a little bent armed. Stuck dismount.
Olsen (UA): DTY, her usual form, hop.
Rojas (Iowa): Clean triple series. Gainer full off the side stuck.
Nataraj (UIUC): Hands down on her full-in. Front lay front full was good.
Worley (UK): Clear hip hand to nice Tkatchev, not the most turnover. Pak was clean.
Leese (RU): Y1.5 hands were low on the table but really nice in the air.
Fitzgibbon (UIUC): Combo pass was solid, little leg form in her rudi. HIGH double pike, true stick.
Kenlin (Iowa): Clean front aeial bhs loso. Nice switch to split. stuck dismount. Oh she wants to go back to nationals.
Decavitch (KSU): Pretty chest stand mount to one arm stand, oooh love that. Cat to switch half, soft knees. Check on her front toss to beat. Bhs gainer full stuck.
Townes (UIUC): She’s got the arena to herself, as she SHOULD. FHS 2/1, good landing, much better than she was warming that up. RO 3/2 front 1/1, another good landing. Michael Jackson moves and the UK team is dancing. Clean leaps to close. A great one!
Joyner (RU): Another queen with all eyes on her. You also need to know that Umme Salim-Beasley is in full-on sequin pants and they rule. Great double pike, huge cheers from all four teams. Switch full, good landing little imprecise shape-wise. Travelled a bit crooked on her combo pass but a good landing. Nice 180s in her switch side popa. RO 3/2 front pike, almost held the stick then chose to lunge, controlled.
After 3: UK 148.125, UA 147.850, Iowa 147.250, UIUC 147.025
Kentucky is throwing down the gauntlet, and no other team here is stepping up. Alabama is having an okay day, but is just not quite on enough to keep pace. Maybe that’s fine though, and the Crimson Tide is saving some gas for Saturday. Either way, that battle to head to Fort Worth will be can’t-miss gymnastics.
Rotation 4: Illinois vault, Alabama bars, Kentucky beam, Iowa floor
Mueller (UIUC): Yfull, low and low chest.
Hudson (UA): Maloney, some leg form to bail hand. Blind full double tuck stuck.
Luksik (UK): Nice onodi! Clean series. Short on a switch half.
Castillo (Iowa): Low in her double pike landing.
Waight (UIUC): Yhalf, little foot shuffle.
German (UA): Nice Pak. DLO whipped it but stuck.
Procasky (UK): Clean bhs loso. Front aerial, missed a connection and is resetting. Hop on her dismount.
Erb (Iowa): Good double pike. Messy rotation on her leaps. Scooted her feet around in her combo pass landing. I think that’s her collegiate debut?! What a stage for it!
Waligora (UA): Blind to Jaeger, some leg form. FTDL, hop.
Bunn (UK): Nice leaps, really good oversplits.
Libby (Iowa): RO 3/2 front lay, nice, little deep in her knees. FHS rudi, moved her foot. That’s just a really pretty routine.
Green (UIUC): Yfull, some pike a hop and a directional error.
Townes (UIUC): Y1.5, fall. Just off on the table I think.
Machado (UA): Clean Maloney to Pak. Good van Leeuwen. Stuck dismount.
Patterson (UK): Bhs loso, really excellent. Pretty leaps, superior extension.
Nataraj (UIUC): Yfull, hop forward.
Kenlin (Iowa): FHS 2/1, nice. Switch to switch ring full was good, maybe missing some position in her up leg on the ring.
Doggette (UA): Nice release to Pak. DLO stuck. Phew!
Ward (UIUC): High Yfull.
Blanco (UA): Pak, good. Clean van Leeuwen. FTDB stuck.
Joyner (RU): Yfull, small hop forward, not a ton of distance.
Worley (UK): RO 3/2 stuck. I missed most of this but the UK fans were screaming their heads off.
Munoz (Iowa): DLO wow! stuck it cold. Switch half wolf full straddle, low leg in the half. Front through double tuck, slid backward a good bit, several steps, and OOB.
Magnelli (UK): Check on her series, couldn’t see if she touched the beam or just did an arm swim or fell or what, I’m sorry! Front aerial to beat, nice. Gainer pike stuck.
Zannella (RU): Joyner came over to chat with her teammate. Split mount. Low front leg in her split ring jump. Big check on her bhs loso, cheers from UK as she saved it.
Henderson (Iowa): Full-in, slid her foot back a bit. Front through double tuck, low chest but a good lunge.
Decavitch (KSU): She’ll close out the session with all eyes on her! FTDB , really emphasized the lunge, huge cheers form the teams. Nice leaps, good 180s. Sat her double tuck, not enough gas left.
FINAL: UK 197.475, UA 197.375, Iowa 196.225, UIUC 195.675
Kentucky and Alabama advance!
VT: Hudson, Gladieux 9.900
UB: Blanco 9.975
BB: Patterson 9.950
FX: Worley 9.950
AA: 39.625
READ THIS NEXT: Staying in the Moment Key to Kentucky’s 2023 Success
Live blog by Emily Minehart
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