Welcome back to the Denver regional! Today is the second round of regionals, and the second round features Denver, Michigan, Minnesota and the winner of the play-in round. Unlike the first session of this round, there aren’t two extremely clear favorites. Denver, Michigan and Minnesota could all take up one of the spots in Sunday’s final.
Denver has had a solid season. The Pioneers had their first ever score above 198, and we saw a number of 10s from Lynnzee Brown and Jessica Hutchinson. If Denver can minimize mistakes and maximize the energy from its home crowd, it has a solid shot at the final session.
Michigan has also had a stellar season. The Wolverines beat Oklahoma a few weeks ago and just won the Big Ten championships. Because of Michigan’s huge scoring potential, its spot in the final should be safe unless it makes uncharacteristic mistakes.
Even though Minnesota has a lower national ranking than Michigan and Denver, its highest scores of the season could challenge the Pioneers. If both Minnesota and Denver put up high scores from its stars, the race for second place could be pretty tight.
Finally, we have Arizona. Play-in winners don’t typically advance to the final, but we know that it can happen. Arizona would have to score way higher than they have this season, but anything is possible at regionals!
Rotation 1: Arizona VT, Minnesota UB, Michigan BB, Denver FX
Ruiz (DU): Front tuck through to a double tuck, a little bouncy on the lunge out of it but not too bad. Switch side Popa Popa was nice. Finishes with a solid double pike!
It is INSANE in here! The DU fans are determined to be louder than the Minnesota section, so it’s super loud and the energy is great!
Mueller (UA): Nice Yurchenko full, just a little hop on the landing.
Iwai (DU): Solid back 1.5 to front layout for her first pass. Nice split full, great flexibility. Nice double tuck, good control on the landing. Switch half to Popa was also nice.
Wilson (Mich): Uh oh, I didn’t see the routine but Bauman has a 9.225. Nice flic lay for Wilson. Standing switch standing switch, small wobble. Finishes with a super high double tuck with a step back. Good routine after a fall.
Gerdes (Minn): Beautiful Maloney to a shootover. Hits the last handstand and sticks the full in! Gorgeous lines as usual.
Thompson (DU): Nice triple twist to start out, not the cleanest but she kept it controlled. Switch side to Popa, she had a great straddle position there. Very nice front layout to Rudi to finish it out!
Koulos (Mich): Nice flic lay to start out. Beat jump to straddle three quarter was very nice. Cat leap to front aerial, pretty big wobble, she bent over but stayed on. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5, I couldn’t totally see if she stuck but it was a solid landing.
LaRusso (UA): Nice Yurchenko full! Good form and landing.
Sales (Minn): Very nice first handstand into a great shootover. Blind into a Khorkina and then a stuck double layout!
Brooks (Mich): Flic lay series. Switch leap switch leap, very solid. Nice front toss. Back handspring to a double twist and she stuck it. Nice confident routine!
Hutchinson (DU): Front double twist, her lunge was a little bigger than usual but not bad. Nice back 1.5 to front layout, perfect control. Switch half to split full, very pretty. Finishes with a Rudi to straddle jump, very controlled on that too.
Heiskell (Mich): Cat leap to side aerial, no wobbles at all. Switch leap switch leap. She’s following a 9.95 from Brooks. Flic lay with a pretty decent wobble. Nice landing on the roundoff 1.5
Brown (DU): Following a 9.95 from Hutchinson and the crowd is excited! Awesome double layout to start, great control. Switch ring to switch half to Shushunova. Back 1.5 through to another back 1.5 to punch fornt and a perfect landing! With Hutchinson’s score before her that might be a pretty nice score. It’ll be a 9.95, the crowd here isn’t happy.
Wojcik (Mich): Ok just coming over from Brown’s routine. Small wobble on the front aerial, but very nice flic flic lay series. Good landing on the roundoff 1.5
After 1: Denver 49.600, Michigan 49.375, Minnesota 49.275, Arizona 49.125
Everyone had a pretty good start to the meet! Michigan had a fall from its leadoff but the Wolverines fought back and were able to drop the score. Denver put up a huge 49.600 on floor and is really feeding off of its home crowd. Arizona and Minnesota also put up some nice scores to start their night.
Rotation 2: Denver VT, Arizona UB, Minnesota BB, Michigan FX
B. Mabanta (DU): Nice Yurchenko full, good form in the air, just a hop back.
Koulos (Mich): Really nice 2.5 to front tuck to start. Nice switch half to wolf full. Finishes with a nice double pike.
Brown (DU): Yurchenko 1.5, a little underrotated and took a step back.
Pearl (Minn): Flic lay, wobbles and takes a step but stays on. Switch leap straddle quarter, great flexibility there. Beautiful front aerial to beat jump. Back handspring to side gainer full dismount, nice landing!
Rosie Casali just sat her vault down.
McCabe (UA): Blind into a piked Jaeger. Nice shootover down to low. Good last handstand. Sticks her double layout, just some leg separation!
Wojcik (Mich): Beautiful tour jete full. Following a 9.95. Nice back 1.5 to front layout. Tour jete half to Popa. Double pike for her last pass, lunges forward instead of back.
Raskin (UA): Blind into a super high Jaeger. Nice shootover. Double layout dismount, pikes down a little but sticks it.
Dekanoidze (UNC): Really nice Yurchenko full! Great form throughout just a hop in place.
Nylin (Minn): Flic flic lay, no wobble at all! Split jump to straddle quarter. Hitch kick to switch side, maybe some flexed feet. Nice gainer pike and she sticks it!
Brooks (Mich): Starts with a really nice full in, maybe some bent legs on the landing but overall nice. Tour jete half to split full. Front tuck through to a double tuck and she sticks it! It’s a 10! One judge gave her a 9.9…
Guggino (Mich): Nice double pike to start out. Very floaty front layout front full. Nice switch side to Popa. Nice Rudi, she got some height on that.
After 2: Michigan 99.075, Denver 98.7, Minnesota 98.425, Arizona 98.225
Denver got off to a strong start but coudn’t quite keep it going on vault, but that is to be expected with Rylie Mundell and Mila Brusch out tonight. Michigan had a stellar floor rotation including a 10 from Sierra Brooks. Arizona had a fall on bars but fought back and put up a 49.100. Michigan has taken the lead with Denver behind them, but Minnesota is headed to one of its strongest events.
Rotation 3: Michigan VT, Denver UB, Arizona BB, Minnesota FX
Fears (UA): Split jump to start off. Nice flic lay, tiny balance check but nothing huge. Cat leap to side aerial. Stuck roundoff 1.5!
Wilson (Mich): Stuck Yurchenko 1.5! Maybe just some bent knees in the air but overall very nice!
Casali (DU): Floaty Maloney to a shootover, a little archy but saves it. Really high double layout but hops back.
Leneave (Minn): Nice double pike, just a big lunge. Switch half to wolf full. Back 1.5 to front layout, almsot steps out but stays in. Finishes with a nice double tuck.
Morrison (Mich): Another stuck Yurchenko 1.5!
Brooks (Mich): Yurchenko 1.5, I don’t know if it was perfectly stuck but it was pretty good!
Linton (UA): Nice double wolf turn. Flic flic lay, wobbles but stays on. Switch leap split jump. Roundoff 1.5 dismount, just hops forwards.
Johnson (Minn): Front full front half for her first pass. Beautiful switch side to Popa. Really high double tuck, just steps into her lunge pretty quick. Nice routine!
Rorich (DU): Beautiful first handstand. Blind into a Jaeger. Archy second handstand but doesn’t go over. Nice shootover. Hops back on the double layout.
Gerdes (Minn): Front tuck through to a nice controlled double tuck. Switch ring to tour jete half to split full, very nice form throughout. Beautiful double pike to finish!
Hargrove (UA): Really pretty flic lay. Cat leap to side aerial. Split jump to sheep jump, pretty big wobble but stays on. Tiny shuffle back on the roundoff 1.5.
Hutchinson (DU): Nice Maloney to Pak, some foot separation on the Pak. Great last handstand. Sticks the double layout! That should be a nice score following Brown’s 9.950.
Hooten (Minn): Starts with a really nice full in. Beautiful switch side to Popa. Front full to a super floaty front pike. Nice double tuck to finish!
Dekanoidze (UNC): Beautiful Maloney to shootover. Nails the last handstand and sticks the double layout! Great routine!
Diab (ISU): Front double twist to a front layout, absolutely gorgeous. Tour jete half to Popa, great flexibility. Very high front layout to front full. Even the Minnesota parents section has adopted her, they’re clapping along to her routine! Finishes with a Rudi to a very floaty layout stepout.
After 3: Michigan 148.600, 147.950, Minnesota 147.925, Arizona 147.525
Well, Minnesota sure is making this interesting! The Gophers had an outstanding floor rotation, and Denver can’t seem to catch momentum over on bars. Michigan put up some good vaults but didn’t score quite as high as it’s used to. Minnesota is just trailing Denver by the slimmest possible margin. Minnesota heads to vault and Denver to beam.
Rotation 4: Minnesota VT, Michigan UB, Denver BB, Arizona FX
LaRusso (UA): Awesome front double twist, great control on the landing. Cat leap to switch side to Popa. Nice back 1.5 to front layout. Beautiful Rudi to finish it up!
Lynnzee Brown had an amazing beam routine, whenever I glanced over she was very solid and the crowd is chanting for a 10!
B. Mabanta (DU): Nice wolf turn. Following Brown’s 9.950. Beautiful flic lay. Split leap to switch half, wobbles but saves it. Switch leap to split jump, beautiful as usual. Gainer pike dismount with a great landing!
Remlinger (Minn): Tucked Yurchenko 1.5, not a perfect stick but pretty darn good!
Gerdes (Minn): Yurchenko 1.5, nice in the air but steps forward.
Ruiz (DU): Hitch kick to switch side, very nice. Nice flic lay. Side aerial to split jump and she falls. Sticks her gainer pike dismount.
Fears (UA): Really nice double tuck. Switch side to Popa. Nice Rudi. Finishes with a beautiful back 1.5 to front full.
Quarles (Minn): Stuck Yurchenko 1.5! Very nice vault.
Schlottman (DU): Alright, pressure after a fall. Flic lay. Switch leap to straddle three quarter. Solid side aerial. Back handspring to side gainer full and takes a step back.
Mueller (UA): very nice double pike. Beautiful switch side to Popa. Back 1.5 to front layout, very nice control on the landing. Finishes with a double tuck.
Thompson (DU): Side aerial to back handspring, I thought it was crooked but she was all good. Switch leap switch leap, a little wobbly, I honestly don’t know how she didn’t fall. Side aerial to back 1.5 dismount, just a small hop.
Hutchinson (DU): Nice front toss to back handspring. Switch leap to split jump. Beautiful piked front toss. Cartwheel to a stuck side gainer full! Will it be enough? I don’t know what score she needs! It’s a 9.975, I thought I saw a wobble and at least one judge agrees.
Hargrove (UA): Beautiful full in for her first pass. Nice back half to front full, great control and form in the air. Switch ring to switch full. Awesome double tuck to finish up!
Knower (UNC): Really high double pike! The whole crowd is with her for this routine! Front full to front layout, man does she get some height! Tour jete half to split full. Awesome double tuck to end the meet!
Final: Michigan 198.025, Denver 197.450, Minnesota 197.200, Arizona 196.975
Michigan and Denver will advance to Sunday! Minnesota made it tough for Denver, the Gophers fought all the way to the end and came up just short. But don’t forget about Arizona! The Wildcats also kept it interesting and scored a 196.975, which is their second highest score of the year! As of now, Michigan looks like a clear favorite to win Sunday’s final.
Event Winners:
Vault: Hargrove and Morrison, 9.950
Bars: Wojcik, 9.975
Beam: Hutchinson, 9.975
Floor: Brooks, 10.000
All Around: Heiskell, 39.675
READ THIS NEXT: 2023 Denver Regional Preview
Live blog by Emily Lockard
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