LIVE BLOG: Pittsburgh Regional Round Two Session Two

Now that we have our round one winner in Penn State, No. 2 Florida, No. 15 Arizona State, and No. 24 Maryland will join the competition to compete for the last two spots in Sunday’s final. It would take a catastrophe for Florida to struggle here, but recall that Arizona State did have a rough beam outing in the last regular season meet, and all it would take was a similar performance here coupled with a strong day from one of the bottom two teams for an upset to occur. 

Trinity Thomas is one 10.000 away from tying the all time 10.000 record and two away from breaking it. That could easily happen this session as she scored two 10.000s in her last outing. Arizona State’s Sarah Clark has gone as high as 9.975 on bars this season and will be one to watch on the event as well as the Towson bars stars Grace Vaillancourt and Isabella Minervini. Maryland’s Emma Silberman has been a rock all year with her best all around performance coming in two of the last three meets and will be one to watch here.

Rotation 1: Penn State vault, Maryland bars, Florida beam, Arizona State floor

Vihrova (PSU): Stumbles back and falls on the front pike.

Lee (ASU): Not all the way around on the front double full, but takes a side step to cover. Lands the back 1.5 to front layout well. Clean switch ring to switch half. Controls the landing on the Rudi.

Johnston (PSU): Big full with a small hop back.

Lazzari (UF): Clean bhs loso loso. Hit the switch to split. Very solid front aerial. Steady on the full turn. Small hop back on the gainer full.

Salcedo (PSU): Not the biggest Omelianchik, but just a small hop forward.

Brozowski (MAR): Nice jaeger. Clean bail. Stuck the double layout.

Dicello (UF): Clean wolf turn. Tentative on the switch to split jump. Solid loso series. Clean front aerial. Stuck the gainer full dismount.

Piedrahita (PSU): Stuck her Omelianchik. That was great. Good form in the air and good dynamics.

Thomas (UF): Great switch leap mount connected to split leap. Solid one arm bhs to loso. Smooth beat jump to Korbut. Hops back on the side aerial to back 1.5

Silberman (MAR): Clean geiger. Hit the bail. Legs apart on the double layout and takes a rather large step back.

Wong (UF): Clean switch to split leap. Waiver on the loso series. Clean full turn. Solid front aerial to beat jump. Steps out of the dismount.

White (ASU): Controlled both the front double full and combo pass.

Minervini (TOW): Beautiful tkatchev to pak. Slightly short on the cast half. Stuck the double layout dismount.

McCusker (UF): Clean double wolf. Smooth beat jump to front aerial. Small waiver on loso series. Stuck gainer full.

Scharf (ASU): High front through to double tuck. Great rise in the combo pass. Controlled the landing on the double pike to end.

After 1: Florida 49.475, Arizona State 49.300, Maryland 49.275, Penn State 49.000

I know this is mostly about the team, but Minervini tied for the highest score of the rotation so that was fun. Florida got out to the start we would have expected, but Arizona State and Maryland are very close right now after one. Penn State is not far behind either, so this could get interesting.

Rotation 2: Arizona State vault, Penn State bars, Maryland beam, Florida floor

Jaslow (ASU): Piked in her full towards the end and took a hop back.

Silberman (MAR): Strong triple series. Some form. Hit the switch to straddle quarter. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount.

White (ASU): Bigger full with more open hips. A hop back on the landing.

Johnston (PSU): Some leg separation on the Maloney, but clean bail. Solid giant full and stuck the double back.

Baumann (UF): Solid landing out of the back 1.5 to front full. A couple steps back and out of bounds on the double pike.

Smith (ASU): Starts to run and her steps must have been off because she ran off the runway to the side. She is walking back to the end of the runway to restart. Steps back on her 1.5 when she does go.

Richards (UF): Big double layout and hops to the lunge position. Amplitude on the leaps was good. Strong landing on the back 1.5 to front full.

Piedrahita (PSU): Strong Maloney to pak. Some leg separation. Stuck the FTDT.

McClure (MAR): Great front toss to beat jump. Small hop on the Rudi dismount.

Wong (UF): One of her better landed piked double Arabians and connects to the stag. Clean leaps. Well controlled back half to front full.

Komoroski (MAR): Waiver on the loso series. Clean switch to split. Good position on the sheep jump. Small hop on the back 1.5.

Thomas (UF): Huge and floaty double layout landed perfectly. She had to stop after that pass for some reason. She might have gotten hurt. She stood there for a couple of seconds until her music stopped and she is now being walked to the back room.

Kogler (MAR): Solid triple series. Waiver on the front walkover. Clean switch to split. Overturns the full turn. Sticks the gainer full.

They have closed the doors of the back room where Trinity went.

Chemotti (EMU): Clean front aerial to bhs loso. Switch jump to split jump was clean. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount.

Dicello (UF): Not all the way around on the front double full, but works out of it. Clean double wolf. Solid back 1.5 to front layout.

Donabedian (TEM): Floaty Rudi to loso. Not all the way around on the leaps. Just a little short on the front double full and stutter steps.

After 2: Florida 98.975, Arizona State 98.650, Maryland 98.450, Penn State 98.325

The story of that rotation was Trinity Thomas. It seems like it may have been a cramp, but nothing has been reported yet. Florida was able to keep cruising without her and build a lead over Arizona State that is only a couple of tenths ahead on the third and fourth place teams, so anything can still happen.

Rotation 3: Florida vault, Arizona State bars, Penn State beam, Maryland floor

Wong (UF): Just a hop back on the half on half off piked. Good chest position.

Piedrahita (PSU): Strong loso series. Hit the cat leap to siade aerial. Slow connection. Switch to tuck 3/4s is solid. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount.

Rech (MAR): Strong landing on the back 1.5 to front layout to end.

Blakeley (UF): Hop forward on the her 1.5. Good dynamics.

LeBlanc (MAR): Around on the front double full with a crossover step. Back 1.5 to front tuck. I am pretty sure that was supposed to be a layout. Off on leap rotation. Strong Rudi to close.

Dicello (UF): Stuck 1.5 for her causing the Florida section to chant 10.

Salcedo (PSU): Lifted the front foot on the series. Step forward on the front tuck. Clean dance series. Her teammates were covering the landing of the dismount to tell if she stuck or not.

Clark (UF): Big full landed with her chest forward and a small hop.

Clark (ASU): Narrow straddle in the jaeger. Slight leg separation in the pak. Stuck the double layout dismount.

Osterhout (MAR): Strong opening pass. Quick to the lunge on the double pike.

Rushlow (PSU): Big leg up check on the loso series. Waiver on the cat leap to side aerial. Stuck the back 1.5.

Silberman (MAR): Low on the front full to front half to split jump. Clean front double full. Well around and controlled.

Johnston (PSU): Clean loso series. Short of position on the sheep jump after the split jump. College stuck the dismount.

McClure (MAR): High double tuck to open with good control. Bounce back on the Rudi. Around on the leaps. Front layout to front full was clean.

Renee Schugman (TEM): Short of rotation on the Popa as her second leap. Good control on the back 1.5 to front full. Short on the double pike and took a step forward into the lunge.

After 3: Florida 148.350, Arizona State 148.050, Maryland 147.675, Penn State 147.475

Florida was able to stay in front even with the two Yurchenko fulls to end the lineup. Arizona State has started to pull away as the second team, but the Sun Devils are headed to beam where a beam rotation like the team had against Oklahoma would open the door for both Penn State and Maryland.

Rotation 4: Maryland vault, Florida bars, Arizona State beam, Penn State floor

Lee (ASU): Waiver on the full turn. Big leg up check on the triple series. Split to sheep was solid. Small hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount.

Nguyen (UF): Leg separations on the Maloney to pak combination. Floaty double layout with a small skid back.

Reeves (ASU): Solid bhs bhs loso series. Some knees. Held the switch to split. Strong front aerial. Stuck the dismount.

McClure (MAR): Good full with some piking and a sizable hop back.

Dicello (UF): Stuck the FTDT dismount.

Piedrahita (PSU): Fully stuck the last double tuck.

Dicello got a 10 based on crowd reaction alone.

Weir (MAR): Strong full with some form and a hop back.

Wong (UF): Good Maloney to pak. Arches the handstand before the Maloney half. Sticks the double layout.

Johanson (PSU): Bounced out of the opening double pike. Clean back 1.5 to front half to straight jump. Jumps into the lunge out of the double back.

Rubio (MAR): Good body position in that full with a small hop back.

Clark (ASU): Solid loso series. Clean split jump to stag ring. Hit the front aerial. Almost sticks the back 1.5 dismount.

Vihrova (PSU): Low on the full in landing. Lands really crunchy. Awkward landing on the combo pass. Does a cross over step to stay up.

White (ASU): Clean stag ring. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount.

Salcedo (PSU): Big double front landed well. Great amplitude on the leaps. Super clean landing on the front layout to front full to front pike.

Scharf (ASU): Lifts the front foot on the loso series. Solid on the side somi. Clean switch to split. Holds the stick on the back 1.5 dismount with a lean.

Herring (PSU): Undercooks the double Arabian and takes a step back. Leap rotation may have been a little off. Very clean back 1.5 to front layout.

FINAL: Florida 197.875, Arizona State 197.325, Penn State 196.725, Maryland 196.675

Arizona State was able to hold on in that final rotation so Florida and Arizona State will compete against Michigan State and California on Sunday for a chance to compete at the NCAA championships. Penn State and Maryland’s seasons end here.

VT: DiCello 9.95
UB: DiCello 10.0
BB: Scharf, DiCello, McCusker 9.95
FX: Wong 9.975
AA: DiCello 39.8

READ THIS NEXT: 2023 Pittsburgh Regional Preview


Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker

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