LIVE BLOG: Pittsburgh Regional Final

Well, here we are. Half of the nationals field was set yesterday with Oklahoma, Kentucky, Utah and UCLA claiming tickets. Today the rest of the field will be solidified. Four teams will compete in this session and only two will move on to the NCAA Championships in two weeks for a chance at the coveted team title. One would expect Florida to claim one of those tickets, but Florida is without Trinity Thomas so anything can happen. That second spot is very much up for grabs. 

The season will end here for two of the teams in this session, and now it is time to find out who.

Rotation 1: California vault, Florida bars, Michigan State beam, Arizona State floor

Lee (ASU): Almost around on the front double full with the toes on the line. Clean back 1.5 to front layout. Short on the switch half after the switch ring. Clean Rudi to finish.

Li (CAL): Small hop back on her full. Good body position.

Kalefe (MSU): Stuck the gainer full with an arm circle.

Williams (CAL): Holds the landing on that full.

Harkness (MSU): Clean full turn. Holds the loso series. Tentative side aerial, but no check. Clean switch to switch. Stuck the side aerial to tucked 1.5.

DiCello (UF): Big Ray. Clean pak to toe on to Maloney half. Holds the stick on the FTDT with a body adjustment.

DeSourza (CAL): Small hop forward on her 1.5. Some knees.

Theodorou (ASU): Low chest on the opening pass. Short of rotation on the leaps. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout to end.

McCusker (UF): Leg separation on the Maloney, but not the pak. Bent elbows on the stalder and legs together on the double tuck with a step in place.

Jaslow (ASU): Strong double tuck landing to start. Good leap combination. Clean landing on the front layout front full. Little low chest on the double tuck, but controls the landing.

Stephen (MSU): Adjustment on the big front toss. Solid loso series. Holds the beat jump to split half. Sticks the double twist.

White (ASU): A little large of a step out of the front double full. Same kind of landing on the combo pass. Great landing on the front full to front layout.

Garcia (MSU): Great loso series. Smooth front aerial to split jump. Great toe point. Hit the dance combo as well. Slightly low chest on the bhs gainer full, but stuck.

Scharf (ASU): Bounce back out of the front tuck through to double tuck. High front full to front tuck. Front foot slide back a little on the double tuck landing.

After 1: Florida 49.575, Michigan State 49.425, Arizona State 49.300, California 49.275

Florida and Michigan State both got off to strong starts here. Arizona State would have liked a little bit more from that rotation, but was helps by some hops on vault landings for California. It is still anyone’s meet.

Rotation 2: Arizona State vault, California bars, Florida beam, Michigan State floor

Jaslow (ASU): Almost stuck full there. Just a small hop in place. Not the biggest full.

DeSouza (CAL): Over on the gaint half, close on the piked jaeger, but connected to the overshoot. Stuck the FTDT.

Reeves (ASU): Small hop back on her full. Good body position.

Frazier (CAL): Bent legs on the pak after the Maloney. Slight leg separations. Stuck the double layout.

Lazzari (UF): Super solid on the bhs loso loso. Great switch to split. Over extension in the leaps. Clean front aerial. Hop back on the gainer full.

Perea (CAL): Big pak and Maloney half. Great form. Hop back on the dismount.

Smith (ASU): Big 1.5 and she knocked over a coach on the landing celebration as it was stuck.

DiCello (UF): Strong wolf turn to start. Hit the switch to split. Solid loso series. Adjustment on the front aerial. Stuck the gainer full.

Harkness (MSU): Bounce back on the FTDT. A little lack of control in the leaps. Clean front through to double tuck.

Wong (UF): Clean switch to split leap. Solid loso series. Clean turn. Hit the front aerial to beat jump. Stuck the double full.

Cesario (CAL): Strong jaeger to overshoot combination. Hop back on the double layout.

Stephen (MSU): Ends with a strong double full.

McCusker (UF): Not the most controlled double wolf. Slow beat jump to front aerial connection with an adjustment at the end. Strong loso series. Hits the leap combo. Sticks the gainer full.

Ni. Smith (MSU): Fantastic FTDT landing. Switch half to Popa was done well. Nice rise and clean landing on the back 1.5 to front layout. High double tuck to end with a controlled lunge.

Richards (UF): Strong loso series. Slow switch half to beat jump connection. Hit the switch to straddle. Stuck the back 1,5 dismount.

Schulte (MSU): Controlled landing on the FTDT. Great amplitude on the switch half to Popa to straddle jump. Bounce back on the front tuck through to double tuck.

After 2: Florida 99.175, Michigan State 98.900, California 98.800, Arizona State 98.750

California was able to use a strong bars rotation to close the gap on Michigan State as well as jump over Arizona State, but it is very close. Michigan State will be looking for strong vault landings, while California will be looking for one of those senior weekend beam rotations to put the pressure on Florida on floor. Arizona State is not out of it either, and will be looking for strong numbers on bars.

Rotation 3: Michigan State vault, Arizona State bars, California beam, Florida floor

Ny. Smith (MSU): Underrotated that full trying to stick and hopped forward.

Reeves (ASU): Big jaeger to overshoot. Leg Separation on the double layout and slid to salute.

Garcia (MSU): Bigger full with a nice flair out and a hop back.

Samiley (ASU): Nice stalder. Good jaeger to overshoot. A little loose. Legs together on the double layout with a stuck landing.

Baumann (UF): Solid double wolf. Clean landing on the back 1.5 to front full. Huge switch side to straddle jump. Multiple steps back and out of bounds on the double pike.

Hsu (MSU): Hop back on her full. Good dynamics.

Schulte (MSU): Small hop on the landing of her full with good height and body position.

Scharf (ASU): Good position in the Maloney to pak. Might have been over on the cast half. Good FTDT.

Li (CAL): Smooth front aerial to loso. Some soft knees. Hit the switch to split. Stuck the tucked gainer full.

Ni. Smith (MSU): Step forward on the 1.5

White (ASU): Stuck the double layout dismount.

Stephen (MSU): Sizable hop back on her big full.

Frazier (CAL): Hit the front aerial to loso. Better form than Li there. Clean split to ring jump. Stuck the back 1.5

Wong (UF): A little under on the piked double Arabian to stag. Nice height on the jump combo. Great control on the back half to front full.

Lauzon (CAL): Love the back flexibility in the opening sequence. Slight lean on the bhs bhs loso. Clean switch to split. Stuck the ro double full. Great height on that.

DiCello (UF): A little lack of control on the opening front double full with the cross over step. Clean switch ring to switch half. Hit the double wolf. Very clean back 1.5 to front layout landing.

Perea (CAL): Solid double wolf. High front tuck to back tuck combination. Well connected. Great switch to split to beat. Stuck the side somi the back 1.5 tucked.

Blakely (UF): Step out of bounds on the double Arabian. Solid leap positions. Hit the back 1.5 to front layout.

After 3: Florida 148.500, California 148.450, Arizona State 148.250, Michigan State 148.125

That was a less than ideal lineup for Florida with having to count an out of bounds there. The Gators are still in good position heading into vault with solid landings. That was the beam rotation that California was looking for going into floor. Michigan State and Arizona State fell a little off the pace in that rotation, but neither team is out of it.

Rotation 4: Florida vault, Michigan State bars Arizona State beam, California floor

Schulte (MSU): Leg separation on the Maloney, but clean bail. Stuck the double layout dismount.

Wong (UF): Just a small hop back on her half on half off piked.

Zsarmani (MSU): Nice pak. Hit the Maloney to gienger. Leg separation in the double layout, but great landing.

Richards (UF): Sticks her 1.5. Good form in the air.

Reeves (ASU): Hit the bhs loso loso series. Short of split on the switch to split. Solid front aerial. Hop forward on the 1.5.

Blakely (UF): Sat down her 1.5

Perea (CAL): High double tuck. Around on the double wolf. Just shy on the switch full. Hit the back 1.5 to front layout. The 1.5 was a little wonky in the air.

Jackard (MSU): Great form on that jaeger. Hit the bail. Good tuck position in the double tuck after the giant full. Just a hop forward.

DiCello (UF): Slightly under on the 1.5 and takes a small hop back.

Ni. Smith (MSU): Clean form on the Maloney to pak. Stuck the double layout

Clark (UF): Big bounce back on her full. Good height.

Clark (ASU): Strong loso series. Clean split to stag. Hit the front aerial. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount.

Harkness (MSU): Very clean gienger. Nice bail. Low in the FTDT, but sticks it.

Edwards (UF): Big full, but a little under and has to hop forward.

Li (CAL): Clean landing on the front double full. Stays in on the combo pass. A little off on the leaps

White (ASU): Leg up on the loso series. Clean front aerial. Hit the jump combo. Good lift on the back 1.5 dismount and takes a step forward.

Lauzon (CAL): Great height on the front tuck out of the front double full. Nice jump combo. Stuck the combo pass cold.

Scharf (ASU): Solid loso series. Check on the side somi. Hit the switch to split. Tiny step on the back 1.5 dismount.

Frazier (CAL): Cal is already in before this routine. Huge double layout with a great landing. Great control and rotation on the leap combo. Great front through to double tuck.

FINAL: California 198.075, Florida 197.800, Michigan State 197.650, Arizona State 197.475

California went lights out the last two rotations to win this session and make it back to nationals after missing out last season. Florida was able to hold on there after having a fall in the lineup. Michigan State misses out on nationals by 0.150 and will look back at those vault landings. Arizona State put up a great performance and fight here.

Individuals advancing out of this regional along with California and Florida are:

VT: Ava Piedrahita (Penn State)
UB: Cassidy Rushlow (Penn State)
BB: Gabrielle Stephen (Michigan State)
FX: Delanie Harkness (Michigan State)
AA: Hannah Scharf (Arizona State)

READ THIS NEXT: 2023 Pittsburgh Regional Preview


Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker

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2 comments

  1. is Thomas competing for Florida today? They survived after her injury on Friday, but, could that affect today?

    1. She did not compete and her injury is day to day so that is a good thing but we are unsure of when she will come back. 🙁

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