College gymnastics season is finally back! I’ve been waiting for this since April, and I hope you’re as excited as I am! Today’s matchup features Temple and West Virginia. Temple has been straying farther from qualifying to regionals every year. The Owls finished the season ranked 49th in the country and only sent two gymnasts to compete in the postseason. Temple also lost four gymnasts to the transfer portal, one of them being vault star Ashley Glynn. Today is important for the Owls, they need to prove that the remaining gymnasts on the team can step up to the plate.
The Mountaineers are coming off of a successful season. They put up a high score of 197.325 and qualified to the second round of the Pittsburgh regional. While West Virginia did lose some of its big stars like Emily Holmes-Hackerd, Kendra Combs, and Kianna Yancey, it’s bringing in two former three-star recruits in Amber Lowe and Jurnee Lane. The Mountaineers should have no trouble winning this meet, but it will be important for both teams to put up a big score to start the season off on a good note.
Temple is coming off of a 192.25 on Friday at the Keystone Classic. The Owls had to count multiple falls on beam. With the first meet jitters out of the way, hopefully today will be better!
Rotation 1: West Virginia VT, Temple UB
Nelson (WVU): Solid stuck Yurchenko full to start them off. Slightly flexed feet and pike down, but a solid leadoff! 9.75
Elmore (TU): Starts with a toe on to handstand, a little archy. Nice Tkatchev just some flexed feet throughout. Bail to the low bar. Tiny bit short on the last handstand, blind full to a double pike and her chest was down so she took a big step forward. 9.35
Alban (WVU): Yurchenko full with a small hop backwards, she had a really nice straight body position throughout. 9.725
Weklar (TU): Nice handstand to start out, almost went over but saved it. Nice Maloney to the high bar but not enough power on the shootover and she straddles and falls off. Gets back up and nails the last handstand. A little shaky on the blind full into her double tuck, but nice landing. 8.875
Lewis (WVU): Another really nice Yurchenko full. Great body position throughout and great block, just the tiniest hop back. 9.75
DeHaan (TU): Short on the first handstand. Beautiful blind to piked Jaeger to a bail. Short on that last handstand, again a little shaky on the blind full and takes a step back on the double tuck. The Owls look very nervous, they need to settle down. 9.45
Pierson (WVU): Gorgeous Yurchenko full, beautiful form and got a lot of distance. Just a small hop back on the landing. 9.725. Honestly these vault scores seem a tiny bit low, these are really strong vaults. But that might just be because it’s the first meet weekend of the year and scores are tighter!
Hogan (TU): Gorgeous first handstand to a nice Maloney. Solid shootover, just a tiny bit short of handstand. Nice last handstand, some leg separation on the blind full and takes a step back on the double tuck. The blind fulls seem to be tripping everyone up. 9.425
Wehry (WVU): Wow, really nice front pike half. Lots of height, just takes a small hop forward on the landing. 9.7
S. Stallings (TU): Blind to a nice piked Jaeger. Very nice shootover, really hit that handstand. Really nice last handstand, blind full and a stuck double tuck! That blind full was a lot better than the others, she just looked a lot more confident overall. 9.85
Muns (WVU): Yurchenko full, some slight leg separation and pike down. She had a lot of power so she had a decent hop back. 9.75
Whalen (TU): Beautiful first handstand to a shootver to a toe Hecht. Nice between the bar Tkatchev. Nails and holds that last handstand. Beautiful full in and she stumbles backward and falls. That’s really a shame, that was a gorgeous routine. 9.05
After 1: West Virginia 48.700, Temple 47.075
West Virginia had a really nice vault rotation to start out! The Mountaineers’ vaults already look very strong, especially considering it’s only their first meet of the year. Plenty of amplitude and plenty of potential going forward with the season. On the other hand, Temple had a rough first rotation on bars. It just looked like the Owls were nervous, and they ended up having to count a fall after their anchor fell on the dismount. Hopefully Temple can reset and put up some good vaults.
Rotation 2: Temple VT, West Virginia UB
Weklar (TU): Yurchenko half with a pretty decent step backwards on the landing. 9.575
Smith (WVU): Starts with a nice handstand. Free hip onto a Tkatchev. Some slight flexed feet. Beautiful shootover to the low bar. Nice last handstand. Hits the double layout with a small step backwards. Good start on bars for West Virginia! 9.75
Ruskey (TU): Nice Yurchenko full, she was decently piked on the way down and shuffled on the landing, but that vault looked better than the first, so hopefully they continue to build. 9.6
Lowe (WVU): Blind into a piked Jaeger to start out. Nice Pak to a switch kip. A little short on the last handstand, but a beautiful blind full into a double tuck, just hops the tiniest bit on the landing. 9.725
Dorunda (TU): Wow. That was a beautiful Yurchenko half. Super straight body throughout and drilled the landing. That should be a good score for the Owls. 9.775
Pierson (WVU): Straddle back half to start out, just a little loose in the air. Nice Toe Hecht to get back to the high bar. I like her straight body cast handstands. Toe on front pike half dismount and a nice landing. 9.65, probably just because of some general looseness throughout.
Schugman (TU): Another solid Yurchenko full, a slight pike down and hop back, but that was another good vault! 9.675
McDonnell (WVU): Nice handstands to start into a Maloney to Pak combination. Lots of leg separation on that Pak, she was almost fully straddled. Very nice pirouette on the low bar, she was right on top. Nice last handstand and a stuck full in dismount! Really nice debut from the freshman. 9.625
H. Stallings (TU): Yurchenko half, she must’ve slipped or just not gotten a good block because she opened way too early and fell. I don’t think she touched her feet first either. That’s not what the Owls wanted. 8.7
Alban (WVU): Starts on the high bar with a short handstand into a Geinger. Nice shootover to the low bar, she’s going very fast. She’s just short on most of these handstands. Finishes up with a very straight double layout and takes a hop back. 9.65
Aresta (TU): Yurchenko full, she gets some nice height but she was very piked down at the end and took a big step forward. 9.5
Wehry (WVU): Gorgeous handstands to start out on the low bar. Maloney to Pak combination, her feet were glued together in that Maloney. Just the tiniest bit short on that last handstand. Nice toe on pike half dismount with a small step on the landing. I loved her handstands and her beautiful form throughout! 9.725
After 2: West Virginia 97.200, Temple 95.200
West Virginia had another good rotation on bars. There were some form issues, but ultimately everyone hit their routines and showed some room for growth. Temple bounced back and had a better vault rotation after some shaky bar routines, but there was still a fall from veteran Hannah Stallings. Luckily the rest of their lineup hit so they didn’t have to count the fall. Temple just needs to work on its positions in the air and the scores could go up.
Rotation 3: West Virginia BB, Temple FX
Lowe (WVU): Wow, we’ve got a freshmen leading off, I’m excited! Side aerial to side aerial series, put her leg up at the end but stayed calm. Nice split three quarter. Roundoff 1.5 dismount with a small hop forward. Really nice leadoff, especially from a freshman! 9.75
Ruskey (TU): Starts off with a front tuck through to a double tuck, her lunge out of it was pretty big but she kept that front foot down. Nice switch side half to Popa, she showed some really nice flexibility in both skills. Finishes up with a double pike, her rotation was slow so her chest was down, but ultimately that was a good leadoff routine! 9.6
Pierson (WVU): Starts with a standing front tuck with a pretty big leg up wobble but she stays on. Back handspring to two foot layout series and she falls off. Beat jump to split half was nice. Dismounts with a back handspring to tucked 1.5 with a slight hop. It’s a shame she fell because the rest was really pretty! 9.05
Dorunda (TU): Her first pass is a really solid double tuck, maybe a tiny shuffle on the landing but that’s being picky. Switch side to Popa to wolf full was good. Her dance looks confident but I wish she’d use her face while she danced! Finishes up with a front layout to Rudi, beautiful form throughout and a great landing. That score should be higher than Ruskey’s 9.6. 9.75
Smith (WVU): She opens up with a layout layout series, she looks very confident but she had some bent legs. Cat leap to switch side, maybe a little short of 180. Nice pike jump! I love seeing those. And she sticks the roundoff 1.5 dismount! That’s exactly what the Mountaineers needed after a fall, she looked very confident.
H. Stallings (TU): She just started and I already love her dance, she’s very sharp. Starts off with a back 1.5 to front layout, really nice landing just some leg separation on the front layout. Switch leap to switch side ring, lacking a little bit of height but it was good. Finishes up with a Rudi, and another good landing! 9.65
Brown (WVU): Really nice flic flic lay series to start out but she missed her foot and fell off, which is so sad because it was really gorgeous throughout. Nice switch leap to split jump, just a bit short of 180. Really good roundoff double full dismount and she stuck the landing. She did a great job finishing up strong after a scary-looking fall. 8.925
Monk (TU): Front tuck through to a nice double pike, her chest was just a little bit low on that landing. She is really having fun with the dance, I love it! Tour jete half to split full was nice, good rotation. Finishes with a front double full, love it! She did step sideways on the landing but I”m very impressed with her finishing with an E!
Nelson (WVU): Gorgeous front aerial into toflic flic series, she wobbles on the landing but saves it. Nice switch side, good straddle position. Nice back handspring to side gainer full. She had a good landing but some bent legs in the back handspring.
Schugman (TU): First pass is a back 1.5 to front full, great form and a great landing! Uh oh I missed the leap pass, if you know me you know I’m good for at least one of those per meet! Unfortunately she fell and put her hands down on her double pike. 9.025
Wehry (WVU): Switch leap to a flic lay series, just some wobbles throughout all of that. She seems nervous. Side aerial to two feet, really nice landing on that. Split jump to a really nice straddle half, she showed some really nice flexibility on that. Dismounts with a front gainer full and takes a small step back. 9.725
Donabedian (TU): Starts out with a Rudi to a back layout stepout, just a little loose on the layout. Tour jete ring half was super nice! Nice 1.5 leg up turn. Finishes with a front double full with a very controlled landing, she knew exactly where she was! 9.825
After 3: West Virginia 145.100, Temple 143.800
West Virginia showed us some confident beam routines at the beginning of the lineup, but was ultimately forced to count a fall. Temple bounced back well in this rotation and only had one fall on floor. The rotation was capped off by Brooke Donabedian’s 9.825.
Rotation 4: Temple BB, West Virginia FX
Schugman (TU): Beat jump to switch side to start out, slightly short of 180. Front aerial front aerial series was super pretty and solid. Really nice roundoff to 1.5 dismount with a tiny hop forward. Great start for Temple, that’s what they need after the beam day it had on Friday.
Lewis (WVU): Starts off with a Rudi to a back layout stepout, it looked like her knees buckled going into the layout so it was super low but somehow she landed, I’m impressed. Nice tour jete half to split full, really good flexibility. Her last pass is a nice high double tuck and she stuck the landing! Good strong finish after that weird first pass. 9.525
Aresta (TU): Flic lay series to start out, super bent leg and she fell off. She looked nervous from the beginning of the routine. Cat leap to switch side with another wobble. Beat jump to straddle three quarter, much more solid that time. Finishes up with a back handspring to 1.5 with a big step backwards.
Alban (WVU): Really nice double pike to start the routine, great height and a great landing! Front layout to front full, she gets awesome height on her tumbling. Switch side to wolf full was good. Finishes with a double tuck and she jumps into the lunge, her chest was a little low, but that was a great bounce back routine after Lewis.
White (TU): Flic flic lay, she misses a foot and falls onto her back on the floor. She takes a breath and gets back up. Switch leap to straddle jump with a small wobble. Dismounts with a roundoff 1.5 and takes a small hop.
Lane (WVU): This was supposed to be Ellen Collins, let’s see how the freshman does! Starts with a a Rudi to layout to a big split jump! Lots of power there. Nice tour jete half to split full. Nice front double full for her next pass, really nice control on the landing. Great routine!
Dorunda (TU): Flic flic lay series to start, she wobbles a bit but stays on. Cat leap to switch side was very solid. Cartwheel to 1.5, she sticks the landing but she really fought for it. Good routine after two falls! Hopefully that sets up the rest of the lineup for success.
Nelson (WVU): Starts with a Rudi to what looked like a back tuck. She’s grabbing her ankle and the music stops. Hopefully she’s ok.
S. Stallings (TU): Very confident dance to begin the routine. Super solid flic flic lay series, no wobbles there! Switch leap to split jump, great split positions. Nice split half, maybe some slightly bent legs. Roundoff 1.5 dismount and steps sideways on the landing. 9.75
Lowe (WVU): First pass is a double tuck, slightly low chest on the landing but I”m being picky. Tour jete half to split full, shows off great flexibility. Back 1.5 to front layout, good control on the landing. Finishes with a double pike, just didn’t have the rotation and landed super short but kept her hands up. Good for her doing that routine after her teammate got injured! 9.6
Also apologies about the lack of scores! The website isn’t updating and the broadcast isn’t updating well either.
Donabedian (TU): Switch leap to ring jump with a wobble to start out. Front aerial to back handspring was gorgeous. Cat leap to side Sumi with a very slight wobble. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5 and fights for that stick!
Pierson (WVU): Starts with a nice double layout, slightly piked down and has to lunge forwards instead of backwards. Gorgeous switch side wolf full Popa, she has great straddle positions. Beautiful front handspring front layout front full, she has great shapes and height throughout. Great anchor to finish off a tougher lineup.
Final: West Virginia 193.75, Temple 191.85
This meet looked like what you’d expect for a season opener from West Virginia. There were some small mistakes here and there but the Mountaineers showed great potential. Unfortunately, Temple had a tougher meet. The Owls had to count falls on bars and beam and their score went down from Friday.
Event Winners:
Vault: Dorunda, Temple, 9.775
Bars: S. Stallings, Temple, 9.800
Again, I don’t know the final scores for beam and floor because the site isn’t updating. Apologies!
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Live Blog by Emily Lockard
