ESPN Events’ first gymnastics meet kicks off today with the opening session of the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad! We get four different conferences represented here in the Maverik Center tonight, as the Big Ten’s Nebraska, Mountain West’s Boise State, ACC’s North Carolina, and Pac-12’s Arizona will battle in what could be a very competitive session—even if the rankings don’t indicate it.
The Huskers got off to the best start of the season among these four, as a strong season debut on floor pushed them over the 196 mark and into the top 20 in the rankings. Utah transfer Lucy Stanhope made her mark immediately, competing on three events (plus a bars exhibition) after being primarily a vault specialist for the Utes, and Emma Spence led per usual with three scores over 9.8.
The mid-194 the Broncos put up in their opener at Utah isn’t indicative of how good this roster actually is. Courtney Blackson is the reigning NCAA vault runner-up and has a perfect 10 career-high (although she only vaulted a Yurchenko full instead of a one and a half in her 2024 debut), and Emily Lopez is also a nationals qualifier with a perfect 10 to her name—hers came on bars. The Tar Heels underperformed in their opener as well, as Lali Dekanoidze, Julia Knower and company are expected to be a regionals team again this season, which their 193 season-opening total would not suggest.
The Wildcats were idle Week 1, and thus enter as the lowest-ranked team. But, Malia Hargrove is an all around threat while Caroline Herry has put up some impressive and consistent vault and floor scores in her career as Arizona is expected to threaten for a finish in the top 25 this season.
Follow along with video (ACC Network) and scores!
Rotation 1: Arizona Vault, Boise State Bars, Nebraska Beam, North Carolina Floor
Herry (AZ): YFull. Good block, slight pike, small hop back. 9.675
Sikon (Neb): Cartwheel down to a knee, BHS LOSO, leaned to her left, cat leap to switch half, just shy of 180, full turn, dismounts with BHS tucked 1.5, leg separation at the end but stuck, and the new kind of stick, too. 9.800
Strom (AZ): Yfull. Very clean in the air, slides back. 9.750
McGovern (Boise): Good handstand, clear hip to Geinger to overshoot, messy legs, FTDT dismount and a slide back. 9.575
Stanhope (Neb): Forward roll mount, full turn, tiny adjustment into choreo, BHS LOSO, shuffles her feet and falls, remounts, side aerial, bent over to save it, switch leap split jump, dismounts RO 1.5, small hop forward. 9.225
Fears (AZ): Yfull. Sky-high, lean forward hop in place. 9.825
Hamby (Boise): Ray to overshoot, no issues, short final handstand, nice double layout, hop back. 9.825
Rueda (UNC): Opens with a great full-in but steps OOB, tour jete half to split full, RO 1.5 front layout, holds to save the short final salto, short double tuck to close, low chest and a lunge. 9.550
Hargrove (AZ): Y1.5. GREAT form, tiny hop forward. 9.900
Simpton (Neb): Starts with BHS BHS LOSO, was off on the second skill and falls, remounts, huge check on the full turn, cartwheel down to the beam, split jump to sheep jump, great toe point, gainer full dismount, piked it down to a hop in place. 8.650
Martin (AZ): Yfull. Lots of height, soft knees and ankles, small hop. 9.750
Forbes (UNC): Giant full-in to start, front layout front full, no problems so far, slightly underrotated on her leap series, dismounts with a double tuck, so much power, great landing. 9.800
Blackson (Boise): Hits first handstand into bail, solid, blind change to Markelov, dismounts double layout with a shuffle. 9.825
Spence (Neb): Front aerial to BHS BHS, was off-line but pulled it back on, switch leap to beat jump, dismounts RO 1.5, under and slides back a tad. 9.775
Knower (UNC): Big double pike, easy landing, front full front layout second pass, problem-free, tour jete full to split full, shuffles into choreo to hide her being short, closing double tuck is a bit short, steps to the side. 9.800
Lopez (Boise): Such great lines, giant half to piked Jaeger, good bail, sticks the double layout! 9.900
Fink (UNC): Mounts with a double pike, easy landing, RO 2.5 second pass, big step forward, but just the one step, switch ring through to sold wolf jumps, finishes with RO 1.5 and a whipped around front layout. 9.700
After 1: Boise State, 49.225, Arizona 49.000, North Carolina 48.850, Nebraska 48.500
A solid opening rotation! The Broncos used their best event, capped off by the rotation’s highest score, to take the lead and set the standard. Arizona will be happy with its 49 to start its season, with Hargrove’s one and a half looking great and scoring equally as well. A few short landings held back the Tar Heels from the ideal 49-plus start, but they’re still within reach with their better events ahead of them. Counting a fall is never ideal, and with the Cornhuskers needing to excel on beam, in particular, to win according to our meet predictor, things may already be over for Nebraska without help from everyone else.
Rotation 2: North Carolina Vault, Arizona Bars, Boise State Beam, Nebraska Floor
Mueller (AZ): Toe on to Tkatchev, bail, loose back but hits the handstand, dismounts double layout, small hop in place. 9.800
Bacskay (Neb): RO 2.5 front tuck to open, switch side staddle full, bouncy and high, great closing double pike. 9.900!
Fink (UNC): Yfull. Decent distance, hops back. 9.725
Hargrove (AZ): Clear hip to Tkatchev, low amplitude, solid bail, works the final handstand, sticks the FTDT dismount. 9.800
Stanhope (Neb): Gets underway with a RO 1.5 front layout, great height in both skills, good leap series, ends with a double tuck, back leg flies up and she hops back but stays in bounds. 9.825
Loyim (Boise): BHS LOSO, snaps her legs together, full turn, side aerial, switch leap switch leap directly into a gainer full, tiny hop back. 9.675
Rourke (Neb): Mounts with front tuck to double tuck, hops into the lunge, cleanly through her leaps, ends with a double pike, over-rotates and stumbles OOB before eventually falling.
Forbes (UNC): Y1.5. Great distance, commits to the stick and lays out her body but comes up way short and sticks it. 9.350
McCabe (AZ): Great first handstand, blind change to piked Jaeger, works the KCH, nice bail, dismounts double layout, shuffles back. 9.800
Dekanoidze (UNC): Yfull. Pencil straight in the air, tiny hop back. 9.825
Popp (Boise): BHS BHS back pike/layout, no wobbles at all, hard to tell position from my angle, hits her leaps, slightly shy of 180 on the switch half, gainer full dismount. 9.875
Comin (Neb): Big full-in, tour jete half to wolf full X2, hits her spots, RO 1.5 front layout right into choreography to end. 9.925
Derr (AZ): Toe on toe Ray, catches close, Pak, superb toe point, dismounts FTDT and very close to the bar but sticks. 9.725
McClelland (Neb): Gets going with a front double full, soft knees right at the end, switch half to straddle full to straddle, a little shy of rotation in the middle there, ends with a Rudi LOSO, cleanly landed. 9.875
Fears (AZ): Tkatchev, no problems, held handstand, bail, hitting all her positions, dismounts double layout, fights for the stick but hops forward. 9.825
Spence (Neb): Gets all the eyes on her to close out the rotation, thank goodness she can perform, tight double tuck, small slide on the lunge, wolf double, no issues, switch ring to tour jete half, finishes up with a big double pike, bounces back. 9.825
Rotation Totals: North Carolina 48.750, Arizona, 49.050, Boise State 48.775, Nebraska 49.350
After 2: Arizona 98.050, Boise State 98.000, Nebraska 97.850, North Carolina 97.600
And just like that, we’ve got a lead change! Bars has been the Wildcats’ weakness in recent years, so breaking 49 to start the season is a sign of huge improvement there. Boise State held on on beam, but those wobbles cost them tenths that cost them the lead. The Tar Heels let landings get the best of them on vault, but now move to an event where they can really draw in their big scores. The Cornhuskers are going to make me eat my words as they responded to counting a fall the way they had to, with a standout floor rotation. Bacskay’s opening 9.9 set them up for huge scores, and Nebraska mostly delivered. Can it claw all the way back with some hit 10.0 vaults?
Rotation 3: Nebraska Vault, North Carolina Bars, Arizona Beam, Boise State Floor
Davis (Neb): Yfull. Stuck cold, piked a bit for it. 9.825
Naranjo (UNC): Toe on to Ray, caught cleanly, toe on to Pak, tiny leg separation, dismounts double tuck, hop forward. 9.650
Vulaj (Boise): Opens with RO 1.5 front full, short but holds for the stick, spins at the end of her leaps, so short, closes with a double tuck, chest down but controlled lunge. 9.850
Hall (Neb): Yfull. Big air, chest a bit forward to small hop forward into the salute. 9.825
Mueller (AZ): Side aerial LOSO, secure landing, lots of choreo, switch leap to straddle jump, slightest of leans to her right, full turn, dismounts, RO 1.5, flairs it out but hops forward. 9.775
Stanhope (Neb): Yfull. Lots of distance, chest forward and hop forward. Falls to the mat grabbing her ankle. Has to be helped off by coaches. 9.675
Comin (Neb): Y1.5. Great amplitude, soft knees a tad and just a small step forward. 9.850
Schaefer (UNC): Blind change to great Jaeger, hitting handstands too, clear hip to bail, tiny bit short, dismounts FTDT, didn’t have the angle to see a stick or not. 9.925
Loyim (Boise): Mounts with a whip double tuck, controlled landing, switch side staddle full straddle, no problems, double pike is landed well, chest a bit low. 9.950
Bacskay (Neb): Y1.5. Good distance, step forward, loose form. 9.825
Dekanoidze (UNC): Toe on, Maloney to bail, perfect, good last handstand, dismounts double layout, tiniest of slides back. 9.900
Spence (Neb): Y1.15. Wayyyyy short, stumbles back but avoids falling, huge squat. 9.500
Pascal (Boise): Double tuck, clean, pretty leaps, RO 1.5 front layout, legs glued together, dismounts Rudi to a booming split jump. Going to be another good number for the Broncos. 9.875
Forbes (UNC): Toe on, Maloney to bail, short of handstand, dismounts FTDT, hop back. 9.475
Blackson (Boise): Front double full to front tuck, well-controlled step forward, just shy of 180 in the leap series split, ends the rotation with RO 2.5 and another aggressively controlled step. 9.900
Rotation Totals: Nebraska 49.000, North Carolina 48.950, Arizona 49.025, Boise State 49.425
After 3: Boise State 147.475, Arizona 147.075, Nebraska 146.850, North Carolina 146.550
What a floor rotation from the Broncos! A giant mid-rotation 9.950 from Loyim gave Boise State a lot of momentum, and it ran with that. The Broncos have a sizable lead heading into a consistent event, so this is theirs to lose right now. The Wildcats did their job on beam, and now get to head to tonight’s highest-scoring event with hopes of a comeback. If Boise State is flat on vault, it’s possible. The Stanhope injury marred what was otherwise solid for the Huskers, but Spence’s near-miss was a missed opportunity to possibly get back into second place. The Tar Heels just missed 49 on bars, one of their better events, and will finish up on an event that wasn’t too kind to North Carolina a week ago.
Rotation 4: Boise State Vault, Nebraska Bars, North Carolina Beam, Arizona Floor
Gibson (Neb): Toe on, Maloney Pak, works the half pirouette, arm bend, dismounts double layout with a few steps back and no hold. 9.500
Deets (AZ): Split ring full, didn’t quite hit it, front layout front full, beautiful form, tour jete half straddle full, closes with a double tuck, good height, tiny front foot slide. 9.825
McGovern (Boise): Yfull. Quick twists, not a ton of height, small hop. 9.675
Simpton (Neb): Gets underway with toe on to Maloney to Pak, nice half pirouette, dismounts double layout with a slide. 9.850
Fears (AZ): Mounts with a double tuck, bouncy lunge, switch side straddle full, didn’t get her legs together to rebound into the straddle full, second pass Rudi, step forward, RO 1.5 front full, much better control. 9.850
Jencks (Neb): Mounts to the high bar, toe on, Ray to overshoot, fingertips catch but clean, hits last handstand, dismounts double layout, hop in place. 9.800
Popp (Boise): FHS pike half. Great pop and distance, slides back. 9.850
Strom (AZ): Rudi LOSO to open, switch leap to switch ring half, a bit off balance, closes with a RO 1.5 front full, gets the landing. 9.825
Colombo (Neb): Blind change to Jaeger, floaty Pak, dismounts giant half double front half, legs apart small hop. 9.600
Vulaj (Boise): Yfull-on pike off. Not much height, slide back. 9.850
Fink (UNC): Switch leap switch leap, solid, BHS LOSO LOSO, tiny lean but works it into choreo, smooth full turn, front aerial, quite the set up for it though, dismounts BHS 1.5 and a hop forward. 9.800
Lopez (Boise): Yfull. Piked down, fights for the stick but steps. 9.650
Spence (Neb): Maloney to Pak, nice Shaposh half, giant full double tuck and fights to get the stick, actually. 9.800
Herry (AZ): Starts off with a double tuck, kicks out, easy landing, switch half straddle full, bounces right out of it, RO 1.5 front layout, great form, dismounts double pike, no issues landing again. 9.900
Blackson (Boise): Yfull. Lots of height, bouncy landing, threw the back leg up to stabilize, should be back to the Y1.5 soon enough. 9.675
Hargrove (AZ): Begins with a full-in, chest down a bit, RO whip half front full, such great shape in her layouts, switch ring tour jete half, missed the ring position a bit but nailed the landing, ends with a double tuck, chest down a bit again but hits the lunge well. 9.900
Rotation Totals: Boise State 48.725, Nebraska 49.025, North Carolina 48.600, Arizona 49.400
Final: Arizona 196.475, Boise State 196.200, Nebraska 195.875, North Carolina 195.150
What an opening session of the Collegiate Quad! A back and forth affair resulted in an impressive season-opening win for the Wildcats and a much better outing for the Broncos. Arizona was expected to be a team on the rise, and this performance shows that. Boise State underperformed in Week 1, with tonight’s total much more reflective of what this roster is capable of. Nebraska ended up with a solid score despite falls and injuries attempting to derail its evening, while North Carolina also vastly improved on last week’s total with room still to grow.
Event Winners:
All Around: Fears (AZ), 39.250
Vault: Hargrove (AZ), 9.900
Bars: Davis (Neb), 9.975
Beam: McClelland (Neb), 9.900
Floor: Loyim (Boise), 9.950
Read this next: CGN Roundtable: Big Matchups, Schedules, and Underrated Meets in 2024
Live blog by Brandis Heffner
