This is an intriguing dual, made more intriguing by Iowa star Jerquavia Henderson announcing her apparent retirement yesterday. Iowa is likely still favored: The Hawkeyes, comfortable at home, still have plenty of depth, while the Washington team we saw at Super 16 is a team that’s still putting some things together. There is the potential for this one to get really close, though.
For Washington, a strong freshman class is working its way into lineups. Kristin Lin competed and hit three events in her debut, but will need to land better as the season goes on to meet her potential. Chelsea Hallinan was a resounding success in the lead off position on beam, while Mary McDonough, believed to be working back from a preseason injury, fell on her bars exhibition but showed great form that will definitely become part of the late-season picture for the Huskies. Avoiding a repeat of last week’s counted fall on bars is the easiest way for Washington to improve on its opening gambit.
Iowa is more of an unknown since this is its debut for the 2024 season. You can once again expect Adeline Kenlin and Karina Munoz as scoring leaders who contribute on three or four events each. Don’t forget transfer Ilka Juk, whose beam work looks the best it ever has and who can contribute a lot of stability to a historically streaky beam team. Freshmen like Eva Volpe and Olivia Dylnicki should be important here too, but it’s hard to project lineups for them.
Rotation 1: Iowa VT, Washington UB
Masella (Iowa): Yurchenko layout, nice body line, hop back. Iowa why are you vaulting a layout 9.55
Moody (UW): Maloney to Pak, a little low with leg sep, slightly imprecise half pirouette, misses a handstand on the high bar. Full in, hop back. 9.8
Volpe (Iowa): Nice dynamics on her FTY, not the highest, medium hop. 9.75
Oppegard (UW): Blind to Jaeger, elbows a smidge soft on the catch, maybe a little short on the bail. Making handstands, DLO stuck. 9.8
Chambers (Iowa): Yurchenko full, piked throughout, hop straight back. 9.75
Lin (UW): Toe to Gienger to overshoot, I know there’s a little leg sep on that Gienger but didn’t really see it there. FTDB a little deep with a small step.
Karenbauer (Iowa): FTY, flung out and piked down, big hop back. 9.625
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Competing in her home state! Shy on the first handstand, blind to Jaeger to overshoot very clean. Blind to half to double tuck with a baby hop. Good. 9.85
Kenlin (Iowa): FTY, straighter than the previous ones, medium hop. 9.85
Russon (UW): Jaeger, caught close, to overshoot. Short on the high bar handstand, DLO nearly stuck, just a foot shift. 9.825. Both of the gymnasts who fell last week for UW hit.
Munoz (Iowa): High straight FTY, tiny hop forward, just looked a bit surprised by the landing. 9.875
Tubbs (UW): Toe to Maloney to bail, great body line, clean so far. DLO with a little scoot back. 9.825
McDonough in the ex for Washington. Missed her Jaeger last week but they absolutely want her in this lineup once she’s ready, she is very clean. Jaeger to overshoot, made this week, stalder to double tuck dismount with a step back. Can probably clean up even more but I think that’s good enough for the lineup. 9.725
After 1: Washington 49.125, Iowa 48.850
Great recovery on bars from Washington after missing a couple of routines there last week. I’d like to see a sixth full from Iowa, but it was great to see Kenlin back in that rotation.
Rotation 2: Washington VT, Iowa UB
Innes (UW): Yurchenko full, piked down with a long step back.
Volpe (Iowa): Looked short on the first handstand, blind to Jaeger caught with bent arms. Good bail, toe point is great, DLO stuck-ish, maybe a foot shift. 9.8
Navarro (UW): FTY, high and clean, little scoot back. Best vault so far to my eye. 9.75 what lol
Rojas (Iowa): Toe to Gienger, very loose-legged on the catch, also lost a little leg form on her bail. Missed a handstand on the HB, FTDB dismount deep and swims a bit with her arms but holds the stick. 9.7
Tubbs (UW): FTY, another really straight body, small hop. 9.8
Masella (Iowa): Not sure on that first handstand, blind to Jaeger a little flat footed, bail. Missed a handstand on HB, double lay very airy with a hop. 9.825
Lin (UW): FTY, a little more hip angle than the previous ones, long hop-skip back. 9.65
Juk (Iowa): Toe to Maloney to Pak, major leg separation. Half pirouette, stalls on a cast handstand on high bar and misses the handstand, fights through her blind full to double tuck deep but stuck. 9.75
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): FTY FLARED with a hop back. Definitely a little more panache than her usual there. 9.775
Munoz (Iowa): Hop change to pike Jaeger good, nice Pak, solid half pirouette. Clear hip to double lay with a tiny hop.
Carnesi (UW): A new addition to this lineup, she was great in level 10. Piked down today with a hop back. 9.675
Kenlin (Iowa): Toe to Maloney with leg sep to Pak, switch kip. Toe full double tuck with a big hop back.
Hand down from Schrady in the ex for Washington.
Dylnicki bars exhibition, working hard to get through, missing handstands and low on her releases, but a good double lay.
After 2: Iowa 97.950, Washington 97.875
Rotation 3: Iowa BB, Washington FX
Volpe (Iowa): Nice full turn, BHS LOSO steady and clean. Switch to split quarter is fine, cat leap… check. Cat leap front aerial, adjustment. Tuck one and a half dismount stuck on her toes. 9.775
Innes (UW): Starting off hot with a music error. Front double full, long step forward. Tour jete half Popa underrotated. One and a half front lay is good, well controlled. Finishing with a Rudi, clean. Good start.
Ebeling (Iowa): BHS LOSO, aggressive! Nice side aerial, switch split split 3/4. Her arms are great, lots of flair. Gainer pike stuck. 9.875
Lin (UW): Rudi, little shuffle into the lunge, switch half Popa Popa stepped around. One and a half front lay, slightly oddly timed punch but no issues. Switch half to stag jump. 9.725
Rojas (Iowa): Full turn, BHS BHS LOSO with slightly soft knees but super secure landing. Switch switch to split, due to the angle I have honestly no idea whether she made the splits. Gainer full off the side stuck. 9.825
Pires (UW): One and a half front lay is good, orphan switch side, little scoot back on the double tuck. Tour jete half split full, maybe a little short on positions. 9.775
Munoz (Iowa): Switch switch half beat, a little chaotic but no check. BHS LOSO, big leg-up check, I thought she’d come off but she saved it. Really had no secure contact with the beam at all there. BHS gainer full with a hop back. 9.725 how lol.
Navarro (UW): Super secure double tuck. I did not grasp just how weird her music is last week. Switch side Popa is good, one and a half front lay and the punch isn’t right, has to tuck it down a little. Double pike, lunge steps forward.
Juk (Iowa): Clean BHS mount. BHS BHS LOSO, soft knees and a leg-up check. Switch, check. Switch to beat. Tic toc, pretty, full turn. Kochetkova with another big check. This routine is so long and has so much space for drama. Gainer full with a hop back.
McWilliams (UW): Nailed the Rudi LOSO. I forgot to write a lot because I was actually just having fun. Made the leaps, secure double pike to finish.
Kenlin (Iowa): Switch split 3/4 is great, solid BHS LOSO, full turn. Hitch kick side aerial, gainer full stuck on her heels with an arm swing.
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Front double full, great, switch to switch ring half. One and a half front lay to arabesque is pretty. Nice finish.
Karenbauer and Wickman are exhibitions
After 3: Iowa 147.100, Washington 146.925
Lots of potential there for Iowa with a few checks in otherwise great routines.
Rotation 4: Washington BB, Iowa FX
Hallinan (UW): Kickover front back tuck, fairly quick. It’s a risky series but she’s as good at it as anyone. Switch split is great. Full turn, check. Front aerial to beat. One and a half dismount stuck. 9.85
Ebeling (Iowa): Double pike, chest a little low. Great choreography. Switch ring switch ring half, front leg low in the second. One and a half front pike stuck! Double tuck, short, big step forward. 9.75
Innes (UW): Full turn, front aerial BHS clean. Cat leap side aerial, great, switch to straddle maybe just short of split. One and a half stuck. Not a lot to take on that. 9.85
Volpe (Iowa): Front lay to Rudi, leg form but good landing. Tour jete half split full looks good. Double pike, short, step forward. 9.775
Russon (UW): Front aerial BHS BHS, a touch slow in the front to back but not enough that I think they’ll take it. Switch to ring jump and her front leg is always a little low on that. Full turn. One and a half dismount, stuck dead. Building momentum. 9.875
Erb (Iowa): Double pike, nice. One and a half front lay with soft knees in the air and threatens to stall out in the air but gets it rotated. 9.875
Moody (UW): BHS LOSO good. Switch split, looked like one foot was a little off to me but makes it work. Side aerial to split. One and a half twist with a hop.
Karenbauer (Iowa): Full in, chest a little low but hops to lunge fine, the Hawkeyes are THRILLED. Switch side Popa is good. Front through double back, low chest again but again lunges well.
Navarro (UW): BHS BHS LOSO, small check. That could have been worse than it was. Beat to switch side, full turn, baby check. One and a half stuck-ish. The way this rotation is going that’s possibly droppable. 9.775
Libby (Iowa): Great front double full, nearly stuck. One and a half front lay with a bounce out, works it into dance. Tour jete half to switch half. Nice Rudi to finish. Good one!
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Front aerial BHS LOSO secure. Full turn, finishes on releve, kickover front with a little adjustment, switch split is good. Side aerial one and a half with just a foot shift. 9.925
Kenlin (Iowa): Front double full really solid. Nice leaps, tour jete half ring is as good as anyone can do it, one and a half front lay nice and straight. 9.925
FINAL: Iowa 196.400, Washington 196.250
It’s Washington on top today on the power of a great, great meet from Adeline Kenlin, but this is a big improvement for Washington over last week too!
VT: Karina Munoz 9.875
UB: Karina Munoz 9.875
BB: Adeline Kenlin 9.950
FX: Adeline Kenlin 9.925
AA: Adeline Kenlin 39.575
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Live blog by Rebecca Scally
