This Friday Night Heights brings us a top five showdown with the current top two teams in the SEC that scored within a quarter-tenth of each other in their opening meets.
Missouri opened its season with a first-place finish at the Mizzou Invitational. The Tigers were consistent throughout, counting no score below a 9.800. Sienna Schreiber led the way in the all-around, and Jocelyn Moore brought the house down with her 9.975 on floor, which is currently tied for the highest floor score in the country. All eyes will be on Missouri to see if it can repeat its stellar opening week performance in an away environment.
Alabama, meanwhile, won its session of the Mean Girls Super 16, beating out Auburn, California, and UCLA in impressive fashion. Luisa Blanco, one of the newest NCAA Olympians, tied for second in the all-around and Gabby Gladieux tied Moore with a 9.975 on floor. The Tide brought in a highly ranked freshman class, but we only saw them in limited events last time out. I’ll be looking to see if they make any appearances on additional events, specifically No. 1 2023 recruit Jamison Sears, who only competed vault in her collegiate debut.
Video for tonight’s meet can be found here and live stats can be found here!
Leo watch for Alabama! https://x.com/BamaGymnastics/status/1745916834732212684?s=20
Rotation 1: AL vault, MZ bars
Sears: Yurchenko full, good height, huge hop backwards. Way too much power, but good until then! 9.750
Marshall: mount on high bar, blind change to straddle Jaeger to immediate overshoot, lacking a little toe point throughout. Half in half out dismount with a step back. 9.725
German: Yurchenko full, stuck landing! Piked down the landing ever so slightly and lacked a little bit of distance. 9.825Good
Patrick: mount on high bar, blind change to straddled Jaeger, beautiful lines and toe point! DLO dismount, kind of close to the bar with a step back. 9.650
Hudson: Yurchenko 1.5, crossed her feet on the landing and took a side step back. Good form in the air. 9.850.
Burns: mount on high bar, blind change to straddle Jaeger to immediate overshoot, superb form with a STUCK DLO (slight leg separation). Best routine of the 3 so far! 9.800
LaCoursiere: Yurchenko 1.5, LOTS of distance, huge step forward out of the landing. 9.825.
Moore: mount on high bar, Tkatchev to immediate overshoot, the height is INSANE! better position on the handstand. Tucked full in dismount, slight slide of the foot. 9.725.
Blanco: Yurchenko 1.5, beautiful tight twist in the air, large step forward. 9.875.
Schreiber: mount on low bar, Maloney to bail to handstand, beautiful handstand on that low bar. Open DLO dismount, small hop backwards. 9.850.
Gladieux: Yurchenko full, looked like she stumbled a little bit on her landing? beautiful layout position in the air! 9.775.
Titarsolej: I love her bars, so excuse me while I fangirl. Mount on low bar, Maloney to BHARDWAJ(!!!), beautiful pirouette to double tuck dismount, arm wave , but got the stick! 9.850.
After 1: Alabama 49.125, Missouri 48.950
You can tell the energy is all over Coleman because neither team was really able to dial in on the landings. No scores in the 9.900 range, so as we get into rotation 2, both teams will want to settle in and hit those landings so we can maybe start seeing some 9.900s.
Rotation 2: MZ vault, AL bars
Schreiber: Yurchenko full, BEAUTIFUL height and distance. Stuck landing! WOW! 9.850
LaCoursiere: mount on low bar, Maloney to Pak salto, legs are locked together perfectly! Tucked full in dismount STUCK. That’s one way to make up for a disappointing landing on vault. 9.925 – WELL deserved!
Light: Yurchenko full, nice position in the air and height, small hop backwards. 9.825
Pawlak: mount on low bar, had to save the first handstand but pulled it together. Maloney transition, short on the last handstand. DLO with a step backwards. 9.775
Davis: Yurchenko full, not as much distance as the last one, but good form. Small step backwards. 9.800
Machado: mount on high bar, Pak salto, good position between the bars, Van Leeuwen, super floaty! Full pirouette to double tuck dismount, STUCK. Loving that both teams are starting to find their landings! 9.900
Celestine: Yurchenko 1.5, SO MUCH DISTANCE WOW!!! Small hop forward. 9.875
Waligora: Oh hey, she’s alive! mount on high bar, blind change to Jaeger to overshoot, handstands right on top of the bar, stuck DLO. Good routine to start her fifth year. 9.875
Horton: Yurchenko 1.5, SHE HAD THE STICK AND THEN SHE TOOK A STEP FORWARD AGH!!!! Phew, okay, my bad. It really was a beautiful vault though. 9.900, first 9.900 for the Tigers!
Doggette: mount on high bar, Tkatchev to overshoot, the toe point is perfect through my screen. Open and floaty DLO with…you guessed it, a stick. 9.900
Moore: Yurchenko 1.5, so nice in the air, slight hop up and to the side. 9.925.
Blanco: mount on low bar, Maloney to Pak salto, her usual form and positions in the air, Van Leeuwen nailed, half in half out STUCK. Wow, she is set up for a huge score. 9.950.
After 2: Alabama 98.675, Missouri 98.325
Well. That went well. Both teams finally started to find landings as Alabama stuck 5 of 6 bars routines and went 49.550. Missouri’s landings were much cleaner on vault this rotation and as it heads to floor, the Tigers will want that to continue.
Rotation 3: AL beam, MZ floor
Gladieux: BHS layout to two feet, stumbled a touch on her full turn. Lacking a little bit of split in her leaps, but still looking really nice in the air. RO double twist dismount, kept her feet steady even with a little wobble. 9.750
Schreiber: Love hearing that she upgraded a pass in her fifth year! Front double full, maybe didn’t QUITE finish the second twist. Combination pass is nicely done. Good leadoff for the Tigers! 9.750.
Rybicki: Rybicki had a fall last time out, so she will want to recover nicely. Slight wobble on the full turn. BHS LOSO, slight foot correction but stays on. Cat leap to switch half, great toe point! Beat jump to straddle 3/4, beautiful position. RO 1.5, slight lift of the heel, but it’s a hit! 9.800
Griffin: Collegiate debut alert! Front tuck through to double tuck, good control in that landing. She is reminiscent of Celestine and Moore in this lineup. Double pike was pretty. Huge height on the leap series! Good for her! 9.825
Burgess: The perennial leadoff moves further into the lineup. Beautiful control on the full turn. One armed BHS to layout step out, the tiniest wobble after the layout. Side aerial, covers another minor balance check. Leap series was good, so was the switch side. Gainer pike off the end, STICK. 9.875
Kratzer: Opening pass is a whip back to double tuck?? You don’t see that often nowadays. Beautiful position in the leaps and her musicality is just…wow. Back 1.5 to front layout second pass, good control in the lunge forward. Double pike to closer, maybe the tiniest chest issue, but such a good routine!
Adams: Missed her whole leg on the wolf turn and somehow saved it! Front aerial was super floaty as was her BHS LOSO. Switch leap to split jump, slight wobble. Step forward on the dismount. 9.700
Horton: Tucked full in to open, movement of the front foot, beautiful position in the leaps. She’s going to be a fun one to watch throughout her career. Front tuck through to 1.5 twist to close. 9.900
Hudson: Full turn is nice and controlled. Front aerial to BHS LOSO series, nailed. Beautiful connection in the leaps, balance check on the side aerial, she was SO GOOD UNTIL THEN. RO 1.5 dismount. 9.700.
Celestine: Following a 9.900 from Horton. Tucked full in to open, good control on the lunge back. Front layout to front full, mistimed her punch and HOW DID SHE SAVE THAT?? Double tuck to close, hop forward. Wow, she pulled that out of nowhere. 9.700
Blanco: Need a good score here after two 9.700s in a row. Front aerial, nicely done. Full turn, good control. BHS LOSO LOSO, definitely had to fight through some nerves but pulled it out. Beautiful flexibility and control on her leap series. RO 1.5 dismount, couldn’t see the dismount, but going off the commentary, slight slide of the feet. 9.925
Moore: Trying to drop a 9.700 with the current highest scoring floor routine of the season. No pressure? DLO to open, beautiful control. Splits in the leaps were well over 180. Shoutout to Jackie Terpak for this choreography because I love this. Front tuck through to double tuck, THERE WAS SO MUCH HEIGHT, nice landings throughout! Will drop the 9.700 from Celestine.
After 3: Alabama 147.725, Missouri 147.675
Alabama gave a little bit back on beam and suddenly, Missouri is only 0.05 behind. This is going to be a barnburner in the final rotation.
Rotation 4: MZ beam, AL floor
Marshall: Front aerial to BHS series, beautifully connected. Front toss, slight wobble on the full turn. Split jump to stag jump with awesome extension. BHS gainer full dismount. Good opener for Missouri! 9.700
Burgess: Double tuck to open, she’s bringing her performance quality from beam to floor and I love it. Double pike second pass, good landing, good extension on the leap series. Front full to front layout, no movement on the front layout. Nicely done! 9.875
Titarsolej: That was a fun little mount! Handstand to BHS LOSO, balance check after the layout. Illusion to split jump, obsessed. I can’t wait for her to settle in so she can get the scores she deserves. Overshot the L turn, tucked gainer full dismount. 9.550. Definitely one to drop if Missouri stands a chance.
Machado: Beautiful double tuck to open, so much control on that wolf turn. I don’t normally like them on floor, but she makes it look effortless. Back 1.5 to front layout, dances right out of it. Switch leap to switch half, maybe missing a little bit of split. 9.875
Schaffer: Full turn to open, BHS LOSO LOSO, perfect landing. Slight foot adjustment on the front aerial, but keeps it on. Switch leap to split jump, lacking a little 180. RO double twist dismount, stick. An upgrade for her and she nailed it! 9.800
Adams: Double pike to open, nice and tall chest on the landing. Fun little music going on here. It’s a vibe and I love it. Switch leap to tuck jump full, got the wolf turn this time! Back 1.5 to front layout to close. Fun little routine! 9.750
Celestine: Wolf turn was good. BHS to side aerial series, one we don’t see too often! Front tuck, WOW! Love her debuting this event as an underclassman. Cat leap to gainer full dismount, good landing! 9.750
Hudson: Thunderstruck music, yes please. Front layout to front double full, nice landing. And it wouldn’t be an Alabama home meet without Sweet Home Alabama, now would it? Beautiful extension on the leap series. Double tuck second pass, slightly underrotated. 9.875
Davis: Missouri will need high scores on these last two. Full turn was nice, BHS LOSO, balance check after the layout. Lots of issues with the front toss and now it feels like this might be over. Switch leap into BHS gainer full dismount. Tough routine for Davis. 9.600
Blanco: Beautiful wolf turns to open. Lovely position on the double pike. I am irrationally happy she’s an Olympian. Double tuck second pass. Switch ring to switch half leap series, the toe point was…well, you already know. Combination pass was FHS to front full to front layout. Obsessed. 9.925, should give her the all-around title.
Schreiber: Anchor needs to deliver here. BHS LOSO LOSO, nailed it. Now would be a good time for her 26th 9.900 plus score. Switch half to split jump, good extension on the leaps. Hit that dismount beautifully. 9.950
Gladieux: Here comes the other highest floor score for an encore basically. Beautiful height on the tucked full in with a stick. Jamison Sears is having the time of her life behind Gladieux and I love it. Combination pass was beautiful. 9.900
FINAL: Alabama 197.175, Missouri 196.475
Alabama pulls away at the end after an unsteady beam rotation for Missouri. Both teams will want to dial in on balance beam moving forward and I’m sure that these teams will continue to be ones to watch in the SEC as we move ahead in season!
VT: Jocelyn Moore (MIZ) – 9.925
UB: Luisa Blanco (UA) – 9.950
BB: Sienna Schreiber (MIZ) – 9.950
FX: Luisa Blanco (UA) – 9.925
AA: Luisa Blanco (UA) – 39.675
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Live blog by Savanna Wellman
