This Sunday afternoon brings us an exciting NorCal matchup with the San Jose State Spartans visiting the Sacramento State Hornets. Both teams are coming off of okay, but not amazing, opening performances that they will be looking to build on. Sacramento State will be looking to hit beam after missing three routines, and break into the mid 194s. San Jose State will be looking to break out of the 9.6s and push towards a 196.000 sooner rather than later, especially if it hopes to make Regionals this year after narrowly missing last year.
On the individual front, watch out for Emma Morganthaler from Sacramento State, who has a nice Yurchenko one and a half to square off against San Jose State’s Lauren Macpherson for the all-around crown. Additionally, I’ll be watching to see how freshman Mia Nelson performs for the Spartans after a solid showing last week and to see if three-star recruit Mallory Barron makes her debut for the Hornets. Today’s meet should be exciting!
Okay, it looks like we’ll be getting started in the next 5-10 minutes. Oh! Recently retired Sacramento State head coach Randy Solario is on the mic, should be interesting.
Rotation 1: Sacramento State VT, San Jose State UB
Gilman (VT): Yurchenko half, nice body position, hop forward 9.75
Valuch (UB): Missed the first handstand. Jaeger, overshoot is fine. Great final handstand, stuck double layout 9.750
Fitzgerald (VT): Round off half on, tuck off, lands with her chest slightly low, good control on landing 9.675
Lopes (UB): Maloney, Bail, small leg separation on bail. Short final handstand. Great blind full into a stuck double tuck 9.775
Wilson (VT): Yurchenko half, great position, big hop forward 9.725
Konieczny (UB): Good first handstand, clean straddled Jaeger, another good handstand. Might’ve gotten a little bit loose on the bail. Short final handstand, double layout with leg separation and a step. 9.775
Morgenthaler (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, great amplitude, tiny bit of knees and a small shuffle 9.825
Mazury (UB): Long wait… Great hs, piked Jaeger. Another great handstand, Pak. Final hs a tiny bit short, double layout with a step. 9.800
Zimmerman (VT): yfull, great amplitude and chest position on the landing, one step back 9.775
Macpherson (UB): Good hs, big Tkatchev with flexed feet. Bail, tiny bit short on final hs. Giant full into FTDT with a step. 9.775
Lutrel (VT): yfull, step back, a little bit of pike down
Weyhmiller (UB): Great Jaeger, Pak got wonky, hit her toes on high bar, and crumbled when catching the low bar. Somehow didn’t come off but a big break in form and rhythm. Double layout with a step, will be the drop score
After 1: San Jose State 48.775, Sacramento State 48.725
A solid first rotation for both teams. Sacramento State would’ve like to see a few more sticks, but the amplitude on those vaults was solid. San Jose State will feel like it gave away a few tenths, it had a couple routines that were great until the final handstand and dismount.
Rotation 2: San Jose State VT, Sacramento State UB
Last minute line up change for San Jose State. Nelson out, Mazury in.
Valuch (VT): yfull, with a hop, bit of piking down. 9.700
Lutrel (UB): Good hs, solid bail. Tiny bit short on the next hs. Khorkina, rhythm gets a little off there, some flexed feet. FTDT with a step, thought she had the stick. 9.700
Pitts (VT): Front handspring tuck half, fabulous block. Big step back, but keeps it controlled. She’s been training a pike half, wonder if we’ll see it soon, because that looked great. 9.775
Morgenthaler (UB): Jaeger, good hs. Pak, loses some momentum there but works through it. Double layout with a hop. 9.575
Macpherson (VT): yfull, hop and a step back, nice layout shape
Lastra (UB): Long wait… Great hs, Maloney, bail, leg separation on both, slightly short on the bail. Double layout with a step 9.725
Mazury (VT): Yurchenko full on, pike off. A little bit too much momentum and takes a big hop backwards. 9.725
Lahmidi (UB): Goes over on the first handstand. Remounts, Jaeger, overshoot solid. Short hs, FTDT with a stick, good recovery. 9.300
Kirsch (VT): Tucked 1.5, great height and tuck position, just a step on the landing 9.850
Houghton (UB): Great hs, big Jaeger. Another great hs, Pak is fine. Tad short on last hs, stuck double layout. 9.875!
Lopes (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, great distance, super small hop. Nice way to end the rotation 9.875
Wilson (UB): Good hs, piked Jaeger and wayyy too far out and falls. Remounts, falls again. Just dismount with a double layout.
After 2: San Jose State 97.800, Sacramento State 97.000
San Jose State increases its lead after a solid vault rotation, highlighted by Lopes and Kirsch. Sac State had to count a fall on bars, but Kara Houghton’s routine was fantastic, and there’s definitely a lot of potential in this line up. On to beam and floor!
Rotation 3: Sacramento State BB, San Jose State FX
Gilman (BB):Bhs loso and a fall. Nice full turn. Side aerial. Straddle jump, straddle 3/4, nicely done. Back 1.5 stuck, great after the fall. 9.200
Forrand (FX): Rudi, loso, nice. Switch side, split full, splits are fine. Double pike, does well to keep her front foot down, good chest position. Solid start 9.750
Morganthaler (BB): Wolf turn, solid. Bhs, bhs, loso and a fall. Not good for the Hornets. Pike jump, straddle half, balance check. Back 1.5, wobbles to save a step on the landing. 9.075
Weyhmiller (FX): Back 1.5, front layout well controlled. Switch leap, switch ring half, missing some of that ring position and rotation. Double pike, lands a bit short with her chest down and has a small stumble. 9.700
Zimmerman (BB): Full turn. Bhs, bhs, loso, solid, nice extension too. Leaps are good, nice position on the switch side. Transverse split jump half is missing some split. Front gainer full off the end of the beam, a step. Much needed routine! 9.750
Macpherson (FX): Big double pike to open. Switch ring, switch side, great position on the ring. Back 1.5, front lay is clean. Double tuck, a little short with a step forward. 9.800
Jones (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, secure with a touch of bent knees. Switch leap, split 3/4, not sure if thats gonna get the connection. Side aerial. Back 1.5 is stuck! 9.825
Lopes (FX): Front tuck through to double pike, a little short and a step forward. Switch 3/4, straddle jump, flexed feet. Double tuck, much better landing. 9.750
Lutrel (BB): Bhs, loso, great. Love her extension and toepoint. LOL her moonwalk legit spanned like 3/4 of the beam. Check on leap series. Aerial with a small check, does well to keep it moving. Aerial, back 1.5 with a hop. Solid
Nelson (FX): Absolutely obsessed with this opening choreo, great extension and toepoint. Overpowers a double pike, big steps backward. Switch leap, switch ring half, missing the ring position on the second. Back 1.5, front full, clean. This is going to be a big routine for them later in the season
Houghton (BB): Bhs, loso, solid. Switch leap, straddle quarter, missing some split. Straddle full, leg up check and short of split. Full turn. Double full with a tiny hop.
Mazury (FX): Front lay, Rudi, lacking control on the landing. Good leaps. Very nice double pike to finish. 9.875
Also fabulous exhibitions from Mallory Barron on beam and Devyn Valuch on floor. Those should be in those lineups soon.
After 3: San Jose State 146.675, Sacramento State 145.125
Sacramento State struggled on beam to start, but its freshman and sophomores were able to bring it back and end with four hits which is nice to see! Some really pretty pieces there, just need to get some more hits. San Jose State was solid on floor, and for early in the season, the landings looked pretty good. There’s a couple switch ring halves in that lineup that I think may be deduction traps later in the season. Last event!
Rotation 4: San Jose State BB, Sacramento State FX
Ashton (BB): Bhs loso, secure. Switch leap, switch half, secure, back leg position is low. Stuck gainer full. Great start. 9.850!
Dumas-Guzman (FX): Rudi, big jump out of it, was supposed to be a split jump. Good leaps. Front lay, front full, great landing. 9.600
Lopes (BB): Cat leap, switch half, nice. Bhs loso, big leg up check, but saves it. Another big check on the full turn. Side aerial, tucked 1.5 dismount with a hop. A bit wobbly but fought through it. 9.500
Zimmerman (FX): Front lay, Rudi, great amplitude on the Rudi. Switch side, Popa, good splits. Double tuck, excellent control. 9.850
Nelson (BB): Front aerial, was going to connect it, and falls. Front aerial, tries to connect again and can’t. Repeating again, gets the connection to the bhs, Full turn. Switch leap, switch leap, split jump, good positions. Double full with a step.
Jones (FX): Double tuck, good height, but a step forward. Switch ring, missing some of the ring position, the leaps after weren’t super precise either. Combo pass is good. Nice tumbling, 9.725
Kirsch (BB): Candle mount. Bhs, onodi and a fall. Full turn. Switch leap, split jump quarter. Back handspring tuck 1.5 with a hop. 9.125
Morganthaler (FX): Rudi to loso, great amplitude on the Rudi. Switch half, Popa, lacking a tiny bit of split on those. Double pike, excellent control. 9.800
Weyhmiller (BB): Full turn. Bhs loso secure. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump, nice positions! Side aerial. Stuck gainer full. Great routine, those leaps were really, really nice. 9.900
Gilman (FX): Huge double pike, slightly large step out of it. Tour jete half, Popa, lacking a little bit of rotation on the first leap. Front lay, front full, fine. Double tuck, solid. 9.825
Macpherson (BB): Switch leap, split jump, nicely done. Bhs bhs loso, secure. Full turn. Standing loso, no issues. Back 1.5 stuck! Excellent routine, great way to finish the rotation. 9.900
Lutrel (FX): Double pike, well controlled. Front lay, front full bit of a large lunge out of it. Second leap lacked split a bit. Double tuck, lands deep but is able to save it.
FINAL: San Jose State 194.950, Sacramento State 194.050
Even though it struggled on beam, San Jose State came out on top thanks in part to two stellar routines at the end of the beam lineup. Sacramento State looked solid on floor almost cracking 49.000, and is jut a few more controlled landings away from breaking that. Some definite improvements for both teams compared to last week, but some issues as well. Both teams counted a fall on beam, and the Hornets counted one on bars as well. But nothing too serious for the second week of the season, and both of these teams have a lot of potential for the rest of the season!
VT: Jaudai Lopes 9.875
UB: Kara Hougton 9.875
BB: Lauren Macpherson, Katherine Weyhmiller 9.900
FX: Jada Mazury 9.875
AA: Lauren Macpherson 39.175
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
