It’s the first Big 12 conference dual of the season! These two teams could not be much closer in overall rankings, so this should be a thrilling dual.
While the Cyclones haven’t tallied a win in the Ashley Miles Greig era, they have made significant strides from the 2023 season. They hit 196 in only their second meet of the season after not reaching that total until February of last season. Hannah Loyim has emerged as an all-around leader while freshman Noelle Adams has come out swinging in her first season, averaging 9.800 or higher on three events. Tonight, I’ll be watching to see if the Cyclones continue to show improvement on balance beam in particular; it is the only event they haven’t score above a 49.000 on yet this season.
BYU had a very quick turnaround after competing in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on Saturday and the Rio Tinto Best of Utah meet on Monday, so it’s possible we see some gymnasts rested and some new routines this evening. Brynlee Andersen, Elease Rollins, and Anyssa Alvarado are the only three gymnasts to hit the 9.900 mark for the Cougars this season, so I’ll be watching for those three gymnasts in particular. Madison Raesly-Patton, a key contributor in her freshman season last year, made her season debut after being spotted in a boot preseason, so it’ll be good to have her back in lineups consistently (with a 10.0 start value vault at that!)
You can find video here (ESPN Plus) and live scoring here!
Leo check! Iowa State rocking the Jack Trice leo this evening!
https://x.com/CycloneGYM/status/1748480524195156040?s=20
Rotation 1: ISU vault, BYU bars
Wills: Yurchenko full, piked down on the landing, hopped in place (so not a stick). 9.850
Mason: Good opening handstands, Maloney to Pak, slight leg separation on the Pak and a little whippy, hop back on the DLO. 9.800
Loyim: Yurchenko full, lots of distance, hop back on the landing. Good form in the air! 9.800
Benson: mount on high bar, Tkatchev, caught kind of close, to bail, little wobbly in the handstand, DLO dismount, slightly piked with a hop. 9.725
Adams: Yurchenko full, STUCK. If I’m picky, her legs were separated ever so slightly in the air, but the landing was fabulous. 9.900
Hunter-Kempler: mount on high bar, Tkatchev, beautiful height in the air. HELD that handstand after the bail. DLO dismount, step back on the landing. 9.825
Bergstrom: Yurchenko full, and another STICK! Sliiiiiiight knees in the air on slo-mo, but that’s me being super super picky. 9.900
Despite what the commentary says, Yurchenko fulls are still 9.950 everyone.
Eaquinto: mount on low bar, beautiful handstand positions, Maloney to Pak, super floaty in the air and good toe point throughout. DLO dismount, hop back on the landing. 9.825
Parker: Yurchenko full, the tiniest slide back on the landing, but she flared it out beautifully and had a ton of distance. 9.850
An. Alvarado: BYU’s bar queen has arrived everyone. Mount on low bar, Maloney to Pak salto, beautiful lines and no leg separation throughout. Gorgeous last handstand, DLO, cleanest of all the dismounts so far, step back on the landing. 9.825
Hong: Yurchenko 1.5, IF SHE HADN’T MOVED HER FOOT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A STICK. Instead, she side steps it. Beautiful block off the table and good distance. ISU on pace for a season high before Hong’s score. 9.850
Bramblett: Mount on high bar, Ray to overshoot, she caught her Ray very close and then slipped on the overshoot. She didn’t fall, but she lost the rhythm of the routine, so this will very likely be the drop score. 9.125
Schell EX: Yurchenko full, not as much on the distance, and a small hop back on the landing.
Al. Alvarado EX: Alvarado 2.0 exhibition ahead! Mount on low bar, beautiful Maloney, slight lack of vertical on the handstand, but keeps it together. DLO dismount, small hop backwards.
After 1: Iowa State 49.350, BYU 49.000
Iowa State tallies a season high on vault with yet another 9.900 from Adams and Bergstrom. No 9.900s for BYU, Kempler was the high score with a 9.825. If BYU wants to keep this close, it will have to find its landings on vault, while Iowa State needs to tap in and go full throttle on the next three rotations.
Rotation 2: BYU vault, ISU bars
Jorgensen: Yurchenko full on, pike off, hop back on the landing. 9.800
Schell: Blind change to Jaeger, really short on the handstand immediately afterwards, but she stays on. Giant full to double tuck, little off balance on the landing. Pressure sets incoming. 9.500
Dudley: Yurchenko full, tight twist in the air, piked down on the landing, hop back. 9.800
Basuel: mount on high bar, blind change to straddled Jaeger, beautiful toe point to bail. Blind full to double change, had to bend over at the waist to keep her balance, but she kept her landing. 9.750
Earl: Yurchenko half, hop backwards on the landing. 9.825
Thomas: Blind change to straddle Jaeger to open, beautiful handstand positions and pirouette was right on top of the bar. DLO STUCK. WOW! 9.900
Rollins: Looks like a lineup change here. Yurchenko full on, tuck off, hop back on the landing. 9.750
Cooke: mount on low bar, clear hip to Maloney right into transition to low bar. Beautiful lines so far, DLO with another STICK! Two in a row! 9.900
Eaquinto: Yurchenko full, beautiful lines and form in the air, hop back on the landing. 9.825
Loyim: Mount on high bar, blind change to piked Jaeger, beautiful control on the release move, slight leg separation on the Pak salto, but she keeps the routine flowing beautifully. DLO dismount with the Cyclones third stick in a row! 9.875
Raesly-Patton: Yurchenko full on, pike off, slight step back, low chest on the landing, but having another 10.0 start makes a big difference. 9.700
Wills: beautiful opening handstand, Maloney to Pak salto, pretty sizeable leg separation, handstands right on top of the bar, DLO dismount, small step forward. 9.825
After 2: Iowa State 98.600, BYU 98.000
Two hit rotations in a row for Iowa State with big scores coming through! BYU still struggled to find landings, but it is moving to floor, where it hopes to make up some ground. The Cyclones had a low score to open, but made up for it with some 9.900s at the end of the lineup. Halfway through and this is looking pretty solid!
Rotation 3: ISU beam, BYU floor
Loyim: Here we go with rotation 3! Switch leap to switch side, lacked a little split on the switch side. BHS LOSO, good control on the series. Overrotated the full turn just a bit. Front aerial to beat jump, good connection between those two elements. Gainer full off the side to a stick. 9.875
Millar-Crossman: First pass is a double tuck, lacked a little amplitude in the air, but pulls it around. Looks like they’re getting into the routine choreography a little. Switch side to Popa, good extension in the leaps. Good opening routine to start!
O’Brochta: Nails her triple series! She looks so much more confident on this routine and I’m loving it. Good height in the leap series, gainer pike off the end of the beam. 2/2!
Matern: Front double full to open, good control on the landing. RO 1.5 to front layout second pass, timed that punch just right to get the connection. Maybe lacked a tiny bit of flexibility in the leap series, but got the landing on her third pass. Solid routine!
Adams: BHS LOSO, covers the tiniest balance check. Switch leap to switch leap, good flexibility in the leaps. Side aerial, beautiful. The freshmen are bringing the confidence to beam and I love it! Cat leap to front aerial, covered another minor balance check. Gainer full, apparently had to salute again, go Ella Schell for being a good teammate.
Dudley: Double pike to open, good control in the lunge. Switch side to wolf full, good amplitude and toe point. Front layout to front full, good connection. Double tuck, landed a little short with a low chest.
Manternach: BHS LOSO, good. Cat leap to switch side, little hesitation after the cat leap, so not sure if she’ll get that connection? Nails her second leap series. Front full off the end to a stick, with a deep bend.
Eaquinto: Front layout to Rudi opening pass, nice control step forward. Double pike second pass, maybe needed a little more height to get it around, but gets it. Switch ring to switch half to wolf full leap series, could’ve used a little more split on the leaps, but I’m a little picky when it comes to that. Final pass is back 1.5 to front layout.
Bergstrom: Cat leap to front toss, wobble after the front toss. Tries to do a BHS LOSO to get her connection bonus, but ends up falling. Tough break after starting her night with a 9.900. Gets her leap series and her dismount.
Benson: First pass is a double tuck, good amplitude on the pass. My stream is being funky, so if my comments are a little choppy, I’m so sorry. Good extension on the leap series and got the landing on her second pass. Double pike to close, lands it a touch short.
Thomas: Thomas needs a hit to erase Bergstrom’s fall. Fun choreography to open with a beat jump at the end. Front toss to BHS series, makes the landing correction. She’s taking her time and hitting everything. Switch leap to straddle quarter, hit. RO 1.5 dismount, side step out of it. Bergstrom’s fall is dropped.
Schooley: Season debut alert! Back 1.5 to front layout, nearly stuck. This is the choreography I normally come to expect from BYU and I am here for it. Double tuck, had to put her hands down. Tough after a solid start, but I hope that routine stays in!
After 3: Iowa State 147.700, BYU 147.050
Iowa State is on pace for another season high even with a miss from Bergstrom. I’m loving the confidence that I’m seeing from this team after such a tough go of it last year, and it really shows on beam. BYU is having a relatively clean meet, it hasn’t had to count a low score, and two of its highest scores in Andersen and Rollins are coming up on beam. Should be a fun rotation to close!
Rotation 4: BYU beam, ISU floor
Dudley: BHS LOSO to open, good control on the elements. Slight cover after the leap series, but makes it look natural. RO 1.5 dismount with a hop forward. Good opening routine!
Manternach: Front tuck through to double tuck, landed short and had to step forward. Second pass is a double pike, another short landing, but keeps it on her feet. Loving her comeback era!
Mason: BHS LOSO, slight waist bend after the layout. Cat leap to side aerial, another tiny wobble but stays on. RO double full, love the difficulty, small hop in place.
Cooke: Front layout to front double full, beautiful control in that lunge forward. Oh WOW, I don’t know how she kept that 1.5 to front full in bounds (because she didn’t but who knows if it’ll get taken). But loving the consistency from this fifth year senior.
Millar-Crossman: BHS LOSO to open, good control. Full turn was good, cat leap to switch side, good 180 in the switch side. Beat jump to switch side, another good dance series. Front full dismount, stuck. That was such a good routine!
Schell: Lineup debut after exhibitioning last week at Penn State. Stag jump after the first pass travels wayyy back so she’ll have a deduction for that. Lacked a little toe point in the leap series, but keeps her extension in the series. Final pass is back 1.5 to front layout, good debut routine!
Raesly-Patton: Front aerial to split jump, the TOE POINT! Yes ma’am. Switch leap to split jump, keeps that 180 position in the air. BHS LOSO, lost a little bit of toe point in the air, RO 1.5 dismount, lifted her leg to keep her balance.
Parker: Front tuck through to double tuck to open, good chest position on that landing. Leap positions were good, I’d like to see a little more height, but again, I’m picky. Final pass is a double pike, slightly out of control on the landing, but covers it well.
Andersen: One of the high scorers is coming in and following a pretty solid set of scores before her. Acro series was good, leap series had perfect extension, BHS gainer full with a stick! The freshman, ladies and gents!
Adams: From one freshman phenom to another! Front layout to front 1.5 to open, slightly off balance, but pulls it out. Switch side to Popa, way way over 180 in the split series! Double tuck, HUGE height, controlled lunge out of it! What a way to end her night!
Rollins: switch leap to straddle quarter, good extension and height in the air. Front aerial to BHS LOSO, beautifully connected. Full turn, nicely done. Slight wobble after the front aerial, BHS gainer full dismount, stuck. Awesome way to end for BYU!
Loyim: DLO, landed a little short, but it’s an E pass!! Comes right back with a 1.5 to front layout second pass, the Cyclones are celebrating as they should because this has been a hit meet for them! Switch side to Popa to wolf full, beautiful extension! Also gives her the all-around win (she was the only one, but a win is a win!)
FINAL: Iowa State 196.900, BYU 196.125
Iowa State gets its first win of the Ashley Miles Greig era! For its first meet in the Big 12, BYU held its own. Eliza Millar-Crossman was the highlight of the beam rotation, scoring 9.900, while Noelle Adams continued her stellar freshman season with yet another 9.900. This was a great meet and these two teams should continue to push each other as we move further into conference play.
VT: Noelle Adams (ISU) and Josie Bergstrom (ISU) – 9.900
UB: Lauren Thomas (ISU) and Laura Cooke (ISU) – 9.900
BB: Eliza Millar-Crossman (BYU) – 9.900
FX: Noelle Adams (ISU) – 9.900
AA: Hannah Loyim (ISU) – 39.425
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Live blog by Savanna Wellman
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