It’s been a rough few weeks for Georgia. Numerous injuries through December and January have left this team depleted. (One big question for today is whether they can field six vaults.) After a period where it looked like Georgia had recruited itself out of trouble, we’re once again forced to question the coaching in Athens. Still, the talent concentrated in the remaining two and a half people on this gymnastics team is immense. Don’t overlook the Bulldogs’ ability to produce fireworks on the competition floor, even with limited personnel.
Missouri, meanwhile, had one of the strongest starts to the 2024 season, and it would take real brilliance from Georgia to trouble the Tigers in this meet. Things to watch include the fact that highly anticipated transfer Mara Titarsolej, who has scored a perfect 10 on bars, hasn’t yet surpassed 9.850 at Missouri. Is the breakthrough coming, or was Missouri’s choice to put the Bhardwaj in her routine a mistake? Another potential 10 comes from Jocelyn Moore on floor. Moore already has a 10 on vault and has scored 9.975 on floor several times, including last week.
Rotation 1: Georgia VT, Missouri UB
LaClair (UGA): FTY, leg sep and comes in a tiny bit short with a medium hop. 9.75
Burns (Miz): Jaeger to overshoot, a bit loose legged, seeing one slightly flexed foot on handstands. DLO, stuck! 9.825
Cashman (UGA): FTY, her usual bit of pike down and a medium hop. 9.775
Light (Miz): College debut on bars! Half pirouette to toe on to Maloney to Pak, switch kip, long combination there, form getting just a bit soft at the end. DLO with a ton of flight and just a little hop. 9.8
Scott (UGA): Oh, she vaults? FTY onto an extra mat, legs a bit staggered on the landing and two quick steps back. Awesome news that her legs are ready to take vault, apparently she really wants to do floor and they’ve been using floor to bribe her to practice vault. 9.825
Patrick (Miz): Blind to Jaeger, close catch with bent elbows, some little foot details, bail with a little leg sep on the catch. DLO, very straight, close to the bar but stuck.
Battle (UGA): One and a half, super airtime, big hop forward and slightly to the side outside of the lines. On replay there’s a little bit of knee bend but it’s not shocking.
Moore (Miz): Love her makeup look, she’s got a line of dots (maybe gemstones??) under her eyebrow. Tkachev, flexed feet but good turnover, to overshoot. Slightly short on the high bar handstand, FTDB clean in the air and lands just a bit hard, low chest with a small step.
Finnegan (UGA): Nice and clean one and a half, hop straight forward. 9.775 feels really harsh.
Schreiber (Miz): Maloney to bail, really nice. DLO with a hop back.
Wahl (UGA): Nice one and a half, clean in the air, a similar hop to Finnegan. 9.875
Titarsolej (Miz): Maloney to Pak, good half pirouette, blind full double back stuck. No Bhardwaj, which I think is smart, it’s always kept her score down in the past which sucks but is a reality that Mizzou was apparently prepared to face. 9.975!
Parker in ex for Georgia. She was on crutches last month, this is awesome for Georgia. Wasn’t sure if they’d get her back. Nice solid FTY with a hop, very comparable to the previous ones.
Horton in ex for Mizzou. Super straight body line in her Maloney to Pak, struggling a touch on cast handstands, double layout just FLIES with a step. Get those handstands and she’s 9.9 material.
After 1: Missouri 49.250, Georgia 49.025
Event season highs for both teams there! Lots of great news in that rotation. Titarsolej hitting her groove, Scott being healthy enough for leg events and Parker being healthy at all are all things I’m just delighted by.
Rotation 2: Missouri VT, Georgia UB
Had stream issues and missed a few routines at the beginning here.
Davis (Miz): FTY, nice straight body, small hop. 9.825
Wahl (UGA): Slightly soft in the lower back in her handstand positions. Maloney to Pak good, a little soft again on the pirouette, borderline handstand in the last cast, double lay stuck. 9.825
Horton (Miz): One and a half, comes in a touch short, big step back. 9.775
Finnegan (UGA): Ray is WAY close to the bar, not sure how she didn’t hit her face on that. Pak slightly straddled as usual, full out with a little hop.
Celestine (Miz): One and a half twist, huge amplitude and dead on, tiny hop forward. Awesome.
Scott (UGA): Great Ray to Pak, the Pak hangs in the air unbelievably, van Leeuwen with tiny leg separation. DLO baby hop.
Moore (Miz): Twisted onto the table a bit, anticipates the landing really well and almost hangs onto the stick but has to take a baby step back. 9.95
Smith (UGA): Maloney to bail perfect, FTDB stuck beautifully. She’s just immaculate. Very happy with a 10 for that.
Pike half with a big step back from Jachna in the exhibition for Missouri.
After 2: Missouri 98.575, Georgia 98.275
Rotation 3: Georgia BB Mizzou FX
Wahl (UGA): Little check on her triple series, another one on her full turn. Solid side somi. Beat to split 3/4, good. One and a half twist, little step back.
Schreiber (Miz): Front full front lay to stag leap, flies on the pass and then controls it. She’s one of my favorite performers. Rudi layout split, great. Switch full split full is rotated. Awesome. 9.9
Fitzgerald (UGA): BHS LOSO, form throughout. Switch switch side is fine, falls on her aerial. One and a half twist stuck. 9.1
Griffin (Miz): Front through double back, nailed that landing. Solid double pike, missed the split on her tour jete half to two solid Popas. 9.9
Battle (UGA): Full turn, split half steady, switch split. Kickover front to beat is off line throughout, gets away with just an arm wave. BHS LOSO fast and aggressive. BHS gainer full, foot shift. 9.875
Kratzer (Miz): Whip through double back, a little overrotated with a long lunge. Switch side Popa. One and a half front lay, nice and high, double pike with a low chest but makes the lunge work. 9.725
Turner (UGA): BHS LOSO LOSO no question, so solid. Switch split. One and a half twist with a hop. 9.875
Horton (Miz): Full in, overrotated with a long lunge. Switch side half wolf full is good. Front through two and a half, good job. Cracks a smile in her ending pose after a super intense performance. 9.85
Smith (UGA): Front aerial BHS BHS gorgeous extension. Switch to split leap, great, little check on the kickover pike. Pretty full turn. Gainer full, stuck. 9.95
Celestine (Miz): Full in, hop and a baby step back. Little bouncy on the combo pass, nice double tuck to finish. 9.875
Scott (UGA): Full turn, great control, FHS BHS LOSO is a little slow but made, leaps to BHS very nice, split to switch was wonky in the middle but she worked through fine. FHS front full, little hop. 9.875
Moore (Miz): DLO looked a little lower than usual for me but no trouble on the lunge. Popa combination comes in a little underrotated at the end, front through double back with a little slide back. 9.9
Hit exhibition beam with a few small checks from Zora Morgan.
Jachna is the floor ex for Mizzou.
After 3: Missouri 148.000, Georgia 147.625
Mizzou pulling away a little more after its best event but Georgia also on pace for a season high here.
Rotation 4: Missouri BB, Georgia FX
Marshall (Miz): Front aerial BHS steady. Kickover front, good. Full turn, check! Split to double stag, open position, and a check. BHS gainer full with a little step back. 9.775
LaClair (UGA): Front lay full through double full is awesome, I love that pass. Rudi LOSO, good control on the landing. 9.875
Light (Miz): BHS BHS LOSO, soft knees but landed well. Not sure on her split positions. Good aerial, cat leap gainer pike stuck. Nice debut!
Williams (UGA): Double pike, front foot stays planted. FHS front full front pike, OOB. Double tuck solid.
Schaffer (Miz): Full turn, check. BHS BHS LOSO with a tiny lean. Front aerial, lean. Switch split is nice, double twist dismount with a hop back. 9.875
Fitzgerald (UGA): Rudi LOSO, wild leg form in the air and some sideways travel but makes it work, switch side wolf full. Double tuck, a little short but hangs onto the stick. 9.9
Celestine (Miz): Wolf turn, BHS swing through side aerial. Front tuck, weight looks a little forward but doesn’t obviously wobble. Split to split 3/4 good. Cat leap gainer full stuck. Awesome. 9.925
Cashman (UGA): One and a half front full, underrotated in both directions, awkwardly slides around. Switch side half to straddle is good. Double tuck, hop. 9.825
Davis (Miz): Full turn, check, BHS LOSO, lean. Beat to sheep is solid. Switch BHS gainer full, so much amplitude and stuck! 9.85
Wahl (UGA): Full in, overcooked with a slide back. Tour jete half wolf full maybe a bit short. Front through double back, right on top of herself with a slightly low chest. 9.9
Schreiber (Miz): Full turn good, BHS LOSO LOSO great. Nice leaps, gainer full stuck. Should be a really high score. 9.975!
Smith (UGA): Front lay front double full, great control, one and a half front lay and a quick step into dance. Switch side wolf full, maybe a little slide around but that’s picky, Rudi to straddle is gorgeous. 9.925 and the team is a little disappointed
FINAL: Missouri 197.400, Georgia 197.050
Awesome finish for both teams and a super valuable road score for Missouri! For Georgia, we’re definitely starting to see the vision for how the season can still work with the current injury load. The freshmen are definitely game for this kind of pressure.
VT: Moore (Miz) 9.950
UB: Smith (UGA) 10.000
BB: Schreiber (Miz) 9.975
FX: Smith (UGA) 9.925
AA: Schreiber (Miz) 39.525
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Live blog by Rebecca Scally
