Don’t let the standings fool you, this one will be close. Arizona is coming off of back to back weeks of mid 196’s. After starting the meet slow, Arizona ended the meet on a high note last week with a 49.400 on floor. Stanford rebounded from a shaky first meet to eclipse 196 at Denver. Even with the boost in team score, beam was rough, and the freshmen largely have yet to compete. The debut of any of the freshmen, or a less shaky beam rotation will narrow the already slim gap between these teams.
Chloe Widner is having a strong start to her fifth year but had a shaky beam last week. Look for her to rebound there. Taralyn Nguyen is also coming in strong for her sophomore campaign and will be one to watch on vault. Someone else to watch on vault is Malia Hargrove who is always capable of sticking her Yurchenko one and a half for a big score.
Rotation 1: Arizona vault, Stanford bars
Greever (ARZ): Solid block off the table and landed slightly off to the side of the mat with a hop on her Yfull. 9.75
Dean (STAN): Cleanly cuaght Ray. Hit the pak. Short on the last handstand. Good finish to the giant full to double tuck dismount. Didn’t catch the landing. 9.825
Strom (ARZ): Some feet and soft knees on her Yfull, but tries to flair it out. Ends up bouncing and taking a large step forward. 9.65
Gutierrez (STAN): Great toepoint on the jeager to overshoot. Keeps her feet pointed for the double front dismount with small movement. 9.875
Martin (ARZ): Better leg form in her Yfull with good height. Hops backward diagonally a couple of feet. 9.8
Sorrento (STAN): Slightly short on the first handstand. Solid Maloney, but weird feet on the pak. Piked down the double layout dismount with some soft feet form. 9.825
Hargrove (ARZ): Hop forward on her Y1.5. Looked to be slightly off on the block, but great dynamics. 9.875
Alexeeva (STAN): Short on the Higgins roll. Low jaeger and caught close. Short on another handstand before the high low transition. Does hit the last handstand before sticking the double layout dismount. 9.925 I don’t get that
Castles (ARZ): Clean leg form on her Yfull, but bounces back on the landing. Disn’t absorb the mat there. 9.7
Widner (STAN): Great height on the tkachev. Good finish to the giant full before the bail. Might have slightly shifted her feet on the double layout landing. One judge went 10. 9.95
Fears (ARZ): Leg separation on the block, but then her legs glue together during the Yfull. Small hop back. 9.825
Neault (STAN): Clean handstand and Maloney to pak. Hit the handstand on the cast half, but short on the last one. Good finish to the pirouette and buckled her knees a little on the landing of the double tuck. Minimized deductions there though. 9.7
After 1: Stanford 49.400, Arizona 48.950
Stanford is going to be thrilled with that bars rotation. The scores built up throughout the rotation as every coach would hope for. Arizona was not able to get any landing on vault which, with the built in deductions, hurt the scoring potential in the first rotation. Stanford will be looking to get some of the vault landing Arizona missed, and Arizona will be trying to capitalize on the favorable bars judging.
Rotation 2: Stanford vault, Arizona bars
Dean (STAN): My stream froze and skipped this one. 9.7
Mueller (ARZ): Hit release. Strong bail. Good last handstand. Stuck the double layout. Some feet. 9.9
Zeng (STAN): Piking the hips throughout that Yfull and a hop on the landing. 9.65
Hargrove (ARZ): Low on the tkachev after the clear hip. Great position on the bail. Sticks the half in half out disount, but lands a little low. 9.875
Neault (STAN): Good block on the full on pike off. Flexed feet on the pike off, but only a small hop back. 9.775
Martin (ARZ): Good amplitude on the Maloney to pak combination. A little off on these handstands. On her double layout dismount it was like the mat scooted with her feet. 9.975
Nguyen (STAN): Good legs together on her Y1.5 and had a small hop forward on the landing onto a higher mat. Great dynamics. 9.825
McCabe (ARZ): Clean first handstand and giant half. The piked jaeger was a little awkward and caught close. Hit the bail though and had a small hop forward on the double layout dismount. 9.825
Gutierrez (STAN): Smaller hop forward on her Y1.5 but had soft knees throughout and less distance. 9.825
Derr (ARZ): Toe point kept throughout the Ray. Great turnover and height on that. Nice pak and hit the cast half. Stuck the dismount as well. That Ray was just fantastic. 9.9
Fears (ARZ): Good height on her tkachev. Clean clear hip to bail. Floaty double layout and tried to hold onto the landing with a lean, but had to hop forward. 9.8
After 2: Arizona 98.425, Stanford 98.225
Arizona received similar favorable bars judging that allowed the Wildcats to take the lead here. Stanford went five up on vault so the landing deductions where felt in the team score. I am out of thoughts, my mind is still with Derr’s Ray.
The broadcast said the 49.475 for Arizona was a program bars record.
Rotation 3: Arizona beam, Stanford floor
Herry (ARZ): Clean full turn to start. Falls on the loso series. Thought she could have saved that one. Really low chest break on the side somi. Good position on the straddle jump to straddle half. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.175
Dean (STAN): Good set on the double pike, but opens up early and takes a step forward. Very controlled landing and good form on the back 1.5 to front full. Wonky rotation on the leaps to the point I am not sure what the intended rotations were. 9.775
Mueller (ARZ): Flexed feet, but solid landing on the side aerial to loso series. Held the toepoint on the switch to split jump. Adds in a beat jump and has a landing adjustment. The slightest hops on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.875
Landry (STAN): Opens the dance with two wolf turn fake outs. Love it. Great rise on the front layout after the back 1.5. Hit the switch to switch ring half. Low landing on the double tuck, but hops out into the lunge. 9.75
Judges conference so doing another floor routine I guess
Zeng (STAN): Controls the landing of the front layout to Rudi. Not the most amplitude. Feet on the double tuck and stepped off the floor out of bounds. Good leap rotation. 9.55
Castles (ARZ): Fun tic-toc mount. Adjustment on the loso series. Clean switch to split leap. Balance arm way after the front aerial before the beat jump. Steady double wolf turn. Soft knees on the back 1.5 dismount, but sticks that landing. 9.825
Neault (STAN): Sticks and lunges the double pike landing. Split leap to split ring full. Good rotation on that. Clean Rudi landing. Soft knees on the back 1.5 but clean front layout and landing out of it. 9.825
Deets (ARZ): High loso in the loso series. Slight shoulder dip at the end. Clean full turn. Hit the hitch kick to switch side. Solid on the cat leap to front toss. Sticks the landing on the switch to gainer full. Great toe point on those leaps. 9.925
Nguyen (STAN): Really big double layout landed with a high chest and controlled lunge. Good amplitude on the switch side to Popa. Off on the landing of the back 2.5 and barely get the punch to get the front tuck around, but pulls it out with a step back. 9.5
Martin (ARZ): Clean split jump to stag. Confident landing to the loso series. Slight waiver on the front aerial. Held the releve on her full turn. Low on the back 1.5 and took a large step forward on the landing. 9.8
Fears (ARZ): Good amplitude on the loso series with nice toepoint and a slight adjustment on the landing. Some feet on the side aerial. Waiver on the split jump to stag. One slight step back on the back 1.5 landing. Arizona can drop the leadoff fall. 9,.75
After 3: Arizona 147.600, Stanford 146.625
Arizona started off the rotation with a fall, but was able to come back and hit five for five to score over a 49.000 on the event. Stanford was not able to have five for five strong routines with the out of bounds from Zeng and last pass from Nguyen. I would say Stanford will be looking better on floor once there is a sixth routine option, but I am not confident that will happen.
Rotation 4: Stanford beam, Arizona floor
Dean (STAN): Feet on the side aerial loso series. High straddle to straddle quarter. Holds the stick on the back 1.5 with chest forward and an arm wave. 9.825
Deets (ARZ): Split ring jump full to start was clean. Dances out of the front layout to front full. Clean tour jete half to split full. Really high and well executed double tuck. Clean landing too. 9.875
Nguyen (STAN): Saves the loso loso series. Little off to the side. Clean switch side. Good position on the straddle to beat jump. Small hop and arm wave on the double full dismount. 9.675
Fears (ARZ): Feet on the opening double tuck. Chest up, but slid the front foot back. The camera cut off the switch side to Popa so not sure on rotations. Slight bounce on the Rudi landing. Tried to go for a back 1.5 to front full, but after the back 1.5 she misses the punch and tried to tuck the front full, but still falls. 9.05
Carter (STAN): Fun jump to split on the beam mount. Small check at the end of the bhs bhs loso series and waiver on the full turn. Hesitant in the straddle half to beat jump. Small step forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.75
Strom (ARZ): Rudi to huge loso. The rise on that was fantastic. Small scooch back on the landing. Switch the switch ring half done well. Some leg form in the back 1.5 to front full, but controlled the step out. Narrowly stayed in bounds. 9.85
Neault (STAN): Creative mount sequence. Calm bhs bhs loso. Nice positions in the switch to split jump. Slight adjustment on the front aerial. Moves right through the full turn. Some soft knees on the back 1.5 but sticks the landing. 9.925
Mueller (ARZ): Big double pike with a controlled lunge out. Overturns the switch side before the Popa. Good legs together on the back 1.5 to front layout. Low chest on the double tuck and slides back on the landing. Some feet. 9.9
Alexeeva (STAN): Great press mount. Holds onto the double wolf turn. Good toepoint in the loso series. Small waiver at the end. Not all the way rotated on the switch half before the beat jump. Sticks the gainer front full dismount. 9.875
Herry (ARZ): Very high double tuck with controlled step back. Very tight tuck position. A little bouncy on the jump combo. Was expecting a higher back 1.5 to front layout after the first pass, but it was clean and controlled. Glued the front foot down on the double pike to end. 9.9
Trinidad (STAN): An extra step back and lean on the loso series. Good positions on the split jump to split ring jump. Takes a step out of the front aerial. Good elevation on the bhs to gainer full dismount and sticks the landing. 9.8
Hargrove (ARZ): Good toe point and finish position on the full in. Dances right out of the whip half to front full. Clean leap combo. Sticks the double tuck on two feet with a low chest. Arizona can again drop the fall score. 9.875
FINAL: Arizona 197.000, Stanford 196.000
Arizona will be able to look back at this meet on how the gymnasts did not let early mistakes get to them. The vault rotation was not the strongest, and both the beam and floor rotations had early falls, but the Wildcats were able to stick with it and hit the 197.000 mark. Stanford is still lacking the leg event depth which continues to hurt the team score. Once the leg event can match bars and beam, Stanford’s scores will have a large jump.
VT: Hargrove 9.875
UB: Martin 9.975
BB: Deets, Neault 9.925
FX: Mueller, Herry 9.900
AA: Neault 39.275
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
