The beginning of February bring an exciting battle of the Utahs with Southern Utah and Utah State. Although these schools are no longer in the same conference with Southern Utah in the MPSF and Utah State in the Mountain West, each team will be looking to top an in state foe. Both teams have had a slow start to the season, with Southern Utah yet to break 49.000 on beam and similarly struggling on bars at times. This isn’t completely surprising as the Thunderbirds lost over half of their routines to graduation. That said, it’ll need some new routines and consistency to emerge soon if it wants to not be in the play in meets for regionals. As for Utah State, the Aggies are looking to break 195.000 again, and are hoping to gain consistency on floor, an event they are struggling to find a sixth routine on.
As midseason approaches for both teams, the performance of their freshman will really influence how far their seasons go. For Southern Utah watch out for Niya Randolph who has been impactful in the all around so far as well as Brinlee Christensen. For Utah State, it will be looking for Isabella Vater, Nyla Morabito, and Mya Witte to keep improving their contributions. This matchup should be an exciting check in one two teams that both need to step it up a little bit!
Touch warm ups are wrapping up right now!
Rotation 1: Utah State VT, Southern Utah UB
Gatzlaff (USU): Yurchenko full, piking at the end. Hop back. 9.725
Christensen (SUU): Good hs, Jaeger is fine. Another solid hs, small leg break on the bail. Short hs, double layout with leg separation and a step 9.750
Brooks (USU): Yfull, nice amplitude and layout shape, big hop back and one foot outside the line. 9.800
Routsis (SUU): Maloney, Bail, clean. Nice handstand. Toe on, double layout, step back. Solid. 9.750
Boyer (USU): Yfull, pike in the air, two hops back over the line. 9.625
Randolph (SUU): Good hs, missed handstand on the clear hip after. Maloney, bail. Great final hs, double layout with a really small hop. 9.925!
Ostendorf (USU): Yfull, not the most amplitude but nice distance from the table, hop backwards. 9.825
Neff (SUU): Clean hs, Maloney, bail, really nice leg positions on those! Great final handstand, double layout with a hop. 9.875
Morabito (USU): Yfull, nice body position, hop back. 9.850
Goodman (SUU): Clean hs, pike Jaeger, short hs. Pak salto, pirouette is fine. Nailed the final hs, giant full double tuck with a hop.
Stuart (USU): Yfull, gets a lot of distance, but not amplitude. Some piking down and a hop.
Schwartze (SUU): Piked Jaeger is good, nice hs. Solid bail. Fantastic hs, dismounts with a 1.5!! Takes a hop but love the unique dismount.
After 1: Southern Utah 49.250 Utah State 48.950
Both teams started with really strong rotations. Utah State matched it season high on vault, and compared to a few weeks ago, those vaults look a lot better. Definitely need to find those sticks, but in the air they were pretty solid. Southern Utah leads with a 49.250, and Niya Randolph impressed with a 9.925. The Thunderbirds still need to refine their landings, but between the bars those routines were very crisp. On to rotation two!
Rotation 2: Southern Utah VT, Utah State UB
Cacciola (SUU):Yfull, hop back 9.850
Bibbey (USU): Solid hs, Tkatcehv. Bail is a little short of handstand. Nice hs, double layout is fantastic in the air, takes a hop. 9.750
Randolph (SUU): Yfull, great in the air, is a tiny bit short trying to hold the stick and takes a small hop forward. 9.775
Kirstine (USU): Good hs, toe on Maloney, Bail, a little bit of loose back in the bail. Good hs, giant full is over, double tuck is stuck, nice set. 9.900
McClain (SUU): Yfull, not a ton of distance, amplitude is fine, hop back. 9.875
Aragon (USU): Might’ve been a little short on the first hs, Tkatcehv. Short hs, Bail is fine. Nice hs, FTDT with a hop. 9.70
Kelly (SUU): Yurchenko full on pike off, big hop backwards and over the line. 9.750
Boyer (USU): Nice hs, Maloney, Pak, we had a judge’s angle and the legs looked together. Might have been a tad over on the last handstand, giant full double tuck is clean, hop forward.
Pardue (SUU): Yurchenko 1.5, a little bit of legs in the air, just one stop forward. Great amplitude! 9.850
Brooks (USU): Great hs, Ray to overshoot is clean and dynamic. Good hs, double layout is stuck! Great set. 9.900
Gull (SUU): Yurchenko full on pike off, leg separation at the end. Big hop and step backwards. 9.700
Stuart (USU): Oh we’re super zoomed out, but Tkatchev to overshoot, looked fine. Cannot see handstands at all, double layout with a lunge forward. Guessing it’ll be the drop routine.
After 2:
A season high for Southern Utah on vault and Utah State on beam! Lots of great gymnastics in that rotation, the duo of Brooks and Kirstine was lights out, and on vault Pardue’s 1.5 really stood above the rest. Both teams are on track for season highs halfway through this meet. Lets see if they can make it happen!
Rotation 3: Utah State BB, Southern Utah FX
Witte (USU): Bhs, bhs, loso nicely done. Check on the full turn. Front aerial, beat jump, check in between. Switch leap, split jump, nice. Gainer full, small hop. Solid, some wobbles. 9.650
Fernandez (SUU): Double back, well controlled. Switch half, wolf full, wolf full, fine. Back 1.5, front lay, clean. Rudi, controlled. Solid start 9.775
Ostendorf (USU): Full turn, Bhs loso, clean. Split jump, tuck full FIGHTSSS to save it, big wobbles. Front toss, another check. Back 1.5 with a hop.
Cacciola (SUU): Double tuck, big hop and OOB I think. Back 1.5, front lay, secure. Switch leap, tour jete half, short of split and rotation. Rudi, step. 9.775
Long wait for Jelen
Jelen (USU): Full turn, sharp. Side aerial, bhs, large balance check but stays on. Switch split jump, double stag jump, solid. Switch leap. Bhs, gainer full, stuck. 9.675
Christensen (SUU): Double tuck, large lunge back, foot slide. Back 1.5, front lay, secure. Switch half, wolf full, wolf full, decent landing positions. Front rudi, good amplitude 9.775
Kirstine (USU): Bhs, loso, small check but covers well. Full turn. Side aerial, covers another check well. Hitch kick, side somi, clean. Switch leap, straddle quarter. Front gainer full, stuck. Great set. 9.875
Gull (SUU): Double pike, lacking a little control, great amplitude. Back 1.5, front half, split jump, good. Tour jete half, wolf full, slightly short of split. Double back, lunge. 9.900
Brooks (USU): Front aerial, one-armed bhs. Steam cut out for a while, missed like 30 seconds. Full turn is solid. Bhs, stuck gainer full.
Randolph (SUU): Split double layout, great in the air, step out of bounds. Switch half, popa, straddle jump, landing with a step. Front tuck to double tuck, chest up with a lunge.
Aragon (USU): Switch leap, split jump solid. Bhs, loso is clean. Front toss. Bhs, gainer ful stuck. Excellent
Pardue (SUU): Double tuck, controlled lunge. Front lay, front full, a little messy. Switch side, popa. Double pike has excellent amplitude.
After 3:
After a shaky start, the final three routines for Utah State were excel to get its total up to 49.025 on beam! A great step forward for this team, and an impressive comeback. Southern Utah was solid on floor, and I was impressed by the lack of short landings. The Thunderbirds could benefit by slightly crisper landings, but Pardue was a highlight. Both teams are having its best meets of the season, but they end the meet on their weakest events, this last rotation should be exciting!
Rotation 4: Southern Utah BB, Utah State FX
Fernandez (SUU): Full turn solid. Side aerial, bhs. Excellent fron toss. Beat jump, split 3/4, secure. Side aerial, back 1.5 with a step. Good start. 9.875
Eagles (USU): Front lay, Rudi has nice amplitude. Double tuck and a step out of bounds. Switch side, Popa. Missed the last past because of Wi-Fi issues. 9.775
McClain (SUU): Front toss, bhs, secure. Straddle jump, straddle quarter. Cat leap, front pike with a small arm wave. Gainer full, stuck. Another good hit. 9.950!!
Peterson (USU): Front lay, front Rudi, stag jump, out of bounds. Switch side, Popa, split was a little asymetrical. Double tuck, short with a step forward. 9.500
Cacciola (SUU): Full turn. Switch leap, split jump, gainer loso, beat jump, excellent. Bhs, loso, precise. Back 1.5 is stuck! Another great routine for the Thunderbirds. 9.950!
Morabito (USU): Double layout is nicely done! First time competing it this year. Tour jete half, split half, didn’t have a great angle to see splits. Front full, front full, really nicely done. Nice routine!
Randolph (SUU): Came in at the end of her series, but looked clean. Straddle jump, straddle quarter was great. Front toss, beat jump, secure. Full turn, smallest of checks, probably not a deduction. Back 1.5 with a step. 9.825
Evans (USU): Front lay, Front Rudi, excellent twisting position. Excellent switch ring to split full. Double back, good lunge, Great set.
Coutu (SUU): Bhs, loso, nice. Split jump, sheep jump, missing the position and a check afterwards. Full turn. Cat leap, side somi. Gainer full with a hop. 9.775
Ostendorf (USU): Front lay, Rudi, again, nice twisting form. Wolf full, switch side, straddle jump. Double tuck, phenomenal control and nice chest position.
Hartley (SUU): Small check on the full turn. Bhs, loso, arm wave but solid. Split jump, straddle half and a wobble. Fall on a side aerial. Back 1.5 with a step back. No big deal, five good routines beforehand.
Vater (USU): Wi-Fi went out again, missed the first pass. Switch ring, switch side, popa, missing some ring position. Internet cutting out again…. Back 1.5, front lay, well done. Well, what I saw was good.
FINAL: Southern Utah 196.800, Utah State 196. 275
Southern Utah came out on top in what was a season best showing for both teams by 5+ tenths. Excellent work all around! Both teams still have improvements to make, but in terms of hitting, today was an important meet for both teams. Hopefully, both can build on tonight’s success!
VT: Kennedi McClain 9.875
UB: Niya Randolph 9.925
BB: Ellie Cacciola, Kennedi McClain 9.950
FX: Nyla Morabito 9.925
AA: Kennedi McClain 39.275
READ THIS NEXT:Â Questions, Comments, Concerns: Week 3
Live blog by Rebecca Williams
