Just take a second to absorb how fun that title is. A tie? In this economy?
Michigan’s only really great meet of this season took place at home, so it’s hard to bet against the Wolverines in Crisler. Still, it’s been an up-and-down season for Michigan. Is there more promise demonstrated by Michigan’s higher peak score or Michigan State’s clearer upward trajectory? That might be a matter of opinion.
What’s not up for debate is the solidness of Michigan State’s core, led by Big Ten Gymnast of the Week Skyla Schulte. The Spartan stars are capable of going toe-to-toe with Michigan’s key fifth year seniors. This could easily come down to something like vault landings, which have been a work in progress in both Ann Arbor and East Lansing. That said, Michigan State’s weakest event this year has been beam, so the Spartans will likely need a comfortable buffer heading into the final rotation to withstand a likely Michigan floor surge.
Rotation 1:
Guggino (UM): One and a half, usual middling amplitude, little hop forward. 9.875
Stephen (MSU): Toe to Maloney to bail, tiny HB arch, FTDB stuck effortlessly. 9.85
Mulligan (UM): Leg sep on the table that continues throughout her FTY, big bouncy step back. 9.825
Jackard (MSU): Blind to Jaeger, looks good and just slides off onto her knees. On the side angle, she caught it on her wrists. Good bail, blind full double back with a hop. 9.0
Morrison (UM): One and a half, big step forward. 9.875
Zsarmani (MSU): Pak good, Maloney to Gienger lovely. Making the handstands, stuck FTDB with a low chest and a lean forward. 9.85
Wilson (UM): One and a half comes in deep, another big step forward with a deep knee bend. 9.875
Kellerman (MSU): Blind to Jaeger, nice distance, good bail. DLO baby hop forward, pretty in the air. 9.9
Brooks (UM): Yurchenko one and a half, definitely the best yet, hop forward and on tiptoe but avoids another step. Arm swing to salute that they probably won’t take. 9.875
Smith (MSU): Toe to Maloney to Pak, little bit of feet but zero leg separation, good pirouette, DLO with an arm shift and a step forward. 9.85
Jordan (UM): FTY, not a ton of repulsion, pike down and a hop back. 9.775
Harkness (MSU): Toe to Gienger great, bail, not a lot to take so far. FTDB with just a little leg form in the air but stuck. One foot slightly in front of the other if the judges are in a picky mood. 9.925
After 1: Michigan State 49.375, Michigan 49.325
Some imprecision on both sides in this rotation, but it’s Michigan State who comes out ahead in the first rotation.
Rotation 2: Michigan State VT, Michigan UB
Schulte (MSU): FTY, pretty, little hop in place. A tiny lean that was after saluting so it may or may not count. 9.85
Vore (UM): Toe to Tkachev, little bit of feet, hard to tell if her handstands are quite there. Good bail, DLO not the highest but stuck. 9.875
Ny. Smith (MSU): FTY, high and fast, little hop-scoot back. Twisting onto the table in replay and a bit of pike. 9.75, hilariously in the live score as another version of Ava Jordan.
She came in late after Gabi Ortiz scratched.
Wilson (UM): Blind to pike Jaeger, feet as usual, little off balance on her bail but sideways so they probably can’t see it, tiny bit short on her last cast handstand and a stuck DLO with an arm shift. 9.9
Tucker (MSU): One and a half, great flight and a small step. Little bit of knee form. 9.925
Zabrowski (UM): Blind to Jaeger, close and some legs on the catch, short on a handstand, Pak to switch kip. Keeps her legs together on the switch kip which gives it interesting dynamics, DLO, tiny foot shift and a lean forward. 9.825
Stephen (MSU): FTY, gorgeous, pace back.
Morrison (UM): Too far on the Gienger and falls. Touched the bar so she doesn’t have to repeat it, solid bail, shy on a handstand, DLO with a baby step. 9.125
Michigan bars landings have been great. Some little stuff, but they’re transitioning into stick mode and fighting for them to pretty good effect.
Ni. Smith (MSU): One and a half, stuck with a slight squat. Really not severe, thighs at worst horizontal. 9.95.
Bauman (UM): Toe blind to Jaeger to overshoot, clean, not sure about her last cast handstand, blind to double front with a baby step.
Kellerman (MSU): Stuck it. You know what that looks like at this point. 10.
Brooks (UM): Pike Jaeger, bail, FTDLO very nearly stuck. Commentators think it’s stuck but I think there was a foot shift before the one second point. 9.95
After 2: Michigan State 98.950, Michigan 98.675
MSU caught fire on beam while Michigan turned in a solid but not remarkable bars rotation.
Rotation 3: Michigan BB, Michigan State FX
Mulligan (UM): Hitch kick front aerial BHS, beat jump straddle half and falls. BHS tuck one and a half, step.
Beaufait (MSU): Front double full, pretty, slightly bouncy step. Nice leap positions, one and a half front lay and great control. Rudi, good. Really solid start. 9.9
Guggino (UM): Full turn, BHS LOSO with a tiny shift. Looks so focused, Straddle straddle half, substantial check. Side somi. One and a half, step forward. 9.75 and that’s going to count.
Tucker (MSU): Rudi LOSO, great. Nice controlled step on the front double full, awesome. Breakthrough day for the freshman. 9.9
Wilson (UM): Hitch kick. BHS LOSO, big check, hangs on. Standing switch combo is solid, slightly shaky on the full turn, double tuck with a step forward. 9.725
Stephen (MSU): Double pike, bounce to lunge. Switch half wolf full to straddle, well rotated, front double full with an awkward shuffle. 9.875
Vore (MSU): BHS LOSO, looks slightly uncertain but doesn’t actually wobble, kickover front with a bit of a knee swivel, micro-adjustments through her leap series but still avoiding major drama. One and a half twist stuck. 9.925 is maybe a little much but I get that you’re excited judges
Harkness (MSU): Full in, slide back. Switch to tour jete half wolf full, maybe a little underrotated. Front through double tuck, solid.
Bauman (UM): Full turn, BHS LOSO dead center on the beam. Split switch half to beat, front leg a little low on the switch half. Side somi, little shift, did she just wobble on choreography? Gainer pike, scoot back. 9.95
Smith (MSU): Full in, short with a step forward. One and a half front lay. Absolutely dead stuck on the front through double back, 9.875
Brooks (UM):BHS LOSO LOSO, check. Another check on the kickover front. BHS to double full, hop back. 9.8
Schulte (MSU): The drop score is 9.875. Full in, little scoot back. Switch half Popa to straddle, great rotation, front through double tuck landed nicely. 9.95!
Kayli Boozer in the exhibition for UM, BHS BHS LOSO is good! A great Nyah Smith re
After 3: Michigan State 148.450, Michigan 147.825
A lukewarm showing for Michigan on what has been one of the team’s better events this year, but here comes home floor. Michigan State couldn’t have done a lot more to maximize its chances but still has to face down beam, which has been hot and cold.
Rotation 4: Michigan State BB, Michigan FX
Kalefe (MSU): Full turn, BHS BHS LOSO beautifully straight. Switch to tuck full, gorgeous. Landing everything so decisively and finishes in form with a stuck cartwheel gainer full.
Bauman (UM): Front double full, great control. Switch half wolf full wolf full, little hop. One and a half front lay clean and airy, well controlled again.
Tucker (MSU): Front aerial BHS, no problem, steady beat split 3/4 combo. Cat leap side aerial, patient and pretty. Full turn, check. BHS gainer full stuck. Michigan can’t do anything if MSU keeps making routines like this. 9.9
Mulligan (UM): Front through double back, foot shift and chest a little low. Switch side half…? to straddle, uncertain on the rotation. Double pike, chest low again and scoot back. 9.925 the judges are trying their best
Ortiz (MSU): Full turn, BHS LOSO a touch of form but very solid landing and grins. Switch straddle quarter. Kickover front, good, BHS one and a half with a baby step and some soft knees.
It’s veterans from here out for MSU. Obviously, it’s basically always veterans from Michigan.
Guggino (UM): Front through double pike, good. Rudi with chest a little low, lunges out well.
Schulte (MSU): Switch to switch half, little uncertain throughout but no obvious check, BHS LOSO great, switch to gainer full stuck. 9.95
Morrison (UM): Half in half out. Front through double tuck, almost stuck and then takes it to lunge with no deductions. Really good, a step up in decisiveness. 9.95
Garcia (MSU): BHS LOSO, great. Great mixed combo, switch to split, not a lot to take here. BHS gainer full, stuck. I think she’s won the meet. 9.925
Brooks (UM): Half in half out, pretty in the air, great. Tour jete half split full. Front through double back, maybe a tiny front foot wiggle but that’s about all to take there. 9.95
Stephen (MSU): Two-foot front aerial, I hate seeing that from the front because the side view is so bananas, this angle doesn’t give the full effect. BHS LOSO with form and a check. She’ll probably be the drop score. Beat straddle half with maybe a little check. Stuck on her toes.
Wilson (UM): Half in half out great control. Commentators hilariously still think she might be able to win. Great straddle positions as usual, front lay to Rudi great. Karas is calling a 10.
FINAL: Michigan State 198.050 – Michigan 197.625
So amazing, so decisive for Michigan State. I’m happy to take yet another hit to my terrible pick ’em success rate for this. Only the second time this year that MSU has decisively hit a beam rotation and what a day to do it. It’s been 34 years since Michigan State won in Crisler. Handling pressure like this and turning it on at the right time speaks volumes about the team that MSU is and what it can accomplish in the postseason.
VT: Kellerman (MSU) 10
UB: Brooks (UM) 9.95
BB: Bauman (UM), Schulte (MSU) 9.95
FX: Wilson (UM) 10
AA: Brooks (UM) 39.575
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