LIVE BLOG: No. 13 Arkansas at No. 6 Florida

Arkansas counted its first fall of the season last week resulting in the team’s lowest score this season by almost a point. Besides last week, Florida and Arkansas have scored very similarly in the first month of competition, so this meet should be close. Florida lost its first home meet since 2019 two weeks ago and will be looking to not have two back to back home losses. Be prepared for some home team scoring bias, but either way this meet should come down to the last few routines. 

Anya Pilgrim has been a star for Florida in the all around so far this season, watch out for her especially on beam and floor. Lauren Williams has continued to impress for Arkansas on her events vault and floor, both will be routines to look out for. Leanne Wong fell on beam last week against Georgia and she will be determined to have a redemption routine on beam at home. 

Rotation 1: Florida vault, Arkansas bars

Draser (UF): A little off on the block and not the biggest dynamics on her Y1.5 but she had only a small hop on the landing. 9.875

Swaney (ARK): Nice first handstand. Great turnover and toe point on the Ray. Archy on the pak and last handstand. Hopped back on the double layout dismount. 9.825

Lazzari (UF): Slight bent knees throughout her Y1.5 and similar dynamics to Draser. She also had a small hop on the landing. 9.825

Pratt (ARK): Some feet on the Ray. Great rhythm on the bail to toe shoot, and kept the legs together on that bail. Some feet again on the double layout dismount with a smaller hop back than Swaney. 9.825

Blakely (UF): Underrotated that Y1.5 and took multiple steps backwards. Did not get the rotation to hold that landing. 9.675

Drotar (ARK): Slightest leg separations on the Maloney to bail. Took a large step back on the double layout dismount. Some soft feet throughout. 9.85

Pilgrim (UF): Highest of the Y1.5s so far and kept clean leg form. It was hard to see how open her hips were. Just a small hop forward, the size of Lazzari’s. 9.9

Scalzo (ARK): Not the snappiest of straddled jaegers but caught at a good distance from the bar before the shootover. A hop on her dismount too. The landings haven’t been there for Arkansas so far. 9.875

Ferris (UF): She got more hight on her Y1.5 than Pilgrim did and got the landing. Slight leg separation at the end of the vault. 9.95

Park (ARK): Great turnover in the Ray and very floaty pak. Slightly short last handstand, but great toe point throughout. Just a small step forward on her double layout dismount. 9.8

Wong (UF): Small leg separations throughout her half on half off piked. Some feet in the air as well, but only a small hop back. Slightly off directionally too. 9.925

Jones (ARK): Caught the piked jaeger, but when she went to cast to handstand she went way over and could not save it and had to jump off the bar. Clean pak after. Short last handstand. Small step back on her double layout dismount. 9.3

After 1: Florida 49.475, Arkansas 49.175

The lack of stuck landings really plagued Arkansas in the first rotation. It is still an improvement on the multi-fall performance from last week. Florida did not have many stuck landings, but aside from Blakely, the small hops are an improvement on vault rotations from earlier this season. Both teams will be looking to get more landings in the next rotation.

Rotation 2: Arkansas vault, Florida bars

Weaver (ARK): Good dynamics on her Yfull. Flaired it out at the end and tried to hold the stick with a dip forward and low chest. 9.75

Blakely (UF): Whips the Maloney to pak and is a little close on the pak. Short on the last cast and on the half turn before the double front dismount where she had a step forward. Her normal cowboy. 9.825

Park (ARK): Small hop back on her Yfull. Similar dynamics to Weaver and flaired it out. 9.775

Nguyen (UF): Fell on the Maloney. She couldn’t get her dowel on top of the bar. Repeated it and got it to the pak connection. Slight leg separation on the pak. High double layout dismount and a small step back. 9.3

Smith (ARK): A little off direction wise on her yfull and had a larger hop back than Park did. Good leg form and dynamics. 9.8

Disidore (UF): Good distance on the Maloney to pak. Vit the VL. Really floated the double layout dismount and it looked like she had the landing, but took a hop back. Clean form throughout. 9.9

Price (ARK): Biggest on the yfull’s so far with a similar size hop to what Smith had. 9.8

Pilgrim (UF): Clean leg form on the Maloney to pak combination. Git the cast half. Really high on the FTDT dismount and stuck the landing. 9.95

Klein (ARK): Leg separation on the block of her y1.5 but pretty clean leg for in the air and a small step forward. 9.8

Lazzari (UF): Low on her tkachev, but good turnover and toe point. Hit the pak. Good keeping the legs together on the FTDT dismount and stuck the landing pulling her heals together. 9.925

Williams (ARK): Some soft knees in the air of her Y1.5, but good height and distance. A pretty decent sized hop forward on the landing. 9.85

Wong (UF): Floatiest Maloney to pak combination of the bunch and her VL was high too. Sky high double layout dismount and stuck the landing. 10

After 2: Florida 99.075, Arkansas 98.200

Florida stuck the last three dismount which is much more of what the Gators are looking for. Florida was also able to avoid counting a fall thanks to the back half of the lineup including the 10 from Wong. Arkansas did not get the sticks on vault either and kept the trend of larger steps that has held Arkansas back from Florida to this point.

Rotation 3: Florida beam, Arkansas floor

Draser (UF): Feet on the loso series, but solid. Slow connecting the switch to switch half. Correction on the full turn. Feet on the roundoff before the back 1.5 dismount, and stuck it. 9.875

Klein (ARK): Love the opening music. Great height on the front layout through to double tuck. Might have cheated the leap rotation there. Chest low on the double pike so she didn’t really take the lunge back and only slightly stepped back. 9.85

Blakely (UF): Hesitation between the front aerial and bhs and dipped the shoulder on the landing. Still hesitant in the switch to switch half to beat jump. Hop back on the landing of the switch to gainer full dismount. 9.825

Park (ARK): Leg separation and large lunge back on the full in to open. Feet in that as well. High double tuck with feet and slid the front foot back on that landing. Clean rotation on the switch half to wolf full. Not a lot of height on the back 1.5 to front layout, but cleanly landed. 9.825

Pilgrim (UF): Hit the candle mount. Looked to maybe have bent elbows on the bhs loso series and some feet, but well landed. Clean beat to front aerial. Good split positions on the switch to split leap. Bent elbows on the bhs before the gainer full which she stuck. 9.9

Jones (ARK): Clean rotation on the front double full, and controls the step out. Nice positions on the switch ring and switch half. Good toe point and leg form on the back 1.5 to front layout. Clean landing on the Rudi to end. Couldn’t tell if she had to pike it down or not. 9.875

Lazzari (UF): Feet on the bhs loso loso series and should dip at the end, but not as much as Blakely. Hit the switch to split. Lean on the front aerial. Only a slight one though. Hit the full turn. Chest forward on the gainer full dismount, but looks to have held the stick. 9.775

Smith (ARK): Not the most height in the front layout though to double tuck. Hop forward on that landing as well. Nice height on the switch side to Popa. Slight leg separation in the double pike, but kept the front foot down on the landing. 9.85

Nguyen (UF): Good toe point and rhythm in the Onodi to bhs series. Clean through the switch to split. Some soft legs in the back 1.5, but sticks the dismount. 9.925

Williams (ARK): Slight leg separation on the end of that full in to open, but controls the landing. Good amplitude on the back 1.5 to front layout. Good position in the switch side to Popa. High double tuck with some feet. Controlled the lunge out. 9.9

Wong (UF): No switch leap mount this time, just a straddle mount. Hit the switch to split leap. Clean loso series. Waiver on the turn. Hesitant in the front aerial to beat jump connection. Leg separation on the double full and falls out of the stick stepping backwards. I love her beam song. 9.925

Price (ARK): Low chest on the double layout landing, but controls the lunge back. Cheats the leap rotation in her triple combo, but has great amplitude. Clean landing on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.95

After 3: Florida 148.525, Arkansas 147.625

The score was a little deceiving for Florida on beam as there were some slight checks that weren’t deducted as such, but what else would we expect. Arkansas came back to hit a floor rotation like the team has done all year. Arkansas will be looking to get the landings on beam to try to create a usable away score.

Rotation 4: Arkansas beam, Florida floor

Gamiao (ARK): Feet on the loso loso series with a slight lean at the end. Feet on the side somi, but solid. Hit the switch to split. Clean full turn. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount. Some soft legs. 9.925

Bruback (UF): Controls the lunge on the front layout to Rudi. Not the most amplitude. Not complete positions on the switch half to wolf full. Really high double tuck with some feet and a controlled lunge. 9.9

Jones (ARK): Smooth front aerial to bhs and falls on the second bhs in the combo. Hit the split to stag. Some knees on the punch front full dismount, but stuck it. 9.025

Nguyen (UF): Underrotated on the front double full and her leap out of it travels backwards. Clean positions on the switch ring and switch half. Some knees in the back 1.5 to front layout combination. 9.8

Williams (ARK): Some feet on the loso series. Didn’t look like a full split position on the switch before the straddle quarter. Clean through the aerial and full turn. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.8

Hurd (UF): Lacking amplitude on the front layout to Rudi and stumbles back a little on the landing. The switch ring was nice, but the switch half had negative amplitude. Hops into the lunge on the double pike. Slightly low chest. 9.85

Weaver (ARK): Hit the series. Clean switch to split. Wobble on the side aerial. Hit the full turn. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount. Some knees. I got totally distracted in the middle on this because they flashed a 0 for Hurd on accident. 9.825

Pilgrim (UF): Clean front tuck through to double tuck. Not the highest. Lacking amplitude on the triple jump combo. Lifts up her front foot on the double pike landing. Some feet on that. 9.85

Linton (ARK): Wonky double wolf turn. Almost falls but saves it in a squat position. Lifts up the front foot at the end of the loso series. Hits the switch to split. Feet and knees on the back 1.5 dismount with a hop forward. 9.725

Blakely (UF): High front tuck through to double tuck, but has to much power and bounces. Can’t tell is she went out from this angle. Switch to switch ring half was hit. Good amplitude on the back 1.5 to front full. 9.85

Park (ARK): Clean full turn to start. Feet on the bhs loso loso series and comes off on the last one. Arkansas now counting a beam fall. Comes back with the switch to split. Feet and knees on the side aerial to back 1.5 with a step forward crossing over. 9.15

Wong (UF): Hit the double wolf. Went for the double layout and nailed the landing on that. Very floaty. Clean leap combination. Underrotated the front full out of the whip half and tried to disguise the step back by dancing out of it. 9.875

FINAL: Florida 197.850, Arkansas 196.050

Arkansas will be sad to have missed two back to back away score opportunities counting a fall the last two weeks. Florida has continued its streak of having a new season high every week with this performance. The found landings on the non floor events will be promising heading into the back half of the season.

VT: Ferris 9.95
UB: Wong 10
BB: Nguyen, Wong, Gamiao 9.925
FX: Price 9.95
AA: Wong 39.725

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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker

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