Tonight we’re watching a Big Ten matchup live from the comfort of my couch! The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena where the Hawkeyes will be hosting senior night for their five seniors. Wait a minute…it’s senior night already for some teams!?!? I feel like the season just started, but we’re already entering week 7 of the college gymnastics season. Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess 🙂
The Buckeyes have been rock solid all season and can only go up from here. They’ve been one of my favorite sleeper teams to watch this year. Star sophomore Payton Harris is one to watch in the all around tonight. She’s going into this week with three Big Ten gymnast of the week awards and a handful of all-around titles. Other notable Buckeyes with a handful of weekly awards and event titles include Ella Hodges, Tory Vetter, and Courtney McCann.
The Hawkeyes have also been fairly steady all season. I’m a little sad they’ve been stuck in the mid-195 to low-196 range as I feel like they have so much more to show. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes will be without star senior Adeline Kenlin who’s out for the remainder of the season with an ACL tear. However, there are Buckeyes such as Eva Volpe, Ilka Juk, and Aubrey Nick, who have all been standouts for them this year. I’m hopeful for what’s to come for this Buckeye team.
Last year, Ohio State beat Iowa in Columbus. Additionally, both teams are coming off wins and have been improving each week so I’m intrigued to see how this meet turns out. And with that, may the Big Ten matchup begin!
Rotation 1: Iowa Vault, Ohio State Bars
Chambers (Iowa): Yurchenko full, pretty flight but a little timid on landing.
Pritchard (OSU): Toe-hand to piked Gienger, soft knees in the air. Immediately to bail, solid and right on top of the bar. Blind full to double back, handstand was a little shaky but nice landing on dismount. 9.775
Castillo (Iowa): Nice Yurchenko full, small hop.
Washington (OSU): Maloney to Pak, nice lines. Nice, held handstands. Blind full to double back, pretty but small hop.
Masella (Iowa): Yurchenko full, love the aggressiveness but takes a small hop back.
Hankins (OSU): Little short on first handstand. Blind full to Jaeger, way too close to the bar and stops her rhythm. Has another minor issue after her bail. She gets it going again and finishes strong with an almost stuck double layout.
Volpe (Iowa): Beautiful Yurchenko full, stuck cold. 9.850
Vetter (OSU): SKY HIGH Tkatchev to start. Nice bail to follow. Great full-in, stuck. 9.900
Karenbauer (Iowa): Yurchenko full, little too much sauce and takes huge hop back. 9.750
Harris (OSU): Huge Ray. Nice lines and handstands. Solid bail to handstand. Blind full to double back, small hop.
Munoz (Iowa): Nice Yurchenko full, small step.
Riccardi (OSU): Nice Ray. Immediate Pak, nice lines. Pretty stalder to double back, stuck.
After 1: Ohio State 49.200 Iowa 48.950
The Hawkeyes look great on vault to start out. They have some solid Yurchenko fulls. With a little cleaning up of the landings, I think the Hawkeyes can land somewhere in the low-49 range. The Buckeyes had a few hiccups but no falls, which we love to see! Overall, I thought the Buckeyes looked good and have some great difficulty in their routines. A great start for both teams so far. Let’s got to rotation two!
Rotation 2: Iowa Bars, Ohio State Vault
Washington (OSU): Nice Yurchenko full, small hop 9.850
Rojas (Iowa): Huge Gienger to start. Nice bail to handstand. Full-in, chest a little low and takes a small hop forward.
Grimes (OSU): Nice high Yurchenko full, small hop. 9.800
Juk (Iowa): Nice toe-hand. Maloney to Pak, pretty. Great blind full to double back, small leg separation in blind but stuck landing.
Riccardi (OSU): Another great Yurchenko full for the Buckeyes, small hop. 9.900
Volpe (Iowa): Nice piked Jaeger. Bail to handstand, solid. Little short on last handstand. Great double layout, stuck. She seems to have sticky feet tonight, love to see it 🙂 9.800
Harris (OSU): Great Yurchenko 1.5, stuck cold. 9.900
Vanney (Iowa): Maloney to Pak, a little close on the Pak. Fights through it and covers it well. Nice double layout, small step. 9.700
Vetter (OSU): Beautiful Yurchenko full, stuck. 9.925
Masella (Iowa): Little short first handstand. Huge straddle Jaeger. Nice bail to handstand. Double layout to finish, fights for the stick but takes a small hop. 9.750
Gregory (OSU): Huge Yurchenko 1.5, small form in air and steps forward on landing.
Munoz (Iowa): Nice piked Jaeger. Beautiful Pak into nice pirouette. Clear hip to double layout, pretty in air but takes small hop forward. 9.800
After 2: Ohio State 98.600 Iowa 97.750
The Buckeyes are heading into the halfway point with a little less than a point lead. They looked great on vault and man were the sticks contagious for the Buckeyes. The Hawkeyes also looked good, just a little timid in my opinion. There were some small form breaks and small errors that led to a series of 9.7s, but they were consistent and also had a case of sticky feet! Now we’re onto my two favorite events!
Rotation 3: Iowa Beam, Ohio State Floor
Volpe (Iowa): Nice full turn. Bhs loso, solid. Switch leap straddle 1/4, pretty. Cat leap front aerial, I LOVED this combo. Ro tucked 1.5, small hop forward. 9.775
Gonzales (OSU): Ro bhs HUGE double pike, stuck. Punch front layout front full, pretty. Switch side straddle half, nice lines and amplitude. Ro 1.5 front layout, slight foot adjustment but so so pretty. This routine was GORGEOUS. 9.825
Ebeling (Iowa): Nice bhs loso. Pretty side aerial. Switch leap split jump split 3/4, small balance check…I’m not sure she’ll get the connection for all three jumps but it was pretty! Side gainer full, holds onto the stick. 9.575
Washington (OSU): Ro bhs double pike, nice height. Punch front layout front full, stuck. Nice leaps. Love the Michael Jackson dance in her choreo. Closes with a huge ro bhs double back.
Juk (Iowa): Beautiful triple series to start. Nice full turn. A FULL TWISTING BHS WHAT!?! that’s so cool omg. Carwheel side gainer full, small form in air but stuck landing. 9.850
(OSU): Ro bhs full-in, slight leg separation…I think she missed a leg grab but I’m not sure. Punch front layout front full, solid. Ro bhs double back, nice landing.
Nick (Iowa): Super cool mount into split leap. Beautiful full turn. Beat jump front aerial bhs, I love the uniqueness of this series! Ro 1.5, small hop. 9.825
Vetter (OSU): Nickei Minaj floor music!?!? Hello!?! I love it. Ro bhs double back, nice height. Switch full straddle half, nice lines and amplitude but travels a little. Beyonce now?? I LOVE this music. Punch front layout Rudi, small foot shuffle but pretty in the air.
Rojas (Iowa): Nice full turn. Bhs bhs loso, so lovely to watch. Switch leap split 3/4, big balance checks on both leaps, probably won’t get the connection. Side gainer full, stuck. 9.375
Harris (OSU): Fhs front double full front tuck, nice landing but a little low on front tuck. Nice leaps, great amplitude. HUGE ro bhs double pike to finish.
Munoz (Iowa): Switch leap split half, small bobble but it wasn’t super noticeable. Nice full turn. Bhs loso, small slide back. Bhs gainer full, stuck cold. A great routine to close the Hawkeye out on beam. 9.900
Hodges (OSU): Ro bhs double pike, great height and posture. Switch full straddle full straddle half, love this series! Fhs Rudi back layout stepout, great control and stuck. A great routine to close out floor for the Buckeyes.
After 3: Ohio State 147.975 Iowa 146.675
Iowa looked a little rocky on beam with a few missed leap connections and some balance checks here and there. However, the Hawkeyes looked poised and elegant on beam. They’re solid on floor and always a joy to watch so things are looking bright for the Hawkeyes going into the final rotation. Ohio State has looked rock solid all night. The Buckeyes just need to keep the same confidence and composure going to into beam to finish strong tonight.
Rotation 4: Iowa Floor, Ohio State Beam
Pritchard (OSU): Hitch kick side aerial, nice and controlled. Nice full turn. Bhs loso, pretty. Beat jump straddle 1/4, chest a little low but solid. Ro 1.5, fights for the stick and gets it. 9.850
Karenbauer (Iowa): Front through ro bhs double back, nice landing. Switch 3/4 straddle jump, solid. Ro bhs double pike, huge amplitude and great landing. 9.900
Hankins (OSU): Nice full turn. Nice controlled bhs loso. Front toss, solid and aggressive. Switch leap split 1/4, pretty lines. Ro double full, small hop backward.
Castillo (Iowa): Front through ro bhs double back, small shuffle. Switch side split half Shushunova, love this connection. A great ro bhs double pike to finish. 9.875
Harris (OSU): Switch leap straddle 1/4, pretty but small balance check. Nice full turn. Front aerial back tuck, the smallest of bobbles. Ro double full, stuck (I think?) 9.775
Volpe (Iowa): Punch front layout front full, nice height and lines. Switch full split half, great amplitude. Ro bhs double pike, stuck. Another great routine for the freshman.
Vetter (OSU): Nice full turn. Bhs loso, nice and controlled. Beat jump side aerial, looked a little off balance after beat jump. Switch leap straddle 1/4, pretty. Ro 1.5, slight leg form in air but stuck landing. 9.900
Munoz (Iowa): Front through ro bhs double back, nice height and landing. Switch half wolf full wolf half, great control and height. Huge ro bhs double pike, great landing.
Hodges (OSU): Standing switch leap straddle 1/4, pretty. Bhs loso, small balance check. Nice full turn. Standing loso, solid. Ro 1.5, small step back. 9.800
Erb (Iowa): Ro bhs double pike, huge height and great landing. Switch half split full, nice height. Ro 1.5 front full, misses her punch going into front full and sits it down.
Warga (OSU): Nice full turn. Front aerial bhs, pretty. Hitch kick switch side, small balance check. Nice front toss. Front gainer pike, small step.
Libby (Iowa): Fhs front double full, nice height. Ro 1.5 front layout, clean and pretty. Switch ring switch half, low back leg but pretty. Fhs Rudi, stuck.
FINAL: Ohio State 197.125 Iowa 196.075
The Hawkeyes struggled a little tonight in some places but also shined in some areas. Unfortunately, these minor inconsistencies allowed the Buckeyes to take home the win. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s meet, both teams looked great overall. I believe both teams are in a great place going into Big Fives.
VT: Vetter (OSU): 9.925
UB: Vetter & Riccardi (OSU):9.900
BB: Vetter (OSU) & Munoz (Iowa): 9.900
FX: Hodges (OSU): 9.925
AA: Vetter (OSU): 39.625
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Live Blog by Jessica Brock
