We’ve got a Sunday afternoon Big 12 tri-meet!
Denver and Iowa State travel to West Virginia after competing at Denver last Sunday. The Pioneers put on another great performance and tallied a 197.775 to show for it, capped off by Jessica Hutchinson’s 10 on floor. The Cyclones had a hit meet as well, though they gave away a few too many tenths on bars and beam and were just shy of breaking 196, notching a 195.800.
Denver’s in the midst of another strong season. The upperclassmen have stabilized the lineups, with seniors Jessica Hutchinson, Rylie Mundell, and Rosie Casali all regularly contributing three to four events. Freshman, and former five-star recruit, Madison Ulrich hit the ground running from week one and hasn’t wavered since. The Pioneers are currently in the top 10 on three events, including ranking No. 4 on bars, which has also seen the return of Mia Hebinck to the lineup after missing 2023 with injury. On the injury front, Bella Mabanta returned to the beam lineup last week after missing two weeks with a minor lower leg injury.
After a disappointing 2023 season, Iowa State has returned to the top 25 under first-year head coach Ashley Miles Greig. Freshman Noelle Adams is having a great season in her own right, averaging over 9.85 on her three events; Josie Bergstrom and Kaia Parker are also quietly having good seasons. The key to Iowa State’s success will be hitting good routines on bars and beam, both events that have held the Cyclones back at times this season. Two of their three 196 scores so far are currently home scores—with NQS on the horizon, they’ll want to start seeing those 196s come on the road as well.
2024 hasn’t been kind to West Virginia. A team that’s typically hovered around the back half of the top 36, the Mountaineers are struggling and find themselves far outside the regionals bubble at No. 52, with only one score at or above 195 (yes, that score is a 195 exactly.) Last week, the Mountaineers vaulted a Yurchenko layout—that’s how much this team is struggling right now. Part of that is injuries, the latest being Emma Wehry, who had been competing all around for the Mountaineers. Let’s hope the injury isn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Abbie Pierson can only do so much when the rest of the team is down this bad. Freshman Jurnee Lane has also been a bright spot for the Mountaineers.
Rotation 1: WVU VT, DU UB, ISU BB
Casali (DU): starting the Pioneers off strong with a Maloney to bail routine construction. Tiny hop back on the DLO. 9.85. Girl is a 9.85 machine on bars.
Rorich UB: slightly short first first hs; straddled jaeger to bail good. DLO, tinier step than Casali. Nice! 9.9
O’Brochta (ISU): acro series nice. coming in mid routine here. switch to split, split a little short of 180. gainer full with a steep back.
Ulrich (DU): nice routine so far coming into the live blog portion later in the routine. DLO with a tiny step in place. 9.975, dayum!
Pierson (WVU): yfull, clean in the air and a hop in place.
Hebinck (DU): again catching the end, stuck DLO!
Adams (ISU): mid routine again, nice so far. Front aerie good, and nails the dismount.
“Lauren Hutchinson” SIR. Anyways. Nice routine from Hutchinson so far, ends with a stuck DLO. 9.925
Collins (WVU): ylay, clean but not what they want to be vaulting. her mom and dad were WVU gymnasts and wrestlers, this meet was made for them!
Mundell (DU): gorgeous straddled tkatchev, hits next hs. bail those good; DLO, tiny hop back. Nice end to the lineup. I believe they’re resting her today and this is her only event. 9.9
Thomas (ISU): beat jump nice. front toss bhs secure; tiniest check on her switch leap straddle 1/4, but good positions. back 1.5 with a large step forward.
Wilke (ISU): cat leap front toss back tuck, unique triple connection! sticks her dismount.
After 1: DU 49.600, WVU 49.025, ISU 48.800
WOW Denver! That was a great bars rotation. Solid starts for both other teams as well, though WVU still vaulted a layout. Over 49 is progress for the Mountaineers, though. Iowa State also hit beam, but will want to improve on the shaky routines.
Rotation 2: WVU UB, DU BB, ISU FX
Thompson (DU): side aerial to BHS series, looked good thus far. Switch leap to switch leap, some rise between the leaps. RO 1.5 dismount.
Hong (ISU): Double tuck to open, nice high chest position, switch side looked over 180. Back 1.5 to front layout 2nd pass, underrotated the layout ever so slightly, but kept it together. Switch side to wolf full wolf full, good toe point.
Lowe (WVU): Pak salto to low bar, very nicely done, nails the final handstand. Full pirouette to double tuck dismount, stuck.
Reidenbach (DU): Goes for her series and falls on the second BHS. Retries the series and has a small balance break. Switch leap to straddle half, lost her toe point in the straddle. RO 1.5, got the landing.
Pierson (WVU): Straight cast handstand, half turn to Ezhova, leg separation in the Ezhova. Straddle transition back to high bar, toe on to front pike half dismount. One of her better routines!
Schell (ISU): Front 1.5 to stag jump to open, little out of control on the stag. Switch side to straddle jump, fun choreography as she continues. Back 1.5 to front layout 2nd pass, got the landing on that. Really starting to find her own on this event!
Iwai (DU): Switch leap to straddle quarter, really pretty extension in the leaps. Triple series spot on, cartwheel gainer full dismount, stuck.
Lane (WVU): short on the first handstand, looked like she fell from the handstand a little early as she went for the Jaeger, DLO dismount with a step forward. A little bit of a weird routine, but kept it on the bar.
Casali (DU): BHS LOSO LOSO with an extra step back. Switch leap to switch leap, back leg was a little too low for my liking. Cartwheel to gainer full, little bit of a lean on the landing.
Alban (WVU): Geinger, very pretty. Bail to handstand, nails the handstand position in the 180, DLO with a hop back.
Ulrich (DU): BHS LOSO, solid. Switch leap to switch side, super high off the beam. Front aerial, nice and floaty throughout. BHS 1.5 dismount, small hop forward.
Manternach (ISU): Front tuck through to double tuck to open, spot on. Double pike 2nd pass, barely kept it in bounds, but lots of amplitude. Good routine for her!
Hutchinson (DU): Front toss to BHS series, clean. Switch leap to split jump, maybe a tiny balance check between. Piked front toss, so clean! And her lines make it look fabulous. Cartwheel to gainer full dismount.
McDonnell (WVU): Maloney to Pak salto series, lot of straddle on the Pak. DLO dismount, was doing a full-in at the start of the season, but it was inconsistent, so I’m glad to see her find a consistent dismount!
Adams (ISU): Opens with a lay to rudi, tiny bit of foot crossing and a solid landing. tour jete half Popa, loses the toe point a tad. double tuck, a tad short and lunges forward instead of back. Not her best routine, but it’s a hit. 9.825
After 2: DU 98.800, ISU 97.725, WVU 97.500
Denver overcame an early fall with a strong back half of the rotation, capped off by Hutchinson’s stunning routine. Iowa State built on beam with a higher total than the first rotation, though the Cyclones narrowly missed the 49 mark. The Mountaineers persevered through bars, but had to count a 9.475.
Rotation 3: ISU VT, WVU BB, DU FX
Rorich (DU): Nice opening front through to double tuck. switch side popa popa, overturns the first leap but her straddles are gorgeous! double pike, good.
Wills (ISU): yfull, tiny bit of preflight leg sep, otherwise clean with a hop back.
Pierson (WVU): bhs layout two foot, gets it! Leap series good. tucked 1.5 dismount, hop forward. a hit for WVU. 9.75
Iwai (DU): back 1.5 to lay to stag, nice control on all elements. double tuck, very nice! Hitting her leaps too.
Floor judges are sloooowwww today.
Adams (ISU): yfull, short – lands with chest down. 9.65
Reidenbach (DU): whip half rudi, gets the landing. Hits her leap connection. double tuck, little bit of movement on the landing likely due to landing at the front of the extra mat.
Bergstrom (ISU): yfull, super clean and a stick, but a low chest – better than Adams, though. 9.825. Not sure it was that much better than Adams, but definitely better!
Lewis (WVU): nice routine so far. split jump split 3/4, solid. front toss, bends at the hips and her back leg comes up. another check on it as she repeats it.
Casali (DU): rudi layout nice. hits her leaps, not always the most leap-y gymnast but she gets them around. Back 2.5 to punch front to end, super secure landing. That’s probably the Pioneers’ best routine on floor so far. 9.925 – well deserved!
Ulrich (DU): nice open double tuck, she’s training a DLO! switch half popa, good. back 1.5 to lay, dances out of it with superb control. In a world of 2 pass routines, she’s still doing 3. Ends with a nice double tuck. 9.9
Hutchinson (DU): coming off a 1o last week. front double full, nice control and form. switch half split full, good positions. back 1.5 to lay, nice. Rudi to straddle pristine. Another floor routine, another great one for Hutchinson. 9.925
Amber Lowe caps off her beam routine with a stick.
Brusch (DU, exh): front tuck through to double tuck, steps forward instead of back. switch half wolf full wolf full, front leg a tad low on the wolfs. Good closing double pike. Continuing to get reps in on floor as she comes back from offseason knee surgery.
Looks like Iowa State went 5 up on vault.
After 3: DU 148.200, ISU 146.725, WVU 146.000
Denver continued its strong meet with a nice floor rotation—and this isn’t even the best floor I’ve seen the Pioneers do. It wasn’t Iowa State’s best vault rotation, and going 5 up didn’t do the Cyclones any favors. Once they clean up the landings, that’ll be a nice lineup for the Cyclones. West Virginia was shaky at times on beam, but ultimately five Mountaineers at least stayed on the beam and they can drop the fall.
Rotation 4:
“The Pioneers are in good shape to go 198 with a 148.2.” Sir, that is not happening, they need a 49.800 to do so. Wishful thinking!
Brusch (DU): nice yfull, super dynamic with just a tiny hop back. 9.85
Loyim (ISU): hitting so far. good final hs. DLO, tiny shuffle back. Nice leadoff. 9.725
Hargraves (DU): her first competitive vault. yfull, lands off to the side but stuck. That might be the best vault I’ve seen her do. 9.825
Reidenbach (DU): yfull, clean again with a hop back. 9.825. Yes, that vault was equivalent to Bergstrom’s…
Alban (WVU): double pike, lifts the front foot a tad on the landing. back 1.5 lay full, better landing. switch side wolf full, front leg pretty low on the wolf. double tuck, little short with a step forward.
Ulrich (DU): Fhs pike half, tiny hop back. Depending on the score, she may have a new personal best AA score. 9.8, that feels low unless this angle just sucks for viewing hops. Even with her arch on the table…
Basuel (ISU): bail to hs good. hit her final hs. double tuck, stuck. probably ISU’s best bars routine so far.
Casali (DU): y1.5, step back. 9.85
Hutchinson (DU): y1.5, another step back. She’s really improved her form in the air on the 1.5 from last year to this year. 9.775, that feels low! Looked comparable to Casali to me.
A little Tate McCrae going In the arena between floor routines, super fun.
Slightly short hs. I missed her SBR, but the commentator said she caught it close. Solid pak and ends with a dlo, some leg form in the air but stuck.
Lowe (WVU): Coming in in the middle of the routine, but a nice double pike to close. 9.875
Pierson (WVU): big opening DLO, nails the landing. switch side wolf full popa, solid straddles but front leg a tad low on the wolf. fhs front lay front full, finds the landing.
Muns (WVU): wolf jump 1.5, wow! double pike, short and crunchy landing but stays on her feet. Good triple leap connection, super nice straddles. front lay front full, crossy legs on the twist.
FINAL: DU 197.350, ISU 195.675, WVU 195.250
Denver closed the meet on vault—the Pioneers didn’t get the landings today but they still went 49.150 and managed a 197.350 while resting Rylie Mundell and Bella Mabanta. It’s easy to see how this team has gone in the high 197s and hit 198 already this season with a better vault rotation. The Pioneers will certainly take this road score with NQS kicking in! Iowa State also put up a solid meet, though it’s not the 196 the Cyclones wanted. Still, it’s marginally better than their previous low road score of 195.550, so their NQS will improve—plus, the Cyclones have a road-heavy schedule the rest of the way to build on. This was a step in the right direction for West Virginia. There’s room for improvement, but after the struggles this team has had, the Mountaineers should be looking to build on this meet after only going 195 once before this meet. Emma Wehry also returned on vault and exhibition on bars after suffering a concussion on that bars fall earlier this season, which is great news for the Mountaineers.
VT: Kiana Lewis (WVU), Emilie Hong (ISU) 9.875
UB: Madison Ulrich (DU) 9.975
BB: Jessica Hutchinson (DU) 9.95
FX: Jessica Hutchinson, Rosie Casali (DU) 9.925
AA: Jessica Hutchinson (DU) 39.575
READ THIS NEXT: A Day in the Life of a College Gymnast: Meet Day
Live blog by Tara Graeve
