One of the most anticipated SEC dual meets of the season is here as LSU visits Florida. This matchup always creates fireworks and down to the wire finishes. As the season has unfolded to this point, LSU looks to be the obvious favorite, but this Florida team is at home, and has increased its team score every week this season. Last week Florida’s new season high was set at 197.925 and this top-10 matchup is the perfect opportunity to continue the new season high streak with its first 198.
While typical stars like Leanne Wong, Aleah Finnegan, Haleigh Bryant, and Kiya Johnson will shine in the spotlight this week, there will be some other faces to watch. This meet marks Savannah Schoenherr’s return to Gainesville to compete against Florida for the first time. Both LSU and Florida have shuffled lineups throughout the season and will likely go for the A-teams this week. Kaylee Bluffstone made her collegiate debut on floor last week, and if she makes the lineup again tonight, it will be a strong indication of her status in Florida’s ideal top six.
Big cheer for Schoenherr in the indroductions.
Rotation 1: Florida vault, LSU bars
Draser (UF): Almost held onto the landing on her y1.5. Was a little wonky on the table, but took only a small step back. Not the most dynamic vault. 9.775
Jeffrey (LSU): Hit the Maloney to bail with pointed toes. Slightly hort last handstand. Really high FTDT dismount, but landed in a low squat to hold the landing. 9.85
Blakely (UF): Better block position on the table and more distance on her Y1.5. A small hop forward on the landing and off directionally. 9.9
Cowan (LSU): Good height on Ray and went to an inbetween position on the shootover which made it look strange. Small hop back on the double layout dismount. 9.825
Nguyen (UF): Square block off the table but some knees on her Y1.5. Small hop forward. Pretty center on the mat. 9.9
Kiya Johnson (LSU): Some lack of toe point in the Maloney to bail. Hits the handstands though. Rebound back on the double layout dismount. Good height on that. 9.825
Pilgrim (UF): Highest Y1.5 of the bunch so far with straighter body position in the air. Tiny shift of one foot to the side. 9.95
McClain (LSU): Lost the toe point in the church, but connected right to the high pak. Really high FTDT dismount as well with a stutter step and good chest position. 9.825
Ferris (UF): Blocked high on the table and looked off in the run up, but pulled out the Y1.5 with a hop back. Leg separation in the air too. 9.9. Yeah no.
Schoenherr (LSU): Lack of toe point in the jaeger, but great height. Hit the bail. Feet on the double front half out and hopped forward. 9.85
Wong (UF): Leg separation throughout the half on pike half off, but good block and got the chest up on the landing. Hop back. 9.95.
Bryant (LSU): High jaeger and hit bail. Funky arms on the jaeger. Some feet in the double front half out and one foot looked to step in place. 9.925
After 1: Florida 49.600, LSU 49.275
Well, Florida home scoring has already started. There were some good landing on some of those vaults though. Florida will be thrilled with that vault total. LSU was deducted for the landings where there were hops on just about every routine putting the Tigers in a deficit after one. It will be interesting to see if the scoring stays consistant.
Rotation 2: LSU vault, Florida bars
KJ Johnson (LSU): Great block off the table and flair out on the yfull. Small hop back on the landing. Center of the mat. 9.825
Blakely (UF): Small leg separation in the pak before the Maloney. Good finish to the half. Cowboy on the double front dismount, but sticks it. 9.875
Finnegan (LSU): Some soft knees in the air of her Y1.5 and not as high as some we have seen. Big bounce forward. 9.8
Nguyen (UF): Slight leg separation on the pak after the Maloney, Slightly short last handstand. Pinged a little off the bar on the double layout dismount and took a small hop back. 9.775
Drayton (LSU): Nice straight block off the table on her Y1.5. Not the highest, but looks to have stuck the landing from my angle. 9.975
Disidore (UF): Short first handstand and has to recast before the Maloney to pak. Clean catch on the VL. Floaty double layout dismount and has a small hop back identical in size to Nguyen. 9.8
Schoenherr (LSU): Soft knees throughout her Y1.5 and came in a little short with a hop back on the landing. 9.875
Lazzari (UF): Low tkachec, but good toe point. Nice pak, but couldn’t make it over on the cast half has to redo it. Sticks the FTDT dismount. 9.8
Kiya Johnson (LSU): Good block off the table on what looks to be her Y double full this week. Gets the landing. Crossed legs in the air. 9.95
Pilgrim (UF): Not the highest Maloney to pak, but gets it. Some feet on the FTDT dismount and almost holds the stick, but traveled too far out and takes a large step forward. 9.8
Bryant (LSU): Blasts the front pike half off the table and flairs out her arms. Small hop back. 9.925
Wong (UF): Floaty Maloney to pak combo and gets the VL. Great double layout and sticks the landing. Very clean form throughout. Bard judges have been, tight, but I wouldn’t be shoucked to see that go ten. Nope. 9.95
After 2: Florida 98.825, LSU 98.825
Both team had much better vault rotations than bars rotations according to the judges. Florida missed a couple of casts that really hurt, and LSU nailed some vault landings. After two this meet is tied which is just what everyone would want from this matchup.
Rotation 3: Florida beam, LSU floor
Draser (UF): Feet but solid on the loso series. Slow connection on the switch to switch half. Clean full turn. Small hop forward and leg crossing on the back 1.5 dismount. The judges could break the dance connection, but I doubt they want to. 9.875
McClain (LSU): Large lunge back on the double layout. I can’t tell how controlled with her teammates standing in front of that corner. Nice and high switch leap to switch full. Good control out of the back 1.5 to front full. A little soft knees on that. 9.9
Blakely (UF): Kept the front aerial to bhs moving. Slight hesitation on the landing. Slow connection in the switch to switch half to beat jump and lost the toe point on the switch half. Slight bounce on the gainer full dismount. 9.85
Drayton (LSU): Higher double layout than McClain and controlled the lunge out. Some feet on the front tuck through to double tuck, but controlled lunge. Not perfect rotation on wolf turn. Good position on the switch ring to switch half. 9.925
Pilgrim (UF): Good handstand on the candle mount. Steady loso series. Kicks out the front leg at the end of the full turn. Slow connection on the beat jump to side aerial and again for the switch to split leap. Stuck the gainer full. More opportunities for broken connections that won’t be taken. 9.975
KJ Johnson (LSU): Not the highest full in and some feet, but controlled the lunge out. Good height on the layout out of the back 1.5. Hit a switch side half to straddle half. Controlled lunge on the double tuck as well. Good legs together on that. 9.95 with one judge going 10
Lazzari (UF): Feet on the bhs loso loso series. Hit the switch to split. Large leg up wobble on the front aerial. Wobble on the full turn as well. Stuck the gainer full. 9.725
Finnegan (LSU): Super high on the double arabian and hesitates into the stag jump. Great positions on the switch ring and tour jete half. Got the back 2.5 to front tuck connection and controlled the step out. 10
Nguyen (UF): Arm waiver between the Onodi and bhs. Arm wave at the end of the switch to split jump as well, but good position in the air. Leg crossing on the back 1.5 dismount. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.95
None of these scores make sense.
Bryant (LSU): Leg separation on the double front, but controls the step out. Not completely around on the switch full after the switch leap. Good height on the front layout to Rudi and controls the lunge. 9.95
Wong (UF): Good connection on the switch to split leap. Clean loso series. A little over on the full turn. Finesses the front aerial to beat jump connection. Crosses the legs in the back double full, but sticks the dismount. 9.975
Kiya Johnson (LSU): Feet on the full in, but controls the landing. Good amplitude on the back 1.5 to front layout. Does kind of a switch full to wolf half, but it didn’t seem intentional. Sticks the double pike with a slightly lower chest. 9.95
After 3: LSU 148.600, Florida 148.450
Well, LSU went with its A-team on floor and it paid off with a 49.775. That will give the Tigers the lead heading into the last rotation. The beam scores for Florida could have been quite a bit worse so Florida will be happy to still be close to LSU and a 198 pace with a great floor rotation.
Rotation 4: LSU beam, Florida floor
Ballard (LSU): Small wobble on the loso series. Slow connection and short of split on the split leap to switch half. Clean front toss. Some feet on the back 1.5 dismount and a large step forward. Florida was playing Sweet Caroline suring which was wild. 9.825
Nguyen (UF): Least underrotaed of her front double fulls that I have seen this season, but still breaks the connection to the sissone. Makes the dance series though with good positions. High on the back 1.5 to front layout and lands right in the corner so has to step back and not forward. 9.925
Beard (LSU): Big wobble on the loso series, but stays on. Clean full turn. Breaks the connection after the switch leap . But connects a beat jump to the split half. Low chest on the side aerial. Slow connection on the cat leap to gainer full. Stuck landing on that, but some piked hips. 9.675
Pilgrim (UF): Good feet on the front tuck through to double tuck and controls the lunge out. Good rotation on the tour jete half to split full to split full. Good height on the double pike, but a little leg separation in the air and lifts up the front foot a little on the landing. 9.925
McClain (LSU): Great amplitude and positions on the switch to switch half. Keeps the arms moving on the front aerial to bhs. High wolf jump. Precise full turn. Little hip shift on the side aerial. Holds the stick on the gainer full. 9.95
Bluffstone (UF): Lower full in than most and some feet, but controlled landing. Rogue front tuck with some feet. A little under on the front full to front full and steps back. Hits the switch side half to straddle Shushunova. 9.875
Kiya Johnson (LSU): Wobble on the full turn. Shoulder dip on the loso series. A little off on the switch leap combo as well. Solid front toss. Crossed legs in the back double full and a small hop back. 9.825.
Blakely (UF): High front tuck to double tuck combo pass with a controlled lunge and some feet. Switch leap to switch ring half. Not the best ring position in that. Controls the back 1.5 to front full. Not the most amplitude on that. 9.975
Bryant (LSU): Shoulder dip between the front aerial and bhs. Nice position on the switch side combo. Solid front tuck. Clean split jump. Stuck the Rudi dismount. 9.95
Richards (UF): Wrong music played at first. Low chest on the double layout, but controlled the lunge. She is now down on the floor and the music stopped. A bunch of people are blocking my view of her.
She is being carried to the locker room now by Owen Fields.
Finnegan (LSU): Some feet and a large leg up wobble on the bhs loso loso series. Arm check on the switch to split jump combo. Arm waiver on the front aerial as well. Bounce back on the gainer full dismount. 9.8. Huh
Wong (UF): Precise finish to the double wolf. Slightly low chest on the double layout, but controlled the lunge out. Good amplitude on the switch half to Popa. Controlled the step out of the whip half to front full. Not the highest. I am losing my eardrums right now. 10
FINAL: Florida 198.150, LSU 197.950
Both teams benefitted from some wacky scoring tonight especially on beam, but I wouldn’t say one team for sure benefitted more. Both teams will be happy with these scores for NQS purposed with a crucial road score for LSU and a new season high for Florida.
VT: Drayton 9.975
UB: Wong 9.95
BB: Pilgrim, Wong 9.975
FX: Wong, Finnegan 10
AA: Wong 39.875
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