A late Friday night match up has Air Force facing off against former conference for Sacramento State. While the Falcons are now a part of the Mountain West, it will still want to defeat the Hornets at home. These two teams enter the meet nearly evenly matched, with their season averages less than a quarter tenth apart. Sacramento State is coming into this meet after scoring a season high last week, thanks to a stellar all around performance from sophomore Sarah Lutrel, who scored a career best 39.175. Air Force is coming off a loss to UC Davis after a shaky beam rotation. Look for the Falcons to rebound, led freshman all arounders Maggie Slife, who has already scored 39.425 this season, and Clara Wallace who has hit 9.800 on three events this season. This should be a really close meet, and will likely be determined by who can hit bars and beam, both of which have challenged these teams at time this year.
Looks like touch warmups are going on right now, so still a few more minutes before we get going!
Rotation 1: Sacramento State VT, Air Force UB
Gilman (VT): Yurchenko half, a little short and jarred landing, step back 9.675
Wallace (UB): Short hs, Maloney, Bail, small leg separation. Slow giant full, toe front half is stuck, nice. 9.825
Lahmidi (VT): Tucked yfull, nice distance and tuck position, small hop 9.700
Brochi (UB): Nice hs, Gienger with leg separation and missing amplitude. Bail is fine. Short hs, double layout is stuck with some leg separation. Apparently one judge gave a 9.9? seems a little high to me
Morgenthaler (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, lands a little squatty and takes a hop
Kincaid (UB): Shorts hs, Ray has great amplitude, has to do a second kip. Short of handstand on the Bail. Losose on the giant full, double tuck with flexed feet and a step, fought through it. 9.275, will want to drop
Wilson (VT): Yurchenko half, excellent amplitude and distance, great layout shape two big steps out of it thought 9.700
Long wait on bars
Carlisle (UB): Nice hs, Maloney, Bail, small separation on the Maloney. Good final hs, giant full double tuck stuck with an arm wave. Nice one 9.900
Zimmerman (VT): Yfull with a hop back, chest up and a nice layout shape 9.825
McKean (UB): Nice hs, piked Jaeger is close, overshoot with a touch of bent arms. Great final hs, nails the giant full to double tuck, stuck. 9.900
Lutrel (VT): yfull, nice vault, just a hop, excellent line
Slife (UB): Nice hs, Maloney, Pak excellent. Shaposh half, clean, FTDT is stuck with her chest down, going to be a massive score. 9.950
After 1: Air Force 49.400, Sacramento State 48.875
Well after what I suspect (and will confirm) is a program record bars rotation, Air Force has a sizable lead over Sac State after one. Bars scoring was generous, probably half a tenth to a tenth on each routine, but a great showing from Air Force regardless. As expected, Slife’s routine was a treat. Sacramento State posted a solid vault rotation, but lacked sticks to really capitalize on scores. Those last two yfulls were really clean in the air, and once stuck will score really high. Excited to see in rotation two if Sac State can capitalize on the soft bars judging and if Air Force can carry its momentum to vault.
Also, confirmed that Air Force hit a program record on bars and Slife tied the school record.
Rotation 2: Air Force VT, Sacramento State UB
Brochi (VT): yfull small hop, chest position was nice 9.675
Not sure wha’ts going on but bars started?
Lutrel (UB): Bail is clean, got distracted because they started talking about a sideways vault??? FTDT was stuck 9.775
Morgenthaler (UB): Fine hs, Blind, Jaeger, leg separation. Pak is fine. Short hs, double layout holds the stick, solid.
Wallace (VT): cool, cool, cool, we’re going out of order now? and the stream only showed the run super. 9.625
Wilson (UB): Falls on her Jaeger. Fall on the shootover as well. Double layout with a hop, will need to drop that one.
Okay so I’m getting the impression we completely missed one of the vaults? I’m so confused and so are the commentators lol.
Wills (VT): yfull, pike down with a hop 9.725
Lastra (UB): Nice hs, Maloney, Bail, good leg positions. Great final hs, double layout, stuck but needs a few arm waves to hold her balance, 9.900
Slife (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, just a small hop, nice leg form 9.800, was expecting a little more
Lahmidi (UB): Short hs, Jaeger, overshoot, no issues. Short hs, FTDT with a step back. 9.825
Juarez Baez (VT): Yfull, messy form in the air, some leg separation, and pikes it down with a hop.
Houghton (UB): Nice hs, Jaeger is gorgeous, another great hs, emphasizes the hold. It’s the thing where like you think she’s gonna go over but its still perfectly controlled. Bail is good, double layout with a stick, going to be another 9.9+ I suspect., 9.975 school record
After 2: Sacramento State 98.175, Air Force 97.975
So, Sacramento State was able to score retake the lead after scoring a 49.300 on bars, led by Houghton’s fantastic anchor routine. Air Force struggled on vault, with a lot of yfulls lacking amplitude and being quite piked down. This meet is exciting through two, onto beam and floor!
Rotation 3: Sacramento State BB, Air Force FX
Morgenthaler (BB): Check on bhs loso, full turn, nice pike jump, sticks the 1.5, 9.825
Carlisle (FX): Front full, front full, no issues besides some leg form. Switch side, Popa good positions. Double tuck, chest up, controlled, nice start. 9.650
Gilman (BB): bhs loso, small arm wave, nothing major. secure side aerial, Straddle jump, straddle 3/4, not a great angle to see splits but the first jump looked short of split to me. Back 1.5 with a hop, solid hit. 9.825
Long wait for floor, judges conference, start value issue it seems
McKean (FX): Front full, front lay, controlled. Tour jete, wolf full, flexed feet. Full twisting cat leap (not the sharpest position) is fun, Double pike with a step forward. 9.825
Jones (BB): Bhs, loso, some leg form but secure. Switch leap, split 3/4, short of split and flexed feet, saves a balance check. Side aerial. Back 1.5 with a step
Willis (FX): Double pike, good amplitude but under rotated, flexed feet. Front lay, front full, solid. Switch half, popa is fine. Double tuck, opens too early and chest is down with a big hop.
Another longgg wait, seems like gymnasts went out of order? LOLLLL hot mic, someone on the broadcast side is being scolded for giving the wrong order to the judges/not reprinting the sheet when the order was changed
Zimmerman (BB): bhs bhs loso, small check. Fall on a switchs side. Straddle half from side position, nice. Gainer front full, stuck.
Martyna (FX): Opens with a stuck double tuck, chest a touch low but not bad. Front lay, front full, bouncy landing. Switch ring, switch half, missing the position on both. Rudi, deep landing
Lutrel (BB): Bhs, loso, excellent extension. Her choreo always makes me laugh because she moonwalks across like the entire beam. Beat jump, split 3/4, good. Switch leg aerial. Aerial, 1.5 is stuck, that routine was lovely. 9.950
Slife (FX): Huge double pike, well controlled. Back 1.5, front lay. Switch side, popa, nice. Double tuck is overrated, big slide back but stays in bounds.
Houghton (BB): Bhs, loso, secure but bent knees. Switch leap, straddle quarter. Straddle full, small check. Full turn. Stuck double full, nice night for her. 9.850
Meccia (FX): Back 2.5, stag jump, nice control in the twisting element. Switch ring, tour jete half, missing split on the second. Back 1.5, front lay has to arch over and bend knees. Switch ring jump full, missing that position.
After 3: Sacramento State 147.400, Air Force 147.100
Sacramento State extends it lead after beam, and despite the lineup drama scored an impressive 49.225, on pace for a season high. Air Force rebounded after vault to score a 49.125, Slife was another standout. On to the last!
Rotation 4: Air Force BB, Sacramento State FX
Wallace (BB): Switch leap, split jump. Front toss. Series is fine. Gainer full. 9.825
Dumas-Guzman (FX): Rudi, split jump well controlled. Tour jete half, pretty good position. Switch half, Popa, Popa, nice leaps. Front lay, front full. 9.900, huge start
Hartley (BB): Side aerial, split jump, short of split. Full turn. Bhs, loso and falls. Switch side, check. Gainer full with a hop. 9.125
Houghton (FX): Front lay, Rudi, really nice control. Switch side, Popa, fine splits. Double pike, chest a touch low, but pulls it up and a controlled lunge. 9.900, okay these scores are a little silly.
Brochi (BB): Bhs, loso very secure. Switch leap, straddle quarter is fine. Beat jump, side aerial. Back 1.5 with a step.
Jones (FX): Double tuck, chest down, but not forward. Front lay, front full. Rudi, fine control 9.900
Greene (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso falls. Switch leap, switch leap, another fall. 8.050
Morgenthaler (FX): Rudi, loso, excellent lift on the loso. Switch half, Popa, fine. Double pike chest down, hop forward 9.850
Slife (BB): Bhs, loso, big check but holds on. Awesome punch front. Switch leap, split quarter. Back 1.5 with a hop
Gilman (FX): Double pike, slide back. Tour jete half, popa, flexed feet. Front lay, front half, was supposed to be a full, balked out. Double tuck, chest low. Expecting a start value issue there. Okay it was a 9.850, not sure, that that’s correct….
(BB): bhs loso secure, nice leg form. Switch leap, switch half, good splits. Beat jump, straddle, straddle quarter, flexed feet. Gainer full with a hop
Lutrel (FX): Double pike nice control. Front lay, front full, a little low. Double tuck, deep landing and takes a step forward
FINAL: Sacramento State 196.825, Air Force 195.325
Wow, what a night for Sacramento State, scoring a season and PROGRAM best. This performance is really exciting for the Hornets, and despite some loose judging, was by far its best performance of the season. Hoping the Hornets can build on this next week. Air Force looked great until beam where it had to count a fall. This isn’t new at this point, but Slife looks great and is going to be a huge deal for this program.
VT: Emma Morgenthaler, Rylin Zimmerman, Sarah Lutrel 9.825
UB: Kara Houghton 9.975
BB: Sarah Lutrel 9.950
FX: Simone Dumas Guzman, Rylin Zimmerman, Athena Jones, Maggie Slife 9.900
AA: Sarah Lutrel 39.425
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
