Tonight brings us what may be the biggest in-state rivalry of the year, with two top-10 California rivals going head to head. California has been having a breakout year, holding onto a top-4 spot from week two onwards, but two lower-than-usual scores in the past two weeks mean that the Bears have slipped from No. 2 to No. 3 nationally. Where California has really shined is in its consistency, although it has yet to break 198.
The Bruins, meanwhile, have had a more up and down season in Janelle MacDonald’s second year as head coach. They broke 198 at home against Arizona, only to record a score in the 196s in their next home meet against Utah. Hitting beam cleanly is key to UCLA’s success, as is picking the right gymnasts to fill Emma Malabuyo’s usual lineup slots.
We are also set for an all-around Battle Royale between California’s Mya Lauzon and UCLA’s Selena Harris. Lauzon is the No. 3 all-arounder in the nation while Harris is ranked No. 6. eMjae Frazier is also a great all-arounder for California. UCLA leans more on its specialists, and Chae Campbell’s textbook Yurchenko full and Nya Reed’s viral floor exercise are can’t-miss routines.
Stream is finally here after the basketball!
Rotation 1: UCLA VT, California UB
Lee (UCLA): 9.9
Lauzon (Cal): 9.875
Irvine (UCLA): 9.75
Cesario (Cal): Big straddle jaeger to overshoot. Double lay with a step back and a foot adjustment. 9.875
Rosen (UCLA): Y 1.5, bounces forward a bit due to straight knees. 9.875
Li (Cal): Massive straddle jaeger, gorgeous pak, switch kip. Blind to double tuck, stuck! 9.925
Campbell (UCLA): Yfull, off center with chest down and a hop in place. 9.75
eMjae Frazier (Cal): Maloney to pak. Double lay, stuck. Makes it look easy. 9.95
Reed (UCLA): Y1.5 with some knees and takes a big step forward with both feet. 9.8
Perea (Cal): Beautiful first handstand. Pak, patient handstand, Van Leuwen. Double lay with a tiny hop forward. 9.95
Harris (UCLA): Yfull with a medium hop forward. 9.8
Williams (Cal): Maloney, pak with a tiny bit of leg separation that probably won’t be deducted. Double lay, stuck. 9.95
After 1: California 49.650, UCLA 49.125
An absolutely massive bars rotation for Cal, with great form and stuck landings throughout. UCLA struggled to find their landings on vault, but put up a 49+ score and still has three events ahead of it, including their usually high scoring floor rotation.
Rotation 2: California VT, UCLA UB
Williams (Cal): Yfull with a little bounce and a micro step. 9.825
Campbell (UCLA): Maloney, bail, tiny leg separation on both. Blind half to double front, stuck! 9.95, 9.9/10 split.
Mayhew (Cal): Y1.5, off-center with some knees and a two steps back. 9.8
Anyimi (UCLA): Pike jaeger to overshoot, good. Full out dismount with a step. 9.825
Cesario (Cal): Yfull, flare, small hop forward. 9.85
Rosen (UCLA): Maloney, pak. Double lay, comes off early but sticks it with her chest up! Great air awareness. 9.9
eMjae Frazier (Cal): Y double with a step back. 9.9
Margzetta Frazier (UCLA): Maloney, pak, textbook form. Took out the Van Leuwen. Double lay, tries too hard for the stick and takes a couple small hops forward. 9.825
Lauzon (Cal): Y1.5, great form and block, small hop forward. 9.9
Esparza (UCLA): Maloney, pak, van Leuwen. Double lay, lands deep but sticks it. 9.95
Silver (Cal): Y1.5 with some leg separation on the table and a small hop forward. 9.875
Harris (UCLA): Beautiful first handstand. Ray, bail, great form. Full pirouette to double lay with a small scoot back. 9.95
After 2: California 99.000, UCLA 98.700
UCLA put up a great bar rotation (although it didn’t quite match Cal’s). Vault landings just aren’t happening today, but Cal put up a solid vault rotation with 9.900s from Lauzon and Frazier.
Rotation 3: UCLA BB, California FX
Lee (UCLA): Front aerial to split jump is solid. BHS LOSO and snaps the arms back to avoid a wobble. Switch leap to straddle jump with great position in the air. Full turn good. BHS gainer full, stuck! Great lead off! 9.95!
Williams (Cal): Front lay to front 1.5 to open. Great musicality in her choreography and performance. Camera angle made it hard to see split positions in her leaps. Back 1.5 to front lay to close, very controlled. 9.875
Rosen (UCLA): Switch leap, split leap, double stag with a big balance check. One of those foot adjustment leap connections that shouldn’t be counted but will. Front aerial is solid. BHS LOSO good. Quick full turn. RO 1.5 twist dismount with a scoot forward. 9.825
Kane (Cal): Front full to Rudi, some knees and a slide back on the lunge. Gets great height on her leaps. Back 1.5 to front lay to leap to finish. 9.925
Andres (UCLA): Beat jump to switch half, small check and doesn’t hit 180. Gainer layout step out with a foot wiggle but keeps it under control. Front toss to Korbut flip, real crowd pleaser combination. Controlled full turn. RO double, almost stuck but takes a step forward. 9.825
Cesario (Cal): Back 1.5 to front full to open. Switch leap to switch half ring (ish, didn’t really hit the position). Her classic sky high double tuck to end the routine. 9.9
Campbell (UCLA): Wolf turn, very nice. BHS LOSO, snaps her arms back. Leap to switch half to beat jump, a little short of 180 on the switch half. Split jump, straddle quarter, better split position there. Cartwheel gainer full, stuck. 9.925
Mayhew (Cal): Front full to front pike to open. Really upbeat choreo that the whole team is having fun with. Switch ring to switch half and bounces out of it. Back 1.5 to front full with good control on the landing. 9.925
Esparza (UCLA): Full turn is solid. Front aerial to BHS, wobbles after the front aerial. Switch half, shy of split. Leap to switch leap to split jump. BHS gainer full dismount, stuck. Not a perfect routine but still a great redemption for her! 9.9, that connection definitely shouldn’t have been credited imo, but that’s NCAA beam judging for you.
Lauzon (Cal): Front 1.5 to punch front, impressive control! Winks at the camera. Switch ring to switch half with good oversplit. Front 1.5 to front full with another beautifully controlled landing. 9.925
Harris (UCLA): BHS LOSO BHS, lovely. Switch leap to leap to full turn, gets impressive airtime in her leaps. Front toss, a tiny bit off but holds onto it. RO 1.5, lands a tiny bit short and hops back.
eMjae Frazier (Cal): Big double lay as her opening pass. Lovely extension on her leaps. Punch front to double tuck, great. 10!
After 3: California 148.675 UCLA 148.195
What a rotation! UCLA more than redeemed itself on beam with a 49.450, and Cal put up a season high on floor with a massive 49.675. UCLA heads over to its floor party, while Cal just needs to hit beam to put up an astronomical road score.
Rotation 4: California BB, UCLA FX
Li (Cal): Lovely penche to start her routine. Front aerial to LOSO is secure. Full turn with impressive control. Split leap, split ring with front leg a little low. Gainer back full tucked off the end of the beam with a scoot back. 9.875
Lee (UCLA): “Emily Lee-doff,” I see what you did there. Double tuck with a slide back to open. Front lay to front full to a ring kick, keeps it in bounds. Switch ring, switch half with good control and extension. Double pike to close, best landing by far. 9.9
Williams (Cal): Double wolf turn, great! Front aerial to split jump, very secure. BHS LOSO, solid. Switch leap to split leap is good. BHS gainer full dismount, stuck. 9.95
Andres (UCLA): Huge back 2.5 to front tuck to open. RO double tuck, stuck-ish. Great height and control on her leaps, and fun dance to end! 9.925
Cesario (Cal): Good full turn. BHS LOSO with a tiny wobble but keeps it under control. Switch leap, switch half short of split with a small check. RO 1.5 dismount with a step forward. 9.85
Rosen (UCLA): Double lay, essentially stuck and the lunge is a formality. Double pike, quick lunge and dances out. Switch ring to switch half, great ring position. Back 1.5 to front lay, some knees but hangs onto it. 9.925
eMjae Frazier (Cal): Calm full turn. Front aerial to LOSO, snaps her arms back to maintain control. Split leap, ring leap, small bobble. Cartwheel 1.5 twist, fights to hold that stick. 9.975 hrm.
Moors (UCLA): Front double to punch front, lands OOB. Her usual floaty LOSO. Lovely extension in her leaps. Handspring front 1.5 with a beautifully controlled landing to close. 9.8
Lauzon (Cal): Gorgeous front walkover and back walkover to start. Wolf turn is nice and controlled. BHS BHS LOSO, nice. Switch leap, split jump, shows off her control after the split jump. RO double full, stuck! I mean, with Frazier going 9.975…yep, called it. 10.
Cal already has a 198.325 with Perea still to go.
Harris (UCLA): Big double lay with a little hop back. Massive height on her leaps. Blows a little kiss to the camera. Enormous double tuck with a very bouncy lunge. 1.5 to Barani to stag leap to close. 9.925 feels high.
Perea (Cal): Wolf full is good. Front toss, wobbles, then back tuck. Another one of those shouldn’t-be-credited-but-will-be connections. Switch leap, split leap, beat jump, very controlled. Side somi to tucked back 1.5 off the side of the beam, little hop. 9.925
Reed (UCLA): Double lay, whips it around. Little crunched in her leaps. Front lay to rudi is good, flashes the Delta at the end. 9.95
FINAL: California 198.400, UCLA 197.775
Ok, Cal! Cal just set three season highs on bars, beam, and floor, and broke its program record. Frazier and Lauzon both had perfect 10s and recorded monstrous all-around scores of 39.825 and 39.700 respectively. Frazier also set a new Cal all-around high, for the second time this season.
While UCLA never came close to challenging Cal, they still put up a great meet, putting beam woes behind them and going 49.625 on floor. The only thing that held them back was a very hoppy vault lineup but that’s a score they’ll be happy to have with NQS kicking in.
VT: eMjae Frazier, Lauzon, Lee (9.900)
UB: eMjae Frazier, Perea, Williams, Campbell, Esparza, Harris (9.950)
BB: Lauzon (10.000)
FX: eMjae Frazier (10.000)
AA: eMjae Frazier (39.825)
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Live blog by Naomi Stephenson
