Tonight’s liveblog takes us to Athens, where the Auburn Tigers take on the Georgia Bulldogs. The road team enters as the favorites, and look for the Tigers to be lead by all arounders Cassie Stevens and Olivia Hollingsworth. If the Tigers want to win on the road, look for them to hit a solid number on bars, an event that has kept its team total down at times this year. As for Georgia, vault has been a low point at time this season, making the first rotation a critical one for both teams. On the individual front Lily Smith and Jafree Scott have been excellent all season.
Zooming out to the bigger picture, with NQS kicking in last week, Auburn and Georgia have more than likely cemented themselves in the afternoon session of SEC Championships, but still have incentive to improve their NQS to optimize their regional seedings. Auburn has a couple mid 196s still hanging around in its NQS, so tonight provides a good opportunity to score a mid 197, and depending on how other teams perform, could jump up a few spots. As for Georgia, it can only go maintain or decrease its ranking, but will still want to put up a good performance to build momentum.
Rotation 1: Georgia VT, Auburn UB
Laclair (VT): yfull, chest down and a hop back
Brusch (UB): having some issues with my computer, so missed some of this,
Smith (VT): yfull with a step back
Missed Emma Grace Boyd on bars and JaFree Scott on vault due to tech issues. 9.825 and 9.85 respectively.
Hollingsworth (UB): foot flicker on the blind to solid pike jaeger, arches a handstand on the high bar but gets it back, a little short on high bar cast handstand, full out very close to the bar but stuck
Battle (VT): yurchenko one and a half, seemed a little off on the block and was a little bit flat with a deep landing, big step to the side
Groth (UB): ray, bent elbows on the catch, nice leg form on her pak. missed the high bar cast handstand, blind full double tuck with flexed feet but a very very solid stick!
Finnegan (VT): yurchenko one and a half, landed super straight with a small hop straight forward. from the side you can see soft elbows on the table but it’s such a fast vault that you could miss it in real time
Stevens (UB): toe on to ray, a little bit close to the catch, good overshoot, double lay close to the bar and shapey with a hop
Wahl (VT): STUCK her yurchenko one and a half. little bits of form here and there but nothing severe. definitely twisting onto the table in slow motion but there was no foot movement on that.
Greaves (UB): pretty church to pak, van Leeuwen with a tiny bit of leg separation that likely won’t matter, full twisting double back with a little scoot to the side. definitely a step up in finesse from the rest of the Auburn lineup.
After 1: Georgia 49.300, Auburn 49.175
Georgia has a slight lead after one, thanks to Wahl’s stuck vault. Auburn was fine on bars, but got stuck in the lower 9.8s, onto the next!
Rotation 2: Auburn VT, Georgia UB
Schumaker (VT): tucked 1.5, stuck, but in a really deep squat, should be a sizeable deduction 9.750
Wahl (UB): Nice hs, Maloney, Pak, nice lift on the Pak. A little late on the pirouette. Good final hs, stuck double layout. 9.875
Hollingsworth (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, had bent arms on her block and didn’t get her normal amplitude. Short landing a step back. 9.725
Finnegan (UB): Nice hs, Ray with flexed feet. Pak with a large leg separation. Final hs is a touch short, FTDT with a hop. 9.825
Hubbard (VT): 1.5 with a big hop, usual leg form 9.750
Howard (UB): Good hs, Church to overshoot, very dynamic. Excellent final hs, giant full double tuck with a big lean and step. 9.750
Huff (VT): Yurchenkno 1.5, really deep landing and a step to the side, everyone seems off 9.775
Snyder (UB): Good, hs, Church to overshoot, maybe short on the final hs. Giant full, stuck, great set. 9.925
Stevens (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, hop forward, best of the rotation 9.875
Scott (UB): Excellent hs, Tkatchevto Pak, fantastic. Van Leuewen, no problems. Hit hs and a stuck double layout, really good one, setting up Smith for a monster score. 9.925
Zancan (VT): Front handspring onto the board, front hand, front pike, small hop, nice debut. 9.900
Smith (UB): Gorgeous hs, Maloney, Bail, well extended. Great hs, stalder double tuck, step and an arm wave. Perfect until the dismount 9.850
After 2: Georgia, Auburn
Georgia had a really nice bar rotation with a pair of 9.925s, but will feel like they missed out on a truly massive total thanks to a few steps on landings. Auburn looked off, with a number of short vaults, Zancan’s debut was a bright spot. Hoping Auburn can turn it around on floor. Half way through!
Rotation 3: Georgia BB, Auburn FX
Howard (BB): Full turn, bhs loso, small arm wave. Sissone, switch half, small check. Side aerial. Gainer full is stuck, just a few small checks, good start. 9.850
Brusch (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, well controlled. Switch half, Popa, wolf full, nice leaps. Double pike, good landing, chest a touch low. 9.850
Morgan (BB): full turn, balance check. Bhs loso, a bigger check. Sissone, switch half, front leg low. Side aerial. Back 1.5, stuck. Fought through it. 9.750
Hagle (FX): Back 1.5, front full, lunge a touch large. Tour jete half, popa is solid. Double wolf, comes out of it a little early. Double tuck, camera man was right in front of the camera, but looked like a solid landing. 9.850
Battle (BB): Full turn, Switch half from side, excellent split position. Switch leap, split jump. Front toss, beat jump, secure. Bhs loso, thought she was gonna wobble, but held it. Stuck gainer full. That routine was lovely, so aggressive, really attacked it. 9.925, well deserved!
Groth (FX): Double full, small crossover step. Switch half, wolf full. Back 1.5, front lay stuck, nice. Finishes with a solid Rudi.
Turner (BB): full turn. Bhs, loso, loso is solid. Switch leap, split jump, good positions. Back 1.5 is stuck, great set. 9.925
McLaughlin (FX): Back 1.5, front lay, not the most amplitude on the layout. Tour jete half, wolf full, imprecise landing position. Double pike, lands short with chest down and has to take a step forward.
Smith (BB): Front aerial, bhs, bhs, great extension. Switch leap, split jump, balance check. Front toss, another balance check. Gainer full is short with a step. 9.800
Stevens (FX): Front lay, Rudi, well controlled. Tour jete half, wolf full. Double tuck, stuck with chest up, nice. 9.850
Scott (BB): Front handspring, bhs, loso, small check. Front aerial, split jump, bhs is clean. Split leap, switch leap, nice. Moonwalk, almost wobbled lol, Front handspring, front gainer full, stuck. 9.900
Hollingsworth (FX): Big FTDT to open, nicely controlled. Siwtch half, Popa, solid. Front tuck through to double tuck, controlled, good set.
After 3: Georgia 148.100, Auburn 147.575
Really nice rotations for both teams, that Georgia beam lineup has a lot of nice pieces. I absolutely loved how Battle attacked that routine. Auburn was solid on floor, but looks to be off the pace for a scoer that would really improve its NQS. Last rotation!
Rotation 4: Auburn BB, Georgia FX
Zancan (BB): Gorgeous mount sequence. Secure bhs, loso. Switch leap, switch half, hits good positions. Balance check on full turn. Back 1.5 with a hop. 9.825
Williams (FX): Back 1.5, front lay, touch of bent knees on the layout. Switch side, Popa. Really nice double pike, chest up. Double tuck, stuck with chest just the tiniest bit forward. Good start, 9.850
Brusch (BB): Front toss, big balance check. Full turn. Bhs, loso, beat jump, well done. Switch leap, straddle quarter, nice straddle position. Gainer full stuck. 9.800
Fitzgerald (FX): Rudi, loso, fine. Switch side, Popa. Double tuck, lacking some control, big lunge and a slide back. 9.875
Hollingsworth (BB): Full turn, check. Bhs, loso, secure. Switch half, leg up check. Switch leap, straddle quarter, tiny lean. Bhs gainer full, not the highest, but stuck. 9.850
LaClair (FX): Front full through to double full, well done. Switch side, straddle jump. Rudi, loso, looked off in the hair, but controlled it with no issues 9.900
Groth (BB): Bhs, loso, bhs, well done. Switch leap, switch half. Gainer full, stuck. Good one, 9.925
Wahl (FX): FTDT, and I think she went OOB? If not, she was close to the line. Leaps were fine. Front tuck through to double tuck, short and and a stumble forward. 9.600
Stevens (BB): Bhs, loso and a fall. Pressure will be on for McLaughlin. Split jump, split ring. Front toss to knee, wolf turn, small check. Back 1.5 is stuck. 9.225
Snyder (FX): Rudi, layout, stag jump, solid. Switch half, wolf full, a touch over rotated. Tuck jump full. Double pike is short with a step forward. 9.875, generous.
McLaughlin (BB): Bhs, loso is fantastic. Beat jump, side aerial. Split jump, straddle quarter. Full turn. Switch side leap. Gainer pike off the end, clutch. Amazing routine, 9.925
Smith (FX): Front double ful, really good control. Back 1.5, front lay, nicely controlled. Switch side, wolf full, crisp. Rudi, straddle jump. Great routine,
FINAL: Georgia 197.550, Auburn 196.900
Well a season high for Georgia and a solid showing today! Floor scores were generous, but its beam rotation was very impressive. Auburn struggled on its first two events but recovered on beam and vault, and this score should help improve its NQS!
VT: Ady Wahl 9.950
UB: Holly Snyder, Jafree Scott 9.925
BB: Jaydah Battle, Anya Turner, Sophia Groth, Gabby McLaughling 9.925
FX: Lily Smith 9.950
AA: Lily Smith 39.425
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
