Arizona will travel to Washington this Sunday for a potentially very close matchup. The Wildcats have a solid 7-2 winning record against the Huskies and will be looking to add to that here.
The Huskies are in for a busy weekend, traveling on Friday for the Boise State quad, then flying back Sunday for their home alumni meet. Washington is coming off a 196.500-season high against Arizona State with standout moments from Lilly Tubbs who put up a season-high 9.95 on bars. All-around standout Skylar Killough-Wilhelm took the all-around title with a 39.475, her second-highest score this season. Washington has been consistently putting up solid 196 team scores but will need to up its game this week against Arizona, which is a team that can break into the 197s.
Arizona is coming off a loss against Oregon State last weekend where it put up a 196.850. The team had great moments on beam, putting up a season-high 49.425, but still showed vulnerabilities on vault by having to count three 9.7s. Malia Hargrove, a lock-in for Arizona’s lineups, has been missing from competition for the past two weeks. If Hargrove is still out for this meet that should be something significant to note for this meet and Arizona’s winning chances.
Rotation 1: Washington Vault, Arizona Bars
Tubbs – Washington: FTY, big block off the table, just could use some more distance and has some piking coming down and a hop. 9.675 – wow this seems really harsh?
Mueller – Arizona: The broadcast missed the first half, but caught the DLO dismount with a hop back.
Lin-Washington: FTY – good distance, just off direction and takes a large lunge back on the landing. 9.750 – this wasn’t that different from Tubbs’ so I’m wondering what the judges took for Tubbs
Hargrove – Arizona: Glad to see her back, clear hip to Taktechev, bail, fill-in dismount with a step back. 9.775
Mcdonough – Washington: FTY – Some bent arms on the table and pikes down. 9.775
Martin – Arizona: Maloney to Pak, very late pirouette, pings off on the double layout. 9.775
Innes – Washington: Nig FTY – good block just some piking down again and a hop. 9.825
Deets – Arizona: Orphan half turn to Tkatchev, short handstand, bail handstand, shy on cast, clean double layout with a hop back. 9.650
Killough-Wilhelm – Washington: Flared out FTY, a tad low on the landing with a hop back. Definitely the best FTY so far though. 9.825
Derr – Arizona: Ray, Pak, half turn is a little shy, step back on the full-in dismount. 9.850
Navarro – Washington: 1.5, some leg form problems in the pre-flight but does a good job at finding the landing with a tiny shuffle back. 9.875
Fears – Arizona: Great amplitude on the Tkatchev, bail handstand, a bit starfishey on the double layout but finds the stick. 9.875
After 1: Washington 49.050, Arizona 49.025
The Huskies put up a solid vault lineup, but to break into the 197 range they’re really going to need to bring it on the other events. For The Wildcats will be happy to welcome Hargrove back to the lineup, so let’s see if she can rejoin the other events.
Rotation 2: Washington Bars, Arizona Vault
We missed Martin’s first vault… but it went 9.775
Moody – Washington: Maloney to Pak, a tad close, off-direction on the pirouette, tiny shuffles on the full-in dismount.
Strom – Arizona: FTY – 9.7
Lin – Washington: Geinger to bail, some leg separations, very low on the dismount and takes a big step to the side.
Castles – Arizona: FTY – 9.750
Oppegard – Washington: Jaeger, bail handstand, good position, double layout dismount is short and takes a lunge forward.
Hargrove – Arizona: So we didn’t get to see it but she looks thrilled! 9.850
Killough-Wilhelm – Washington: Piked Jaeger to bail, good handstands, half turn into double tuck, stuck landing. She gets a career-high 9.975
Fears – Arizona: Broadcast misses vault again womp womp… 9.875
Tubbs – Washington: Maloney to bail handstand, good position, bent arms on the cast, stuck double layout. 9.950
Derr – Arizona: Exhibition – FTY, pikey coming down and a hop in place.
Russon – Washington: Exhibition, Jaegar to bail, could get more amplitude, double layout with lunge back.
I just noticed I think the Washington men’s meet is going on at the same time? I see the Arizona State men in the background.
After 2: Washington 49.98.325, Arizona 98.025
Washington extends its lead over Arizona with a season-high 49.275 on bars thanks to Killough-Wilhelm’s 9.975 and Tubbs’ 9.950. Arizona had a fine vault rotation but some hoppy landings caused them to count four scores in the 9.7-range.
Rotation 3: Washington Beam, Arizona Floor
Hallinan – Washington: Front toss to break to back tuck with a hip bend, shouldn’t get acro series credit, good dance series, front aerial to beat jump, stuck 1.5 dismount. 9.7 – so it looks like she got credit for the series…
Strom – Arizona: Rudi to LOSO, great amplitude on the LOSO, back 1.5 to front-full with a lunge forwards. 9.825
Innes – Washington: Front aerial to BHS, connects it, cat leap to aerial with a lean, switch leap to straddle quarter, 1.5 dismount with a hop. 9.8
Martin – Arizona: High double tuck, lunge, switch half to wolf-full, double pike is solid, attempts to connect a double turn to a split full and it goes… not great, good 1.5 to layout to finish. 9.7
Russon – Washington: Front aerial to BHS BHS, switch leap to ring jump, short of 180, stuck 1.5 dismount. 9.925 – I think if she didn’t have the ring jump in this routine I would be fine with this score but because of it this score is quite high for me
Fears – Arizona: Music error oops! Opening with a solid double tuck, Rudi with a large bounce back, 1.5 to full, good height in both elements but takes a few scoots back.
Navarro – Washington: BHS BHS LOSO, slightly off but corrects it nicely, beet jump to switch side, 1.5 with a slide forward. Solid routine 9.8
Deets – Arizona: Front layout to full, good landing control, switch full to Popa, shy on positions, huge double tuck to finish, great landing control. 9.875
Killough-Wilhelm – Washington: Off on the front aerial, BHS LOSO is solid, nice front toss to beet jump, side aerial to stuck 1.5. Shame about the fall earlier in the routine. 9.4
Herry – Arizona: Double tuck, big lunge back on the landing, 1.5 to layout, floaty, double pike with good control on the landing.
Moody – Washington: BHS LOSO LOSO, solid, switch leap to split, 1.5 with a hop forwards. 9.850
Mueller – Arizona: Double pike, too much power and takes a large lunge, 1.5 to layout, double tuck to finish – better landing. 9.8
Wise – Arizona: Exhibition, double pike, doesn’t get a great set and has to take a few steps on the landing, 1.5 to full with some crossed legs and a short landing. 9.575
After 3: Washington 147.400, Arizona 147.050
The Huskies showed some nerves in that rotation with Killough-Wilhelm’s fall, but they did enough to keep a steady lead over Arizona. The Wildcats had some bouncy landings on floor, just going 49.025, a season-low.
Rotation 4: Washington Floor, Arizona Beam
Fears – Arizona: Annnnd the broadcast just completely forgot about Arizona’s existence again… We’re back, side aerial, lean, connects the dance series, stuck 1.5 dismount but doesn’t hold it. 9.9
Pires – Washington: 1.5 to layout, short on some positions in her dance series, doesn’t get a lot of height on the double-tuck and takes it OOB. 9.650
Herry – Arizona: Check on the full-turn, solid BHS LOSO, side somi, short positions on her dance series, BHS 1.5 dismount.
Mcwilliams – Washington: Rudi to LOSO, good amplitude, tiny adjustment on landing, double pike with a bounce out of it. 9.850
Mueller – Arizona: Side aerial to LOSO, solid, solid dance series, perhaps a tad short on splits, good 1.5 dismount but I think she had the tiniest slide forwards? 9.925
Russon – Washington: Short on some of the opening dance positions, front layout to full, floaty, better positions on the switch to Ferrari, deep double pike. 9.825
Martin – Arizona: Wobble on the front aerial causes her to miss a connection, two hops back on the gainer full. Tentative in a few areas. 9.6
Killough-Wilhelm – Washington: Front double-full, lunge forwards, good positions on the switch leap to switch ring half, back 1.5 to good front layout. 9.875
Strom – Arizona: Switch to straddle quarter, shy of 180, BHS LOSO is solid, wolf-double, a bit tentative but moves nicely through it, 1.5 dismount doesn’t get a lot of height, but good stick. 9.925
Innes – Washington: Front double-full, crossed legs, lunge on landing, switch full to Popa, 1.5 to floaty layout, wonderful set on the Rudi, she shows so much patience before she starts to twist it.
Deets – Arizona: BHS LOSO, dropped an arm but didn’t wobble, kick to switch side, front toss, switch leap to gainer full. This could be enough to clinch the meet for the Wildcats. 9.975 – did we not see the wobble on the LOSO?
Navarro – Washington: Solid opening double-tuck, 1.5 to layout, good landing control, double pike is deep and takes a stumble. 9.675
Castles – Arizona: Exhibition, BHS LOSO, short on some split positions, 1.5 dismount, gets the stick.
Lin – Washington: Exhibition, double tuck to open, good landing, wrenches the Popa around, Rudi, 1.5 to layout, some excessive arching on the layout.
FINAL: Washington 196.525, Arizona 196.675
Arizona was trailing Washington for most of the meet, but thanks to a lights-out 49.625 beam rotation The Wildcats were able to squeak ahead of the Huskies. Washington’s 196.675 is its highest home meet score and second-highest overall score this season.
VT: Alysen Fears (Arizona), Lana Navarro (Washington) 9.875
UB: Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (Washington) 9.975
BB: Elena Deets (Arizona) 9.975
FX: Emily Innes (Washington) 9.900
AA: Alysen Fears (Arizona) 39.475
READ THIS NEXT: For Senior Qualifiers, the Nastia Liukin Cup Means Friendship and Fond Memories
Live blog by Daniel Rothwell
