It’s the final meet in Littlejohn Coliseum of the year! Wow, the season flew by this year. This meet is a bittersweet one for me as I completed my first in-person live blog in Littlejohn in January and I get to close out the regular season here. The Clemson Tigers are hosting the Air Force Falcons for senior night and military appreciation night.
The Falcons are coming off a tough loss from last weekend’s Denver quad meet. However, with every loss are a few wins. Even though Air Force’s breakout star Maggie Silfe had a fall on beam, she notched a series of 9.800+ scores and a 9.900 on floor. With a 39.100, Clara Wallace had the highest all-around score for the Falcons. These two ladies should be in the all-around title race tonight. Some other names to watch include Gabriella Meccia, Gracie Willis, and Ayla McKean. The Falcons look to be in a good place to finish the regular season off on a high note.
The Tigers finished runner-up behind Oklahoma at the TWU quad meet last weekend. While the Tigers didn’t have their strongest beam rotation, they proved to be competitive with some of the best gymnasts in the country. The Tigers had 17 scores 9.800 or better and 7 scores landed among the top five in event/all-around scores at the conclusion of the meet. Senior Rebecca Wells posted her third-highest all-around score of the season with a 39.400. Eve Jackson, Molly Arnold, and Kaitlin DeGuzman also had some high-scoring routines. With the Tigers getting to finish their inaugural regular season at home, they’re bound to have a good showing.
[Hi, everyone, it’s Claire! Jessica is stuck in traffic, so I’m pinch-hitting on my cell phone until she gets here…]Rotation 1: Clemson VT, Air Force UB
Wells (CU): Fantastic opening Y full! Slight, slight pike throughout, but plenty of amplitude and a stick.
Wallace (AFA): Kch, toe-hand, Maloney with some form, stalled on the blind full, but a good toe-on tuck half that I think was stuck.
Jackson (CU): Floaty, flared out Y full with a d ep landing and moderate step back.
Boyer (AFA): Kch, toe hand, pretty Maloney and bail to handstand. Muscled stalder to double tuck with a small adjustment on the landing. Gorgeous toe point throughout.
Arnold (CU): Beauty of a Y 1.5! Some form right before the landing and a small hop to the side, but nicely done.
Kinkade (AFA): Kch, overarched but fights through, also over arches the toe-on and comes off on her Tkatchev. Loose bail. Cuts her losses and just does a fly away.
Rutherford (CU): Looks like she’s scratched.
Carlisle (AFA): Waiting on the judges, so she’s keeping the energy up by dancing 😂 Love it! Kch, lovely Maloney. Lost a little tension on the bail to handstand. Blind full juuust late, but a pretty double tuck with a small hop back.
Minner (CU): Powerful tucked Y 1.5 with a medium bounding step forward. I love how patient she is to tuck after the block!
McKean (AFA): I missed her vault ah!
Bryant (CU): Yurchenko full, small step back.
Slife (AFA): Maloney to pak, pretty. Nice rhythm throughout. Toe-on to handstand, nice. Super high full-twisting double back to close.
Exh. Bryant (CU):
Exh. Raife (AFA):
After 1: Clemson 49.175 Air Force 49.025
Hello, it’s Jessica again! I, unfortunately, sat still in traffic for over an hour and was worried I may not make it to the meet. However, I made it:) Clemson had decent showing on vault during the first rotation. The Tigers made a last minute lineup change to accommodate for what seemed like an injury to Lauren Rutherford, hope she’s okay. The Falcons had a fall and some rocky spots on bars but finished on a high note. Gah, I love Maggie Slife. Let’s take this party to the next event!
Rotation 2: Clemson UB, Air Force VT
Mckean (AF): Yurchenko full, little form in the air, large hop backward. 9.625
Wells (CU): First handstand is a little short. Nice Tkatchev to start. Bail to handstand, nice. Love how aggressive she is. Huge double layout, takes it out a little but just a small hop after the landing. 9.775
Hartley (AF): Tucked Yurchenko full, a little sloppy in the air and a small hop. 9.550
Jackson (CU): Super high straddle Jaeger. Nice bail. Great handstands. Full-twisting double back, fights for the stick and gets it! 9.900
Wallace (AF): Yurchenko full, pretty in the air but takes a step back. 9.650
Lippeat (CU): Nice Ray to immediate Pak, little form in the Pak. Double layout to finish, stuck cold. The crowd erupts! 9.850
Meccia (AF): Yurchenko full, pikes it down a little and steps forward. 9.600
DeGuzman (CU): Beautiful straddle Jaeger. Nice bail to handstand. Gorgeous lines throughout. Full-twisting double back, also sticks it cold. 9.925
Willis (AF): Yurchenko full, a little pikey when coming down to land and a small step. 9.775
Rutherford (CU): Gorgeous Tkatchev. Beautiful bail to handstand…and HOLDS IT. Double layout, almost gets the stick but steps back. 9.825
Slife (AF): Nice Yurchenko 1.5, little bit of leg separation before landing and takes a hop forward. 9.850
Webb (CU): A collegiate debut! Nice Maloney to Pak. Great lines throughout. Ends with a huge stuck double layout. A great routine to finish the Tigers off! 9.900
After 2: Clemson 98.575 Air Force 97.525
Clemson looked fantastic on bars. The Tigers had some form breaks here and there but overall looked solid and competitive with some of the top ten teams in the country. With only one 10.0 vault, the Falcons looked good. They also had some form here and there but easy fixes going into conference championships.
Rotation 3: Clemson BB, Air Force FX
Lippeat (CU): Front aerial to bhs, solid. Switch leap split leap, looks a little uneasy but it could just be me. Nice split half from the side of the beam. Front gainer full, almost gets the stick. 9.850
Wallace (AF): Front layout Rudi, chest a little low. Solid leaps and jumps, back leg a little low. Punch Rudi, lacks some amplitude but nice in the air. Ro 1.5 front layout, pretty. 9.650
Clark (CU): Nice full turn. Front tuck straddle jump, nice amplitude. Bhs loso, makes it look easy. Straddle jump straddle quarter, great height and lines. Front full, stuck. 9.925
McKean (AF): Punch front full front layout, decent amplitude and nice form. Switch half split half, just shy of 180. Nice cat leap full. Closes with a nice double pike. She buckled her knees in warm-up so I’m happy to see her okay and do a great one. 9.775
Jackson (CU): Pretty leaps with nice height and form. Great bhs loso loso. Nice full turn. Ro 1.5, large hop back. 9.675
Willis (AF): Ro double back, nice height and stuck. Front full front layout, a little short and studders backward, unfortunately sits it down. Switch half split half, front leg a little bent. Nice double pike to finish, slightly soft knees. 8.900
Wells (CU): Nice full turn. Great height in her leaps. Bhs loso, solid and manages the small balance check. Straddle quarter, nice amplitude. Ro double full, stuck. 9.950
Martyna (AF): Ro bhs double back, takes it back a little but stays in bounds. Front layout front full, solid. Switch ring switch half, ring was a little short of complete but great form. Ro bhs double full straddle jump, lost control a little but saves it with dance. 9.850
McCright (CU): Pretty bhs loso. Nice full turn. Beat jump tuck jump full, nice. Side aerial straddle jump, so pretty. Side gainer full, stuck. 9.850
Meccia (AF): Ro bhs 2.5, comes out of the twist a little late and bounces out of it. Switch half split half (I think, her teammates are a little in the way of my sight). Nice final pass, sticks it. 9.725
Church (CU): Nice full turn. Beautiful bhs loso. Beat jump split 3/4, great lines and control. Side aerial, pretty. Ro 1.5, almost gets the stick but takes a small hop forward. 9.875
Slife (AF): Huge ro bhs double pike to open. Front full front layout, pretty. Switch side split half, nice lines. Ro bhs double back, great height and landing. 9.875
After 3: Clemson 148.025 Air Force 146.400
The Tigers had a consistently solid beam rotation. Every routine was aggressive and poised. It appears that Clemson has put it all together and peaked at just the perfect time in the season:) The Falcons only had the one fall and overall look solid on floor. Hopefully, they can keep this momentum up going to beam. It has also just been announced that the Tigers have sold out Littlejohn Coliseum for the fourth consecutive meet.
Rotation 4: Clemson FX, Air Force BB
Wallace (AF): Switch leap split leap, nice. Bhs loso loso, nice aggressiveness. Front toss, a little bit of form in the air. Solid full turn. Side gainer full, stuck. 9.825
Minner (CU): Right out of the gate the student section is doing her choreography. Fhs front full front layout, almost loses control but keeps in bounds. Nice leaps, good control and height. Fhs Rudi back loso, great height and landing.
Slife (AF): Bhs loso, solid and controlled. Nice full turn. Punch front tuck, small balance check. Switch leap split 1/4, love the extension she gets in her leaps. Ro 1.5, stuck cold. 9.825
Arnold (CU): Huge full-in to open. Switch half wolf full, great amplitude. Ro 1.5 front tuck, stuck. The crowd is chanting 10 and the vibes are electric in here. 9.925
Greene (AF): Nice full turn. Gainer bhs loso, this was a cool and refreshing change of series to watch. Switch leap switch leap, nice. Cat leap half gainer loso beat jump, another cool series! Front full, stuck. 9.750
Jackson (CU): Another huge full-in, takes a step forward. Couldn’t quite see her leaps from the people standing along the floor. Front through bhs double back, great height. 9.850
McKean (AF): Beat jump wolf jump, nice height. Bhs loso, looks a little off balance in the bhs and comes off the beam. Switch leap split half split jump, pretty lines. Front gainer pike, stuck. 9.325
Wells (CU): HUGE full-in, small foot adjustment. Nice front tuck from dance. Great height in leaps and jumps. Ro 1.5 through ro bhs double full, this pass always amazes me. 9.875
Kinkade (AF): Nice full turn. Bhs loso, loses her balance but saves it and stays on. Side somi, nice control. Switch leap switch side, great amplitude. Beat jump split jump split 3/4, great amplitude as well. Front gainer pike, stuck. 9.475
Clark (CU): Ro bhs double layout, great posture and height. The student section is doing her choreography with her, I love. Switch full switch half, nice height. Front layout front full front tuck, solid landing. No major deductions that I saw honestly…that was fantastic routine. 9.950
Hartley (AF): Side aerial, comes off the beam after fighting for it. Nice full turn. Handstand bhs loso, nice lines. Ring leap, pretty and so so difficult. Switch leap switch side, pretty as well. Side gainer full, stuck. A great way to finish that routine, it was so pretty! 9.300
Lippeat (CU): Ro bhs double back, slides back a little. Switch side shushunova, I love this series so much. Ro 1.5 Rudi, great control in landing. I love her Pink Panther routine so much. 9.925
FINAL: Clemson 197.600 Air Force 194.625
That was, overall, a great meet. The Falcons had a rough go on beam but ending on beam is always hard. They stayed strong and had a great meet. The Tigers had a fantastic outing tonight. After a lights-out floor rotation, they posted a season-high and move up in the NQS rankings. And now for the waterworks as we watch the senior celebration (Kaitlin DeGuzman, I’m gonna miss watching you *tears*).
VT: Wells (CU) 9.900
UB: DeGuzman (CU): 9.925
BB: Wells (CU) 9.950
FX: Clark (CU) 9.950
AA: Wells (CU) 39.500
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Live blog by Jessica Brock
