Kentucky is coming off a program record at senior night to create some separation in the rankings between Kentucky’s position in sixth and the teams seventh and below. To try to move up in the rankings, Kentucky will need yet another program record. While North Carolina is very much on the outside of the regionals discussion after qualifying for the post season the past two seasons, it is senior night and the Tar Heels will look to leave the home arena on a high note. North Carolina has only eclipsed 196 once this season, and that will be the goal here.
While eyes will be on Kentucky’s Raena Worley and Makenzie Wilson to see if they can repeat their 10 performances of last week to help the Wildcats reach 198 yet again, North Carolina has some stars to watch. Julia Knower, Isabelle Schaefer and Lali Dekanoidze are all looking to improve their NQS to solidify a regional berth. Both Schaefer and Dekanoidze have 9.825s on bars to drop, and Knower will look to drop a 39.175 all around score.
Rotation 1: North Carolina vault, Kentucky bars
Fink (UNC): A little off on the shoulder angle on the table in her Yfull. Good height and distance. Flexed feet and some hip angle throughout. Small hop in place. 9.8
Davis (UK): Clean jaeger with good toe point. Hit the bail. Very high double layout and a step back. This angle isn’t good for telling handstands. 9.85
Shinohara (UNC): Off on the shoulder angle on the table and off to the side on the table which sent her over the line on the landing. Hop back and hip angle on her yfull. 9.725
Rizo (UK): Very high straddle jaeger. Can’t tell the angle on the bail catch. Sticks the double layout dismount. 9.9
Prejean (UNC): Higher yfull than the previous two, but off directionally and close to the table. Hop back. 9.775
Rodriguez (UK): Low tkachev. Clean clear hip and looks to have hit the bail. Might have been short on that last handstand, but can’t really tell. She stuck the landing on the double layout. 9.95
Knower (UNC): Biggest vault so far and she went for the Y1.5. Slightly crooked on the table, but took only the slightest step back. 9.85
Procasky (UK): Leg separations on the Maloney to ak connection. The leg separation comes back on the double layout dismount, but more prominent. Landed a little low and had a hop forward. 9.875
Dekanoidze (UNC): Great on the table and nice and high on her yfull. Slight leg separation on the table though and a small hop back. 9.875
Bunn (UK): Not the highest jaeger of the bunch. Slighlty short on the bail. Whips the double layout a bit, but only takes a small step back on the landing. 9.875
Forbes (UNC): Goes for the Y1.5 here. Got the height, but opened up too early and takes a large step back and to the side. Feet throughout. 9.7
Worley (UK): Good turnover on the clear hip to tkachev compination. Good bail. Great handstands. Floats the FTDT dismount and takes a step back.
After 1: Kentucky 49.500, North Carolina 49.025
Kentucky only stuck a couple of bars landings so this was not the best rotation, but the Wildcats are still on 198 pace. North Carolina went for the upgrades on vault with both Knower and Forbes going for the Yurchenko one and a half. Those upgrades will be needed to contend for the ACC title in a few weeks.
Rotation 2: Kentucky vault, North Carolina bars
Rodriguez (UK): Not a high yfull. Crunched on the table and lands with a low chest and step forward. 9.675
Shearer (UNC): High jaeger. Short cast out of it. Clean bail though. Doesn’t get the rotation on the double layout and takes a large step forward. 9.45
Rizo (UK): Knees throughout her Y1.5. She also lands short after opening too early and took a step back and across. Good height though. 9.8
Knower (UNC): “All Around Specialist” – found out where the committees get it from. Leg separation on the gienger and caught with bent elbows. Arch on the toe hand and leg separation on the bail. Sticks the double layout though. 9.825
Patterson (UK): Overpowers her front pike half. Some feet throughout and takes a pretty large bounce back. 9.825
Fink (UNC): High jaeger, good toe point. Clean bail. Flings out the double layout with little height and a lot of distance. Lands it with only a small hop on the landing though. 9.875
Magnelli (UK): Good amplitude on her front pike half. Small hop back on the landing. Center of the mat and clean leg form. 9.875
Schaefer (UNC): Great toepoint on the jaeger and throughout so far. Great bail. Small hop back and low chest on the FTDT. 9.925
Worley (UK): Soft knees throughout her Y1.5 and a step forward. Centered the landing on the mat. Good dynamics. 9.875
Dekanoidze (UNC): Slight leg separation on the Maloney, but not on the bail. Holds the handstand. Sticks the double layout dismount. The best one I have seen from her this season. 9.95
Wilson (UK): Great amplitude on her front pike half. Slight leg separation throughout and a step back. 9.875
Wozniak (UNC): Low jaeger, but caught at a good distance. Hit the bail. Not the best handstands. A little over on the giant full, but sticks the double tuck dismount. 9.825
After 2: Kentucky 98.750, North Carolina 98.425
Both teams started out the rotation with a rough routine and were able to bounce back. Kentucky did not get any of the landings on vault which the Wildcats will look to change heading to the second half. North Carolina posted one the highest bars in program history thanks to many stuck landings, and the Tar Heels will look to carry that momentum to beam.
Rotation 3: North Carolina beam, Kentucky floor
Naranjo (UNC): A little adjustment on the full turn. Slow connecting the front aerial to bhs. Good connection for the switch half to split to beat jump. Small hop to the side on the back 1.5 dismount. Some feet on that. 9.85
Rodriguez (UK): Slightly under on the front double full and does a cross over step. Good height on the leaps. Low chest, but controlled landing on the double tuck. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout half to straddle jump. Travelled sideways on the jump. 9.85
Thompson (UNC): Feet on the bhs bhs loso series, but solid. Feet and slow connection betwee the switch and straddle quarter. Feet and leg crossing on the back 1.5 dismount and a hop forward on the landing. 9.775
Magnelli (UK): Leg crossing on the Rudi to floaty loso. Not sure if it was intentinal, but it looked switch side half to straddle half. Feet on the double pike and sticks then lunges the landing. 9.95
Fink (UNC): Solid switch to switch. Might have been slightly short of split. Knees a little on the bhs loso loso, but again solid. Same strong full turn. Pretty large hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.8
Patterson (UK): Very high back 1.5 and lower front layout before the shushonova. Not the most controlled leaps. And some feet in the switch ring half position. Short on the double tuck and came in with a low chest and lunged forward. Flexed feet in that. 9.775
Knower (UNC): Great amplitude on the bhs loso. Smooth switch to split. Rushes the full turn a bit. Hip waiver on the front toss and tries to still connect to the beat jump which is also a little off to the side. Hops forward on the back 1.5 dismount. Great amplitude throughout. 9.8
Davis (UK): Slides the foot back on the double pike. Great amplitude on the leap combo. Little large of a step on the back 1.5 to front layout, but good rise. Some feet on the double tuck and takes the lunge forward as she comes in a little short. 9.875
Schulze (UNC): A little off on the side aerial, but pulls it back over the beam. Falls on the loso series. Just off to the side. Breaks the switch to straddle 3/4 connection. Waiver on the full turn. Hop on the side aerial to tucked back 1.5. 8.85
Brose (UK): Slides back on the opening double pike. Stays in bounds. Not the greatest amplitude on the tour jete half to wolf full. Clean landing on the front full to front layout. Good height on that. Large step forward on the front double full. 9.925
Shearer (UNC): Clean full turn to start. Almost comes off on the loso series, but saves it with just a leg up check. Some feet on that. Low landing to the front toss and steps out of it. Clean positions in the leaps. Hits the front handspring to gainer full with a hop back. The camera man fell while his feed was showing which was fun. 9.75
Worley (UK): Funky legs in the full in as always, but she sticks the landing then lunges. Hits the leaps too. Sticks the front full to front layout as well. Controls the lunge on the double tuck. The commentators are calling for a ten. and it was one. 10
After 3: Kentucky 148.350, North Carolina 147.400
It was not the greatest start to the floor roation for Kentucky, but ended the rotation with a ten for Worley. North Carolina was able to avoid counting a fall, but did not have any big scores to really boost the team score. North Carolin is still over 196 pace heading to floor though.
Rotation 4: Kentucky beam, North Carolina floor
Rodriguez (UK): Smooth switch to split jump. Feet on the bhs bhs loso series. Holds the finish of the full turn. Feet on the side somi. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.85
Wozniak (UNC): Underrotated on the whip to double tuck and takes a step forward. Wonky rotation on the switch to two turning wolf turns. Not sure what was intended or what she did. The first was over one rotation, but not sure if it was 1.5. Controls the double pike. 9.775
Brose (UK): Slight adjustment on the front tuck. Very high. Extra arm swing on the front toss to bhs. Hip check on the switch leap. Wolf jump to beat jump. Clean full turn. Steps forward on the back 1.5 dismount. Good height on that. 9.6
Schulze (UNC): Falls on the front layout to Rudi. Just not the height or rotation. Good leap rotation. Controls the back 1.5 to front layout. Clean switch full. 8.825
Bunn (UK): Feet on the bhs loso loso series. Looked under on those loso, but landed well. Wobble on the switch leap. What is with Kentucky and switch leaps. Repeats it into the split jump. Sticks the double full. with staggered feet. 9.85
Fink (UNC): Multiple steps back on the double pike as she held on too long. Stepped out of bounds. Large step forward on the back 2.5. Nice positions on the switch ring to switch half to wolf half. Not the heightest back 1.5 to front layout, but controls the landing. 9.575
Patterson (UK): Clean full turn. Feet and a lean on the loso series. Great height. Feet on the front aerial and well connected to the split jump. Clean cat leap to switch side. Hop back on the gainer pike dismount. 9.9
Miller (UNC): Feet on the front tuck throught to double tuck. Almost went out so hopped to the lunge instead of stepping back. Clean switch ring to switch half. Slid the front foot back on the double pike. Not complete position on the switch ring half. 9.875
Worley (UK): Aggressive switch to straddle quarter. Feet on the front aerial before the bhs loso. Solidly landed. Holds the full turn finish. Great distance on the back 1.5 dismount and sticks the landing. 9.925
Forbes (UNC): Feet on the full in and slight slide back of the front foot on the landing. Feet on the front layout front full with a larger step forward. Great amplitude on her leap combo, that Popa was great. High double tuck to finsih with a controlled landing. 9.9
Magnelli (UK): Feet on the bhs loso loso with a shift at the end. Clean switch to straddle quarter. Leg raises on the front aerial. Clean full turn. Sticks the gainer pike. 9.925
Knower (UNC): Around on the tour jete full. Whips the second salto in the front full front layout combo. Controls the step out though. Good position on the tour jete half to split full. Controls the lunge on the double pike to end. 9.9
FINAL: Kentucky 197.800, North Carolina 196.425
North Carolina once again, overcame the fall to hold on to that 196 pace and break 196. The Tar Heels are trending up heading into the ACC championship. It was not the season high for Kentucky, but it was a program record away score, so not nothing.
VT: Dekanoidze, Magnelli, Wilson, Worley 9.875
UB: Dekanoidze, Rodriguez 9.95
BB: Magnelli, Worley 9.925
FX: Worley 10
AA: Worley 39.700
READ THIS NEXT: Twin Confidence Eases Elly and Neve King Into Life as Student-Athletes
Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
