Happy meet day, everyone! The postseason is quickly approaching, and today is a big meet for both teams. UCLA will be looking to improve its NQS, and Arizona State needs a big score to get into the top 16 to get seeded into regionals.
UCLA had an uncharacteristic meet last week against Stanford, including a handful of sub-9.8 scores on vault. If UCLA wants to stay in the top ten in the national rankings, it’ll have to get those vault scores back up where they belong. Plus, the Bruins are without Emma Malabuyo this week, so we’ll have to see who will step in and take her place on bars and beam.
Similar to the Bruins, Arizona State could also improve on vault. The Sun Devils have been pretty consistent this year, but a few tenths could be gained on vault. Last week against Oregon State, the Sun Devils only notched a 49.000 on vault, which was its lowest score of the day. The vaulters with 10.0 starts like Anaya Smith and Gracie Reeves need to dial in and stick their landings to improve Arizona State’s score.
Looks like Selena Harris will be resting today, so we’ll get to see some less familiar faces in lineups today!
Rotation 1: Arizona State VT, UCLA UB
Mangahas (ASU): Nice Yurchenko full, good height, flares it out and sticks it! What a great way for Arizona State to lead off! 9.85
Campbell (UCLA): Starts on the low bar with a Maloney to shootover, some leg separation on the Maloney. Really nice handstand to finish up, blind into a double front dismount and she hops in the landing. 9.775
Gregoire (ASU): Yurchenko 1.5, some bent knees in the air and takes a small step forward on the landing. 9.8
Irvine (UCLA): Starts on the high bar with a blind to piked Jaeger to bail, great form throughout. A tad bit short on her last handstand and sticks her full in dismount! 9.9
Reeves (ASU): Yurchenko tucked 1.5, good height and distance and has a small hop forward. 9.775
Lee (UCLA): Mounts on the low bar and starts with a Maloney to Pak, lots of leg separation on that Pak especially. Van Leeuwen back up to the high bar, more leg separation there. Very short on the last handstand and fights for the stick on the double layout. 9.775 seems a bit high honestly.
Scharf (ASU): Really high Yurchenko full and the Sun Devils get another stick! That was a really nice vault! Great form in the air. 9.85
Rosen (UCLA): Starts with a nice handstand on the low bar and does a Maloney to Pak combination, much better form than the rest of the lineup so far. Nice handstands throughout the routine and just has the tiniest shuffle on the landing of her double layout. 9.85
Theodorou (ASU): Half twist on half off, good form in the air but her chest is pretty low on the landing and she takes a step. 9.7
Frazier (UCLA): Starts off with a gorgeous Maloney to Pak combination, again her legs are glued together. Perfect pirouette on the low bar, but a tad bit short on the final handstand on the high bar. Small hop forward on the double layout. 9.85
A. Smith (ASU): Yurchenko 1.5, gorgeous straight legs in the air and she takes just the tiniest step forward. Great vault! 9.875
Esparza (UCLA): Mounts on the low bar and holds that handstand. Very pretty Maloney to Pak. Nails the handstand into her Van Leeuwen and hits her final handstand. Some leg separation on her double layout and hops and steps back. 9.725
After 1: Arizona State 49.150, UCLA 49.150
The PAC-12 rivals are tied after one rotation in Tempe! While it was an average vault day for Arizona State, a 49.150 is a less than subpar start for UCLA. The Bruins’ score is its second lowest bar score of the season, as UCLA just couldn’t hone in on the landings. The Sun Devils on the other hand was really dialed in on the landings, and that rotation is highlighted by Anaya Smith’s 9.875.
Rotation 2: UCLA VT, Arizona State UB
Anastasi (UCLA): Yurchenko full, maybe some slightly bent knees in the air but she sticks it! Great leadoff for the Bruins! 9.85
Reeves (ASU): Starts on the high bar with a great handstand into her blind Jaeger bail combination. Great form throughout. Nails that last handstand and takes a small step on the double layout, also some leg separation on that dismount. 9.8
Irvine (UCLA): Full on pike off, she looked a bit crooked on the table and she takes a hop back on the landing. 9.85
Barbanente (ASU): Jumps over the low bar to start the routine. Nice first handstand. Blind to piked Jaeger to a super high bail. Good last handstand and she takes a small step back on the double layout. 9.75
Lee (UCLA): Gorgeous Yurchenko full, picture perfect form in the air and just a small hop back on the landing. 9.875
Scharf (ASU): Starts on the low bar with a Maloney to Pak, the Pak was great but the Maloney had some leg separation. Short on the last handstand and takes a step back on the blind full to double tuck. 9.725
Rosen (UCLA): Yurchenko 1.5, her legs were pretty bent in the air but she only took a really small hop forward on the landing. 9.9
Mangahas (ASU): Mounts over the low bar and starts with a nice handstand. Good blind to Jaeger to bail combination. Hits the last handstand and has a tiny shuffle back on the full in dismount. That should get Arizona State back on track. 9.825
Campbell (UCLA): Sky-high Yurchenko full, it was a bit crooked and she took a small slide back on the landing. 9.875
White (ASU): Mounts on the low bar with a Van Leeuwen, good form on that. A bit short on these handstands. Beautiful swing half to shootover, straight to handstand there. Absolutely gorgeous double layout, her legs were glued together, her body was straight, and she stuck it cold. 9.875
Reed (UCLA): Yurchenko 1.5, some slightly bent knees in the air and she takes a big step forward on the landing.
Clark (ASU): Mounts on the high bar with a blind to a pretty Jaeger. Very nice Pak, just some slight ankle separation. Good handstands in this routine. Really nice double layout and she gets another stick! 9.9
After 2: UCLA 98.500, Arizona State 98.300
Similar to UCLA, Arizona State struggled with the landings on bars, with the exception of Emily White and Sarah Clark. UCLA bounced back on vault and had a much better rotation, including a big 9.900 from freshman Katelyn Rosen. Arizona State will have to put up some big scores on beam to keep up with the Bruins as they head to floor.
Rotation 3: Arizona State BB, UCLA FX
Lee (ASU): Split leap to full turn was very solid to start the routine. Beautiful flic flic lay, very good landing. Beat jump to sheep jump. Roundoff 1.5 with a small hop forward on the landing. Wow, that was a really great leadoff, I couldn’t see many deductions there! 9.825 seems pretty darn low to me.
Lee (UCLA): Very nice double tuck to start off, good height and very controlled on the landing. Next is a front layout front full, steps a bit sideways on the landing. Switch ring to switch half was nice. Finishes up with a double pike, maybe some flexed feet in the air but finished with a good landing. 9.85
Reeves (ASU): Another good flic flic lay to start her routine, solid landing. Switch leap to split jump, that leap was very short of 180 and she had a decent wobble too. Good front aerial to get back on track. Dismounts with a tucked roundoff 1.5 with a small step forward. 9.75
Andres (UCLA): First pass is a 2.5 to front tuck, that front tuck went out pretty far. Next pass is a double tuck, her teammate was standing right in front of the camera for the landing but it looked a bit unsteady. Really nice switch side to Popa, well past 180 on both elements. Switch leap into the corner to finish her routine. 9.75
Mangahas (ASU): Starts with a front aerial and wobbles on it. She goes back and does the front aerial to back handspring, much more solid that time. Switch leap to switch half, wobbles on the first leap and falls off on the second. Beautiful piked front toss. Dismounts with a gainer pike and she sticks it. 9.05
Lashbrooke (UCLA): Starts her routine with a nice double tuck, kind of a big lunge but she keeps that front foot down. Next is a back 1.5 to front layout, looks like she overrotated the 1.5 so the layout was super low and she almost went down but managed to stay on her feet. Switch full to split full was good. Finishes with a double pike and she falls. 8.7
Clark (ASU): Nice flic flic lay, just the tiniest wobble at the end but she fixes it quick. Split jump to double stag jump, another small wobble there. Nice front aerial, much more solid there. Finishes with a front gainer full and she sticks it! Great routine after a fall to get Arizona State back on track! 9.85
Rosen (UCLA): First pass is a double layout, nice landing but just had some leg separation. Really good double pike next, stellar form in the air and a great landing. This dance is so creepy in the best way possible. Switch ring to switch half was nice, great flexibility. Finishes up with a back 1.5 to front layout to front tuck, great height on that last salto! Again, great routine after the fall from Lashbrooke! 9.9
Scharf (ASU): Starts off with a very solid double wolf turn, no wobbles at all. Very pretty flic lay, great landing and great form throughout. Gorgeous side sumi. Switch leap, a bit shy of 180 and she wobbles. Switch leap to split jump, both were a bit short. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5 and takes a small step back. 9.675
Moors (UCLA): Really high front double full to front tuck to start the routine, she kind of jumps backward into that lunge, but I love the height in that pass! Roundoff to a super high layout stepout was good. Switch leap switch half wolf full was great as well, very nice split positions. Finishes with a Rudi, I love how she really sets into that skill. Good routine for UCLA! 9.925
White (ASU): Beautiful flic lay to start off, she has such great form and had a nice solid landing there. Front aerial to beat jump, also beautiful. Split jump to double stag was good as well. Dismounts with a back handspring to 1.5 and she sticks it! It may be tough for the judges to find deductions there, but I guess I thought that about Kayla Lee’s routine too so we’ll see! Uh oh, the crowd is already booing. 9.875. Honestly if I were an Arizona State fan I’d be booing too, that routine was gorgeous! UPDATE: Looks like the score was bumped to a 9.925! Well deserved
Reed (UCLA): Starts with a really nice double layout, great form and a great controlled landing. Tour jete half to wolf full looked a bit sideways in the air but nothing crazy. Last pass is a front handspring front layout to Rudi, again she has good form and good control. 9.95
After 3: UCLA 147.875, Arizona State 147.325
This was a shaky rotation for both teams. Both the Sun Devils and the Bruins had falls in this rotation, but both were able to drop those falls. However, Arizona State did have to count an uncharacteristic 9.675 from fifth-year Hannah Scharf. UCLA finished floor with a huge 9.950 from Nya Reed, and Arizona State finished strong with a 9.925 from Emily White.
Rotation 4: UCLA BB, Arizona State FX
Lee (UCLA): Front aerial to split jump to start the routine, very nice. Very nice flic lay, great height and form there. Switch leap to straddle jump, way past 180, the straddle jump was especially gorgeous. Finishes with a back handspring to side gainer full and she sticks it! Wonderful leadoff for UCLA. 9.875
Lee (ASU): Starts with a front double full, really nice form and good control on the landing. Next is a back 1.5 to front layout, very nice pass as well. Switch ring to switch side, nice flexibility. Last pass is a front handspring to Rudi, again great control at the end. Good leadoff for Arizona State. 9.775
Rosen (UCLA): Switch leap to split jump to double stag, very solid. Nice front aerial, good form and landing. Very nice flic lay, maybe some flexed feet but I’m being picky. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5 and takes a small hop forward. 9.8
Gregoire (ASU): Starts with a really nice full in, she kind of jumps into the lunge but it still looked controlled. Switch side to Popa, a bit shy of 180 on that switch side. Next is a front handspring to Rudi to layout stepout, she came a bit close to the out of bounds line but I believe she stayed in. 9.875
Andres (UCLA): Beat jump to switch half to beat jump to start her routine. Very nice front toss to back handspring swing down. Dismounts with a roundoff double twist and she sticks it! UCLA is excited about that one! 9.9
K. Smith (ASU): Double pike to start out and she steps forward on the landing. Front handspring front layout front full next, much better landing on that pass. Switch full to Popa was very nice. Finishes with a really nice double tuck, good landing and form there. 9.85
Campbell (UCLA): Nice wolf turn to start off her routine. Flic lay series, some flexed feet and she had a leg up wobble but saves it. Split leap to switch half to beat jump, some wobbles throughout. Split jump to straddle quarter, a bit shy of 180 on both. Finishes with a cartwheel to side gainer full and she fights for the stick. 9.675
White (ASU): Starts with a gorgeous front double full, great form in the air and a textbook controlled landing. Next up is a back 1.5 to front full, that full was a bit low and she landed crooked but stayed on her feet. Switch ring to switch half to finish it off. 9.825
Esparza (UCLA): Front aerial to back handspring series, she wobbles on the front aerial and misses her foot and falls on the back handspring. Nice solid switch half to get going again. Split leap to switch leap to split jump to beat jump, no wobbles in that long combination. Finishes with a stuck back handspring side gainer full. 9.2
Mangahas (ASU): Very nice full in to start her routine, great control on that landing and she’s excited! Next pass is a front tuck through to a double tuck, she lands a bit low and takes some steps back and goes out of bounds. Switch half wolf full wolf full to finish the routine. 9.675
McNamara (UCLA): Alright, let’s see how she does after a fall. I don’t believe she’s competed beam this season. Yep, the commentator confirmed she’s only done an exhibition this year. Side aerial back handspring and she falls. That’s a shame. Split leap to switch leap to straddle quarter, beautiful flexibility on that last jump. Finishes with a cartwheel to tucked 1.5 and she sticks it. Unfortunately UCLA will have to count a fall on beam.
Scharf (ASU): First pass is a front tuck through to a double tuck, and she nails it, great form and landing. Next is a front handspring front full front tuck, another stunning pass. Switch half wolf full was nice. Finishes up with a nice double pike, great pointed toes in the air and controls the landing! That may have won Arizona State the meet!
Final: Arizona State 196.575, UCLA 196.325
Wow, what a meet! Arizona State comes from a 0.550-point deficit to beat UCLA after the Bruins were forced to count a fall. Beam was a tough event for both teams today, but ultimately Arizona State came out on top after only having one fall. This was not the score UCLA was looking for as the postseason grows nearer, but it’ll have one more chance to improve its NQS next week against Clemson. Today won’t improve Arizona State’s NQS either, but a win over a conference rival, especially one of UCLA’s caliber, is always a confidence boost!
Event Winners:
Vault: Rosen, 9.900
Bars: Irvine, Clark; 9.900
Beam: White, 9.925
Floor: Reed, 9.950
All Around: Rosen, 39.450
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