Today’s live blog pairs two MPSF teams that despite being out of regionals contention, have been having very solid seasons. Alaska has scored into the 192s this season and scored 48+ on vault, beam and floor. Bars has been a struggle for the Seawolves this season, so the first rotation will be essential for Alaska. Sacramento State has scored into 196+ once this season and is looking to score that once again at home. To do so, the Hornets will need to hit bars and beam, which have been inconsistent at times this season. In terms of individuals watch out for Sarah Lutrel and Emma Morgenthaler for Sacramento State and freshman Claudia Lessig for Alaska.
Alright, its 4:05 and the stream hasn’t started yet, so I’m expecting a start time closer to 4:15 (I’m in central time, so 2:15 PST/5:15 EST).
Rotation 1: Sacramento State VT, Alaska UB
Gilman (VT): Yurchenko half, hop forward, nice shape 9.700
Fairbairn (UB): Short hs, Pak with big leg separation, slightly short again. Giant full and falls. Redoes, struggles again, stays on the bar. Giants into a stuck double tuck, a bit of a struggle.
Lahmidi (VT): Tucked yfull, nice block today, hop back, just over the line, never holds the landing position. 9.625
Long wait and a judges conference on bars
Perkins (UB): Nice hs, Maloney, Pak, large leg separations on both. Late on a half pirouette. Nice final hs, Loose giant half, another loose giant half, but stays with, stuck double tuck. 9.600
Fitzgerald (VT): Yurchenko full on, tuck off, stuck. Chest low and missing a little bit of amplitude because she came onto the table high, but solid. 9.625
Johnson (UB): Short hs, Geinger, overshoot, thought she was close on the on the Geinger but works through it, loose arms. Giant half, giant half, has to take a giant swing between the two, stuck double tuck. 9.425
Morgenthaler (VT): Yfull, nearly stuck justtt a small step, nice body position 9.775
Bonifasi (UB): Fine hs, Straddled Jaeger, overshoot, some flexed feet and bent legs. Short final hs, giant full, stuck double tuck, just a touch late on the giant full
Wilson (VT): Yurchenko layout half, just a small hop, nice layout position and great distance. That’s improved a lot this season, nice to see, 9.800
Walker (UB): Nice hs, Piked Jaeger nice, hs just a touch short, Pak is nice. Short hs, giant full and has to take an extra giant swing, completely loses from. Toe off front tuck stuck, a shame about the giant full, lots of nice elements before that. 9.200
Lutrel (VT): Yurchenko full with just a step, might’ve been a little piked down, but nice chest up position 9.800
Lessig (UB): Slightly short hs, big Tkatchev with flexed feet. Bail is nice. Short hs, FTDT with a step.
After 1: Sacramento State 48.700, Alaska 47.425
After one, Sacramento State has a lead thanks to a solid vault rotation. The Hornets will feel like it gave up a few tenths with unnecessary steps, but its vaults have improved a lot from the beginning of they year. Alaska had some nice elements but had a number of scores that were kept down by issues on giant halves and fulls before dismounts.
Rotation 2: Alaska VT, Sacramento State UB
Fairbairn (VT): Yurchenko full on, pike off, nearly stuck just a small step. Nice vault, not the most amplitude and a little direction. 9.675
Lutrel (UB): Nice hs, Bail is a touch short. Good hs, Khorkina, not the most amplitude. FTDT with leg separation, chest down, and a large step. 9.625
Lessig (VT): Tucked Yurchenko full, short with a step forward, arms looked bent on the block 9.500
Morgenthaler (UB): Good hs, Jaeger, some bent knees. Nice legs together on the Pak. Short final hs, double layout with a hop, solid. 9.650
Tillmans (VT): Yurchenko layout, stuck. Chest down and some pike position throughout 9.525
Wilson (UB): First hs a touch short. Piked Jaeger, overshoot, a little rushed, some bent arms. Great final hs, stuck double layout 9.800
Hildebrand (VT): Handspring front pike, wayyyy overrated and slides through, a funny fall, she’s laughing it off
Lastra (UB): Good hs, Maloney, Bail, leg separation on both. Hits final hs, double layout with a hop. 9.750
Kopsack (VT): Stuck Yurchenko layout, better layout shape than Tillmans, chest down
Lahmidi (UB): Came into this late, only see a short hs and stuck FTDT, 9.85
Murphy (VT): HUGE handspring tuck half, with a step, that block was massive, 9.775!
Houghton (UB): Nice hs, huge jaeger, excellent hs, Pak and a hard fall. Finishes with a double layout with a hop.
After 2: Sacramento State 97.375 Alaska 95.425
Sacramento State extends its lead, but will feel like it missed out on a near 49 score after Houghton fell in the anchor spot. Alaska was solid on vault, breaking 48.000, but just lacks the difficulty to score much higher. Murphy’s vault was a real highlight to me. Halfway through!
Rotation 3: Sacramento State BB, Alaska FX
Morgenthaler (BB): Single wolf turn. Bhs, bhs, loso, secure, some knees. Love the forward roll choreography. Pike jump, straddle half, small balance check. Back 1.5 with a hop, nice start 9.775
Gomez (FX): Rudi, stag jump, messy twisting form. Full twisting ring jump, missing the position and some amplitude. Switch half, wolf full, front leg low on the wolf. Back 1.5, front lay, a touch underrotated and bent legs. 9.375
Gilman (BB): Bhs, loso, big check but saves the fall. Nice full turn. Secure side aerial. Straddle jump, straddle 3/4, first jump wasn’t 180. Back 1.5 with a hop. 9.675
Lessig (FX): Front full, front lay, touch of bent knees, secure landing. Double pike, chest a touch low but not a big deal. Tour jete half, Popa, some flexed feet. Double tuck, cowboys but makes it around. Nice pieces there. 9.550
Wilson (BB): Full turn, love how she holds the releve at the end. Bhs, loso, large check but holds on. Switch leap, split 3/4, foot form. Side aerial. Stuck front full, nice.
Bonifasi (FX): Rudi, crossover step. Leaps were fine Back 1.5, front lay, under rotated but stays up with a shuffle. 9.375
Barron (BB): Wolf turn, a touch underrotated but moves out of it quickly. Nice split half from side position. Bhs, loso secure. Side aerial no issues. Switch leap, switch side, splits are fine. Front full with a hop, nice set. 9.800, career high.
Murphy (FX): Double tuck, landed short with chest low. Popa, wolf full. Whip half, front full is really nicely done.
Lutrel (BB): Bhs, loso, super aggressive and well done. Beat jump, split 3/4, no issues. Full turn. Switch leg aerial, right on. Aerial, back 1.5, the coach’s head was in the way, but it was allegedly stuck. Great set! 9.75/9.50 split, 9.850? 9.90 felt right, have questions about the 9.75
Hildebrand (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, well rotated. Double pike, good control. Switch leap, split full, wolf full, very short of splits on some of those.
Houghton (BB): bhs, loso secure. Switch leap, split quarter, chest a little low in the leap but splits were good. Stradle full, small check. Full turn. Stuck double full, nice way to end the rotation.
Fairbairn (FX): Front lay, Rudi, nicely done. Tour jete half, straddle jump. LOL does the worm in her choreography, love. Front lay, front full, good twisting form again. Best routine of the bunch, very nice.
After 3: Sacramento State 146.400, Alaska 143.025
A really nice rotation for Sacramento State breaking 49, lots of lovely work throughout, especially on those acro series. Lutrel was especially impressive. Alaska was fine on floor, as expected lower difficulty and start values will keep its scores down, but what was we saw was mostly well executed and cleanly hit. Fairbairn was a highlight in the anchor spot with a bit more polish and performance quality than the rest.
Rotation 4: Alaska BB, Sacramento State FX
Fairbairn (BB): Switch half, straddle jump, beat jump, decent split positions. Full turn. Bhs, side aerial, keeps that moving well, small check. Front full with a stick, nice start. 9.775
Dumas-Guzman (FX): Rudi, split jump, good control. Tour jete half, nice. Split half, wolf full, split jump full, nicely done. Love her performance quality, nice work. Front lay, front full, just a touch short, nice start. 9.700
Lessig (BB): Front aerial, loso, nice connection, but big balance check. Switch leap, back tuck, really nice back leg position. Full turn. Front full stuck, touch of bent knees. 9.600
Houghton (FX): Front lay, Rudi, gorgeous twisting form in the air, nice control. Switch side, Popa, slightly indistinct landing position. Double pike, short and a step forward. 9.575
Bonifasi (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, some knees and a balance check. Side aerial, split jump, flexed feet. Beat jump, split 3/4. Stuck gainer pike off the end.
Jones (FX): Double tuck, nice chest position and control. Switch ring, switch half, split half, missing position and flexed feet on a few of those. Front lay, front full, fine. Clean Rudi to finish. 9.775
Desouza (BB): Front toss, meant to connect, re does, front toss, bhs, severe knee bend. Tuck jump. Split jump, split 3/4, short of split on both. Full turn, flexed foot. Front full, very bent knees, maybe it was supposed to be a tuck? Secure but some built in deductions
Morgenthaler (FX): Rudi, loso, looked funky in the air between the saltos, but no issues. Switch half, Popa, fine splits. Stream cut out for me, seeming likes it my Wifis problem, 9.775
Okay we’re back mid beam routine
Farrell (BB): Split jump, split ring, flexed foot. Front aerial, balance check. Gainer pike with a step.
Gilman (FX): Double pike, nice amplitude, secure landing. Tour jete half, Popa, good splits. Front lay, front full, solid, not the highest saltos but no issues. Double tuck, good control again.
Johnson (BB): Front toss, bhs, clean form, smallest check but moves through it. Full turn. Switch half, split jump. Cat leap, gainer full with a stuck. Very well done. 9.800
Lutrel (FX): Secure double pike to start. Front lay, front full, a bit low and under rotated. Tour jete half, split jump full, missing some split. Double tuck, some cowboy position but well controlled.
FINAL: Sacramento State 195.150, Alaska 191.500
Sacramento State breaks 195.00 on senior night, although it definitely did not have its ideal meet, missing some sticks on vault and bars especially. Alaska will be pleased to break 191 with a really nice beam rotation to close things out. Sacramento State’s Sarah Lutrel picked up a pair of event titles and the all around crown with a good meet today. A solid, but not perfect showing for both teams as MPSF Champs approach.
VT: Rose Wilson, Sarah Lutrel 9.800
UB: Bella Lahmidi 9.850
BB: Sarah Lutrel 9.850
FX: Athena Jones, Emma Morgenthaler 9.775
AA: Sarah Lutrel 39.025
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
