We have somehow arrived at the final week of regular season meets. Senior night in Crisler is always emotional and exciting, and this one, which turns out to be versus ranking neighbor Denver, will be no exception. Both teams are currently sitting as three-seeds to regionals, and would no doubt love to jump into the two-seed top eight conversation. Scoring a 198 on the road is the project at hand for the Pioneers, and hitting the mark for the first time this season will be Michigan’s aim.
The Wolverines are still without senior Naomi Morrison, who was injured mid-season. She’s targeting a post-season return. Other missing faces from last week should be back today. Denver’s Bella Mabanta and Rylie Mundell are also targeting postseason returns to their full programs.
Broadcast letting us know that Rosie Casali took a scary fall in warmups and seemed okay, but has been pulled from lineups for tonight.
Rotation 1: UM vault, DU bars
Thaxton (UM): Yfull, soft knees and hip angle, hop back on the landing. 9.75
Rorich (DU): Blind to Jaeger, soft knees on the release, bail hand was nice. Arched last handstand. DLO small hop back, just didn’t absorb the ground. 9.85
Mulligan (UM): Yfull, some leg sep, hop back, really big and open in the air. 9.825
Ulrich (DU): Toe hand to Maloney Pak combo, close on the Pak. Good final handstand, patient. DLO, couldn’t see her feet, broadcast says stuck. 9.925, it was truely lovely.
Guggino (UM): Y1.5, stuck cold, just some soft knees in the air. On replay she did maybe pick a foot up to bring her heels together. 9.95, they gave the stick.
Hebinck (DU): Ricna. Tough Pak out of her release. Feet hit the ground and knees. DLO holds the stick.
Wilson (UM): Y1.5, hop forward. 9.875
Oh very fun the feed cut to baseball. We’ve got Western Illinois at Iowa. Out on first for WIU heading to the bottom of the sixth.
If you’ve been with us for awhile, you’ll remember a time when a Beauty and the Beast meet was more wrestling than gym. I did my best to blog the wrestling. I suppose it’s high time for me to blog a new sport again. I know a bit more about baseball, but not a ton. Hang around for some laughs, maybe, until the stream comes back.
Chase Golden is pitching for WIU. Fun fact I’m an Illinois native and I don’t know what the Western mascot is.
Leathernecks, apparently! Learn something new every day.
Catching thinks the batter swung. He didn’t! Oof, hit with the next pitch, so he heads to first. Catcher got hit as well, apparently for the second time today. Rough!
GYMNASTICS IS BACK HOORAY.
Mundell (DU): DLO, stuck.
Jordan (UM): Yfull, bit low, so she had to pike it in and was off to the side a bit. Stepped to the side.
Iwai (DU): Stepping in for Casali. Toe hand to Maloney, soft knees. Great bail hand. DLO, low chest, two steps forward. She was just a little loose in the core throughout.
After 1: DU 49.425, UM 49.250
Well. BTN+ is always a journey. I hope you enjoyed that baseball interlude as much as I did.
That’s about how vault has been going for Michigan this year. Fine, not great, but nothing to worry about as it’s best events are yet to come. Denver recovered well from that Hebinck Pak issue, even with Iwai stepping in. Good for the staff to know that that kind of recovery in the lineup, even without the top six in, is possible as we head into postseason.
Rotation 2: UM bars, DU vault
Brusch (DU): Yfull, some soft arms on the table, hop back. 9.825
Vore (UM): Usual bit Tkatchev, better turnover than sometimes. Good bail to hand. DLO, one big and one small step back. She just lacked a little extension throughout. 9.825
Hargraves (DU): Yfull, great block, hop back. 9.8
Wilson (UM): Miss AAI FINALIST. Blind to pike Jaeger, arched the bail hand a touch. Her handstands are snappy today. DLO, small step back. She has been working those handstands. 9.825
Ulrich (DU): FHS pike half, hop back. Nice in the air! 9.825, one for YOU and one for YOU and one for YOU.
Zabrowski (UM): Blind to Jaeger, soft knees. Tons of momentum on the Pak, holds it together. DLO step back. 9.775
Mundell (DU): Y1.5, one of her arms buckled a little on the table, soft knees, small hop. 9.9
Bauman (UM): Toe half to Jaeger, pretty, great form on the catch. Bail hand, bit over. Perfect last handstand. Blind to double front, opened too early, three steps back. That’s tough after a gorgeous routine. 9.725
Hutchinson (DU): Y1.5, true stick, to the side a smidge and some soft knees. 9.95
Brooks (UM): Some pressure now for a big number after all of these steps. If anyone can do it. Blind to Pike Jaeger, little conservative on the amplitude there but solid. Bail hand, great. FTDL, little scoot back. 9.95
Mabanta was slated to go, but Denver elects to go five up after the shuffling to accommodate Casali being out.
Marr (UM): Maloney, some soft knees. Bail hand little over. Knees on her last tap. Great last handstand. DLO, knees down, she’s so mad at herself. 9.225
Guggino (UM, ex.): We love a senior night exhibition on an event where we never see them! What a treat. Hop change. Jaeger, too far out, falls. Balks on a bail, fights through it. Clear hip hand do DLO, big step forward. Huge cheers for her getting up and putting it out there.
After 2: DU 98.725, UM 98.350
That wasn’t Michigan’s best bars outing. Lots of steps on landings, and then the Marr fall required counting Bauman’s score. It’s not disastrous, and Michigan thrives in the back half of duals, but Bev Plocki will be hoping that everyone is getting the extra steps and nerves out tonight.
Denver is a solid vault team. Lots of amplitude and pretty good landings. The Pioneers will be feeling comfortable moving to floor, even down a major player.
Rotation 3: UM beam, DU floor
Mulligan (UM): Cat to front aerial, great extension in her legs. Bhs loso, small check, in her upper body. Check on her leaps as well. Bhs tuck 3/2, step forward. 9.8
Rorich (DU): Front through double tuck, scooted her front foot around in the lunge. Switch side Popa Popa, cheated the switch side rotation. Double pike, low, lands well anyway. 9.85
Guggino (UM): See how she recovers after a fall last week. Bhs loso, leg up check, but brings it in quickly. Straddle to straddle half, literally singing to herself while she jumps, so relaxed. Great side somi. Bhs 3/2 step forward. 9.85
Thompson (DU): 3/1, slightly underrotated and she traveled to the side a little. Switch side Popa, nice there. Front lay rudi, good landing, would like a little more amplitude on the rudi.
Wilson (UM): Hitch kick. Bhs loso, really held that together, some soft knees. Check in her choreo. Switch to switch, her usual lack of the first position. RO double tuck, small hop. 9.875
Iwai (DU): RO 1/5 front to stag, nice control. Switch full I think? Kind of a chaotic shape and rotation. Double tuck, little bit of a bounce. Switch half to Popa, much cleaner there. 9.875
Vore (UM): Bhs loso, solid, cleanest series yet. Bit over on her full turn, covered well into choreo. Dropped one shoulder on her front toss. Clean leaps, bit hard to see 180s at this angle. RO 3/2, so floaty, step forward. 9.875
Mabanta (DU): Nice to see her back in this lineup! Front lay rudi, nice there. Switch ring half, not a ton of head release, to split. RO 3/2 front lay, bit low on the lay. 9.925, what a first routine back on floor!
Bauman (UM): Bhs loso, solid. Split to straddle half to beat, bit shy of 180 on the split, small check in her shoulders in the air on the beat. Piked side somi was great per usual. Gainer pike off the end stuck. Great routine! 9.925
Ulrich (DU): DLO, nice, bit of leg sep and a bit low on the landing. Switch half Popa, cheated the rotation but nice splits. RO 3/2 front lay, arched the lay down. Double pike, nice landing. 9.925
Brooks (UM): Bhs loso loso, strong. Swtich to beat, clean there as well. She moves so quickly through this routine, rushed the full turn a bit. Check on her front toss. Bhs 2/1 true stick! What an exclamation point on a solid rotation. 9.95
Hutchinson (DU): FHS 2/1, great landing. Switch half to split full, little over on the latter rotation. Almost held a stick on her RO 3/2 to front, decided to lunge. FHS rudi to straddle, flared the rudi, nice control. 9.975
Marr (UM, ex.): Bhs loso, check, manages to stay on. Hitch kick to side aerial, leg up check. She just seems tight. Clean switch to straddle 1/4. Bhs gainer 1/1, holds the stick.
Brusch (DU, ex.): Front through double tuck, scooted backward in the lunge. Switch half wolf full wolf full, pretty off on all three rotations. Bounced out of her double pike.
After 3: DU 148.275, UM 147.825
Much better from Michigan, finally getting those two sticks from Bauman and Brooks.
Denver has just continued to roll. This team looks pretty unflappable. It’ll take a lot from the Wolverines to get this senior night win, but floor is where they thrive, so it’s still possible.
Rotation 4: UM floor, DU beam
Iwai (DU): Switch to split 1/4, soft knees. Bhs loso loso, just couldn’t get the takeoff on the second salto, falls. Cartwheel gainer full stuck. 9.0
Bauman (UM): FHS 2/1, great body position in the air. Switch half wolf full wolf full, pretty good wolf positions, just slightly low in the front leg. RO 3/2 front lay, lovely on the lay. 9.925, here we go
Thompson (DU): Side aerial bhs, clean. Switch switch, bit short on both. Slightly overrotated on the full turn. Side aerial 3/2, stuck. Way to hit under pressure! 9.875
Mulligan (UM): Front through double tuck, great height, lifted her front foot in the lunge. Switch side half Popa to Shushunova. Double pike, short and lunges forward. 9.9
Hebinck (DU): Front toss to bhs, fun series, fought to hold the connection. Short of 180 on her second leap and landed chest forward. Check on her full turn, very small. Gainer pike, swung her arms and maybe scooted a foot. 9.85
Guggino (UM): Front lay through to double pike, chest was a touch low but she lunged out well. Switch half to Popa, nice. Front lay rudi, slid around a little in the lunge out.
Ulrich (DU): Bhs loso, very solid. Nice releve work, clean on her leaps. Nice front aerial to beat, her leg extension is really nice. Bhs 3/2, big hop forward. 9.875
Brooks (UM): FTDB, no deductions. Switch full split full, clean rotations. Front through double tuck, mayyyyybe moved her front foot but it was slight. If they want to go 10, they can justify it. 9.975
Mabanta (DU): Bhs loso, clean, works right out of it. Split to switch half, short. Switch to split, much better in those. Gainer pike, stuck. 9.9
Wilson (UM): Coming off of a 9.975 there’s plenty of momentum for her here. Tuck full in, she heel toed her front foot the littlest bit. Switch side half to straddle, great over splits. Front lay to rudi, no deductions there. 10, there it is.
Hutchinson (DU): Front toss to bhs, nice. Switch to split, held it together when the screams for the 10 started. Oh okay we’re looking at Michigan crying instead of the routine happening sigh. Cartwheel gainer full off the side stuck. That is rude camera work, BTN+! 9.975
Thaxton (UM): Tuck full-in, for the first time in college. Slid back a little, she looks SO happy, good for her. Switch side half Popa, clean there. Front through double tuck, under and lunges forward.
Hargraves (DU, ex.): Front aerial, bit break at the hips. Repeats, bobble into the bhs. Might not get a connection there. Bit of hesitation between hear leaps, too. RO 3/2 step back.
Boozer (UM, ex.): Ring full, nice! Front through double tuck, bounced out a little, stayed in bounds. Fall on her last pass, missed the punch on her front.
FINAL: DU 197.750, UM 197.550
Not the day Michigan wanted, but it ended on a great high note. The Wolverines just really need to dial in landings before Big Tens. Denver was absolutely rocking, considering it was without Casali. Great showing for the Pioneers who will count this in their NQS.
VT: Guggino, Hutchinson 9.950
UB: Mundell, Brooks 9.950
BB: Hutchinson 9.975
FX: Wilson 10.0
AA: Hutchinson, 39.825
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Live blog by Emily Minehart
