This quad meet brings us some fun multi-conference action in the last week before conference championships! Arizona is coming off a rough outing against Utah last week. The Wildcats counted a fall on bars for a season low 195.725. This is the second meet of a double meet week for them, and on Wednesday they got back on track with a 196.900, and they’ll be wanting to put last week and fatigue behind them and reset here, putting up another high 196 or even 197.
Illinois has also been struggling at the back half of the season. The Illini have slipped from the top 25 to looking at having to compete in the play-in round at regionals. They’ve recorded numbers in the low 196s for three weeks in a row, while teams around them have been putting up season highs. The Illini need a big number here, preferably a 197, but it’s a tall order, especially now that Ruthuja Nataraj has gone down with an Achilles injury.
Although Missouri is in a seeded position for regionals, it is in the bottom half of the hyper-competitive SEC. The Tigers will be aiming for a high 197 number to boost their average. Missouri leans on its star all-arounder Sienna Schreiber, as well as Amari Celestine and Jocelyn Moore on leg events. Right now, if the Tigers can find their landings on vault and deliver the performances they’re capable of on the other three events, they’re in good shape. They are certainly the favorites to win this meet.
SEMO is not in regionals contention, and for the Redhawks, the name of the game is consistency. The Redhawks have scored numbers ranging from 192s to high 195s (plus a 197 in Tennessee but let’s ignore that). Having rotations without the pressure to drop a fall, plus clean form and good landings on vault, will keep the Redhawks where they want to be.
Let’s make a little prayer circle for a quad meet on BTN+ before this show gets underway.
Rotation 1: Illinois VT, Missouri UB, SEMO BB, Arizona FX
Strom (UA): Front 1.5 to LOSO, nice opening. Switch leap, split ring half, good. 1.5 twist to front full to close. 9.875
Takekawa (Ill): Saw it in the background, Yfull with a couple steps. 9.725
Coppola (Ill): Yfull, left foot over the line but a very controlled landing. 9.75
Townes (Ill): Y1.5, some knees but STUCK! 9.925
Patrick (Mizzou): Just saw the dismount, double lay with a hop. 9.85
Fears (UA): Opens with a high flying double tuck with a small slide. Leaps are a little short of split. Rudi with another small bounce on the lunge. Back 1.5 to front full, again not great control on the landing. 9.85
Byrne (Ill): Yfull, flare, and a hop. 9.825
Mueller (Ill): Yfull, small bounce. 9.85
Marshall (Mizzou): Just saw her dismount, half in half out with a hop. 9.85
Schreiber (Mizzou): Maloney to overshoot, nice. Double lay with a step back. 9.85
Ward (Ill): Y1.5 with a controlled hop, great form in the air. 9.875
Martin (UA): Opened with a double tuck. Great height on her leaps. Double pike, I think she lunged forward but couldn’t see with the camera angle. Double turn into a split full, cool dance combo. Back 1.5 to front lay, front lay is a little low but she gets it around. 9.8
BTN+ keeps cutting to SEMO getting ready to mount the beam and then cuts away.
Speller (SEMO): Yay, seeing SEMO finally! Full turn is good. Front toss with a shoulder check, LOSO with a step out. Switch leap, switch half. Front aerial to scale, beautiful. Front full dismount with a slide forward. 9.675
Webb had a 7.45 in the leadoff for SEMO.
Deets (UA): Front full, front lay, good. Gorgeous precision on her leaps in the air, but lunges a bit to the side after landing. Double tuck to close, good control there. 9,85
So…are we going to get to see Mizzou any more in this rotation? All we’re getting are dismounts.
Chodon (SEMO): Switch leap, split leap, nice. Front aerial, back tuck, gets the connection but a leg check and then a shoulder check. Stays on though. Careful full turn. Cat leap, front toss, good. Front full dismount with a small step. 9.575
Hargrove (UA): Went OOB on her full twisting double back. Whip half front full is good. Switch ring, tour jete, very pretty. Double tuck with a very big lunge to close. 9.675
Napolitano (SEMO): Switch leap, split 3/4. BHS LOSO with a small check. Front toss, beat jump, and falls. SEMO now counting a fall. Full turn, check but plays it off with dance. Gainer full, stuck. 9.000
Mueller (UA): Double pike, good control on landing. Switch side to Popa is pretty. Back 1.5 to layout, good control again. Lots of personality throughout her choreo. Double tuck, a little off balance on landing but covers well. 9.875
Lopez (SEMO): Front toss, breaks the connection. Tries again, breaks the connection again. BHS LOSO, and falls. This just isn’t SEMO’s day on beam. Full turn, big hip check. Beat jump, split 3/4, very short of split. Gainer pike, takes a small step. 8.6
Long wait for Lopez’s score.
Ingle (SEMO): If anyone can settle SEMO and put up a good score, it’s Ingle. BHS LOSO, LOSO, great. Switch leap, straddle quarter, solid. Good full turn. RO double twist, stuck! Great way to end the rotation for SEMO. 9.825
After 1: Missouri 49.250, Arizona 49.250, Illinois 49.225, SEMO 46.575
This is a really tight, exciting meet between Mizzou, Arizona, and Illinois! We barely saw Mizzou, but they put up six 9.8+ scores highlighted by a 9.9 from Titarsolej. Arizona didn’t put up the massive numbers they sometimes do on floor, but avoided counting Hargrove’s OOB. Illinois did a great job on vault, with Townes’ stuck 1.5 being the highlight. Being just 0.005 points behind a team like Mizzou after just one rotation is amazing for the Illini. SEMO had a really rough time on beam, with three falls. It’ll need to brush that off as it moves on to floor.
Rotation 2: Arizona VT, Illinois UB, Missouri BB, SEMO FX
Mueller (Ill): Straddle jaeger, fights for the next handstand, bail is good. Double lay with a small slide back and an arm swing. 9.775
Davis (Mizz): Full turn, solid. BHS LOSO, small leg check and hops a bit but stays on. Front toss and bounces forward a little. Beat jump, sheep jump, rock solid. Switch leap BHS to gainer full with a small hop
Dennings (Ill): Maloney, bail, slightly loose legs. A little short on her final handstand. Double lay with a step back. 9.775
Hargrove (UA): Y1.5 almost stuck but takes a tiny hop forward.
Jeez, BTN+ pick an event to show.
Knight (Ill): Maloney, bail, good. Double lay with a tiny hop forward.
Napolitano (SEMO): 2.5 twist to punch front, a little wild but keeps it in bounds. Tour jete to wolf full, loses balance a bit on landing. Double tuck, bounces back into a lunge. 9.75
Ewald (Ill); Straddle jaeger to pak good. Half in half out with a step. 9.7
Marshall (Mizzou): Split jump, stag ring with a leg check. BHS gainer full off the side, stuck. 9.65
Fears (UA): Yfull, a bit of flare, small hop. 9.875
Martin (UA): Yfull with a small hop. 9.875
Crouch (SEMO): Rudi to stag jump is good. Was typing and only saw the lunge out of her combo pass but it looked a bit short. 9.550
Apparently Takekawa stuck her double layout and got a 9.9
Griffin (Mizzou): Full turn good. Front toss, slight bobble, BHS and a wobble. Connection will be credited, of course. Split leap, switch leap, beat jump, good. RO 1.5 twist with a hop. 9.75
Crowd is shouting for a ten for Saltness, but we won’t get to see that routine. Just a stuck double back dismount. 9.925
Ingle (SEMO): 2.5 twist to punch front, nice. Front lay to front Rudi, a bit underrotated but stays on her feet. Nice height on her leaps. 9.825
No, Connor, Mizzou is on beam, not SEMO.
Schaffer (Mizzou): In Celestine’s spot. Quick full turn. LOSO BHS LOSO, good. Front aerial is nice. Switch leap, split leap, solid. RO 1.5 dismount with a small hop. 9.9 gets Mizzou back on track.
Webb (SEMO): Closed her routine with a front 1.5 to front lay with great control. 9.85
Celestine (Mizzou): Opens with a speedy full turn. BHS to side aerial, unique series and solid. Punch front, rock solid, like it’s easy. Split leap, long pause before the split 3/4. Cat leap, gainer full, tries to stick with arm swings but has to take a tiny shuffle. 9.85
Greene (SEMO): Double tuck good. Nice height on leaps. Aaaand we’re cutting away to look at Schreiber getting a pep talk. Nope we’re back. To…look at the double tuck again. Why, BTN+?!?! 9.875
Schreiber: Lovely full turn. BHS LOSO LOSO, perfect. Switch half, shoulder check. Beat jump, split 3/4, back leg is a little low. Gainer full, stuck. 9.9
After 2: Arizona 98.575, Illinois 98.400, Missouri 98.350, SEMO 95.675
Well, that was a chaotic rotation as far as the actual broadcast was concerned. As for the routines themselves, Illinois had a slow start on bars but Takekawa and Saltness brought the heat at the end of the lineup. Of course those were the routines we didn’t see, but still. Arizona’s vault lineup got the job done and was led by a 9.9 from Hargrove. Missouri battled wobbles on beam, which puts it in third at the halfway mark behind Illinois. Schaffer and Schreiber were lovely as always. SEMO should be thrilled with its 49.100 on floor, bouncing back after a tough beam rotation.
Rotation 3: SEMO VT, Arizona UB, Illinois BB, Missouri FX
Ingle (SEMO): Just saw the landing, but it looked like a good Yfull with a tiny hop. 9.85
Townes (Ill): Last beam routine in Huff Hall, cue the tears. Switch leap, straddle quarter, snaps her arms back to prevent a wobble. Cat leap, side aerial, again off but again prevents any wobbles. BHS LOSO, solid. Kicks out of the full turn. RO tucked 1.5, stuck with a chest drop. 9.85
Hargrove (UA): Clear hip to Tkatchev, not the highest but otherwise fine. Bail is nice. Half in half out, stuck!
Lopez (SEMO): Yfull, tried to stick but hopped forward. 9.7
Leadoff 9.925 for Schreiber on the floor. Will we see it? No.
Kratzer (Mizzou): Whip back to double back, gorgeous. I am obsessed with their choreo. Switch half to Popa, great extension. Double pike, beautiful again. Back 1.5 to front lay, stuck. Mizzou is coming back from that beam rotation. 9.9
Greene (SEMO): Yfull, a little crunched on the table and takes a hop forward.
Knight (Ill): We see her dismount, gainer full stuck. 9.875
Mueller (UA): Saw a stuck double lay from her.
Horton (Mizz): Full twisting double back, makes it look effortless. Good height on the switch side half to wolf full. Punch front to double back, kicks out of it, good. Another great floor routine for Mizzou! 9.95
Byrne (Ill): Taking the lineup slot left by Nataraj this week. BHS LOSO, stayed on. Full turn good. RO double twist with a step. Great to see a hit from her! 9.875
Celestine (Mizz): Full in, very big step out of it. Front full to front lay, dances out of it. Double back, takes a couple steps out of it. 9.825
Mueller (Ill): Coming in at the end of the routine, apparently everything has been solid up until now. RO 1.5 twist with a hop back. 9.825
We didn’t see the routine, but it looks like Martin fell on bars for a 9.125
Fears (UA): Bail to handstand. Double lay with a shuffle forward. 9.85
Ewald (Ill): One-armed BHS to BHS, nice. Switch half, a little short of split, LOSO good. Full turn is controlled. Hits her leaps. Kick rudi dismount, stuck. 9.875
Moore (Mizz): Big double lay, chest a little low but otherwise good. Switch half, Popa, Popa, beautiful. Punch front to double back, small shuffle on the lunge. 10. With the shuffle on the double back? That they are now replaying? Okay…
Takekawa’s last home beam routine in the background. BHS LOSO, hit. Okay, we’re seeing it now. Switch leap gainer layout step out, tiny waiver but nothing serious. BHS gainer full, stuck. Very emotional moment for her. 9.925
After 3: Missouri 148.100, Illinois 147.800, Arizona 147.550, SEMO 144.500
Missouri answered its wobbly beam rotation with a huge 49.700 on floor and is now in control of this meet. Illinois put all the pieces together on beam, and Coppola hit her exhibition, which bodes well for the post season. We didn’t see much of Arizona, but live scoring tells me they had a fall and had to count a 9.700, putting them 2.5 tenths behind Illinois going into the last rotation. We also didn’t see much of SEMO, but it hit vault, the highest score being Ingle’s 9.85.
Rotation 4: Missouri VT, SEMO UB, Arizona BB, Illinois FX
Ingle (SEMO): Straddle jaegar, bail, giant full to double back stuck. Great leadoff for SEMO! 9.8
Ward (Ill): Front lay to front full to front pike, stuck cold. Great height on leaps. Double back is good. Another great leadoff! 9.875
Burns (Mizzou): Yfull, flare, stuck!
Griffin (Mizzou): Yfull, flares out of it and slides back on landing.
Mueller (Ill): Senior day floor routine! Punch front to double back, great control. Showing a lot off personality in her choreo. Front lay front full, dances out of the lunge. Great control on her leaps. 9.85
Leadoff 9.9 on beam for Alysen Fears.
Celestine (Mizz): Y1.5, fights for the stick but takes a small step. 9.95, 9.9/10 split lol.
Moore (Mizz): Y1.5 with a small slide forward. 9.95
Hamilton (SEMO): High straddle jaeger to overshoot. Full pirouette to double tuck stuck. 9.675
Morgan (Ill): Another senior day floor routine. Double tuck with a slide back. Tour jete half to wolf 1.5. Front lay to front full, great. 9.875
Lopez (SEMO): Straddle jaeger and she falls. 9.075
Byrne (Ill): 2.5 twist to front pike, gorgeous. Good extension on her leaps. Double pike is good. 9.95
Martin (UA): Just saw the dismount, RO 1.5 twist, takes a few hops off the mat.
Townes (Ill): Front double twist to start. Back 1.5 to front full, good. Slightly shy of split on her leaps. Added in a moonwalk, just for fun. 9.925
Illinois has already broken 197 with Amelia Knight still to go.
Knight (Ill): Front double twist, slightly wild lunge out of it. Slightly crunched in her leaps. Double back, slight slide on her lunge. Back 1.5 to front lay, dances out. 9.725
Takekawa will close the meet by exhibitioning floor as her final home routine. The tears are really starting to flow for the Illini.
FINAL: Missouri 197.600, Illinois 197.275, Arizona 196.725, SEMO 192.650
What a fun meet! Missouri put up a 197.600 with a challenging beam rotation, which should give them a boost going into SECs. Illinois finally got its 197, at its last home meet and regular season meet. It also upset Arizona, whose 196.725 is solidly around their average. Good floor and vault wasn’t enough to make up bars and beam woes for SEMO, and they’ll want to put this meet behind them going into MICs.
VT: Celestine, Moore, 9.950
UB: Saltness 9.925
BB: Takekawa 9.925
FX: Moore 10.000
AA: Schreiber 39.525
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Live blog by Naomi Stephenson
