LIVE BLOG: No. 25 Stanford, No. 56 Sacramento State at No. 3 California

Wrapping up the last Sunday of the regular season brings another NorCal tri meet to the Bay Area for California this weekend. While California is expected to take this meet easily, lots of interesting ranking questions are in play. After a massive 198.500 on Friday, California overtook LSU for second in the country. With this in mind, wil the Golden Bears use today as a depth meet or try and replicate what regional will be like in just a few weeks? The Golden Bears can also ensure that LSU cannot pass them next week by tying or besting their season high of 198.550. It will need to depend on strong performances from eMjae Frazier and Mya Lauzon to do so. Rotation one will be key for California, as vault is where the Golden Bears tend to struggle.

For Stanford, after an only okay performance at Utah on Friday night, it still needs another big road score to better its NQS and ensure its not in the play-in meet at regionals. A 197+ would go a long way to wards this goal, and seems possible. Stanford has gained strength as the season has progressed thanks to key injury returner Anna Roberts, as well as Chloe Widner, who earned her first 10.000 on beam last weekend. Last, but not least, Sacramento State enters this meet after scoring a solid 195.150 last week. The Hornets are looking to keep building momentum going in to MPSF Championships. Look for Sarah Lutrel and Kara Houghton to lead the way for Sacramento State.

Looks like California is going with full strength lineups, only change from Friday is Andi Li on floor instead of Jordan Kane.

Seems like we’ll be getting started in about five minutes

Rotation 1: California VT, Stanford UB, Sacramento State BB

Williams (Cal): Yfull with a medium hop, nice distance

Morgenthaler (Sac St): Wolf turn, bhs, bhs, loso, balance check. Jumps are missing a bit of toe point. Back 1.5 with a step

Mayhew (Cal): Yurchenko 1.5, small hop, solid.

Sorrento (Stanford): Good hs, Maloney, Pak, leg separation on the Pak. Half pirouette. Good handstand, double layout with a hop

Frazier (Cal): Yurchenko double full, small hop, she’s still twisting early off the table, but I don’t think it was as egregious as it is sometimes, 9.925

Gilman (Sac St): very clean bhs loso, full turn with the tiniest check. Side aerial, lean to save, Straddle jump, straddle 3/4. Back 1.5 with a big hop

Lauzon (Cal): Her usual Yurchenko 1.5, just a small hop, 9.925

Caught the tail end of Neault’s routine, fantastic giant full to stuck double tuck. 9.925

Silver (Cal): Stuck Yurchenko 1.5, really nice! I saw her stick one in touch on Friday and then hop in the meet, great to see her hit like that in the meet, 9.925

Alexeeva: Higgins into Piked Jaeger nice. Pak is good. Nice final hs, giant full into double tuck with a step.

Brown (Cal): Yurchenko full with a step, thought we were going to see the 1.5 today. 9.875

Roberts (Stanford): Good hs, Pak is clean. Another good handstand, Shaposh half, small leg separation. Double layout with a hop, 9.925

Barron (Sac State): painful looking fall on her acro series. Remounts, aerial with a check. Switch leap, switch side, good split positions. 1.5 with a step.

Widner (Stanford): Great first hs. Excellent distance on the Tkatchev. Great giant full, falls on the bail. Double layout with a step. Missed opportunity for Stanford.

Lutrel (Sac State):  Bhs, loso, holds onto it with an arm wave. Beat jump, split 3/4, good extension. Full turn, small check. Switch leg aerial, awesome. Side aerial, back 1.5 with a hop, good. 9.850

Houghton (Sac State): Bhs, loso, secure, some bent knees. Switch leap, straddle quarter, back leg a touch low. Straddle full. Stuck double full, great routine!

After 1: California 49.500, Stanford 49.200, Sacramento State 48.850

A nice rotation for California to start, still looking to get another stick or two from either Frazier or Lauzon. Stanford will feel like it missed an opportunity to score big on bars, scoring a 49.200 despite having to count a 9.700. Sacramento State will be pleased with that rotation, avoiding having to count a fall and ending with two really solid routines.

Rotation 2: California UB, Stanford BB, Sacramento State FX

Dean (Stanford): Side aerial, loso, balance check. Straddle straddle quarter, back 1.5 is stuck. 9.875

Lauzon (Cal): Hits hs, Maloney, Pak, legs together. Holds onto a final hs with an arch, FTDT with a step, a bit out control at the end there. 9.825

Nguyen (Stanford): loso, loso, right on. Full turn. Beat jump, straddle jump. Double full with the smallest movement, nice. 9.9

Cesario (Cal): Nice hs, Straddled Jaeger, overshoot, good. Hit final hs. double layout with a step. 9.850

Houghton (Sac St): Front lay, Rudi, step was on the large side. Switch side, Popa, not the most precise landing positions. Last pass looked clean from corner of my eye

Li (Cal): Good hs, Straddled Jaeger is huge. Pak is good. Slight arch in final hs, giant full, double tuck is stuck 9.950

Robinson (Stanford): Repeats leap series after breaking connection. Side aerial, beat jump is fine. Full turn. Back 1.5 is stuck.

Frazier (Cal): Good hs, Maloney, Pak. Pirouette right on top of the bar. Great hs, double layout, holds the stick, really nice. 9.975

Perea (Cal): Hit hs, Pak. Shaposh half is great, legs glued hits final hs, double layout is stuck. Her best ever, fantastic, another 9.975

Morgenthaler (Sac State): Rudi, loso well done. Leaps are fine. Double pike, chest down.

Neault (Stanford): Bhs, bhs, loso looked secure. Jumps looked fine. Back 1.5 is stuck, 9.950!

Alexeeva (Stanford): gorgeous press mount work, Double wolf really well done. Bhs loso, right on. Switch half beat jump, solid. Back 1.5, small hop, really nice on the beam, 9.875

Gilman (Sac St): great double pike, tour jete half, Popa, fine. Front lay front full. Double tuck, nice chest up landing, good set.

Widner (BB): Switch leap, split jump, good. Bhs, loso, secure. Front aerial, split jump, fought through it without a check. Full turn. Gainer full stuck, nice. 9.950

Lutrel (FX): Double pike, well controlled. Front lay front full, nice. Tour jete half, split full, missing some split. Finishes with a double tuck, lacking just a touch of control.

After 2: California 99.100, Stanford 98.750, Sacramento State 97.800

California leads after two, but will not be the most pleased with its bar rotation. There was three great routines and three that were “just okay” by Cal’s standards. Stanford was impressive on beam going 49.550, which does a lot to help its quest for a 197, lets see if it can keep it up on floor. Sacramento State was solid on floor and is well above 195 pace and not too far off 196 pace, hopefully it can keep the momentum on vault.

Rotation 3: Sacramento State VT, California BB, Stanford FX

Gilman (Sac State): Yurchenko layout half, step backward, good position in the air 9.725

Dean (Stanford): I was always get so confused by her round off/front handspring technique.. ont lay front full is good. Switch side, Popa, nice splits. 9.875

Lahmidi (Sac State): Looks like she bailed out of her vault and only did a tucked Yurchenko.

Fitzgerald (Sac State): Full on, tuck off with a hop. 9.800

Williams (Cal): Double wolf and falls. Front aerial split jump is clean. Bhs loso right on. Switch leap, split jump, nice positions. Stuck gainer full, great after the fall. 9.375

Zeng (Stanford): Clean front lay, front Rudi. Double tuck with her chest down and a step forward. Tour jete half, Popa, full twisting straight jump. 9.825

Morgenthaler (Sac State): Yurchenko 1.5, gets great block today, small hop back. 9.800

Cesario (Cal): full turn. bhs, loso, nice. Switch leap, switch half, split is a touch uneven. Stuck 1.5, great routine to get them back on track 9.900

Lutrel (Sac State): really nice Yurchenko full, small step, 9.875

Neault (Stanford): Double pike, nicely done. Lacks control on the switch ring half. Front lay, Rudi, well controlled. Back 1.5, front lay, lacks amplitude and has to arch over the front lay, 9.925

Frazier (Cal): Full turn. Front aerial, loso, super aggresisive and sharp. Split jump, ring jump, small check. Back 1.5 with a step back 9.875

Nguyen (Stanford): Double layout, excellent chest position and control. Switch side, Popa, good split. Back 2.5, front pike, lacking a little control on the landing, 9.850

Lauzon (Cal): Wolf turn. Bhs, bhs, loso, pristine. Switch leap, split jump solid. Double full, have no clue if she stuck because Liz was right in the way, haha. 9.900

Roberts (Stanford): Front lay, Rudi, great lift into the Rudi. Switch half, Popa, nice. Double tuck, great amplitude. So clean, 9.950

Perea (Cal): Great double wolf turn. Front aerial, back tuck, small check. Switch leap, split jump, beat jump, nice. Side somi, tucked 1.5 with a step 9.825

Widner (Stanford): Front lay, front full, no issues. Switch full Double pike is nice. Switch half, Popa, solid. 9.950

After 3: California 148.500, Stanford 148.300, Sacramento State 146.600

After three rotations Stanford is within two tenths of California thanks to a massive floor rotation that scored 49.550. The Bears avoided counting a fall on beam, but were a little off today, the effects of competing twice in one weekend are showing up in short dismounts specifically. Sacramento State had another solid rotation and should easily score into the mid 195s with a hit on bars, Lutrel’s vault was great specifically.

Rotation 4: Stanford VT, Sacramento State UB, California FX

Zeng (Stanford): Yfull, clean, big hop, 9.775

Williams (Cal): Front lay, Rudi, nicely done. Leap were fine. Back 1.5, front lay, a little bit of arch in the layout

Lutrel (Sac State): Good hs, Bail, a touch of piking. Hit hs, small arch, Khorkina is good. FTDT is stuck, a touch deep in the landing.

Neault (Stanford): Full on pike off, great distance, nearly sticks, just a step 9.850

Morgenthaler (Sac State): Good hs, Straddled Jaeger, some knee bend, Pak, almost falls, but just slows and keeps it moving. Double layout with a hop. 9.475, will want to drop

Widner (Stanford): Yfull, great block, hop backwards and onto the white line

Cesario (Cal): Front lay, front full, camera was far way couldn’t see too much about the control. Switch leap, switch ring half, and a stumble back, also missing some ring position. Double tuck, nearly stuck, very nice.

Guiterrez (Stanford): Great Yurcenko 1.5, just a small hop, 9.925

Roberts (Stanford): Yurchenko 1.5, great block, big step out

Wilson (Sac State): Nice hs, Piked Jaeger, overshoot, bent arms on the overshoot. Double layout two shuffles back but stays up.

Nguyen (Stanford): Yurchenko 1.5, smallest foot movement 9.950

Mayhew (Cal): Front double full, pike perfectly stuck, great start. Switch ring, switch half. Back 1.5, front full, well controlled. 9.925

Lastra (Sac State): Nice hs, Maloney, Bail, leg separation on the first element. Good final hs, double layout, hop in place.

Li (Cal): Overpowers a double tuck and takes a slide and a step. Front full, front lay, excellent control. Switch leap, switch ring half, could show more ring position.

Lahmidi (Sac State): Short hs, Piked Jaeger, overshoot some form errors. FTDT with a step. 9.775

Houghton (Sac State): Crisp and HELD first hs. Nice Jaeger, gorgeous Pak, leg glued. Another great final hs, double layout with a hop, near perfect until the dismount. 9.825

Lauzon (Cal): Front double full, front tuck, kind of gainers the front tuck and has to take a step back. Switch ring, switch half, nice. Back 1.5, front full, solid. 9.875

Frazier (Cal): Dynamic double layout, well controlled. Switch ring, switch half, sissone, solid. Ring jump. Front tuck through to double tuck, short and has to take a step forward

FINAL: California 197.925, Stanford 197.675, Sacramento State 195.400

Well, California got the senior day win, but in a much closer meet than expected. The Golden Bears looked a bit tired and a little off on every event besides vault, but good practice nonetheless for regionals. Stanford will be very pleased with its score and will be looking to build on that at Pac 12 Championships this weekend. Sacramento State had a really nice day, but gave a little bit away on bar dismounts.

VT: Taralyn Nguyen 9.950
UB: eMjae Frazier, Gabby Perea 9.975
BB: Brenna Neault, Chloe Widner 9.950
FX: Anna Roberts, Chloe Widner 9.950
AA: Brenna Neault 39.650

READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 10


Live blog by Rebecca Williams

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.