In a preview of future SEC clashes, the Crimson Tide head to Norman to try to unseat the Sooners in the final regular-season meet for several seniors.
Alabama has quietly been building its team score throughout the season and have gone 198 two out of the last three meets. Luisa Blanco said farewell to the Tuscaloosa faithful with two perfect 10s on vault and floor and Jamison Sears was named one of several SEC Specialists of the Week after scoring a career high 9.925 on vault. Coming into this meet, the Crimson Tide have a 197.325 road score in their NQS they would love to drop and this is the right moment to accomplish that right before SECs next weekend.
For Oklahoma, it took the No. 1 ranking in week one and hasn’t let up. Last time out, Jordan Bowers added another 10 to her resume, while Big 12 Specialist of the Week Ava Siegfeldt made her season competitive debut on vault and beam, scoring a perfect 10 on the latter event. With it being senior night, we should expect to have some senior presence in these lineups. However, illnesses could force KJ Kindler to make some lineup changes as she noted in her media availability this week.
You can follow along with this afternoon’s action by watching on ESPN2 or follow along with live stats here!
Rotation 1: OU vault, Bama bars
Torrez (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, good pop off the table, underrotated with a hop back. 9.800
Hudson (AL): Maloney, good, bail to handstand, little loose in the handstand, slightly off on the blind full into a double tuck, stuck with a squat. 9.825
Wells (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, the tiniest hop forward on the landing, little knee bend, but overall a very good vault! 9.900
Lacoursiere (AL): Maloney to Pak combination, beautiful control, handstands were right on top of the bar, full in dismount, lot of momentum, arm swing and a step. 9.850
Bowers (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, so much height and beautiful layout position in the air! Small step forward. 9.925
Adams (AL): Maloney to Pak, very nice pirouette, held the handstands on top of the bar very well, blind full to double tuck dismount, stuck. 9.925
LOL Bart not guessing on scoring anymore.
Levasseur (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, had the stick and took a hop forward at the last second! Regardless, a beautiful vault in the air. 9.900
Waligora (AL): little short on the first handstand, blind change to Jaeger, good comeback after her fall at LSU last time out. Overshoot was good, DLO dismount, little leg separation, hop forward. 9.825
Scheible (OU): FHS pike half, good punch and distance off the table, small step on the landing. 9.875
Machado (AL): Pak salto to open, beautiful position in the air, Van Leeuwen back to high bar, blind full to double tuck dismount. Didn’t quite finish the turn on top of the bar, so should be a deduction there. 9.925
Siegfeldt (OU): Lineup change here, Yurchenko 1.5, the most distance out of the vaults, hop forward on the landing. 9.850
Blanco (AL): Maloney to Pak salto, legs were glued together! Van Leeuwen back to the high bar, full in dismount, stuck! Wow! 9.975, Alabama will have the lead after rotation 1!
After 1: Alabama 49.500, Oklahoma 49.450
Not a bad start by either team! The Crimson Tide improved their bars score from last weekend by twenty-five hundredths of a point to take the lead over the Sooners after one rotation. Most of Oklahoma’s deductions came from the landings as it showed its usual pristine technique and form. However, Alabama will need to keep the foot on the gas as Oklahoma heads to its best event on bars.
Rotation 2: Bama vault, OU bars
Sears (AL): Yurchenko full, big height off the table, flares out to spot the landing, small hop back on the landing. 9.800
Sievers (OU): Maloney to Pak, those legs were glued together holy goodness! Full in dismount, stuck, but really close to the bar! I miss her on other events though. 9.950
Bunagan (AL): Yurchenko 1.5, ton of distance off of the table, stuck landing. Some knee bend in the air and slight ankle separation. 9.925
Levasseur (OU): Tkatchev, her usual. Bail to handstand, nice and tight on the high bar, finished her blind full on top of the high bar, open double tuck stuck. 9.975
LaCoursiere (AL): Yurchenko full, little off center off the table. Deep knee bend with a hop back. 9.750
Torrez (OU): Tkatchev, good height over the bar. Pak salto, you could tell she was off on her timing and fell. Remounts on low bar with half pirouette, DLO dismount stuck. 9.275
Hudson (AL): Yurchenko 1.5, good block on the table, tiny hop forward on the landing. 9.900
Smith (OU): Tkatchev to immediate Pak salto, very nice combination. DLO dismount, stuck. Good comeback after Torrez’s fall! Looks like she was one of the ones impacted by strep going through the Sooners. 9.975
Gladieux (AL): Yurchenko full, small slide backwards on the landing. Slightest pike down on the landing.
Davis (OU): Beautiful first handstand, Higgins to Jaeger, lot of height, Pak salto was her usual. Another Higgins to double front half dismount, stuck. Dismount looked good, the only deduction I could see them taking is her not finishing the first Higgins on top of the bar. 9.925
Blanco (AL): Yurchenko 1.5, nice extension in the air, over rotated and took a hop forward. 9.900
Bowers (OU): Need a hit to keep from counting Torrez’s fall. Blind to Jaeger, super high in the air. Pak salto, nice and floaty. Good final handstand, tucked full-in stuck. Will drop the fall, but will it be enough to give the Sooners the lead? 9.700 is what she needs, so yes it will be enough. 9.975
After 2: Oklahoma 99.250, Alabama 98.875
Oklahoma regains the lead with a casual 49.800 on bars. The Sooners dropped Torrez’s fall and had no counting score below a 9.925. Alabama really needed to find some landings to keep pace with what Oklahoma was doing, so it has dug itself into a bit of a hole moving into rotation 3.
Rotation 3: OU beam, Bama floor
I want a KJ Kindler pep talk. That is all.
Davis (OU): Full turn to open, BHS LOSO, slight wobble on the layout but covers it. Front aerial was good. Beat jump to split ring, Double twist dismount, stuck. Nice opening! 9.925
Waligora (AL): Front layout to front double full to open, punch looked a little weird but she got it around. Leaps looked good, side aerial to the corner before her last pass. Back 1.5 to front layout, much better control on that pass, the layout was very floaty! 9.875
Siegfeldt (OU): So excited to see this routine! BHS LOSO and she falls. So unfortunate. Good recovery on the front aerial. BHS side gainer full with a stick. She was crooked on the series and that led to the fall. 9.225
Burgess (AL): Double pike to open, lot of power! Double tuck second pass, step forward so should be a deduction for under rotation. Switch side to straddle leap series, good rotation. Front full to front layout third pass, good routine! 9.900
Bowers (OU): Friendly reminder Bowers is a beam 10 away from a gym slam. Choreo to open, followed by a nice full turn. BHS LOSO, nice control and dances right out of it. Sissone to switch half, maybe lacked some split in the switch. RO double twist to a stick. Good comeback after a fall in the 2nd spot. 9.950
Sears (AL): DLO to open, wow! Could’ve used a little more height, but I’m picky. The height on her jump series was insane and had beautiful extension. Front tuck through to double tuck last pass, small slide of the front foot, but overall a great routine! 9.925
Torrez (OU): Needs a good comeback routine after her fall on bars. Wolf jump to open, very nice. Side aerial to LOSO series, very nice. Maybe a tiny wobble on the full turn? Switch leap to straddle jump, good extension on the leap, BHS side gainer full dismount, stick. 9.975
Hudson (AL): Scores are building for the Tide here. FLO to front double full to open, really thought she would be short, but she got it around. This choreography is so much fun! Double tuck, big hop out of it with the over rotation. Good routine, but it will likely be the drop score. 9.800
Levasseur (OU): Beautiful full turn to open, BHS LOSO, small slide of the front foot on the beam but hits the series. Switch leap to straddle quarter, good control. Cat leap to front aerial, little bit of knee form on the aerial. BHS side gainer full, small side step on the landing. 9.900
Blanco (AL): Needing to get a little momentum back here. Love seeing the wolf turn! Double pike to open, nice control with a lunge forward on that landing! Double tuck 2nd pass, lunge forward on that pass as well. Sometimes I forget she’s going to the Olympics. FHS front full to front layout final pass, good chest position on the landing. 9.900
Smith (OU): One more hit drops Siegfeldt’s fall. BHS LOSO with a slight wobble, so it will not be a 10. Front aerial was good, straddle half to swingdown, good. Full turn was nice, BHS side gainer full dismount stuck. 9.950
Gladieux (AL): Tucked full in to open, nailed it. Great toe point and rotation on her leap series. FLO to front 1.5 to split jump, little out of control on that, but had excellent height! 9.925
After 3: Oklahoma 148.950, Alabama 148.400
Oklahoma on pace for another 198 after hitting 49.700 on beam and erasing its second fall of the day. Alabama records its second highest road floor score with a 49.525 and we head to the final rotation with Oklahoma having a 0.550 lead. Let’s finish this off strong, shall we?
Rotation 4: Bama beam, OU floor
Seeding update from our lovely data team: if Alabama can get a 197.750 (49.350 or higher on beam), they will lock in the No. 7 national seed. If they score 197.700 or less, Alabama will be the No. 8 seed. A 197.725 will bring a tiebreaker between Alabama and Denver. Something to watch in this rotation.
Hudson (AL): Front aerial to BHS series, nicely done. Full turn was very good, switch leap to switch leap. That connection scares me but I’m glad they can pull it off. Switch half was a little below 180, stuck 1.5 dismount.
Davis (OU): FHS front double twist to open, dances right out of it. I like this music for her soooo much more than last year. Leaps were solid, Little over rotated on the second pass, took a sizeable hop forward out of it.
Waligora (AL): Full turn to open, BHS LOSO, little wobble after the layout but keeps it together. Side aerial was very good. Split jump to tuck jump full, unique combination! RO 1.5 dismount, stick. 9.900
Johnson (OU): First pass is front full to front 1.5, very good rise between elements. Double tuck 2nd pass, very good control on the landing. Switch half to wolf full leap series, barely got it around, but overall a good routine! 9.950
Burgess (AL): Slightly overrotated the full turn, but looked nice otherwise. One-armed BHS to LOSO series, side aerial was good. Switch leap to beat jump, good extension in the leap. The toe point on the switch side was spot on. Piked gainer full off the end, stuck. 3/3 on the landings so far! 9.925
Smith (OU): Final time on floor in the regular season for Smith. Double tuck to open, tiny foot readjustment on the landing. Back 1.5 to front layout 2nd pass, dances out of it. Switch side to wolf full leap series, good toe point and rotation. Double pike to close, good control on the landing. 9.975
Gladieux (AL): BHS layout to two feet, small slide of the feet. Think there might’ve been a little knee form in the air, so should be a deduction. Front aerial to beat jump, good. Switch leap to split jump, good rise on the split jump. RO double twist dismount, stuck. Definitely the best routine out of the 4 so far. 9.925
Levasseur (OU): Full-in to open, SO MUCH CONTROL! Good choreography throughout, switch side to Shushunova, probably my favorite combination. RO 1.5 to layout half to straddle jump, good control on the straddle jump. Such a good routine! 9.925
Adams (AL): Had to save those wolf turns, but pulled it around. Front aerial, good control. BHS LOSO, little lean to the side. Switch leap to split jump, slight break on the split jump. BHS 1.5 dismount, tiny movement on the landing. 9.900
Torrez (OU): DLO to open, lot of power on that pass! Moves through her choreography well. Oklahoma on pace to break a program record today. Front tuck through to double tuck, stuck with a high chest position. 9.975
Alabama up to 197.925 before Blanco’s routine, so it will be the No. 7 national seed.
Blanco (AL): Front aerial to open, beautiful toe point. Full turn is good. BHS layout layout, big rise between the layouts and gets her landing. Beautiful flexibility on the scale. Switch leap to beat jump, good. RO 1.5 dismount stuck. What a rotation for Alabama! 9.975, that could have definitely gone 10.
Bowers (OU): Closing it out on senior day. 9.925 or higher will break a program record. First pass is FHS front double full to punch front tuck, good rise between the elements. Double pike 2nd pass, not as much control on the landing, front foot side, but still good for her. Toe point on the leap series was good as well. It was good, but will it break that program record? And it’s…a 10? um, okay.
FINAL: Oklahoma 198.775, Alabama 198.025
Oklahoma ends its regular season slate by breaking a program record, while Alabama hits 198 for the 2nd week in a row. Both teams are in a good position heading to their respective conference championships next week and will definitely be ready to make a splash in postseason!
VT: Bowers, OU: 9.925
UB: Bowers, OU: 9.975
BB: Blanco, UA: 9.975
FX: Bowers, OU: 10.000
AA: Bowers, OU: 39.850
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Using the College Code to Judge Sooner Recruits From the Nastia Liukin Cup
Live blog by Savanna Wellman
