We have arrived! Championship season is here!
This six-team session in East Lansing is going to be a battle. Every team here had very good Marches, with most breaking out for at least one great 197 showing in the past two or three weeks. Penn State, Nebraska and Maryland seem the most likely to duke it out to land on top and put some pressure on the top group competing in session II later today.
Illinois and Iowa have the most riding on this one for regionals placement, but Penn State, Nebraska, and Maryland need good showings to remain comfortably outside of the play-ins. Illinois currently sits in the first four, and doesn’t control its own destiny. It needs to have the best possible meet here and then the Illini will need to sit back and watch.
Iowa is still fighting for a berth. The magic number to stay in the fight is a 196.275, but the higher the better; it’ll have to hope Iowa State and George Washington have off performances.
We won’t know event winners until after the later session.
Reminder, we have two byes (sos), one before bars and one before floor. This is a loooong meet, strap in.
Karas confirming that Emily Leese was injured in practice yesterday and isn’t competing today.
Rotation 1: UNL vault, RU bars, UMD beam, Iowa floor (PSU, UIUC bye)
Silberman (UMD): Small check on her triple series. Swtich to straddle 1/4 was steady. Hop on her 3/2.
Karenbauer (Iowa): Front through to double tuck, scooted ar ound in her lunge a little. Clean leaps. Bit low on double tuck landing.
Davis (UNL): Yfull, really soft knees, hop.
Manifold (RU): Toe hand some arm bend, nice Ray to bail combo. Big hop forward on her Rudi.
Hammar (UMD): Bhs loso, nice. Small check on her front toss. Cat to switch half, bit short. Much better switch to split. Hop on her landing.
Goldsmith (RU): Hindorff to bail, clean. DLO, leg form, true stick.
Hall (RU): Yfull, big hop back.
Volpe (Iowa): Really nice in the air on her tour jete half popa, small adjustment backward on. the landing but she danced right out. Bit low on her double pike, moved her foot a little.
Daniels (RU): Blind full to bail hand, clean there. In bar Tkatchev, nice. DLO, leg sep, big step forward.
Martin (UMD): Nice bhs loso. She’s so calm. Pretty on her switch switch. Bhs 3/2, holds the stick. Great routine for the freshman!
Sikon (RU): Yfull, big hop back. Nice in the air.
Castillo (Iowa): Front through double tuck, kept it in bounds. Switch side half to split, litttttle bit tight and not quite 180. Nice double pike, slid the foot a bit.
Gatzendorfer (UMD): Bhs bhs loso, the tiniest check. Stuck her gainer pike.
Rains (RU): Blind to Jaeger, really lovely! Pak, caught close, worked out of it. Stalder double tuck, low on the landing.
Munoz (Iowa): Front through double tuck, great landing. Switch half to wolf full wolf full, traveled a little on the wolfs. Double pike, not enough juice, puts her knees down. ah!
Lorente-Garcia (RU): Long long wait. Maloney leg sep to Pak, again, leg sep. Short handstand. DLO stuck.
Bacskay (UNL): Y1.5, soft knees, stuck cold!
Comin (UNL): Y1.5, soft knees, picked up one foot and shuffled it a little.
Komoroski (UMD): One-arm bhs loso, love that series, solid front aerial. Switch to split, low front leg on the split. Hop on the dismount.
Erb (Iowa): Switch side half to straddle, really had to whip the half around. RO 3/2 to barani, too high on the 3/2 so missed the punch into the barani, meant to do a full. Might have SV issues.
Spence (UNL): Y1.5, scooted her feet back.
Kogler (UMD): Switch to straddle 1/4, nice. Bhs bhs loso, gorgeous extension, solid. Switch to split, check in between but kept moving. Gainer 1/1, stuck.
Balser (RU): Blind to Jaeger, high and well-caught. Nice Pak. DLO hop forward.
Libby (Iowa): 2/1, nice. RO 3/2 to front lay, really floated the lay and dropped the landing in. Switch ring to switch half, maybe a bit shy on the half from my angle, Karas said they were well done though. FHS Rudi, big lunge back.
After 1: UNL 49.075, UMD 49.000, Iowa 48.850, RU 48.475
Oooh championship scoring is here. Nebraska looked great on vault, those closing three 1.5s are really nice. Maryland had a few teeny bobbles but overall that was a really solid beam first rotation. The Munoz error hurt Iowa, which had to count Erb’s 9.475, but still nearing a 49 is solid given that mistake. Rutgers survived its most challenging event and should grow from here, although the ceiling is lower without Leese.
Rotation 2: Iowa vault, PSU bars, RU beam, UIUC floor (UNL, UMD bye)
Ward (UIUC): Front lay front full front pike, really good amplitude there. High double tuck, moved her feet a little.
Johansson (PSU): Low on her Tkatchev. Pak, leg sep. Archy on her pirouette. DLO, hopped forward.
Koopman (RU): Bhs bhs loso, soft knees but strong. Switch to tuck 3/2, missed the tuck shape a little, stuck dismount.
Massella (Iowa): Clean Yfull, small hop back.
Johnston (PSU): GREAT handstand. Maloney, clean. Bail hand. Blind full double tuck stuck. Wow!
Mueller (UIUC): Front through double tuck, bounced up a bit. Front lay front full, back on her heels a little. Clean leaps.
Aird (RU): Bhs loso, solid. She’s so patient. Front gainer full, hop forward.
Rojas (Iowa): Yfull, in the lineup last second. Bent one knee on the table.
McElligott (PSU): Maloney, caught on her fingertips but kept moving. Stalder to Pak, leg sep. Bent arms into her stalder, double tuck hop. Phewww she muscled that one out.
Morgan (UIUC): Strong double tuck. Tour jete half wolf 3/2, really pretty. Front lay front full, bit low and stepped across on the lunge.
Rains (RU): Bhs loso, no deductions there. Check on the front aerial. Split to split ring, low fornt leg.
Gallentine (PSU): Maloney, good leg controll. Pak was nice. DLO small hop back.
Chambers (Iowa): Yfull, big hop back.
Byrne (UIUC): 5/2 punch front, I couldn’t see her feet on the landing. Switch side to Popa clean. Short double tuck, lunged forward.
Dildy (RU): Clean series. She does an inside full turn (there’s a ballet word for this that I always forget). Stuck dismount.
Karenbauer (Iowa): Yfull, really high! Hop back.
Volpe (Iowa): Yfull, small shuffle back, soft elbows on the table.
Fitzgibbon (UIUC): Front lay leg sep to nice Rudi. Switch side to split full, really floated into that nicely. Good double pike, bit of a large lunge but kept her control.
Manifold (RU): Bhs loso, knees on the bhs. Clean jumps. Scooted feet on her dismount.
Piedrahita (PSU): Toe hand to Maloney, small leg sep, nice Pak. FTDB, hop to the side.
LaPlante (Iowa): Love seeing her back in this lineup. Yfull, hand slipped, didn’t get a block, landed on her knees safely, she’s okay.
Townes (UIUC): FHS 2/1, juuust kept that in bounds. RO 3/2 front 1/1, lovely, well-landed. Man, I’ll miss her on floor.
Zannella (RU): Split to split ring, soft front knee. Bhs bhs loso, medium check, brought her shoulders to the side.
Rushlow (PSU): Blind to Jaeger immediate bail, really pretty. FTDB, deep landing, hop. Nice to see her back!
After 2: Iowa 97.750, RU 97.450, UIUC 49.275, UNL 49.075, UMD 49.025, PSU 48.950
Oh the Illini showed UP. Some small errors there, but they really minimized deductions; those leaps were clean. Iowa bounced back on vault. Hopefully the Munoz scratch is just precautionary after her tough landing and she’s okay. The Scarlet Knights stepped up without Leese and put up a really solid six routines. For Penn State, the gymnastics on the bars looked good, just gave away a lot on hoppy landings.
Rotation 3: UIUC vault, UNL bars, PSU beam, UMD floor (Iowa, RU bye)
Piedrahita (PSU): Bhs loso, soft knees but well controlled. Clean side aerial. She’s just so steady. Cat to Switch half, nice 180. Hop on her 3/2.
Rech (UMD): Punch 2/1, nice in the air, maybe lunged a bit across her body. Nice double tuck. Bit low on her combo pass.
Takekawa (UIUC): Yfull, came in a little low but held the stick.
Basckay (UNL): Pak nice. DLO holds the stick.
Maul (PSU): Clean bhs loso. Clena switch switch. RO 3/2 hop.
Osterhout (UMD): Front through double tuck, nice, just a touch over rotated. Slid back on her double pike.
Coppola (UIUC): Yfull, big hop back.
Jencks (UNL): Toe hand to Ray, clean. Immediate bail. DLO true stick, Huskers on a roll!
Colombo (UNL): Higgins to huge pike Jaeger. Archy Pak but worked through it. Higgins to front giant half double tuck stuck. Nebraska! These landings!
LeBlanc (UMD): FHs 2/1, so high, kind of lost herself in the air and landed a little suddenly. Better landing on her combo pass. Clean Rudi.
McElligott (PSU): Bhs bhs loso, adjusted her front foot. Switch to split 1/4, dropped her chest a little. RO 3/2, medium hop forward.
Townes (UIUC): Y1.5 soft knees and a small hop. Glad to see that vault back!
Simpton (UNL): Toe hand to Maloney, nice. Good Pak. Bit late on her pirouette. Short handstand. DLO small step back.
Komoroski (UMD): FHS Rudi, big but controlled lunge. Switch ring to ring full, phew! RO 3/2 front lay, clean.
Herring (PSU): Fall on her side somi, just had her chest too far forward. Stuck her dismount, nice comeback.
Byrne (UIUC): Yfull, pretty in the air, hop back.
Spence (UNL): Maloney to PAk, soft elbows on those catches. Van Leeuwen was clean. Stuck double tuck.
Mueller (UIUC): Yfull, great distance, small scoot back.
Rothenbuescher (UMD): Whip to double tuck, scooted her front foot around a little. Switch side Popa, clean, maybe a little low. Great double pike.
Salcedo (PSU): Good save on her bhs loso, low chest and turned fully to the side but stayed on. Her usual solid punch front. Hop forward on her front 1/1.
Davis (UNL): Maloney to bail hand, nice control. DLO, short, knees down. She looks upset with herself.
Ward (UIUC): Y1.5, soft knees, small hop forward.
Johnston (PSU): Bhs loso, soft knees in the loso but very steady. Split to sheep, lacked a bit of head release. Check on her side aerial. RO 3/2, one step back.
Martin (UMD): Full-in, slid her foot back in her lunge. RO 3/2 front lay, tried to hold a stick but scooted her foot around. Clean leaps. Cold stick on her double tuck, phew!
After 3: UIUC 98.500, UNL 98.375, UMD 98.325, Iowa 97.750, PSU 97.550, RU 97.450
Halfway! Nebraska ROCKED bars. Those landings were the real deal. Illinois kept its floor momentum rolling and had a solid vault showing; that’s typically the Illini’s weakest piece, so they’ll be feeling good going to bye. Penn State was shaky on beam. The Herring fall and Salcedo mistake threw things off. Maryland’s floor rotation was really strong, despite some landing errors. This thing is close between the top three. I love this conference.
Rotation 4: UMD vault, Iowa bars, UNL beam, RU floor (UIUC, PSU bye)
Sikon (UNL): Candle mount. Clean series. Bhs tuck 3/2, held the stick.
Weir (UMD): Yfull, hop back.
Rojas (Iowa): Toe hand bent arms to Gienger, clean. Bail hand, leg sep in the air. FTDB, hop.
Zannella (RU): Clean opening landing. Whip to 2/1, really pretty there. Switch ring to switch ring half, great head release.
Rech (UMD): Yfull, stuck cold, wow!
Vanney (Iowa): Toe hand to Maloney, leg sep. Nice Pak. DLO, not enough on it, knees down.
Gard (UNL): Bhs loso, soft knees, leg up check, fall. Beat to side aerial to switch to split. Phew, what a marathon, bit of a check after the aerial.
Balser (RU): Double tuck, good control. She’s in for Leese. Nice leaps. Clean combo pass, maybe a slight directional error. Rudi, bit out of control on that lunge.
Juk (Iowa): Toe hand to Maloney, clean legs. Pak was clean. Blind full double tuck hop.
Kogler (UMD): Huge Yfull, small hop back.
Bacskay (UNL): Some pressure on now. BHs bhs loso, soft knees, leg up check but stays on. RO 2/1 soft knees but stuck.
Silberman (UMD): Yhalf on pike STUCK COLD. Maryland!
Jones (RU): Front lay Rudi, low chest on the landing. RO 3/2 front lay, gorgeous, lovely, my fave combo pass of the year?!
Volpe (Iowa): Clean pike Jaeger. DLO soft knees small hop.
Rothenbuescher (UMD): Tsuk full, small step.
Hall (UNL): Check on her full turn. Bhs loso, lovely extension, small dip in her shoulders. Pretty front aerial. Her acro skills are so gorgeous. Split to split ring. Stuck dismount, she’s literally jumping for joy.
Massella (Iowa): Blind to high Jaeger, nice. Bail hand bit shy. DLO, small hop.
Aird (RU): Pretty double pike, lunged out with so much control. Textbook. Clean leaps. Front lay front full, nice landing, really strong shape in the air. Double tuck, big lunge but well-controlled.
Martin (UMD): Y1.5, hop forward, nice in the air.
Castellanos (Iowa): Maloney slight leg sep. Toe hand archy to bail hand, good there. DLO hop forward.
Spence (UNL): Front aerial knees bhs bhs. Switch to split, nice. RO 3/2, swum her arms but held her feet.
Webster (RU): Nice full-in, good landing. Front through double tuck, bit short, lunges forward.
McClelland (UNL): Nice double wolf. One of the only ones I like. Bhs loso, fall. Ah, Huskers counting one now. Straddle to beat to double stag, nice. Bhs tuck 3/2 stuck.
Dildy (RU): Front through double tuck, scooted her front foot the littlest bit. Bit imprecise in her rotation on her leaps. Double pike, great landing there.
After 4: UMD 147.475, UNL 146.825, RU 146.675, Iowa 146.425, UIUC 98.500, PSU 97.550
Well, beam is the great equalizer, isn’t it? Nebraska just seemed to lose a little focus and ended up counting a fall. Rutgers looked really strong on floor, even without Leese. What a story for that team, banding together and putting up a solid rotation without her. Iowa was hoppy and just a little messy on bars. It’s just. not looking like the Hawkeyes’ day. The Terps back three on vault are so fun; that was a great rotation and is setting a bar for the Illini as Illinois comes off the bye and Maryland sits the next rotation.
Rotation 5: RU vault, UIUC bars, Iowa beam, PSU floor (UMD, UNL bye)
Mueller (UIUC): Blind to Jaeger, nice. Bail hand was clean. DLO hop forward.
Maul (PSU): Double pike, good on the landing. Solid leap combo.
Lorente-Garcia (RU): Yfull, hop back.
Volpe (Iowa): Bhs loso, small check just in her shoulders. Cat to front aerial, solid. RO tuck 3/2, hop forward.
Denning (UIUC): Toe hand Maloney, big leg sep. DLO stuck cold.
Kramer (PSU): FHS 2/1 punch front, bit low on the punch. FHS rudi loso, nice.
Ebeling (Iowa): Bhs loso, soft knees, swung her arms a little. Nice rise on her side aerial. Short of 180s on her leaps. Stuck her dismount.
Knight (UIUC): Toe hand to Maloney, nice. Bail hand.
Koopman (RU): Yfull big bound back.
Sorry folks, my laptop freaked out for a moment.
Fall for Rojas on her series.
McElligott (PSU): Double pike, bounced out a little. Arched her lay down. on her combo pass a good bit.
Ewald (UIUC): Jager, nice. Solid Pak. Great handstand. Small hop back.
Raby (RU): Yfull, bent arms on the table, hop back.
Goldsmith (RU): Yfull, low, step back.
Takekawa (UIUC): Blind to pike Jaeger, some knees on the catch. Great bail hand. DLO hop forward.
Aird (RU): Yfull, twisted early, several steps back.
Piedrahita (PSU): Full-in, scooted her front foot a little. Switch half to wolf full, nice. Front through double tuck, short, lunged forward.
Dildy (RU): Huge yfull, hop.
Saltness (UIUC): Arched over on her first handstand. Repeates. Nice Tkatchev. Pak, good. Late on her pirouette. Blind full, bit late there too, double tuck stuck.
Nick (Iowa): Switch mount, nice. Bh sloso, knees, ah, and she falls. Iowa counting one too. Nice front aerial. RO 3/2 stuck, what a recovery.
Herring (PSU): Double Arabian, lunged to the left a bit, but so nice in the air. HUGE splits on her switch side half to straddle. RO 3/2 front lay, came up on her toes a little.
Juk (Iowa): So so solid on her bhs mount. Bhs bhs loso, steady. She is on. Pretty switch to beat. I love her tick tock. Small check on her bhs 1/1. Stuck dismount, little low on her gainer full.
Salcedo (PSU): Punch double front, lovely. Clean through her leaps. Front lay front full front pike, nice.
Castellanos (Iowa): Bhs bhs loso, hands on the beam, fall. Split to double stag, nice. Cartwheel stuck gainer full.
After 5: RU 195.400, Iowa 193.975, UIUC 147.600, UMD 147.475, UNL 146.850, PSU 146.700
Oh, Iowa. What a tough way to end the season. Munoz coming out just kind of took the air out of the Hawkeyes. Illinois held its lead over Maryland after that bar showing, but the gap has narrowed so this should be a real fight. Rutgers looked good on vault, what a day without one of its leaders. Good for the Scarlet Knights. Penn State was great on floor, a good comeback after beam.
Rotation 6: PSU vault, UMD bars, UIUC beam, UNL floor (RU, Iowa bye)
Townes (UIUC): Switch o straddle 1/4, really nice. Solid on her cat to side aerial. No issues on the bhs loso. RO tuck 3/2 stuck. Her best beam routine ever?
Jencks (UNL): Front lay to rudi, nice. Good double tuck, great lunge.
Gatzendorfer (UMD): Toe hand to Maloney, som leg sep, even bigger on the Pak. Stalder to Double tuck nice, true stick. Nelligan loving it.
Johanson (PSU): Yfull, some hips and a hop.
Knight (UIUC): Nice candle mount. Switch to split to beat, touch shy on the split. Clean side somi. Stuck gainer full.
Rourke (UNL): Great front through through double tuck. Nice double pike, landed deep.
Brozowski (UMD): Jaeger, knees on the catch. Arched handstand. Stuck DLO.
Johnston (PSU): Yfull, hip angle, true stick!
Basckay (UNL): 5/2 punch front, little directional issue but otherwise clean. Switch side Popa, bit of an off shape in the Popa. Stuck double pike.
Byrne (UIUC): Fall on her candle mount. Bhs, very weird fall, just didn’t get her feet under her. Repeats, nice bhs loso, what guts. Stuck dismount. What a showing after those falls.
McElligott (PSU): Yfull, pike down, hop.
Kondo (UMD): DLO step back.
Salcedo (PSU): Half on front pike, small hop.
Comin (UNL): HIHO, scoot back. Tour jete half wolf full wolf full, good rotations. RO 3/2 font lay, nice.
Herring (PSU): Big Yfull, hop back. Great block.
Mueller (UIUC): Bit of pressure now, but she’s a vet. Great series. Clean switch switch. Beat to Front toss, clean. Feed cut away. Tiny hop on her dismount.
Piedrahita (PSU): Half on front pike, hop forward.
Silberman (UMD): Nice Gienger. Short handstand. DLO, step forward.
McClelland (UNL): Punch 2/1, great. Switch half Popa to straddle, clean. Nice Rudi loso.
Ewald (UIUC): One arm bhs bhs, so solid. Switch to loso, no deductions there. She’s ON. Small step fowrard.
Rothenbuescher (UMD): Blind to Jaeger, soft knees on the catch, to bail. Short handstand. Stuck FTDB.
Spence (UNL): Front through double tuck, moved her front foot a bit. Wolf turn 2/1, some soft knee in the extended leg, but not extreme. Switch ring to switch full, nice there. Double pike, good lunge.
Takekawa (UIUC): Side aerial bhs, clean there. Switch check to loso, worked through it. Bhs gainer full stuck. Phew!
LeBlanc (UMD): Blind to Jaeger, foot form. DLO stuck.
FINAL: UMD 196.775, UIUC 196.700, UNL 196.250, PSU 195.825, RU 195.400, Iowa 193.975
WOW talk about it coming down to the wire! What a day for the Illini and Terps. They’ll be thrilled. Left it all on the mat. It really came down to all of those Maryland sticks. Nebraska really recovered well form beam, and Penn State closed strong on vault. On to session II!
VT: Bacskay, Ward, 9.900
UB: Spence, Rothenbuescher, LeBlanc 9.900
BB: Komoroski, Takekawa 9.875
FX: Libby, Fitzgibbon, Townes, Rothenbuescher, Dildy, Herring, Salcedo, Comin, McClelland, Spence 9.900
AA: Spence 39.450
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Live blog by Emily Minehart
