This year’s MPSF Championships look a little different than last, with Air Force and San Jose State leaving the conference, and Southern Utah entering. Reigning champions UC Davis will have to put up a stellar perform to reclaim their title as Southern Utah enters as a heavy favorite, and the only regionals bound team of this bunch. The Thunderbirds could potentially move out of the regional play in meet depending on some other variables, so they will be looking to post a large road score and increase their NQS. Sacramento State and Alaska are also out regionals contention but looking to finish their seasons with solid scores, look for goal scores of 195.500 and 191.000, respectively.
In terms of individual titles, Niya Randolph looks to be a favorite for the all around crown, but watch out for Sacramento State’s Sarah Lutrel as well. UC Davis’s Megan Ray and Keanna Abraham expect to challenge for the vault title after scoring matching 9.925s last weekend. There’s no clear favorite for the bars title with Southern Utah’s Trista Goodman being in the hunt along with Sacramento State’s Kara Houghton who has scored as high as 9.975 this year. Beam is similarly open with Lutrel and Southern Utah’s Ellie Cacciola being among the favorites. On floor, Randolph, Ray, and Abraham are expected to be at the top of the podium.
Touch warmups are underway, should be starting in about five minutes. Oh, they are doing a four way quad screen, going to catch as much as possible!
Rotation 1: Southern Utah VT, UC Davis UB, Sacramento State BB, Alaska FX
Cacciola (VT): Stuck Yurchenko full, great start. 9.875
Otsu (UB): Good hs, Piked Jaeger, good hs, Bail, small leg separation. Double layout with a hop, good start.
Moregenthaler (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, secure. Pike jump, straddle half, small check. Stuck 1.5, excellent start
Randolph (VT): Yurchenko full, great block and more amplitude, medium hop back.
Laird (UB): Nice hs, Straddled Jaeger. Good hs, Pak, leg separation and flexed feet. Shorths, giant full, double tuck, small hop.
Gilman (BB): Bhs, loso and falls. Will want to drop this one, almost falls again on a dance series.
Lessig (FX): Front full, front lay, good control. Double pike, nicely done, chest a touch low. Tour jete half, Popa, flexed feet, short of split. Double tuck, chest low and a step forward.
Goodman (VT): Solid yfull, hop back. 9.825
Wakita (UB): Excellent hs, Piked Jaeger. Another strong hs, gorgeous Pak, holds onto the pirouette. Double layout with a leg separation and a step, excellent until the dismount.
Pardue (VT): Yurchenko 1.5 , two big bounds forward, not her best landing control
Jones (BB): Full turn. Secure bhs loso. Switch leap, split 3/4, nice leap. Side aerial. Back 1.5 with a small hop, good one
Fall on floor for Murphy on her last pass.
Fitz-Gerald (UB): Nice hs, Straddled Jaeger, overshoot, touch of bent knees. Final hs is fine, stuck double layout, good.
Christensen (VT): STUCK Yurchenko 1.5, some bent knees in the air, nice amplitude and direction. 9.900
Barron (BB): Bhs, loso, balance check. Side aerial, good. Switch leap, switch side, very short of split on the first leap. Front full dismount with a hop
Moneymaker (UB): Nice handstand. Maloney, Bail, slight separation on the Bail, nice on the Maloney. Good final hs, double layout with a hop
Gull (VT): Yurchenko full on, back tuck off, big hop backwards
Hildebrand (FX): Big double tuck and OOB. Double pike, short and a lunge forward. Switch leap, Popa, wolf full, very short of split and rotation on the jumps.
Lutrel (BB): Bhs, loso, small arm wave. Split 3/4 is nice. Full turn. Switch leg aerial. Side aerial, back 1.5 with a hop
Desouza (FX): Front double full, nicely done, just a touch of form. Siwtch half, wolf full, flexed feet. Back 1.5, front lay, wayyy OOB.
Houghton (BB): Bhs, loso, secure. Switch leap, split quarter, small check. Straddle full is really nice. Back 1.5 with a hop
Fairbairn (FX): Front lay, Rudi, chest just a touch down, nice twisting form. Tour jete half, straddle jump.Front lay, front full, nicely controlled. Good one.
After 1: UC Davis 49.200, Southern Utah 49.150, Sacramento State 49.025, Alaska 48.125
After one, UC Davis has a slight lead after one and an excellent start on bars. Southern Utah was lacking control on some landings and would have wanted to score a tenth or too higher. Sacramento State recovered from a fall in the second spot to break 49.000, and Alaska hit five solid routines to break 48.000 but did have to count an OOB.
Rotation 2: Alaska VT, Southern Utah UB, UC Davis BB, Sacramento State FX
Christensen (UB): Short hs, Piked Jaeger. Good hs, Bail, some hip angle. Another slightly short hs, double layout with a step.
Fairbairn (VT): Yurchenko full on, pike off, lands a toch deep and with a step.
Scafani (BB): Balance check on her mount, but keeps it moving. Bhs, bhs, loso, really nice. Full turn. Beat jump, switch 3/4, solid. Gainer full with a step.
Routsis (UB): Good hs, Maloney, Bail, leg separation. Short hs, double layout with a step
Lessig (VT): Tucked Yurchenko full, messy knees in the air and a step. 9.625
Laird (BB): Full turn, solid. Bhs loso, excellent. Switch leap, split 3/4, side aerial, balance check. Stuck gainer pike
Houghton (FX): front lay, Rudi, nicely done. Switch side Popa. Double pike, really deep landing, but doesn’t fall.
Goodman (UB): Short hs, Great Piked Jaeger, Pak with flexed feet. Giant full, double tuck and almost falls
Hildebrand (VT): Front hand Pike, stuck! Some bent knees at the end, but nice vault.
Randolph (UB): Perfect hs, Maloney, Bail, legs glued, great work. Double layout, smallest hop in place, great routine.
Murphy (VT): Front handspring tuck half, nearly sticks but moves one foot up and then down
Neff (UB): Nice hs, Maloney, small leg separation, Bail. Short hs, double layout with a step
Otsu (BB): Excellent double wolf turn, super sharp. Bhs. Repeats, bhs, loso, smallest check. Switch side nice. Side sumi. Back 1.5, stuck.
Schwartze (UB): Fall on a piked Jaeger. Bail, fine. Back 1.5 dismount with a hop
Morgenthaler (FX): Rudi, loso, nice lift on the loso. Leaps are fine. Double pike, nice chest position.
Desouza (VT): Yurchenko layout, step back, block is nice.
Moneymaker (BB): Front toss, bhs, right on. Full turn, beat jump, good. Split jump, double stag, small check. Gainer full, with a hop. 9.900, gives the Aggies the lead
Gilman (FX): Double pike, solid landing, chest up. Tour jete half, Popa, nicely done. Front lay, front full, a touch short. Double tuck, good landing.
Wakita (BB): Bhs, loso and falls. No big deal, but a missed opportunity. Leaps in this routine are great. Hitch kick, side somi. Full turn. Stuck gainer full, a shame about the series because the rest of that routine was lovely.
Lutrel (FX):Â Great double pike. Front lay, front full, no issues. Tour jete half, split jump full. Double tuck, secure landing, good anchor routine.
After 2: UC Davis 98.425, Southern Utah 98.250, Sacramento State 98.050, Alaska 96.700
UC Davis extends its lead to two tenths over Southern Utah after a secure beam rotation. The Thunderbirds got stuck in 9.775s with the exception of Neff and Randolph. Sacramento State is still on 196.000 pace and is just behind the top two. Alaska had a really nice vault rotation, scoring as high as 9.850. Half way through!
Rotation 3: Sacramento State VT, Alaska UB, Southern Utah BB, UC Davis FX
Fernandez (BB): Full turn, Side aerial, bhs and a check. Leaps are fine, back 1.5 with a stick
Gilman (VT): Yurcehnko layout half, clean in the air, hop forward.
Lahmidi (VT): Tucked Yurchenko full with a big hop, nice in the air.
Senthil (FX): Back 1.5, front lay. Tour jete half, wolf full, flexed feet and short of split. Double tuck, short with a hop forward. 9.65
McClain (BB): Front toss, bhs, looked crooked but kept it moving. Switch leap, straddle quarter, good. Cat leap, front toss, nice. Full turn. Gainer full, small hop in place.
(UB): Good hs, Maloney, Pak, large leg separations on both. Pirouette is fine. Short hs, giant half, giant half and crashes. Double tuck and another fall.
Cacciola (BB): Good full turn, Switch leap, split jump, gainer loso, beat jump, great series. Bhs, loso, secure. Back 1.5 with a step, good one. 9.900
Morgenthaler (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, nearly stuck, her best of the season! Normal knee form, 9.900
Randolph (BB): Bhs, back pike, secure. Straddle jump, straddle quarter, first was very short of split. Front toss, beat jump. Full turn, small check. Stuck back 1.5, Southern Utah is bringing it on beam
Abraham (FX): Excellent control on her double layout, Switch 3/4, straddle jump, good. Front tuck through to double tuck, nice landing control, much needed
Coutu (BB): Bhs, loso, some knee form. Switch leap, switch leap, lacking split. Front toss is clean. Back 1.5 with a hop.
Ray (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, lunge is a touch large. Tour jete half, Popa, Popa, excellent split positions. Double pike, slightly large lunge, great power.
(BB): Full turn, bhs loso, good. Split jump, split half, short of split on the second. Side aerial, does a quarter turn to save a wobble. Back 1.5 with an arm wave to hold the stick.
Walker (BB): Piked Jaeger, nice. Pak is great. Hs is just a touch short. Giant full. Toe on front tuck off, stuck.
Oh, UC Davis only competing five, shows how the injury bug has hit them.
Another fall on bars for Alaska on a Jaeger. Remounts, Bail. Short hs, giant full double tuck with a step.
After 3: Southern Utah 147.600, UC Davis 147.375, Sacramento State 146.950, Alaska 143.250
Southern Utah had a massive beam rotation to regain the lead and control of the meet going into the last rotation. Very impressive for a team who’s struggled on beam this season. UC Davis had a few great routines, but only competed five and had to count a score in the 9.6s. Sacramento State was okay on vault, Morgenthaler was great. Alaska struggled on bars, with a really long wait after a fall on the initial routine. Last rotation!
Rotation 4: UC Davis VT, Sacramento State UB, Alaska BB, Southern Utah FX
Fernandez (FX): Nice double tuck, leaps are good. Secure front lay front full. Rudi, controlled landing.
Lutrel (UB): Bail, good. Khorkina nice, a few short handstands, FTDT with a step.
Wakita (VT): Yurchenko full, messy in the air, step on the landing and over the white line 9.750
Lessig (BB): Front aerial, loso and almost falls, but stays on the beam. Switch leap, back tuck. Another balance check on a full turn. Front full with a hop
Monkeymaker (VT): Yurchenko full, solid.
Fall from Morgenthaler on bars, also live scores are realllyyy slow to update.
Otsu (VT): Omeliancik, nice, just a hop forwards.
Christensen (FX): Double tuck, nice. Back 1.5, front lay, very nice layout position. Tour jete half, Popa, Popa. Rudi, nice.
Abraham (VT): Yurchenko 1.5 with just a step, nice finish for UC Davis.
Hit for Lastra on bars
Lahmidi (UB): Jaeger, shootover, nice. Short final hs, FTDT is stuck, nice routine for the senior.
Cacciola (FX): Double tuck and OOB. Front full, front lay, solid. Switch leap, switch ring half, short of split on the second leap. Double pike secure
Houghton (UB): Great routine, strong hs, Jaeger was good, Pak was gorgeous, legs glued. Stuck double layout, 9.925
Randolph (FX): Double layout, nearly stuck, smallest balance check on the landing. Switch side, Popa, a touch loose on the landing. Front tuck through to double tuck, well controlled. Needs a 9.750, that should do it for Southern Utah!
FINAL: Southern Utah 196.625 UC Davis 196.525, Sacramento State 196.125, Alaska 191.100
And Southern Utah takes the MPSF Championship in its first year in the conference! It was closer between the Thunderbirds and UC Davis than some might of have expected but the Southern Utah delivered a clutch beam rotation and Randolph was able to close the meet out to get the win. UC Davis will be pleased to have scored a 196.525 despite some major injuries and Sacramento State will be pleased to hit 196.100 as well. Alaska was solid today but had some struggles on bars that kept it back. An exciting end to the season for these teams!
VT: Brinlee Christensen, Emma Morgenthaler 9.900
UB: Kara Houghton 9.925
BB: Amelia Moneymaker, Kennedi McClain, Ellie Cacciola, Anna Hartley 9.900
FX: Keanna Abraham 9.925
AA: Niya Randolph 39.375
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
