Today, Boise State and BYU are looking to come out as the top Bronco-Cougar to keep their regional weekend alive. The winner today will go up against LSU, Minnesota, and Oregon State in the evening session tomorrow. So, if you thought today was going to be brimming with pressure, there’s even more just around the corner.
Of course, for the one that doesn’t continue on, that team will still be well represented with a field of individual qualifiers. Sydney Benson (VT), Anyssa Alvarado (UB), Anna Bramblett (UB), Brynlee Andersen (BB), and Elease Rollins (BB) could all find themselves flexing their specialist muscles for BYU. On the other side of the coin, you find Boise State’s Emily Lopez (UB, BB), Emma Loyim (BB, FX), and Adrianna Popp (BB).
But it’s about the teams now. BYU carries a higher average event ranking, but Boise State can consistently hit and put all the pieces together at the same time. While BYU can bring the heat on bars, Boise State is on the cusp of having a top 20 beam team. However, Boise will need to reckon with its vault rotation.
All that being said, the Cougars take the floor with the highest score of the two teams by no more than a whisper, even with their averages, but the Broncos hold the status with the higher NQS, meaning they also get the privilege of rotating in Olympic order. We cover this and a little more in the Fayetteville preview.
You can watch along on ESPN+ while you pretend to work, and I’ll track down where to find live scores. Those live scores? Right here. Everyone say, “Thank you, Virtius.”
The Leo Gods have blessed us with two new leos this session from Boise State and BYU.
Rotation 1: Boise State VT, BYU UB
Anthem has wrapped up! Touch is underway. The new leo sparkle factor is REAL.
Kho (Boise): Y full, good height, big hop back. 9.750
McGovern (Boise): Y full, a little bit of a pike down. 9.725
Popp (Boise): There are loooooong gaps of time happening. FHS front pike half, she had a little more height on that in the warm ups but this was still lovely. 9.825
Vulaj (Boise): Full on, pike off, picks her chest up quickly. 9.800
Lopez (Boise): Y full, picks her chest up quickly, looked quite stuck to me!! 9.900
Loyim (Boise): Ahh, sits down the Y half. Just didn’t have the rotation there. 9.225
Mason (BYU): Toe on shaposh to pak, smooth, some leg sep in that pak. Last hs looked short. Double lay, hops forward. 9.625
Jorgensen (BYU): Toe on tkatchev, good height some flexed feet there. Bail to hs. Double lay, small hop in place. 9.700
Eaquinto (BYU): Toe on shaposh to pak, great form and connection. Double lay, small hop back. 9.750
Hunter (BYU): Sky high tkatchev. Free hip to bail to hs, lovely. GREAT last hs. Double lay, steps back. That was a beautiful routine. 9.775
An. Alvarado (BYU): Toe on shaposh, leg sep in the back, to pak. FTD lay, STUCK! OOooohhh.
Bramblett (BYU): Toe on tkatchev to shoot over, quick. Shy on that last hs. Double lay, tiny hop in place. 9.875
After 1: Boise State 49.000, BYU 48.900
So that’s the kind of meet it’s going to be, huh? BYU may not have the best bar showing of the season but this is going to be a tight meet right from the get go. It looks like Blackson will be in the lineup on bars today.
Rotation 2: BYU VT, Boise State UB
Mason (BYU): Y full, hops back on the landing, controlled. 9.775
Rollins (BYU): Full on, tuck off, hops. 9.700
Dudley (BYU): Y full, small hop, good height! 9.800
Jorgensen (BYU): Y full, pike off, hops. Some flexy feet there but quick on the flip. 9.750
Benson (BYU): Y full, best height of the rotation, tiny pike, doesn’t move her feet. 9.825
Eaquinto (BYU): Y full, good height, flairs it, wants that stick but has a tiny tiny hop. 9.850
Fixed the names since those changed after the initial upload.
Werline (Boise): Loooooong pauses have made a return. Toe on Shaposh to Pak, some leg sep. Quick half turn. Good last hs. Hops back on that double tuck. 9.725
Buell (Boise): Toe on Shaposh, leg sep in the back, bail to hs. Shy on that last hs. Double lay, hops back. 9.700
Smirnov (Boise): Toe on Shaposh to Pak. Hits the last hs. Blind, double front, small step. Fabulous height and air awareness on that dismount. 9.725
Hamby (Boise): Bent knees on the tkatchev and the bail to hs was a bit off, she just caught it too close. Sticks that double lay cold. 9.350
Blackson (Boise): First routine in nearly a month! Bail, tiny leg sep. Blind to a biiig Khorkina. Double lay, tiny foot shuffle. GREAT routine. 9.825
Lopez (Boise): Blind to piked jaeger, good! Great bail to hs, excellent form there. Double lay, a little shuffle hop. Fabulous form throughout. 9.800
After 2: BYU 97.900, Boise State 97.775
Boise State had a hiccup on bars, but if the Broncos forget all that, they can make the most of this beam rotation. Last outing, they went lights out with a 49.500. Doing that today, and recapturing the magic, can help regain the lead over BYU. However, BYU will be party rockin’ on floor.
Rotation 3: Boise State BB, BYU FX
Vulaj (Boise): Bhs LOSO series, small bobble but smooths it over. Gainer loso, good. Sassy choreo, loving it. Front kick over, rock solid. RO 1.5 lay, hop forward. 9.750
Kho (Boise): BHS pike, great. Sissone to switch half, tiny flexed foot. RO 1.5 lay, tiny hop. 9.775
Loyim (Boise): BHS loso loso. A few small corrections here and there so far but otherwise no major issues. Side aerial. Switch switch to gainer full off side, stuck! Fab! 9.900
Lopez (Boise): BHS LOSO, doesn’t move. Split 1/4 to straddle 1/2. Kickover, a little wiggly but otherwise fine. Gainer full off side, just slides the heels the tiniest bit together. 9.850
Popp (Boise): Front aerial. BHS BHS pike, leg pops up but settles. Cat leap to switch half. Gainer full off side. 9.825
Ferguson (Boise): BHS LOSO. Switch to split 3/4, tiny check. Split could be a little more 180. Same for the following split half. Side aerial, wobble. Gainer full off side, chest down, stuck. 9.575
Millar-Crossman (BYU): Double tuck to open, big step back, there was a ton of power there. Great amplitude on her leaps. Front lay to front full, good. 9.800
Matern (BYU): Front double full to open, she floats it and makes it look effortless. RO 1.5 to front lay, keeps it in. Switch ring to wolf hop full has great extension. Rudi, rebounds into the lunge. 9.800
Dudley (BYU): Double lay to to open but doesn’t really get the height she needed, landed a bit crunched, can’t tell if her knee touched. Switch side series, great extension. Front full to floaty front lay. Double tuck, good! 9.500
Schooley (BYU): RO 1.5 to front lay, keeps that in. Super fun and playful choroe, Switch ring to switch side is great. Double tuck to end, the lunge is just for show. 9.775
Benson (BYU): High double tuck. Little soft on the popa in her leap series but good height on the leap. Front lay to front full. Double pike. Great routine other than that popa! 9.825
Eaquinto (BYU): That double pike! FHS rudi, tiny rebound hop there. Switch ring series is everything the heart could want. Excellent height and hits her extension. RO 1.5 to front lay but doesn’t get the rebound nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. That routine was stunning too. 9.075
After 3: Boise State 146.875, BYU 146.600
BYU had to count some hiccups on floor, leaving the door open for Boise State to start making moves for a seat at the table on Thursday. Which is lucky if you support Boise State because that beam rotation wasn’t quite the Broncos best showing of the season.
Rotation 4: BYU BB, Boise State FX
Mason (BYU): BHS LOSO. Cat leap to side aerial. Switch to split, beautiful. RO lay double full, step forward. Excellent start to this rotation. 9.775
Raesly-Patton (BYU): Front aerial swiiiiiings through to jump. Switch to split, excellent. BHS LOSO, small wobble but irons it out. RO 1.5 lay, hops back. 9.500
Margraf (BYU): Front aerial to back tuck, hits! Cat leap to front toss, drops her shoulder. Switch series, no issues. Front lay full, fights for that stick. 9.750
Millar-Crossman (BYU): BHS loso, hits. Beautiful leap series. BYU is fighting for every last tenth. Tiny check on that aerial. Beat to straddle half, lovely lovely lovely. Front full lay, hops forward. 9.850
Rollins (BYU): Switch swing through pause to straddle quarter. Good form otherwise. Front aerial to bhs loso, small check. Love the straight leg full turn flair. Points to the cord in choreo. Lay full off side, tiny movement. 9.875
Andersen (BYU): BHS loso. Beat to straddle half, be still my heart. Cat to side aerial. What an anchor so far. BHS gainer full off side, stuck! 9.900
Vulaj (Boise): RO 1.5 to front full, flawless from this angle. Leaps didn’t quite have the 180. Double pike, tons of power, big lunge. 9.725
Pascal (Boise): Double tuck to open, comes close with her heel on that lounge but keeps it in. Switch ring series. Ro 1.5 to front lay, doesn’t move her feet. FHS rudi to split jump, a little flexy in the feet. 9.825
Loyim (Boise): Whip to double tuck! The heeeeiiiiggght. Switch side to popa, uhm. May have been even higher than the double. Double pike, awkward rebound but no issue keeping that on her feet. Absolutely lights out other than that last pass. 9.725
McGovern (Boise): Rudi to loso, obsessed. Switch half to popa. Love clapping choreo. Double tuck, chest a touch down but she lunges quickly. 9.800
Ferguson (Boise): Double pike, but stumbles back and out of bounds. The Broncos have some breathing space, they’re ahead by a little over four tenths but still they won’t want to cut it close. Clean second pass, she’s a quick tumbler. Double tuck, big lunge. 9.500
Lucas (Boise): Double pike, clean. Boise needs a hit routine here. Or else BYU is in. Switch side to popa, lovely. RO 1.5 to front lay, a touch archy but gets it around no issue. Double tuck, chest down just a bit. It is going to be CLOSE. 9.800
FINAL: BYU 233.650, Boise State 233.400
You read that right.
Well, the final is 195.750 for both right now. That means we have a tie on our hands, folks. So the judges and those with calculators will start doing some adding on adding on adding.
Unofficially, looking like BYU will be living to see another day this weekend! But still waiting on official word.
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Live blog by Allison Freeman
What’s going on with the final scores there? 233.650? I feel like something happened on your spreadsheet maybe?
It’s actually correct! Because the meet ended in a tie, it was broken by counting all six scores for each team on each event. 233.650 is the six-gymnast-per-lineup total.