Kicking off the regional in Berkeley is the defacto play-in round, featuring two closely ranked teams in No. 33 Southern Utah and No. 35 San Jose State. The Thunderbirds got a helpful draw in being the higher-ranked team in the matchup, but despite the lower NQS ranking the Spartans aren’t much of an underdog with the higher average score on the season.
After being the first team out of the regionals selections a year ago, San Jose State is guaranteed to improve upon its finish this year with legitimate chances of making the second round, too. The Spartans are loaded with upperclassmen talent, as Lauren Macpherson, Jada Mazury, Katherine Weyhmiller—their individual qualifiers should they not advance—and Jaudi Lopes contribute most of their routines. Beam and floor are where San Jose State excels and ranks inside the top 30, with the difference maker likely bars where the Spartans have solid routines but are mildly inconsistent.
Southern Utah enters today off a strong conference championship weekend where it won the MPSF title. In contrast to the Spartans’ upperclassmen, the Thunderbirds have some standout rookies as freshmen Niya Randolph and Brinlee Christensen have lived up to their former four and three-star recruit ratings. Both have been a factor in Southern Utah’s bars lineup ranking 23rd, best of any event, as Randolph has also often been its lone all arounder. Beam is another strength of the Thunderbirds, ranking 26th in the nation, while floor is by far their weakest event, down at 46th in the standings.
Follow along with video (ESPN+) and scores!
Rotation 1: Southern Utah, Vault, San Jose State Bars
Cacciola (SUU): FTY. Good block, hop back on landing. 9.775
Lopes (SJSU): Good toe on to Maloney, a bit off in the half pirouette, dismounts giant full to double tuck, stuck. 9.725
Randolph (SUU): FTY. Clean through the air, slide back on the landing, less height than Cacciola. 9.750
Reardon (SJSU): Nice toe point on the toe on and Maloney to bail, slightly short of handstand on the catch, small adjustment on the landing of her double layout dismount. 9.775
Goodman (SUU): FTY. Good form, pikes it down with a tiny hop. 9.800
Konieczny (SJSU): Lovely opening handstand and giant half to Jaeger, nice bail as well, almost over but hits it perfect, double layout with a step forward. 9.800
Pardue (SUU): Y1.5. A bit of shoulder angle on the block, such a fast twister, some knee form but just a small hop to the side. 9.750
Mazury (SJSU): Slightly short on opening handstand, giant half to good piked Jaeger, some foot separation on the Pak salto, dismounts double layout with a step back. 9.850
Christensen (SUU): Y1.5. Very bent arms on the block, gets it around no problem, hop forward. 9.750
Weyhmiller (SJSU): Giant half to Jaeger, good height, leg separation and weird catch on the Pak but moves well out of it, nice half pirouette, chest down and step forward on the double layout. 9.575
Gull (SUU): Yfull-on, tuck-off, flexed feet in the air, not much amplitude, slides back. 9.725
Macpherson (SJSU): Tkatchev, smooth, toe on, all hit handstands so far, same on the bail, dismounts FTDT and a hop back. 9.800
Totals: San Jose State 48.950, Southern Utah 48.825
Solid opening rotations for both squads. Both have done better, but each worked out the opening rotation nerves with six hits from each team. It was particularly good for San Jose State as bars is one of its weaker two events, so hitting here and on vault to keep it close midway through will be the Spartans’ key to a win today. Southern Utah excels on bars, so the Thunderbirds will want to not only take the lead after this rotation but take a significant one.
Rotation 2: San Jose State Vault, Southern Utah Bars
Valuch (SJSU): FTY. Clean block and form in the air, slides back on the landing, not a ton of height. 9.725
Christensen (SUU): Giant half to piked Jaeger, no issues, slight leg break in the bail, short on last handstand, dismounts double layout, tighter form than most, small hop. 9.800
Macpherson (SJSU): FTY. Nice extension through the air, gets the first vault stick of the day. 9.850
Routsis (SUU): Maloney to bail, works to the handstand and then misses a bit on the jump to high bar, small adjustment on the double layout. 9.775
Nelson (SJSU): FTY. Bent arms on the table but gets a good rebound, nice height but pikes it, small hop. 9.775
Goodman (SUU): Giant half with some foot form, easy Jaeger, floaty Pak, goes over on her final handstand and can’t recover, falls, nails it before a great and stuck giant full to double tuck dismount. 9.350
Pitts (SJSU): Front tuck half, lots of height, bounces back, I want to see that piked next season. 9.725
Randolph (SUU): Hip circle to Shaposh, has to do an extra swing before the bail, small hop on the dismount. 9.375
Kirsch (SJSU): Y1.5 tucked. Good height, not much distance, tiny hop forward, got it vertical well on a tricky vault. 9.800
Neff (SUU): Tiny bit short on opening handstand, nice toes on Maloney to bail, gets last handstand, dismounts double layout, tiny tiny foot adjustment. Does well to get them back on track. 9.850
Lopes (SJSU): Y1.5. Bent arms on the table, bent legs in the air, hops on the landing. 9.825
Schwartze (SUU): Clean piked Jaeger, equally good bail, right to handstand, giant half to front Rudi, legs staggered on the landing but stuck it. 9.850
Rotation Totals: San Jose State 48.975, Southern Utah 48.650
Totals: San Jose State 97.925, Southern Utah 97.475
The Spartans capitalized on the misses from the Thunderbirds to take a decent lead at the halfway point! The fall and wonky routine in the middle of Southern Utah’s rotation wasn’t ideal, but it was somewhat able to absorb it with four other good routines to not be counted out of this yet with another strong rotation next. However, San Jose State is also moving to its best two events.
Rotation 3: Southern Utah Beam, San Jose State Floor
Fernandez (SUU): Opens with side aerial BHS, small wobble, front toss, beat jump to split 3/4, side aerial 1.5, I can’t see the landings unfortunately. 9.800
Forrand (SJSU): Mounts with a Rudi LOSO, a little crooked but works through it, switch half straddle full, nice height on the second jump, double pike to close, not much height but into an easy lunge. 9.800
McClain (SUU): Front toss BHS, a bit slow on the connection but kept moving, straddle jump straddle side, needs more extension, cat leap to piked front toss, secure, aggressive full turn, dismounts gainer full. 9.825
Weyhmiller (SJSU): Gets underway with RO 1.5 front layout, clean throughout, switch leap to switch ring half, closes with a double pike, chest low but controls the lunge. 9.850
Cacciola (SUU): Has a check on the full turn to start, switch leap to split jump to LOSO to beat jump, hesitant in the last connection but I love the creativity, BHS LOSO, huge leg-up check, dismounts RO 1.5, looks like she fought for a stick. 9.650
Macpherson (SJSU): Nice double pike to open, switch ring switch side, bouncy in a good way, RO 1.5 front layout, problem-free, ends with a double tuck, chest low but good foot control. 9.875
Randolph (SUU): BHS back pike, slight lean, straddle to straddle 1/4, looks a bit hesitant, front toss to beat jump, RO 1.5 with a step forward. 9.700
Lopes (SJSU): Front tuck to double pike to open, great, switch 3/4 to straddle jump, good height, RO double tuck to close, nice chest position into the lunge. 9.900
Coutu (SUU): A bit of a balance check in her opening choreo, BHS LOSO, small lean, split jump to sheep jump, another check, full turn, very nervy, cat leap to side aerial that turned into a side somi?, unsure, gainer full dismount. 9.825
Mazury (SJSU): Starts with a front layout to Rudi, nice height for front tumbling, tour jete half to split full, more good height again, double pike to close, great lunge. 9.950!
Hartley (SUU): Hits the opening full turn, BHS LOSO, arm wave to the side, split jump to straddle half, side somi, dismounts RO 1.5, her teammates cheers makes me think she stuck. 9.850
Nelson (SJSU): Beautiful opening double pike, pointed toes and all, switch leap to switch ring half, a lil’ short on the half, RO 1.5 front full, minor knees in the air, but good landing. 9.900
Rotation Totals: Southern Utah 49.000, San Jose State 49.450
Totals: San Jose State 147.375, Southern Utah 146.475
The Thunderbirds had their best rotation of the day in hitting 49.000 on beam, but the Spartans had a hit rotation of their own in posting a giant 49.450 on floor to extend their lead. Southern Utah doesn’t excel at floor, so if San Jose State can hit, this should be a win to send them to Round Two tomorrow.
Rotation 4: San Jose State Beam, Southern Utah Floor
Ashton (SJSU): Easy full turn to open, BHS LOSO, solid, switch leap to switch half, big check but stays on, cartwheel down to the beam, dismounts BHS gainer full, piked it down. 9.650
Fernandez (SUU): Huge smile to start facing the SUU crowd in attendance today, double tuck, slides the front foot back in the lunge, switch side to wolf jump full x2, needed more height in the first wolf, RO 1.5 front layout, good landing, Rudi, chest forward but nice lunge. 9.800
Lopes (SJSU): Lovely low beam press to start, cat leap switch half, wobble, BHS LOSO, tiny lean to her left, full turn, cat leap to side aerial tucked 1.5 dismount, didn’t get her legs up much in the leap. 9.725
Gull (SUU): Hits a leap combo to start, bounces back out of her double pike, stays in bounds, RO 1.5 layout half split jump, lovely combination, great double tuck to close, chest high and good lunge. 9.800
Kirsch (SJSU): Back dive mount, quickly into some choreo, BHS Onodi, big lean to her left, switch leap to split 1/4, not much extension in her legs and slow connection, BHS tucked 1.5 dismount, looked to shuffle back. 9.700
Christensen (SUU): Mounts with a double tuck, no issues, RO 1.5 front layout, floaty last salto as it should be, switch half wolf jump full x2, Rudi, back leg almost buckled in the lunge but she pushed through it impressively. 9.700
Weyhmiller (SJSU): Gets going with a full turn, smooth, BHS LOSO, switch leap to switch half, small leg adjustment, side aerial, great leg form, gainer full dismount, looked stuck. 9.875
Pardue (SUU): Starts with a double tuck, chest all the way up before the lunge, front layout front full, excellent, switch side straddle full, double pike, chest a tad low but easy into the lunge. 9.850
Macpherson (SJSU): Switch leap to split jump, good height and commitment to the skills, BHS BHS LOSO, comes off, full turn, standing LOSO, small check, dismounts RO 1.5, step forward. 8.975
Cacciola (SUU): Opens with a double tuck, bouncy into the lunge, front full front layout, problem-free, switch leap to switch ring half, closes with a Rudi, bouncy into the lunge again.
Mazury (SJSU): Needs to hit to ensure the win, full turn, beat jump to standing LOSO, grabs the beam but doesn’t fall, split 3/4, fantastic, BHS LOSO, another big check, another huge check on a leap combo, dismounts RO 1.5. 9.175
This got very very very interesting.
Randolph (SUU): Opens with a double layout, leans to the side going for the stick, switch side half straddle jump, nice amplitude, having fun with it, front tuck to double tuck, some good attitude into the lunge. 9.800
This will be close!
Rotation Totals: San Jose State 48.125, Southern Utah 49.050
Final: Southern Utah 195.525, San Jose State 195.500
What a finish! The Thunderbirds didn’t let being behind phase them as they continued to hit on floor while the Spartans didn’t do the same, resulting the the final rotation flip! San Jose State will undoubtedly be upset with today’s final rotation performance as they outperformed during the first half of today’s meet.
Live blog by Brandis Heffner
