The early session of round two in Berkeley gets underway as Denver will take on a trio of Pac-12 foes. The sixth-seeded Pioneers are the favorites to advance alongside the 11-seed Bruins, but the Sun Devils and Huskies are expected to be a challenge as they’re both ranked inside the top 30 and have battled top teams all season long.
Denver has exceeded expectations this season after losing legend Lynnzee Brown, making nationals a season ago in upset fashion and this year enter as favorites. Jessica Hutchinson has always been a strong all arounder in her career, but took it to another level in 2024 to step into the leading role vacated by Brown—ranking fourth nationally. The other key piece to the puzzle has been Madison Ulrich jumping into the complimentary all arounder position that Hutchinson once held, which is impressive considering she’s just a freshman.
UCLA has also been dealing with some significant losses from last year’s nationals team, with Jordan Chiles and Ana Padurariu opting to take the year off to train for the Olympics. This has thrust Selena Harris into the spotlight, and she has shined, ranking fifth in the all around nationally and posting the second-best four-event total of the season with a massive 39.900. Chae Campbell has been key for the Bruins this season, as expected, while Emma Malabuyo’s presence has also been critical in UCLA performing at its best.
The pair of Pac-12 underdogs in this session have all around stars of their own. Washington’s Skylar Killough-Wilhelm and Arizona State’s Hannah Scharf are both names to watch in the individual qualifiers race, too. Last month’s Sun Devils upset over the Bruins is also quite relevant today, showing that anything can happen when these teams hit. Each team struggles most on floor, the event where they’ll need to make up tenths against two strong floor teams if advancing is to be in store.
We’ll also have a handful of individuals from Sacramento State, Iowa, Utah State, UC Davis, and Air Force competing in this session. Of these, Hawkeye Ilka Juk on beam has the opportunity to make the biggest splash and possibly make a run to nationals, but it’ll be a long shot.
Follow along with video (ESPN+) and scores!
Rotation 1: Denver Vault, Washington Bars, Arizona State Beam, UCLA Floor
Brusch (DU): FTY. Clean block and twist, hop back. 9.850
Moody (UW): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, nice toes but some separation, tiny bit short on final handstand, FTDT, shuffles her feet in place. 9.850
Andres (UCLA): Opens with a RO 2.5 front tuck, low last salto and close to OOB but stays in, easy double tuck second pass, switch side straddle full, cheats the turns a bit, switch leap. 9.850
Hargraves (DU): FTY. Good in the air, twisted a tad early off the table, slides back. 9.800
Smith (ASU): Beat jump to side aerial, smooth, inverse split jump half, full turn, BHS LOSO, small lean to her right, switch leap split side, dismounts gainer full, I can’t see landings on beam. 9.800
Frazier (UCLA): Whip through to double tuck, kicks out early for a great lunge, tour jete half straddle full x2, bouncy, punch front, double pike, a bit short and lunges forward. 9.800
Oppegard (UW): Short on first handstand, giant half to Jaeger, messy feet, great bail to handstand, sticks the dismount. 9.800
Casali (DU): Y1.5 Gorgeous in the air, hops forward significantly. 9.725
Moors (UCLA): Front double full front tuck, stuck cold, RO LOSO, switch leap to switch half wolf jump full, no issues, closes with a Rudi, so floaty, slides back in the lunge. 9.950
Mundell (DU): Y1.5. No distance at all, close to the table, good form with a hop. 9.775
Harris (UCLA): A tad short on the double layout, steps forward, tour jete half straddle full, great, double tuck, chest nice and high, closes with RO 1.5 layout half to double stag, problem-free. 9.875
Hutchinson (DU): Y1.5. Beautiful in the air, some leg separation on the table, takes a hop. 9.775
White (ASU): BHS LOSO, secure, full turn, front aerial, leans forward to hold her finishing position, good fight, split jump to double stag, small arm adjustment, BHS 1.5 dismount. 9.850
Russon (UW): Giant half to Jaeger to bail, huge air, nice handstands, dismounts double layout, swings it out so takes a step forward. 9.750
Campbell (UCLA): Starts with a full-in, great landing, tour jete half straddle full, so much height, front layout front full, issue-free landing, closes with a double tuck, this is gonna be a huge score following a 9.950 from Reed.
Slife (Air Force, UB): Good Maloney to Pak, FTDT is close to the bar but stuck cold. 9.825
Abraham (UC Davis, FX): Music issue to start, huge double layout once she gets going, some slide back in the lunge, switch side straddle half, not completely rotated, front tuck to double tuck, kicks out so high for the perfect lunge. 9.900
Totals: Denver 49.025, UCLA 49.575, Arizona State 49.250, Washington 49.125
Solid opening rotations all around! The top seed in this session, Denver, struggled to get any vault landings and will be in fourth heading into rotation two, but will have plenty of opportunity to rise throughout the meet. The start couldn’t have gone any better for the Bruins, who got the massive score they always get to kick off their regionals. Arizona State and Washington hit to open their days, which exactly what they need to do to stay in position for a possible upset.
Rotation 2: UCLA Vault, Denver Bars, Washington Beam, Arizona State Floor
Lee (UCLA): FTY. Clean and tight in the air, slides back. 9.875
Casali (DU): Toe on to Maloney to bail, easy, dismounts DLO, tiny hop back. 9.850
Hallinan (UW): Opens with front toss to back tuck, slow but secure, switch leap to split jump, full turn, tiny arm adjustment, front aerial, a little under so missed a connection there but held it well, dismounts RO 1.5 with a bound forward. 9.775
Rosen (UCLA): Y1.5. Bent arms on the table, gets it around, small form break at the end with a hop. 9.825
Innes (UW): Good full turn, front aerial BHS, leap into side aerial, done well, switch leap to straddle jump, some foot movement between skills, switch leap straddle 1/4, much better, dismounts RO 1.5, looked stuck by her teammates reactions. 9.875
Campbell (UCLA): FTY. Booming, explosive, chest forward with a hop in place on the landing. 9.850
Ulrich (DU): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, beautiful toe point, a tad short on the half pirouette, great last handstand, double layout with nice form and a hop back. 9.850
Smith (ASU): Mounts with a double pike, good landing, front full front layout, clean form in the twist, tour jete half straddle full, no problems, closes with a double tuck, another solid landing. 9.925
Reed (UCLA): Y1.5. Lots of distance, flares it out early, small hop. 9.800
Hebinck (DU): Ricina to Pak, wow, lovely, dismounts double layout, knees almost buckled but fights for just a step forward. 9.800
Harris (UCLA): Y1.5. Massive block and height, opens early, steps back. 9.800
Hutchinson (DU): Maloney to Pak is great, nailed the last handstand, small shuffle on the double layout. 9.800
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Needs to hit after a miss ahead of her, but this is the gymnast for the task, front aerial BHS LOSO, slow front to back connection but fantastic otherwise, great control on the full turn, switch leap split jump, side aerial to 1.5 dismount. 9.875
Anastasi (UCLA): Y1.5. Bent arms on the block, comes in well short and sits her vault. 9.100
Mundell (DU): Tkatchev, good amplitude, toe on to bail, clean, good handstands, dismounts double layout, right foot slides back. 9.900
Scharf (ASU): Front tuck to double tuck to start, chest a bit down but controls the lunge, FHS front full front tuck, beautiful, switch half to wolf full, precise in the rotations, closes with a double pike, over a bit so a large lunge back, stays in bounds. 9.850
Erb (Iowa, FX): Begins with a double pike, lots of height, no issues with the landing, switch side half to straddle jump, lots of height again, RO 1.5 front full, very floaty, should be a nice score here. 9.900
Rotation Totals: UCLA 49.150, Denver 49.250, Washington 48.850, Arizona State 49.375
Totals: UCLA 98.725, Arizona State 98.625, Denver 98.275, Washington 97.975
Even with an end of rotation miss, the Bruins were able to hit vault to keep their lead at the halfway point of what’s shaping up to be a very close meet. Vault scoring has been tight today, so getting through with a 49-plus mark is ideal, and what the Sun Devils will strive to do in the next rotation to continue the momentum they’ve built already. If Arizona State can keep hitting Denver may be in trouble with beam a tricky place to make up tenths. Washington’s sub-49 takes them out of it for now, but as we found out yesterday, if you keep putting up decent numbers, anything can happen.
Rotation 3: Arizona State Vault, UCLA Bars, Denver Beam, Washington Floor
White (ASU): FTY. Clean block and form through the vault, small slide back. 9.800
Campbell (UCLA): Maloney to bail, easy, good handstands, giant half to double front, hop back. 9.825
Pires (UW): Mounts with a RO 1.5 front layout, some leg form in the twists, needed to commit to the leap series for more extension but hits it, double tuck is low, chest down and lunge forward. 9.750
Thompson (DU): Begins with side aerial BHS, some soft knees but hits, switch leap switch leap, short of 180 split on both, full turn, quick, side aerial 1.5 dismount, steps back. 9.775
Gregoire (ASU): Y1.5. Some shoulder angle on the table but good height, fast twists, step forward on the landing. 9.775
Hebinck (DU): Opens with front toss BHS, bent knees on the second skill, switch leap to switch side, solid, full turn, beat jump, gainer pike dismount. 9.925
Rosen (UCLA): Maloney, peels off and falls on her back, remounts and repeats to a great Pak, nice half pirouette, dismounts double layout, small hop. 9.200
Russon (UW): Tour jete half, FHS front layout front full, good finish, switch ring to tour jete half, closes with a double pike, chest down but no issue with the lunge. 9.875
Scharf (ASU): FTY. Super clean, no pike down, tiny hop. 9.825
Frazier (UCLA): Exactly who you want after a fall, Maloney to Pak, superb, almost over on the half pirouette but saves it with a small arch, very hoppy landing on the double layout, took several. 9.725
Killough-Wilhelm (UW): Starts off with a front double full, right into choreo, switch leap to switch ring half, nice shapes, RO 1.5 front layout, floaty last salto. 9.950
Anaya Smith (ASU): Y1.5. Big block, flares it out, tiny hop. 9.900
Hutchinson (DU): Gets going with some low beam choreo, front toss to BHS, a tad slow but kept moving, switch leap to split jump, small lean, front toss, another lean, full turn, cartwheel to gainer full dismount. 9.950
Innes (UW): Mounts with a front double full, lovely patience into the twist, tour jete half straddle full, RO 1.5 front layout, great, ends with a Rudi, no issues. 9.950
Harris (UCLA): Ray, big, crisp bail, giant full to double layout, nearly missed on the giant full but holds for the stick on the double layout.
Navarro (UW): Nice opening double tuck, switch side straddle full, good positions in the leaps, RO 1.5 front layout, a tad under rotated, dismounts with a double pike, a bit short but covers well into the lunge.
Rotation Totals: Arizona State 49.200, UCLA 49.075, Denver 49.425, Washington 49.525
Totals: Arizona State 147.825, UCLA 147.800, Denver 147.700, Washington 147.500
This is a wild one! With one event to go, literally any two teams can advance! The Huskies got themselves back in it with a giant floor rotation, but head to the tightly-scored vault and will have the hardest path to advance. Floor has been the highest-scoring event today, which bodes well for Denver, but the top two teams currently are also headed to decent events. This will come down to who can HIT!
Rotation 4: Washington Vault, Arizona State Bars, UCLA Beam, Denver Floor
Tubbs (UW): FTY. Very quick and dynamic twist, small hop forward, chest forward. 9.750
Reeves (ASU): Short on opening handstand, giant half to Jaeger to overshoot, messy feet, dismounts double layout, near stick. 9.875
Rorich (DU): Starts off with a front tuck to double tuck, chest a tad low but good otherwise, switch side straddle full x2, great double pike to finish. 9.900
Lin (UW): FTY. Bent arms on the table, good form, tiny hop in place. 9.800
Campbell (UCLA): Opens low to the beam, wolf turn, BHS LOSO, tiny lean to the left with an arm check, split leap to switch half to beat jump, split side, cartwheel gainer full, seemed stuck. 9.850
Innes (UW): FTY. Chest forward but holds for the stick. 9.800
Between the music and cheering fans and screaming teammates it’s SO loud in here. Great environment.
Andres (UCLA): Begins beat jump to switch half, a bit shy of 180, front toss to back swingdown, not much height but no major issues, full turn, big check to the side, dismounts RO double full, a few steps back. 9.750
Casali (DU): Lovely Rudi to back layout to open, switch leap 3/4 to wolf full, not quite cleanly rotated, RO BHS 2.5 front tuck is beautiful. 9.900
Alipio (UCLA): Front aerial to BHS, snaps the arms down securely, split leap to switch leap to beat jump, full turn, tucked gainer full dismount. 9.925
Navarro (UW): Y1.5. Nice block, clean in the air, small step forward. 9.850
White (ASU): Opens with a great handstand, Shaposh half is lovely, giant half to bail, love her form, over on last handstand and takes a bunch of extra swings, dismounts double layout, steps forward. 9.325
McDonough (UW): FTY. So much height, pikes it down for a near stick, small adjustment. 9.850
Ulrich (DU): Mounts with a double tuck, big slide back into the lunge, switch side to straddle full, RO 1.5 front layout, easy, closes with a double pike, great lunge. 9.825
Large check from Malabuyo (UCLA) on beam. 9.775
Clark (ASU): Great handstand, giant half to Jaeger, caught close, Pak with arch and leg separation, small foot separation on half pirouette, dismounts double layout, step back. 9.800
Hutchinson (DU): Lovely front double full, switch half split full, beautiful shapes, RO 1.5 front layout, secure landing, ends Rudi straddle jump, that should seal the deal.
Rotation Totals: Washington 49.150, Arizona State 49.325, UCLA 49.250, Denver 49.575
Final: Denver 197.275, Arizona State 197.150, UCLA 197.050, Washington 196.650
The Pioneers and Sun Devils advance! Denver excelled on floor after scores built all night to complete the comeback after ending the first rotation in fourth while Arizona State escaped counting a miss on bars to hang on to a regional final qualifying spot. The Huskies unfortunately couldn’t break the low-scoring vault judges while the Bruins had one too many wobbles finishing on beam.
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Live blog by Brandis Heffner
