LIVE BLOG: Fayetteville Regional Final

Tonight’s the night of to the victors, and the second place victors, go the spoils. Here in Bud Walton Arena, those top two teams can leave their bags at least half-packed because they’re bound for Texas. Competing are the top two teams from round two session one and round two session two. For these four teams, competing multiple times in one weekend might not be the dream, but it’s certainly part of the dream. 

In this moment, nothing about the rest of the season matters. The hits, the misses, the botched connections, the multiple 10s. The only moments that matter are the ones happening in the brief seconds and short minutes between salutes. Just a reminder, the top team doesn’t go in Olympic order today, but it does get beam out of the way right at the top of the meet. 

If you forgot how we got here, and no one blames you because regionals weekend is packed with gymnastics, go ahead and refresh yourself on the first session and second session that took place on Thursday. 

Today, we have Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, and Minnesota.

Unofficially, Jade Carey is a lock for the all around spot and Courtney Blackson is a lock for the bars spot. The rest of the spots all depend on which team does or doesn’t move on.

As always, you can watch along on ESPN+ and find live scores here.

Rotation 1: Arkansas VT, Kentucky UB, LSU BB, Minnesota FX

Touch warm up and then we’ll be ready to tumble.

Weaver (Arkansas): Y full, tiny hop, clean in the air, great height.

Smith (Arkansas): OUTSTANDING block on that Y full, she popped off and stuck it cold. 9.95!

Price (Arkansas): Y full, hops back. Good distance.

Essenpries (Arkansas): Y 1.5, you knew she wanted that stick, hops forward.

Klein (Arkansas): Y 1.5, big lunge forward, good distance off the table.

Williams (Arkansas): Y 1.5, takes a step forward, good block.

Davis (UK): Blind to straddle jaeger, good turnover. Bail to hs. LAst hs looked fine. Double lay, great body position, one of the best ones here, sticks!!

Rizo (UK): Blind to straddle jaeger. Bail to hs. Double leg, some leg sep and a bit archy, hops back.

Rodriguez (UK): REally goes for an hits that first hs, tkatchev. Bail to hs. Shy on that last hs. Double lay, feet together, sticks!

Procasky (UK): Good pak, quick half turn on low. Good last hs. Double lay, step back.

Bunn (UK): Blind to straddle jaeger. Bail hs. Good last hs. Double lay, a little archy/pikey but sticks it! Feet glued together.

Worley (UK): I love the blue glitter on the face, I gotta tell you. All thanks to the jumbotron for that close up. Good first hs. Tkatchev is lovely. PAk. Great handstand in that half turn. Hits that last hs. FTDB, tiniest of steps. So good.

Ballard (LSU): BHS LOSO. Sissone to switch half, good. Front kickover, a wiggle as she stands up in the knees. RO 1.5 lay, just a step back.

Schoenherr (LSU): bhs loso, small wobble as she stood it up. Looked like nerves more than anything. Flawless full turn. Beat to split 3/4, lovely. RO lay double full, steps.

McClain (LSU): Switch to switch half, nice. Front aerial to bhs. Side aerial, looking good. Gainer full off side, and that’s the first stick for LSU this rotation.

K. Johnson (LSU): BHS LOSO, good. MAybe a tiny foot adjustment. A check on the switch leap, fights for it, no problem. Front toss. Sticks the dismount!

Bryant (LSU): Front aerial bhs. Swtich to straddle 1/4. Cool as a cucumber. Front tuck. Tiny check with her shoulder on her split jump. RO 1.5 lay, a bit of a rebound hop in place.

Finnegan (LSU): The music is shaking this place. BHS loso loso, hit. Switch to split jump. Unbothered. Front aerial. Sticks gainer fiull off side.

Johnson (Minn): Switch to popa. Just caught the end of her opening pass but out of the corner of my eye it looked fab, as always. Double tuck with a hop lunge and some flexed feet in the air.

Gonsiorowski (Minn): FTDB, nice in the air, lands with chest down just a bit. RO 1.5 to front pike, doesn’t need to lunge but does. Double tuck.

Koch (Minn): FHS front double full with a graceful lunge. Finishes that so well. RO 1.5 to floaty front lay. FHS rudi, great chest position on that.

Pearl (Minn): Floaty front lay in that first pass. I love her leaps. Good double pike to end, good form on that.

Gerdes (Minn): Front through to double tuck, good. Chest a little down on the landing. Double pike.

Hooten (Minn): FTDB, good chest position. Switch half to popa with the usual ease. Floats that front pike in her second pass. Definitely has enough time to finish any papers she has for a class during that. Double tuck, fabulous. No notes. That was lovely.

After 1: LSU 49.450, Minnesota 49.425, Kentucky 49.400, Arkansas 49.375

Well, that’s not too close of a first rotation, huh? Just 0.075 between the teams. All those missed sticks in that first rotation really emphasized here today. Top two go on, LSU is sure to make up some ground on floor. Arkansas with the home team rotation (by chance thanks to NQS) should gain some momentum as the meet goes on.

Rotation 2: Minnesota VT, Arkansas UB, Kentucky BB, LSU FX

Jencks (Minn): Y full, hop. Good heights.

Nguyen (Minn): Y full, good height, smaller hop.

Pearl (Minn): Y full, great block, hops on her toes.

Moraw (Minn): Sticks the Y full! May not have had as much amplitude but nice and clean.

Gerdes (Minn): Y 1.5, small step forward. Solid block, great distance.

Hooten (Minn): Y 1.5, so clean, takes a step forward.

Swaney (Arkansas): Shy on that first hs. Ray, good. Pak, leg sep. Double lay, leg sep, hops back.

Pratt (Arkansas): Great first hs. Strong Ray. Strong second hs. Bail hs. Double lay, good body shape, just a small hop forward.

Drotar (Arkansas): Maloney, good. Bail hs. Good last hs. Double lay, sticks! Great form throughout.

PArk (Arkansas): Good height on that Ray. Hits that last hs. Double lay, little pike and arch, but sticks it!

Scalzo (Arkansas): Blind to straddle jaeger to bail, good. Great last hs. Double lay, hops back. Super clean otherwise.

Jones (Arkansas): Blind to piked jaeger. Good hs to follow. PAk with leg sep. Good hs in that half turn on low however. Double lay, sticks.

Rodriguez (UK): BHS bhs loso, good. side somi. RO 1.5 lay, sticks! Great start.

Brose (UK): Front tuck. Front toss to bhs, good. Switch leap. Considering the volume in here, she’s doing great. STicks her ro 1.5 lay!

Bunn (UK): Leg pops up on her bhs loso. Drotar went 9.95 during this routine. RO double full, sticks! Kentucky cannot be shaken.

Patterson (UK): Looking casual just waiting, unbothered. BHS loso, great. Front aerial to split jump. Switch side. Sticks the dismount!

Worley (UK): Cat to switch side. FRont aerial, misses her second foot and recovers like a pro. BHS LOSO. Absolute ice in her veins. Front toss, good. RO 1.5 lay, sticks!

Magnelli (UK): Goes for the triple series while Arkansas is screaming for a stick on bars, wobbles on that loso but smooths it over. Fabulous leaps. Front aerial. Little check on the full turn. Gainer full off end, sticks! Kentucky stuck the entire beam rotation.

McClain (LSU): Double lay, chest a little down, but picks it up quick. Great overextension in those leaps. RO 1.5 to front full, good.

Drayton (LSU): Double lay with leg sep, good chest position. Front through to double tuck, chest a little down. Fabulous height on her leaps. She flies.

KJ Johnson (LSU): RO 1.5 to front lay has amazing rise. Double tiuck, great chest position. What an absolute clinic on out of this world tumbling.

Finnegan (LSU): Double arabian with a stag jump. Switch ring to switch half is beautiful. TBH I’d say that Arabian was stuck. 2.5 to front tuck, floats.

Bryant (LSU): The power in that FHS double front, unreal. She almost over rotates too much. Front lay to rudi, good chest position there.

K. Johnson (LSU): FTDB, great. RO 1.5 to front lay. LSU is having fun on floor today. Beautiful popa. That extension is gorgeous. Double pike, her toe point and height is fab.

After 2: LSU 99.075, Arkansas 98.825, Kentucky 98.725, Minnesota 98.675

Kentucky made it through beam, and although there were a few wobbles, the entire lineup stuck their dismount. LSU was lights out on floor, but that was no surprise. Arkansas skipped the fall today on bars. Minnesota may not have gone lights out on vault with sticks, but they had some good control on their landings.

(Spoiler ahead: Oklahoma and Alabama have (unofficially) qualified out of Ann Arbor. )

Rotation 3: LSU VT, Minnesota UB, Arkansas BB, Kentucky FX

KJ Johnson (LSU): Y full, sticks. Holy moly that had some HEIGHT.

Finnegan (LSU): Y 1.5, lots of power, big step forward.

Drayton (LSU): Y 1.5! Great height, I think just a small hop there.

Schoenherr (LSU): Y 1.5, hops back. Not as much height.

K. Johnson (LSU): Y full, big hop back.

Bryant (LSU): FHS front pike half, just bounces a little on her toes!

Jencks (Minn): Good tkatchev. Bail to hs a little shaky. Double lay, small hop.

Johnson (Minn): Maloney to bail hs. Same shaky wiggle as Jencks. Toe on half, small step back.

Sirjord (Minn): Blind to straddle jaeger to shootover. Sticks the dismount!

Lyden (Minn): Good hs. Blind to stradle jaeger to shootover. Sticks the double lay, some leg sep there.

Gerdes (Minn): Bail to hs. Shy on that last hs. FTDB, swings her arms but sticks!

Hooten (Minn): Entire arena singing old school Taylor Swift. Blind to pike jaeger to shootover, good. FTDB, sticks!! Great routine.

Gamiao (Arkansas): Bhs loso. Side somi, slow steady finish. Switch leap, good. RO 1.5 lay, sticks.

Jones (Arkansas): Leg up on the front aerial, saves it. Repeats, front aerial to bhs bhs. Split jump, stag ring. Sticks the lay front full.

Swaney (Arkansas): Candlestick mount. Cat leap to front aerial. BHS loso. Foot shuffle and shoulder wobble. Switch leap to split jump. Sticks the bhs to 1.5 dismount.

Weaver (Arkansas): Hits bhs loso. Clean leap series. SIde aerial. Sticks the ro lay 1.5!

Klein (Arkansas): Side aerial loso. Lovely switch leap to straddle. RO 1.5 lay, hops forward.

Linton (Arkansas): Nails the triple series and the wolf turn before that. Switch to split. Sticks the ro 1.5 lay!

Rodriguez (UK): Double full to start, gets it all the way around. Switch ring to switch half is good. Double tuck. RO 1.5 to barani, great chest position.

Wilson (UK): Ro 1.5 to front lay, good rise. Front through to double tuck, chest down a bit, solid lunge back.

Magnelli (UK): Rudi to loso. Swithc side to popa with some great over extension. Good double pike.

Davis (UK): Good double pike. RO 1.5 to front lay, good height. Double tuck opens a touch late, but fine.

Brose (UK): Great double pike to open. Good position on the leap and wolf full. FHS front full to front lay. STICKS the fhs double full!!

Worley (UK): FTDB, the lunge is for fun. Beautiful leaps, no notes. FHS front full to front lay into a scale choreo. Great! Entire arena into her routine. Double tuck, controlled lunge. FABULOUS. There are tears. So good. One judge went 10. Worth it.

After 3: LSU 148.625, Arkansas 148.350, Kentucky 148.200, Minnesota 148.175

This is going to be CLOSE. LSU has nearly a three tenth lead as it heads to bars. For that coveted second spot, Kentucky is chasing ARkansas, and it’s close. But the Gophers aren’t far behind. If I could watch this next rotation hiding behind a pillow, I absolutely would. Of course, Arkansas is heading to floor in its home arena.

Rotation 4: Kentucky VT, LSU UB, Minnesota BB, Arkansas FX

Procasky (UK): Y full, hops back.

Rizo (UK): Y full, good distance, clean, hop.

Patterson (UK): FHS front pike half, hops it back. So much height!!

Magnelli (UK): Sticks her FHS front pike half and doesn’t move!

Worley (UK): Y full 1.5, good distance, a step forward and to the side.

Wilson (UK): FHS front pike half, tiny step. LOVELY, lovely.

Jeffrey (LSU): Maloney to bail, little wiggly. Hits the last hs. OOh, puts her hands down on the FTDB, just doesn’t have the rotation.

Cowan (LSU): The rest of the LSU lineup can’t miss now. Ray to bail. Good last hs. Double lay, hop in place.

K. Johnson (LSU): Maloney to bail hs, good. Shy on that last hs. STicks the double lay.

McClain (LSU): Huts that first handstand, big release, flies over the bar, lovely. Just a step on the ftdb, great form in the air.

Schoenherr (LSU): Good jaeger. Bail hs. Almost goes over on that last hs. Double front half out, takes a step.

Bryant (LSU): Hits that first hs. Blind to straddle jaeger, great height. Bail to hs. Double front half out, looooked stuck.

Koch (Minn): Hits the BHS loso while Arkansas is going on floor. Beautiful split 3/4. Front toss through to scale. Just a step on that RO 1.5 lay.

Pearl (Minn): BHS LOSO, good. Beautiful leap series, her extension on the straddle quarter is fantastic. Front aerial to beat. Fabulous routine!

Moraw (Minn): Smooth full turn. BHS loso, good. Side aerial. Straddle to straddle 3/4, so good. Sticks the gainer full off the side, chest down low.

Gerdes (Minn): Front aerial. BHS loso. Split to stag ring, bit of a check there, fights. STays on. Gainer full off side, steps.

Horak (Minn): BHS loso, good. Pike to straddle half, definitely wobbled but did some choreo steps. Loso. Half sticks the gainer full off the side, swings her arms but doesn’t move her feet.

Sirjord (Minn): BHS LOSO amid Arkansas floor cheers, good. Switch series, good. BHS gainer full off side.

Gamiao (Arkansas): Everyone standing so my view is obscured. Big lunge in the double pike. Great second pass, quick twisting. Beautiful popa in her leap series. Double tuck, chest a little down, foot shuffle.

Klein (Arkansas): Front lay through ht double tuck, big lunge back but keeps her heel in. Switch side to popa. Good double pike, based on the crowd. I literally cannot see that corner.

Jones (Arkansas): Front double full, totally done twisting before landing it, nice and high. Good height on those leaps. FHS rudi, good chest position.

Smith (Arkansas): LAy front through to double tuck, big lunge back, coudl’ve opened up a touch earlier. Gorgeous popa. Sticks the double pike, chest position good.

Williams (Arkansas): FTDB, the lunge is for fun. RO 1.5 to front lay. SWitch side to popa. Double tuck.

Price (Arkansas): Last routine of the final! High and clean double lay. Most of the Arkansas fans on their feet. SWtich side to popa to popa, “What, like, it’s hard?” Front full to front lay, almost under rotated that.

FINAL: LSU 198.250, Arkansas 197.825 Kentucky 197.475, Minnesota 197.400

Arkansas already crying, the group has a good idea of what’s up. LSU took this by a landslide. Kentucky and Minnesota put up an incredible battle. It was CLOSE.

Individual qualifiers (unofficially)

VT: Hooten (Minnesota)
UB: Blackson (Boise)
BB: Magnelli (UK)
FX: Worley (UK)
AA: Carey (Oregon)

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Live blog by Allison Freeman