It all comes down to this to determine the final two teams to qualify for the 2024 NCAA Championships! Both round two sessions featured upsets, so will we have more tonight?
The top two seeds, No. 3 California and No. 6 Denver, both won their respective round two sessions after trailing early starting on vault. That was a tightly-scored event all day, but their abilities to stay calm and battle back regardless of starting in fourth shows they’ve got the composure to be the easy favorites to advance this evening as well. Both team’s duo of all arounders, Golden Bears Mya Lauzon and eMjae Frazier and Pioneers Jessica Hutchinson and Madison Ulrich, all looked in top form and ready to lead their programs to back-to-back national semifinals.
Today’s other two competitors, Stanford and Arizona State, pulled off upsets over Auburn and UCLA, respectively, to earn spots in tonight’s final. They each had one of their most complete performances of the year to qualify rather than relying on the seeded teams to count major mistakes, meaning they could be lurking for another upset if either of our favorites falter. Arizona State’s Hannah Scharf and Stanford’s Chloe Widner are the fifth-year stars of their squads and will be fighting for at least one more meet competing alongside their teammates (Widner is an unofficial qualifier as an individual).
Follow along with video (ESPN+) and scores!
Rotation 1: Stanford Vault, Denver Bars, California Beam, Arizona State Floor
Casali (DU): Toe on, Maloney to bail, some foot separation and flex, nice last handstand, dismounts double layout, stuck cold. 9.875
Li (Cal): Mounts with some low beam work, front aerial LOSO, bit of a pause but kept the arms moving, full turn, strong leg kick, split jump to ring jump, small check, dismounts tucked gainer full off the front of the beam, once again I can’t see beam landings. 9.825
Rorich (DU): Blind to Jaeger, falls over on the handstand and hops off, remounts, bail, tight form, dismounts double layout, hop in place. 9.325
Gregoire (ASU): Gets underway with a wolf full, full-in, chest a tad low but controlled, switch side half straddle full, FHS Rudi LOSO, no issues. 9.850
Cesario (Cal): Starts with full turn, BHS LOSO, some pause before, switch leap to switch half, low front leg in the half, dismounts RO 1.5, small hop. 9.850
Widner (Stan): FTY. Clean block, slight pike, slide back. 9.825
Kimmy Smith (ASU): Opens with a double pike, slide back in the lunge, FHS front full front layout, easy, tour jete half straddle full, lovely pointed toes, dismounts double tuck. 9.825
Frazier (Cal): Low beam work to begin, full turn, front aerial LOSO, tiny adjustment, split jump ring jump, cartwheel 1.5, looked like a hop forward. 9.800
Gutierrez (Stan): Y1.5. Shoulder angle on the block, still so much power, small hop in place. 9.850
White (ASU): Nice front double full to start, RO 1.5 front full, solid landings, switch ring to switch half, great ring position. 9.900
Hutchinson (DU): Great opening handstand, Maloney to Pak, smooth, nice half pirouette, dismounts double layout, sticks it. 9.900
Roberts (Stan): Y1.5. So much power off the table, big lunge forward, soft feet in the air. 9.825
Perea (Cal): Easy wolf turn, front toss back tuck, quick today, switch leap split jump beat jump, hitch kick side somi tucked 1.5, small hop. 9.875
Mundell (DU): Crisp Tkatchev and bail, hits the handstand before dismounting with a stuck double layout, chest forward to fight for it.
Scharf (ASU): Mounts with a front tuck to double tuck, problem-free, FHS front full front tuck, money, switch half wolf full, clean, fully rotated, dismounts double pike, chest down but no issue with the lunge. 9.900
Totals: Stanford 49.140, Denver 49.400, California 49.400, Arizona State 49.375
We’ve got a close one here in Berkeley after one! The Pioneers and Golden Bears started strong on good events for each team, but weren’t able to outpace the hot Sun Devils who continue to roll this weekend. Vault once again looks to be tight-scoring, so a low 49 isn’t a bad start for the Cardinal either. It’s anyone’s game at this point, with stuck landings looking to be more crucial than ever.
Rotation 2: Arizona State Vault, Stanford Bars, Denver Beam, California Floor
White (ASU): FTY. Nice block, good distance, big hop back. 9.775
Iwai (DU): Low on the beam to start, switch leap straddle 1/4, BHS LOSO LOSO, full turn, tiny check, cartwheel gainer full. 9.850
Williams (Cal): Good landing on the Rudi, Sissone to ring leap full, RO 1.5 front layout, beautiful. 9.925
Sorrento (Stan): Toe on, Maloney to Pak, good, same with the low bar pirouette and final handstand, sticks the double layout. 9.900
Cesario (Cal): RO 1.5 front full to mount, lots of height in both saltos, switch leap to switch ring half, lowish front leg, closes with a double tuck, so much power, chest all the way up. 9.925
Fall from Denver on beam, Hebinck. 8.250
Neault (Stan): Maloney to Pak, hits the half pirouette, dismounts toe full to double tuck, stuck and hit the pirouette very well. 9.850
Reeves (ASU): Tucked Y1.5. Bent arms on the table, step back on the landing. 9.725
Mayhew (Cal): Opens front double full front pike, bouncy in a good way, good leap series, closes with a RO 1.5 front full, controls it well. 9.925
Alexeeva (Stan): Toe half to piked Jaeger, flawless, excellent toes, giant full to double tuck, sticks it. 9.925
Ulrich (Stan): BHS LOSO, secure, switch leap switch side, front aerial, tiny lean, BHS 1.5 dismount. 9.825
Lauzon (Cal): Opening front double full front tuck is stuck cold, switch ring to switch half, lovely positions in the air, finishes with RO 1.5 front full, another smooth landing. 9.950
Roberts (Stan): Mounts with a nice first handstand, Pak, legs stuck together, toe on, Shaposh half, fluid, dismounts double layout with a hop. 9.850
Frazier (Cal): Massive double layout, great leap series, ring jump, fantastic, ends with a front tuck to double tuck, problem-free. 9.975
Anaya Smith (ASU): Y1.5. Comes in just a bit short, step back. 9.725
Widner (Stan): Tkatchev, lovely, giant full to bail, crisp, dismounts double layout, leg separation but stuck. 9.950
Li (Cal): A swap for Jordan Kane from original lineups, small foot slide after the double layout lunge, slays the Memmell turn, FHS front full front layout, good shape, switch leap switch ring half.
Rotation Totals:Â Arizona State 49.075, Stanford 49.475, Denver 49.225, California 9.900
Totals: California 99.100, Denver 98.625, Stanford 98.625, Arizona State 98.450
What a floor rotation from the Golden Bears! A new program record gives Cal a good lead heading into the lowest-scoring event, giving it some cushion to potentially have a stress-free finishing bars lineup. Denver and Stanford are battling it out for second! The Cardinal get the edge, having already finished vault, and the Pioneers have looked a bit shaky, having to offset two early lineup falls through two rotations. This is going to come down to the wire!
Rotation 3: California Vault, Arizona State Bars, Stanford Beam, Denver Floor
Williams (Cal): FTY. A bit low off the table but no issues getting it around, small hop. 9.825
Rorich (DU): Mounts with a front tuck to double tuck, chest a tad low, switch side straddle full x2, knees down on the closing double pike. 9.075
Mayhew (Cal): Y1.5. Big block, lays it out for the landing, small hop forward. 9.850
Robinson (Stan): Low to the beam to start, BHS LOSO, no issues, switch leap to split jump, nice splits, hitch kick side aerial beat jump, a tad off but covered without a hitch, full turn, dismounts RO 1.5, hop forward. 9.825
Iwai (DU): Begins with a RO 1.5 front layout to stag jump, great, switch full, double tuck, good chest position, switch half straddle full, cleanly around. 9.875
Frazier (Cal): DTY. Some soft knees but nearly stuck, tiny hop in place. 9.900
Samiley (ASU): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, smooth, hits her handstands, dismounts double layout, stuck. 9.900
Lauzon (Cal): Y1.5. Lovely form, stuck from my angle. 10!
Casali (DU): Opens with Rudi to back layout, right to the corner but doesn’t lunge to stay in bounds, tour jete half to wolf jump full x2, RO BHS 2.5 front tuck, easy. 9.875
Alexeeva (Stan): Flexing on everyone with some impressive handstand work to get underway, hits the wolf double, BHS LOSO, solid, switch half to beat jump, front full dismount with a hop forward. 9.875
Bella Mabanta (DU): Front layout to Rudi, not much height but clean, switch ring half to split jump, RO 1.5 front layout. 9.850
Silvers (Cal): Y1.5. Nice block and distance, hop forward. 9.850
White (ASU): Shaposh half, good, giant half to bail, toe on, hits the last handstand, dismounts double layout, step back. 9.800
Cesario (Cal): FTY. Huge block, flares for the stick. 9.900
Ulrich (DU): Opens with a double tuck, doesn’t grab her legs, too easy, switch side straddle full, RO 1.5 front layout, double pike, tiny slide back with the front foot in the lunge. 9.900
Trinidad (Stan): BHS LOSO, steps back to control but stays on, split jump to ring jump, lovely lines, front aerial, secure, BHS gainer full dismount, big bend to fight for the landing. 9.725
Hutchinson (DU): Well controlled front double full, switch half split full, great legs and knees, RO 1.5 front layout, more great form, Rudi to big straddle jump to end.
Rotation Totals: California 49.500, Arizona State 49.225, Stanford 49.350,Â
Totals: California 148.600, Denver 148.075, Stanford 147.975, Arizona State 147.675
Cal finally broke through on the toughest-scoring event of the weekend to extend its lead heading into its best event. This should be smooth sailing for the Golden Bears. The Pioneers finally got to second, but having to vault is going to be a tricky task to overcome. The Sun Devils are strong on beam and floor has been high-scoring for Stanford, so this is anyone’s spot to grab!
Rotation 4: Denver Vault, California Bars, Arizona State Beam, Stanford Floor
Brusch (DU): FTY. Nice position off the table and in the air, flares it out, near stick. 9.850
Lauzon (Cal): Toe on, Maloney to Pak, great, hits the half pirouette, dismounts FTDT, stuck. 9.850
Dean (Stan): Begins with a Rudi, easy landing, switch full, RO 1.5 front full, a bit off-line, switch side straddle full. 9.850
Cesario (Cal): Giant half to huge Jaeger to overshoot, lots of height throughout, aggressive handstands, stuck double layout. 9.925
Ulrich (DU): Front pike half. Low, chest forward and a hop back. 9.850
Zeng (Stan): Mounts with a front layout to Rudi, could use more height, double tuck, bouncy leap series, not quite sure if she hit every one cleanly at the feet. 9.900
Reeves (ASU): Gets underway with a BHS BHS LOSO, bent arms on the BHS’, switch leap split jump, full turn, front aerial, soft knees, dismounts RO 1.5 tucked, fights for a stick. 9.775
Casali (DU): Y1.5. Great form in the air, goes for the stick, succumbs to a slide back. 9.825
Cluck (Stan): Nice double layout, RO 1.5 front pike, no issues, switch half straddle full, closes with a double tuck, lunged but didn’t need to. 9.750
Clark (ASU): Full turn to start, BHS BHS LOSO, floaty, split jump to double stag, front aerial, standing front full dismount. 9.775
Mundell (DU): Y1.5. Shoulder angle on the table, not much distance but sticks. 9.900
Neault (Stan): Double pike to open, chest low, switch leap to ring leap full, a tad off on the landing, second pass FHS Rudi, pikes it down but no problem with the lunge, ends with a RO 1.5 front layout, huge smile. 9.900
Perea (Cal): Nails the first handstand, toe on, Pak, phenomenal, Shaposh half, as good as it gets, dismounts double layout, hop in place. 9.950
Hutchinson (DU): Y1.5. So dynamic, fast off the table and twisting, stuck. 9.950
Roberts (Stan): Mounts with a front layout to Rudi, switch half straddle full, lots of amplitude, double tuck, so much height. 9.950
Williams (Cal): Maloney to Pak, excellent form, hits her handstands, dismounts double layout, stuck. 9.950
Widner (Stan): Nails the opening pass, switch full, double pike, fantastic landing, switch half staddle full to close. 10!
Rotation Totals: Denver 49.375, California 49.675, Arizona State 49.075, Stanford 49.600
Final: California 198.275, Stanford 197.575, Denver 197.450, Arizona State 196.750
The Bay Area duo are nationals bound! The Golden Bears continued to cruise, as expected, to advance out of their home regional while the Cardinal pulled the upset! Ending on floor, a higher-scoring event, was perfect for Stanford as it also had momentum to culminate in the Widner walk-off perfect 10. Denver got the short-straw finishing on vault, where scores have been tight all weekend and putting up numbers to contest with the rest was always going to be difficult.
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Live blog by Brandis Heffner
