There has been so much gymnastics this weekend, and we are on our final day with individual event finals! Lindenwood was crowned the USAG National Champions last night, and what a way to go out in its last competition as a team.
For these finals, the top five athletes in each event from each session in the semi-finals (10 in total per event, including ties) will compete today in their respective events. There were some really standout performances in the first two sessions from athletes like Morgan Price who is the first HBCU athlete to win the All Around title in USAGs! Each team is being represented this afternoon, and all will have a chance to make the podium in their last competition of the season!
Rotation 1: Vault and Beam
VT Baechle (LU): Starting off event finals, Yurchenko full, small step to the left, really nice. 9.600.
BB Maldonado (Talladega): First up on beam, (also LOVE these leos), cat leap to front toss, solid. BHS LOSO, right up really nice. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, good. Beat jump to split 2/4, love the confidence through everything. Dismounts Gainer full off the side, small shuffle. Really nice beam set, looked so confident up there; what a way to represent for Talladega in its first year! 9.800.
VT Johnson (Talladega): Yurchenko 1.5, small step forward, beautiful. 9.875.
BB: Burton (Cornell): Starts off with full turn, good. Front aerial right to side aerial, wow, so good. Switch leap to split jump, great extension. Piked front toss to beat jump, really nice. Dismounts with a round off 1.5, small hop to the left, really nice! 9.800.
VT Jones (LU): Yurchenko full, small hop to the right over the line but such a clean vault! 9.6375
BB: McFarland (WCU): Representing in the home arena, starts off with a BHS LOSO, little adjustment. Side aerial, small adjustment. Really nice switch half, solid. Dismounts 1.5, small hop forward. Beautiful! 9.725.
VT Hoiland (TWU): Yurchenko full, SO BIG and stuck!!! Wow!! That was so good! Such great extension and height off the table. 9.825.
BB: Kraus (LU): Sets up with a really solid BHS LOSO. Love the dance, cat leap to switch half, lifts her foot up a little but saves it well. Dismounts with a BHS Gainer full off the side, small hop back. Love her confidence on beam! . Seeing the score afterward, got a 9.8 start value, so maybe broke a connection? 9.6625
VT Xing (Brown): Yurchenko full, small hop back, a little low chest, but a really nice clean vault! 9.6875.
BB: Beers (Cornell): Cat leap to front toss to beat jump, lands straight up really nice. BHS LOSO a little wave on the arms, but really good. Switch leap to split half, good. Dismounts with a Gainer full off the side. 9.7875.
VT Eskew (WCU): Yurchenko full on tuck off, big step forward, but a nice unique vault in this finals! 9.300.
BB: Wallace (AF): Also LOVING these leos wow. Switch leap to split jump, small adjustment. HUGE BHS LOSO LOSO, perfect. Front toss kick over, good. Loving the cheers from her teammates in the crowd! Gainer full STUCK! 9.8875.
VT: Peart-Williams (Talladega): Yurchenko full, comes up short and puts her hands down on that. 9.0875.
Switching right now, just warming up for the second half of rotation!
After 1:Â After the first half of the first rotation, Wallace of Air Force is in the lead with a 9.8875, and on vault Johnson of Talladega is in first with 9.875. The energy is great in here, so exciting getting to watch everyone one at a time!
Rotation 2: Vault and Beam (Part two)
VT Beers (Cornell): Yurchenko full, stuck straight up COLD. ICE IN THE VEINS. too good. 9.8250.
BB Six (TWU): Starts off with a BHS LOSO, really solid. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, good. Front toss kick over, lands on one leg but keeps it up. Dismounts round off 1.5 stuck!! 9.6125
VT Griswold (LU): Yurchenko full, HUGE, small hop back. Really great height and block there! 9.800.
BB Jones (LU): One last beam, so many emotions. Judging taking forever, sad. Now mounting! BHS LOSO, really nice. Cat leap to switch half to beat jump, good connection on that, gets her back leg up nice on that leap. Dismounts round off1.5, small step forward. What a way to go out on the event! 9.7875.
VT Kenney (UB): Yurchenko half on front tuck, small step forward, another really unique vault in these finals, so good! 9.7375.
BB Johnson (Talladega): BHS LOSO, a little off on that and is off the beam. Remounts with her turn, good. Side sumi, really nice on that. Switch leap to split jump, beautiful extension on that. Dismounts with a punch front rudi, really nice routine after that early mistake, still SO much to be proud of. 9.275.
VT. Bedell (Brown): Yurchenko full, smallest shuffle, really great control on that vault! 9.7875.
BB Kramer (Brown): Brown back to back representing! Side aerial to BHS, looked off from the back, but no wobbles! Split jump to straddle 1/4, good. Switch leap to straddle 3/4, a little chest waver on the landing. Ends with a punch front full, STUCK! Really nice!! 9.800.
VT Isbell (TWU): Yurchenko full, great height on that, small shuffle with one foot back. 9.775.
BB Greene (AF): Full turn, good. Sets up for her series, BHS LOSO, really good, solid. Switch leap, switch leap, hits 180 on both. Gainer LOSO, really nice, love the difficulty. Ends with a round off 1.5, small step forward. Such a good routine and a great showing for Air Force on beam! 9.8125.
VT Price (Fisk): Yurchenko full, small hop forward, a nice routine to get her started off in her three event day today! 9.675
After 2:
Two national champions so far! On vault, Krystin Johnson with a 9.875 makes HISTORY as the first USAG National Champion for Talladega! Clara Wallace of Air Force with a 9.8875 grabs the title on beam! What an exciting opening two rotations and such a big congratulations to both Johnson and Wallace for such a huge accomplishment!
Rotation 3: Bars and Floor
FX Dewar (Brown): First up on floor today, first pass back 1.5 to front full, really nice. Torjete half to straddle full, good. Second pass, a really big double tuck, really great landing! Fun choreo, really involving to whole team. Torjete full down the middle, not too sure if that was all the way around, but what nice way to start off the third rotation! 9.7875.
UB: Slife (AF): Maloney to start off, nice right to Pak, really good. Dismounts with a Toe on to STUCK full in. WOW! 9.8375.
FX Allen (SCSU): First athlete up for SCSU today, huge double pike fight into the corner. Front layout to frnot full, pretty big step on that. Switch side to straddle full, good. Last pass, nice double tuck to close out! 9.800
UB Ferrari (TWU): Mounts in between the bars with a really nice blind to straddle Jaeger down to a straddle back, really good. Dismounts with a big double layout, small step back on the landing, really clean routine! Looked very in control the whole way through. 9.7625.
FX Moylan (Cornell): Floaty front rudi to LOSO to start. Torjete 1/2 to wolf full really nice. FUN choreo! Second pass big double tuck to a small step forward on the landing, really nice! 9.825.
UB Mastellone (SCSU): Opens with a nice handstand to a big Tkachev right to a Pak, struggles on the pirouette a little but saves it well, full in dismount two steps back on the landing, but a nice clean routine. 9.800.
FX Quiana (Cornell): First pass a nice double pike, a little low chest on that landing, but good. Switch ring to Torjete 1/2 ring, good leaps, really difficult. Second pass a front full to front layout, really nice! 9.825.
UB Appleget (LU): Opens with a really nice Geinger to Tkachev, slips but keeps her feet up and keeps going to a STUCK double layout dismount. Low start value from some of the judges at a 9.9, ends with a 9.3875 (most likely counted that as a fall, maybe three tenths?)
FX Beers (Cornell): First pass a front through to double pike, big hop forward a little under rotated. Switch half to split full, one other jump I couldn’t see but ends well. Second pass a STUCK double tuck. WOW. Really nice routine for her! 9.8375.
UB Price (Fisk): Maloney to shoot over, really nice. Dismounts with a full in dismount, small step back. Beautiful execution throughout. 9.8250.
FX Davis (Brown): First pass, a double pike, really good. Such a beautiful routine, so different in the dance. Switch ring to switch ring 1/2. Second pass a back half to front half, maybe supposed to be a full, looks like she missed the punch. Torjete half to split full. Really really nice, will be interesting to see what the start value is here. Ends with a 9.525.
FX Johnson (Talladega): First pass a front through to double tuck really nice. Energy in this routine, I love it. Switch side half to straddle half to straddle, nice. Second pass a huge double pike, small step forward. LOVE IT. What a showing for her at her first nationals! 9.8625.
Rotation 4: Bars and Floor Part Two
On bars after the first half, Slife is in the lead with a 9.8375 on bars with a really close 9.8275 from Price in second place. On floor, Johnson holds the lead with a 9.8625! Ready for this closing rotation!
FX Jones (LU): Opens with a HUGE double pike, really nice. Second pass, front full to front layout, really good. Nice leaps down the middle, ends with a back 1.5 to front layout. Wow, what a last routine as a Lindenwood Lion for Jones! 9.825.
UB: Cooper (LU): Blind to piked Jaeger to shoot over, dismounts with a STUCK double layout! Very much love the celebration afterward. 9.8125.
FX Price (Fisk): BIG double pike, small hop forward. Second front layout to front full, really good control. Switch half to wolf full, split full, great height and extension on that. Ends with a perfect 2.5! What a season for her! Can’t wait to see this in the future. 9.800.
UB: Coleman (WCU): A nice blind to straddle Jaeger to shoot over really great. Ends with a free hip to blind full to double tuck STUCK. The crowd just went CRAZY. 9.8875.
FX Slife (AF): HUGE double pike, perfect landing. Back 1.5 to front layout second pass, really great control and rise. Switch side to straddle full, great. Ends with a really nice double tuck. Such an amazing freshman year for her, so excited to see the rest of her career at Air Force! 9.90.
UB Zarlengo (TWU): Nice blind to piked Jaeger to start. Shoot over, a little legs apart but great. Ends with a stuck double layout! Really nice routine! 9.80.
FX Griswold (LU): Last routine! I am emotional again. First pass a HUGE double pike, so good. Nice leaps into her second pass of a front full to front layout, a little cross over step but covers it good. Ends with perfect double tuck. So good. Such a way to go out! 9.8625.
UB Kraus (LU): Big Ray to shoot over, a little loose on the catch on the shoot over. Full in, small hop back to close out! Really nice clean routine! 9.8375.
FX Kelly (SCSU): First pass a nice front layout to front full to front tuck, a little low on that landing. Second pass a double tuck, another chest low but keeps it up well. Nice routine for SCSU! 9.7500.
UB Farrell (Brown): Closing out for Brown, Shaposh a little leg separation to a Pak, good. Blind full to double tuck, fights for the stick and gets it! 9.8375.
FX Williams (Centenary): Representing for Centenary! Love this choreo already! Opens with a nice double tuck, lots of power and controls it well! Second pass back 1.5 to front pike, a little short but keeps it up. Really nice routine! 9.6625.
FX Casacadden (WCU): Closing it out at home for West Chester in her home arena, too excited!! Starts off with a BIG double pike, super clean landing. Front layout to front full, hop forward but keeps it in bounds. Switch side to straddle full, ends with back 1.5 to front tuck a little squatty but keeps it up!
After 4:
Such an exciting event finals! In addition to Johnson and Wallace, Coleman will get the title on bars for West Chester with a 9.8875 for SUCH a great routine on bars! On floor, Slife of Air Force will the floor title with a 9.9! This was such an exciting weekend, and so nice to see so many teams represented so well in this last day. Big congratulations to EVERYONE! Three days in a row after a long season is so hard, and the energy was up the whole time. SO. MUCH. FUN.
Event Winners (USAG National Champions!!)
VT: Johnson (Talladega) 9.875
UB: Coleman (West Chester) 9.8875
BB: Wallace (Air Force) 9.8875
FX: Slife (Air Force) 9.90
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Live blog by Julianna Roland
