Northern Illinois and Florida aim for a strong season debut while Michigan State and Nebraska look to build momentum from week one in this week two quad meet. Michigan State sits near the top of the standings, trailing only the last two national champions. Now, the Spartans return to the arena where their season ended a year ago, hoping to become the third team to break the 197 mark this season. To do so, they’ll need another powerful vault rotation, with key performances expected from Sage Kellerman and Nikki Smith.
Nebraska competed in an unstreamed meet last week, making this the first real opportunity for many to see the Huskers in action. Emma Spence got off to a promising start, so keep an eye on her to post top scores across multiple events.
Northern Illinois, under interim head coach Dawnita Teague, will be making its season debut. With the loss of standout Emmalise Nock, the Huskies will rely on their freshmen to step up and fill the gaps. Meanwhile, Florida looks to open the season with a 197-plus score and match Michigan State’s level of competition. Riley McCusker is set to return from injury, and the Gators’ roster will get an additional boost from the likely debut of Ly Bui, who joins the team ahead of schedule to add depth to an already formidable lineup.
Rotation 1: Florida vault, Northern Illinois bars, Nebraska beam, Michigan State floor
Kraus (NIU): Loose form in the Maloney to pak combo and falls on the catch of the pak. Remounts and hops onto the highbar and bounds forwards out of the double tuck dismount. 8.975
Pilgrim (UF): Big Y1.5 with a medium hop forward. Good open hips. 9.8
Beaufait (MSU): Crossover step out of the front double full. Clean switch ring and not fully pointed back leg in the switch ring half. The punch out of the back 1.5 was off and the front layout was low because of that, but around. 9.7
Wong (UF): Small hop back on her half on half off piked. Not the most square block, but good height. 9.875
Kraus (NEB): Wobble on the full turn. Lean on the bhs loso, Great positions on the hitch kick to switch half. Clean cartwheel. Lack of amplitude on the dismount, but stuck the cartwheel gainer full. 9.825
Bui (UF): Seemed to come in a little short on the Y1.5 without some height, but only seemed to take a small step back. 9.775
White (NIU): Clear hip to geinger with feet and leg separation. Hit the bail, muscles up the cast on the high bar. Just a small hop back on the double layout. 9.55
Blakely (UF): Good height and great distance on the Y1.5 but a large step forward. 9.775
Skion (NEB): Great leg form in the bhs loso. The cat leap to switch half was a little under. Super precise full turn. Undercooks the bhs back 1.5 dismount and takes a small step back. 9.75
Kalefe (MSU): Front full, misses the punch to the front layout after so her feet skid a bit on the landing. Under on the front double full as well with a step back. 8.3
Ferris (UF): Saw a stuck 1.5 from the corner of my eye. 9.95 I guess so.
Spence (NEB): Came in at the end to see a clean switch to split and a back 1.5 dismount with a small hop. 9.85
Anderson (NIU): Only saw the dismount sequence and she was over on the half turn and and then fell on the dismount. 9.1
Harris (UF): Underrotaed the Y1.5 and hopped back. Looked off directionally too. 9.8
McClelland (NEB): Hit the wolf turn and bhs loso series. Great height on her jumps for the split beat stag sequence. Great amplitude on the dismount as well which was a tucked back 1.5 with a small step. 9.875
Lots of judges conferences on floor it seems.
Harkness (MSU): Controlled full in. Good rotation on the tour jete half to split full. A little low on the front tuck through to double tuck and stepped forward. 9.775
Stephen (MSU): Big front tuck through to Rudi and the front foot scooted back when she lunged. Great height on the jumps. Good control on the front double full. 9.85
Smith (MSU): Feet on the full in and a low chest on landing and slight step in place. The switch half to Popa was quite weird, and seemed off. The front tuck through to double tuck was controlled, just flexed feet. 9.75
After 1: Florida 49.200, Nebraska 49.175, Michigan State 48.900, Northern Illinois 46.925
Nebraska started with a really strong beam rotation and will be glad to start the meet that close to Florida. Florida had some early season landing errors on vault, but that is expected to be built upon as the season progresses, Northern Illinois struggled from some falls on the opening bars rotation, but some more notable schools also had multiple falls on bars in their debut so its all good. Judging conferences made that floor roation long, and while it was more likely the early season endurance, the landings were not there for Michigan State today. Skye Blakely is slated to make her bard debut earlier than expected this season by competing in the next rotation so stay tuned.
Rotation 2: Michigan State vault, Florida bars, Northern Illinois beam, Nebraska floor
Hsu (MSU): Big Yfull with some closed hips and a small hop back. 9.7
Sl Blakely (UF): Clean Maloney to pak. Half slightly over, but stuck the double front dismount. 9.9
Simpton (NEB): Had to tuck the salto out of the back 1.5. Didn’t get the punch. Takes multiple steps out of the double tuck, might have gone out of bounds. 9.45
Pilgrim (UF): Clean pak and handstand. Hit the toe on the VL. Some feet on the dismount, but sticks it like she did in warmups. 9.925
Rourke (NEB): Sky high double pike and ran it out of bounds. Switched to beam, but she controlled the double tuck to end. 9.55
Sallee (NIU): Bent knees and feet on the bhs loso. Didn’t hit the positions on the split to split 3/4s. Wobble on the side aerial. Leg separation and hop back on the back 1.5. 9.5
McCusker (UF): Clean Maloney to pak. Hit the VL. Totally messed up the dismount though and crashed on the landing. 9.1
O’Shea (NIU): Solid front tuck mount. That was great. Feet and a leg up wobble on the bhs loso series. Short of split on the switch switch combo. Hit the full turn. Step forward on the back 1.5. 9.55
Stephen (MSU): Huge Y1.5 with great speed on the runway, but too much power because she takes a giant step forward. 9.8
Sk Blakely (UF): Ricna to pak with leg sep on the pak. Held the hs and good finish to the half before the double front half out dismount where she had a step back. 9.725
McClelland (NEB): Big bounding step out of the front double full. Rotation was a little funky on the switch half to Popa to straddle jump. Great Rudi to loso combo. The loso was really floaty. 9.775
Kellerman (MSU): Seems to stick her front pike half, wasn’t fully watching the vault, but that was the reation. 9.875
Brown (NIU): loso loso was secure. Good position on the cat leap to switch side. Small hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.75
Harris-Miranda (UF): Good catch on the Ray. Hit the bail. Great last cast, and good finish to the giant full before the double layout that had a small hop. 9.825
Spence (NEB): Big double pike with a large lunge back. Doesn’t keep control of that. Good posiitons on the leaps. Jumps to the lunge on the front through to double tuck. 9.75
Wong (UF): Clean Maloney to pak, VL was hit. Sticks the double layout. 9.95
Kraus (NEB): Large lunge on the double tuck, but seems to not move front foot. Great height on the back 1.5 to front layout and controlled it. Under on the double pike and lunged forward with a low chest. 9.75
After 2: Florida 98.525, Michigan State 97.925, Nebraska 97.825, Northern Illinois 95.025
Florida opened its lead in the second rotation due to some stuck landings on bars and some not so stuck landings for Michigan State on vault and Nebraska on floor. If you go back and watch any of this meet, hopefully Kiera O’Shea’s beam routine was shown on the broadcast because although most of the routine on the beam was not great, how she got onto the beam with the front tuck mount was stellar.
Rotation 3: Nebraska vault, Michigan State bars, Florida beam, Northern Illinois floor
Kuenemann (NEB): Not the most height on the Yfull, and a large step back. 9.625
Stephen (MSU): Good amplitude on th Maloney to bail. Chest down on the FTDT dismount to hold the stick. 9.85
Pilgrim (UF): Solid bhs loso. Hits the full turn. Smooth cat leap to front aerial. Clean positions on the switch to split leap. Sticks the bhs gainer full. 9.875
McClelland (NEB): Similar dynamics to her Yfull, but seemed to keep twisting as she hopped on the landing. 9.6
Blakely (UF): Smooth front aerial to bhs. Hit the switch to switch half to beat. Stuck the gainer full. 9.925
Harbeck (NIU): Ended with a fall on the double pike. 9.3
Doyle (MSU): Clean jaeger. Super high pak, not sure how that was caught. Bounced in place on the double tuck landing after the giant full. 9.85
Nguyen (UF): Clean Onodi to bhs. Small hesitation on the full turn. Hits the switch to split. Small leg cross in the twisting on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.85
Jencks (NEB): Nice body position on the Yfull and just a small hop back. 9.8
White (NIU): Big step oob on the double pike. Good rotation on the tour jete half to split full. Hit the combo pass. Falls on the double tuck. 8.875
Kellerman (MSU): Good height on the jaeger. Hit the bail. Great height on the double layout and stuck the dismount. 9.925
Sikon (NEB): Almost a copy and past of Jencks vault with the body position and landing. 9.775
Sallee (NIU): Hit the front double full to fron tuck connection. Good leap rotation. Some leg crossing on the Rudi to back full. That was fun. 9.65
Wong (UF): Hit the switch mount to split leap. Great bhs loso. Clean full turn. Stuck the gainer tucked full of the end. A little squaty though. 9.95
Spence (NEB): Soft knees in the air on her Y1.5. Good distance, not as much height. Hop forward. 9.8
Brown (NIU): Big uncontrolled lunge on the double pike. Switched over to beam in the middle but ended with a double tuck with a large lunge. 9.825
Harris-Miranda (UF): bhs loso bhs with a small check. Seemed off. Hit the switch to split. Solid front toss. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount. 9.9
Anderson (NIU): Back half to Rudi with a low chest on the landing and an attempt to stick. Hit the leap combo. Crossed legs in the front double full. 9.75
After 3: Florida 148.025, Michigan State 147.350, Nebraska 146.650, Northern Illinois 143.250
Florida continued its momentum on beam and Michigan State fed off of that energy to get a great bars score. Both teams honed in on landings that rotation. Nebraska would have wanted some more landings there, but the vaults themselves are going to need to be bigger to really compete in the Big-Ten. Northern Illinois has multiple three pass routines which is great to see, but the early season endurance issues could be seen at the end of those routines.
Rotation 4: Northern Illinois vault, Nebraska bars, Michigan State beam, Florida floor
White (NIU): Good size Yfull, only the slightest closed hips, and a small hop. 9.825
Kalefe (MSU): Extra arm wave on the full turn. Very secure bhs bhs loso. Slight hesitation between the switch and tuck full. Bounce in place on the gainer full. 9.85
Harbeck (NIU): Slightly bigger full with similar slight piking and a larger hop back. 9.675
Duplissis (MSU): Secure triple series and full turn. The split 3/4s was short of split. Hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.8
Simpton (NEB): Maloney to bail with lose form and arch on bail. Stuck the double layout dismount though. 9.725
Lazzari (UF): Fell on the front double full. A little off on rotation on the triple jump combo. Clean back 1.5 to front layout to stag. 9.05
Sikon (NEB): High jaeger, some feet, connected to an overshoot that was a little loose. Step on the double tuck dismount. 9.675
Sissi (NIU): Kind of whipped around the rotation on that full, with little height or distance and a hop. 9.625
Zsarmani (MSU): Great connection with the piked front toss to bhs. Good amplitude on the cat to switch side. Hit the full turn. Stuck the back 1.5. 9.925
O’Shea (NIU): More distance on her full, some piking, and a large step back. 9.7
Clark (UF): Big double layout and jumped into the lunge. Tour jete half to split full had great amplitude. The front tuck to double tuck also had great amplitude, but the front foot slided on the landing. 9.875
Brenner (NIU): Similar hip position in her full with a small hop back. 9.725
Stephen (MSU): Slight adjustement on the laid out front toss. Another slight adjustement on the full turn. Lean on the bhs loso. Great amplitude. Hit the jump combo. Stuck the double full. 9.9
Wong (UF): Controlled the double layout. Hit the rotation on the switch half to Popa to Popa. Clean landing on the back half to front full. 9.95
Brubach (UF): Bounces out of the front layout to Rudi. Might have gone oob. Feet on the switch half to wolf full wolf full. Almost fell on the double tuck, but I think she kept her knee up as she lunged forward. Large deduction either way. 9.175
FINAL: Florida 196.675, Michigan State 196.650, Nebraska 195.600, Northern Illinois 191.950
Florida was on track to score over 197 until the last routine. The floor landings are also what ultimately kept Michigan State from also reaching 197 tonight as Michigan State had a great night after the first rotation. The Spartans and Gators will have to wait at least another week to break that mark. Early season floor issues happened for every team tonight, but there is a lot to build on going into the rest of the season.
VT: Ferris 9.95
UB: Wong 9.95
BB: Wong 9.95
FX: Wong 9.95
AA: Wong 39.725
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
