Oregon State and BYU both kicked off their seasons at the American Gold Classic and are now set to go head-to-head in each team’s first dual meet of the year. Oregon State is led by two-time Olympian Jade Carey, who had a phenomenal season debut last week, securing an all-around victory with a score of 39.625. In addition to Carey, keep an eye on Jennifer McMillan on bars and Lauren Letzsch on beam for the Beavers. The performance of the rest of the lineup will be key in pushing Oregon State to the 196-plus scores they’ll be aiming for at this point in the season.
BYU had a solid, consistent start last week but will be looking to add a few more tenths to their score this time around. The Cougars are known for their entertaining floor routines, but bars is where they often rack up their highest scores. While Oregon State comes into the meet as the favorite, BYU shouldn’t be counted out just yet.
Rotation 1: OSU VT, BYU UB
Briones (OSU): Yfull with a small hop back. 9.75
Earl (BYU): Starts with a Maloney, just can’t get her hands around the bar and falls. Restarts her routine, hits the skill and the bail. Whips the dlo around and hops forward. Pressure is on for BYU. 9.1
Buckner (OSU): Yfull, pretty clean in the air with a hop back. 9.7
Alvarado (BYU): Maloney with some leg separation, nice bail. Pretty lines in her handstands. Double layout, stuck. 9.8
Thompson (OSU): Yfull with a tiny foot shuffle. 9.75
Jorgensen (BYU): Big Ray to open, little short on handstand to a good bail. Double layout, lands deep in the knees but sticks it. 9.775
Esposito (OSU): Yfull, lots of height, and a hop back. 9.775
Kirkham (BYU): Maloney, bail, hips a bit closed throughout the routine leading to short handstands. Double layout with a shuffle back. 9.775
Garcia (OSU): Y1.5, not a ton of height, takes a big step over the line. 9.675
Eaquinto (BYU): Maloney, pak, good form on both. Nice handstand positions throughout the routine. Double lay with a small hop back. 9.775
Carey (OSU): Y1.5, in the rafters. Like, she completes the 1.5 twist before she starts coming back down. Small hop forward. 9.9
Bramblett-Wilde (BYU): Falls on her Ray. BYU now counting a fall. Goes to either a very low bail or a very high overshoot. Double lay with a medium hop back. 9.25
Chavez (OSU ex.): Yfull, bit pikey and bent knees, stuck. 9.75
After 1: OSU 48.875, BYU 48.400
BYU counting a fall means that OSU has a relatively comfortable lead after one rotation. Vault scoring was arguably tight compared to other meets, or arguably correct when compared to the code of points. Carey’s vault was stunning, as expected.
Rotation 2: OSU UB, BYU VT
Dudley (BYU): Yfull, some pike down and a big bounce in place. 9.6
Beeman (OSU): Patient first handstand, Maloney to a pak with flexed feet and leg separation. Double tuck dismount, stuck. 9.75
Silva (BYU): Yfull, some bent knees and pike down but stuck! 9.7
Briones (OSU): Maloney, pak, good final handstand, double layout with a hop back. 9.85
Jorgensen (BYU): Full on back pike off, lands with chest down and hops back. Doesn’t quite get her hands all the way around on the table. 9.65
DeVries (OSU): Maloney, pak with a lot of leg separation, double layout with a small hop back. 9.725
Kirkham (BYU): Yfull, some closed hips and a small hop. 9.775
McMillan (OSU): Lovely first handstand, pretty Maloney to bail, goes over on her last handstand and comes off. Ugh, the routine was so beautiful up until then. Double layout with two hops back. 9.275.
Eaquinto (BYU): Yfull, bent knees and pike down, not the most height but stuck. 9.775
Thompson (OSU): Pressure is on to drop McMillan’s score. Gienger, toe on to pak, very pretty. Double layout, lands a little low and short and needs to take a step forward. 9.8
Harsh (BYU): Yurchenko layout half, medium hop forward and flexed feet. 9.65
Carey (OSU): Toe on to Bhardwaj, nice van Leeuwen, huge floaty double layout, stuck. Wow. 9.95
Why am I hearing more about gymnasts’ fathers from the commentators than the gymnasts themselves?
Miller (OSU ex.): Maloney, pak with leg separation, double layout with a hop back. 9.725
After 2: OSU 97.950, BYU 96.950
A really nice bars rotation from Oregon State, easily dropping a fall and highlighted by a huge routine from Carey. Some more tentative vaults from BYU means that Oregon State leads by a full point at the halfway point of the meet.
Rotation 3: OSU BB, BYU FX
Esposito (OSU): Switch leap, switch jump, beat jump. Back layout. Bhs loso, super clean. Good full turn. RO double twist, STUCK. Great leadoff! 9.85
Andersen (BYU): Opens with a switch ring half, doesn’t quite hit the ring position. Punch rudi to straddle jump and lands OOB. Switch ring to switch half, same issues with the ring position. Back 1.5 to front layout, much cleaner. 9.5
Buckner (OSU): Full turn. Bhs loso, solid. Split jump, stag jump, secure. Side aerial is good. Skills generally secure but long pauses right before all of them, BHS 1.5 dismount with a hop forward. 9.8
Long wait for Andersen’s score.
Dudley (BYU): Double pike with a slide back on the lunge. Nice height and full rotation on her leaps. Front full, front lay, clean lunge. Double tuck to close, much more control on her landing. 9.75
Letzsch (OSU): Front aerial to back tuck, super clean but slow connection. Split jump, split ring, beat jump. Hard to judge the ring position from this camera angle. Confident full turn. Front gainer full off the side of the beam, stuck. 9.65, 9.45/9.85 split, oof. Nevermind, score has been upgraded to a 9.85
Kirkham (BYU): Front lay to rudi. High double pike with lovely control on the landing. Short of split on her leap pass. Back 1.5 to punch front, meant to be a layout. 9.65
McMillan (OSU): Front toss to BHS swing down, a little lopsided and wobbles. Quick full turn. Switch leap with nice extension. Split jump to stag jump, seems secure. Gainer full, stuck. 9.6
Magraf-Benson (BYU): Messy switch ring half to open. Rudi bhs onodi, very unique first pass. Very dramatic music. Back 1.5 to front lay, some soft knees in the front lay. 9.7
Gonzales (OSU): Front aerial, back tuck, tiny adjustment and a slow connection, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not credited. Lots of control on the full turn. Cat leap to side aerial, very secure. Switch leap, split leap, tiny bit short of split on both but solid landings. Gainer full, stuck. 9.775, I guess she got the connection.
Eaquinto (BYU): Opens with a huge double pike, the lunge is almost a formality. I can’t quite tell if she hit the ring position on the switch ring half. Back 1.5 to front lay is good. 9.8
Carey (OSU): Easy full turn. Bhs loso, solid. Switch leap, switch half, secure. Front aerial is good. She’s so calm throughout this routine. Gainer full stuck. 9.925
Schooley-Meyers (BYU): Back 1.5 to front lay, front lay is just a tiny bit low. Easily the best ring leap of the rotation. I like the Saturday Night Fever music. Double tuck to close, great landing. 9.75
Garcia (OSU ex.): Full turn is solid. Bhs loso with a leg up check and a hip bobble. Cat jump to switch half to beat jump, solid. RO 1.5 with a hop forward. Definitely nerves there but a good depth option for the Beavers!
Silva (BYU ex.):
Kaloudis (OSU ex.): Switch leap, switch leap, a little short of split but no issues on landing. Bhs loso, bent knees and a tiny check. Nice full turn. Side aerial, great control. Split half on the side of the beam. RO 1.5 twist, a little short with a step back. 9.575
Matern (BYU ex.): Opens with punch front full with a big lunge out of it. Back 1.5 to front layout is cleaner. Closes with a clean rudi. 9.625
After 3: BYU 147.150, BYU 145.600
What a stunning beam rotation from Oregon State! Clean and confident across the board, with two exhibitions. BYU’s floor had some errors, but the routines were entertaining. The Cougars will look to close the meet on a high while the Beavers can enjoy over a point and a half lead with a home floor rotation to go.
Rotation 4: OSU FX, BYU BB
Dudley (BYU): Bhs loso with a small lean to the side. Split jump, straddle quarter with lots of height. Secure full turn. Beat jump to side aerial is good. RO 1.5 twist with a small hop to the side. 9.675
Miller (OSU): Double pike with a gorgeous landing. Switch half to straddle full, good rotation on both. Back 1.5 to front lay, lands a little short but sells it as an almost-stick. Closes with a beautiful double tuck. 9.85
Eaquinto (BYU): Bhs to side aerial, very smooth connection. Full turn is good. Switch half with a very low back leg, beat jump. Cat leap, doesn’t connect it to anything. Bhs gainer full with a small hop. 9.675
Chavez (OSU): Double pike to open with a bounce back in the lunge. Little short of split on her switch half. Back 1.5 to front lay, good. Lots of personality in her dance. Double tuck, good landing. 9.8
Millar-Crossman (BYU): Bhs loso with a stumble and a small leg check. Confident full turn. Cat leap to switch half with an arm swing check. Beat jump, switch half, lovely extension. Front full dismount, stuck. 9.65
Thompson (OSU): Back 1.5 to front lay, good height. Good oversplit and rotation on her switch full to straddle full. Very high double pike with the tiniest foot adjustment on her lunge. 9.8
Margraf-Benson (BYU): Front aerial to back tuck, some soft knees on the aerial but solid landing. Cat leap to front toss, nice and aggressive. Solid full turn. Switch leap, split jump, back foot flexed on both and a tiny check. Front full dismount, stuck. 9.775
Esposito (OSU): Punch front to double tuck, the tiniest bit short but hides it on the lunge. Clean leap pass. Front lay to rudi, so much height and so clean. 9.85
Andersen (BYU): Bhs loso, rock solid. Beat jump to straddle half, nice height. Confident full turn. Cat leap to side aerial, solid. Bhs gainer full with a small scoot back. 9.825
Garcia (OSU): Back 1.5 to front full, stumbles out of it but manages to keep it on her feet. Double tuck to close, but I don’t get to see it because for some reason my stream cut to commercials. 9.625
Ok we’re back.
Kirkham (BYU): Front toss to bhs, bit of a slow connection. Full turn is good. Solid side aerial.Switch leap split jump, good. Oh yikes, trips and then her foot slips on the beam in her round off into her dismount, nearly hits her head on the beam and kicks off the beam cap. She gets back on the beam and gets through the dismount cleanly.
Carey (OSU): Enormous double double to open, WOW. Front lay to front full to scissone, great height and incredibly clean. Double pike to close, bit of a slide on the lunge. 9.95
DeVries (OSU ex.): 1.5 to front full with a good landing. Rudi, quick lunge but holds onto it. 2.5 twists as her third pass, super impressive and well executed.
FINAL: OSU 196.400, BYU 194.200
Oregon State had a great meet, and its 196.400 is an excellent, competitive Week Two score. Carey casually won all four event titles and the all-around today. BYU had some errors and probably recorded more sub 9.700 scores than it wants to, but the potential is there as the season progresses.
Oh, and Carey’s all-around score would have won the Sprouts Quad with OU, LSU, Cal, and Utah.
VT: Carey (9.900)
UB: Carey (9.950)
BB: Carey (9.925)
FX: Carey (9.960)
AA: Carey (39.725)
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