Sunday afternoon brings us a Northern California showdown as the San Jose State Spartans face off against the Sacramento State Hornets. The Hornets are coming off a season-opening victory with a score of 194.700, but they’ll be aiming to break into the 195s today. Vault and floor were challenging last week, and Emma Morgenthaler will play a crucial role in improving those scores.
This will be San Jose State’s season debut, and the Spartans are looking to start strong after reaching the regional play-in meet last year. Five-star recruit Madison Gustitus will make her much-anticipated debut, particularly one to watch on balance beam. The Spartans will be adjusting to the loss of all-arounder Lauren MacPherson, who transferred to Missouri this offseason and are looking for new talent to step up.
San Jose State is in its second year in the Mountain West Conference, but both teams have a long-standing familiarity from their time in the MPSF. With that history, today’s meet promises to be a close and exciting competition.
4:05 and the stream has started, looks like one touch is wrapping up!
Rotation 1: Sacramento State VT, San Jose State UB
Gilman (VT): Yurchenko half, stuck, nice body line and distance. Landing was a touch deep. 9.800
Lopes (UB): Solid handstand, loose back on the toe on. Maloney, bail, nice legs together, bail was a little short of handstand. Good final handstand. Nice bllind full, double tuck with a hop. Nice start 9.700
Wilson (VT): Yurchenko full, hop back. Great distance, piked down a little bit. 9.750
Valuch (UB): Solid handstand, falls on a Piked Jaeger. Hits it the second time, stuck double layout. 9.050
Driessen (VT): Yurchenko full, nearly stuck jsut a small step. Very nicely done in the air. 9.775
Reardon (UB): Maloney, Bail, big leg separation on the Maloney, almost crumbles on the bail. Double layout with a step. That combination will be hit hard on execution deductions. 9.275
Morgenthaler (VT): Yurchenko full, hop and a step back. Great amplitude, hope to see her 1.5 back later this season. 9.700
Weyhmiller (UB): Nice straddled Jaeger, gorgeous handstand after. Pak, leg separation. Great handstand on high bar, double layout with a hop back. 9.725
Zimmerman (VT): Yurchenko full, great block and landing position, step back. 9.750
Kpnieczny (UB): Great handstand, Jaeger is nice. Bail is solid, nice handstands throughout, double layout with a hop. Solid. 9.775
Lutrel (VT): Yurchenko full, bounce back, piked down a touch.
Jurries (UB): Nice handstand, Gienger and falls. Remounts, overshoot, and dismount. 8.65
After 1: Sacramento State 48.825 San Jose State 47.525
A really solid opening vault rotation for Sacramento State, almost four tenths improved from last week! Across the board, their vaults are more dynamic and cleaner than last year. San Jose State struggled to start having to count two missed routines, hopefully the Spartans can pick things up on vault.
Rotation 2: San Jose State VT, Sacramento State UB
Valuch (VT): Stuck Yurchenko full, chest a little low and not a ton of distance, but nice in the air. 9.750
Late lineup change with Rose Wilson out on bars, so there will be a debut from Maliyah James in the anchor spot.
Cohen (UB): Good handstand, Tkatchev is clean, Pak. Very late on the half pirouette on low bar. Double layout, small hop.
Reardon (VT): Great distance on a Yurchenko half, very nice open body position as well. Small hop and knee bend as she approaches the mat 9.725
Judges conference on bars
Morgenthaler (UB): Missed this routine because my internet went out, seems like it was missed 9.350
Jurries (VT): Missed as well. 9.725
Jones (UB): seems like this was hit, missed this as well, 9.725
Pitts (VT): Front handspring pike half, great amplitude, hop and a step back 9.725
Sitzman (UB): Great handstand, Jaeger to overshoot is clean. Final handstand might’ve been a tiny bit short, giant full, finishes well past handstand. Does another giant, double tuck. Going to be a start value issue there with the broken dismount 9.400
Lopes (VT): Stuck Yurchenko full, nice chest position on the landing 9.775, would’ve been cool with that being a touch higher
Another judges conference on bars
Houghton (UB): Good handstand, huge Jaeger, saves a handstand from arching over, Pak, rushing just a little bit. Fights for the stick on the double layout. Needed hit. 9.700
Kirsch (VT): Tucked Yurchenko 1.5, great distance and amplitude, hop forward. 9.800
James (UB): Good handstand. Straddle Jaeger, Pak with a large leg separation. Gorgeous final handstand. Giant full double tuck, big step on the landing. Handstands were a highlight of that routine.
After 2: Sacramento State 96.875 San Jose State 96.300
San Jose State closes the gap with a solid vault rotation, showing two 10.0 start value vaults form Kirsch and Pitts. The amplitude of Pitts’s front handspring pike half was a highlight. Sacramento State struggled a bit on bars having to count two scores in the 9.400s, but some nice pieces throughout that rotation, specifically on handstands. On to beam and floor!
Rotation 3: Sacramento State BB, San Jose State FX
Gilman (BB): Bhs, loso, small knee bend. Side aerial, secure. Straddle jump, straddle 3/4, nice. Back 1.5, small hop, good leadoff routine, nice rhythm throughout 9.825
Valuch (FX): Front double full, small step after. Switch half, Popa, Popa was lacking some split. Back 1.5, front lay, a touch arched on the front layout. Rudi, slide back to finish. Good start, awesome to see San Jose State opening the rotation with an E pass. 9.625, lower than I was expecting, maybe a SV thing?
Morgenthaler (BB): Clean wolf turn. Bhs, bhs, loso very nicely done. Pike jump, straddle half, kind of fakes the last quarter on the straddle jump. Stuck back 1.5, really nice 9.825
Reardon (FX): Popa, Popa, great positions. Double tuck, nice chest position. This choreography is really nice in this routine. Switch leap, switch ring half, missing some ring. Back 1.5, front lay, very messy on the front layout, big step out. 9.650
Zimmerman (BB): Full turn. Bhs, bhs, loso, balance check. Hitch kick, switch side, saves another check. Straddle half form side position, nice. Front gainer full of the side with a step. 9.750
Weyhmiller (FX): Back 1.5, front lay, very clean. Switch leap, switch ring half, flexed foot on the leap. Switch half, wolf full. Double pike, chest a little bit down, but not too severe. 9.750
Jones (BB): Bhs, loso, some bent knees and flexed feet but very secure. Switch leap, split 3/4, nice position on the switch. Side aerial. Back 1.5, tiny hop, nice set. 9.850
Lopes (FX): Double pike, nice amplitude, small shuffle back. Switch side, straddle half, flexed feet. Front tuck through to double back, short and a step forward. 9.600
Lutrel (BB): Bhs, loso, crooked in the air, but very small balance check. Great split position on a split 3/4, tiny balance check on a full turn. Switch leg side aerial, another small balance check. Side aerial, back 1.5 small hop, some tiny issues but minimized deductions very well. 9.825
Gustitus (FX): Clean double pike to open, great chest position. Switch half, wolf full, wolf full, nice split position, Backspin choreography is very fun. Front tuck through to double back, good landing control. Very solid. 9.800
Houghton (BB): Bhs, loso, balance check leg up. Some knees in the series as well. Switch leap, straddle quarter. Straddle jump full, very nice. Full turn. Stuck double full, nice chest position.
East (FX): Excellent amplitude on double tuck, chest a touch low on landing. Switch half, Popa, wolf full, landing positions got less precise throughout the series. Front lay, Rudi, some form in the air, but well controlled. 9.725
After 3: Sacramento State 145.950 San Jose State 144.850
Solid rotations for both teams! Floor will be a strength for San Jose State throughout the season, and Gustitus and East were both impressive in their debuts. Sacramento State looked very secure on beam, the only thing that will hold their scores down is some knee form in acro series, but very solid workout throughout the line up. On to the last!
Rotation 4: San Jose State BB, Sacramento State FX
Macasu (BB): Bhs, loso, lovely extension. Switch leap, switch half. Full turn. Back 1.5, big hop to the side and off the mat. Great until the dismount, also very quick routine. 9.675
Dumas-Guzman (FX): Rudi, split jump, solid. Split leap full, good position. Bhs, loso. Switch half, Popa, Popa, okay landing positions throughout. Front layout, front full, well done. 9.775
Ashton (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso secure. Switch leap, switch half, short of split on the second leap. Bhs, gainer full, stuck. Nice. 9.800
Schmitt (FX): Whip, double tuck, good chest position. Switch side 1/2, straddle jump. Back 1.5, front lay, controlled. 9.75
Lopes (BB): Cat leap, switch half, flexed feet and short of split. Bhs, loso, wobble, knee bend on the loso. Full turn. Side aerial, tuck 1.5 with a hop. Some form issues throughout. 9.625
Houghton (FX): Front lay, Rudi, great twisting form. Switch side 1/2, staddle, good positions. Double tuck is short with a step forward. Got a 9.9 SV from one judge, inquiry is in. 9.625
Kirsch (BB): Candle mount. Bhs, Onodi, balance check. Waver on a full turn. Switch leap, split 1/4 works through a balance check. Bhs, back tuck 1.5 stuck. 9.850
Lutrel (FX): Double pike, great amplitude and keeps her legs together throughout. Front layout, front full. Split full, split full, short of split on both. Double tuck, chest low. 9.750
Gustitus (BB): Switch leap, split jump, excellent amplitude on the split jump. Bhs, loso, secure. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump, great positions again. Full turn. Cartwheel to the knee. Gainer pike with a step, beautiful on the beam, great debut from her! 9.850
Gilman (FX): Double pike, well done. Split full, Popa, good positions on both. Front lay, front full, awkward punch but works out of it okay, might have gone OOB? Double tuck, short with her chest low. 9.600
Weyhmiller (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, balance check. Switch leap, switch half, excellent in the air, but another large balance check. Side aerial, no issues. Gainer full stuck.
Jones (FX): Double tuck, nice chest position. Switch half, Popa, Popa, some flexed feet towards the end. Front lay, front full, controlled. Rudi to finish, large step but keep the front foot down. 9.775
FINAL: Sacramento State 194.625 San Jose State 193.825
Sacramento State takes this meet thanks to strong performances on vault and beam despite its mistakes on bars. San Jose State also struggled on bars, but was able to come back and put together strong performances on the other events, with beam being most impressive. Madison Gustitus had a great debut taking event titles on beam and floor.
VT: Madison Kirsch, Grace Gilman 9.800
UB: Chloe Cohen 9.800
BB: Madison Gustitus, Madison Kirsch, Athena Jones 9.850
FX: Madison Gustitus 9.800
AA: Jaudai Lopes 38.700
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
