George Washington opened its season last week with a performance that would be considered a slow start. While George Washington did not have to count any falls, there were multiple lower scores counted with typical early season issues. Even with those first-week jitters, George Washington sits atop the EAGL rankings and will look to continue building against North Carolina. The Tar Heels are at the opposite end of their conference rankings after their highest opening meet road score. That score could have been even higher to open week one with a better floor rotation.
Floor posed early season challenges to both teams, so this meet may come down to the final two rotations. Kendall Whitman for George Washington and JoJo Valahovic for North Carolina both fell last week and are expected to be key contributors on that event moving forward, so watch for them to try to bounce back. North Carolina had a strong beam rotation to open the season, especially Gwen Fink, who recorded a 9.900. Look for her to make an impact in that lineup.
Rotation 1: North Carolina vault, George Washington bars
Knower (UNC): Early twist on the table on her Yfull. Small hop back. Didn’t get the height or distance she usually gets. 9.775
Safran (GW): Leg separation and fall on the opening Maloney. Repeats and catches and connects to a bail that was a little crocked. Took a large step forward on the double layout dismount. 8.775
N. King (UNC): Open hips in the yfull. Good distance, but not a lot of height. Bounce back. 9.775
Tyerar (GW): Hit jaeger. The pak was a little off, leg separation and might have been too close. Has to muscle up a clear hip on the high bar and goes into a giant full and does not have the momentum so she falls. Goes up to reattempt the clear hip and does not get it over and comes off again. Reattempts the giant full and gets it, and barely gets the double tuck dismount around with a large step forward. 8
E. King (UNC): Bent arms and closed shoulders on the block on her Yfull. Less distance than her sister. Small hop forward. 9.65
Burke (GW): Big leg separation on the geinger. Rushed the clear hip to bail, but hits it. Big step back on the double layout. 9.675
Valahovic (UNC): Big Y1.5. Great form in the air and good block, but a huge hop forward on the landing. 9.65
Katz (GW): Much cleaner an patient clear hip to bail. Hit the tkachev on the high bar. Only slightly over on the giant full before the double tuck and sticks it. 9.775
Forbes (UNC): Just does the Yfull, gets good height and distance. A small hop back. Flairs out her arms on the landing. 9.775
DeHaan (GW): Piked jaeger to overshoot which was caught super closs with bent elbows on both. Step forward on the double tuck dismount. 9.5
Dekanoidze (UNC): Good height and distance on the Yfull. Lands with her chest a little forward and waves her arms to try to hold the stick, looks like she shifted her feet a little though. 9.825
Montevago (GW): Clean toe on to Ray. The Ray had great height, but bent elbows on the catch. Clean bail. Bent elbows on the toe on and stalder before the double tuck dismount which she stuck. 9.825
After 1: North Carolina 48.800, George Washington 47.550
George Washington had a goal of hitting 24 for 24, and the prospects of that ended early with falls on each of the first two routines and some struggles throughout. The back half of that lignup was strong though. The vaults from North Carolina lacked the dynamics and landings to get the big scores, but Valohovic will have the scoring potential once she figures out the landing on her vault.
Rotation 2: George Washington vault, North Carolina bars
Safran (GW): Lack of amplitude on her Yfull, pike down and a hop. 9.6
Knower (UNC): Feet and leg separation on geinger. Slightly crocked on the bail. Good amplitude on the FTDT and small hop forward. 9.725
Katz (GW): Stuck Yhalf. Square on the table and just a slightly close hip position. 9.85
N. King (UNC): Agressive toe hand to Maloney to pak. Leg separations. Good stalder to double tuck dismount with a small hop. Feet on the dismount. 9.7
Burke (GW): Pikes down on the Tsuk full. Small hop back. Good dynamics. 9.775
Forbes (UNC): Good height on the Maloney to bail combo. Feet on the FTDT and a small hop forward. 9.725
Montevago (GW): Whips around her Yfull. Pikes down the landing and has a hop back. Square block. 9.725
Fink (UNC): Feet on the jaeger. Great height on that. Clean bail. Leg separation on the double layout dismount, but great position on landing and just scooches her feet together. 9.775
Whitman (GW): Fhs front pike half with great dynamics. Good chest position on the landing and a small hop back. 9.825
Schaefer (UNC): Super clean jaeger. Hits the bail. Feet on the FTDT with a stuck landing. 9.875
DeHaan (GW): Big Yfull, but comes in a little low with a deep landing, but stuck it. 9.85
Dekanoidze (UNC): Very clean Maloney to pak with the legs glued together. Steps the left foot into her right foot upon landing the double layout. Probably looks stuck from one judge and not the other. 9.9
After 2: North Carolina 97.800, George Washington 96.575
George Washington had a great vault rotation. There were multiple stuck landings are almost stuck landings on difficult vaults. The variety was great to see as well. North Carolina had some strong release combinations on bars, especially in the later parts of that lineup. Bars is looking to be the strongest event for the Tar Heels consistently for another season. Beam was strong for North Carolina last week though, so the next rotation will give a hint as to whether that can be consistant.
Rotation 3: North Carolina beam, George Washington floor
Naranjo (UNC): Quick full turn. Great rhythm on the front aerial to loso which was solid. Great beat to switch half to wolf jump. Small hop on the back 1.5 dismount. Great. 9.85
Kazmierski (GW): Double back out of a ro. Large lunge, but kept the front foot down. Hit the rotation on the triple jump combo. Controlled the front layout to front full. Large lunge, but controlled on the Rudi. 9.775
Valahovic (UNC): Wobble on the full turn. Slight lean on the bhs loso. Clean switch to switch half to beat. Couldn’t see split angles. Tiny hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.85
Burke (GW): Double front with a controlled step out. Slightly deep landing. Controlled the double pike. Great difficulty. Hit the switch side half to shushonova half. Clean front full to front layout. 9.825
Schulze (UNC): Feet on the bhs loso. Slight lean. Hit the switch to split 3/4s. Solid side aerial. Small step in place with one foot on the bhs gainer full. Not the most height on that, and some pike down. 9.725
Izzo (GW): Controlled double pike to open. Clean back 1.5 to front layout. Precise landing finish to the jumps. She is a biomedical engineering major geez. Low chest on the double back and a step forward. 9.75
Fink (UNC): Smooth switch to switch. Off to the side on the bhs loso loso series and fell. Clean full turn. Bounce in place on the bhs gainer full. 9.075
Sheremeta (GW): Controlled back 1.5 to front layout. Hit the switch ring to switch half to wolf full. Nice positions. Solid Rudi. Step back on the switch ring half. 9.8
Knower (UNC): Great amplitude on the loso series. Clean switch to split half. Arm wave on the full turn. Big leg up wobble on the front toss. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.625
DeHaan (GW): Love the dramatic chereography. Great height and control on the double pike. Rudi to straddle and flies backwards. Hit the jump combo. Clean front full to front loso. 9.85
McBride (UNC): Solid side aerial loso. Slow connection between the cat leap and switch side. Small hop on the front toss. Hop forward on the side aerial to 1.5. 9.75
Whitman (GW): Low double front and lands in a low squat and step back. Great controll on the front double full to front layout. I am enjoying all of the Shushonovas in jump combos. Controlled front double full. 9.75
After 3: North Carolina 146.600, George Washington 145.575
North Carolina looked like it would repeat its beam performance from last week after the first two routines, but then some wobbles and a fall hurt the rotation’s scoring potential. George Washington had great floor endurance for it being week three and having so many three pass routines. North Carolina will be looking to show that same endurance in the next rotation while George Washington will look to avoid the wobbles the Tar Heels had.
Rotation 4: George Washington beam, North Carolina floor
Izzo (GW): Solid bhs bhs loso. Hit the switch to straddle quarter. Wobble on the full turn. Step forward on the back 1.5. 9.75
Naranjo (UNC): Low chest on the double pike and hops to the lunge. Great finish to the switch full to straddle. Clean front layout to front full. Hit the switch half to wolf full. Slightly off on the rotation. 9.775
Whitman (GW): Slight waiver on the front aerial to round off. Slightly off on the switch jump to split. Step back on the gainer front full. Lands at a diagnol. 9.65
Valahovic (UNC): Feet on te full in and slides the front foot back. Hops into the lunge after landing with a low chest on the front tuck through to double tuck. Hit the tour jete full to Popa. 9.825
Montevego (GW): Feet on the bhs loso. Weird arm position on the switch to straddle quarter. Slow connection between the beat and front aerial and bends over at the waist. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.7
Fink (UNC): Low chest on the double pike, but looks to have controlled the landing. Larger step on the back 2.5. Lack of split in the switch ring to switch half to wold full combo. Looked to do a back 1.5 to front layout, but missed the punch and landed on her back. 8.75
Peters (GW): Lean on the wolf 1.5 turn. Solid sidea aerial loso. Lean on the switch to straddle. Hop forward on the switch to gainer pike dismount. 9.825
My stream was good for so long and is now starting to buffer.
Forbes (UNC): Feet on the open full in, but great height and landing. Clean front layout front full. Rotation slightly off in the leaps. Feet on the double tuck and moves the front foot sideways on the landing. 9.875
Sherameta (GW): Great toe point on the bhs loso. Great rhythm on the split leap to switch half. Bent at the waist on the side aerial. Clean full wolf turn. Great scale. Low chest and a step forward on the gainer tucked full off the end. 9.8
Knower (UNC): Slightly low chest on the full in with a controlled landing. Almost got the tour jete full around. Controlled the front full front layout. Slight lack of control of the tour jete half to split full. 9.825
DeHaan (GW): Nice bhs mount. Lean on the bhs loso. Hit the full turn. Slow cat leap to switch side. Feet on the side aerial before the tucked back 1.5 that was stuck. 9.875
Miller (UNC): Step forward out of the front through to double tuck. Holds the landing position of the triple jump combo. Controlled the double pike. Slightly low chest. Good position in the switch ring half at the end. 9.85
FINAL: North Carolina 195.800, George Washington 194.525
George Washington averaged about a 49.000 on the last three events after the rough bars rotation. Ending the meet that strong will be a good indicator for stronger scores to come. North Carolina also wants some of those scores back on vault or beam to reach that 196 mark, but that was an increase in score by over half a point from last week.
VT: Katz, DeHaan 9.85
UB: Dekanoidze 9.9
BB: DeHaan 9.875
FX: Forbes 9.875
AA: DeHaan 39.075
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
