The Florida and LSU rivalry is always one gymnastics fans look forward to every year. After winning the national championship and SEC title last season, LSU is the favorite for this competition. Although, upsets can happen, especially with teams near the top of the rankings. LSU has continued to show that they are a top team and still contenders for an NCAA title, currently sitting at No. 2 in the rankings.
Following a bit of a rebuilding year and a fourth-place finish at the national championships last season, Florida has remained a top team by relying on solid contributors such as Anya Pilgrim, Leanne Wong, and Victoria Nguyen. Adding former UCLA star and transfer student Selena Harris-Miranda to the Gator’s lineup has added another 10.0 start value vault and powerful gymnastics to the program. This meet should come down to who is sticking landings and hitting handstands, although LSU has the home team advantage.
Rotation 1: LSU VT, Florida UB
Still no KJ Johnson tonight, but Bryant will be back on beam and floor
Ziess (LSU): Opens with a Yurchenko 1.5. Knees are quite bent and she lands over the lines, but a good landing 9.775
Blakely (FL): Great first handstand into a maloney into a pak. Is too far away from the bar and her hand slips. Repeats the combo into a solid half turn and finishes with a stuck blinde change to a stuck double front. Great recovery. 9.250
Finnegan (LSU): STICKS IT COLD! Knees are straight on the 1.5 and hips are open. This is gonna be a good meet. 9.950
Pilgrim (FL): *cue chill guy theme song* hits the high bar handstand and does a pak down to the low bar. Beautiful amplitude on the maloney half. Sticks the half in half out. She’s such a gamer. 9.825
Brock (LSU): Another beautiful 1.5 with just a hop forward. Great body position throughout. 9.825
McCusker (FL): Chow to pak. Overcooking her handstands a bit but saves them. Maloney half is stunning. Ends with a double lay with a step forward. 9.750
Lincoln (LSU): Maybe the biggest 1.5 I have ever seen in my life. Take 2 huge hops forward, but beautiful in the air. 9.725
Skye Blakely (FL): Great ricna on the highbar down to a pak. Finishes with a higgins to a great double front to end. Solid. 9.775
Drayton (LSU): Another huge 1.5 with just a hop forward. Love the height! 9.875
Harris-Miranda (FL): Big ray on the high bar, maybe some soft knees. Bail is right on top of the bar. ENds with the blind full to a double lay and sticks. Thats the Selena we know and love. 9.875
Chio (LSU): Another beautiful 1.5. almost sticks, but takes a tiny hop forward. Great. 9.925
Wong (FL): FLOATY maloney. Maloney half up to the high bar. Love the late turn. Finishes with a double lay with a hop. Maybe a little short on the second low bar handstand. 9.850
After 1: LSU 49.350 Florida 49.025
LSU with the 3 tenth lead after a successful vault rotation, but both teams counting scores in the 9.7s. It is still early!!
Rotation 2: LSU UB, Florida VT
Pilgrim (FL): 1.5 with a hop in place. Little bit of soft knees in the air, but great landing. 9.925
Ziess (LSU): Maloney to pak with the feet glued. Ends with a half in half out stuck on her toes. Handstands were good. 9.825
Bui (FL): 1.5 is great in the air with just a hop forward. Arms are bent on the table. 9.850
Cowan (LSU): Ray into an immediate shootover. Hits that high bar handstand and finishes with her double layout. Just a hop. Normal Ashley Cowan things. 9.825
Blakely (FL): Another big 1.5. Lands a bit off center, but hops to try and cover it. 9.850
Jeffery (LSU): Maloney to a bail right on top of the bar. Ends with a HIGH half in half out. Is a little close to to the bar, but sticks. 9.900
Wong (FL): Half on front pike off. SOOOO close to a stick. 9.925
Chio (LSU): Over on the first handstand. Gets back up with a maloney to bail. Finishes her routine with a marklov (I love) and sticks her half in half out dismount. 9.225
Danie Ferris (FL): Big 1.5 with a hop forward. Would love to see the hips a tad more open. 9.825
Finnegan (LSU): Piked delchev. Holds her next handstand. Bail down to the low bar and her hand slips, but she recovers well. Steps back on the full out dismount. 9.825
Harris-Miranda (FL): Tiny hop forward on the 1.5. Classic Selena vault. 9.900
McClain (LSU): Huge church. Powerful toe hand to pak. Half turn is right on top of the bar. Ends with a stuck half in half out. Her handstands are everything. 9.925
After 2: LSU 98.650 Florida 98.475
Fantastic vault rotation from the Gators, but LSU keeps the lead. Things are close!
Rotation 3: LSU BB, Florida FX
Ballard (LSU): Solid handspring lay to start. Sissone to a switch half and doesn’t move. Front toss with a small lean, but corrects it. Sticks the round off double full. Wow. Great start. 9.875
Nguyen (FL): Front double full to a beautifully extended sissone. Switch ring to a switch half. Great flexibility. Ends with a 1.5 to a front lay to a very controlled step. Stunning. 9.900
Coen (LSU): College debut! Front arial to a beat jump. Nice. Handspring layout step out. Right on. Great amplitude on the jump series, but her back leg is a low. Takes the tiniest step on her roundoff double full. What a debut! 9.875
Ferris (FL): Great full in to start. Gets her chest up and controls the step back. Johnson to a popa. Good splits. Closes with a 1.5 to a front lay and controls the step forward. Another hit! 9.875
Chio (LSU): Round off the backhandspring mount. Love it. Handspring layout and sticks it cold. Front arial to split jump. So confident. Sticks the handspring 1.5 dismount. Couldn’t find anything to take there. Crowd is asking for a 10. 9.925
Blakely (FL): Oh wow. Opens with a huge full in. Now THAT’S control. Best dancer so far. 1.5 to a front full. Big step out of it. 9.950, 9.9/10 split
McClain (LSU): Switch leap to a switch half. Big splits. Front arial to back handspring. Perfect. Small balance check. Side arial. Solid. Gainer full off the side and almost sticks, but steps into her salute. 9.9
Clark (FL): Big double layout to open but leans back on her step. Split half to a split full. Big splits. Slides back out of the front through to double tuck. Great power, but slides back on both landings. 9.875. Oh.
Bryant (LSU): Front arial to back handspring. No wobbles. Great height on the switch leap to straddle quarter. STANDING front. Sticks the rudi off the end. Crowd is cheering for the 10. 9.950
Wong (FL): Double layout but lands with her chest a bit forward. Takes a step forward. Whip half to front full. Just a step forward. 9.850
Finnegan (LSU): Big wobble on the handspring lay lay. Big leap pass. Ends with a stuck gainer full off the side. This will be the dropped score. 9.775
Harris-Miranda (FL): Front through to double tuck with a controlled step back. 1.5 to a front half to a double stag down to her knee. 9.900
After 3: LSU 148.175 Florida 147.975
LSU solidifies their lead although both teams had stellar rotations. With 2 tenths separating the teams, it is still close.
Rotation 4: LSU FX, Florida BB
Draser (FL): Handspring layout and isnt quite ready for the landing. Switch leap to switch half. Great split positions. Sticks the roundoff 1.5. Solid start. 9.850
Ballard (LSU): Huge double layout to a controlled step. looks so confident. 1.5 to front layout and foot slides a bit forward. Ends with a STUCK double pike. Miss leadoff herself. 9.825 Crowd is booing
Blakely (FL): Front arial to back handspring . Sticks the switch half cold. Ends with a stuck gainer full off the side. No wobbles in sight. Crowd wants a 10. 9.950
Dunne (LSU): Front through to a sky high double tuck. Switch leap to switch half ring. Double pike with just a step. Standing ring jump full is not all the way around. 9.875
Pilgrim (FL): Candle mount to start. Handspring layout with no wobbles. Cat leap to a picture perfect front arial. Handspring to gainer full off the side and sticks!! 9.900
Drayton (LSU): A tiny bit under on the double lay and steps forward. Front through to a big double stuck to a controled step. Little stumble on the wolf turn. 9.750
Nguyen (FL): Some beautiful on the beam choreography. Onodi to backhandspring is floaty and beautiful. Switch leap to split jump is over extended and so high. Back handspring into a 1.5 dismount with a slide forward. 9.900
EEK its getting close!
Chio (LSU): Full in to start but lands with her chest down and steps forward. 2.5 to a front tuck that opens right up to find a controled lunge. 9.825
Wong (FL): WObbles on the switch leap mount right off the bat. Great full turn. Gainer full of the end with a small hop. Not her best. 9.775
Finnegan (LSU): Double arabian into a controlled stag jump. Switch ring to tour jete half. Nice. 2.5 to front tuck. Almost sticks but ends up stepping back. 9.950
Harris-Miranda (FL): Handspring layout handspring is so solid. Huge split jump. Front toss and manages to not wobble. Roundoff to 1.5 and goes for the stick but hops back. 9.875
Bryant (LSU): She’s baccckkkkk. Double front with a small hop forward. Switch ring to switch full and is a little under rotated. Front layout to a rudi with a controlled step back. Great gymnastics. 9.900
FINAL: LSU 197.550 Florida 197.450
VT: Aleah Finnegan 9.950
UB: Konnor McClain 9.925
BB: Sloane Blakely, Haleigh Bryant 9.950
FX: Sloane Blakely, Aleah Finnegan 9.950
AA: Aleah Finnegan, Selena Harris-Miranda 39.500
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Live blog by Mary Collier
