This Sunday night dual marks Minnesota’s first Big Ten matchup of the season, while Iowa opened conference play last week against Ohio State.
Minnesota remains undefeated, earning a 196.325 to defeat Penn State in Week 3. The Gophers have been especially strong on floor, with senior Mya Hooten anchoring last week’s lineup with a 9.925, taking the event title. However, a shaky bars rotation provides an area for improvement heading into this meet.
Iowa posted a 195.200 in Week 3, but a series of beam mistakes kept them from challenging Ohio State. With a strong beam lineup capable of big scores, consistency will be key for the Hawkeyes tonight. Freshman standout Aurelie Tran impressed with a solid 39.350 in the all-around last week, making her one to watch in this matchup.
You can watch this meet live on B1G+ and follow along with our live blog below. Let’s get started!
Rotation 1: Iowa vault, Minnesota bars
Masella (Iowa): Starts off the meet with a yurchenko full, decent height and a small hop back. 9.800
Jencks (Minn): Tkatchev, a bit low. Clear hip, pak. Stuck double layout to finish, great leadoff. 9.800
Chambers (Iowa): Yurchenko full, nice distance but lands a bit short with a small hop forward. 9.850
Johnson (Minn): Toe on, Maloney with a big leg separation, bail with some leg form. Struggles to get up to handstand out of a stalder. Toe on front tuck half dismount, stuck. 9.800
Volpe (Iowa): Stuck yurchenko full! The Hawkeyes don’t have the 10.0 starts on this event but they do these fulls very well. 9.850
Harrington (Minn): Maloney to pak, small leg separation. Toe on to very high full in dismount with a stick. Nice toepoint throughout. 9.750
Tran (Iowa): Awesome height and distance on her yurchenko full! 9.875
Crump (Minn): Toe on, Maloney, pak to start. Pretty short on her half pirouette. Finishes with a double layout – looked like a stick but a coach was in front of the camera so it’s hard to say! 9.875 – I guess it was a stick.
Castillo (Iowa): Yurchenko full with good distance, some piking down and a hop back. 9.800
Lyden (Minn): Arches over a bit on her first handstand. Maloney to bail, very clean. Super short on her last handstand. Finishes with a massive double layout, stuck! 9.850
Munoz (Iowa): Another yurchenko full with excellent height, tries for the stick but hops to the side. 9.875
Hooten (Minn): Blind change to piked jaeger, catches with slightly bent arms. Overshoot – looks like she’s rushing a bit. Dismounts with a big full in with a large step. 9.675
Ex – Wilson (Iowa): Yurchenko layout, big hop back. 9.525
Ex – Stewart (Minn): Maloney to pak, gorgeous. Hits a perfect handstand. Van leeuwen with some leg form. Blind change to double front – did not try to pike it this week, good call – with a step forward. Her handstands are so clean and precise through that routine. 9.750
After 1: Iowa 49.250, Minnesota 49.075
The strategy of performing lower-difficulty vaults with excellent execution is paying off for Iowa, earning its highest vault score of the season here. Minnesota had a decent start but will be looking to close the gap as the Gophers head to vault with a series of 10.0 starts.
Rotation 2: Minnesota vault, Iowa bars
Pearl (Minn): Very high yurchenko full but underrotates, lands with her chest down and a hop foward. 9.825
Juk (Iowa): They only showed her dismount! Full pirouette to double tuck with a stick. 9.725
Steensland (Minn): Dynamic yurchenko full with a hop in place. 9.850
Masella (Iowa): Blind change, jaeger, overshoot – some flexed feet throughout. Hits the last handstand, finishes with a great stuck double layout. Lots of stuck landings from both teams tonight! 9.875
Moraw (Minn): Huge yurchenko full with a small hop – I love watching her vault, the height is really excellent. 9.900
Turner (Iowa): Toe on, Maloney, pak, nicely done. Slightly short handstand. Double layout dismount – lets go early and travels downward, lands with chest down and a little hop. 9.725
Crump (Minn): The first yurchenko 1.5 of the night – some form on the table but great height, steps forward and across on the landing. 9.900
Munoz (Iowa): Piked jaeger, not much height and legs go a bit crazy. Pak salto with some leg form. Finishes with a double layout, leg separation and a hop back. 9.825
Stewart (Minn): Yurchenko 1.5 with excellent distance – she seriously flies away from the table. Lunge forward on the landing. 9.900
Tran (Iowa): Maloney to pak, nice and floaty. Van leeuwen with a leg separation. Lovely double layout to finish, swings her arms to get the stick. 9.850
Hooten (Minn): Yurchenko 1.5 – does not get the height she normally does, gets it around but underrotates and steps back. Definitely not her usual. 9.850
Vanney (Iowa): Maloney to pak with leg separations. Very short handstand on the low bar. Really nice stuck double layout to finish, great form there. 9.850
After 2: Minnesota 98.475, Iowa 98.375
I feel like scoring is already trending high – shades of the SEC in this Big Ten matchup? Some of those bars scores definitely made me raise an eyebrow. Regardless, Iowa is having a great time in its home opener with straight hits so far. Minnesota is also hitting, but its star Hooten has had some uncharacteristic small errors. It’s not the end of the world, and they are leading after two, but they can’t afford big mistakes.
Rotation 3: Iowa beam, Minnesota floor
Volpe (Iowa): Solid full turn. Back handspring, layout stepout – big wobble and she comes off. Tough to have a fall in the leadoff spot. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. Cat leap to front aerial, solid. Round off tuck 1.5 dismount with a tiny hop. She did well to save every tenth after the fall. 9.200
Jencks (Minn): Front double full, some leg form. Switch full to straddle full, nicely done. 1.5 to front layout, lacks height and flings it around a bit. Rudi to straddle jump, great height! 9.825
Lee (Iowa): The pressure’s on for a hit. Side aerial, layout stepout – super solid. Straddle jump 3/4, good. Double wolf turn goes a bit crazy and she spins off the beam – this puts Iowa in a tough position. Gainer pike dismount with a small step back. 9.400
Lyden (Minn): 1.5 to front full, landing is a bit uncontrolled. Switch side to straddle full, not very precise on the rotations but good split positions. Finishes 2.5 twist, nice and high. 9.850
Tyson (Iowa): Triple series is rock solid. She looks confident. Split jump to straddle jump 1/2. Cartwheel to 1.5 twist dismount with a hop forward – great routine from Haley, she did well to set the tone after two falls! 9.900
Steensland (Minn): Opens with a rudi to big layout stepout – I always love this pass. Second pass is a 2.5 twist, just drops out of the air so nicely. 1.5 to front layout, nicely done. Excellent twisting form in all those passes. 9.900
Tran (Iowa): Front aerial to back handspring, swings her arms down to stay solid. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump – nice split positions. Gainer pike off the end – very little height and travels backwards, bit of a strange one. Small step back on the landing. Solid routine. 9.850
Pearl (Minn): 1.5 to front layout – excellent rise on the second salto. Switch full to straddle full, good height. Excellent double pike, great control on the landing. 9.900
Turner (Iowa): Gainer back handspring, back handspring, layout stepout – beautiful form and a solid landing. Switch leap to split jump, great. Front aerial, underrotates and falls. Back handspring to 1.5 dismount, gets very little height and falls. The Hawkeyes will have to count two falls. 8.675
Koch (Minn): Front double twist with some crossed legs. Switch full to wolf full, very good. 1.5 to front layout, great height and form. Finishes with a solid rudi. 9.900
Juk (Iowa): Mounts with a round off, back handspring onto the beam – made me nervous but lands very well. Triple series – small bobble at the end but holds on. Switch leap to beat jump, solid. Omelianchik – really has to squeeze to hold on but she makes it look easy. You can tell she’s a veteran! Cartwheel gainer full dismount, stuck. Her team will appreciate that score. 9.850
Seria Johnson is in for Mya Hooten on floor. I hope Hooten is okay.
Johnson (Minn): Front full to front half, good. Huge double pike, wow! Finishes with an excellent double tuck. Really nice routine, and she wasn’t even meant to compete! Great job stepping up when she’s needed. 9.925
Ex – Munoz (Iowa): Lovely switch leap to switch half. Back handspring layout stepout, super solid. She looks super relaxed and confident. Cartwheel gainer full dismount, lands with chest down but sticks. If only that could have been a counting score! 9.825
After 3: Minnesota 147.950, Iowa 146.575
It looked like the Hawkeyes had a chance at an upset before this rotation, but counting two falls on beam has really hurt them. 48.200 is their lowest beam score this season. Minnesota, on the other hand, enjoyed an excellent third rotation with a huge 49.475 on floor – and that’s without Hooten!
Going into the final rotation, let’s see if Minnesota can keep the good momentum going, and if Iowa can make a comeback and finish strong.
Rotation 4: Minnesota beam, Iowa floor
Koch (Minn): Full turn with a big hip break. Back handspring, layout stepout – solid. Beat jump to split 3/4, split looks a touch short at this angle. Front toss to arabesque, a little low but recovers well. Round off 1.5 dismount, very floaty and an easy stick. 9.750
Volpe (Iowa): Front layout to front full, comes up short and stumbles back. Switch full, straddle full, straddle full – good height. Double pike, lands low with chest down and stumbles back. 9.625
Stewart (Minn): I can’t wait for this one, she’s so lovely to watch on this event. Split jump to ring jump, beautiful form. Front aerial to korbut, very good. Wolf turn full, solid. Back handspring gainer full dismount, good height and a stick. That’s gonna be a big score, especially with the enthusiastic judging tonight. 9.850 – feels a touch low in comparison to some of the Iowa scores.
Masella (Iowa): High double pike, overcooks it and has a big lunge back with the front foot up. Front layout to front full, excellent landing on that one. Switch half to wolf full, good. Finishes with a double tuck, chest very low with a step forward. 9.725
Moraw (Minn): Back handspring, layout stepout – very clean. Cat leap to side aerial with a small balance check. Beat jump to straddle 3/4. Cartwheel gainer full dismount with a step. 9.850
Tran (Iowa): I absolutely love her music. Rudi to layout stepout – I think she stepped oob? It was close. Switch ring to split leap full – bad angle to see the splits but it looked like a ring to me. Switch ring half, again well done. Front layout to front full, a little low but good. I don’t mind a two pass routine at all if the dance elements are that difficult and well-executed! 9.900
Lyden (Minn): Double wolf turn, nicely done. Back handspring, layout stepout – solid. Hitch kick to switch side with great form. Finishes with a round off 1.5, leans forward for the stick and gets it. 9.900
Munoz (Iowa): Double pike, overrotates with a big lunge back. Her choreography is fun and the crowd is loving it. Front tuck through to double pike – super short and crashes forward, looks like that might have stung her ankles. She finishes the routine limps off the floor – hoping she’s okay. 8.975
Pearl (Minn): Back handspring, layout stepout – excellent. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, good splits. Front aerial to beat jump, great straight legs. Back handspring gainer full dismount with a shuffle back. 9.850
Castillo (Iowa): Front tuck through to double pike, overcooks it and stumbles back. Switch side, straddle half, straddle to prone – great dance series. Finishes with a double tuck, a touch underrotated. Maybe tried too hard to contain her power after that big first pass! 9.875 – not sure how the judges got there with two landing errors.
Rowray (Minn): Starts with a solid back handspring, layout stepout. Switch leap to Straddle 1/2. Nice front toss. Switch side, excellent. Dismounts with a front gainer full off the side, stuck. I am thrilled she’s having a good season after her Achilles injury last year, she’s a lovely beam worker. 9.925
Erb (Iowa): Opens with a huge double pike, nearly sticks it. Switch side to straddle full. 1.5 to front full with excellent height – she’s a very dynamic tumbler. 9.925
Ex – Steensland (Minn): Back handspring, layout stepout with some soft knees and a small wobble. Front toss to beat jump, good. Split 3/4 – split looks short. Round off 1.5 dismount – great height, tiny hop. 9.900
Ex – Tyson (Iowa): Sounds like this is her floor debut. Rudi to layout stepout, nicely done. Front double full, very crossed legs and underrotates to a low landing. 9.600
FINAL: Minnesota 197.325, Iowa 195.625
Minnesota takes the win and breaks the 197 barrier to set a season high. They were helped by some…generous judging, but those floor and beam rotations were truly excellent. Iowa made a valiant effort to come back after a beamsplosion with a solid floor rotation. Hopefully this doesn’t become a pattern – it’s a talented beam lineup, but it needs to get consistent. Aurelie Tran was the only all around competitor tonight, but her 39.475 is a very respectable score and a career high.
VT: Ava Stewart, Teryn Crump, and Sarah Moraw – 9.900
UB: Gianna Masella and Teryn Crump – 9.875
BB: Brooklyn Rowray – 9.925
FX: Seria Johnson and Emily Erb – 9.925
AA: Aurelie Tran, 39.475
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Live blog by Sophie Poirier