Auburn broke the 197 mark for the first time this season in its home meet against Oregon State last week. The Tigers excelled on beam but struggled with vault landings, which held back their overall score. As they head on the road, Auburn will be aiming to clean up those vault landings to secure their first 197+ road score. Kentucky, meanwhile, also surpassed 197 earlier this season but fell short of that benchmark last week against Missouri, mainly due to issues on bars. Competing at home again provides a solid chance for the Wildcats to hit that mark, making this a closely matched contest with both teams having similar scoring potential.
One standout vault to watch for Auburn is Paige Zancan’s unique front handspring vault. It was one of the few stuck landings last week and is sure to be a highlight in the second rotation. On beam, Marissa Neal has been a star for the Tigers, scoring a near-perfect 9.975 last week, and she’ll be a key contributor in the final rotation. For Kentucky, Skylar Killough-Wilhelm has had a strong start to her collegiate career and will be a top competitor to watch on all four events, especially beam.
Rotation 1: Kentucky vault, Auburn bars
Rizo (UK): Great block on her Yfull. Open hips and a medium hop back. 9.8
Irvine (AU): Great finish on the giant half before the piked jaeger to overshoot. Short last hs and sticks the FTDT with a stagger. 9.85
Noonan (UK): Half on half off with ok height and flexed feet throughout. Tucks early on the table. Leg separation throughout. 9.775
Boyd (AU): Slight leg separation and bent arms in the Maloney to pak combo. Clean stalder to double tuck with a step back. 9.775
Wilson (UK): Great height and legs glued together on her front pike half and she sticks it. Center of the mat on the landing. 9.925
Hollingsworth (AU): Slight leg separtion on the piked jaeger to overshoot. Great height on the FTDT with a step back. 9.8
Magnelli (UK): Great height and legs glued on her front pike half as well, but a big hop back. Slight low chest. 9.825
Bartman (AU): High jaeger. Leg separation and a little close on the pak. Big step back on the double front dismount. 9.825
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Comes in short on her Y1.5 and takes a big step back. Soft knees. 9.75
Greaves (AU): Big Church to pak. Clean VL. Slight leg stagger in FTDT and a large step back. 9.825
Cashion (UK): Comes in short on her front pike half. Very low chest and a couple steps forward. 9.525
Jong (AU): Clean Chow to pak. Great form on the stalder to FTDT with pointed feet throughout. Small hop back. 9.9
After 1: Auburn 49.200, Kentucky 49.075
Auburn did not stick a single landing in that bars rotation which will need to change going forward. The routines on the bars were great though which allowed the Tigers to still have the lead after one. Kentucky started out strong and then had some short landings to close out the rotation which led to counting lower scores than the Wildcats would have hoped.
Rotation 2: Auburn vault, Kentucky bars
Zois (AU): A lot of distance on the Y1.5 with some soft knees and a large step forward. 9.65
Rivelli (UK): Great jeager to overshoot combination. Stuck the double layout with good leg form. 9.875
Huff (AU): Soft knees in her Y1.5 with good distance and a stuck landing. 9.875
Noonan (UK): Bent elbows on the clear hip after the Maloney, but good connection to the bail. Low chest on the double layout landing, but stuck. 9.8
Schumaker (AU): Small hop forward on her tucked Y1.5. Some feet and leg separations throughout. 9.8
Davis (UK): Feet on the jaeger. The bail looked a little loose at the catch. Good legs together on the double layout with a small step back. 9.75
Hubbard (AU): Medium hop forward with great distance on the Y1.5. Not the highest. Soft knees. 9.85
Procasky (UK): Elbows on the toe hand to Maloney to pak combo. Great leg position in the double layout with a stuck landing. 9.875
Jong (AU): Big hop forward on her Y1.5. Good height and distance. Soft knees. 9.725
Rodriguez (UK): Low tkachev. Hit the bail. Legs glued on the double layout dismount and landed with a low chest and had to step forward. 9.8
Zancan (AU): Low landing on the front hs front pike. Had to take a step back. 9.625
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Great height and form on the piked jaeger to overshoot. Sticks the double layout dismount by bringing the heels together. 9.95
After 2: Kentucky 98.375, Auburn 98.100
Kentucky did the opposite of Auburn on bars by sticking most of the landings which allowed Kentucky to pull ahead with a great team score. Auburn only had one stuck landing on vault with multiple large landing deductions just like the Tigers had last week which kept the score low. Auburn has room to make up on Kentuky to take this meet back.
Rotation 3: Kentucky beam, Auburn floor
Rodriguez (UK): Controlled switch to split. Feet on the bhs bhs loso. Holds the full turn finish. Solid side somi. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.875
Bell (AU): Great height on the front double full to front tuck. Sky high jumps on the triple jump combo. Looked to get the rotation on both wolf fulls. Lacks some control on the double pike with a slide back. 9.825
Brose (UK): High punch front with a lean. Connects the front toss to bhs, but a little slow. Better rhythm on the leaps. A little over on the full turn. Sticks the back 1.5 with a slight lean forward. 9.825
Greaves (AU): Feet on the front tuck through to double tuck and controls it. Lands a little akwardly though. Clean leap series. Controls the double pike. Great switch ring half position. 9.775
Lee (UK): Slight lean on the bhs bhs loso. Clean position on the switch to split quarter. Great leg position in the back 1.5 with a stuck landing.
Hollingsworth (AU): Went for the FTDT and lands on her face and looks to have gotten injured.
Procasky (UK): Precise full turn. Feet on the bhs loso loso. Slow connection between the hitch kick and front aerial with a wobble on the end. Clean switch to beat. Sticks the gainer pike. Might have been off to the side on that. 9.75
McLaughlin (AU): Whipped around the front layout after the back 1.5. Great height and rotation on the leaps. A little low on the double pike, but controlled the lunge. 9.85
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Slow connection in the front aerial to bhs loso. Feet on the loso. Smooth full turn. Hits the switch to beat. Feet on the side aerial to back 1.5 and a hop forward. 9.875
Neal (AU): Great chest position on the whip to double tuck. Clean switch ring to swicth half to wolf full. Small step out on the double pike. 9.85
Magnelli (UK): Quick bhs loso loso. Slight look of offbalance on the switch to split quarter. Clean front aerial. Arm wave on the full turn. Lacks some amplitude on the gainer pike, but sticks it. 9.925
Jong (AU): Feet on the full in. Some leg staggering too. Hop back on the switch to tour jete half. Bounce to the side on the back 1.5 to front full. 9.75
After 3: Kentucky 149.750, Auburn 147.150
Kentucky had a strong beam rotation with multiple stuck landings and clean routines capped by Magnelli’s 9.925 in the anchor spot. Hollingsworth going down this rotation is the story for Auburn. Landings throughout this meet will keep the score from being one that Auburn will want to count at the end of the year. Kentuky can easily reach 197 in the final rotation with a solid floor rotation.
Rotation 4: Auburn beam, Kentucky floor
Ahern (AU): Solid loso series. Smooth cat leap to switch half. Soft knees on the beat to front aerial. Wobble on the full turn. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.8
Rodriguez (UK): Rudi to back pike was controlled. It looked like she wanted to do a back layout and piked it down. The switch ring to tour jete half was clean. Controlled the double tuck. Good height on the jump out of the back 1.5 to front layout half. Controlled the lunge. 9.85
Greaves (AU): Good double wolf. Feet on the loso series. Clean switch to split. Feet on the beat to side aerial. Gainer pike was stuck but off to the side. 9.875
Magnelli (UK): Quick twitst to the Rudi to loso. The loso went more out than up. Good positions on the leaps. Large lunge on the double pike and slightly slides the front foot. 9.775
Zancan (AU): Fun mount. Solid loso series. Great rhythm in the switch to switch half. Small hop on the back 1.5 dismount. Great height on the dismount. 9.825
Rizo (UK): Feet on the double tuck with a large lunge. Great height though. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. Lack of amplitude on the jump combo and didn’t get the last leap around. Large lunge on the double pike as well. 9.8
Jong (AU): Clean double wolf. Solid loso loso. Great position on the switch to pike. Sticks the double full with a stagger. 9.95
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Big step out on the front double full. Slight leg crossing. Hit the switch to switch ring half. Stutters a little out of the back 1.5 to front layout, but good height. 9.825
Neal (AU): Solid full turn. Soft knees and feet on the bhs loso loso. Solid side aerial. Clean switch to split. Sticks the back 1.5. Good height on that. 9.925
Brose (UK): Sky high double pike with a slide back. Nice amplitude on the jump combo. The front full front layout went straight up. Controlled the front double full. 9.9
McLaughlin (AU): Slight foot movement on the bhs loso. Beat to side aerial is clean. Little wobble on the leap combo. Sticks the gainer pike. 9.875
Davis (UK): Controlled the double pike. High switch side half to straddle half. Opens up early on the back 1.5 going into the front layout and landed well. Hops to the lunge a little on the double tuck. 9.925
FINAL: Kentucky 197.050, Auburn 196.600
Kentucky was able to just break the 197 mark with that last routine. Auburn will be awaiting the status of Hollingsworth, but will be glad to have scored a mid 196 with very few stuck landings for most of the meet. The beam rotation was a great ending for Auburn.
VT: Wilson 9.925
UB: Killough-Wilhelm 9.95
BB: Jong 9.95
FX: Davis 9.925
AA: Killough-Wilhelm 39.400
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