It’s another weekend of Big 12 action as two conference title contenders go head-to-head. Denver has had its share of early-season struggles but remains in the top 15 on all events except beam. Cleaning up its beam rotation will be key for the Pioneers if they want a shot at victory. Denver holds the advantage on vault, with four 10.0 start values, led by Maddison Reidenbach’s impressive average of over 9.800. If the Pioneers can stick their vault landings, they’ll have the upper hand and be in a strong position halfway through the meet.
Arizona, meanwhile, has been a rising force in its inaugural Big 12 season and recently knocked off in-state rival Arizona State for the first time since 2016. Reigning Big 12 Gymnast of the Week Emily Mueller led the Wildcats with a career-high 9.950 on beam, while Abigayle Martin continued her stellar sophomore season with a season-high in the all-around. Facing Denver will be a significant challenge, but if Arizona fires on all cylinders, this meet could go down to the wire and might even result in an upset on their home floor.
Oh, Emma Strom’s mom is commentating tonight. That should be interesting.
Rotation 1: AZ vault, DU bars
Mueller (AZ): Yurchenko full, sizable hop back. Little bit of a pike down in the air, but good height off the table. 9.725
Casali (DU): Maloney to bail to handstand, little short on the handstand before the dismount. DLO dismount, bit of a knee hop and two hops back. Not the start you want. 9.650
Derr (AZ): Yurchenko full, bit of a shoulder angle issue on the table, but nailed the landing! 9.775
Ulrich (DU): Maloney to Pak, nice form between the bars. Half pirouette right on top of the bar, good final handstand, DLO with some foot movement backward on the landing. 9.825
Martin (AZ): Yurchenko full, good block off the table. The tiniest pike on the landing, hop backwards. 9.725
Rorich (DU): Blind to straddle Jaeger, nice toe point. Bail to handstand on the low bar, good extension in the transition. DLO dismount hop in place. 9.875
LaRusso (AZ): Yurchenko full, cleanest form in the air out of the four I’ve seen and beautiful body position. Small hop back on the landing. 9.700
Cooley (DU): Ray, caught it kind of close with some bent arms, little short on the overshoot to handstand. Double layout dismount, stuck! First true stick of the night for the Pioneers. 9.850
Strom (AZ): Yurchenko full, little bit of loose knees and foot flex in the air. Piked down the landing, small hop backwards. 9.675
Hebinck (DU): Ricna to Pak salto, caught it close with a bit of leg separation in the air. Double layout dismount, small hop backwards with a lean. 9.825
Fears (AZ): Yurchenko full, good rise off of the table, flared it out as she went for the landing, small foot movement at the end. 9.800
Mundell (DU): Really held that first handstand, gets her release. Bail to handstand, good position on the low bar. Double layout dismount, the tiniest foot scoot on the landing. 9.900
After 1: Denver 49.275, Arizona 48.725
Before anyone panics, this was expected (at least I expected it). Arizona doesn’t have the 10.0 start value buffer on vault that Denver does, so the Wildcats were always going to have a disadvantage on that front. The good news for them is that Denver had some landing troubles and have made the margin manageable heading into rotation 2.
Rotation 2: DU vault, AZ bars
Brusch (DU): Yurchenko full, big height off the table, flared out right before the landing, small slide back on the landing. 9.825
Mueller (AZ): Tkatchev, caught a little close but pulled it off, bail to handstand was good, double layout dismount, stick! 9.825
Mabanta (DU): Yurchenko full, hands hit the very back of the table, flared out with a stick. That was a beautiful vault and probably the best one I’ve seen from her. 9.875
Martin (AZ): Maloney to Pak, good rise between the bars. Half pirouette was finished beautifully, double layout dismount with a stick! 2/2 on sticks, 9.875
Ulrich (DU): FHS pike half, landed a bit to the side with a low chest. Lacked a little bit of height off the table. 9.650
Krohnfeldt (AZ): Maloney to bail to handstand, looked slightly short on the low bar and short on the last handstand, double layout with a hop back on the landing. 9.825
Reidenbach (DU): Yurchenko 1.5, good block off the table, underrotated and takes a hop back on the landing. 9.825
(mr. announcer man, we don’t care where they went to high school. stop pls and thank you)
Deets (AZ): half pirouette to Tkatchev, nice straight arms on the catch, bail to handstand looked good. double layout dismount, solid landing! 9.925
Mundell (DU): Yurchenko 1.5, little off center and over the white lines, so will likely be deducted for that. Good height and distance, small hop on the landing. 9.800
Derr (AZ): Ray, BEAUTIFUL toe point in the air. Pak salto to low bar, nice distance on the catch. Full-in dismount, small stutter step of the feet on the landing. 9.925
Casali (DU): Yurchenko 1.5, underrotated and has to sit it down. Good block off the table, just didn’t quite have the height and distance to make it all the way around. Meaning they will count a 9.65 from Ulrich.
Fears (AZ): Tkatchev, nice height, little short on the handstand right after. Overshoot to handstand had good position on the bar. Double layout dismount with a stick. 9.925
After 2: Denver 98.250, Arizona 98.150
The fall from Casali didn’t help, but just like that, the lead has been trimmed from over half a point to a tenth. The landings overall were much better for both teams, but Arizona capitalized with two scores over 9.900 from Deets and Fears. Denver topped out with Mabanta’s 9.875 (that could’ve gone 9.900 though so what the heck do I know).
Rotation 3: AZ beam, DU floor
Fears (AZ): BHS LOSO, bit of knee form in the air on the layout. Side aerial, tiny correction on the landing. Good extension on the leap connection, 1.5 dismount small step forward on the landing. 9.825
Brusch (DU): Double pike to open, leap series looked good, might’ve lacked a little bit of rotation on the wolf full, went for the front tuck through to double tuck, but just does a layout, will definitely impact the start value of the routine. You could tell something was lacking whether it was power or stamina. 8.825
Wise (AZ): BHS BHS LOSO, right down the center of the beam. Full turn looked good, beat jump to straddle half looked solid, round off 1.5 dismount to a stick. Happy birthday btw!!! 9.850
Cooley (DU): Yessss Swiftie routine. Front layout to Rudi to open, lifted that front foot ever so slightly on that landing. Switch ring half to split jump, the angle was weird for the ring position, but it looked okay. Back 1.5 to front layout to close. 9.825
Lenczner (AZ): BHS LOSO, tiniest wobble but readjusts. Good extension on the leap connections, RO 1.5 dismount, small hop forward on the landing. 9.825
(also why does it matter when they verballed???? this guy…..)
Mabanta (DU): Front layout Rudi to open, this choreography is pretty fun. Switch ring half to split jump, interesting position on the ring, goes OOB on back 1.5 to front layout. 9.625
Mueller (AZ): Side aerial LOSO, spot on. Switch leap to straddle jump, bend at the waist. Beat jump, RO 1.5 dismount, hop forward on the landing. Shame since she went 9.950 last weekend, but still a hit routine.
Rorich (DU): Front tuck through to (what was supposed to be a double salto) layout. I’m wondering if there’s a dead spot on the floor because it’s weird it happened twice. Double pike to close. 8.725
Deets (AZ): Arizona can really capitalize here with some mistakes from Denver. BHS LOSO to open, nicely done. Hitch kick to switch side, love the position in the air. Cat leap to front toss, slight lean to the side but better than it has been. Switch leap to gainer full dismount, stick. 9.925
Mundell (DU): Front layout to front full, bit of loose knees on the front full. Good rotation on the leap series. Double tuck to close, good routine and a must have to get back on track. 9.825
Martin (AZ): Switch leap to stag jump, good toe point on the series. BHS LOSO solid. Front aerial, good fluidity on the skill. Little wobble on the full turn. BHS gainer full, little whippy on the full but a hit is a hit. 9.875
Ulrich (DU): Looking to drop Rorich’s 8.725. Double layout opens, been doing a double tuck there, so glad she went for the difficulty despite the hole the Pioneers are in. Switch side to Popa, very floaty between skills, Back 1.5 to front layout 2nd pass, good toe point throughout. Double pike to close, slight slide of the front foot on the landing. 9.800
After 3: Arizona 147.450, Denver 146.150
Well. I can’t say I was expecting that. A fluke floor rotation has put Denver down by less than a point. It heads to the event that has given it the most trouble this season. How the Pioneers respond here will be instrumental in how they handle these kind of situations as the season progresses.
Rotation 4: DU beam, AZ floor
Cooley (DU): BHS LOSO to open, little bit of an adjustment on the landing. Switch leap to switch half to beat jump, bit of a break between elements. BHS gainer full dismount, no movement of the feet. I’ll be interested to see if they break the leaps. 9.825 with a 10.00 SV
LaRusso (AZ): Front double full to open, nice difficulty! Cat leap to switch side Popa, good extension on the Popa. Little bit of loose knees on the twist on the 2nd pass, but does well. Rudi to close, solid opening routine for the Wildcats. 9.825
Thompson (DU): BHS LOSO, her usual. Switch leap to side somi, low chest with a lean forward and a fall. The beam woes continue. Gainer pike dismount, no movement. 9.025
Fears (AZ): Beautiful twists to open her first pass! Switch side to Popa, nice straddle position in the air. Side aerial to one knee, fun little element. Back 1.5 to front full to close, very nicely done! 9.900
Mundell (DU): BHS LOSO, was a little off but determined not to come off the beam and adjusts. Beat jump to switch half, wobble after the switch with a leg lift. Beautiful height on the second leap connection. Gainer pike with a hop backwards. 9.800
Krohnfeldt (AZ): Okay choreography, I’m loving this. Double pike to open, nice chest up on the landing. Good extension on the leap series and good position on the ring jump. Back 1.5 to front layout, nice rise on the layout. Double tuck, bit of a low chest with a controlled step back. 9.850
Ulrich (DU): Straddle 3/4 to open, nice bit of difficulty. BHS LOSO solid. Hitch kick to switch side, good toe point. Front aerial to beat jump, gainer pike dismount with a solid landing. Pioneers slowly regaining momentum on the beam. 9.875
Martin (AZ): Double pike to open, nice and controlled. She has such good musicality on this event and it makes it so much fun to watch. Front layout to front full 2nd pass, the RING position on the leaps was really good. Double tuck, nice landing. The Wildcats are feeling it. 9.850
Mabanta (DU): Wolf turn to open, little wobbly but not too bad. BHS LOSO, off on the series. Denver will count a fall. Sissone to switch half, how on EARTH did she save that? Beat jump, looks like she’s rushing through this routine just to get it done. Tucked gainer full off the end dismount. Gosh, my heart hurts. 9.100
Strom (AZ): Arizona very likely has this meet locked up, this is all just for fun at this point. Rudi to a very floaty layout step out. Cat leap to switch leap to ring jump, I like that Arizona has a few of these, it sets them apart from other teams for sure. Back 1.5 to front full to close, nice controlled step forward. Pounds the mat in celebration. 9.900
Iwai (DU): I’m so used to seeing her as lead off so I’m interested to see where she lands with this anchor role. Switch leap to straddle quarter, nicely done. nails her BHS LOSO series, side aerial to split jump nice 180 in the splits. Cartwheel to gainer full dismount. 9.850
Mueller (AZ): Encore performance for the Wildcats. WHY ARE WE CUTTING TO GYMNASTS MID CHOREO??? double pike to open, nice control on the landing, maybe a bit of a low chest. The entire Arizona team just did a kickline to her music (Paging whoever is in charge of GIFs). Back 1.5 front layout, little whippy on the FLO. Final pass is a double tuck, small slide of the feet on the landing. 9.800
FINAL: Arizona 196.775, Denver 194.600
Season-high scores on bars and beam lead Arizona to an upset victory and gives it a huge leg up when it comes to conference standings. Props to Denver for not giving up, but the Pioneers will need to readjust and quickly find a consistent lineup before NQS starts.
VT: Mabanta (DU) – 9.875
UB: Deets (AZ) and Fears (AZ) – 9.925
BB: Deets (AZ) – 9.925
FX: Fears (AZ) and Strom (AZ) – 9.900
AA: Fears (AZ) – 39.450
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