LIVE BLOG: No. 32 Illinois at No. 24 Penn State

Friday night starts with a classic Big Ten showdown as Illinois heads to Happy Valley to take on Penn State. Despite Penn State’s higher ranking, Illinois holds the edge in top team score, posting a 196.275 to Penn State’s 196.100. The Nittany Lions are still adjusting after last season’s historic postseason run, and they’re working to fill the gap left by Ava Piedrahita’s ACL injury. For Penn State to step forward, it will be crucial to see star freshmen Elizabeth Leary and Allison Kaempfer push their scores into the high 9.800s on their events.

On the Illinois side, consistency from returning athletes will be key to supporting standout freshman Chloe Cho, who has already scored above 39.300 in the all-around twice this season. For the Illini to make a leap, they need to clean up early lineup routines and push past the 9.7 barrier, especially on floor. Freshman Eden King will be pivotal in helping Illinois achieve that goal. Both teams struggled last weekend, with beam falls dragging down their totals, but they’ll be aiming to bounce back and break into the 196s again. The second half of this meet will be critical, and this could easily be a nail-biter right down to the final routine!

Rotation 1: Penn State VT, Illinois UB

Brown (UB): Didn’t realize we had started, double layout with a hop 9.885

Vihrova (VT): Front hand front Pike, hop forward 9.675

Kaempfer (VT): Yurchenko full with a hop, piked down 9.725

The commentators are confused and so am I re: order

Ward (UB): Tkatchehv, great Bail. Great handstand, full in, nearly stuck with an arm wave and then takes a step 9.775

Leary (VT): Much better Yurchenko full, great amplitude, hop back. 9.800

Denning (UB): Good handstand, Maloney, Bail. Large leg separation on Maloney, short handstand on bail. Double layout with a step

Mcelligot (VT): Another big Yurchenko full, a little bit of knees in the air, with a step back

Knight (UB): Good handstand, Maloney, Bail, very clean leg form. Final handstand might be a little short, double layout is underrotated with a step. 9.750

Johnston (VT): Yurchenko full, nice distance, small hop.

Cho (UB): Great first handstand, Maloney Pak is pristine. Antoher great handstand. Maloney half, small arch on the final handstand, double layout with a hop. Excellent first half.

Herring (VT): Yurchenko full, nice block, hop back.

Green (UB): Good handstand, clean Maloney, small leg break on Bail. Handstand on high is god. double layout with a stick, nice anchor routine. 9.925

After 1: Illinois 49.075, Penn State 48.850

A solid but bouncy first rotation for both teams, and Illinois has the lead after one. Illinois looked solid on bars and just needs to focus on cleaning up dismounts, sticking only one. Cho and Green’s routines were huge to close the rotation. Penn State did not stick any vaults, and had to count a couple 9.7s. The dynamics on these vaults did look mostly good, a positive sign for the Nittany Lions as the season progresses. Onto the second!

Rotation 2: Illinois VT, Penn State UB

Brown (VT): Balks out of her vault and only does a timer, pressure on the for the rest of the lineup. Looked off from the round off.

Leary (UB): Good handstand, Straddled Jaeger, overshoot. Good dynamics, tiny bit of leg form and an arm bend. Great final handstand, giant full double tuck stuck, nice start. 9.775

Coppola (VT): Stuck Yurchenko full, team is hyped about it. Great recovery from Illinois

McElligot (UB): Good handstand, Maloney, Bail, leg separation on Bail. Half pirouette is a little late. Final handstand is short, stalder double tuck, stuck.

Cho (VT): Yurchenko full stuck, chest a little low, bit nice block and distance 9.775

Johnston (UB): Great handstand, Maloney, Bail. Clean leg form, best of the rotation so far. Short final handstand, giant full, double tuck, stuck.

3 9.775s to start bars for Penn State

King (VT): Yurchenko full, big hop back, nice distance, some leg form in the air 9.675

Latronica (UB): Piked Jaeger, flexed feet. Bail is good. Good final handstand, toe on pike half, stuck. 9.875

Muller (VT): Gorgeous block on a Yurchenko full, hop back. Best block of the rotation so far

Gallentine (UB): Short first handstand. Maloney, Bail, small leg separation. Half pirouette looked crooked. Great final handstand, double layout with a big hop and chest down, nice extension throughout her routine 9.725

Ward (VT): Yurchenko full, nice body line throughout, small hop. 9.775

Barbanente (UB): Good handstand. Piked jaeger is caught close, overshoot with an arm bend. Nice final handstand, gorgeous double layout is stuck

After 2: Illinois 97.950, Penn State 97.925

Nice rotations for both teams with only a quarter tenth separating these teams halfway through! Illinois looked solid on vault, getting a couple stuck landings. I noticed that the judges were really rewarding dynamics, as reflected in Muller having the highest score even with a small hop, and stuck vaults scoring in the 9.7s. Penn State looked solid on bars, sticking 5/6 dismounts. One area of improvement is final handstands, but overall that rotation was very solid top to bottom. Beam and floor are next!

Rotation 3: Penn State BB, Illinois FX

Maul (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, leg up check. Full turn. Switch leap, straddle quarter, nice positions. Stuck back 1.5, nice recovery after the opening balance check. 9.675

Joelson (FX): Double pike, slide back. Switch side, Popa, wolf full, lost some of the precision between second and third elements. Front tuck through to double tuck, short, chest down and step forward. 9.700

Leary (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, tiny waver. Split jump, sheep jump, bad angle to see positions. Stuck back 1.5, nice. 9.800

King (FX): Double tuck, chest slightly low. Switch side, straddle jump. Back 1.5, front full, crossover step. 9.725

McElligott (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, small balance check. Switch leap, straddle quarter. Back 1.5 with a hop. These routines are all very efficiently designed. 9.875

Ward (FX): Clean Rudi. Bhs, loso. Switch half, wolf jump 1.5 is messy. Front lay front full, not the highest on either salto. 9.750

Salcedo (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, works through what I was going to be a fall with only a small check. Standing front tuck is gorgeous. Love this low to the beam choreography and into the wolf jump. Split jump, split 3/4, chest position a little low. Front full with a small step, nice. 9.775

Nock (FX): Nice double pike to start, chest position is excellent. Wolf 1.5 is low and cheated of rotation. Tour jete half, split jump half, split looked a little asymetrical. Front lay, Rudi, hop out, nice twisting form though. 9.850

Herring (BB): Front toss, back handspring clean. Full turn is good. Switch side is nice. Beat jump, straddle 3/4 is gorgeous. Tucked front full, stuck. Huge routine, 9.875

Floor started early? Camera staying on beam while Cho competes on floor.

Cho (FX): Switch full, split full, nice to end the routine. Replay, STUCK full in, nice chest position too! 9.850

Johnston (BB): Bhs, loso, small check. Split jump, sheep jump, cheated the sheep position a bit. Beat jump, side aerial no issue. Full turn. Gainer full, stuck chest a touch low. 9.850

Muller (FX): Double pike, nicely done. Switch half, wolf full, fine. Front lay, front full, nice lift, small crossover step. Excellent double tuck, chest position and control was great. 9.875!

After 3: Penn State 147.100, Illinois 147.000

Another great rotation for both teams! I really liked Penn State’s quick, sharp style on beam. There were some checks on acro series, but clean leaps and stuck dismounts allowed the Nittany Lions to go 49.175 on beam to take a one tenth lead going into floor. Illinois was solid on floor, justa few short landings and imprecise dance positions. Muller’s clean routine was a highlight for sure, the lift on her front lay front full really stuck out to me. Last rotation up next!

Rotation 4: Illinois BB, Penn State FX

Sapp (BB): Full turn, Bhs, loso, small check. Switch leap, switch half, very short of split, beat jump. Gainer full with a step.

Late lineup change, Ashley Maul in, Herring out.

Maul (FX): Double tuck nice control, tour jete half, fine. Great split position on leap series. Back 1.5, front layout, has to arch the front layout around. 9.75

Nataraj (BB): Bhs, loso big check. Beat jump, front aerial is clean, full turn another check. Back 1.5 with a step, some deductions in there. 9.500, will want to drop that

Leary (FX): Front double full, punch front, great twisting form. Switch ring, wolf full, nice ring position. Back 1.5, front lay, clean. 9.800

Knight (BB): Candle mount, Switch leap, split leap beat jump is fine. Side aerial, bhs, big arm wave but brings it back and minimizes the deductions. Side somi, another check, chest low. Full turn, another check. Gainer full, stuck. 9.75

Vihrova (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck is short and falls. Switch ring, switch half, nice. Back 1.5, front lay, form break on the layout. 9.000

Pressure is on the back half of the lineup.

Coppola (BB): Side aerial, roundoff, connected well. Switch leap, split jump, beat jump. Two foot aerial, bigger balance check. Gainer full with a hop. Solid, but not going to close the gap if Penn State hits floor 9.700

Kramer (FX): Front double full, front tuck, gorgeous twisting position and nice landing control. Tour jete half, wolf full, fine. Switch leap in isolation. Rudi, loso, loso is huge, excellent control. Good one, 9.900

Cho (BB): Wolf jump, chest a little forward. Bhs, loso, secure. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump, good. Side aerial, sharp. Back 1.5, stuck, excellent routine, should be a huge score. 9.925, well deserved

Salcedo (FX): Double pike, slide back, will be a deduction. Tour jete half, sissone. Round off, loso. Front lay, front full, nice form. 9.875

King (BB): Bhs, loso, bigger check. Full turn, another check. Switch half, very nice. Hitch kick, switch side, secure. Back 1.5 with a hop

McElligott (FX): Nice double tuck to open, amplitude is nice. Switch ring, switch ring half, nearly went OOB but stays in. Front lay, front full, that should do it for Penn State! 9.900!

FINAL: Penn State 196.325, Illinois 195.900

And it did come down to the very last routine! Penn State defeats Illinois with a season high 196.325, and room to improve! A really nice showing from the Nittany Lions on beam and floor, capped off by Kramer and McElligot 9.900s. Illinois also had a really solid day, unfortunately beam wobbles took them out of it, but Chloe Cho was a big highlight, picking up the beam and all around titles.

VT: Mareli Muller 9.850
UB: Makayla Green 9.925
BB: Chloe Cho 9.925
FX: Alyssa Kramer, Kalea McElligot 9.900
AA: Chloe Cho 39.400

READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 4


Live blog by Rebecca Williams

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