It’s meet day in Idaho, and Boise State is set to host Utah State and Sacramento State in what promises to be a thrilling competition. With all three teams close in scores, it could come down to the wire—if everyone can avoid counting falls. For the stat heads out there, here’s the rundown: these teams are separated by just 0.175 on vault, 0.15 on beam, and a mere 0.075 on floor based on their season highs.
On vault, we’ll see a showdown between Mountain West co-leaders, Nyla Morabito of Utah State and Alyssa Vulaj of Boise State. They’ll go head-to-head again on floor, where Vulaj is ranked fifth in the conference by average, while Morabito holds the highest score so far this season. For Sacramento State, watch for the dynamic duo of Sarah Lutrel and Athena Jones on beam and floor. Their routines will be pivotal if the Hornets want to stay in contention with their Mountain West rivals tonight.
This meet is set to be a nail-biter, so buckle up for what could be a battle to the very last routine!
Scoring and free video streaming is available tonight, provided by Virtius and the Mountain West Network.
For the first time, we’ll be treated to Shani Krentz (nee Remme) doing commentary for her alma mater!
Rotation 1: Boise State VT, Utah State UB, Sacramento State BB
Kho (BSU): starts off the meet with a y full, going for the stick but rotates too slowly to nail it. she takes a step forward to save it. 9.600
Orengo (USU): blind half to straddle jaeger and shootover, lots of height on the whole series. big double layout, but will take a deduction on showing different body positions throughout. 9.800
Gilman (SAC): bhs loso looks just as calm as her choreo, as does her aerial shortly after. unique jump series – straddle to straddle 3/4! looks very happy after her dismount as well. 9.800
Ball (BSU): powerful y full on back pike, and a little shuffle is all she’ll let the judges take. her legs are glued throughout the second flight phase. 9.775
Jelen (USU): textbook double layout! nearly sticks, but is eager to stand up and takes a hop back.
Morgenthaler (SAC): bhs bhs loso packs a masive punch. another fun jump series – pike jump to straddle 3/4! she powers through her roundoff 1.5, and almost sticks but will settle for a single step. 9.775
Kemp (BSU): y half, nearly blocks to the end of the table. shuffles forward on her landing. 9.750
Vandertoolen (USU): toe hs to Maloney and Pak, with this side view it honestly looks like she has one leg instead of two. she holds the stick on her blind full to double tuck, but will look forward to keeping her chest up to boost her score even higher. 9.825
Driessen (SAC): bhs loso fights to stay on, but her hips are too open to save it. incredibly confident beam work otherwise. switch to a GORGEOUS straddle half and beat jump, and could take my eye out with her toe point. finishes with a front toss, and then a stuck gainer full.
Vulaj (BSU): y full on back pike, gets a massive block and then takes one hop backward. 9.850
Bibbey (USU): putting on a masterclass with her handstands, and then drills a stuck double layout! 9.900
Jones (SAC): bhs loso looks fluid as ever, as does her switch to split 3/4. near-stick on her roundoff 1.5, with the smallest suggestion of a step sideways.
Lopez (BSU): hops back on an otherwise textbook y full! 9.800
Brooks (USU): she is such an efficient bar worker! big height in her entire set. 9.900
Lutrel (SAC): bhs loso with gorgeous extension, and then a moonwalk to get thr crowd going. beat jump to split 3/4 takes a check, but stays on. switch leg aerial gets big cheers from her teammates! I haven’t seen one of these since Maddie Gardiner’s time at Oregon State. closes with a stuck aerial to 1.5 dismount.
Loyim (BSU): y 1.5, hops forward from how powerful her block was. 9.775
Kirstine (USU): blind half to straddle jaeger and shoot comes in a little loose, and then contributes to her team’s train of hit dismounts with her stuck full in (with her legs glued)! 9.900
Houghton (SAC): bhs loso takes a big check, but stays on. textbook extension on her switch to straddle 3/4. fun straddle full right after! she’s showing off quite the toe point, and takes her choreo right into a roundoff double twist.
Nakayama (BSU): exhibition — y tuck full, open position with a hop back.
Zimmerman (SAC): exhibition — fun throwback with the front support cartwheel off the top. super speedy bhs bhs loso, small check bringing it to a stop. hitch kick to a super high switch side, then an equally high transverse straddle 1/2. finishes with a gainer front full off the side that caught the commentary team pleasantly off guard.
After 1: Utah State 49.375, Boise State 48.950, Sacramento State 48.925
Utah State came to play on bars, taking the early lead in a strong first rotation for all three teams. Their entire back half of the lineup went 9.900, and still has room to improve as the season continues! Boise State and Sacramento State are separated by a hair, with individual highs so far of 9.850 apiece from Vulaj and Lutrel respectively.
Rotation 2: Boise State UB, Utah State BB, Sacramento State FX
Werline (BSU): once again joining mid-routine, in time for her stalder to double tuck! 9.875
Jelen (USU): holds onto her aerial bhs, and then shows a lovely double stag jump. stuck dismount as a punctuation mark, and wastes no time getting to the Ellie-Black-Cowboy celebration. 9.750
Gilman (SAC): we join halfway, with her punch layout punch full, travels a tad sideways but keeps it in bounds. her third pass is an open double tuck, and she fights to keep it to one lunge out of it. 9.750
Buell (BSU): toe hs to Maloney to bail handstand, makes sure to hit her angles. small bounce back on her double layout. 9.800
Eagles (USU): bhs loso, off the side with closed hips. side aerial to split jump, and then a switch to split jump. looks rushed finding her flow again, and then she made me eat my words with a stuck roundoff 1.5. 9.150
Houghton (SAC): this music will always make me want to dance! opens with a high front layout to rudi. switch side to Popa gets tons of lift. second pass is an open double tuck, small leg separation and then controls her step back. 9.725
Ball (BSU): small hop back on her full in, but gets a massive shoutout for doing it from only a handstand! 9.800
Orengo (USU): small check on her full turn, but keeps the momentum. switch to split jump without any nerves. college sticks her roundoff 1.5, and is happy to have counted a hit. cue the big USU logo necklace! 9.700
Schmitt (SAC): starting with a whip to double tuck, looks great but goes out of bounds with two small steps. quite the dramatic dance to go with it, into a floaty 1.5 punch layout. 9.575
Shchennikova (BSU): starts off with a blind half to huge jaeger, and has a floaty Pak right after. she keeps her legs glued on her blind full to double tuck! 9.825
Medrano (USU): joining halfway through. her beat jump to aerial takes a check, and then a super calm split to split 3/4 right after. she holds the stick on her gainer full! 9.825
Leitch (BSU): joining right for the end, stuck double layout! 9.850
Morgenthaler (SAC): massive Rudi loso to open, and what looks like a third of the diagonal still leftover. switch full to Popa rotates easily. closes with a high double pike. 9.750
Lopez (BSU): blind half to a high piked jaeger, catches with bent elbows but carries it to her bail handstand easily. her handstands find vertical effortlessly, and then takes a small shuffle out of her double layout. 9.800
Brooks (USU): fun open shoulder roll, and her calm beam presence is in full force. front aerial to one arm bhs floats around, as does her switch to bhs swing down. very confident split jump to split 1/4, and sticks her bhs gainer full cold! 9.900
Lutrel (SAC): big double pike to open up, gets tons of block to rotate it. quickly into her front layout front full, with a bit of a short landing. leap series gest nice and high, but the twisting angles are a little ambiguous. she closes with a double tuck and what looks like a step forward out of it. 9.725
Dumas-Guzman (SAC): exhibition — making sure to use every joint in her dancing! opens with a front layout front full, and then a high tour jete 1/2 and then quickly into a cartwheel loso. switch half to two Popas rotates super precisely, all while dialed into her choreo. she closes with a bit of an off-axis Rudi, that will hopefully be calmer to be lineup ready.
After 2: Utah State 98.350, Boise State 98.100, Sacramento State 97.450
We’re starting to see the separation between the Mountain West teams and Sacramento State, but it’s still anyone’s meet to win. The Aggies were able to hold their lead — although it did get smaller — thanks to the 9.900 machine they have in Brooks. After seeing the Aggies nail two 49+ events, I’m hopeful for at least one 196 tonight.
Rotation 3: Sacramento State VT, Boise State BB, Utah State FX
Gilman (SAC): y half, small hop forward while controlling her layout shape. 9.675
Vulaj (BSU): gainer bhs loso solid, but with flexed feet in both skills. near stick on her roundoff 1.5. 9.825
Eagles (USU): front layout to a BIG Rudi, sets up a solid rotation. switch full to straddle half(?) that gets stuck mid-rotation. super high double tuck, lands easily to finish her routine. 9.875
Frank (SAC): starting way at the back of the strip, and then launches her y full tucked. takes one hop back to control her power. 9.650
Kho (BSU): getting started with her candle mount, keeping her legs glued throughout. bhs pike. very calm front aerial, then a massive sissone to switch half and a small check. closes with a gainer full, and takes a small hop on her landing. 9.75
Driessen (SAC): y full, takes it to a deep squat but holds her stick. 9.700
Lopez (BSU): looking confident as ever, making a point to continually move in and out of skills. bhs loso looks calm, as does her kicked out full turn and jump series. cat leap to front toss lands with a bigger leg separation than normal, but again so calm throughout. sticks her gainer full to finish. 9.850
Medrano (USU): joining halfway, roundoff 1.5 to layout with a leg separation. switch half to wolf full is missing a little lift, but her double tuck has a comfortable upright landing with the controlled lunge. 9.750
Morgenthaler (SAC): huge y full with glued legs, hops back. 9.700
Morabito (USU): full in to open her routine, legs glued in her twisting. she’s giving her all into the dance, eager to continue her high scoring campaign. closes out with a front layout front full front tuck, and a big teamwide celebration. 9.825
Leitch (BSU): bhs pike with a small check, then follows up with tons of extension on her switch to split 3/4. gorgeous front toss, lands with her legs as close together as they can be without landing on top of each other. closes out with a switch to gainer pike off the end, one of only two i can think of off the top of my head in the NCAA this year. 9.775
Krzywanski (BSU): she’s completely in her zone, and drills her bhs loso. cat to side aerial comes off the side, from closed hips in the entire aerial. wastes no time getting back up, to show a high and controlled switch to straddle 1/4. small pause, then closes with a roundoff 1.5. 9.100
Peterson (USU): exhibition — roundoff double tuck as we join halfway through her routine. switch side to a nearly fully rotated Popa. closes with a front layout to Rudi double stag. 9.625
Shchennikova (BSU): exhibition — fights on her press mount twice, then takes it down to clear support to save it. bhs bhs loso takes a check, as does her full turn right after. textbook switch to split 1/4, going well past 180 on both. large check on her front aerial, then rallies to stick her gainer full.
After 3: Utah State 147.300, Boise State 147.075, Sacramento State 145.975
The Broncos, once again led by Lopez, are still chipping away at Utah State’s lead, now down to only 0.225. Sacramento State showed the makings of a strong vault lineup, albeit one that can add serious tenths back once it counts more than one stuck landing.
Rotation 4: Utah State VT, Sacramento State UB, Boise State FX
Vandertoolen (USU): y full, leg separation and a hop in her landing but otherwise strong. 9.725
Cohen (SAC): tkatchev to pak, then takes three tries to get her pirouette over. closes with a double layout that gets stuck in the air, luckily lands feet first but has to put her hands down. 8.875
Stuart (USU): y full, two awkward hops out of it as she holds it on her feet. bent elbows in her block as well, a testament to how much power she could have granted she’s already bounding backwards out of it. 9.600
Kemp (BSU): huge open full in tuck to start her routine, after waiting an hour and a half since her last routine. front layout to Rudi with a small shuffle on the landing will finish her night. 9.675
Morgenthaler (SAC): super high jaeger! then the feed moves to floor. 9.675
Ferguson (BSU): front layout, front full to front tuck stays on her feet, but lands almost exactly in the same spot and gets a but of a surprise finishing that combo pass. double tuck looks much calmer as she finishes her routine. 9.500
Jones (SAC): kip hops into her Jaeger and Pak, then cranks around her double layout and controls her landing within one step back. 9.575
Pascal (BSU): joining right after her first pass. switch ring to switch full to the corner, then absolutely floats her roundoff 1.5 punch layout with her legs glued throughout. closes with a rudi to split jump, with clean lines through both. 9.825
Morabito (USU): big y full! takes a small hop, but shows stability quickly. 9.750
James (SAC): blind half to a sky high Jaeger, then hits her second clean handstand en route to her Pak. closes with a stuck blind full to double tuck 9.800
Loyim (BSU): whip double tuck hello! switch side to two Popas, with the final jump missing the smallest bit of rotation. high double pike, and still has energy to jump as her team celebrates with her at the end. 9.875
Houghton (SAC): blind half a tad late, then into a great high Jaeger to Pak. closes her team’s night with a quick double layout and a small hop back. 9.800
Leitch (BSU): drills her double pike, and then gets right to her switch half to wolf full. front layout front full right into more dance, looking just as controlled as her beam earlier tonight. she finishes her the night with a double tuck, and a small step forward to counter low shoulders on the landing. 9.700
FINAL: Boise State 195.925, Utah State 195.850, Sacramento State 194.600
For the first time this year, that’s it from Boise! It took the home team four rotations, but they were able to overtake their higher seeded conference rival Utah State. While Sacramento State finishes third tonight, their score will still work wonders in distancing the team from last week’s 193 flat.
The Hornets are on the road in one week’s time at Southern Utah, while Boise State will take part in Air Force’s tri meet on Sunday, February 9th. Utah State will have its turn to host, welcoming San Jose State to Logan, Utah on Friday, February 7th.
VT: Vulaj (Boise State): 9.850
UB: Bibbey (Utah State), Brooks (Utah State), Kirstine (Utah State): 9.900
BB: Brooks (Utah State): 9.900
FX: Eagles (Utah State), Loyim (Boise State): 9.875
AA: Morgenthaler (Sacramento State): 38.900
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