Tonight, we head to the West Coast for the annual Big Meet, which brings ACC competition to the Bay Area. The Stanford Cardinal visit the California Bears in a top-20 showdown, with both teams remaining undefeated in conference play. The question is, who will reign supreme in this ACC clash?
Stanford is riding high after a win against the North Carolina Tar Heels last weekend. The Cardinal swept the individual titles, led by Anna Roberts and Sienna Robinson. Roberts claimed her third consecutive all-around title, while Robinson earned her second ACC Specialist of the Week honor this season after a stellar performance. Roberts and Robinson are also the only gymnasts in the ACC to hold multiple top-two conference rankings on an event through the first five weeks of the season. Other key routines to watch tonight include Ui Soma, Brenna Neault, Claire Dean, and Taralyn Nguyen.
California is also coming off an ACC victory, having defeated N.C. State on the road. California’s star, Mya Lauzon, finished in the top three on every event and claimed the all-around title. Lauzon’s impressive showing earned her a second ACC Gymnast of the Week award, making her the Bears’ first repeat winner this season. eMjae Frazier, Madelyn Williams, and Ella Cesario also contributed big scores that helped secure the win. A standout moment from last weekend was senior Abbey Scanlon’s collegiate debut after battling injuries throughout her career. Scanlon anchored the beam lineup and won the event with a nearly perfect routine, adding to the Bears’ momentum as they head into this highly anticipated meet.
Rotation 1: California VT, Stanford UB
Williams (Cal): Yurchenko full, small hop backwards. 9.825
Gutierrez (Stan): Pretty Jaeger to bail. Nice swing. Solid reverse grip giant into double front half, stuck. 9.875
Mayhew (Cal): Yurchenko 1.5, small leg form in the air. 9.875
Chang (Stan): Maloney to pak, solid. Love the aggressiveness throughout. Huge double layout, stuck cold. 9.9
Cesario (Cal): Yurchenko full, a little too much sauce and hops backward. 9.775
Neault (Stan): Maloney to Pak, pretty as always. Nice pirouette. Blind full to double back, another stick for the Cards. 9.85
Frazier (Cal): Yurchenko double, a little jammed on the table but great flight. 9.85
Sorrento (Stan): Maloney to Pak, pretty. Great swing. Beautiful stuck double layout. The Cards are on fire with these sticks. 9.825
Lauzon (Cal): Huge Yurchenko 1.5, fights for the stick but slides her foot a little. 9.9
Roberts (Stan): Pretty Pak. Beautiful toe-on to Van Leewen. Small form in final set of giants. Double layout, small hop. 9.85
Wiley (Cal): Yurchenko 1.5, some form in the air but solid vault. 9.8
Soma (Stan): Stunning Maloney to Pak. Van Leewen to go back to the high bar, makes it look easy. Double layout, small leg separation and pikes it down ever so slightly but sticks it cold. 9.9
After 1: Stanford 49.375, California 49.250
I’m obsessed with this rivalry every year. Both teams are showing to be aggressive and consistent, which helped the Bears and the Cards start off strong. Let’s keep this momentum going!
Rotation 2: Stanford VT, California UB
Chang (Stan): Yurchenko full, a little far back on the table but solid. 9.775
Lauzon (Cal): Pretty Pak. Great aggressive swing leading up to her Van Leewen. Full-twisting double back, stuck. 9.9
Walker (Stan): Yurchenko full, takes a step back. 9.75
Frazier (Cal): Maloney to Pak, gorgeous as always. Small wrist shuffle after pirouette but that’s me being nit-picky. Huge double layout, takes the smallest of heel slides. 9.9
Neault (Stan): Full-on back pike off, drills it. I’m obsessed with everything she does ahhh. 9.9
Cesario (Cal): Blind change to straddle Jaeger, solid. Nice bail to handstand. A teensy bit short on her double layout but pretty overall. 9.875
Nguyen (Stan): Yurchenko 1.5, her shoulders were super forward and she takes a huge hop forward. 9.7
Williams (Cal): Solid Pak. Pretty Van Leewen, but loses her foot form on the last handstand just a little. Double layout, a smidge short on rotation and steps forward. 9.85
Gutierrez (Stan): Yurchenko 1.5, almost gets the stick but takes a tiny hop forward. 9.875
Brown (Cal): Super floaty Pak to a beautiful Van Leewen. Misses her last handstand into her dismount. Pretty front pike half dismount. 9.825
Roberts (Stan): Yurchenko 1.5, fairly large step forward. 9.775
Newman (Cal): Maloney to Pak, solid. Nice swing. Let go a little early in her dismount and takes a step back. 9.85
After 2: California 49.650, Stanford 98.450
Oh boy, we have a MEET on our hands. I would’ve loved to see some more confident landings from both teams, but overall those were some great routines from everyone. I’m so excited to head into the third rotation as the Bears and the Cards have some of the most unique and fun routines to watch.
Rotation 3: California BB, Stanford FX
Cesario (Cal): Solid full turn. Bhs loso, pretty. Off on her switch leap and breaks the connection. Split half to beat jump, small balance check. Ro 1.5, stuck. Love how well she minimized additional deductions after that connection break. 9.775
Dean (Stan): Tinsica to Rudi to straddle jump, I mean wow…just wow (yes, I’m ignoring that her chest was low on the Rudi and the lack of rise in the straddle jump). Great extension in leaps. Punch Rudi to front full, love the rise she got on this. 9.8
Williams (Cal): Pretty wolf turn. Front aerial to split jump, solid and confident. Makes her bhs loso look easy. Great lines throughout. Bhs side gainer full, stuck. 9.9
Robinson (Stan): Ro bhs double back, great height. Double Y turn, I’m so glad to see this in the NCAA. Switch leap to switch half to straddle jump, front leg was a little low in second leap. Ro 1.5 to front full to straddle jump, solid. Closes out with a huge ro bhs double pike, little short on the landing. 9.75
Mayhew (Cal): Falls on the full turn. Bhs loso, solid. Switch leap split half, great extension. Ro 1.5, small hop. 9.175
Walker (Stan): HUGE double pike to open, barely picks her front foot up. Switch leap to wolf full to wolf full, dances right out of it. Front through to double back, small foot scoot. 9.85
Frazier (Cal): Great control in full turn. Front aerial, small balance check and breaks her connection. Makes an adjustment and does a solid bhs loso. Split jump to ring jump, love how she actually hits the ring. Ro 1.5, small step forward. 9.8
Nguyen (Stan): FLOOR DEBUT ALERT! Huge ro bhs double layout, love the flight time she gets but has some leg form issues in the air. Great extension in leaps. Front through to double back, solid. 9.875
Lauzon (Cal): Beautiful tick-tock mount to wolf turn. Bhs bhs loso, slightly off but covers it well. Switch leap split jump, pretty. Ro 1.5, small hop. 9.925
Roberts (Stan): Front through to double back, love the control. Switch half to Popa, great amplitude and extension. Front layout to Rudi, great height. Ends with a wolf turn fake-out as dance. 9.925
Scanlon (Cal): So glad she’s secured this beam anchor spot. Pretty wolf turn. Bhs loso, great fight and control. Solid wolf jump switch half, small balance check. Ro 1.5, small step. 9.875
Neault (Stan): Great double pike to open, covers the low chest well and landed solid. Love the extension she gets in her leaps. Front layout to Rudi, love the amplitude. Ro 1.5 to front layout, slight leg form break in front layout. Closes out with a pretty tour jete. 9.875
After 3: California 147.925, Stanford 147.775
There were some iffy spots in this rotation but these teams are rock solid and recovered well. I love the drive these gymnasts have so much. With one routine left, who do we think is going to remain undefeated in the ACC?
Stanford BB, California FX
Dean (Stan): Solid full turn. Side aerial back loso, nice control. Straddle jump straddle 1/4, great extension. Ro 1.5, stuck. 9.95
Mayhew (Cal): Punch double full to front pike, love the height she gets. Switch ring switch half, pretty. Ro 1.5 front half to stag jump, great control out of the jump. 9.95
Landry (Stan): Nice double wolf turn. Bhs loso, ever so solid. Split jump ring jump, beautiful position in the ring. Pretty needle scale. Front gainer pike, stuck. 9.9
Williams (Cal): Punch front layout to Rudi, great control on the landing. Dances out of her wolf turn, was leaning back a smidge. Switch half split jump, pretty. Ro 1.5 to front layout, makes it look so easy and floaty. 9.85
Carter (Stan): Solid full turn. Bhs bhs loso, does it with ease. Great straddle half straddle jump. Front gainer full off the side, stuck cold. The stick stick makes it TV debut tonight! 9.9
Keuneke (Cal): Front double full to front pike, a little crooked in the air in between flips. Great extension in leaps. Ro 1.5 to front half to straddle jump, nice height. 9.825
Neault (Stan): Bhs bhs loso, solid as always. Beat jump to huge ring jump, pretty. Nice full turn. Ro 1.5, another stuck cold dismount for Stanford. 9.95
Cesario (Cal): Full-twisting double back, the best one I’ve seen her do all season wow. Switch half to ring leap, great extension and lines. Ro 1.5 to front layout, stuck. 9.925
Soma (Stan): Nice full turn. Switch leap split jump, huge height on this. Pretty side aerial. Bhs loso, great control. Switch half to beat jump, nice extension. Front gainer pike, fights for the stick and gets it after some arm circles. 9.825
We are tied going into this routine! What a meet we have tonight!
Frazier (Cal): Front through to double back, huge amplitude on this. Switch leap switch ring to sissone, beautiful extension. Ro 1.5 to front layout, steps to the side but keeps it as controlled as possible. 9.9
Robinson (Stan): Beautiful bhs loso to open. Switch leap split leap, nice control and lines. Side aerial beat jump, solid. Ro 1.5, rounds out the stick train for the Cardinals. 9.925
Lauzon (Cal): Fhs double full front tuck, pretty as ever. Switch ring switch half, great lines and extension. Ro 1.5 to front full, stuck. A great routine for the Bears to end on, and dare I say I saw no major deductions. I can’t believe I manifested that but girly received a 10.0.
FINAL: California 197.550, Stanford 197.400
VT: Mya Lauzon (Cal): 9.90
UB: Mya Lauzon (Cal): 9.925
BB: Claire Dean (Stan): 9.95
FX: Mya Lauzon (Cal): 10.0
AA: Mya Lauzon (Cal): 39.750
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Live blog by Jessica Brock
