It’s a top-10 SEC showdown tonight as No. 8 Kentucky heads to Norman to take on No. 1 Oklahoma for their first meeting this season.
Oklahoma has held the top spot in the rankings for the first five weeks of the season and will be looking to notch another big home score to boost its NQS as we approach the mid-season point. Last weekend, the Sooners posted an impressive 197.825 against Arkansas, with 11 scores of 9.9 or higher. The team’s five all-arounders continue to deliver, and we saw freshman Kelsey Slade make her collegiate debut with a solid 9.825 on bars. Kiera Wells and Elle Mueller also rounded out lineups, but it will be interesting to see if head coach K.J. Kindler makes any lineup adjustments for this home meet. Notably, Oklahoma has yet to record a perfect 10 this season, so all eyes will be on the Sooners’ stars to see if one of them can finally break through.
Kentucky comes into Norman after a strong performance against Auburn last weekend, where the Wildcats posted their second 197+ score of the season. Stellar performances have led the Wildcats from upperclassmen, including transfer Skylar Killough-Wilhelm, Isabella Magnelli, and Mackenzie Wilson. Kentucky will need big routines from these key athletes across all four events to stay competitive with the Sooners and secure a major road score.
You can follow along at 8:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network for Friday Night Heights!
Rotation 1: VT OU, UB Kentucky
Coming in late from the Florida meet, but starting off in the second spot with
Torez (OU): stuck Yurchenko 1.5!! 9.975
Pederson (OU): lead off 9.90
Rivelli (UK): lead off on bars 9.825
Noonan (UK): 9.800.
Fatta (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, small hop forward. 9.875.
Riegert (UK): Sets up with a blind to Jaeger, nice, toe handstand to shoot over, nails the last handstand and a double layout, with some form issues but a good landing with just a step. 9.850.
Wells (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, big step back on the landing. 9.850.
Davis (UK): BIG Jaeger, shoot over but passes through the handstand, but nails the double layout dismount! 9.875.
Bowers (OU): Yurchenko 1.5 STUCK! 9.950.
Rodriguez (UK): Nice release and back down with the shootover, nails the last handstand to a double layout dismount, lands a little chest down with a hop forward on the landing. 9.850.
Mueller (OU): Last minute in for Davis, Yurchenko 1.5, step forward on the landing. 9.825.
Killough-Welhelm (UK): Big Jaeger down to shoot over, really nice and a huge double layout, bounces in place on the landing. 9.875.
After 1: OU 49.550, UK 49.275
A nice starting rotation for both teams topping 49+! Oklahoma looked strong with much better landings on this event, notching three 9.9 plus scores with a near perfect 9.975 from Faith Torrez in the second spot. Moving into another strong event for the Sooners, this is already looking like a strong competition for Oklahoma. Kentucky opened well on bars with a pair of 9.875s from Skylar Killough Wilhelm and Hailey Davis, the top scores on the event, and will be looking to one of it strongest events to keep the scores close as the meet goes on!
Rotation 2: VT Kentucky, OU UB
Rizo (UK): Opening vault with a really great Yurchenko full, smallest scoot back. 9.850
Sievers (OU): Making her way back into the lineup! Opens with a nice Maloney to Pak, little loose on the pirouette and ends full in with just a step back on the landing. 9.850.
Noonan (UK): Yurchenko half on, tuck half off small step back on the landing. Nice vault after a great opening vault! 9.775.
Fatta (OU): Opens with a HUGE Church to Pak, nails the last handstand and dismounts with a STUCK double layout. Really great routine for her! 9.875.
Wilson (UK): Front on pike half off, just a step back on the landing. 9.850.
Pederson (OU): Maloney to Pak, really nice, solid pirouette and a little short on the last case but nails a stuck double layout! 9.90.
Magnelli (UK): A STUCK front on pike half! Huge for Kentucky! 9.950!
Torrez (OU): Nice Ray to Pak down, perfect pirouette and back up for an (almost) stuck double layout! 9.875
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Yurchenko 1.5 and nails the landing! 9.925.
Davis (OU): Eagle pirouette to huge Piked Jaeger, down to Pak, perfect handstand to inverted grip, front giant to the best landed double front half out she’s done! 9.950.
Rodriguez (UK): Really nice Yurchenko full, small scoot back. 9.725
Bowers (OU): Piked Jaeger, really nice to Pak, perfect. On top of the bar pirouette, full in dismount with just a step forward and an arm circle. 9.850.
After 2: OU 99.025, UK 98.625
Another big rotation for both teams building momentum as the meet goes into the second half! Oklahoma bars saw the return of Dani Sievers and a huge 9.950 from Davis in the fifth spot. Oklahoma has been copy and paste on bars each week, and this was no different. Even with a few uncharacteristic steps on landings, this event total of a 49.475 has the potential to be raised even more as season goes on. Kentucky had a great rotation on vault with a 49. 350 and two 9.925+ scores from Killough-Wilhelm and Magnelli. Moving into floor, the Wildcats will be looking to continue to build through these last two rotations to top its highest score of the season thus far.
Rotation 3: BB OU, FX Kentucky
Davis (OU): Always love the opening choreo. Solid BHS LOSO to start. Front aerial right to needle kick to more choreo down on the beam. Beat jump to split ring jump, perfect. Dismounts round off double full STUCK. Truthfully WOW. 9.90!
Rodriguez (UK): Front rudi to back layout but no step out which is normal for her just different. Switch ring to Torjete 1/2, good. Huge double back maybe a foot scoot. Ends with a back 1.5 to front half, lacking a little height but the highest jump out of that for a solid lead off! 9.825
Wells (OU): Switch leg side aerial, amazing wow. Switch leap switch leap, nice movement. BHS LOSO is almost off on that, but moves out of it once she regains her balance. Round off 1.5 stuck landing to finish strong! 9.800
Magnelli (UK): Starts off rudi to floaty LOSO. Switch side to straddle 1/2, really nice extension. Love her energy in this routine. Double pike, looked a little short but got it around well. 9.825.
Fatta (OU): Solid BHS LOSO. Side aerial, sharp landing really good. Hitch kick to switch side, really nice on that. Switch leap to split jump, good extension on that. BHS to side Gainer full, STUCK! Really great routine for her and for the Sooners! 9.850.
Rizo (UK): HUGE double tuck for her to start off. Like sky high. Back 1.5 to front layout really nice landing on that and super fun routine! Switch half to straddle full, nice rotation on that. Double pike, really nice but is out of bounds on that. Otherwise a really nice routine! 9.700.
Bowers (OU): BHS swing down, gets me everytime. BHS LOSO solid. Split leap to switch half, really nice. Smallest slide on the landing for the round off double full, but what a routine for her! 9.90.
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Front double full lots of power on that but moves out of it well. Switch leap to switch half ring, maybe a little short on getting that around. Ends with a back 1.5 to front layout really nice. 9.825.
Pederson (OU): BHS LOSO looked off from the start but fights to keep it on. Switch side, nice. Side sumi, perfect. Round off double full, step back on the landing. 9.725
Brose (UK): Huge double pike! Torjete half to wolf full, good on that. I love how much fun she is on floor. Right into front full to front full, great landing. Front double full to end, just a lunge back but a really nice routine for the Wildcats! 9.850
Torrez (OU): Love the opening wolf jump. Side aerial to LOSO, opens her hips so has a wobble but keeps it on. Switch leap to straddle jump, perfect extension. BHS Gainer full, huge height and a stuck landing. 9.825.
Davis (UK): BIG double pike to start her routine off. Switch side to straddle half, really nice extension. Second pass huge back 1.5 to front layout and controls the landing well. Last pass, perfect double tuck! 9.950!!
After 3: OU 148.300, 147.900 UK
Matching 49.275s for both Oklahoma on beam and Kentucky on floor with only four tenths separting the two! Oklahoma started off strong, but started to make small mistakes that gave them a little bit of a lower event total than they would have liked. Kentucky had a great floor rotation, was able to drop a 9.700 from Rizo due to an out of bounds, and capped with Davis’ 9.950 in the anchor spot! Oklahoma will be moving to floor where they are equally strong and Kentucky will have the challenge of ending on beam this meet. Perfect post season experience!
Rotation 4: BB Kentucky, FX UB
Rodriguez (UK): Trying to set Kentucky up to close this four tenth gap .Switch leap to split jump, nice. BHS BHS LOSO, perfect. Side sumi, nice. Rounf off 1.5, just a hop back on the landing! 9.850.
Davis (OU): Front double full perfect. Torjete half to wolf full to sissone, really nice. Back 1.5 to front layout, really good landing on both those passes! 9.875.
Brose (UK): PERFECT front tuck wow. Front toss to BHS, really good. Switch leap to beat jump, good. Round off 1.5 just a step forward, really nice routine! 9.800.
Fatta (OU): Opens with a front double full to stag jump, almost goes out but keeps it in. Front thru to back 2.5 better control on that. Switch leap to switch side to straddle full, nice. Great ending to that routine! 9.90.
Lee (UK): Perfect BHS BHS LOSO to start. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, nice extension throughout, really beautiful lines. Little bobble on the full turn. Ends with a round off 1.5 STUCK! 9.850.
Mueller (OU): Front through to double tuck, goes out of bounds on that. Front layout to rudi, nice ending to that routine! 9.800.
Bennett (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO, solid. I love the difficulty this Kentucky team is bringing on beam! Front aerial, breaks the first connection but is able to go back and get the front aerial. Switch leap to beat jump, good. Gainer pike stuck off the end! 9.750.
Pederson (OU): Back 1.5 step out to back 2.5 almost goes out but keeps it in. Front double full right to kick to choreo really well done. Switch half to straddle full to end! 9.90.
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Front aerial to BHS LOSO, perfectly done. Switch leap to beat jump, great extension on that. Side aerial to 1.5 just a step on the landing for that dismount.
Bowers (OU): Front double full to front tuck, perfection. Double pike a little short on that landing, going a little too hard for that stick but keeps it on her feet. Switch leap to switch half to wolf full to end. 9.90.
Magnelli (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO, perfect. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, over extended amazing. Front aerial nice. Gainer pike STUCK off the end. What a meet and what a rotation for Kentucky!
Torrez (OU): Last one for the night, opens with a huge double layout! Wow. Torjete half to wolf full, nice. Sets up for her last pass front through to double tuck, not even a step on the landing. 9.950!
FINAL: Oklahoma 197. 825 , Kentucky 197.225
Another great meet for both teams! Only sixth tenths separating the teams and what a night Kentucky had! The Wildcats scored its highest team total of the year with big scores across all four events. Isabella Magnelli but up a huge 9.95 in the anchor spot of a strong beam rotation totaling a 49.325. All four events were solid tonight for Kentucky, and with the improvement they have had each week, moving into the second half of season is looking good for them! Oklahoma had another great competition, and another huge 197 to add to its NQS! Oklahoma started off high on vault with a 49.550 and bookended the night with another 49.50 on floor to end the competition. Both teams looked strong tonight, but, moving into the next half of the season, they will be looking to build on these scores as competition continues!
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Live Blog by Julianna Roland
