A quick turn around for Utah State and Southern Utah as the former conference foes face off after two days of rest. On Friday, Southern Utah scored a 196 for the second time this season. The Thunderbirds were able to conquer their beam struggles on Friday, hitting five straight routines after a fall in the leadoff spot. Look for that momentum to continue tonight. One area of opportunity for Southern Utah is improved vault landings. Watch see if Niya Randolph competes her Yurchenko 1.5 again after debuting it on Friday.
On the other side, Utah State is looking to put up a clean, complete meet, after scoring 195.800+ twice this season already. After a couple years not qualifying for regioanls, the Aggies are in the hunt, and tonight is great opportunity to get anther good road score. Utah State has been much improved on bars and beam this season thanks to increased consistency across the board. Beam has led by Sydney Jelen and Brianna Brooks while Brooks and Dani Kirstine have been leading bars. Vault has been a weak spot, scoring below 48.500 half the time. The second rotation will be critical for Utah State to challenge Southern Utah tonight.
Rotation 1: Southern Utah VT, Utah State UB
Cacciola (VT): Yurchenko full, small hop, nice distance as always, 9.875
Orengo (UB): Slightly short handstand. Nice straddled Jaeger, overshoot. Good final handstand, double layout, tiny slide, nice start 9.875, huge for the Aggies
Long delay on vault and so bars is going again?! Very confused because it was a solid Yurchenko full, that goes 9.875
Jelen (UB): Good handstand, Maloney, Pak, clean. Nice pirouette on low bar, final handstand is a little short, double layout with a hop 9.800
Kelly (VT): Yurchenko full on pike off, nice block, lands a little deep with a step. 9.825
Vandertoolen (UB): Fine handstand, Maloney, Pak, gorgeous leg position, we have a side angle and there was no leg separation. Half pirouette, short handstand. Stalder, double tuck, small movement to absorb the landing, another good one 9.850
Hampton (VT): Yurcehnko full, hop back, looked like she landed a little deep 9.775
Bibbey (UB):Nice handstand, Tkatchev, catches a little close but works out of it fine. Bail is short of handstand, good final handstand, double layout stuck with a lean. 9.850
Goodman (VT): Yurchenko full, small hop, chest forward a little bit 9.750
Brooks (UB): Firt handstand is a little short. Huge Ray, overshoot, very clean. Final handstand is borderline double layout, tiny hop
Randolph (VT): Yurchenko full today, good amplitude, hop back. 9.800
Kirstine (UB): Handstand, small arch, not major. Straddled Jaeger, overshoot, catches close, touches feet and has to stop. Full in with a hop, will be the drop score but no worries with five hits already 9.050
Christensen (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, just a step to the side, nice amplitude and distance, solid.
After 1: Utah State 49.175 Southern Utah 49.125
Utah State takes a half tenth lead after a really strong bar rotation. Throughout its lineup, the Aggies have really nice form on major releases, with Vandertoolen’s legs together Maloney to Pak a major highlight. There are still a couple handstands and dismount that could be stuck, but a really strong rotation overall. Southern Utah also started strong after a weird judging delay for Cacciola’s rotation leading vault. The Thunderbirds could have gotten a few more sticks but a solid rotation top to bottom and Christensen’s 1.5 just keeps getting better week to week. Big rotation coming up for Utah State as it goes to vault while Southern Utah looks to capitalize on bars.
Rotation 2: Utah State VT, Southern Utah UB
Brooks (VT): Yurchenko full, hop back. Might’ve been a little to the left as well 9.725
Christensen (UB): Arch on the first handstand. Piked Jaeger great, perfect handstand after. Bail, short final handstand. Double layout with a step 9.750
Vandertoolen (VT): Yurchenko full, hop back, tries to minimize by stepping out but doesn’t hold for a whole second. Nice line in the air. 9.675
Neff (UB): Good handstand. Maloney, Bail, a little short of handstand but great lines. Hit final handstand, double layout hop in place. 9.725
Gatzlaff (VT): Yurchenko full, chest a little low and takes a step forward. Had the amplitude, just tried too hard to stick 9.625
Hampton (UB): Clean handstand. Straddled Jaeger is great, bigggg arch on a handstand, Pak is fine, double layout with a hop 9.750
Medrano (VT): Yurchenko full, nice block, but also lands with her chest forward and outside the lines 9.650
Goodman (UB): Clean handstand, Piked Jaeger well above the bar. Perfect handstand, Pak, catches close but keeps it moving well. Half pirouette is fine. Another gorgeous handstand, giant full double tuck, stuck, best of the rotation
Morabito (VT): Yurchenko full, hop back, nice distance 9.800
Randolph (UB): Handstand, fine. Shaposh, Bail is clean. Tiny bit short on the last handstand. Splitleg double layout, small hop. 9.825
Witte (VT): Yurchenko full, hop back, chest a touch low, hands were super far back on the table, not the most height. 9.700
Ferguson (UB): Good handstand, Piked Jaeger is fine. Pak, switch kip after is awkward. Double layout, small movement in place.
After 2: Southern Utah 98. Utah State 97.725
Southern Utah takes the lead after only an okay bars rotation. There were a couple arched handstands and lots of hops on dismounts that kept early routines in the 9.7s. The back half of the lineup all scored 9.825+ to keep things on track. Utah State struggled on vault, landing short on a number of Yurchenko fulls and incurred some deductions for not holding finishing positions as well. Let’s see if Southern Utah can bring it on beam again today while Utah State goes to floor.
Rotation 3: Southern Utah BB, Utah State FX
Late lineup switch of Randolph and Bringhurst switching spots, makes sense with Bringhurst having two straight falls in the leadoff
Randolph (BB): Wolf turn. Front toss, bhs, bhs, solid. Straddle jump, straddle quarter. Back 1.5 with a step, very good leadoff, also a very short routine. 9.800
Eagles (FX): Front lay, Rudi, secure, bit of a slide. Switch side 1/2, Straddle jump. Double tuck, good height, chest maybe a little low. Nice start 9.800
Christensen (BB): Side aerial, backhandsrping nice. Switch leap, split jump, back leg low on both. Front toss, right one. Full turn. Stuck 1.5 dismount, another good one, big thing was the leaps 9.800
Stuart (FX): Whip half, front full , clean. Switch ring, switch ring half, not a great ring position on either. Double tuck, good landing, chest a little forward. 9.800
Bringhurst (BB): Bhs, loso, big wobble but stays on. Full turn. Beat jump, split 3/4, nice split position. Piked front toss, clean. Back 1.5 with a step, nice to see her hit! 9.700
Oregano (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, excellent control. Switch half, wolf full. Back 1.5, front lay, has to arch the layout over a bit, solid overall 9.825
Cacciola (BB): Full turn. Switch leap, split jump, gainer loso, beat jump, super well connected. Sharp bhs loso, love her arm position as she finishes. Back 1.5, hop, should be a big score 9.825
Medrano (FX): Big double pike, takes a step and a slide back. Back 1.5, front lay, big leg separation on the front lay and low. Switch half, wolf full rotation is crisp on both. Double tuck, lovely control and chest position. 9.775
Miller (BB): Solid bhs loso. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump, short on the switch half. Full turn, small check. Double full, small hop, another hit. 9.850
Vater (FX): Front double full, clean twisting position, deduction on the lunge out. Switch leap, switch 3/4. Full turn. Back 1.5, front lay, clean. 9.800
Ferguson (BB): Clean wolf turn. Bhs, side somi. Beat jump, split 3/4, secure. Backhandspring swing down. Gainer pike, slips and lands on her knees, unfortunate because it was great on the beam 9.350
Morabito (FX): Big full in, chest a little low on the landing with a step forward. Sissone. Tour jete half, switch full, good splits. Front lay, front full, front tuck, super crisp on all three elemnts. Good anchor routine!
After 3: Southern Utah 147.125 Utah State 146.825
A good rotation for both teams, with Southern Utah getting five solid hits on beam and Utah State scoring 49.100 on floor to move closer to the Thunderbirds. Moving Randolph to the leadoff on beam was a good move, her quick, secure style worked well in that spot, and it was great to see Bringhurst hit. Utah State looked really solid on floor, especially on its final tumbling passes. Morabito led the way with a 9.875 and a huge full in. On to the last rotation!
Rotation 4: Utah State BB, Southern Utah FX
Jelen (BB): Full turn. Side aerial, backhandspring, lean but jeeps it moving. Beat jump, stag jump, bigger check. Switch leap. Bhs, gainer full, small hop. 9.65, will want to drop
Hampton (FX): Double full, slide forward. Switch ring, switch half, not a ton of head release on the ring position. Rudi, loso, keeps the front foot down, good start 9.875
Eagles (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso. Side aerial split jump. Switch leap, split jump. Back 1.5 with a hop, much better. 9.775
Fernandez (FX): Double tuck, nice height. Switch half, wolf full, wolf full, fine. Back 1.5, front lay, not the highest but well controlled. Rudi, another good one.
Orengo (BB): Cat leap, front toss, backhandspring, kept it moving. Full turn, balance check. Switch leap, split jump, low back leg on the jump. Stuck 1.5, great night for her 9.775
Christensen (FX): Back 1.5, front full, great lift on the front full. Switch side, straddle half. Love the creepy doll choreo, nice change in pace from other routines. Double tuck, good control, great night for her 9.925
Medrano (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, leg up balance check. Beat jump, side aerial. Split jump, split 3/4, lacking split on both. Gainer full, small hop 9.800
Randolph (FX): Double layout, front leg moves a little but great in the air and chest position. Switch side 1/2, straddle jump, straddle jump, nice extension. Front tuck through to double tuck, hop and a step back. 9.825
Witte (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, very clean. Split jump, split 3/4, big wobble chest down. Front aerial, dances out of it. Full turn. Gainer pike with a hop. 9.575
Cacciola (FX): Whip, double tuck, great control. Switch ring, switch half, wolf full, nice ring position. Rudi, and OOB. 9.800, apparently they did not see the OOB.
Brooks (BB): Front aerial, one armed bhs, good connection. Switch leap, backhandspring swingdown, love the roll through choreography that follows. Split jump, split quarter. Full turn. Bhs, gainer full stuck. Excellent routine 9.90!!
Gull (FX): Full in, better chest position than Friday, nice! Switch half, wolf full, a little lacking in split on the leap. Back 1.5, front pike, controlled. Double tuck, nice control, great anchor 9.900
FINAL: Southern Utah 196.475 Utah State 195.725
Southern Utah wins and scores a second 196 this weekend! A lot of nice improvements especially on vault, but still some room to grow with misses from the beam anchor and some 9.7s on bars. Utah State will also be pleased with another high 195, although will feel like it left some tenths out there on vault and beam, where there were some short landings and wobbles. Brianna Brooks 9.900 on beam was a highlight and a great way to end the night for the Aggies.
VT: Ellie Cacciola 9.875
UB: Maria Ferguson, Olivia Orengo 9.875
BB: Brianna Brooks 9.900
FX: Brinlee Christensen 9.925
AA: Brinlee Christensen 39.375
READ THIS NEXT: Questions, Comments, Concerns: Week 5
Live blog by Rebecca Williams
