Saturday afternoon brings us what should be a tightly contested Big Ten dual between Penn State and Ohio State. After both teams reached regional finals last year, their 2025 seasons have been off to a slower start. Ohio State peaked in its first two meets but has struggled since, partly due to Payton Harris’s absence from the lineups. Bars and beam have been particularly problematic, with the Buckeyes forced to count falls in each of the last two weeks. Finding consistency on those events will be crucial if Ohio State hopes to edge out Penn State.
Penn State enters as a slight underdog and is aiming to break the 196 mark after hovering in the mid-195s the past two weeks. The Nittany Lions haven’t had a glaring weak event, but early-lineup routines have frequently stalled in the 9.7 range. To push into higher scores, the team will need to sharpen details—think stuck landings and crisp handstands on bars. The highly touted freshman class has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, but more 9.8+ scores from Elizabeth Leary and Allison Kaempfer could be the key to taking the next step.
With both teams looking to turn the tide in their seasons, this one has all the makings of a nail-biter!
Rotation 1: Penn State VT, Ohio State UB
Monahan (VT): Tucked tuk full, tiniest rebound in place, good start 9.800
Washington (UB): Aggresive handstand, Maloney, Pak, leg separation on the Pak. Hit final handstand, giant full, loose back, double tuck with a step 9.675
Vihrova (VT): Front handspring, front pike, nice block and leg position, small hop 9.850
Walker (UB): Nice handstand, Blind, Piked Jaeger is fine. Pak, nice form. Switch kip is a little slow. Good handstand, fine giant full, double tuck, one step. 9.675
Kaempfer (VT): Stuck Yurchenko full, nice. A little crooked on the table, but corrected in the air to land down the middle of the mat. 9.825
Reutzel (UB): Good handstand, straddled Jaeger, overshoot, fine, nice catch. Another hit handstand, double layout leg separation with one step, 9.825
McElligott (VT): Very crooked Yurchenko full, but controls it well, with only one hop. Not her best block, 9.750
Coleman (UB): Nice handstand. Piked Jaeger, close catch. Pak and falls, just took it too high and couldn’t kip through. Late half pirouette, full in with a step. 9.275
Leary (VT): Yurchenko full, small hop, nice amplitude, and is rewarded for it 9.850
Vetter (UB): Good handstand. Huge Tkatchev, excellent, another good handstand, Bail is crisp. Full in with a step, stunning on the bars. 9.800
Johnston (VT): Another big Yurchenko full, with just a slide, great rotation. 9.900
Raider (UB): Good handstand. Maloney, Pak, brushes feet and leg separation. Short handstand, double layout with a hop, held on but some issues. 9.600
After 1: Penn State 49.225, Ohio State 48.575
Penn State has a sizeable lead after scoring a season high on vault by more than two and half tenths! A really nice rotation, with nice amplitude and better control on landings than in weeks past. Ohio State’s bar struggles continue, having to count three scores in the 9.6s, with a couple of big breaks. The Buckeyes can pick it up as they head to vault, a strength of theirs, and will need to to keep it close.
Rotation 2: Ohio State VT, Penn State UB
Washington (VT): Yurchenko full, small hop, a little bit of pike down. 9.775
Johnston (UB): Coming in late, but we see a slightly short handstand, giant full, stuck double tuck. 9.800
Grimes (VT): Yurchenko full, stuck with a little waver forward and chest low to hold it 9.825
McElligott (UB): Good handstand, Maloney and falls. Redoes, connects to Pak, leg separation. Good final handstand, stalder double tuck, stuck.
Vetter (VT): Yurchenko full, excellent block, just a small hop 9.900
Leary (UB): Handstand, Straddled Jaeger, overshoot, bent arms on overshoot catch. Great giant full, double tuck with a step. 9.775
Smith (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, small step back, nice in the air. 9.850
Gallentine (UB): Good handstand, Maloney, Pak, small leg separation. Good final handstand, double layout with a step. 9.875
Coleman (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, small hop forward, huge in the air, great in the air also, strong one. 9.875
Latronica (UB): Piked Jaeger, good catch. Nice handstand, Bail, tiniest leg separation. Handstand, toe on, toe on pike half, stuck, nice set. 9.900
Reutzel (VT): Front handspring, front pike, stuck, tiny lean forward to hold on. 9.850
Barbanente (UB): Great handstand, piked Jaeger, overshoot, caught with a little bit of arm bend. Aggressive final handstand, double layout with a stick. 9.875
After 2: Penn State 98.450, Ohio State 97.875
Great second rotations for both teams, scoring matching 49.225s. Ohio States 1.5s from freshman Coleman and Smith were really nice, boding well for the future. Penn State was able to drop a fall on bars after strong sets from the back half of the lineup, with Latronica matching a career high. On to beam and floor!
Rotation 3: Penn State BB, Ohio State FX
Maul (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, clean. Full turn, arm waver. Switch lead, straddle quarter, a little slow but connected. Back 1.5 with a hop, traveled far and a little crooked. 9.800
Washington (FX): Double pike, superb control. Front lay, front full. Tour jete half, wolf full, fine. Double tuck, slide back. Strong start 9.800
Leary (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, holds it with a lean. Full turn. Split jump, sheep jump with a bigger check, also missing head release. Stuck 1.5 9.700
Coleman (FX): Full in, keeps the first foot down. Switch side, popa, amplitude is great. Front tuck through to double tuck, strong landing 9.925, nice!
McElligott (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, small hip correction. Switch leap, straddle quarter, fine. Full turn. Back 1.5, small hop 9.800
Grimes (FX): Double pike, good landing. Back 1.5, front lay, good lift and control. Switch side, Popa clean. Double tuck, stuck, chest a touch low, but should be a strong score, regardless 9.850
Salcedo (BB):Bhs, loso. Standing front tuck, secure. Wolf jump, excellent. Split jump, straddle 3/4. Front full, stuck. 9.850
Guevara (FX): Back 2.5, front tuck, clean and well controlled. Switch side half, Popa, a little short of rotation on the first. Rudi, loso, no issues. Strong routine, 9.875
Latronica (BB): Front aerial, beat jump, solid. Bhs, loso, nice extension. Full turn. Split jump, double stag, front leg a bit low on the split jump, tiny bobble after. Gainer full, stuck. 9.850
Vetter (FX): Double tuck, lunge a little quick but great amplitude. Leaps are fine. Front lay, rudi, good twisting form.
Johnston (BB): Bhs, loso, arm wave but keeps it going. Split jump, sheep jump, sheep jump is quite short of ideal position. Beat jump, side aerial, very strong finishing position. Cartwheel, gainer full, stuck. 9.875
Gregory (FX): Tour jete half fine. Front lay, Rudi, great lift, takes a step back and just keeps it in bounds. Switch half, wolf jump, not a super precise rotation. Front lay, front full, solid.
After 3: Penn State 147.625, Ohio State 147.200
Ohio State closes the gap by two tenths after a really strong floor rotation for a 49.325. A lot of very pretty twisting form in that lineup, specifically from Guevara and Vetter who had matching 9.875s. Penn State was solid on beam with all routines looking very comfortable and getting four stuck dismounts. One area of improvement would be the double stag and sheep jumps in the line up, all of them were missing head release and/or the position some. Penn State hold a solid lead going into floor and is in a good position to score a season high.
Rotation 4: Ohio State BB, Penn State FX
Guevara (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, secure. Cat leap, switch half. Love this choreo section- does a side handstand, lower down to beam and then some choreo after that. Double full, with a step, nice start. 9.825
Maul (FX): Double tuck, chest up, good control. Tour jete half, slightly short of rotation. Switch half, Popa, fine. Back 1.5, front lay, solid. 9.725
Smith (BB): Double wolf, clean. Front toss, backhandspring, good connection. Beat jump. Straddle jump, straddle quarter, excellent positions, balance adjustment on the landing. Gainer full with a hop. 9.825
Judges are conferencing on floor
Vihrova (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, good control. Switch ring, switch half, switch ring was a little awkward with her chest very forward. Double wolf lacks control at the end. Back 1.5, front lay, misses punch and lands in a deep squat, big deduction. 9.475
Penn State needs to pick it up a little on these last four floor routines if it wants to hold off Ohio State and score a season high.
And now “fire alarms are going off but its not an emergency” lol. Loving the close up view of the fire alarms as well.
Walker (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, tiny foot adjustment. Cat leap, front aerial, arm wave and a lean, beat jump, broken connection. Hitch kick, switch side. Stuck gainer pike, nice debut for her. 9.625, I’m guessing she needed that beat jump to be connected for SV purposes.
Monahan (FX): Front lay, Rudi, a touch under rotated but covers well. Tour jete half, Popa, solid. Double tuck, chest up. Front lay, front full, secure. 9.700
Vetter (BB): Full turn. Bhs, loso, clean. Beat jump, side aerial, secure. Switch leap, straddle quarter, fine. Like the tempo of this routine. Bhs, gainer full, stuck, nice one. 9.875
Leary (FX): Front double full, punch front, small hop back. Switch ring, wolf full, good. Back 1.5, front lay, stuck. 9.775
Coleman (BB): Full turn. Bhs, two foot layout, very secure. Beat jump. Split jump, straddle quarter good. Bhs, gainer full, one step. 9.850
Kramer (FX): Front double full, good control. Tour jete half, wolf full, wolf full, short of rotation on the second wolf jump. Orphan switch leap. Rudi, loso, good. 9.875
Warga (BB): Full turn. Front aerial. Front aerial, backhandspring, leg up wobble and a step back. Cat leap, switch half, nice- great leap. Front toss. Stuck gainer pike, superb chest position. 9.725
McElligott (FX): Double tuck, great control. Switch ring, switch ring half, fine ring positions. Back 1.5, front lay clean, layout is a little low, but that should be enough for Penn State and it is 9.825
FINAL: Penn State 196.525, Ohio State 196.300
Penn State wins by just over two tenths and notches a season high with its first win against the Buckeyes in eight years. Floor was a bit rocky, but the strength of its other three rotation and Ohio State’s opening struggle on bars was enough to win today. Ohio State will be pleased to have recovered as well as it did, but will feel like it missed an opportunity to get an even better road score for NQS.
VT: Tory Vetter, Maddie Johnston 9.900
UB: Dani Latronica 9.900
BB: Tory Vetter, Maddie Johnston 9.875
FX: JJ Coleman 9.925
AA: Tory Vetter 39.425
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 7
Live blog by Rebecca Williams
