One of the biggest storylines heading into this meet is the potential collegiate debut of Ondine Achampong. While we’ve seen her in beam exhibitions—minus the dismount—this could finally be the meet where she officially joins the lineup. California is fresh off a 197+ showing at Metroplex and will aim to drop its 196.275 season-opening score to climb the NQS rankings.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is in urgent need of a big score. The Panthers are still carrying a 193 from their meet against N.C. State and have yet to break into the 196 range this season. To stay in the hunt for a Regionals berth, they’ll need to make that leap here.
Rotation 1: Cal Vault, Pitt UB
Williams (VT): FTY, good amplitude with a small hop back. 9.850
Duke (UB): Maloney, misses the high bar, gets it second time, Pak, late on the blind full to double tuck. 9.000
Mayhew (VT): Stuck 1.5, some leg separations in the pre-flight. 9.925
She was able to braid her hair to spell “Cal” I’m impressed
Bedminster (UB): Maloney, leg separation, bail to handstand, leg separations, double layout with a hop back.
Cesario (VT): Yfull, good amplitude and distance, medium-sized hop back and a step. 9.800
Pratt (UB): Ray, bail to handstand, clean double layout with a stick. 9.800
Wiley (VT): 1.5, hip angle throughout the post-flight, some bent knees coming down, medium lunge forwards on the landing.
Ewing (UB): Off on the piked Jaeger, clear hip to bail, slight arch, blind full to double tuck, lets go a little early and takes a few shuffles on the landing.
Frazier (VT): Nearly stuck DTY, extremely clean, just twists a little prematurely upon contact with the table. 9.9
Rottum Madso (UB): Maloney to bail handstand, misses the handstand position, toe-on to toe-on pike-half dismount, step back. 9.675
Lauzon (VT): Big block and great distance on her 1.5, tiny hop forwards. 9.9
Todd (UB): Catches the Jaeger, bail handstand is good, step on the full-out dismount. 9.800
After 1: Cal 49.425, Pitt 48.000
Great start for Cal, a 49.425 is a season-high vault score for the Bears. Pitt will have to count Duke’s 9.000 after mistakes later in the lineup.
Rotation 2: Cal UB, Pitt VT
Giunta (VT): Big Yfull, medium step back. 9.725
Lauzon (UB): Pak, toe-on to VL, clean, stuck FTDT dismount. 9.925
Pratt (VT): Yfull, would like to see more amplitude, piking down, controls the landing.
Frazier (UB): Maloney to Pak, clean, good handstands, stuck double layout. 9.925
Pileggi (VT): Better amplitude for this FTY, some piking down.
Newman-Achee (UB): Maloney to Pak, late on the pirouette, full-out with a step back.
Duke (VT): Nice FTY, good layout position, step back.
Cesario (UB): Big Jaeger to bail, catches it a little close, good handstands, hop on the double layout.
Bedminster (VT): Another solid FTY, takes a small step forward.
Williams (UB): Pak, clean, VL, tiny hop forward on the double layout.
Cesarone (VT): Big pop off the table, medium lunge back.
Aderinto (UB): Ray to bail, a little too much speed but gets it, accidentally falls back on the squat on and has to do a sole circle oops! Several steps on the dismount.
After 2: Cal 98.825, Pitt 96.950
A 49.400 on bars is a good one for Cal. Pitt got things back on track with some comfortable FTYs for a 48.950.
Rotation 3: Cal Beam, Pitt Floor
ONDINE IN THE BEAM LINEUP ALERT
Cesario (BB): BHS LOSO, aggressive with the series, switch to switch half, keeps it moving, floaty 1.5 dismount with a hop. 9.850
Larson (FX): Double tuck, controlled with some low chest, front layout to full, OOB. 9.675
Williams (BB): Front aerial to split jump, BHS LOSO, nice, switch leap to split jump, stuck gainer full dismount, some piking down. 9.950
Cesarone (FX): Front full to layout, high double pike, switch side to Popa, shy of 180, low chest on the double tuck.
Frazier (BB): Front aerial to LOSO, good aggressiveness, split jump to ring jump, nice, step on the 1.5 dismount.
Todd (FX): Big double pike to open, switch half to wolf jump full, wolf full, front tuck to double tuck, chest a little down on the landing.
Scanlon (BB): BHS LOSO, small check, switch leap to switch half, another adjustment, small hop on the 1.5. 9.800
Ewing (FX): 1.5 to front layout, I missed her dance series, nearly stuck double tuck. 9.900
Lauzon (BB): BHS BHS LOSO, solid, switch to split jump, gets the stick on the double-full dismount, she finishes the twist SO early its great.
Lee (FX): Front double-full, lunge forward, switch side to Popa, whip half to Rudi, nice. She has actual floor choreo! Great performance value. 9.825
Achampong (BB): Here we go! Front walkover mount, switch ring to ring jump, leg up wobble, BHS LOSO, solid, aerial, nice, hop back on the gainer full dismount. Excited to see her go up from here! 9.775
Bedminster (FX): Double tuck, good, 1.5 to layout, oh this diva is winning the choreo game.
Looks like Taurek got injured in her beam exhibition.
After 3: Cal 148.225, Pitt 146.100
A 49.400 is a season-high beam score for Cal. Cal adds more beam lineup depth after Achampong’s competitive debut. There are still a few kinks that need to be worked out, but hopefully we get to see her more on beam this season. Pitt had a great floor rotation for a season-high highlighted by Ewing’s 9.900.
Rotation 4: Cal Floor, Pitt Beam
Delay for Taurek’s injury. Surprised its taking this long for medical to arrive.
Duke (BB): BHS LOSO, side aerial, wobble, switch half to beat jump, 1.5 with a hop. 9.725
Mayhew (FX): Front double-full to front pike, 1.5 to Barani, great leadoff routine!
Todd (BB): Switch half to split jump, good rhythm, BHS LOSO, front full dismount, step forward. 9.800
Keuneke (FX): Front double-full to front pike, short of rotation but still connects it, back 1.5 to Barani. 9.825
Lee (BB): BHS LOSO, waver, cat leap to switch side, front toss to beat jump, nice speed in the connection, 1.5 with a step back. 9.800
Williams (FX): Front layout to Rudi, doesn’t totally get the double wolf turn around, 1.5 to layout, controlled landings. 9.925
Rettum Madso (BB): BHS LOSO with some knees, switch half to BHS swing down, waver on full turn, gainer full off the end.
Cesario (FX): Full-in to open, some form in the air, switch leap to switch ring half, 1.5 to layout, strong.
Simcox (Pitt): Double wolf turn, nice, front aerial to BHS, good connection, front toss, lots of great skills in this routine! Switch leap to split leap, a little tentative, BHS gainer full, stuck. 9.950
Frazier (FX): Double layout with a little too much power and has to take take a big step back, nice position in the switch ring, short on the 1.5 and misses the punch into the full and crashes the pass. 9.000
Cesarone (BB): Front toss to back tuck, good, waver on full turn, switch leap to straddle jump quarter, 1.5 dismount stuck.
Lauzon (FX): Front double-full to front tuck, stuck cold but takes an arm swing to hold it, switch ring to switch half, 1.5 to front full to finish. 9.950
FINAL: Cal 197.775, Pitt 195.125
A 197.775 is a big result for Cal. Despite the delay the Bears had a strong finish on floor with a 49.550. Pitt started with a difficult bars rotation, but got the ball rolling with season highs on beam and floor.
VT: Mayhew (Cal) 9.925
UB: Lauzon, Frazier (Cal) 9.925
BB: Williams (Cal) 9.950
FX: Cesario, Lauzon (Cal) 9.950
AA: Lauzon (Cal) 39.700
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Live blog by Daniel Rothwell
