The Gators and Crimson Tide are both riding high after much-needed redemption performances. Even without Sloane Blakely, Florida proved its depth by matching its season-high 198.125, an important response after a shaky outing at Oklahoma the week before. Alabama, previously at the bottom of the SEC standings, climbed out of last place with a season-high 197.650 on the road, putting pressure on Auburn in the conference race.
Alabama faces a double-meet weekend, which could test its endurance and strategy. Will the Crimson Tide take a more conservative approach at home to save their best for a crucial road score the next day? Could head coach Ashley Johnston opt to rest key gymnasts? Meanwhile, Florida has been solid at home but inconsistent on the road. Another strong away score could help the Gators drop a lingering 196 and inch past UCLA in the rankings.
Rotation 1: Alabama Vault, Florida Bars
Oops sorry my stream was malfunctioning so I’m joining a tad late!
Gladieux (VT): 1.5, some knees in the air, does a great job at controlling the landing
Harris-Miranda (UB): Ray, great handstands, bail to handstand, toe-on to double layout, stuck.
Hudson (VT): Hop forward on the 1.5, very clean in the air
Arana (UB): Maloney to Pak, gets the Pak around despite not having a huge back swing, good position in the pirouette, step back on the double layout
Walker (VT): Exhibition, Half-on half-off piked/tuck?
Bui (UB): Exhibition, Chow to Pak, slight arch in pirouette, hop forward on the full-in dismount
After 1: Alabama 49.350, Florida 49.475
A 49.350 matches Alabama’s season high on vault.
Rotation 2: Alabama Bars, Florida Vault
Lazzari (VT): 1.5, a little underrotated with a sleuthy step back. 9.875
Gladieux (UB): A little over on the first handstand, Jaegar to bail, some bent knees, late on the blind full to a stuck double-tuck. 9.825
Nguyen (VT): Really solid 1.5, some leg separations in the pre-flight, small hop forward. 9.9
Hudson (UB): Maloney, legs apart, bail to handstand, shy on the last cast, stuck full-in dismount.
Stray microphone blocking the vault cam alert
Ferris (VT): 1.5, big lunge forwards, nice form in the air. 9.850
Walker (UB): Pak, clean, Maloney to Geinger, great form, stuck dismount. Great. 9.925
Disidore (VT): 1.5 with a lot of power and has to take a large lunge forward. 9.850
LaCoursiere (UB): Maloney to Pak, great casts, VL, catches with fingertips, stuck full-in dismount. 9.925
Alabama is getting the sticks this week, something they couldn’t quite get last week
Wong (VT): Stuck half-on, half-off pike vault, small leg flicker in the pre-flight. 9.975
Fuller (UB): Pak, clean, toe-on to VL, double layout with a hop in place.
Harris-Miranda (VT): 1.5, lands a little deeply and takes hop forward. “I don’t think it’ll be a perfect 10 this week” in this economy we can never be too sure.
Adams (UB): Maloney to bail, large arch but saves it, great last cast, late on the blind full to double-tuck.
Bui (VT): Exhibition, 1.5 with great form, small hop back.
German (UB): Exhibition, Humongous Ray to bail, impressive to keep that bail under control, double layout with an arm swing to hold the stick.
After 2: Alabama 98.875, Florida 98.875
We have a tie! After last week it finally looks like Alabama is starting to find its groove again with another season high on bars, but I also don’t want to speak too soon because we have beam next which has been tumultuous for both teams this season.
Rotation 3: Alabama Beam, Florida Floor
LaCoursiere (BB): Split jump to stag ring, solid, front aerial to wobble to BHS to another wobble, I’m sure the judges will still credit it but it really shouldn’t be, stuck 1.5 dismount. And they did credit it, 9.825
Nguyen (FX): Front double-full to sissone, some knees, switch ring to switch half, 1.5 to layout good control. 9.9
Fuller (BB): Front aerial to split jump, BHS LOSO, small waver, switch leap to split jump, 1.5 dismount with a small hop. 9.8
Disidore (FX): Rudi to stag jump, nice height in the jump, clean dance series, 1.5 to layout, rushed the lunge. 9.875
Rybicki (BB): BHS LOSO, some knees, is crooked and ALMOST comes off the beam but has an impressive save, straddle jump to straddle 3/4, front full dismount with 2 hops. 9.575
Clark (FX): Huge double layout, switch full to split full, small hop out of it, front tuck to double tuck, controlled. 9.9
Bunagan (BB): Super cool mount series, BHS LOSO, solid, split jump to stag ring and comes completely off the beam, stuck gainer full. Shame about the fall because that was going really well.
Wong (FX): Double layout, switch half to Popa to Popa, whip half to front full, good control. 9.925
Hudson (BB): Front aerial to BHS, switch leap to switch leap series, hard to see from this camera angle but doesn’t look like it got very close to 180, side aerial to beat jump, stuck 1.5 dismount. 9.9
Harris-Miranda (FX): Front tuck to double-tuck, switch side half to straddle jump, 1.5 to barani, would like to see more rise in the barani. 9.925
Gladieux (BB): BHS, lay-pike, solid, front aerial to beat, nice, switch to split, stuck double-full to finish, some helicopter knees with the twisting. Great recovery. 9.9
Ferris (FX): Full-in to open, 1.5 to oops! Meant to do a layout with overrotated it and only did a front tuck with a squat.
Both judges go 9.7, but my issue is there’s a 10/9.9 SV split
Sears (BB): Exhibition, BHS layout, some piking down, switch to split side, tuck full dismount, stuck. Nice finish.
Bui (FX): Exhibition, double tuck, clean, switch leap to switch half crunches it around, 1.5 to layout, stumbles a little between the 1.5 to layout, but just saves it.
After 3: Alabama 147.875, Florida 148.400
Well, beam was an adventure. Unless Florida also has a messy beam rotation, it’s going to be difficult for Alabama to recover.
Rotation 4: Alabama Floor, Florida Beam
Draser (BB): BHS LOSO, switch leap to switch half, short of 180, stuck 1.5 dismount. Nice opening, 9.9
Sears (FX): Double pike, slide back, big amplitude in the leaps, a little short on the double tuck. 9.8
Pilgrim (BB): BHS LOSO, cat leap to front aerial, switch leap, wobble, to split leap, stuck gainer full dismount. 9.875
Adams (FX): Triple wolf to start, double pike, switch side to wolf full, 1.5 to layout to finish. Clean.
Nguyen (BB): Onodi to BHS, gets the connection, switch leap to split, 1.5 dismount, gets the landing.
LaCoursiere (FX): Double tuck to open, front layout to Rudi, layout to front full.
Wong (BB): switch leapt to split leap, front aerial, check, BHS LOSO, stuck gainer full. 9.950
Rybicki (FX): Double tuck to open, 1.5 to front full, controlled.
Harris-Miranda (BB): BHS LOSO BHS, switch leap to straddle quarter, stuck 1.5 dismount. 9.95
Hudson (FX): Front layout to double-full, switch half to wolf-full, controlled 2.5 to finish. 9.975
Arana (BB): BHS LOSO, clean, front aerial, switch to switch half, stuck gainer full. That seals it for Florida. 9.925
Gladieux (FX): Open full-in some leg form, good dance series, front layout to Rudi to split jump, big amplitude. 9.950
Bui (BB): Exhibiton, front walkover, small waver, BHS LOSO, switch half on the side, short on the dismount and takes two steps back.
Paradise (FX): Double pike, controlled, front layout to full, doesn’t rise and has a few steps to the side, crunchy double tuck but gets it to her feet.
FINAL: Alabama 197.450, Florida 198.025
Very important scores for both teams. Florida gets its first 198+ road score and Alabama repeats another mid-197 score, very useful to both teams for NQS purposes.
VT: Wong (Florida) 9.975
UB: Harris-Miranda (Florida) 9.950
BB: Wong, Harris-Miranda (Florida) 9.950
FX: Hudson (Alabama) 9.975
AA: Wong (Florida) 39.725
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Live blog by Daniel Rothwell
