West Virginia is set to miss regionals for the second straight season after a challenging year, but a midweek meet last Tuesday provided a bright spot as the Mountaineers posted a season-high score above 196. That milestone was fueled by a stellar beam rotation, headlined by Karleigh DiCello, who shattered her career high by over a tenth. She’ll be one to watch in the final rotation as West Virginia looks to close out its season on a high note.
Pittsburgh has shown more consistency than West Virginia this season but hasn’t been able to break into the regional conversation without a signature high score. Though the postseason is out of reach, the Panthers hit a season high last week and will aim to surpass the 196 mark at home. A standout for Pitt this season has been freshman Meika Lee, whose dynamic performances have shined, particularly on floor. She brings that same artistry to beam, where she notched a season high last week.
Rotation 1: Pittsburgh vault, West Virginia bars
Giunta (PITT): Sticks her Yfull. Not the biggest full, but had a nice flair out. 9.8
Alban (WVU): Slight leg separation on the catch of the geinger out of the clear hip. Hit the bail. Small hop forward on the double layout. Legs glued on that dismount. 9.825
Pratt (PITT): Small hop back on her Yfull with a pike down and not a lot of distance. 9.825
Leigh (WVU): Not the biggest jaeger. Loose leg form. Leg separation on the pak. Large step back on the double layout. Leg separation thoughout the dismount as well. 9.775
Pileggi (PITT): Bigger Yfull than the last two and a large hop back. Piked down and twisted a little early on the table. 9.75
McDonnell (WVU): Feet and close catch on the Ray. Leg separation on the pak but great height on that. Small hop back on the double layout. 9.7
Duke (PITT): Great body position in the Yfull. Open hips throughout. Legs glued together. Small step back. 9.8
Irwin (WVU): Ankles apart ont the giant half before the bigger jaeger. Hit the bail. Whippy double layout and tried to stick with an arm wave but shuffled her feet a little. 9.675
Bedminster (PITT): Biggest Yfull of the bunch with an idetnitcal sized step as Duke. Slight pike down. 9.825
Lowe (WVU): Not the highest piked jaeger. Legs glued on the pak. Over on the giant full and a hop back on the double tuck. 9.8
Cesarone (PITT): Flaired out that Yfull. Biggest full with open hips throughout. Large step back. 9.825
Macy (WVU): Smooth piked jaeger to overshoot. Almost fumbles the grip grasping the low bar. Whips the double layout around and a small hop forward. 9.85
After 1: Pittsburgh 49.075, West Virginia 48.950
Pittsburgh dialed in on multiple vault landings which helped those scores reach the 9.8 range. Cesarone had a large hop, but that is a great vault in the air. West Virginia Hit all six bars routines, and would have been looking to stick a couple more landings, but West Virginia will be happy with that rotation.
Rotation 2: West Virginia vault, Pittsburgh bars
Alban (WVU): Early twist off the table on that Yfull, but sticks the landing. Small pike down. 9.875
Duke (PITT): Small leg separations on the Maloney to pak. Good finish to the giant full and sticks the double tuck dismount. I would have wanted to see a little more distance on the dismount. 9.85
Tuohy (WVU): Like negative distance on that Yfull. A small step forward. Piking throughout. 9.7
Bedminster (PITT): Short first hs. Hits the toe hand to Maloney. Leg separation on the bail. Floaty double layout and a tiny step back. 9.85
Smith (WVU): Not the biggest Yfull distance wise and takes a large hop back. Pike down. 9.75
Ewing (PITT): Flexed feet on the piked jaeger. Clean clear hip to bail. A lot of distance on the double tuck out of the giant full and takes a step back. That one needed to be higher with less distance. 9.75
Nelson (WVU): Not the biggest Yfull with a step forward and to the side over the line. Blocked to the side of the table a bit. 9.725
Pratt (PITT): Great toe point and turnover on the Ray. Goof bail to toe shoot connection. Legs glued and a hop back on the double layout. Great form throughout the routine. 9.8
DiCello (WVU): Biggest Y full of the punch and almost sticks it with aa small step forward. Some piking and an early twist on the block. 9.75
Madso (PITT): Legs together on the Maloney to bail. Step to the side on the toe on pike half dismount. Good toepoint throughout. 9.825
Rice (WVU): Slight piking in the tsuk full. Good distance on that. Small step forward. 9.825
Todd (PITT): Close catch and flexed feet on the piked jaeger. Clean bail. Two steps back on the FTDT. 9.775
After 2: Pittsburgh 98.175, West Virginia 97.875
West Virginia started the rotation on a hig note with a stuck vault and then had multiple vaults with steps forward which hurt the team score. Pittsburgh is on pace for its first 196 of the season after a strong bars rotation. The two 9.85s to open the rotation were key for the Panthers.
Rotation 3: Pittsburgh beam, West Virginia floor
Lee (PITT): Quick full turn. Great height on the loso series. Lean on the end. Clean switch to switch side. Lean on the piked front toss. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.85
Alban (WVU): Short on the double pike and hops forward. Controlled the step out on the front layout to front full. Off on the roation of the switch side to Popa. Feet on the double tuck and controls the lunge. 9.775
Todd (PITT): Hit the candle. Smooth full turn. Hit the split in the switch half to split. Falls on the loso series. Small hop forward on the front full. 9.075
Rice (WVU): Controls the Rudi to split jump. Does travel the split jump back a little. Stutters on the front layout to front full landing. Hit the swicth side half to Shushonova. 9.85
Duke (PITT): Solid loso series. Precise full turn. Short back leg on the switch half to split leap. Hit the switch to split. Small hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.775
Lowe (WVU): Feet on the double tuck and large step back. Not all the way around on the tour jete half to split full. Not the highest back 1.5 to front layout, but controlled it. Bounces back into the lunge on the double pike. 9.8
Madso (PITT): Feet and knees on the loso series. Slight pause between the switch half and bhs swingdown. Slight overturn on the full turn. Sticks the tucked gainer full off the end. 9.8
Maness (WVU): Alomst gets the split ring full around. Whips around the front layout out of the back 1.5. Nice ring position on the switch ring to switch half. Lacks some amplitude on the Rudi to split jump. 9.85
Simcox (PITT): Smooth double wolf turn. Nice extension on the front aerial to bhs. Feet on the piked front toss connected well into the beat jump. Clean switch to split leap. Sticks the bhs gainer full. 9.925
Smith (WVU): Feet and leg crossing on the FTDT. Controlled the lunge. The rotation was so off on the triple jump combo that I am not actually sure what she intended. Not the highest front layout to Rudi, but controlled it. 9.925
Cesarone (PITT): Small hop forward on the front toss. Repeats it to connect to the back tuck and has a wobble. Wobbles on the full turn as well. Clean switch to split quarter. Small hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.7
Leigh (WVU): Controls the front double full. Switch side half to straddle half had good amplitude. Lacked amplitude on the Rudi to loso. 9.875
After 3: Pittsburgh 147.225, West Virginia 147.175
West Virginia had a solid floor rotation highlighted by the big 9.925 from Emerson Smith. Pittsburgh was able to fight back after the fall to hit five routines which is something that can not be said about many other meets this season. Darbi Simcox has a really strong routine to boost the team score above a 49. Pittsburgh and West Virginia will be eyeing a 196 and season high with a strong final rotation.
Rotation 4: West Virginia beam, Pittsburgh floor
Leigh (WVU): Feet and a lean on the loso series. Solid full turn. Sliightly short front leg in the switch half of the cat leap to switch half to beat combo. Good side aerial. Sticks the front gainer full. 9.8
Cesarone (PITT): Controlled the front layout front full. Not the highest. Clean double pike. Looked like maybe a switch side half to split half, but the rotation was weird. A little low of a chest on the double tuck, but controls the lunge. 9.875
DiCello (WVU): Clean full turn. Falls on the triple series. Feet on that as well. Clean switch to switch. Stuck the back 1.5. 9.125
Todd (PITT): A little out of control on the front layout to front double full. Good tour jete half to split full. Great back 1.5 to front layout connection. Good rise on the second salto and straight body position. 9.9
Lowe (WVU): Clean full turn. Feet on the loso series. Smooth side aerial to beat jump connection. Hits the beat to split 3/4s. Medium hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.8
Pratt (PITT): Great ampitude on the double pike and a controlled landing. Hit the leap combo. Underrotated on the front tuck through to double tuck and take a couple steps forward. 9.625
Brown (WVU): Wobble on the bhs bhs loso. Solid full turn. Good amplitude on the switch to straddle. Sticks the double full dismount. 9.8
Lee (PITT): Controls the front double full. Off on the leap rotation, it was switch side to straddle in same rotation fashion. Controlled the whip half to Rudi. 9.9
Nelson (WVU): Lean on the loso series. Slow connection on the cat leap to side aerial. Feet on that two. Hit the leaps. Arm wave on the full turn. Stuck the bhs gainer full dismount. 9.8
Bedminster (PITT): Hop forward on the double tuck. Great height, just opened early. Crazy amplitude on the jump combo. Controls the back 1.5 to front layout. Off on the rotation of the switch side half to straddle half. 9.85
Webster (WVU): Feet on th side aerial to Barani. Hit the switch half with a low back leg. Gets the second leap comno. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.85
Ewing (PITT): Sticks and steps out on the back 1.5 to front layout. Flings that combo more out than up. That looked like a tour jete half to wolf full, but rotation was a little strange. Funky landing on the double tuck with a couple steps. 9.825
FINAL: Pittsburgh 196.575, West Virginia 196.225
Both Pittsburgh and West Virginia posted season highs allowing for potential movement in the standings in the coming week if this performance can be repeated. With season highs next week, regionals will become a possibility for these teams going into conference championship weekend.
VT: Alban 9.875
UB: Macy, Duke, Bedminster 9.85
BB: Smicox 9.925
FX: Smith 9.925
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
