Even after posting a huge season high last week, Kentucky’s spot at SEC Championships isn’t fully secured—though missing out would require a perfect storm of high scores from other contenders and a low mark from the Wildcats. To leave no doubt, Kentucky will aim for a 196.950 to officially clinch a spot. Reaching that number will likely hinge on another standout floor rotation like last week’s, and a dialed-in vault lineup. Keep an eye on Creslyn Brose, who earned a perfect 10 on floor last week and will be looking to go back-to-back.
Florida, on the other hand, is already locked into SECs but has its eyes on a different prize: boosting its NQS for optimal regionals seeding. The Gators already have two home 198s this season and will hope to capitalize on the typically generous senior night scoring to grab a third. Last week, Florida’s beam lineup delivered with five scores over 9.9, including a standout set from Alyssa Arana in just her second beam appearance this year—she’ll be one to watch as she makes a case for a postseason lineup spot.
Rotation 1: Florida vault, Kentucky bars
Pilgrim (UF): Medium hop forward on her Y1.5. Good height off the table and some soft knees. Center on the mat. 9.875
Rizo (UK): Great height and toe point on the jaeger. Hit the bail. Seemed to whip the double layout around, but stuck it. 9.825
Nguyen (UF): About the same height and distance as Pilgrim, but just scooted her feet together on the landing. Some soft knees. 9.95
Riegert (UK):Very high jaeger but lost some toe point at the top. Muscles up the toe hand before the bail. Late giant full, but stuck the double tuck. 9.8
Ferris (UF): Better leg form in the air on her Y1.5 and stuck the landing. A little off to the side on the table but stayed within the lines on the mat. 10
Procasky (UK): Slight leg separation on the Maloney to pak and caught the pak a little close. Stuck the double layout. 9.875
Disidore (UF): Looked to turn a little early on the table for her Y1.5. More distance than the last few, and stepped into the salute quickly. 9.875
Davis (UK): Another high jaeger with good toe point. A little short on the bail and last cast. Sticks the double layout with her legs glued together throughout. 9.925
Wong (UF): Leg separation on the block for the half on half out and took a small hop back. Good dynamics. 9.9
Rodriguez (UK): Not the biggest tkachev, but good toe point. Hit the bail. Floaty double layout with a stuck landing. 9.85
Harris-Miranda (UF): Sticks her Y1.5 as well. Not the biggest of the vaults in this rotation, but go leg form. Turns early on the table. 9.975
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Not the biggest piked jaeger, but connected right to the overshoot. Took the smallest steps with her right foot on the double layout. 9.825
After 1: Florida 49.700, Kentucky 49.300
Kentucky is well on it’s way to the score it needs to clinch a spot at the SEC Championships next week after a bars rotation with mostly stuck landings. The stuck landings were also seen on vault where Florida stuck half of the vault landings in that rotation which led to a very high team score and the Gators being over 198 pace.
Rotation 2: Kentucky vault, Florida bars
Procasky (UK): Blocked far back on the table, flaired out and took a large step back on that full. Could take for lack of height and distance. 9.85
Pilgrim (UF): Hit the pak. Leg separation on the VL after the toe hand. A lot of distance on the FTDT and sticks it. 9.9
Rizo (UK): Low chest on the landing of that Yfull and a step back. Might have been a little to the side too. Again, not the biggest vault. 9.85
McCusker (UF): Floaty Maloney to pak. A little leg separation on the backswing. Falls on the VL. Great toe point on the stalder to double tuck and hops back. 9.2
Wilson (UK): Low chest and a step back on her front pike half. Not the biggest vault. 9.9
Blakely (UF): Great Ricna to pak connection. Has to turn the cast half into a full and redo it. Tiny step back on the double front half out. 9.875
Magnelli (UK): Best chest position on her front pike half. Still a step back and lacked some distance. 9.85
Wong (UF): Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. Hit the VL. Step back on the double layout. Floats that dismount. 9.875
Noonan (UK): Steps off the mat on her front pike half. Didn’t have clean body position throughout, it seemed whippy and uncontrolled in the air and on landing. 9.75
Harris-Miranda (UF): Great turnover on the Ray. Hit the bail. Holding all the handstands. Gets the toe hand to double layout and sticks it. 9.95
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Small hop forward on her Y1.5. Good leg form. Less height and distance than some of the Florida vaults. 9.925
Arana (UF): Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. Floats the double layout dismount and sticks it. 9.95
After 2: Florida 99.250, Kentucky 98.675
Kentucky did not find the landings on vault the way that Florida did, but Florida also did not find the landings on bars the way that Kentucky did. Florida will be happy to have recovered from the fall early on in the lineup to hit the rest of the routines which is something the Gators struggled with early on in the season.
Rotation 3: Florida beam, Kentucky floor
Draser (UF): Feet and a slight waiver on the loso series. Not complete split on the switch half after the switch leap. Hit the full turn. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.9
Procasky (UK): Low landing on the front layout front full. Gets around the switch ring to tour jete full. Lacked control on the double tuck with a couple of stutter steps as she went to lunge. 9.775
Pilgrim (UF): Hit the candle. Not the most amplitude on the loso series, but secure as was the full turn. Lack of amplitude and slow connection on the cat leap to front aerial. Hits the switch to split leap. Sticks the bhs gainer full. 9.925
Magnelli (UK): Leg form in the Rudi to loso. Rotation was off for the switch side half to straddle half, but there was good amplitude. Lacked amplitude on the double pike and I was suprised she pulled it around into a controlled lunge. 9.8
Nguyen (UF): Smooth Onodi to bhs. Clean full turn. Great split position in the switch to split. Smallest hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.875
Rodriguez (UK): Controlled the Rudi to back layout. Not the most amplitude. Great control on the switch ring to tour jete half. Controlled the double tuck. Some feet on that in the air. Clean back 1.5 to front half to straddle. 9.9
Wong (UF): Good positions on the switch to split leap. Connected the front aerial to split. Hit the loso series. Good toe point. Smooth full turn. Sticks her tucked gainer full off the end. 9.95
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Controlled the step out on the front double full. Did not hit the full position in the switch ring half after the switch leap, but it will be counted anyway. Good complitude and control on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.925
Harris-Miranda (UF): Good toe point and control on the bhs loso bhs series. Hit the switch to straddle quarter. Clean full turn. Great height on the back 1.5 dismount and stuck it. 10
Brose (UK): Controlled the double pike with good amplitude. Out of control on the jump combination. That wolf full travelled sideways. Good amplitude and control on the front full front layout. Good leg form on the front double full. 9.925
Arana (UF): Soft knees on the loso series. Slight foot movement at the end of the front aerial. Wobble on the switch half after the switch. Stuck the gainer full. 9.85
Davis (UK): Big lunge back on the double pike. Great amplitude on the turning straddle leaps but the rotation was funky. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. Controlled the double tuck, not the same amplitude as the earlier passes. 9.925
After 3: Florida 148.900, Kentucky
Florida had a very solid beam rotation highlighted by the 10 from Selena Harris-Miranda. It was also capped off by an exhibition from Skye Blakely which had its wobbles, but it is a sign she may compete on the event in the post season. Kentucky had a couple of ok performances to start followed by some stronger routines at the end. Kentucky will clinch a spot at the SEC Champioships barring a beam disaster.
Rotation 4: Kentucky beam, Florida floor
Rodriguez (UK): A little short of split on the switch to split. Solid bhs bhs loso series. Stays on releve for the full turn finish. Hits the side somi. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.9
Nguyen (UF): Connects the front double full to the sissone. Some leg crossing. Good positions in the switch ring to switch half. Controls the back 1.5 to front layout. Good rise on the front layout. 9.925
Brose (UK): Great height on the front tuck. Slow connection between the front toss and bhs. Hits the switch to beat. Waiver on the full turn. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.95
Disidore (UF): Flew backwards on the double stag out of the Rudi. Great amplitude on the jump combo. Especially the Popa. Slight leg separation in the back 1.5 to front layout, but the landing was controlled. 9.9
Lee (UK): Some knees on the bhs bhs loso. It looked like she had to correct herself mid series. Hit the switch to straddle quarter and the full turn. Sticks the back 1.5 landing with a lower squat than the others. 9.9
Clark (UF): Great amplitude and control on the double layout. Traveled on the tour jete half to Popa. Feet on the front tuck through to double tuck. Couldn’t see the landing behind Owen to tell how controlled it was. 9.95
Bennett (UK): Clean full turn. Good amplitude on the bhs loso loso series. Slow cat leap to front aerial connection. Short of split on the switch to beat. Big bend at the waist for the gainer pike landing and hopped forward. 9.675
Wong (UF): Controls the double layout landing. Increased amplitude with each jump in the switch half to Popa to Popa. Controlled the whip halp to front full. 10
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Smooth front aerial to bhs loso. Hit the full turn. Clean switch to beat. Smallest step with her right foot on the back 1.5. 9.925
Harris-Miranda (UF): Feet on the front through to double tuck and controlled the landing. Got the switch side half to straddle. Good height on the back 1.5 to front half to double stag. 9.95
Magnelli (UK): Great amplitude on the bhs loso loso series. Good extension on the switch to straddle quarter. Clean front aerial. Overturned the full turn a little. Sticks the gainer pike. 9.9
Ferris (UF): Lacks some control on the FTDT with a large lunge and a foot slide. Off on those straddle jump rotations. Controls the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.9
FINAL: Florida 198.625, Kentucky 197.725
Kentucky earned well over the score it needed to clinch a spot at the SEC Championships next week. Both teams also got huge scores for NQS purposes. Leanne Wong’s last routine in the O’Dome was a 10.
VT: Ferris 10
UB: Harris-Miranda, Arana 9.95
BB: Harris-Miranda 10
FX: Wong 10
AA: Harris-Miranda 39.875
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
