The second session of the Big Ten Championship is shaping up to be a tight battle, with No. 27 Penn State, No. 28 Iowa, No. 30 Maryland, and No. 31 Illinois all vying for the top spot. While all four teams are locked into regionals, they’re also teetering on the edge of the play-in round, making every tenth crucial. Mid-to-high 196s will be the target for each squad to boost their regional seeding and avoid an extra round of competition.
Illinois will look to freshman standout Chloe Cho, who has been a driving force all season and is poised to qualify for regionals as an all-arounder, even if the Illini end up in the play-in round. Iowa counters with its own freshman phenom, Aurelie Tran, setting up an exciting head-to-head between two of the conference’s most promising newcomers. Their performances often set the tone for their respective teams, making them key figures in this matchup.
Penn State also relies on strong freshman contributions, with Elizabeth Leary and Allison Kaempfer needing to deliver solid 9.8+ routines to keep the Nittany Lions in contention. Meanwhile, Maryland has shown flashes of brilliance but must maximize its scoring potential on vault and floor to reach a new season high. Watch for Natalie Martin’s steady Yurchenko 1.5 and whether she can regain the big floor scores she’s capable of producing.
Rotation 1: Iowa VT, Illinois UB, Penn State BB, Maryland FX
Masella (Iowa): Yfull, some leg separation on the table and not the most distance, but stuck! 9.8
Volpe (Iowa): Yfull with a medium hop back. 9.725
Chambers (Iowa): Yfull, good position in the air, lands with some chest down and a hop back. 9.75
Tran (Iowa): Yfull, pretty in the air and some flare with a small hop back. 9.8
Castillo (Iowa): Yfull, clean with just a hop back on landing. 9.825
Muñoz (Iowa): Yfull, so floaty with a small hop in place. 9.85
Brown (UIUC): Clear hip to Gienger to a crooked overshoot. Double lay with a step back. 9.7
Denning (UIUC): Maloney with leg separation, bail, also a bit of leg separation. Great final handstand, double lay with a step back. 9.725
Cho (UIUC): Maloney, pak, Van Leeuwen, all lovel. Double lay with a hop back. 9.85
Green (UIUC): Maloney, pak with leg separation. Double lay, stuck! 9.925
Ward (UIUC): Bit short on the first handstand. Good straddle jaeger to bail. Full in with a step back. 9.8
Knight (UIUC): Maloney to a crisp bail. Double lay, floaty in the air with a small bounce back. 9.85
Maul (PSU): Triple series, no problem. Kicks out of the full turn. Switch leap to straddle quarter is secure. RO 1.5 twist stuck. 9.875
Leary (PSU): Bhs bhs loso with the tiniest adjustment. Split leap to sheep jump. RO 1.5 twist with a hop forward. 9.8
McElligott (PSU): Bhs loso loso, big break and puts her hands on the beam. Switch leap to straddle quarter, much more confident. RO 1.5 twist, stuck. 9.45
Salcedo (PSU): Pressure is on for the Nittany Lions. Easy full turn. Bhs loso, hip check but tries to hide it with dance. Front toss, rock solid. Second hip check on her leap series. Front full dismount with a hop forward. 9.625
Latronica (PSU): Front aerial to beat jump, no wobbles. Bhs loso, beautiful. Full turn with a small shoulder dip. Split jump to double stag jump is clean. Gainer full with a hop back. 9.875
Johnston (PSU): Rock solid in her series, small check on her leaps. Another small adjustment after her side aerial. Cartwheel gainer full, stuck! 9.9
Rech (UMD): Opens with a front double twist. Double tuck, bounce back in the lunge. Back 1.5 to front lay, bit of a crooked lunge. 9.8
Ruffing (UMD): Double back to open, really high. Strong through her connection pass, short and sweet routine. 9.8
LeBlanc (UMD): Opens with a front double twist and a crooked lunge. Back 1.5 to front lay with better control. Closes with a Rudi. 9.85
Komoroski (UMD): Big bounce in the lunge out of the Rudi. First ring position is better than the second in her leap pass. Back 1.5 to front lay is clean. 9.825
Brendlinger (UMD): Full twisting double tuck with a bounce in the lunge. Front full to front lay, steps across in the lunge. 9.85
Martin (UMD): Opens with a full twisting double tuck with some low chest and a hop back. Very precise in her leaps. Back 1.5 to front lay to stag jump, clean. 9.85
AFTER ONE: Maryland 49.175, Illinois 49.150, Penn State 49.075, Iowa 49.025
Things are close after one rotation, with only one and a half tenths between all four teams! With a lineup of all Yurchenko fulls, it’s critical for Iowa to stick landings, and unfortunately, a hoppy rotation puts the Hawkeyes in fourth after one rotation. Penn State had to count a score in the 9.6s, but big scores at the beginning and end of the lineup meant it still broke 49 on the event. Illinois and Maryland both had solid rotations, with Green’s 9.925 being the high score of the rotation and a return to form from Martin.
Rotation 2: Maryland VT, Iowa UB, Illinois BB, Penn State FX
Buckmon (UMD): Yfull, fights for that stick! 9.8
Engelmayer (UMD): Yfull with a big hop back and outside the lines. 9.6
Murphy (UMD): Yfull, not the most height with a big hop back. 9.65
Rech (UMD): Yfull with a big hop back and small foot movement. 9.75
LeBlanc (UMD): Yfull, adjusts her left foot on landing. 9.75
Martin (UMD): Y1.5 with a medium step. 9.875
Juk (Iowa): Maloney, pak with some sickled feet and leg separation. Blind full to double tuck, medium hop back. 9.825
Vanney (Iowa): Maloney, pak with some leg separation. A little short on the last handstand, double lay with a small hop back. 9.675
Masella (Iowa): Short first handstand, big straddle Jaeger to a low shootover. Double lay stuck. 9.75
Turner (Iowa): Maloney, pak, legs glued together. Double lay, another stuck landing! 9.875
Muñoz (Iowa): Piked jaeger to an archy pak with a lot of leg separation. Double lay stuck with an arm swing. 9.875
Tran (Iowa): Gorgeous first handstand, Maloney to pak with good form. Van Leeuwen is good. Double lay, and that’s a fourth straight stick for the Hawkeyes! 9.95!
Sapp (UIUC): Bhs loso, rock solid with a smile. Switch half, short of split and a small leg check. Switch leap to switch half, similar problem with split position and takes a bigger wobble. Gainer full with a step back. 9.575
King (UIUC): Bhs loso with a leg check. Sticks the RO 1.5 twist dismount. 9.85
Nataraj (UIUC): Bhs bhs loso, beautiful. Switch leap to split 1/4, solid. I love how much fun she has with the choreo on beam. 1.5 twist with just the tiniest foot movement. 9.875
Cho (UIUC): Opens with a clean wolf turn. Bhs to loso, so smooth. Switch leap to switch half to beat jump, no problem. Side aerial, rock solid. RO 1.5 twist with a hop forward. 9.9
Coppola (UIUC): Side aerial swing through to round off with a small foot adjustment. Switch leap to split leap to beat jump, clean. Side aerial to two feet, really aggressive. RO 1.5 twist, small foot adjustment and arm swing on landing. 9.85
Knight (UIUC): Switch leap to leap to beat jump. Side aerial to bhs, solid. Clean side somi. Gainer full, drops her chest to stick.
Maul (PSU): High double tuck, tries to stick but has to hop forward. Back 1.5 to front lay, very underrotated and has to bend her knees and step back. 9.5
Monahan (PSU): Clean in her first pass, a little wild on the leaps. Double tuck, lands with chest very low but muscles out a lunge. Front lay to front full, clean. 9.7
Kaempfer (PSU): Double tuck, big slide on the lunge. Rudi to straddle jump. Back 1.5 to front lay, looks like she was just a bit underrotated but conceals it with the lunge. 9.725
Leary (PSU): Front double twist to punch front, dances out of it. Back 1.5 to front lay, nice control out of it. 9.825
Kramer (PSU): Front double twist, good control. Tour jete full to Popa to Popa, small shoulder dip. Rudi to LOSO, lovely and floaty. 9.9
Misiura (PSU): Punch front double twist. LOSO added to the choreography, small adjustment on landing. Some leg form on the double wolf turn. Front full to layout to close. 9.825
AFTER TWO: Illinois 98.475, Iowa 98.300, Penn State 98.050, Maryland 98.000
There was some absolutely beautiful gymnastics in that rotation. Aurelie Tran put on a show on bars, and the Illini bounced back from a leadoff 9.575 to put up five scores of 9.85 or better, including a gorgeous 9.900 routine from Chloe Cho. Maryland and Penn State weren’t able to break 49 on their respective events, but we still saw a big vault from Natalie Martin and standout floor from Alyssa Kramer.
In all-around news, Cho and Tran are tied after two rotations!
Rotation 3: Penn State VT, Maryland UB, Iowa BB, Illinois FX
Monahan (PSU): Tsuk tuck full with a small hop back. 9.675
Vihrova (PSU): Front handspring front pike with a small hop forward. 9.75
Kaempfer (PSU): Yfull with a hop in place. 9.725
Leary (PSU): Yfull, good height and a bounce in place on landing. 9.8
Johnston (PSU): Yfull, floaty in the air with the smallest of slides back.
Salcedo (PSU): Half on pike off, stuck! 9.75
Gatzendorfer (UMD): Maloney, pak with leg separation. A bit late on the half pirouette. Stalder to double tuck with a small hop back. 9.725
Saville (UMD): Maloney, pak with leg separation. Double lay with a bouncy step forward. 9.85
Kondo (UMD): Straddle jaeger to a crooked shootover. Lovely last handstand, double lay with a tiny step to the side. 9.875
Merchant (UMD): Big Ray to shootover. Full twisting double layout with a small hop back. 9.875
Rothenbuescher (UMD): Short on the first handstand, straddle Jaeger with some flexed feet to overshoot. Full twisting double back with a shuffle. 9.825
LeBlanc (UMD): Big straddle Jaeger to a beautiful bail. Double lay, drops her chest to hold the stick. 9.8
Volpe (Iowa): Bhs loso, rock solid. Switch leap to split 1/4, good. Cat leap to front aerial, no problem. She is ATTACKING beam and I am here for it. RO tucked 1.5 with a slide forward. 9.825
Juk (Iowa): RO bhs mount, beautiful. Bhs bhs loso, shows off her control at the end. Switch leap to beat jump. Overrotates the full turn but hides it with dance. Bhs full twist, love it. Cartwheel gainer full off the end of the beam with a small adjustment. 9.925
Tyson (Iowa): Quick full turn to start the routine. Bhs bhs loso, snaps her arms back to minimize wobbles. Split jump to split 1/4, drops her chest. RO 1.5 twist, stuck. 9.8
Muõz (Iowa): Switch leap to switch half, good. Bhs loso with a leg check. Bhs gainer full, stuck on her toes and drops her chest. 9.775
Tran (Iowa): Front aerial to bhs, no problem. Switch leap to switch half to beat jump, lovely split positions. Precise full turn. Gainer pike with a small hop forward. 9.9
Kenlin (Iowa): Switch leap to ring leap, front leg is a little low. Bhs loso, big break, a couple steps and puts both hands on the beam. Controlled full turn. Cat leap to side aerial, solid. Cartwheel gainer full with a hop forward. 9.5
Joelson (UIUC): Punch front to double back, bit of a wild lunge but stays in bounds. Shuffle forward and chest down at the end of her combination pass. 9.775
Brown (UIUC): Caught her last pass, front full to to front lay, no problems. 9.8
Coppola (UIUC): Front double twist, steps across in the lunge. Back 1.5 to front lay, dances out of it. Doesn’t quite get her head all the way back in the switch ring. 9.8
King (UIUC): Opens with a big double back, great control on the lunge. Back 1.5 to front full, has to take a big step to the side. 9.8
Nock (UIUC): Double pike to open, big hop back in the lunge. Front lay to Rudi, shuffles on landing and dances out of it really quickly. 9.825
Cho (UIUC): Opens with a full twisting double back, beautiful. She manages to make that “series of poses” type of choreography look interesting. Punch front to double back, slides back in the lunge. Great precision in her leaps. 9.875
AFTER THREE: Illinois 147.575, Iowa 147.525, Maryland 147.225, Penn State 146.900
Despite a miss from Kenlin in the anchor spot, the five strong routines preceding her (including a 9.925 from Ilka Juk) put Iowa just a quarter tenth behind Illinois going into the final rotation. Illinois didn’t have its cleanest floor rotation, and will need stuck landings on vault if it wants to stay ahead of Iowa’s floor team. Maryland bounced back with a strong bars rotation, and while winning this session is likely out of reach for Penn State, a big bars score to close the meet is certainly within its capabilities.
Rotation 4: Illinois VT, Penn State UB, Maryland BB, Iowa FX
Coppola (UIUC): Yfull, stuck! Loving all the leadoff vault sticks this meet! 9.775
Muller (UIUC): Yfull with a big step back. 9.725
Cho (UIUC): Yfull and another stick! 9.85
King (UIUC): Y1.5 some leg separation on the table and a medium hop forward. 9.825
Ward (UIUC): Sits down the Y1.5. 9.175
Brown (UIUC): Pressure is on to avoid counting a fall. Yfull, stuck! Some soft knees and pike down, but absolutely clutch from the freshman. 9.75
Johnston (PSU): Maloney to bail, nails the handstand position. Blind full to a cowboyed double back, stuck. 9.85
Vihrova (PSU): Straddle jaeger, catches it close but keeps the routine going. Blind full to double back with a small hop back. 9.7
Leary (PSU): Straddle Jaeger to overshoot, very floaty. Blind full to double tuck, stuck but I don’t think she brought her heels together before saluting. 9.8
Gallentine (PSU): Maloney, pak with leg separation. Double lay with a hop forward. 9.8
Latronica (PSU): Catches the piked Jaeger a little close, pretty bail. Front pike with a half with a small hop back. 9.85
Barbanente (PSU): Piked Jaeger to a crooked overshoot. Double lay with a hop back. 9.85
Brendlinger (UMD): Quick full turn. Bhs loso and takes a nasty fall. I looked away and when I looked back she was falling for a Second time. RO 1.5 twist with a small step. Tough routine for her. 8.550
Hammer (UMD): Pressure sets the rest of the way for Maryland. BhS loso with a small adjustment. Front toss and she falls. Cat leap to switch half, a bit short of split. Gainer full with a slide back. 9.150, that score will have to count for Maryland.
Engelmayer (UMD): A reset here is critical for Maryland. Switch leap, bobbles and breaks the connection. Repeats the skill, gets the connection into the split leap that time Bhs loso, good. Cautious full turn. Beat jump to front aerial, solid. Side aerial to 1.5 twist, small hop. Clutch routine. 9.775
Gatzendorfer (UMD): Bhs bhs loso, right to the end of the beam and zero wobbles. Switch leap to straddle quarter, very short of split. Switch leap to switch jump, tiny bobble. Gainer pike with a small hop forward. 9.8
Martin (UMD): Bhs loso, small shoulder dip. Cat leap to side aerial, good. Switch leap, switch leap, solid. RO 1.5 twist with a step back. 9.825
Komoroski (UMD): One-arm bhs to loso, good. Front aerial, small adjustment. She is so elegant on this event. Switch leap, split jump, solid. Shoulder dip on the full turn. RO 1.5, stuck! 9.925, closes Maryland’s meet out on a high note.
Tran (Iowa): Rudi to Loso, small adjustment. GORGEOUS split ring my goodness. Switch ring isn’t quite as perfect but still very good. Front lay to front full, good. 9.875
Tyson (Iowa): Rudi to loso, gorgeous. Front double twist, little overrotated but stays in bounds. Doesn’t quite get to split on her leap pass. 9.9
Volpe (Iowa): Opens with a front lay to Rudi. Double pike, some chest down but great control on the lunge. Great, dynamic leap pass. 9.85
Muñoz (Iowa): She has such great performance quality on this event. Falls on her punch front to double back. 9.025
Castillo (Iowa): Opens with a clean double wolf turn. Double pike, good control on the lunge. Great oversplit in her leaps. Double tuck, perfect lunge out of it. She is happy with that. 9.875
Erb (Iowa): Double pike, big bounce back and steps OOB. Clean on the back 1.5 to front lay. 9.750
FINAL: Iowa 196.775, Illinois 196.500, Penn State 196.050, Maryland 195.700
A huge 196.775 for Iowa clinches the win in Session Two, leads the pack going into Session Three, and puts the Hawkeyes in position to avoid a play-in meet. After a few rocky weeks, a 196.500 for Illinois is a huge statement going into regionals (although ranked at real time No. 28, the Illini are still slated to compete in the play-ins). Penn State finished strong and just broke 196, doing enough to stay at No. 27. The beam demons came for Maryland this meet, and the Terps will need to put that performance behind them come regionals.
VT: Martin (Maryland) – 9.876
UB: Tran (Iowa) – 9.950
BB: Juk (Iowa) – 9.925
FX: Kramer (Penn State) – 9.900
AA: Tran (Iowa) – 39.525
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Live blog by Naomi Stephenson
