The road to nationals officially kicks off tonight! We’re in State College, Pennsylvania, for a high-stakes play-in meet between No. 31 Maryland and No. 36 West Virginia. It’s win or go home right out of the gate, with tonight’s victor punching its ticket to tomorrow’s regional semifinals – things are about to get real!
Maryland’s had a bit of a rollercoaster season, especially on beam, which unfortunately landed it in last place at the Big Ten Championships. Don’t count it out though—it’s shown flashes of brilliance with four scores over 196 this year. It just needs to hit all its routines tonight under pressure.
West Virginia’s story this season has been seriously impressive, jumping way up the rankings from No. 53 to No. 36! Its conference meet wasn’t its best, but if it can keep riding the wave of momentum it’s built up lately, it could be looking at a spot in those regional semifinals.
You can catch all the action live on ESPN+, and keep up with the scores as they happen right here.
Rotation 1: Maryland VT, West Virginia UB
Buckmon (Maryland): Yurchenko full, tries for the stick but underrotates a bit and has to step forward. 9.750
Alban (WVU): Clear hip to gienger, only gets one hand around the bar and falls. Bail to good handstand. Big double layout to finish, step forward. Tough start for West Virginia, but there’s more to go! 8.900
Engelmayer (Maryland): Better height and distance on this Yurchenko full, small hop back. 9.725 – I’m surprised that went lower than Buckmon.
Leigh (WVU): Blind change to jaeger, good. Pak with a leg separation. Short handstand on the high bar, dismounts with a double layout with a hop back. Good hit to get the momentum going for this team. 9.700
Rothenbuescher (Maryland): Tsuk full, some leg separation in the preflight. Has to lean for balance but gets the stick. 9.750
McDonnell (WVU): Toe on to Ray, some flexed feet. Pak with a big straddle. Flings the double layout a bit, small hop forward. A hit, which is what they need. 9.675
Rech (Maryland): Yurchenko full with good amplitude, nice form and a hop back. 9.775
Irwin (WVU): Blind change to nice jaeger. Bail to handstand, clean. Good handstand work here. Quite a bit of piking in the double layout dismount but a clean landing with just a small shuffle. 9.700
LeBlanc (Maryland): Yurchenko full, big leg separation in the preflight and doesn’t get a good block – underrotates and stumbles forward. 9.625
Lowe (WVU): Blind change to piked jaeger, caught a little close. Clean pak. Blind full to double tuck is super clean, hop back on the landing. 9.750
Martin (Maryland): Yurchenko 1.5, good distance and some slight bent knees. A small hop forward and she looks thrilled. They needed that! 9.850
Macy (WVU): Blind change to piked jaeger to overshoot, very dynamic. Good handstand on the high bar. Double layout with a hop in place. Needed a hit and did it – well done! 9.725
AFTER ONE: Maryland 48.850, West Virginia 48.550
No disasters in the first rotation but nobody has hit it out of the park yet, either – it’s anyone’s game in this play-in. With just one score above 9.800 so far, both teams will be looking to turn things up a notch in rotation two and keep themselves in contention.
Rotation 2: West Virginia VT, Maryland UB
Alban (WVU): Yurchenko full, a pike down and a hop back. Nice comeback after her fall in the first rotation. 9.675
Gatzendorfer (Maryland): Toe on to Maloney to pak, clean until leg separation on the pak. Stalder to high double tuck with a stick, great work there. 9.825
Tuohy (WVU): Yurchenko full, big leg separation in the pre flight but drills the landing, good for them to get a stick here! 9.750
Saville (Maryland): Toe on, Maloney, pak with some leg form throughout. NAILS the handstand on the low bar, wow. Beautiful double layout with a stick! Maryland is making a statement now. 9.850
Smith (WVU): Big, high yurchenko full, some bent arms on the table. Small hop back on the landing. 9.800
Brozowski (Maryland): Blind change to jaeger, nice. Some form issues on the bail. Another stuck double layout! 9.800
Nelson (WVU): Major bent legs on her yurchenko full, I thought she was going for a tuck full for a second. Hop back on the landing. 9.650 – West Virginia will have to count a vault score in the 9.600 range.
Merchant (Maryland): Toe on to Ray to overshoot, excellent height. Great handstands. Full twisting double layout is lovely in the air, almost gets the stick but has to take a step back. 9.825
DiCello (WVU): Yurchenko full, pike down and a hop back. 9.725
Rothenbuescher (Maryland): Blind change to jaeger to overshoot, good form but a little low on the transition. Full twisting double tuck dismount with another stick, they’re killing it with these landings!
Rice (WVU): Tsuk full, really fights for the stick and gets it, but there was a very low chest and a big arm swing. She fought for it! And she gets the plunger hat, of course. 9.750
LeBlanc (Maryland): Blind change to jaeger, well done. Bail is a little short of handstand. Clean double layout with a small shuffle back. An excellent rotation for Maryland here. 9.800
AFTER TWO: Maryland 98.000, West Virginia 97.250
Maryland did some of their very best bar work to put up a full rotation of scores of 9.800 or higher, while West Virginia has to count a 9.675 on vault. The Mountaineers could still catch up, but it’ll take some big routines in the second half.
Rotation 3: Maryland BB, West Virginia FX
Brendlinger (Maryland): BHS LOSO with a small adjustment. Cat leap to switch half, balance check. Front toss, super solid. RO 1.5 dismount, really fights for the stick with lots of arm waving. Some bobbles throughout but still a good leadoff that should set the tone. 9.750
Alban (WVU): Double pike, squat and a big lunge back. Front layout to front full, good height but a little uncontrolled. Switch side to Popa, a bit short. High double tuck with a great landing, strong finish! 9.775
Hammer (Maryland): BHS LOSO, soft knees and a small bobble. Piked front toss, very solid. Cat leap to switch half, nicely done. Switch leap to split jump, good splits. A confident routine so far. Gainer full off the side with a slide back. 9.725
Rice (WVU): Rudi to huge split jump, awesome height! She’s great to watch on this event. Front layout to front full, excellent. Switch side half to straddle jump to front support, great height. Super routine for West Virginia. 9.825
Rothenbuescher (Maryland): Front toss, wobbles and breaks the connection to the back handspring. Not sure if she’ll try for another acro series. Switch leap to switch half, some loose form. RO double twist dismount with a step back. That was definitely a broken acro series, we’ll see what the judges do here. 9.550 – they’ll want to hit from here out and drop that.
Lowe (WVU): Double tuck, front foot movement on the landing. 1.5 to front layout is clean with a solid landing. Double pike to finish, deep squat but controlled. 9.725
Gatzendorfer (Maryland): BHS LOSO LOSO, very controlled. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, small bobble. Gainer pike off the end, small shuffle on the landing. Good hit! 9.775
Maness (WVU): Ring jump full, good position. 1.5 to front layout, clean and controlled. Switch ring to switch half, second leap looked short but the ring position was clean. Rudi to split jump, excellent! Some great floor work in this rotation. 9.800
Martin (Maryland): BHS LOSO, solid. Cat leap to side aerial with some leg form. Switch leap to switch leap, looks a little off but hides it well. BHS 1.5 dismount with a step. 9.850
Smith (WVU): Big full in with a hop forward. Switch half, Popa, Popa – well done, good splits. Front layout to Rudi, better on the landing here. 9.775
Komoroski (Maryland): One-handed BHS LOSO with a lean. Front aerial, small adjustment. Lovely toepoint on every skill. Switch leap to split jump, clean. RO 1.5 dismount with a small hop forward, good way to wrap up the rotation – and drop that low score from Rothenbuescher. 9.900 seems a bit high to me with a hop and a few adjustments.
Leigh (WVU): Front double twist, excellent control. Switch side to Popa is high and accurate. Rudi to big LOSO, awesome finish! 9.875
AFTER THREE: Maryland 147.000, West Virginia 146.300
The Mountaineers cut into the Terps’ lead with some excellent floor work, but it wasn’t quite enough. Komoroski’s 9.900 capped off Maryland’s beam rotation in a big way, and as the team heads to floor, it has the advantage for the win here.
Rotation 4: West Virginia BB, Maryland FX
Leigh (WVU): BHS LOSO, super solid. Cat leap to switch half to beat jump is clean. Looks super confident and solid. Side aerial, good. Front gainer full with a step, way to set the tone! 9.800
Rech (Maryland): Front double twist, high but loses control on the landing. Huge double tuck, good landing. Split full to wolf full, good. 1.5 to front layout, well controlled. Great tumbling from Rech there! 9.850
Lowe (WVU): BHS LOSO with some loose knees, balance check. Side aerial with an adjustment, beat jump. Beat jump to split 3/4, good. RO 1.5 with a stumble, didn’t quite get the height she needed. Still, a hit. 9.700
Ruffing (Maryland): Double tuck, front foot steps forward on the landing. Switch side half to Popa, good splits but some questionable rotations. 1.5 to Barani to jump, nice height but some bent knees. 9.800
Brown (WVU): BHS BHS LOSO, excellent. Switch leap to straddle jump, clean and high. RO double twist dismount, very little distance but clean and sticks it. 9.900!
LeBlanc (Maryland): Front double twist, super clean in the air, steps across on the landing. 1.5 to front layout, beautiful form again. Finishes with a big Rudi, awesome routine. Responds to Julia Brown with a 9.900 of her own.
Nelson (WVU): BHS LOSO, good form, small lean. Cat leap to side aerial, nicely done. Switch side. Gainer full off the side is super clean and stuck. The Mountaineers are delivering on beam, but will it be enough to catch Maryland? 9.725
Komoroski (Maryland): Rudi, clean in the air but slightly uncontrolled landing. Switch ring to ring leap full, good ring positions! She has such nice toe point in all her choreography. 1.5 to front layout, very clean. The Terps are bringing their A-game. 9.850
DiCello (WVU): BHS LOSO LOSO, some soft knees but very solid. Switch leap to switch leap, solid but splits look a bit short. RO 1.5 dismount with a hop in place. That’s a very efficient routine. 9.775
Brendlinger (Maryland): Double tuck, overcooks it a bit with a hop back on the landing. Switch half to wolf 1.5, a little low. Front full to front layout, good control. 9.850
Webster (WVU): Let’s close things out on a good note for West Virginia. Side aerial to side aerial two feet, slow connection. Cat leap to switch half, a bit tentative. Wolf jump to beat jump, good. RO 1.5, sticks it with an arm wave. 9.825
Maryland knows it has secured the win and pulls Rothenbuescher from the floor lineup. Smart move to save her for tomorrow!
FINAL: Maryland 196.250, West Virginia 195.325
Maryland killed it on floor – in just five routines – to secure its place in tomorrow’s regional semifinal. 196.250 is its second-highest score of the season, putting the team in great shape for the next round of competition. West Virginia’s season ends here, but this team has a lot to be proud of. The Mountaineers’ climb up the rankings has been impressive to watch this season, and with this year’s strong freshman class, they’ll be fun to watch next year.
Tune in tomorrow to watch Maryland face off against No. 1 LSU, No. 16 Arkansas, and No. 17 Michigan in the regional semifinal!
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Live blog by Sophie Poirier
