You’d be hard-pressed to find a tighter matchup than this one! BYU and Utah State are neck and neck when it comes to their National Qualifying Score (NQS), and their season average scores are separated by less than two-tenths of a point. BYU does boast the higher season-high score, hitting that mark at home in late February, so it’ll likely be seen as the favorite to advance to the next round.
Looking at how the two teams stack up, BYU is likely to put up the bigger numbers on vault and floor. On the flip side, Utah State tends to shine on bars and beam. That difference means the second and third rotations are going to be super important to see which squad can nail their “weaker” events.
No matter which team moves on, both BYU and Utah State will have individual athletes competing tomorrow. Keep an eye out for BYU’s Kylie Eaquinto – she’d advance as an individual on both vault and bars. BYU’s Brynlee Andersen is also one to watch; she’s ranked in the top 25 nationally on beam and could be in the running for a beam spot at nationals with a great showing today (which would also give BYU a big beam boost!). Speaking of beam, Utah State’s Brianna Brooks has also scored a 9.900 on the event this season and is known for her awesome beam routines, making her another key athlete to watch.
Rotation 1: BYU vault, Utah State bars
Dudley (BYU): Tiny hop back on that Yfull. Slightly closed shoulders on the block. Not the biggest. 9.725
Orengo (USU): Good toe point on the jaeger to overshoot combo. Loose body position in the double layout dismount, but sticks it. 9.775
Earl (BYU): Good block off the table, closed hips and a hop forward on the Yhalf. 9.7
VanderToolen (USU): Leg separations on the Maloney to pak combination. Short cast. Hit the stalder to double tuck with pointed toes and a stuck landing. 9.8
Kirkham (BYU): Small hop back on the Yfull. Did not get the height on that vault, but a lot of distance. Pretty open hips. 9.775
Bibbey (USU): Feet on the tkachev. A lot of height on that. Hit the bail. Great amplitude on the double layout as well with a small step back. 9.75
Eaquinto (BYU): Not the most height or distance on that Yfull but held onto the landing on her toes. Slight chest forward on the landing. Good open hips. 9.825
Brooks (USU): Great toe point and extension on the Ray. Small hop and a step back on the double layout. 9.8
Silva (BYU): Good body position on the Yfull with a small hop back. 9.8
Kirstine (USU): Good toe point on the jaeger to overshoot. Slow rotation on the FTDT and has a hop forward on that. Good rhythm in that routine. 9.775
Jorgensen (BYU): Great rotation on the full on pike off and just a small hop back. Held the piked position well. 9.825
Jelen (USU): Elbows and leg separations on the Maloney to pak combo. Sticks the double layout dismount.
AFTER ONE: BYU 48.950, Utah State 48.950
BYU and Utah State both had strong first rotations. Utah State stuck multiple landings on bars and BYU had very solid landings on vault. This is tied after one so it literally could not be closer.
Rotation 2: Utah State vault, BYU bars
VanderToolen (USU): Pike down on the Yfull. Small hop back. 9.775
Kirkham (BYU): Leg separation on the Maloney before the bail. Bounce in place on the double layout. 9.775
Eagles (USU): Closed hips, lack of distance on that Yfull. The smallest one of the day so far. Small hop. 9.75
Glazier (BYU): Not a lot of height on the jaeger. Hit the bail. Very slow rhythm. May have moved one foot a little on the double layout. 9.825
Brooks (USU): Off to the side on the block and that caused her to land and hop back over the directional line. Good amplitude on that Yfull. 9.7
Alvarado (BYU): Leg separation on the Maloney and bent the arms before going into the bail. Landed a little low in the double layout and took a hop back. 9.75
Gatzlaff (USU): Big hop back on the Yful.. Good block with great height. Slight pike down. 9.8
Jorgensen (BYU): Feet on the Ray. Clean bail. Short last cast. Small hop back on the double layout. 9.775
Medrano (USU): Turned slightly early on the table, but got great height on that Yfull and a small hop back. 9.8
Eaquinto (BYU): Bent elbows on the backswing on the Maloney. Small step on the landing on the double layout. 9.825
Orengo (USU): Missed a hand on the table and crashed on that Yfull. She just couldn’t get a block with that hand placement. 8.975
Bramblett-Wilde (BYU): Too far on the Ray and falls. Had great toe point and turnover, just too far. Repeats and connects to the overshoot. Small step back on the FTDL.
AFTER TWO: BYU 97.900, Utah State 97.775
This was an event with both teams on “weaker” events and BYU won the first battle. The landings on vault weren’t there for Utah State which allowed BYU to take the lead at the halfway mark. The Orengo fall on vault will cause Utah State to go five up on floor.
Rotation 3: BYU beam, Utah State floor
Dudley (BYU): Solid loso series. Hit the switch to straddle quarter. Good positions on that. Feet on the side aerial after the cat leap. Slight check on that. Hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.7
Eagles (USU): Good rise on the Rudi out of the front layout. Around on the switch side half to straddle. Chest down on the double tuck and bounces back on that landing. Flexed feet on that too. 9.675
Millar-Crossman (BYU): Check on the loso series. Soft knees on that too. Slightly overcooked the full turn. Precise cat leap to switch half. Slight arm adjustment on the beat to split half. Sticks the front full. 9.775
Stuart (USU): Controls the whip half to front full. Not the biggest. Not complete ring positions in the switch ring to switch ring half. Controlled the double tuck. 9.75
Hoke (BYU): Bent elbows on the bhs loso series. I like the use of her fingers in her dance. Clean dance combo. Feet on the side aerial. op back on the back 1.5. 9.85
Medrano (USU): Great height on the double pike and took a large slide back. The front layout was lower than the back 1.5 in that combo, but controlled the step out. Hit the switch half to wolf full. Feet and a slide back on the double tuck. 9.75
Margraf-Benson (BYU): Feet on the front aerial to back tuck connection. Connected it well though. Slow between the cat leap and front toss though. Slightly unsteady on the switch to split. No height on that front full, but stuck. 9.775
Vater (USU): Almost went out before the pass and then actuals falls out of bounds on her first pass. Clean switch to switch side half. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.025
Silva (BYU): Smooth connecting the hitch kick to front aerial to bhs. Waiver on the full turn. Clean beat to side aerial. Hit the switch to split quarter. Bounce in place on the bhs gainer full. 9.775
Peterson (USU): Big bounce back on the double tuck. Didn’t get the right rotation on the switch side to Popa. Good amplitude on the Rudi to split jump after the front layout. 9.75
Andersen (BYU): Solid loso series. Hit the swicth to straddle half. Arm wave on the full turn. A little correction on the sider aerial out of the cat leap. Lacked amplitude on the bhs gainer full, but stuck it. 9.9
AFTER THREE: BYU 146.975, Utah State 145.725
I said before the meet that this meet would come down to the second and third rotation and who was able to have a strong rotation on a “weak” event. BYU said “what weak event?” while Utah State just was not able to find the landings on floor. Having Orengo go down certainly did not help, but having her back would still extend the BYU lead.
Rotation 4: Utah State beam, BYU floor
Jelen (USU): Feet on the side aerial to bhs with a big wobble. Wobbled on the leap combo as well. Sticks the bhs gainer full and had feet on that as well. 9.5
Millar-Crossman (BYU): Great height and controlled landing on the double tuck. Messed up that jump combo, She ended up doing a tuck full as the second jump. She does another dance combo potentially to make up for it? Fell on the combo pass. Just under rotated the last sommersault. 9
Eagles (USU): Good amplitude on the loso series. Soft knees on the side aerial to split jump combo. Lean on the switch to split. Sticks the back 1.5 with a lean. 9.775
Matern (BYU): Large step forward on the front double full. Good amplitude and control on the back 1.5 to front layout. Around on the switch ring to wolf full. Clean Rudi. 9.8
Witte (USU): Feet on the bhs bhs loso. Wobble on the split to split 3/4s. Soft knees on the fron aerial. Wobble on the full turn. Sticks the gainer pike. 9.825
Dudley (BYU): Bounce back on the double pike. Good amplitude ont he switch side to wold full. Floaty front full to front layout. Feet on the double tuck. 9.8
Medrano (USU): Clean full turn. Falls on the loso series. Slow connection between the beat and side aerial. Stron split to split 3/4s. Sticks the gainer full. 9.2
Schooley-Meyers (BYU): Soft knees in the back 1.5 to front layout. Missed the switch ring position in that leap pass. Feet on the double tuck and a controlled landing. 9.85
Brooks (USU): A little off on the front aerial to one arm bhs. Clean switch to bhs swingdown. Clean split to straddle quarter. Finishes the full turn on releve. Sticks the bhs gainer full. 9.8
Eaquinto (BYU): Great height on the double pike and perfectly controlled. Didn’t get the full ring position on the switch ring half to wolf full. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.875
Vater (USU): Clean full turn. Good height on the back tuck out of the front aerial. Clean switch to straddle quarter. Big hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.75
Andersen (BYU): Better switch ring half. Not the best height on the jump out of the Rudi. Good tow point on the leap combo. Out of bounds on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.65
FINAL: BYU 195.950, Utah State 194.475
BYU will be advancing to tomorrow and will compete in the second session for a chance to make it to the regional final. Utah State was not able to keep with BYU on the leg events and that was the key difference.
VT: Eaquinto, Jorgenson 9.825
UB: Eaquinto, Glazier 9.825
BB: Andersen 9.9
FX: Eaquinto 9.875
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
