Round one of the Washington Regional features Illinois and UC Davis going head-to-head for a spot in Thursday’s semifinal, where Oklahoma, Auburn and Nebraska await. Illinois enters as the favorite, but UC Davis finished the regular season on a high note and could challenge with a strong showing.
Illinois has struggled with consistency this season, particularly on beam, but the Illini posted a season-high 49.325 on the event at the Big Ten championships. A repeat of that performance would be key today. Vault has also been a lower-scoring event, making it another area to watch. Freshman Chloe Cho has been a standout all-arounder and will be especially important on beam and floor.
UC Davis is making its second-ever regionals appearance and first since 2014. For the Aggies to advance, bars will be the critical event after some inconsistency this season. However, UC Davis put up a 49.000 at MPSF championships last week, and matching or exceeding that could be the difference-maker. The Aggies shine on vault and floor, led by Megan Ray, Keanna Abraham and Amelia Moneymaker, who scored a 39.500 in the all-around last weekend. Expect dynamic routines from this group as they try to punch a ticket to the semifinal.
March in happening now, we’ll be getting started soon!
Rotation 1: Illinois VT, UC Davis UB
Coppola (ILL): Yurchenko full, pike down, big hop back 9.650
Knecht (UC Davis): Short handstand, Maloney, Bail, leg separation on both. Good final handstand, double layout with a step 9.700
Cho (ILL): Yurchenko full, nearly stuck and then takes a step back, great block. 9.750
Scafani (UC Davis): Jaeger, overshoot, some bent arms and flexed feet. Good final handstand, slow giant full, double tuck, cowboyed and a small step 9.700
Muller (ILL): Yurchenko full, good amplitude, step back. 9.750
Gideon (UC Davis): Piked Jaeger, overshoot, some leg separation. Short handstand, stuck double layout with a lean. 9.775
King (ILL): Yurchenko 1.5, small controlled hop, some knee form in the air, 9.800
Oshiro (UC Davis): Short handstand, Tkatchev and falls. Remounts, nice Pak. Giant half, gets stuck, another giant half, double tuck. Will want to drop this one. 8.800
Ward (ILL): Yurchenko 1.5, big hop forward and a step. 9.675
Fitz-Gerald (UC Davis): Good handstand. Jaeger, hits her heels and misses the connection, backswing, and then does the overshoot. Double layout is stuck. Interested to see the start value on that routine. 9.7 SV, 9.050 final score
Joelson (ILL): Front handspring front pike half, one step, not a ton of distance, 9.725
Long judges conference on bars for Fitz-Gerald’s routine
Moneymaker (UC Davis): Short handstand, Maloney, Bail, very clean. Strong final handstand, double layout with a step, best routine of the rotation! 9.800
AFTER ONE: Illinois 48.700, UC Davis 48.025
Illinois has a sizable lead after one, though it will likely not be thrilled with its performance. llinois struggled with landing control on vault and had only one score over 9.800, thanks to Eden King’s strong Yurchenko 1.5 UC Davis had to count a missed routine after a fall mid lineup and scored a 48.025 on bars. Major kudos to Amelia Moneymaker who anchored the rotation with a strong 9.800 after having to wait out a long judges’ conference. Both teams are moving to strong events for them, so hopefully they can build some positive momentum during rotation two!
Rotation 2: UC Davis VT, Illinois UB
Reichow (UC Davis): Yurchenko full, big hop back and a step. 9.575
Brown (ILL): Geinger, overshoot, leg separation on both. Slightly short handstand. Double layout with bent knees and a step. 9.700
Wyly (UC Davis): Tucked Yurchenko full, stuck, nice tuck shape and form 9.700
Denning (ILL): Short handstand, Maloney, Bail, leg separation on the Maloney. Nice final handstand, double layout, shuffle back. 9.775
Kim (UC Davis): Yurchenko full, pike down and a big slide back and a step. 9.575
Ward (ILL): Good handstand, Jaeger, flexed feet. Short handstand, bail. Giant full, double tuck with a step. 9.800
Moneymaker (UC Davis): Yurchenko full, medium hop back, 9.700
Cho (ILL): Good handstand, Maloney, Pak. Nice Van Leeuwen. Strong final handsand, double layout stuck. Excellent, 9.900!
Ray (UC Davis): Yurchenko half on, tuck half off, small hop, good chest position. 9.750
Green (ILL): Strong handstand. Maloney, Pak. Half pirouette is a little slow but finishes in a nice vertical. Strong handstand, stuck double layout. 9.925
Abraham (UC Davis): Yurchenko 1.5, great amplitude, one step forward. 9.800
Knight (ILL): Short handstand, Maloney, Bail, arched on the Bail but keeps it moving. Double layout short of rotation with a step. 9.775
AFTER TWO: Illinois 97.875, UC Davis 96.500
Illinois extends its lead after a strong bars rotation! Back to back scores of 9.900+ from Cho and Green were critical for the Illini to gain momentum going into the second half of this meet. UC Davis had an okay vault rotation with strong work for Ray and Abraham, but lacked some landing control early in the rotation and scored a 48.525. On to beam and floor!
Rotation 3: Illinois BB, UC Davis FX
Sapp (ILL): Full turn. Bhs, loso, secure. Small balance check on choreography. Switch leap, switch half, short of split and a balance check. Switch leap, split jump. Gainer full, shuffle back. 9.725
Reichow (UC Davis): Front tuck through to double back, good control. Switch half, wolf full, wolf full, short of rotation and position on both wolf jumps. Double pike is short with a step forward. Switch side, Popa. 9.725
King (ILL): Bhs, loso, solid. Full turn. Switch half, kind of cheats around the last quarter. Hitch kick, switch side, nice. Back 1.5 with two hops forward. 9.750
Wyly (UC Davis): Double tuck, step forward, but chest position was good. Switch ring, tour jete half, crisp. Front tuck through to double pike, lacking some control but keeps it in bounds. Switch half, Popa, short of split on the Popa. 9.625
Nataraj (ILL): Bhs, bhs, loso, nicely done. Switch leap, straddle quarter, medium sized balance check. Full turn. Back 1.5 with a hop. 9.725
Oshiro (UC Davis): Rudi, straddle jump, good control. Switch ring, tour jete half. Back 1.5, front lay. Switch ring full, a little short of the full ring position. Strong routine, 9.800
Cho (ILL): Single wolf turn. Bhs, loso, secure. Switch half, beat jump, nice position on the switch half, a bit of a lean and slow connection between jump. Side aerial. Back 1.5, stuck, 9.850
Ray (UC Davis): Great amplitude on opening double pike. Tour jete half, split full, Popa, strong positions on all three. Front tuck through to double tuck, secure. 9.850
Coppola (ILL): Full turn. Side aerial, round off. Leg up check and awkward connection. Switch leap, split jump, beat jump. Two foot side aerial, nice. Back 1.5, stuck 9.725
Abraham (UC Davis): Strong double layout, chest position was excellent. Switch side half, straddle jump. Front tuck through to double tuck, front foot slides back, but keeps it in bounds, 9.825
Saltness (ILL): Full turn. Cat leap, switch side, small lean. Bhs, loso, balance check but keeps it moving. Beat jump, split jump full, nice. Front gainer full off the side of the beam, step back. 9.750
Moneymaker (UC Davis): Rudi, loso, not as much ampltiude on the loso as she normally has. Switch half, wolf full is fine. Front tuck through to double tuck, excellent form and control. 9.900!
AFTER THREE: Illinois 146.675, UC Davis 145.650
Illinois maintains its commanding lead after hitting all six routines on beam while UC Davis put up a solid floor rotation. Chloe Cho had another strong routine for the Illini while UC Davis was led by Amelia Moneymaker’s 9.900 in the anchor spot. On to the final rotation.!
Rotation 4: UC Davis BB, Illinois FX
Poonja (UC Davis): Bhs, bhs, oso, secure, nice extension. Split jump, double stag jump. Full turn, arm wave. Gainer full, stuck with chest low and an arm wave, nice start. 9.775
Joelson (ILL): Front tuck through to double tuck, front foot slides. Switch side half, wolf full, fine. Double pike, chest low but had a solid landing. 9.775
Abraham (UC Davis): Backhandspring, two foot layout and falls. Full turn. L hop, switch side. Bhs, back 1.5 with a step. 8.900
Brown (ILL): Front tuck through to double tuck, stuck, chest a touch low but no foot movement. Switch side half, straddle jump. Front full, front lay, lacking some control, but good routine overall. 9.750
Ray (UC Davis): Cat leap, switch half, split jump, beat jump, nice form throughout. Side aerial. Bhs, loso, clean. Full turn. Front tuck full, small hop forward, strong routine. 9.800
Coppola (ILL): Back 2.5, okay control. Switch ring full, missing some of the ring position. Back 1.5, front layout, nicely done. Switch ring, tour jete half, another hit. 9.800
Wyly (UC Davis): Bhs, loso and falls. Full turn. Split jump, straddle half, good amplitude. Beat jump, front aerial, lean. Gainer pike with a hop. 9.175
Just not UC Davis’s day today.
King (ILL): Double tuck, good landing control and chest position. Switch side half, straddle jump. Back 1.5, front full, another strong pass and good landing. Nicely done, 9.900!
Moneymaker (UC Davis): Front toss, bhs, fine. Full turn, beat jump. Split jump, double stag, fine, could be in a more defined stag position. Gainer full with a hop. 9.775, interesting one judge went 9.4 with a 9.6 SV, guessing they may have broken the acro series.
Nock (ILL): Double pike, good amplitude, a little too much power. Leaps are lacking some control as well. Fornt lay, Rudi, very short and lunges forward but stays on her feet. 9.575
Oshiro (UC Davis): Bhs, loso, excellent form. Standing gainer loso, split jump. Switch leap, straddle quarter, nice. Gainer loso, stuck, nice finish for UC Davis. 9.875
Gordon (ILL): Front double full, lands deep and almost sits it down. Front lay, front full. Tour jete half, short of split and rotation. Switch half, wolf full, flexed feet on both. 9.400
FINAL: Illinois 195.475 UC Davis 194.050
Illinois will advance to the regional semifinal over UC Davis. The Illini struggled to start on vault but were solid on the remaining three events to advance! Eden King in particular had a strong day on her events for Illinois. UC Davis struggled throughout this met but had some strong moments as well, like Amelia Moneymaker taking the all around title and a share of the floor title.
VT: Eden King, Keanna Abraham 9.800
UB: Makayla Green 9.925
BB: Chloe Cho 9.859
FX: Eden King, Amelia Moneymaker 9.900
AA: Amelia Moneymaker 39.175
READ THIS NEXT: Tracking Individual Nationals Qualification Scenarios
Live blog by Rebecca Williams
