Welcome to second round action at Alaska Airlines Arena! We’ve got an exciting one on hand in this first session with Missouri, Georgia, Arizona, and Arizona State in an SEC-Big 12 battle. Missouri, the highest seeded team, is coming off a March that included its first 198-plus score in team history and its first ever appearance in the SEC championship evening session; the Tigers will be looking to start off the postseason strong today en route to breaking more records this season. Georgia nearly reached the 198 mark as well in March, putting up a 197.975 against Oklahoma before a disappointing showing at the conference meet. We have recently learned that Georgia will be without Csenge Bácskay and Naya Howard who each contribute on multiple events. In-state rivals Arizona and Arizona State are meeting for the third time this season, with the Wildcats emerging as the victor in both previous matchups; both teams have season highs in the high-196 range so they are definitely capable of pulling an upset if one of the SEC teams falters.
This session also features individuals from Illinois State and host Washington, who did not qualify a full team to the postseason this year. Illinois State has twice before qualified individuals to regionals, including Jaye Mack in 2022, and she is back at regionals this year along with teammates Alana Laster and Sara Wabi. Can the Redbirds pull off another individual qualifier to nationals?
The meet can be streamed on ESPN+ and live scores are on Virtius.
Rotation 1: Georgia VT, Arizona UB, Arizona State BB, Missouri FX
O’Driscoll (UGA) VT: Y-full, pretty clean and with a small hop to the side on the landing. 9.675
Mueller (Az) UB: Nice Ray to open, good handstand positions. Hops in place on the dismount but she’s very happy with it! 9.850
Lee (ASU) BB: Slight wobble after full turn. Clean series. Sticks the 1.5 dismount! 9.875
Light (Miz) FX: Clean opening pass,one of her leaps may have been a little overrotated. Double pike to finish is also clean. 9.875
Scott (UGA) VT: Super clean Y-full in the air, it looked like her right foot may have moved slightly on the landing. 9.850
Krohnfeldt (Az) UB: Some leg separation on the Maloney and she doesn’t get her hands around the high bar and falls. She starts over and catches it this time. A little loose on the catch of her bail handstand, but the DLO is nice with with a small hop back. 9.250
Lichtman (ASU) BB: No wobbles on her BHS LOSO, full turn is good too. Slight wobble after her mixed series. Visible leg separation in her back 1.5 dismount and a small hop. 9.800
Horton (Miz) FX: High, powerful full-in, overpowers it and slides out of bounds. Front tuck through to double tuck much better controlled. 9.650
Wahl (UGA) VT: Y-1.5, nearly stuck! I think her right foot moved to the side ever so slightly. 9.900
Derr (Az) UB: Loses her momentum after the Pak and has to do an extra circle, then she did an extra cast handstand on the low bar as well. Dismount was a little close to the bar and landed low. 9.625
Smith (ASU) BB: Solid series, no wobbles. Bars and beam are on the opposite side of the arena so I missed a lot of this while following Derr, but the team seemed happy with this routine. 9.800
Tanskanen (Miz) FX: Big full-in to open, chest maybe a tiny bit low on the landing. Combo pass very clean. 9.875
Aquino (UGA) VT: Tsuk full, flared out, very clean in the air. Sizeable hop backwards on the landing. 9.875
Martin (Az) UB: She had to fight through this routine at times but finished strong with a beautiful stuck DLO. 9.850
Clark (ASU) BB: Small lean after her full turn and another after her series. Sticks the front gainer full dismount! 9.850
Celestine (Miz) FX: Huge full-out, well-controlled on the landing. Her leaps looked fully rotated to me. A little short on the double tuck and takes a step forward. 9.800
A. Smith (UGA) VT: Stuck Y-1.5! It didn’t look perfectly clean in the air but she’s thrilled. 9.850
Deets (Az) UB: Nice Tkachev and bail handstand. Great final cast handstand. Sticks the DLO! Great routine. 9.850
White (ASU) BB: Clean series, no wobbles. Front aerial to beat jump is beautiful, as is the split jump to double stag. I missed the dismount but from the cheers it sounded like she stuck it. 9.900
Griffin (Miz) FX: Very nice double pike to open. Her second pass looked well-controlled as well. 9.850
L. Smith (UGA) VT: Nearly sticks her Y-full, she didn’t get a ton of distance but she had her usual super clean form in the air. 9.775
Fears (Az) UB: Missed most of this! 9.800
Seaga (ASU) BB: Comes off the beam after her beat jump to side aerial. 9.050
Moore (Miz) FX: Overpowers her DLO slightly and takes a very large lunge back. Great amplitude and extension on her leaps. Front tuck through to double tuck is great, maybe some flexed feet in the air. 9.900
Laster (ISU) VT: Elbows bent on the table, she doesn’t get the block she needs and she ends up far short of rotation and sits it down. Not what she wanted but she still has floor to come! 9.200
Russon (UW) UB: Unfortunately comes off the bar on her straddled Jaeger. She gets back on and goes straight to the end of the routine, small hop on her DLO. 8.600
McDonough (UW) BB: Slight lean after her BHS LOSO, then another after the to side aerial. Double twist dismount, I think she had a small foot movement on the landing. 9.800
Innes (UW) FX: Front double twist, some small leg separation while twisting and then she overpowers it and can’t keep her plant leg in place but stays in bounds. The crowd is really into her routine! Back 1.5 to front lay, super clean. Rudi to finish, she leaps up out of it but I’m assuming that was intentional. 9.750
AFTER ONE: Missouri 49.300, Georgia 49.250, Arizona State 49.225, Arizona 48.975
We have a very close meet after the first rotation! Mizzou didn’t score quite as high as we’re used to seeing on floor, which could be a combination of stricter postseason scoring and some slightly out of control (or underrotated) landings. Overall it was a solid rotation for the Tigers but they’ll want to create more separation between them and the other teams on vault. Georgia will be happy to be so close, as will ASU. Arizona needs to come back strong on balance beam in order to stay in this meet.
Rotation 2: Missouri VT, Georgia UB, Arizona BB, Arizona State FX
Griffin (Miz) VT: Big Y-full, some form issues in the air and she takes a hop back. 9.775
Fitzgerald (UGA) UB: Weird issue where she had to adjust her foot when standing on the low bar. Clear leg separation on the DLO and a small step. 9.775
Fears (Az) BB: Small lean after her BHS LOSO but no wobbles after her side aerial. Bigger lean after her double stag. Sticks the 1.5 dismount! 9.825
Purler (ASU) FX: A little low on the double pike landing and hops forward. Nice combo pass! 9.675
Tanskanen (Miz) VT: Y-full, maybe slightly piked down and then a small foot movement on the landing. 9.800
Berry (UGA) UB: Maloney to Pak is super clean. Almost goes over on a handstand but saves it. Sticks the dismount! 9.775
Lenczner (Az) BB: Wolf turn to open, no wobbles. Solid BHS LOSO, huge cheers from her teammates. Slight lean after her leaps. 9.775
Braaflat (ASU) FX: FDDT to open, steps to the side and may have been out of bounds, she was right on the line. Slightly short on her front layout, takes a large step back out of it. 9.575
Tisler (Miz) VT: 9.775
Wahl (UGA) UB: Misses one of her hands on the Maloney but she somehow saves it, loses her momentum though. DLO dismount is stuck so she finished strong, but she looks disappointed. 9.225
Wise (Az) BB: BHS BHS LOSO, really nice! Hop forward on the 1.5 dismount. 9.800
Mangahas (ASU) FX: Big full-in to open. It looked like she might have been slightly off balance after landing her double tuck? 9.800
Horton (Miz) VT: Y-1.5, super high and clear but she overpowers it slightly and has to take a large step forward. 9.850
Scott (UGA) UB: Really clean routine and then she sticks the dismount with a small chest movement forward. 9.875
Mueller (Az) BB: Sizeable lean after the side aerial LOSO series. 9.725
Smith (ASU) FX: Beautiful double pike, well-controlled landing. I missed her combo pass but the double tuck to finish was also great. 9.825
Moore (Miz) VT: Her usual gorgeous Y-1.5, hop forward. 9.850
L. Smith (UGA) UB: Very slight leg separation after catching the Maloney. FTDT dismount landed with chest low and she takes a large step forward. 9.850
Deets (Az) BB: Comes off the beam after her BHS LOSO. Very slight lean after her front toss. Small hop forward on the dismount. 9.200
Gregoire (ASU) FX: Lands her FTDT with her chest very low but she saves the fall. 9.750
Celestine (Miz) VT: Sticks the Y-1.5! The crowd erupts. 9.950, well deserved!
Snyder (UGA) UB: I missed the first half while watching Celestine’s vault but she stuck her dismount and the Georgia screams matched the Mizzou cheers! 9.900
Martin (Az) BB: Good leap series to open. Clean form on the BHS LOSO but a slight foot movement at the end of it. Sticks the dismount. Nice routine! 9.900
White (ASU) FX: Front double twist, gorgeous and a good landing. Her leap positions are really nice as well. Back 1.5 to front lay, stuck cold. This should be a good score. 9.900
Wabi (ISU) UB: Nice piked Jaeger, small step back on the landing. She looks super relieved. 9.800
Russon (UW) BB: Front aerial BHS BHS, well executed and no wobbles. Slight wobble after her leap combination. I missed the dismount but from the cheers I think she probably stuck it. 9.900
McDonough (UW) FX: Rudi to LOSO to open, a little crooked but I could probably only tell because she’s tumbling directly toward my corner of the arena. Possibly a little short of rotation on her leap combo. Some knee form in the air on her front double twist.She seems really happy with that routine, as is the crowd. 9.850
AFTER TWO: 98.525 Missouri, 98.425 Georgia, Arizona State 98.175, Arizona 98.000
Mizzou and Georgia are battling for the top spot, with only a tenth difference in score right now. However, both teams still need to compete beam so anything can happen at this point. Georgia did well in that rotation to drop Wahl’s score. Arizona and Arizona State are less than three tenths behind Georgia and both have gotten through beam; with clean rotations they’ll both be fighting for a spot in the next round if either of the top teams blink.
Rotation 3: Arizona State VT, Missouri UB, Georgia BB, Arizona FX
Lichtman (ASU) VT: 9.525
Burns (Miz) UB: Nice straddled Jaeger. DLO a little close to the bar but she sticks it. 9.900
Tomlin (UGA) BB: Big leg-up wobble after her acro series. Small hop on her dismount. 9.750
LaRusso (Az) FX: Front double twist, nicely done. Back 1.5 to front lay, also good. Rudi to finish. Good start for Arizona! 9.825
Braaflat (ASU) VT: Y-full, leg separation on the block, a little low and takes a hop back. 9.750
Horton (Miz) UB: Beautiful routine, stuck landing on the DLO. 9.950
Gleichowski (UGA) BB: Big lean to the side in between her leaps, that connection should get broken but this is college…then she misses her foot on her roundoff and ends up sitting down her dismount. Judges are conferencing after that one. 9.100
Fears (Az) FX: Good control on her first pass. Her leap combo may have been off rotation. 9.850
Smith (ASU) VT: Good Y-full, some minor form issues in the air but she lands it upright and takes a small hop back. 9.800
Moore (Miz) UB: Catches her Tkachev a little close. Small step back on the dismount. 9.850
Turner (UGA) BB: BHS LOSO LOSO with the smallest lean to the side. Sticks the dismount! 9.900
Derr (Az) FX: Front double twist, I’m not sure if she got the twist all the way around but she covered it nicely if so. Front lay to front full, not well controlled and she leans/steps toward the side. 9.775
White (ASU) VT: Y-full, lands it a little low and hops forward. 9.700
Kelly (Miz) UB: Toe-on piked Tkachev, really nice. Sticks the dismount! Mizzou is on a roll. 9.925
L. Smith (UGA) BB: Front lay to back tuck, pretty visible wobble in between so that should get broken. Nice leap series. Sticks the dismount. Another judges’ conference, probably about that acro series. 9.500
Martin (Az) FX: Nice double pike to open. Front lay to front full, executed well. Hops out of the double tuck a little bit but she completed the rotation. 9.825
Gregoire (ASU) VT: Y-1.5, a little squatty on the landing and she takes a step, but ASU needed that. 9.800
Celestine (Miz) UB: A little low on the Pak but the Van Leeuwen is nice. Front pike half dismount, she takes a small step after looking like she was going to stick it. That’s a shame because she was really nailing that landing in warmups. 9.825
Eaker (UGA) BB: Off the beam on her mount, so UGA is going to count a fall here. Side aerial to LOSO is beautiful. Her dismount wasn’t quite as scarily close to the beam as usual and she stuck the landing. Such a shame about that mount. 9.300
Strom (Az) FX: Nice Rudi LOSO to open. Back 1.5 to front full, not sure if that front full had enough amplitude but I’m not at the best angle to evaluate that… 9.900
Mangahas (ASU) VT: Flares the Y-full but lands a little low and has to take a step forward. 9.700
Titarsolej (Miz) UB: Maloney to Pak is gorgeous as always. Good half turn on the low bar. Slides back on the dismount, just couldn’t stick it. Otherwise a perfect routine from my vantage point! 9.925
Scott (UGA) BB: Small lean to the side after her full turn. FHS BHS LOSO is good, albeit with the first connection a little slow. Absolutely beautiful leaps as usual. Sticks the front full dismount! 9.900
Mueller (Az) FX: Double pike, nice in the air but stumbles a little on the landing. I missed her second pass while watching Eaker floor, but she finishes with a good double tuck. 9.875
McDonough (UW) VT: Sticks the Y-full! It was a little piked down but otherwise nice. The crowd is screaming. 9.875
Hallinan (UW) BB: Front toss to back tuck, she looked a little off balance to me but she covered it really well. Front aerial to beat jump was lovely. Some leg separation on the 1.5 dismount but she sticks it! 9.875
Mack (ISU) FX: She is commanding the attention while Ja’Free Scott is on beam which is very difficult to do. Overpowers the piked full in and has to scoot back on the landing, but I believe she stayed in bounds. Nice landing on the double pike. Very enjoyable routine, too bad about the landing of the first pass. Her teammates in the stands are VERY excited for her. 9.850
AFTER THREE: Missouri 148.075, Arizona 147.275, Arizona State 146.925, Georgia 146.775
Well, well, well…Georgia has just made things interesting and opened the door wide open. Arizona and ASU are now 0.500 and 0.150 ahead of Georgia, respectively, so advantage Arizona, but vault is not a strength for the Wildcats. This could come down to the final routine if Georgia goes lights out on floor.
Rotation 4: Arizona VT, Arizona State UB, Missouri BB, Georgia FX
LaRusso (Az) VT: Y-full, some leg separation in the preflight but nearly stuck. 9.750
Lee (ASU) UB: Piked Jaeger to open followed by a bail. Stumbles back on the dismount landing a couple times but overall a good routine. 9.700
Wier (Miz) BB: Beautiful triple series. Sticks the gainer full dismount, overall a great routine. 9.900
Williams (UGA) FX: Slightly overpowers the double pike and struggles to keep the front foot planted on the lunge. Her leaps didn’t look precisely rotated to me. Low amplitude on the front lay to front full and kind of stumbles out of it to the side. Nice double tuck to finish, maybe some flexed feet in the air. 9.750
Mueller (Az) VT: Y-full, a little piked in the air but stuck the landing. 9.775
Gregoire (ASU) UB: Geinger a little close to the bar and short on the next handstand. Step back on the DLO. 9.725
Celestine (Miz) BB: Small wobble after her side aerial but the front tuck is right on. Sticks the dismount. Mizzou is on fire. 9.875
Fitzgerald (UGA) FX: Rudi to LOSO is really nice, and she has good extension on her dance elements. Good front tuck through to double tuck to finish. 9.875
Martin (Az) VT: 9.775
Smith (ASU) UB: Nice straddled Jaeger to open. Bail handstand solid. Very tiny step back on her dismount but otherwise a great routine. 9.850
Jackson (Miz) BB: Front aerial BHS, solid. Small step back on her dismount. 9.875
Snyder (UGA) FX: Really nice combo pass to open. She might’ve had some precision issues on her leaps but it’s hard to tell from this distance. Double pike to finish, I think she had her toes pointed?? Such a rarity these days. 9.925
Strom (Az) VT: Y-full, bent elbows on the table but otherwise well-executed, small hop back on the landing. 9.750
Mangahas (ASU) UB: Nice piked Jaeger to bail. Small step back on the FTDT dismount. 9.850
Lawrence (Miz) BB: Side aerial to BHS solid. Sticks the dismount. 9.900
Wahl (UGA) FX: Overpowers her full-in and flies backward but stays in bounds. Much better landing on the double tuck. 9.800
Fears (Az) VT: Flares the Y-full and nearly sticks it, I saw just a small foot movement. 9.850
White (ASU) UB: I missed the beginning but the DLO was beautiful with just a step back on the landing. 9.850
Kelly (Miz) BB: No wobbles through the acro series, leap series, or side aerial. Double wolf turn could’ve used slightly more control. Sticks the dismount with a lean forward. 9.900
Aquino (UGA) FX: Good landing on the first pass. Really beautiful leap combo. The crowd is very into this routine! Lands short on the double pike and takes a large step forward. 9.875
Janicke (Az) VT: 9.825
Clark (ASU) UB: Nice straddled Jaeger. Small leg separation on the Pak but I appreciate her pointed toes. A couple tiny steps after the DLO. 9.850
Hu (Miz) BB: No wobbles through her beautiful choreo or acro series. Sticks the gainer pike dismount. I saw nothing to deduct but I’m not a judge. 10.000!!!
L. Smith (UGA) FX: Missed the first pass while watching Helen Hu on beam (sorry not sorry) but the UGA section was cheering VERY loudly so I assume it was her usual perfection. All of the landings I saw looked great. 9.925
Mack (ISU) VT: Stuck the Y-full! She is thrilled. 9.875
McDonough (UW) UB: Caught the straddled Jaeger a little close. Stuck the double tuck! 9.900
Innes (UW) BB: No wobbles that I saw until a slight lean back after the leap series. Small hop forward on the dismount. 9.800
Laster (ISU) FX: Arizona is cheering like they’re advancing but Laster is still demanding attention. A little lack of control on her wolf full and hops to the side out of it. Oh no, she mistimed the punch in her combo pass and completely missed the back full (?) and basically landed it on her head. Not her day.
FINAL: Missouri 197.650, Arizona 196.250, Georgia 196.175, Arizona State 196.050
I have to give credit to Georgia for clawing back on floor and coming within a tenth of advancing to the regional final, but in the end it was Arizona who claimed the second spot behind a very dominant Missouri team today.
EVENT STANDINGS AFTER ONE SEMIFINAL:
VT: Celestine (Missouri) 9.950
UB: Horton (Missouri) 9.950
BB: Hu (Missouri) 10.000
FX: Snyder (UGA)/L. Smith (UGA) 9.925
AA: Celestine (Missouri) 39.450
READ THIS NEXT: Tracking Individual Nationals Qualification Scenarios
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