LIVE BLOG: NCAA Nationals Semifinal Two

This semifinal is stacked with star power: the reigning national champion, two former title winners and a Cinderella team ready to shake up the field.

LSU enters as the favorite to advance to Saturday’s team final, looking sharp and determined to defend its crown. Haleigh Bryant leads the Tigers, having fought her way back into the all-around after an early-season elbow injury. She’ll look to reclaim her national all-around title, while teammate Aleah Finnegan is hoping to repeat as floor champion.

Utah punched its ticket to Fort Worth after a gritty win at its home regional, edging out UCLA and Denver. The biggest question for the Red Rocks is their scoring ceiling: their highest road score this season sits at 197.425. That mark may not be enough to move on. Grace McCallum, fresh off back-to-back perfect 10s on bars at regionals, could be in the hunt for her first individual title if she repeats that magic.

UCLA finished just two-tenths behind Utah at regionals and will be looking to flip the script. Jordan Chiles has been sensational in her return to NCAA competition, but the Bruins’ biggest leap has been their growth as a team. A win over Utah here would mark their first victory over the Red Rocks this season.

Michigan State is the underdog of the session—but a compelling one. A fan favorite after narrowly missing nationals in recent years, the Spartans are making their second appearance on this stage. They may be the lowest seed in this semifinal, but as last year proved, anything can happen.

Here are the individuals we will see in this semifinal:

• Vault: Kaya Forbes – UNC (R1), Sophia Diaz – Michigan (R2), Joscelyn Roberson – Arkansas (R3), Jade Carey – Oregon State (R4)
• Bars: Carey (R1), Maddie Jones – Arkansas (R2), Madelyn Williams – California (R3), Roberson (R4)
• Beam: Roberson (R1), Carey (R2), Isabella Magnelli – Kentucky (R3), Mya Lauzon – California (R4)
• Floor: Lauzon (R1), Roberson (R2), Carey (R3), Creslyn Brose – Kentucky (R4)

Hopefully, you all have caught your breath from the first session of semifinals! As a reminder, here are the leaders in the individual events and what the score to beat is.

VT: Danie Ferris (UF) – 9.9000
UB: Jordan Bowers (OU), Mara Titarsolej (MIZ), Alyssa Arana (UF) & Leanne Wong (UF) – 9.9375
BB: Helen Hu (MIZ) – 9.9875
FX: Jordan Bowers (OU) & Faith Torrez (OU) – 9.9500
AA: Jordan Bowers (OU) – 39.7125

Rotation 1: Michigan State VT, LSU UB, Utah BB, UCLA FX

Michigan State (VT)

Tucker: Y 1.5, big high block off the table, underrotated with a step back.

Doyle: Y 1.5, lacked a little distance, but absolutely STUCK! WOW.

Zsarmani: Y 1.5, lot of height, little less distance, hop forward on the landing.

N. Smith: Y 1.5, underrotated with a step back.

Stephen: Y 1.5, overrotated with a hop forward.

Kellerman: FHS pike half, nice and high in the air, STICK. I will not be mad if that goes 10. At all.

Forbes (UNC): Y full, good height and distance, small hop on the landing.

LSU (UB)

Zeiss: Maloney to Pak, finishes the half turn on top of the bar, little shy on that last handstand, FTDT with a stick.

Cowan: Almost overcooks the first handstand, but stays on, Ray to immediate overshoot connection, little shy on the last handstand, double layout with a hop back.

Chio: Pak salto was pretty, finished that handstand right on top of the low bar, maybe a little short on the final handstand? Markelov release was her usual, nails her dismount.

Finnegan: Deltchev was good, bail to handstand right on top, step forward on her dismount.

McClain: Church release, doesn’t connect it to the Pak today, goes for each element separately. Pretty final handstand, FTDT with a stick.

Bryant: Hits her Jaeger, bail to handstand was good, maybe a touch short on that final handstand

Carey (OSU): Pak salto to low bar, her form in the air is what dreams are made of goodness gracious. the HIGHEST double layout I’ve ever seen as her dismount with a small adjustment of the feet.

Utah (BB)

Morgan: BHS BHS LOSO, spot on. Bit of a balance check on her next combination. Not sure if she’ll get the series, but we shall see. Front gainer full dismount.

M. Smith: BHS LOSO, slight lean after the layout but covers well. Front aerial split jump was good. Gainer pike off end, leans forward to keep the stick

McCallum: Foot almost slipped on that opening wolf turn, but she keeps it on. BHS LOSO, balance check after the layout. Switch leap sissone, stays down the center of the beam. Tucked gainer full off the end.

Neff: Nails her side aerial LOSO, the crowd just ooh’d around me when she went for the Shushumova, nails her dismount and she is HYPE. She’s louder than the people in the crowd.

Winger: Goes for the triple series, tries to save it and comes off. Remounts and works through the remainder of her routine. Nails her dismount, but not what Utah wanted.

Padurariu: Front aerial BHS to open, trying to drop Winger’s fall. Hits her leap series, small movement on the dismount. Solid job, will drop the fall and keep Utah in the mix.

Roberson (ARK): Hit her BHS LOSO, nails the punch front, sticks her dismount. Big cheers from Jordyn Wieber and the Arkansas staff on the floor.

UCLA (FX)

Rosen: Opens strong on her double tuck opening pass, double pike was spot on. Final pass was combo pass, back 1.5 to front. Good strong start!

McGowan: Tucked full-in to open, good control on that landing! Okay choreography, I love this! Back 1.5 front full final pass, two hits in a row to start off the Bruins!

Malabuyo: Pretty double pike to open, nice high chest on that landing! She is one of a few I can tolerate any sort of ring leap from. Back 1.5 front layout combo pass, lacked some amplitude on the second element.

Campbell: Sophomore year routine incoming! Tucked full-in to open, nice high chest. Double tuck final pass, really sells the choreography through the way she performs. Gotta love it!

Moors: Really pretty twisting to open this routine. Switch leap switch half wolf full, her toe point is my absolute favorite this about her routine. FHS Rudi to close, really good, should get her into the mix for the floor title.

Chiles: Big cheers as she nails her first pass. Front through to double tuck, little underrotated and takes a step forward with a low chest.

Lauzon (CAL): I want to be in denial just a little while longer. Switch ring switch half leaps, nice height in the air. Back 1.5 front full combo pass to close it out!

After 1: UCLA 49.525, Michigan State 49.3875, LSU 49.3250, Utah 49.2125

Utah avoids disaster after Winger’s fall but is forced to count Morgan’s 9.750 in the leadoff spot. Michigan State gets a BIG 9.9500 from Sage Kellerman to put them in second over LSU by just over half of a tenth. UCLA, as expected, gets a big number on floor to start and will hope to keep that margin as the night progresses.

Rotation 2: UCLA VT, Michigan State UB, LSU BB, Utah FX

UCLA (VT)

Lee: Y full, some knee bend in preflight, piked down ever so slightly to get the stick.

Jenkins: Y 1.5, some directional issues off the table, big step forward on the landing.

Moors: FHS pike half, big block off the table, small hop back on the landing.

Webster-Longin: Y 1.5, puts her hands down and looks like she injured her knee on that landing. She is able to salute, but you can tell that did not look good.

Campbell: Y full, good height and distance, STICK! Good comeback after Webster-Longin’s vault.

Chiles: Bit of a knee bend in the air, hops off to the side out of it.

Diaz (UM): Okay sparkle bomb! Y 1.5, some knee bend in preflight, takes a couple steps back on the landing.

Michigan State (UB)

Doyle: Blind to Jaeger, nice arms on the catch, Pak salto to low bar was good, blind full to double tuck dismount, leans forward to get the stick.

Tucker: Maloney to Pak combo was good, little short on her final handstand, blind full to double tuck dismount with a hop back on the landing.

Stephen: Maloney to bail to handstand was good, nice handstand positions throught, FTDT dismount with a stick.

Zsarmani: Missed this due to Webster-Longin’s injury, but NAILS the dismount!

Harkness: Geinger was gorgeous! Bail to handstand was nice, final handstand was a touch short, double layout with a step back on the landing.

Kellerman goes 9.9125 and the Spartans will move into first!

LSU (BB)

Ballard: BHS LOSO, tiny adjustment on the landing. Front toss, lands on her toes and keeps it upright. RO double twist dismount with a stick!

Coen: Front aerial leap combo was good, I thought she was off on the BHS series, but nope, nails it. RO double twist, had the landing, leans a bit too far to try to keep it and ends up moving.

Chio: BHS LOSO right down the center. Switch leap split jump, nice amplitude on the leaps. Front aerial split jump, some bent knees in the aerial. Almost overrotates that full turn, RO 1.5 dismount with a stick. LSU really needs to dial in landings.

McClain: Gets her series, nice leaps throughout, she needs calm beam to get LSU into a good spot heading to floor. Nails her dismount. Nicely done.

Bryant: Front aerial BHS series, little hesitant but works through it. Switch leap straddle quarter, goes for the front toss, leans a bit out of it

Finnegan: Triple series, slight balance adjustment out of it, nice amplitude on her leaps. Goes for the front aerial and can’t save it. Good news is is that LSU won’t have to count this score, but this would’ve been a good one to have. Slight slide back on the gainer full.

Carey (OSU): Front aerial BHS LOSO, nice control out of it. Switch leap split jump, could’ve used a little more toe point, but I didn’t hate it. Gainer full off the side.

Utah (FX)

Glynn: FHS front double full, really good control out of the landing. Nice amplitude on the leaps, back 1.5 front layout to end the routine.

Zirbes: FHS front double full, drilled that landing. The choreo tugging at the neck kills me every time, Back 1.5 front full final pass. 2/2 so far for Utah.

Neff: The fact she’s even able to do floor at all is astounding to me. Front full front full final pass with nice control on that landing. Overall her routine was solid, everything’s just moving really fast so I’m trying to get what I can.

Gilstrap: Front layout front 1.5 WOW, such nice control on that. She gets so much height and rotation on her leaps that it’s absolutely insane. Front layout front full final pass. Beautiful.

M. Smith: FHS front double full, nailed it. Her music is such a vibe of multiple different things and I imagine that’s what my brain is like sometimes trying to keep up with all of this. Nice height on the leaps, final pass is just as good.

McCallum: Tucked full-in to open, hops back out of it. Lacked a little bit of split on her leap series, gets her double tuck to close it out.

After 2: Michigan State 98.8375, Utah 98.7750, UCLA 98.7625, LSU 98.6500

We’re on upset watch halfway through. Michigan State stuck the majority of its landings on bars to take the top spot over UCLA, while the Bruins might’ve lost Webster-Longin to a knee injury. LSU couldn’t quite the rhythm going on its first two events, but the Tigers head to their top two events next. Utah is hanging on in second place, but UCLA is right on its heels.

Rotation 3: Utah VT, UCLA UB, Michigan State BB, LSU FX

Utah (VT)

Gilstrap: Y full, big block off the table, small hop back on the landing.

McCallum: Y 1.5, nice height off the table, gets the stick she’s been hunting for all season, that was gorgeous!

Neff: Y 1.5, small step forward on the landing.

Glynn: Y 1.5, bends her elbows on the table but still gets a ton of height. Small step forward on the landing.

M. Smith: Omelianchik, hop forward on the landing. She’s nailed that so many times and I know she wishes she would’ve there.

Johnson: Y 1.5, hop forward on the landing.

Roberson (ARK): Small step back on the landing, good height and distance in the air.

UCLA (UB)

Campbell: Beautiful bail to handstand, HOLDS that final handstand, blind to double front dismount, small hop on the landing.

McGowan: Clear hip to Tkatchev release, maybe caught it a little close, but couldn’t tell for sure. Really solid job overall!

Rosen: In for Webster-Longin here. Maloney to Pak, little off on the half pirouette, slightly short on the final handstand, nails her double layout.

Malabuyo: Maloney to Pak, half pirouette right on top of low bar, Maybe a touch short on that final handstand. FTDT with a hop on the landing.

Esparza: Pak salto was good, Van Leeuwen back up to the high bar, gets the final handstand, sticks her dismount too. This is insane!

Chiles: Piked Tkatchev to Pak salto, immediately connected out of it, big height and distance on the double layout to close it out.

Williams (CAL): I’m not really sure what happened here, it was looking good, and then she went for the dismount and her knees were super bent and just not together.

Michigan State (BB)

Schulte: Switch leap switch half, balance check after the switch half. BHS LOSO, nails it. Gets the landing on the dismount.

Duplissis: BHS LOSO, takes a deep breath before her leaps, gets the combination, keeps her arms moving.  Another stick for the Spartans.

Misenheimer: Front aerial split jump, little out of control but keeps it on the beam. BHS LOSO, some form issues in the air, but a solid landing. Switch leap split jump, nicely done. RO 1.5, nailed the landing.

Harkness: BHS LOSO, spot on. Side aerial, some knee bend. Cat leap side aerial front tucked full dismount with a tiny hop.

N. Smith: BHS LOSO series, pretty sizable balance check after the layout. Gets her composure back, RO double tuck dismount, gets the dismount. I think she was shocked herself.

Stephen: Front aerial to two feet, pretty noticable balance checks throughout that skill. Trying to get back in form. BHS LOSO, some knee form with another balance check. RO double twist, fought through it but will likely be the drop score.

Magnelli (UK): Gets her series, small balance check after the front aerial but keeps it on. Gainer pike off the end with a stick. Beautiful routine.

LSU (FX)

McClain: DLO to open, gets lots of height in the air, Switch ring switch half, leaps looked 180 from my angle. Back 1.5 front full, some foot adjustments after that landing, finishes with the tiger claws.

Ballard: DLO to open, little low chest. Back 1.5 front layout, comes back strong there. Switch ring switch half, lacked some split on the switch half. Double pike to close.

Chio: Tucked full-in to open, really close to stepping out of bounds, but keeps it in. She’s another one that can do the ring positions super well. 2.5 twist to punch front, doesn’t move her feet an inch.

Drayton: DLO, her usual. LSU needs a big number here because every team is really bringing it today. Gets her final pass, that should help some.

Finnegan: Double Arabian to stag to open, really nice extension on her leaps throughout, gets the 2.5 twist to punch front. She’s struggled on that pass this year and you know she didn’t want to mess it up after beam.

Bryant: FHS double front, her usual, gets the landing. FLO front 1.5 to close it out. If that’s the last floor routine we see from Haleigh Bryant, at least it was a good one.

Carey (OSU): Double double NAILED that landing WOW. Front layout front full, nice rise out of the layout. Leaps had high amplitude and good rotation throughout. Double tuck to close, very well done!

After 3: UCLA 148.1875, LSU 148.1500, Utah 148.1125, Michigan State 148.0000

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you, that really is the gap between these four teams. This final rotation is going to be a nail biter. Utah, outside of Grace McCallum, couldn’t get the sticks on vault, while Michigan State continued to make a case for itself despite some lower scores. LSU putshed itself back into contention with three 9.900 plus scores to close out floor as it heads to vault.

Rotation 4: LSU VT, Utah UB, UCLA BB, Michigan State FX

LSU (VT)

K. Johnson: Y full, her usual height and distance, tiny hop back on the landing.

Zeiss: Y 1.5, nice block off of the table, step forward on the landing. I don’t mind overrotations, but when other teams are sticking landings, you really want to be on that same level.

Finnegan: Y 1.5, good distance, step forward on the landing. Good but not great.

Drayton: Y 1.5, some elbow bend off the table, tiniest step on the landing.

Chio: Y 1.5, beautiful layout position in the air, and a stick when LSU needed it BIG time.

Bryant: FHS pike half, usual height off the table, hop back on the landing. Likely won’t be enough for LSU to advance but we’ll see.

Carey (OSU): Y 1.5, slightly big hop on the landing.

Utah (UB)

M. Smith: Nice first handstand, Pak salto to low bar was pretty, front pike half dismount with a stick.

Glynn: Maloney to bail, some leg separation on the Maloney, tiny bit short on the final handstand, blind full to double tuck with a step forward on the landing.

Neff: Clear hip to Geinger to immediate overshoot, insane combo but does it well. Goes for the double layout with full twist and nails that landing as well.

Morgan: Maloney to Bhardwaj, really pretty handstand afterwards, slightly short on the final handstand, front tuck half dismount with a stick. Utah putting up a fight here.

Zirbes: Missed a good chunk of this routine because people in front of me were celebrating Chio, but nails her FTDT dismount.

McCallum: She’s been perfect multiple times this postseason, is this another one? Usual routine, handstands looked maybe a smidge short, but it could just be my angle. Nails her dismount though.

UCLA (BB)

Lee: Front aerial split jump, balance check throughout the connection so not sure if she will get credit or not. Side aerial, covers another balance check. Switch leap straddle jump, BHS gainer full, low chest on the landing.

Rosen: Switch leap split jump, nicely done. Beat jump to Onodi, but she had a slight pause after the beat jump, so again idk if she’s going to get credit for it. Gets her series. RO 1.5 dismount with a step on the landing.

Chiles: BHS LOSO, balance check after the layout. Cat leap switch side, arm circle after the switch side, coming back strong after that, small foot adjustment on the dismount with a low chest.

Campbell: BHS layout to two feet, balance check at the end. Sissone switch half, pretty full turn, cartwheel gainer full dismount with a stick.

Alipio: Beautiful turn to open. NAILS her triple series. That’s one of her best routines she has done all season, sticks the tucked gainer full dismount.

Malabuyo: Going to come down to these last two routines on who will advance. BHS LOSO, good. Front aerial beat jump BHS swingdown, beautiful toe point in her leaps. BHS gainer full with a stick.

Michigan State (FX)

Harkness: Tucked full in, slides the front foot back on the landing. Nice rotation on the leap series, front through to double tuck, steps forward on the landing.

Tucker: Fun choreography throughout! Nice extension on the leaps as well. FHS front double full CLOSES the routine, geez that’s insane.

Ortiz: Tucked full-in, takes a step out of bounds. Harkness’s 9.7875 is going to count. Double tuck just barely stays in bounds. Switch side straddle full, not quite as much extension as some of the other routines we’ve seen today.

Stephen: Really difficuly first pass, does it very well. I’ve never watched Michigan State’s choreo before but it is GORGEOUS!

Schulte: Even with all the cheers here, Smith is still hitting a solid routine. Beautiful ending on that double tuck pass. May not end the way the Spartans wanted, but they have so much to be proud of.

Brose (UK): RO double pike opening pass, very nicely done! Big amplitude on the leap series. She’s having fun having all eyes on her! Front full front layout, good rise on the layout. FHS front double full to close it out.

FINAL: Utah 197.7625, UCLA 197.7375, LSU 197.5250, Michigan State 197.3625

Another shocker here as for the second year in a row, the No. 1 seed is eliminated at the national semifinals. LSU unfortunately had too much ground to make up after a struggling start on bars and beam and Utah and UCLA were extremely strong and had very few mistakes. It will be Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, and UCLA in the final on Saturday!

VT: Chio (LSU) – 9.975
UB: Chiles (UCLA) – 9.975
BB: Malabuyo (UCLA) – 9.975
FX: Moors (UCLA) – 9.9625
AA: McCallum (Utah) – 39.6750

Your individual event champions are:

Kailin Chio (LSU) – vault
Jordan Chiles (UCLA) – bars
Helen Hu (Missouri) – beam
Brooklyn Moors (UCLA) – floor
Jordan Bowers (OU) – all-around

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Live blog by Savanna Wellman