This meet could go a lot of different directions. California, theoretically short-handed this year, nevertheless impressed in its season opener last week in Seattle. Kentucky has big shoes to fill, but a great freshman class to fill them with—and doesn’t Kentucky always seem to handle generational transitions well? Michigan State is stacked and could assert itself as one of the season’s frontrunners here, while Michigan will be hoping that Myli Lew is its road back to contender status.
The meet will be on ESPN2 with scores found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: Michigan State VT, California UB, Kentucky BB, Michigan FX
Misenheimer (MSU): Solid FTY to start, little scoot back. Chest borderline low. 9.75
Tucker (MSU): Good airtime on her one and a half, big hop forward. On replay her shoulders are quite closed on the table which would do it. 9.725
Duplissis (MSU): One and a half, tidy in the air with maybe not the greatest amplitude but better landing than Tucker.
Marquart (MSU): One and a half, a bit short with a cross step back but good debut.
Smith (MSU): One and a half, also a cross step back.
Kellerman (MSU): Missed the block badly and sat a handspring pike. Weird.
Aderinto (Cal): Ray to overshoot solid, little bits of form, big step back on dismount. 9.75
Wiley (Cal): Toe to Pak, airy, van Leeuwen with a bit of leg separation. DLO pretty, baby hop. Nice technical bars.
Newman-Achee (Cal): Maloney to Pak, good extension, half pirouette no problem. FTDB with a small side step. Nice sensible routine.
Melkonian (Cal): Just caught the double lay with a big hop back.
Brown (Cal): Sensible routine with a stuck pike half dismount. Cal is taking care of business while there’s drama elsewhere.
Paulsson (Cal): Pak, almost a little much juice but manages to kip out, great van Leeuwen. Classic Cal construction. Blind full double back stuck. Gorgeous.
Lee (UK): Off line on triple series, fights but falls. Front aerial, short and falls again. 8.55
Rizo (UK): Candle mount. Front aerial solid. Made the acro series, breathing through this one. One and a half dismount, good.
Bennett (UK): Triple series right to the end of the beam, big leg up check but hangs on!! That’s very consequential. Front aerial with a bit of form. Gainer pike good.
Gormley (UK): Press handstand is immediately fabulous. Switch straddle quarter fine, front aerial with INSANE fight to stay on and she does it. Kentucky refusing to go down easily here. Gainer full stuck.
Gotta feel good about the amount of fight this team is showing so early this season.
van Frayen (UK): Cartwheel swingdown mount is just classy, love that. BHS Onodi, touch of feet but such a fun combo. Great full turn. Switch beat, tidy, stuck the one and a half dismount. Welcome to the league!!!
Rodriguez (UK): Switch split. Triple series looks effortless. Side somi, fine, step on dismount. No counted falls for UK with a truly insane amount of effort.
Parenti (UM): Double pike, low chest but lunges out OK. Switch half tuck full jump, interesting, good control on her combo pass.
Walters (UM): Switched commitment late from Cal. You can see the Texas Dreams in this girl immediately. Front double full, nailed it. Leaps a little goofy on rotation. Made the combo pass, no problem. Great debut.
Diaz (UM): Dances out of her front double full. Presentation is pretty good, improved from last year to me. Rudi LOSO solid.
Bauman (UM): Front double full, jump to lunge no problem. One and a half front lay is steady.
Ranger (UM): Very strong double lay, stuck. Front lay double back, overrotated and a big scoot back.
Sanger (UM): Had been Lily Clapper rostered here. Double pike fine. Switch half wolf full wolf full is nice. One and a half front lay, tidy.
AFTER ONE: California 49.425, Michigan 49.15, Michigan State 48.95, Kentucky 48.7
More jitters than I expected from MSU. No jitters from Cal. Plenty of jitters from Kentucky but what competitive spirit. Just unremarkable from Michigan.
Rotation 2: Michigan VT, Michigan State UB, California BB, Kentucky FX
Clapper (UM): VERY soft on the table on her FTY, way short and very crunchy landing with a step forward. 9.575
Davis (UM): Solid FTY, bit of pike, step. 9.75
Jordan (UM): FTY, sensible but with a big hop. 9.75
Guggino (UM): One and a half, not a ton of amplitude, step back. 9.825
Ranger (UM): One and a half, some form, step forward. 9.85
Diaz (UM): One and a half, another cross step back. 9.825
Howard (MSU): Foot form immediately, Church to overshoot with some form, blind full double back stuck. 9.875
Tucker (MSU): Maloney to bail, bits of feet and bent elbows, pike half dismount with a little hop. 9.875
Abney (MSU): Ray, CLOSE, goes for the overshoot anyway and catches it on her wrists, drops her feet down but doesn’t outright fall. Oh my god. 9.55
Cosman (MSU): Maloney to Pak, slightly awkward on the switch kip, blind full double back little hop. 9.8
Smith (MSU): Peels strangely on a Maloney. 9.125
Kellerman (MSU): Blind to Jaeger, clean, solid bail. Drilled DLO. Great. 9.925
Mayhew (Cal): Big check on her series, switch switch half solid. One and a half dismount stuck. 9.7
Lee (Cal): Front aerial to split, some leg form. BHS LOSO good. Gainer full, baby adjustment on the landing. 9.8
Melkonian (Cal): BHS LOSO, soft knees. Switch ring with poor position. Beat switch 3/4. Full turn, check. One and a half twist with a hop. 9.725
Aderinto (Cal): BHS LOSO, bit of form. Hitch kick switch half, not quite there on the split. Gainer full with a hop. 9.825
Scanlon (Cal): Tidy wolf turn. BHS LOSO steady. Switch switch half split, a bit slow with borderline splits. One and a half, knees buckle a bit and awkward step. 9.8
Newman-Achee (Cal): BHS LOSO, bit of form and a big check. Terrible ring position. One and a half dismount is strong. 9.7
van Frayen (UK): Double wolf. Strong double tuck to open, keeps the front foot planted. Switch ring switch half strong. Front lay to Rudi, low chest, tries to save it in the split jump but can’t make split. 9.75
Rivelli (UK): Didn’t write down the first pass but no shenanigans. Rudi back tuck, was that the plan?? with a scoot out. 9.625
Bennett (UK): Nailed a double pike. Front lay front full, bigger lunge. Double tuck, low chest. 9.675
Gardner (UK): Double lay, step goes forward. Solid double back. 9.65
Rizo (UK): Another three pass routine, really solid landings throughout, probably the strongest UK floor routine so far. 9.65 guess not.
Rodriguez (UK): Rudi… back pike? Don’t think that was planned either. Good double back. 9.825
AFTER TWO: Cal 98.275, Michigan 98.15, Michigan State 97.975, Kentucky 97.225
Bit of a mid-off in that rotation. Didn’t see Kentucky being in last coming but a lot of little things aren’t coalescing for most of these teams.
Rotation 3: Kentucky VT, Michigan UB, Michigan State BB, California FX
Hofseth (UK): Bit soft on the table on her FTY, hop back. 9.75
Rizo (UK): FTY, tidy, small hop. 9.825
Gardner (UK): Handspring pike half, chest is low. 9.6
Noonan (UK): Half on pike half off, little hop back but strong overall. 9.85
Rodriguez (UK): One and a half, a tiny bit short with a step back. 9.8
Cashion (UK): One of my favorite recruits, happy to see her at the back of this lineup. Handspring pike half, unbelievably early on the table and clean with a pace back. Great! 9.875
Jordan (UM): Blind to Jaeger, lovely, tidy bail. Blind full double back, pace forward. 9.825
Clapper (UM): Blind to pike Jaeger, a little close but not egregious, bail with a little bit of pike. Double lay STUCK. 9.85
Diaz (UM): Maloney bail good, DLO stuck. No drama there. 9.925
Lew (UM): Gorgeous pike Jaeger, Pak and weirdly pings off the high bar but the skill itself is lovely, double lay with a pace back. 9.875
Parenti (UM): Toe to Ray, some bent elbows, nice Pak. DLO stuck. These dismounts for Michigan are unbelievable. 9.85
Bauman (UM): Jaeger to overshoot, her usual, blind double front with a hop back.
Duplissis (MSU): Triple series, some form but so secure. Check on a leap. One and a half dismount, lots of height. 9.75
Abney (MSU): Tidy double wolf. BHS LOSO strong, switch split is precise. Side aerial tuck 3/2 dismount, great! 9.875
Tucker (MSU): Hitch kick front aerial BHS. Beat to split 3/4, not convinced by that split, cat leap side aerial with a bit of form. Gainer full stuck.
Smith (MSU): BHS LOSO, off line with an arm swing but gets it back under control. Beat straddle half, foot shift. Stuck double back what??
Trostel (MSU): Delighted to see her in this lineup. NCAA debut as a junior. Switch to straddle, onodi to beat lovely. BHS LOSO great! BHS gainer full, amazing. I love gymnastics.
Cosman (MSU): Side aerial BHS, some form and off, falls. That’s OK, five hits ahead of her.
Silvers (Cal): I like her presentation. High and clean double back, lunge a bit bouncy. Switch half wolf 3/2, less goofy than that leap usually is. One and a half Barani double stag, slightly odd dynamics. 9.75
Keuneke (Cal): Tidy rudi LOSO. Switch half wolf full precise, one and a half Barani stag well controlled. 9.825
Melkonian (Cal): Double back, chest looks a little low but lunges and makes it work. Chaotic rotation on the leaps and has to step around out of it. One and a half front lay, awkward landing.
Newman-Achee (Cal): Rudi to double stag, travels back really far on that. Switch ring switch half. One and a half front lay, almost stuck.
Paulsson (Cal): Not writing anything down because I’m distracted by her dance. It’s a good routine, guys. Front through double back great. Bit of a bounce out of the wolf 3/2. Perfect control on the double pike.
Mayhew (Cal): Front double full front pike, aggressive rotation. Switch ring switch half. Nice control on the combo pass.
AFTER THREE: Michigan 147.575, Cal 147.350, Michigan State 147.250, Kentucky 146.375
A lot to love in this rotation, everyone is settling in!
Rotation 4: California VT, Kentucky UB, Michigan BB, Michigan State FX
Melkonian (Cal): FTY, flat on the table and short with a hop forward.
Brown (Cal): FTY, chest up and a small hop.
Wiley (Cal): Another nice tidy FTY, little scoot.
Newman-Achee (Cal): FTY, a bit soft on the table and big step back.
Silvers (Cal): Big leg split on the table but decent dynamics on her one and a half, medium hop forward.
Mayhew (Cal): One and a half twist, half tucked throughout, little hop.
Rizo (UK): Rotation was apparently delayed because the podium was lifting off the ground?? Jaeger to overshoot, pings off weird and does just a double back.
Bennett (UK): Jaeger to overshoot, DLO lovely with a baby step.
Rodriguez (UK): Clear hip to bail, DLO with a little pace back.
Parenti (UM): Full turn, check, BHS LOSO, check. Switch split beat. Front aerial to beat, some bent knees. One and a half stuck!
Walters (UM): Kickover front BHS is great! Split switch half to beat. Punch front full dismount stuck. 9.95!!
Jordan (UM): Side aerial BHS nice. Nice high kickover front. Gainer pike absolutely nailed. 9.95 here we go…
Ranger (UM): Triple series, check. Switch to pike jump. Stuck double back!! Two in a meet!! 9.875
Boozer (UM): Switch switch split, nice, oversplits. Front aerial, commentators think she meant to connect there. BHS LOSO is solid. BHS gainer full stuck. This rotation is phenomenal. 9.85
Bauman (UM): Michigan has already won, BHS LOSO strong. Gainer pike with a hop.
Lebster (MSU): Rudi LOSO nailed! Front double full, twisting into the ground a bit but controls the landing well. Switch side half to straddle. Great great start.
Cosman (MSU): Front double full punch front, well done. Great extension on leaps. One and a half punch front full.
Duplissis (MSU): Pike full in, rocking. One and a half front lay with a nice deliberate step.
Ortiz (MSU): Full in, so powerful and more or less keeps the front foot in place. Front through double back, chest a bit low.
Tucker (MSU): Rudi LOSO is solid. There’s a lot of team chanting during this routine and I have no idea what they are saying which distracted me.
Smith (MSU): Full in high and dynamic, slight wiggle on the front foot. This routine is great for her, lots of room for her to express and she’s always got such lovely hands. Double back, thinks about sticking and ultimately does lunge but gently.
FINAL: Michigan 197.225, Cal 196.350, Michigan State 196.225
Michigan absolutely slammed the door on beam there. So impressive.
Virtius won’t update Delaynee Rodriguez’ bars score which is irritating.
VT: Anna Flynn Cashion (UK) 9.875
UB: Tonya Paulsson (Cal) 9.875
BB: Ava Jordan, Quincy Walters, Kayli Boozer (UM) 9.950
FX: Tonya Paulsson (UM), Quincy Walters (Cal) 9.875
AA:
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
