Illinois endured a bumpy season opener last weekend, with the leg events proving particularly costly. While early-season landings are often a work in progress, the expanded number of meets counting toward NQS this year adds urgency for the Illini to clean things up—especially with a return to home competition.
Penn State, meanwhile, opened its season on a high note, welcoming back injury returners Amani Herring and Ava Piedrahita and cruising past the 196 mark in a strong debut. The Nittany Lions will look to carry that momentum on the road as they head to Illinois for their first Big Ten matchup of the season.
For Illinois, Chloe Cho was a clear bright spot in the opener. She matched her career high on bars and posted one of the top all-around totals of the young season, making her a must-watch across all four events. On the Penn State side, freshman Ava Cash made an immediate impression in her collegiate debut, delivering confident performances on vault and bars. She appears poised to become a key contributor and is another gymnast to keep an eye on in this matchup.
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Rotation 1: Illinois vault, Penn State bars
Coppola (ILL): Almost stuck that Yfull. Just a small shift. A little closed shoulders on the block. 9.75
Monahan (PSU): Clean Maloney to pak. Short on the cast half. Flexed feet and staggered legs on the FTDT and had just a shuffle on the landing. 9.775
Goldstein (ILL): Short on the Yfull. Chest way forward and took a large step forward. The under rotation was caused by twisting early off the table. 9.6
Johanson (PSU): Loose form on the tkachev. High pak. Shy on the cast half. Good last cast. Slide back and a small leg separation on the double layout dismount. 9.775
Kauffman (ILL): Most square block of the bunch but did not get a lot of distance on the Yfull. Only a small hop back. 9.775
Leary (PSU): Delayed the flip in the jaeger and floated it right to the overshoot. On top of the bar on the giant full and sticks the double tuck. 9.85
Byrne (ILL): Off to the side on the table and had a leg separation on the block for her Yfull. Just a small hop back. 9.7
Piedrahita (PSU): Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. Great cast half and final cast. Flexed feet on the FTDT and slides the feet back a little. 9.925
Cho (ILL): Most open Yfull of the bunch. Most distance and flairs her arms to land and has a small hop back. 9.8
Cash (PSU): Over on the first cast, tries to save it but falls off. Clean giant half to piked jaeger. Hit the bail. Over on the giant full. Not the most height on the double tuck and takes a hop forward. 8.9
Clancy (ILL): Way too far back and slid her hand on the table so she just tucked the vault to land safely on her feet. 8.75
Latronica (PSU): High piked jaeger but some feet and caught a little close. Hit the bail. Stuck the toe on front pike half dismount. 9.875
AFTER ONE: Penn State 49.200, Illinois 48.625
Both teams had a rough routine near the end of the rotation that was expected to be one of the highest scores. That dings the team score for each team in the first rotation, but both made it through without counting the miss. Penn State had a lot of sticks or almost sticks in that rotation as well as some nice held handstands that the coaches will have loved to see. Illinois did not have the biggest vaults in that rotation, but most of the landings were quite controlled.
Olivia Karas mentioned Cho on bars as a gymnast on ten watch so that will be one of the routines to watch in the next rotation.
Rotation 2: Penn State vault, Illinois bars
Leary (PSU): Soft knees throughout that Yfull. Good dynamics but a very large hop back. 9.7
Brown (ILL): Feet on the cast. Leg separations on the geinger to overshoot. Sticks the double layout dismount. Leg separation on that too. 9.7
Cash (PSU): Big Yfull with a hop back . Big pike down. Some soft knees. 9.7
Clancy (ILL): Leg separation on the Maloney to bail. Short on the bail. Nice double layout with a stuck landing. 9.65
Kaempfer (PSU): High on the table in that Y1.5. Bent knees throughtout. Step back and diagnolly. Some feet as well. 9.775
Dixon (ILL): Big leg separation on the Maloney before the pak. Good last cast. Small leg separation on the double layout with a large hop back. 9.55
Johanson (PSU): Good square block on the Yfull. Small hop back. A little closed hips. 9.825
Denning (ILL): Great toe point on the toe hand to Maloney to bail, but has some leg separations. Step back on the double layout. Big pike down on the dismount. 9.725
Latronica (PSU): Off to the side of the table on that Yfull. Landed with one foot on the line. Some feet. Small hop back. 9.775
Saltness (ILL): Great height and turnover on the Ray. High pak. Great handstands. Stick the double tuck out of the giant full. 9.9
Piedrahita (PSU): Beautiful Omelianchik. Great pike position with straight legs and pointed toes. Small hop forward. 9.775
Cho (ILL): Not the highest Maloney to pak, but still floaty. Hit the VL. Sticks the double layout. Some feet on that dismount where she flexes her feet a little early. 9.95
AFTER TWO: Penn State 98.050, Illinois 97.550
Illinois had a bunch of leg separations on the early routines that contributed to the lower scores. The rotation ended strong thanks to the stellar routines from Saltness and Cho. Penn State did not have the same highs as Illinois that rotation, but there was not the lows either which kept Penn State in the lead heading into the third. It wasn’t a ten for Cho tonight, but it got close.
Rotation 3: Illinois beam, Penn State floor
Kauffman (ILL): Feet on the front aerial to loso. Strong switch to split. Arm wave on the full turn. Knees on the bhs back 1.5 and a small hop. 9.725
Johanson (PSU): Shift on the opening double pike. Flexed feet on that. Very little height on the switch side to Popa. Lacked amplitude on the back 1.5 to front half as well. 9.8
Goldstein (ILL): Nice full turn finish. Feet on the bhs loso. Great back leg on the switch to split quarter but folded at the waist on the landing. One arm lift on the front aerial. Big hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.55
Monahan (PSU): Controlled the front double full. Looks to get the tour jete to wolf full wolf full around. Gets the front layout front full landing. 9.8
Joelson (ILL): Got the leap series and it was a little stiff. Fell on the loso series. Steps forward on the front tuck. Low landing. Clean full turn. Flexed feet on the gainer pike. 9.075
Maul (PSU): Sticks the double tuck. Some feet on that. Almost gets the switch side half around before the straddle jump. Short on the front layout out of the back 1.5. Took a step back. Great switch half to Popa to shushonova. 9.625
Coppola (ILL): Feet on the side aerial to round off. Slow on the switch to split to beat. Slightly short of split. Leg up on the Barani. Step back on the back 1.5. 9.675
Misiura (PSU): Great control on the front double full. Off on the rotation on that leap series. Front full to front tuck. Had to tuck that last salto because she was off on the punch. Took a large step forward. 9.475
Saltness (ILL): Lean on the full turn. Great feet on the loso series. Controlled cat leap to switch side. Beat to split full was around. Short of split though. Step back on the gainer front full off the side. 9.675
Kramer (PSU): Controlled the front double full. Clean tour jete half to wolf full wolf full. Good rotation. Floaty Rudi to loso. Some feet on that. 9.825
Cho (ILL): High in the wolf turn. Lean on the loso. Short on the switch half after the switch leap. Short of split and rotation and leaned at the end. Clean side aerial. Sticks the ro 1.5. 9.675
McElligott (PSU): High double tuck and controlled layout. Some feet. Hit the switch ring to switch ring half. Knees on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.825
AFTER THREE: Penn State 146.925, Illinois 145.850
That was a rough rotation for both teams. There were several rough landings and tumbling elements for Penn State, but the Nittany Lions were able to get through without a fall. Illinois also did not have to count a fall but there were several wobbly routines and lower scores that will be counted that will make this team score lower that what Illinois would have been looking for.
The commentators said the scores don’t always refelct the rotation when talking about Illinois on beam, but those scores did reflect the rotation.
Rotation 4: Penn State beam, Illinois floor
Monahan (PSU): Feet on the front toss and smooth into the bhs swingdown. Great wold jump. Solid full turn. Slight adjustment on the straddle 3/4s out of the beat. Small hop back on the back 1.5. 9.8
Dixon (ILL): Great controll on the front tuck through to double tuck. Great amplitude. Off on the rotation and short of 180 on that leap combo. Feet on the double pike and a small slide back. 9.65
Kramer (PSU): Feet on the loso series. Slow cat leap to front toss and takes a step out of that. Slight adustment on the split to split 3/4s. Sticks the tucked front full. 9.775
Brown (ILL): Great tuck position on the double tuck at the end of the whip throught to double tuck. Controlled the landing. Lack of amplitude and leg separation on the front full to front layout. Hit the switch side half to straddle. 9.65
Maul (PSU): Solid bhs bhs loso series. Precise switch to traddle quarter. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. Very quick and precise routine. Her foot slipped off the beam a little on the dismount as shown on the replay so great stick. 9.85
Banks (ILL): Big step out of the front double full. Little leg stagger. Short on the second wolf full in the triple jump combo. Short on the back 1.5 to front layout and takes a step back. 9.65
McElligott (PSU): Solid bhs bhs loso. Small shift on the switch to split quarter. Rushed the full turn exit. Stuck the back 1.5 with staggered legs and a lean. 9.85
Kauffman (ILL): Leg staggered on the back 2.5 and had a cross over step. Hit the switch to switch ring. Short on the front through to double pike. Flexed feet and landed with the low chest and large step forward. 9.4
Leary (PSU): Feet on the bhs bhs loso. Slight foot shift on the end. Calm full turn. Clean split to sheep jump. Could have released her head more. Holds the stick on the back 1.5 on her toes. 9.775
Joelson (ILL): Jumps to the lunge in the front tuck through to double tuck. Feet on that too. Short on the switch side half to wolf full. Low chest and steps forward on the double pike. 9.475
Latronica (PSU): Smooth front aerial to beat. Feet on the loso series. Shifts the front foot. Arm dip on the full turn. Great amplitude on the split to double stag. Sticks the cartwheel gainer full dismount. 9.875
Cho (ILL): Great height and legs together on the full in but stutters on the landing. Great amplitude on the triple leap combo. Low chest and large step back on the front through to double tuck. 9.825
FINAL: Penn State 196.075, Illinois 194.100
Illinois struggled those last couple of rotations. Illinois had rough landings on floor with multiple short landings that will likely improve as the season goes on. Penn State had a very steady beam rotations with some sticky feet on the dismounts. This meet is one Illinois will want to move on from, but a solid road meet for Penn State to build on.
VT: Johanson 9.825
UB: Cho 9.95
BB: Latronica 9.875
FX: Cho, McElligott, Kramer 9.825
AA: Cho 39.25
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
