The Spartans and Aggies met just one week ago, opening their seasons together in a tri-meet at Arizona State. San José State ultimately outpaced both teams in Tempe, signaling an encouraging start to its campaign. Even so, the Spartans delivered a standout vault rotation, tying the third-best vault score in program history. Junior Mikaela Pitts led the way with a 9.925, just 0.025 shy of the program record. Freshman Sophie Patterson impressed in her all-around debut alongside steady junior Devyn Valuch, while fellow freshman Genesis PeBenito contributed solid routines on three events.
UC Davis also showed promise in its season opener, though a sub-48.000 bars rotation held the Aggies back. The 193.000 team total came in well below their 2025 NQS and typical scoring range, making improvement the clear objective today. Senior Amelia Moneymaker looked ready to pick up where she left off, posting a 39.100 in the all-around. Junior Alana Kim added a highlight of her own, earning a career-high 9.825 on vault and returning to floor for the first time in four years—1,338 days, to be exact—in an emotional moment for the Aggies.
The meet is streaming on Overnght for a fee, and scores are available at Virtius.
Rotation 1: UC Davis VT, San Jose State UB
Osborne (UC Davis) – Tucked FTY with a big hop back. 9.675
PeBenito (San Jose State) – Maloney to Pak. Double layout is stuck. She keeps her form pretty well throughout the routine. 9.800
Gann (UC Davis) – FTY with good distance, some pike at the end. Medium hop back. 9.750
Reardon (San Jose State) – Toe on to Maloney to overshoot to handstand. Leg separation in Maloney. Double layout with a medium step back. 9.625
Muns (UC Davis) – FTY with a huge hop back. Some leg separation and knees throughout. 9.625
Patterson (San Jose State) – Toe on to Maloney to Pak, leg separation in the Maloney. Giant full to double back is nearly stuck, but she takes a small step back. 9.550
Reichow (UC Davis) – FTY with a good landing, small hop forward. 9.750
Kisch (San Jose State) – Toe on to Maloney with leg separation, but good form on the shoot to handstand. Short last handstand. Double layout with a medium step back and leg separation in the air. 9.625
Moneymaker (UC Davis) – Lovely FTY, good form and distance, but a big hop back. 9.800
Macasu (San Jose State) – Toe on to Maloney to overshoot to handstand. Leg separation in the Maloney. Full-in with a small step back. 9.725
Kim (UC Davis) – FTY that is high and far. Big hop back. 9.775
Valuch (San Jose State) – Maybe short on first handstand, not the greatest angle. Falls on the piked Jaeger. Short on overshoot and hits her feet on the ground as she swings through. Double layout is stuck. Judges taking a long time with her score. 8.300
Jurries (San Jose State) – exhibition – Clear hip to Geinger and keeps her feet pretty well together on the catch. Double layout with a small hop back. 9.775
Cato (San Jose State) – exhibition – Maloney to Pak with leg separation throughout. She does straight body casts, which always impresses me, emphasizes her nice lines here. Toe on full to double back with a medium step back. 9.600
AFTER ONE: UC Davis 48.750, San Jose State 48.325
Valuch’s miss keeps San Jose State from having the strong opening statement they would’ve liked. UC Davis vaulted well, the final three being particularly strong. They’ll be riding high on a good start at their first home meet, which can hopefully help them improve on a low bars score from last week.
Rotation 2: San Jose State VT, UC Davis UB
Valuch (San Jose State) – Sticks her FTY. Good form, but less distance than others. 9.775
Poonja (UC Davis) – Toe on to Maloney with some leg separation in the backswing to overshoot to handstand. Wobbles on the low bar and has to do a toe circle. Double layout and I think her knee nearly touched, then a big step forward. 9.300
Macasu (San Jose State) – FTY – better distance than Valuch, but pike down and a small hop forward. 9.675
Knecht (UC Davis) – Short first handstand. Toe on to Maloney to overshoot. She also wobbles on the low bar and does a toe circle to steady herself. Good final handstand. Double layout with a big step backward. Long wait for her score too. Bars judges earning their keep today. 9.475
Johnson (San Jose State) – Cut to it in progress, but appears to be a strong FTY with a medium step back. 9.775
Friesen (UC Davis) – Falls on the Jaeger, way too far, hands didn’t even touch the bar. Overshoot to handstand has a big leg separation. Giant full to double back with a small hop forward. 8.825
Jurries (San Jose State) – Big FTY with a small hop. Good form and body position. 9.850
Gideon (UC Davis) – We missed the first half because the camera was on the other team, but I heard a cheer, so we can assume it went well. Double layout with a medium step/bounce back. 9.800
Patterson (San Jose State) – Great distance on her FTY and just a small hop up in place. 9.825
Osborne (UC Davis) – Toe on to Deltchev with feet. Pak salto. Misses her 1/2 pirouette on the low bar and has to recast. Short last handstand. Full in with a big step forward and to the side. 9.575
Pitts (San Jose State) – Front pike 1/2 is high and acceptable distance. Big step back. 9.825
Moneymaker (UC Davis) – Maloney to overshoot to handstand. Double layout has great form, medium step back. 9.825
Cato (San Jose State) – exhibition – Attempting a Yurchenko of some type but hands way back on the table and sits down. She ended up facing away from the table, so not sure if she was trying for a full or a half.
Reardon (San Jose State) – exhibition – Yurchenko 1/2 with some bent legs and a tiny hop back. Also landed half over the line.
AFTER TWO: San Jose State 97.375, UC Davis 96.275
The Aggies struggled again on bars this week, and it appears that event will continue to be their biggest weakness. But they were buoyed by good scores from Gideon and Moneymaker. The Spartans broke 49.000 on vault, where they showed off some great early-season landing control. They’ll want to carry that over to floor, another strong event for them.
Rotation 3: UC Davis BB, San Jose State FX
Poonja (UC Davis) – BHS BHS to layout stepout is lovely and floaty. Split jump to double stag ring has a tiny correction on landing. Gainer pike off the end with a medium step back, but offline and close to the beam. 9.725
Valuch (San Jose State) – FHS to front double full is well rotated with a controlled step. 1.5 twist to front layout that’s a little slung out but fine. Switch 1/2 to Popa. FHS to Rudi. 9.650
Kim (UC Davis) – Candle mount held well. Side aerial to BHS looked like she was off on the first element but issues. Full turn with leg up has a lean/wobble but she pulls it back on. Switch leap to split 3/4 is solid and splits look acceptable. Gainer pike off the beam and a big hop forward. 9.700
Ashton (San Jose State) – Front layout to Rudi slides back on the landing. Switch leap full. Front layout to front full with bent legs on the second element. Switch 1/2 to Popa. 9.700
Chiu (UC Davis) – Wolf turn. BHS back pike landed securely with a bit of an arm adjustment. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. BHS 1.5 twist with a medium step forward. 9.650
PeBenito (San Jose State) – Punch front double full, doesn’t have the most control on the step out. Cat leap to switch ring full. 1.5 twist to front layout. Switch full to split jump full. 9.800
Osborne (UC Davis) – Does her full turn initiated from one foot. BHS layout stepout with a step backward. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, a small pause in that combo. Cat leap to front toss. 1.5 twist is stuck! 9.775
Larson (San Jose State) – Double back with great landing. Switch side 1/2 to Shushunova. Front layout to front full with good control. Switch 1/2 to Popa. 9.800
Reichow (UC Davis) – Falls on her forward roll mount, ugh, that sucks. BHS layout stepout is super solid. Switch 1/2 with a step backward and she’s off again. Split jump to beat jump. Switch leap to gainer pike with a small hop back. Seems that first fall really took the wind out of her sails, shame. 8.475
Patterson (San Jose State) – Double pike with a slide back, and I think she was out of bounds. Front layout to front full, doesn’t show the most control on the step out. Switch 1/2 to Popa. Double back is landed well. 9.575
Moneymaker (UC Davis) – Front toss to BHS, she has a longer pause in that combo but no wobbles. Small adjustment on her full turn. Split jump to double stag ring, doesn’t show as much head release as you’d like to see. Gainer full with a small hop forward. 9.850
Johnson (San Jose State) – Punch front double full, but looks underrotated and she stumbles a bit stepping out of it. Why not a cartwheel-Onodi-cat leap combo in your choreography? Rudi to layout stepout is lovely. Switch 1/2 to Popa. 9.825
Friesen (UC Davis) – exhibition – Switch leap to split jump. BHS layout stepout with no problems. A bit of an adjustment on her full turn but doesn’t break her rhythm. Side aerial to split jump with a lean on the landing. 1.5 twist with a small hop back. 9.700
East (San Jose State) – exhibition – Back to back Avas. Double back is landed with chest low and a bigger step back. Switch 1/2 to Popa to wolf full looked rotated. Front layout to…front tuck? Not sure what she was meant to do there. 8.625
San Jose State has another exhibition on floor, but judges are conferencing about the East score.
Camera zooms in on a little girl pouring popcorn from the box straight into her mouth. I relate.
Baechle (San Jose State) – exhibition – She’s finally up. Music is Chicago – y’know, “he had it coming.” FHS to front double full that’s underrotated. Switch 1/2 to wolf full to split jump half. FHS Rudi to layout stepout that had her head almost touching the floor, but she pulls it out. Clearly the tumbling isn’t ready, but she committed to that performance, and I enjoyed it. 9.050
AFTER THREE: San Jose State 146.150, UC Davis 145.425
Both teams showed us some excellent gymnastics in that rotation. San Jose State kept their momentum going with three scores of 9.800 or higher. UC Davis didn’t let the issues on bars bother them and showcased some of their unique skills on beam with confidence. The Spartans are on track to outpace last week’s score with a solid beam rotation, while the Aggies could also improve on their opening score with a strong floor rotation.
Rotation 4: San Jose State BB, UC Davis FX
Ashton (San Jose State) – Tiny correction on her full turn. BHS layout stepout with a small chest lean. Switch leap to switch 1/2 is solid, and splits looked pretty good. BHS gainer full is stuck. 9.775
Kim (UC Davis) – Double pike is stuck on both feet, chest perhaps a bit low. Double leg up turn to split jump full, the turn is a little wild. 1.5 twist to front layout. 9.450
Macasu (San Jose State) – BHS layout stepout. Switch leap to switch 1/2, second element was under split. 1.5 twist with a medium step to the side. 9.775
Muns (UC Davis) – Tanya signals her to step off the apparatus for now because, surprise….another judges’ conference. Here she goes. Pretty open double back with a good landing. Switch side 1/2 to wolf full, bouncy on the landing. Front layout to front full with some leg form on the second element. 9.800
Reardon (San Jose State) – Standing layout stepout x2 with the tiniest check/hesitation. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. Switch leap to immediate gainer full is stuck. 9.800
Marshall (UC Davis) – Rudi to back tuck with a big hop back, probably meant to be a layout of some type. Switch half to wolf full to wolf half? Not sure what rotation she intended for each of those. Double pike with a low chest and step/bounce forward. 9.650
Valuch (San Jose State) – BHS layout stepout landed light as a feather. Punch front, solid. Cat leap to switch 1/2, perhaps a bit under split, but not much. 1.5 twist to a big step forward. 9.725
The UC Davis floor scores must’ve been posted, but they’re not showing up in Virtius and not being shown on the broadcast, so who knows what they are.
Reichow (UC Davis) – Double pike with a slide back. Switch 1/2 to wolf full x2. Front through to double back with a hop/lunge forward. 9.775
Patterson (San Jose State) – Switch leap to straddle jump with a small adjustment. BHS layout stepout layout stepout is good. BHS 1.5 twist with a big step forward. 9.775
Moneymaker (UC Davis) – Rudi to layout stepout. Switch 1/2 to wolf full to Shushunova. Of course she has a cha-ching in her music, I can’t believe I didn’t see that coming. Front through to double back with a big step forward. 9.850
PeBenito (San Jose State) – BHS layout stepout is smooth. Switch leap switch leap, very good. Side aerial, no problem. Split jump 1/2 crosswise. I hate that skill but she did it well. 1.5 twist with a medium step forward. Very promising beam from the freshman. 9.800
Nelson (San Jose State) – exhibition – Jump to handstand mount. Front aerial to BHS with a wobble to the side. She was a bit off on the first skill. Switch leap to switch 1/2 with the second leap definitely under split. BHS 1.5 twist tucked with a hop backward. She’s making her way back after her injury last year. 9.725
Cato (San Jose State) – exhibition – Wolf turn. Switch leap to split jump to beat jump, very precise. Side aerial to layout stepout, she bends at the waist and comes off. Front aerial. Gainer pike is stuck. A great routine if she can be consistent. 9.025
FINAL: San Jose State 195.075, UC Davis 193.850
UC Davis improves on last week’s total by six tenths, while San Jose State finishes a tenth behind their opening score. The Spartans had strong performances on vault and beam, but will hope to squeeze more tenths out of their bars and floor going forward. The Aggies had a memorable beam rotation that will continue to score well if they can be consistent. Getting bars out of the 47s will be the key to higher totals for them. Something else to keep an eye on – they had Cady Chiu slated to go sixth on floor but ultimately only had five compete.
VT: Kaviana Jurries (San Jose State), 9.850
UB: Amelia Moneymaker (UC Davis), 9.825
BB: Amelia Moneymaker (UC Davis), 9.850
FX: Ava Johnson (San Jose State), 9.825
AA: Amelia Moneymaker (UC Davis), 39.225
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Live blog by Diana Scroggins
