Friday’s SEC slate opens with Oklahoma traveling to Lexington to face Kentucky. The Wildcats have had an uncharacteristically slow start to the season, yet to break the 196 mark, largely due to persistent beam issues and an underprepared floor lineup. Vault has been the clear bright spot, however, with Kentucky ranking No. 10 nationally behind Anna Flynn Cashion’s dynamic front handspring pike half. Delaynee Rodriguez has also been a steady presence, posting 39.400-plus in all three meets and positioning herself as a legitimate all-around contender this weekend. For Kentucky, breaking into the 196s—particularly pushing toward a 196.400—would mark a successful outing, while an outright upset of the Sooners remains a tall task.
Oklahoma enters the meet riding momentum after a 198.425 performance last weekend that reclaimed the No. 1 ranking nationally. Scoring debates aside, the Sooners have looked sharp early in the season. Freshmen Mackenzie Estep and Ella Murphy have gone 9.900 or higher on roughly 70% of their routines, and last weekend’s beam rotation was close to postseason form.
That said, Oklahoma will be looking to clean up bars, where close release catches and half-pirouette precision have cost tenths over the past two weeks. Floor also remains slightly short-handed without Faith Torrez in the lineup, making this road meet a particularly interesting test for how that event scores outside of Norman.
This meet will be streamed on SEC Network, and scores are on Virtius. Nothing too notable in lineups: Mueller still on beam for Oklahoma, a few order changes for Kentucky.
Rotation 1: Kentucky VT, Oklahoma UB
Hofseth (VT): Yurchenko full, just a step back, a touch of pike down. 9.775
Scheible (UB): Strong handstand, Straddeld Jaeger. Arches over the following handstand and goes over, but doesn’t fall. Bail. Stuck FTDT, will want to drop that one. 9.350
Rizo (VT): Yuchenko full, almost stuck, just a step back. Nice chest position on her landing 9.800
Pederson (UB): Nice Ray- caught with straight arms. Pak, a little awkard but nothing major. No issues on the half pirouette. Good handstands throughout, stuck double layout. 9.825
Gardner (VT): Front handspring pike half, some knee bend at the end and a bigger hop back 9.775
Murphy (UB): Beautiful handstand. Maloney, Pak, bent arms on the backswing. Short final handstand, giant full double tuck with a lean and a step. 9.750
Noonan (VT): Half on, front pike half off, clean, chest a little low on the landing with a step 9.825
Fatta (UB): Church, Pak, nice connection, tiny bit of leg separation on the Pak. Strong pirouette. Double layout, stuck. 9.900
Rodriguez (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, stuck, a little bit of form in the air, strong. 9.925
Estep (UB): Good handstand, Tkatchev caught with bent arms. Bail. Giant full, full twisting double tuck, smallest slide with one foot. 9.875
Cashion (VT): Front handspring pike half, really hit the front of the table, chest is forward and takes a step forward, 9.750
Torrez (UB): Ray, great amplitude. Pak, fine pirouette. Great final handstand, double layout with a hop and leg separation. 9.850
AFTER ONE: Oklahoma 49. Kentucky 49.100
Oklahoma overcomes a miss in the leadoff spot to take a one tenth lead after one rotation. Addison Fatta led the way with a 9.900 after a strong routine, but the Sooners did not stick enough dismount to get a huge rotation score. Kentucky started nicely on vault to keep pace with Oklahoma thanks to improved landing control and a great stick from Rodriguez on her Yurchenko 1.5. This meet is closer than expected after rotation 1!
Rotation 2: Oklahoma VT, Kentucky UB
Oh! Scheible in for Blessey on vault!
Pederson (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, just a hop forward, really clean in the air. 9.875
Rizo (UB): Piked Jaeger, caught with bent arms. Bail with a leg separation. Short final handstand, double layout stuck, a little whippy. 9.750
Wells (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, stuck! One of her best ever. Form is so clean as well. 9.950
Rivelli (UB): Nice Jaeger to overshoot, really nice extension on the catch, double layout with a step. 9.775
Scheible (VT): Front handspring pike half, absolutely stuck, chest was maybe a little low. Nice to see after bars, 9.950
Van Frayen (UB): Jaeger, strong handstand. Pak is fine. Last handstand a touch short, great FTDT in the air, step forward on the landing. 9.750
Estep (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, stuck, but with a lean and arm circle. Great dynamics 9.850
Bennett (UB): Maloney, Pak. Bent arms on the backswing, great form on the Pak. Nice final handstand, Toe on, double layout, short with a step forward.
Mueller (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, step forward, not the most amplitude, 9.850
Noonan (UB): Nice Ray to overshoot, caught with straight arms. Good final handstand, double layout is stuck. Strong routine 9.850
Fatta (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, nearly stuck, but probably did not hold it for long enough for the stick, 9.925
Rodriguez (UB): Tkatchev. Strong handstand, Bail. Aggressive final handstand. clean double layout with a stick. Lovely. 9.850
AFTER TWO: Oklahoma 98.750, Kentucky 98.125
Oklahoma gains 5 tenths on Kentucky after a strong vault rotation for a 49.550. Keira Wells’s vault was superb, especially impressive given that the broadcast said she struggled with a small ankle injury this week.A strong season debut from Scheible also scored a 9.950, giving the Sooners another strong vault option. Kentucky was solid on bars but has some bent arms and dismount steps that kept its score a little bit lower. Noonan’s routine was a real highlight. Beam and floor is up next!
Rotation 3: Kentucky BB, Oklahoma FX
Rizo (BB): Candle mount, Front aerial, crisp. Bhs, loso secure. Switch leap, straddle quarter, lacking split on the first. Love how she holds the releve after her full turn. Back 1.5, with a step. Nice hit. 9.750
Pederson (FX): Front double full, lunge is a touch large, but fine control. Back 1.5 through to double full, nicely done. Switch side, Popa, wolf full, nice positions. Her twisting form is so clean. 9.850
Brose (BB): Punch front, right on. Front toss, back handspring, no wobbles. Switch leap, beat jump – not at a good angle to see splits. Back 1.5, stuck 9.875
Murphy (FX): Front thru to double tuck. Switch half, wolf full. Nice. Back 1.5, front layout. Split full. Clean routine, 9.875
Lee (BB): Bhs, bhs, loso, big wobble but stays on. Switch leap, straddle quarter, low back leg. Back 1.5, stuck with a big lean backwards, 9.525
Pawlak (FX): Double pike, larger slide back, nice amplitude. Switch half, wolf full, nice. Back 1.5, front full, lacking a little bit of control. Split full, a bit short of split and rotation. 9.875
Bennett (BB): bhs, bhs, loso, very clean. Front aerial is solid. Switch leap, beat jump, really low back leg. Gainer pike, stuck. Switch leap is the biggest deduction 9.825
Fatta (FX): Front full through to back 2.5, short and a bit of a stumble back, surprised she was able to work through it. Leaps are fine. Front double full is clean. 9.775
Van Frayen (BB): Bhs, Onodi, crooked and has a big lean but stays on. Front aerial, touch of back leg. Switch leap, beat jump. Stuck 1.5, really minimized deductions after the series. 9.650
Mueller (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, great control. Front lay, Rudi, short with her chest low. Tour jete half, Popa, excellent positions. 9.875
Rodriguez (BB): Switch leap, split jump, back leg a touch low. Bhs, bhs, loso, very clean. Side somi. Back 1.5, stuck. Great routine! 9.900
Estep (FX): Front layout, double full, a little awkward on the landing, knees buckled a little bit and there were some form issues in the double full. Switch half, wolf full, fine. Back 2.5, great amplitude on that pass 9.850
AFTER THREE: Oklahoma 148.075 Kentucky 147.125
Kentucky will be pleased to have broken 49.000 on beam, though it still had to count a 9.650 from Van Frayen. The Wildcats are on track for a useful score. Okahoma had some struggles with landing control this week on its twisting passes, with more short landing than its used to. Last rotation is coming up!
Rotation 4: Oklahoma BB, Kentucky FX
Fatta (BB): Bhs, loso, secure. Side aerial. Hitch kick, switch side, strong straddle position. Switch leap, split jump. Bhs, gainer full, stuck, a little low on the landing, but a really strong routine. 9.875
Van Frayen (FX): Clean double wolf turn. Double tuck, good, could be a touch more controlled. Switch ring, switch half. Front lay, rudi, a little low with some form, 9.800
Wells (BB): Cat leap, switch leg aerial, tiny lean. Switch leap, split jump, clean. Bhs, loso, solid. Back 1.5, stuck. Great day for her, 9.900
Bennett (FX): Strong double pike, Switch ring, wolf full. Front lay, front full, clean. Double tuck, good chest position on the landing.
Murphy (BB): Candle mount, really holds the position. Bhs, loso, excellent. Front aerial, small wobble. Full turn, another lean. Beat jump, split ring, great position. Bhs, gainer full, stuck. 9.850
Gardner (FX): Great double layout, Switch side, wolf full clean. Front tuck through to double tuck, another secure pass. 9.850
Pederson (BB): Bhs, loso is clean. Side somi, right on. Hitch kick, switch side is good. Double full, stuck with great form and chest position. Strong routine! 9.900
Rizo (FX): Nice double pike, very well controlled. Double tuck, a little deeper on the landing. Tour jete half, straddle jump – something looked a little off there. Back 1.5, front lay is clean. 9.775
Mueller (BB): Candle mount, Bhs, loso, larger balance check but stays on. Side somi. Switch leap, straddle quarter. Back 1.5 with a step. 9.750
Rodriguez (FX): Rudi, back layout, well controlled. Switch ring, tour jete half, nice splits. Clean double tuck. Back 1.5, front half, really well done. 9.875
Torrez (BB): Wolf jump. Side aerial, loso, small arm waver. Switch leap, straddle jump, great positions. Bhs, gainer full, chest up and stuck. 9.950
Brose (FX): Double pike, great form and control. Tour jete half, wolf full, not the sharpest wolf position. Back 1.5, front lay, great. Front double full, nice precision and landing certainity. 9.950
Both teams will be pleased with their performances. Kentucky got a much needed season high with a solid 196.475. Delaynee Rodriguez had a great day in the all around, scoring a 39.550 to take the title, and the Wildcats beat Oklahoma on floor in the final rotation with a 49.350! Oklahoma got the win and a 197.550, and will be pleased with its performance on beam and vault in particular. Kiera Wells had a great day on those events, including a truly excellent vault.
FINAL: Oklahoma 197.550, Kentucky 196. 475
VT: Keira Wells, Hannah Scheible 9.950
UB: Addison Fatta 9.900
BB: Faith Torrez 9.950
FX: Creslyn Brose 9.950
AA: Delaynee Rodriguez 39.550
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
