A top-25 showdown takes center stage on Friday Night Heights as Oregon State and Alabama meet in a dual format for the first time.
Oregon State spent the opening month of the season searching for its identity in the wake of Jade Carey’s graduation and a string of untimely injuries, but the Beavers appear to have turned a corner, eclipsing the 196 mark in each of their last two meets. Junior Sophia Esposito has been instrumental in that resurgence, ranking in the top 15 nationally in the all-around and positioning herself as a contender for the all-around title tonight. Vault remains the key question mark for Oregon State; it is the only event where the Beavers are not ranked in the top 25, and the lineup has yet to produce a score above 9.900. Sophomore transfer Kyanna Crabb owns the team’s season high of 9.875 and will be relied upon to anchor the event.
Alabama enters the meet ranked in the top five after narrowly defeating No. 7 Missouri at home with a season-high score. Senior Gabby Gladieux led the way, earning her fifth 9.975 of the season on floor and capturing the all-around title. With floor closing the meet, she could again be in position to chase that elusive 10.0. Freshman Azaraya Ra-Akbar has been a steady presence for the Crimson Tide, though she faced some challenges last week. A return to form from Ra-Akbar would further strengthen an Alabama lineup already firing on most cylinders.
You can watch tonight’s meet here on SECN+ and follow along with live stats through Virtius here.
We have lineups! Looks like as of now, Ra-Akbar will only be on three events along with fellow freshman Jasmine Cawley. Rachel Rybicki is slated to make her season debut on floor after nursing a minor injury. For Oregon State, Esposito will indeed be in the all-around. Taylor DeVries is slated to be on bars and exhibition floor after missing the last two meets.
Rotation 1: Alabama VT, Oregon State UB
Cawley (ALA): Y 1.5, tiny hop forward on the landing, some bent legs in the air. 9.825
Miller (OSU): Maloney to Pak, some leg separation throughout both skills. Missed the 180 position on the final handstand, double layout with a hop in place on the landing. 9.750
Paradise (ALA): Y 1.5, nice straight arms on the block off the table, sizable hop forward on the landing. 9.850
Cheek (OSU): Oh her lines are really pretty, Maloney to Pak, some leg separation, didn’t quite hit the position after the half pirouette, but nails the dismount! 9.850
Sears (ALA): Y 1.5, some bent elbows on the block, lots of distance, took a couple steps forward on the landing. 9.800
Esposito (OSU): oh cool, it’s her 100th routine. Didn’t know we tracked things like that, but that’s still fun. Ray to immediate overshoot, maybe lacked some toe point on the Ray, but gets the connection. Didn’t quite finish the full pirouette on the top of the bar, but solidly connects it to the double tuck dismount. 9.800
Gladieux (ALA): Y 1.5, really nice block off the table, takes a tiny hop forward on the landing. 9.875
DeVries (OSU): Short on the first handstand, Maloney to Pak combination was good, minor leg separation. Half pirouette was solid, little short on the final handstand, double layout, had a bit of a low chest on the landing but didn’t move her feet. 9.750
Kvamme (ALA): Y 1.5, beautiful block, but underrotated and had to take a hop backwards. It was really pretty otherwise! 9.775
Richardson (OSU): Coming off a career high last weekend. Blind to piked Jaeger, really nice straight arms on the catch, Pak salto, ZERO leg separation, really pretty handstands. FTDT with a STICK. That might match that career high from last weekend. 9.750…that feels kind of low to me, would be interested to see that replay.
Ra-Akbar (ALA): Y 1.5, had some bent arms off the table, stepped backwards on the landing.
Weaver (OSU): pretty first handstand, full pirouette to Geinger, caught it close but kept it moving. Bail to handstand was clean. Blind full to double tuck dismount, bit of a low landing but still stuck it.
AFTER ONE: Alabama 49.125, Oregon State 48.925
It wasn’t a rough rotation, but there’s definitely some things to improve on moving forward as neither team hit that 9.900. Oregon State was cleaner on the landings and pulled out a couple sticks, where Alabama struggled to find the landings on vault. Oregon State is heading to its make-it-or-break-it event while Alabama looks to regroup on bars.
Rotation 2: Oregon State VT, Alabama UB
Crabb (OSU): Y full, bit of a pike down on the landing, tiny step on the landing. 9.750
Walker (ALA): Maloney to Pak salto, no leg separation. Van Leeuwen, clean in the air. Hits her handstands, FTDT with a stick. There’s a stick the Crimson Tide needed. 9.900
Marchal (OSU): Y full, some bent arms on the block, slid backwards on the landing and had to take the step. 9.700
Gladieux (ALA): blind to straddle Jaeger to immediate overshoot, really nice arms on the catch. Blind full to double tuck with a stick. 9.850
Miller (OSU): round off half on half tuck off vault, little low chest on that landing. Got very little height on the block and had to rush to get the half tuck off. 9.750
Fuller (ALA): pretty first handstand, Pak salto was good. Van Leeuwen, no leg separation. Double layout dismount with another stick. 3 in a row for the Tide! 9.900
Richardson (OSU): Can do a 1.5. Goes for the full today, nice height and block off the table, takes a small step back on the landing. 9.775
Pawlak (ALA): Good first handstands, Maloney to bail to handstand, good 180 position on that handstand, double layout dismount with a step forward on the landing. 9.825
Esposito (OSU): Y full, some bent arms on the table on the block, takes a hop backwards on the landing. 9.800
LaCoursiere (ALA): Gorgeous first handstand, Maloney to Pak, holds the handstand on the low bar before continuing her routine, FTDT with a stick, nice high chest on that landing too. 9.950
Buckner (OSU): Y full, nice and laid out, flared her hips out on the landing with a nice high chest and minimum foot movement. 9.825
Ra-Akbar (ALA): First set of handstands were pretty, Pak salto, no leg separation, Van Leeuwen, keeps her legs nice and tight. Stalder to double tuck dismount, a tiny movement on the landing. 9.875
AFTER TWO: Alabama 98.600, Oregon State 97.825
Alabama found its sticks in rotation two to increase its lead at the halfway point! LaCoursiere gets her fourth straight score of 9.900 plus at the end of the rotation with two season highs from Walker and Fuller at the top. Oregon State was just below its season high on vault, but had no major issues as it moves to floor.
Rotation 3: Alabama BB, Oregon State FX
Cawley (ALA): Double wolf turn, had a bit of a balance check but covers it up well. BHS LOSO series was spot on, hitch kick to switch side, another balance check but stays on the beam. BHS gainer full, small hop back on the landing. 9.775
Vargas (OSU): Double pike to open, very controlled landing. Nice position and rotation on the leap series! Her extension was really nice on that. FHS front full front layout, she lacked a little bit of punch on the layout and had to work hard to get the layout around. Overall a solid leadoff for the Beavs. 9.800
Ladanyi (ALA): Front aerial to split jump, maybe the back leg was a little low but this angle makes it hard to tell. BHS LOSO, tiny amount of bent legs in the air. Switch leap, goes to try to connect it to another skill but stumbles. Repeats and adds her split jump, gets it that time. BHS gainer full with a tiny hop backwards. 9.775
Crabb (OSU): Collegiate debut on floor for Crabb after leading off on vault. FHS double twist, some loose legs in the twist. Switch side straddle half, really nice extension in the air. RO 1.5 to front layout, solid hit, lacked some height on the second skill. 9.750
Kvamme (ALA): Front aerial to BHS LOSO, looked like she was going to wobble but covered it well. Switch leap split jump, nice 180 position. Front toss, tiny foot adjustment. Front gainer full with a stick! 9.900
Buckner (OSU): Rudi to straddle jump, traveled backwards on that straddle so she lacked a little control. Switch half to stag jump, nice rotation. Front full to what was supposed to be I think another front full but didn’t get the height off the punch and falls. First hiccup for the Beavers today. 8.950
LaCoursiere (ALA): I always get worried that she’s going to flip backwards off the end of the beam at the beginning. Split jump to stag jump, beautiful positions in the air. Front aerial to BHS, has to make an adjustment after the aerial with a tiny lean. RO 1.5 with a stick!
Marchal (OSU): Double tuck to open, sizable step back on the landing. Switch side half to straddle jump, nicely done. Switch half to wolf full, good extension on those leaps. RO 1.5 to front layout, that second element definitely got the rise this time! 9.650
And we have a judge’s conference on LaCoursiere’s acro series on beam. One judge gave her the 10.0 start, the other went 9.8 with a 9.725 score. There was a noticeable lean on the front aerial but I didn’t notice her stopping between skills, so I guess we’ll see what the judges do.
Gladieux (ALA): BHS LO to two feet, a tiny lean to the side but keeps it on. Pretty full turn, Front aerial to beat jump, really pretty on the aerial. Switch leap split jump, her back leg looked a little low but the extension was nice. RO double twist with a stick. Nice comeback after LaCoursiere’s score. 9.900
Miller (OSU): front tuck through to double tuck, nice landing on that pass. Nice rise on that jump element. Switch half straddle full, that extension was better than on her first jump. RO 1.5 to front layout, got the rise on the second skill! Beavers are working through that fall from Buckner and are one routine away from dropping it.
Fuller (ALA): Needing to drop LaCoursiere’s 9.725. Front aerial to open, had some loose knees. BHS LO LOSO, again with the loose knees and had a lean to the side, but stayed on. Switch leap to beat jump, nicely done. RO 1.5, loose knees and a shuffle on the landing.
Esposito (OSU): Opens with a front tuck through to RO double pike! WOW, she had a ton of power on that. Nice rise on the leap series! This is some fun music with this choreography, I’m a fan. Front layout to Rudi with a nice controlled landing. Beavers will drop the 8.950 from Buckner.
AFTER THREE: Alabama 147.700, Oregon State 146.725
The Beavers avoid counting a fall, but scored their lowest total on floor since the first week of the season. There was nothing glaring that happened, just had some issues with landings and connections on combo passes that lowered their scoring potential. Alabama had a season low on beam, but Kvamme was a high point of the rotation, scoring just below her season high of 9.925. Alabama has a nice lead, but needs a 49.300 plus to hit 197, while Oregon State needs a 49.275 to hit 196 for the third straight meet.
Rotation 4: Oregon State BB, Alabama FX
Johnston is NOT happy with whatever she’s arguing with the judge about.
Esposito (OSU): Front aerial to BHS LOSO, nice straight knees on the aerial. Switch leap split jump switch split jump, nice combination of skills! RO double full dismount with a slight foot movement. 9.850
LaCoursiere (ALA): HAMILTON. The musical nerd in me is freaking. Really high double tuck to open! Switch ring to tour jete half, beautiful positions on both of those skills. Front layout to Rudi to stag jump, had more control on that jump out of the Rudi. Such a nice routine! 9.925
Buckner (OSU): Beautiful control on that full turn! BHS LOSO, spot on. Split jump to stag jump with the cheers of the Tide faithful in the background. Side aerial, pretty. BHS 1.5 with a hop forward on the landing, some loose knees. 9.825
Ra-Akbar (ALA): Front tuck through to 2.5 twist, stunning. Switch ring to switch half, leaps were right at 180 degrees. RO 1.5 to front layout, nice rise between skills. Double wolf turn, you can see she’s getting her confidence back ever so slowly. 9.925
Cheek (OSU): BHS LOSO, some bent knees in the air, but managing to do that while the crowd is cheering again is impressive. Front aerial to split jump, keeps her arms moving to connect the skills. Switch leap split jump, balance check after the split jump. BHS gainer full with a stick. Some pike down but overall a solid routine. 9.850
Rybicki (ALA): Double tuck to open, solid control on the landing. Nice rise on the leap series! Back 1.5 to punch front full, nice tight twist in the air. Alabama floor team is on FIRE right now. 9.925.
Heather (OSU): Front toss to BHS swingdown. I don’t know if she’s going to get credit for that with the way judging has gone tonight. Switch half to beat jump, wobbles through the series. Gainer pike dismount, leans forward but keeps the sticks. 9.750, but got the 10.0 SV from both judges.
You’re telling me all three of those routines were exactly 9.925? Okay, sure.
Cawley (ALA): Tucked full-in to open, nice high chest and dances right out of it. Switch half wolf full wolf full, nice rotation throughout the series. Back 1.5 to front layout, nice rise and distance between skills. Fun choreography, really fun freshman routine! Bet it’s a 9.925. Okay, I’m glad to be wrong. 9.875
Letzsch (OSU): Front aerial to back tuck to open, another questionable connection that I’m interested to see whether it’s given. Tiny wobble after the split ring. Front gainer full dismount, nicely done for the fifth year! 9.750
Sears (ALA): Double layout, HUGE height and control on the landing! Switch side straddle full, leaps had fantastic extension throughout. Front tuck through to double tuck, very nicely done. Should be a high number with Gladieux to go. 9.950
Weaver (OSU): Beautiful double wolf turn to open! BHS LOSO, nice straight knees in the air. Switch leap to split jump, another pause between skills, so probably won’t get credit for that connection. Front aerial, another balance check. RO 1.5 dismount with a stick. 9.775
Gladieux (ALA): She’s been set up so well here. That’s all I’m saying. Tucked full-in, had the stick but stepped back to prove her control. The crowd is really really into this routine. Nice rise on the leap combination. Front layout to Rudi to split jump, lacked a bit of control on the jump out of it but with the way judging is going tonight…okay, not a 10, 9.950 with a 10 from one judge.
FINAL: Alabama 197.375, Oregon State 195.775
VT: Gladieux (ALA) – 9.875
UB: LaCoursiere (ALA) – 9.950
BB: Gladieux (ALA) & Kvamme (ALA) – 9.900
FX: Sears (ALA) & Gladieux (ALA) – 9.950
AA: Gladieux (ALA) – 39.575
Alabama hits a HUGE 49.675 season high on floor to soar to another 197 plus at home. Every counting score was 9.925 or higher. Insane. Oregon State started strong on beam but a couple of questionable connections lowered its scoring potential. The Beavers held up well in an SEC environment while Alabama continues to be among the top teams in the country.
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