LIVE BLOG: No. 1 Oklahoma at No. 5 Florida

It’s become one of the marquee meets of the year; in the 20 times Oklahoma and Florida have met since 2013, both teams have been ranked in the top five. Florida is returning reeling to Gainesville tonight after a loss at Missouri that opened with the team’s lowest bars total since 2010. The loss was another failure of the Gators to “beat the allegations” that their worst performances occur on the road, which will only be somewhat alleviated with a big showing tonight. But even with the potential for that, the Sooners are, as always, poised to play spoiler. In spite of some prominent routines generating debate as to overscoring, as always, they have been seeming like a cut above the rest, especially as of late. Stamina is one thing that could be stacked against the Sooners with a short turnaround and a travel week after competing on Sunday; however, as of then, the Sooners are the only one of these two teams to boast a perfect 10.000 score on their resume, with freshman phenom Mackenzie Estep earning one on vault. 9.950 and 9.975 scores have abounded in the O’Connell Center this season, so perhaps the added level of competition will nudge those scores up just a bit to put a 10.000 in Florida’s column, too.

The meet will be streamed on ESPN2, and scores can be found here.

Rotation 1: Florida VT, Oklahoma UB

DiCello (UF): Need a great start to bounce back from last weekend and get the confidence of the team back up! Yurchenko 1.5, comes out really early and locks her legs out and takes a few steps back on that landing but is safe and walking it off. 9.625

Pederson (OU): Huge Ray, really nice. Toe handstand to Pak, great pirouette. Nails that last handstand and DRILLS that double layout to a stick. 9.850.

Disidore (UF): Yurchenko 1.5 and a big step forward on that landing. 9.800

Murphy (OU): Maloney to the high bar, immediate Pak great. A little loose on that pirouette but ends strong with a blind full to STUCK double tuck! 9.875

Draser (UF): Yurchenko 1.5 and a very clean landing just a hop on that! 9.850

Scheible (OU): Right to the high bar, blind to straddle Jaeger, nice, shootover is good and back up for a huge STUCK full in WOW! 9.90

Frazier (UF): Yurchenko double full, much better than last week and just a hop back on that landing and out of the left line. 9.80

Fatta (OU): HUGE Church but a little too close on that catch but does a great Pak down. Ends strong with a great double layout, these sticks are going 4/4 so far! 9.90

Ferris (UF): Really nice Yurchenko 1.5, the tiniest hop forward. 9.90

Estep (OU): Opens up with a nice Tkachev, a little low on that, but a nice shoot-over. Dismounts blind full to full-in stuck! 9.925

Harris-Miranda (UF): Yurchenko 1.5, and almost sits that down. Came in really high on the vault and missed her block. 9.600

Torrez (OU): Really nice Ray to start. Nice handstand a gorgeous floaty Pak, just a little loose on that catch. Dismounts double layout and takes a small step back on that landing. 9.850

AFTER ONE: Florida 48.975, Oklahoma 49.450

A really great opening rotation for the Sooners on bars with 5/6 sticks on the dismounts, and great, strong routines all the way through. Scoring started off a little interesting with two scores that could’ve (and maybe should’ve) been higher not getting those big scores we are used to see the Sooners getting. However, a 49.450 on its first event is an excellent start.

Florida just looks to have been a bit off this year, and unfortunately that carried over into this first rotation. With the lead off and anchor vaults being uncharacteristic for those two athletes and some uncontrolled landings in the middle, the Gators are going into rotation two trailing by almost half a point. With bars being the issue for the Gators last week, the team needs to go in with short term memory and get back on track to what it knows it can do.

Rotation 2: Oklahoma VT, Florida UB

Blessey (OU): Front handspring front pike 1/2, good size hop back but really clean to start. 9.825

Frazier (UF): Needs to get this started off good for the Gators. Maloney up to start and immediate Pak down, just a little leg separation on that catch but nails her double layout dismount with a stick! 9.875

Wells (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, big step on that landing. 9.850

Pilgrim (UF): Maloney up to the high bar to immediate Tkachev, SO good and so difficult! Pak down, really nice and up to her full in dismount and sticks that landing! Great rebound after last weeks hiccup. 9.90

Torrez (OU): Yurchenko 1.5 and pretty much sticks, just a small hop in place wow! 9.925

Blakely (UF): Starts off with a big Church right to a Pak, pirouette on top of the bar held WOW. Blind to eagle grip to double front half out dismount with the smallest scoot back. What a great routine for her! 9.925

Estep (OU): Coming off a ten last weekend, Yurchenko 1.5 and just takes the smallest step back on that landing. 9.825

DiCello (UF): Big Church, caught a little close, to Pak, really nice. Maloney 1/2, good extension when she caught and STICKS that big full-in dismount! 9.950!

Mueller (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, step forward on that landing. 9.825

Harris- Miranda (UF): Ray, really nice and holds that next handstand. Great shootover, and ends with a double layout dismount and slides her foot on that landing but great routine for her after that fall last weekend!

Fatta (OU): Yurchenko 1.5 and NAILS that landing. HUGE! That could be perfect … 10.0!!!! First of her career!

McCusker (UF): Maloney to Pak is beautiful. Maloney 1/2 up, stalder to stuck double tuck!! That could also be perfect … 9.975

AFTER TWO: Oklahoma 98.875, Florida 98.625

Wow, that was a big rotation for both teams. Florida needed that rotation to make up some ground trailing Oklahoma after one, but now is only a little over two tenths behind. No scores under a 9.875 for the Gators, a big 9.975 for McCusker in the anchor spot, and THIS is the Florida bars we are used to seeing!

Oklahoma capped its vault rotation with a career first for sophomore Addison Fatta with a perfect 10.0! Although the vault rotation may not have been up to the standard of the Sooners, especially with controlling those landings early on in the lineup, it ended strong and still put up another big 49.4+ score.

Rotation 3: Florida BB, Oklahoma FX

Draser (UF): BHS LOSO, solid. Switch leap to switch 1/2, not fully 180 on that second leap. Round off 1.5 stuck to cap that off! 9.875

Pederson (OU): Front double full to start great landing on that. Back 1.5 step out to double full, really well done. Switch side to straddle full to wolf full to end. Really excellent lead off for the Sooners! 9.875

Arana (UF): BHS LOSO to start off, really well done. Good front aerial, switch leap to switch half, a small bobble on that. Gainer full of the side and sticks that landing! 9.90

Murphy (OU): Front thru to double tuck, great on that. Nice leaps down right into her dance, back 1.5 to front layout to close, great routine! 9.875

Blakely (UF): Triple wolf to start, wow. Front aerial to BHS, nice. Connection looked good on the upper half but moved her feet slightly. Switch half to beat jump, nice on that. Wolf jump, beautiful. Gainer full off the side stuck! 9.90

Estep (OU): Front layout to front double full, really difficult pass and done super well. Switch half to wolf full to double stag jump down to dance. Back 2.5 to close, really great ending! 9.90

Frazier (UF): Front aerial to LOSO, really nice. Split jump to split ring jump, so beautiful. Cartwheel 1.5, just a step on that landing. 9.850

Mueller (OU): Front thru to double tuck, great control on that landing. Front layout to front rudi, very good on both rotation of the 1.5 and landing keeping that in bounds. Torjete full to straddle full, nice right into her ending dance. 9.925

Harris-Miranda (UF): BHS LOSO BHS, so good. Wow. Switch leap straddle 1/4, good extension on both of those dance elements. Round off 1.5 and nails that landing! Another one teetering on perfection … 9.95!

Fatta (OU): Opens up with a front full step out to 2.5, takes a couple steps to the side on that. Nice leap pass into her second pass, front double full, a little squatty on that landing but keeps it up. Not her best routine, but not by any means a bad routine, most likely going to be what it drops. 9.775

DiCello (UF): Candle mount on, really saves that double wolf turn. Switch leap to split jump, good. BHS LOSO a little off but pulls that back. Front aerial, little bobble on the. BHS Gainer full stuck off the side.

Pawlak (OU): Opens up nice double pike, great landing. Switch half to wolf full good rotation on that jump. Last pass, back 1.5 to front full, a little loose on that landing but recovers well. Torjete full to end the routine, maybe had a little lack of rotation on that last leap but nonetheless a great routine!

AFTER THREE: Florida 148.125, Oklahoma 148.375

Keeping it close after three but Oklahoma has the advantage going into the last rotation. Identical 49.500s for the Sooners and Gators on rotation three, highlighted by a near perfect beam routine from Harris-Miranda and a pair of 9.925s on floor from Mueller and Pawlak. Sooners are headed to beam and although it is the number one team in the nation on the event, beam is still beam and Oklahoma will have to end strong here to get the win. The Gators are headed to floor where it has been a bit up and down throughout the season but needs a big score here to continue to keep this competition close with the Sooners and potentially get its second 198 of the season.

Rotation 4: Oklahoma BB, Florida FX

Fatta (OU): BHS LOSO to open up, solid. Side aerial, aggressive finish. Hitch kick to switch side, nicely done. Little wobble on her full turn, switch leap to split jump, nice. BHS gainer full off the side STUCK! Excellent lead off for the Sooners! 9.9

A. Disidore (UF): Double layout HUGE! Great control on that. Switch side to straddle full, great height on that. Ends with a back 1.5 to front full, nicely done! 9.875

Wells (OU): Cat leap to switch leg side aerial so fun. Switch leap to split jump, nice. BHS LOSO, solid on that and ends with a round off 1.5 STUCK . 9.95!

Ferris (UF): HUGE double layout to start and almost out of bounds but keeps it in. Beautiful leap series down to her dance. Love this routine and the story behind it! Back 1.5 to front full and much better control on that second landing. 9.90

Murphy (OU): Super sharp dance already loving it. BHS LOSO, really floaty and solid landing. Front aerial, great. Split jump to split ring, a little off the center but no wobble. Gainer full stuck off the side! 9.975!

Frazier (UF): BIG double layout to open, really nice control on that landing. Switch right to Torjete to split down to floor dance. Front thru to double tuck and truly don’t know how she save that. Does a big hop back and pikes down fully to the floor but keeps her hands up. She walks out of it so no injury just a scary landing. 9.725

Pederson (OU): BHS LOSO, beautiful. Side sumi is perfect and so fun. Cat leap to switch side, maybe not fully turned with her hips sideways and stick hers double full dismount with a slight chest dip. 9.90

Blakely (UF): Front double tuck to stag jump, LOVE that. Torjete full to jump done really well. Back 1.5 to front full to close out a great routine in the four spot! 9.95

Mueller (OU): BHS LOSO solid. Side aerial but landed like a side sumi (?) Switch side, just a little wobble and nails her 1.5 dismount. 9.925

Harris-Miranda (UF): Huge full in to open this routine! Torjete full to straddle full to shushanova down to her dance. Last pass is a great back 1.5 to front full, just a little form coming down but WOW a huge routine! 9.975

Torrez (OU): Wolf jump to start. Side aerial to LOSO series, perfection. Switch leap to straddle jump, really nice. BHS Gainer full stuck, WOW! What a beautiful routine to end a huge beam rotation. 9.950 to give the Sooners a 49.700 on the event!

DiCello (UF): Stunning full in to start off. Switch ring to torjete down to her dance. Ends with a back 1.5 to front half that was supposed to be a full, but ended well and saved that landing. 9.750

FINAL: Oklahoma 198.075, Florida 197.550

A huge day for both teams! Oklahoma earns an SEC win over Florida for the first time in program history and notches its fourth 198 + score of the season. Each event went over a 49.425 for the team, and although vault might not have been exactly what it wanted for a couple of those landings. The rotation ended huge with a career first 10.00 from Fatta, and the momentum continued into the back half. A big beam rotation ending the competition with a 49.700 event total and a 198.075 for the night.  

Florida started a little shaky on vault with a sub 49 score, but came back incredibly strong on the other three. With a much better bar rotation than last weekend, that momentum continued into beam with all scores over a 9.875. Although the meet didn’t end the way the Gators wanted, this was a much better performance than last weekend at Missouri, but still not all this incredibly talented team is capable of. Scoring a 197.5+ score and not have a complete meet should put the other teams on a major watch, but now it just all needs to happen at the same time.

VT: Fatta (OU) 10.0

UB: McCusker (UF) 9.975

BB: Murphy (OU) 9.975

FX: Harris-Miranda (UF) 9.975

AA: Fatta (OU) 39.575

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Live blog by Julianna Roland