Another tiger tumble is on tap for tonight as Auburn heads to Baton Rouge to take on LSU. Auburn’s season has been one of ups and downs. After hitting 197 in its first meet of the year, it has yet to match or exceed that mark in its next four meets. Bars has been the biggest hiccup so far, scoring under 49 in three out of five meets. With them starting on that event tonight, Auburn has to improve its performance to compete with LSU in its home arena. Julianne Huff and Marissa Neal have emerged as consistent all-arounders, while Alex Irvine has become sneaky good on bars and beam and has the potential to add vault with Auburn having a double meet weekend.
LSU is at home for the second weekend in a row and coming off a win against Penn State. It wasn’t the Tigers’ best meet, particularly on bars and beam. There weren’t any glaring mistakes, but little ones that added up to season lows on both events. They will be looking to correct that here tonight. Reigning vault national champion Kailin Chio is on top of the event rankings after another 9.9+ score last week, while Madison Ulrich and Amari Drayton hit key routines when they needed to to help secure the win. Both must do so again tonight.
You can watch tonight’s meet live on SEC Network or stream it here or follow along with live scores through Virtius here.
Here’s your warning: I think a kid gave me either strep, the flu, or both. So if things sound a little wonky tonight or if I’m not as eloquent in my critiquing, blame the DayQuil.
Sophia Bell was carried off the floor after floor warm-ups. We will have to see what her status is once the meet starts. Currently she is not in any lineups, Jersie Woolsey looks set to make her collegiate debut on vault as a junior. Some LSU lineup changes. Shocking, I know. Roberts is back in the vault lineup for the first time since the Georgia meet, Ashley Cowan is also back in after two meets out. Nina Ballou and Emily Innes are debuting new
Rotation 1: LSU VT, Auburn UB
I swear Alex Perlman just called Jay Clark “Jim Clark”.
Zeiss (LSU): Y 1.5, lots of loose knees in the air, small hop forward on the landing. 9.850
Huff (AUB): Almost overshoots the first handstand, Maloney to bail to handstand, little overcooked on that handstand as well. Short on the final handstand, double layout with a low chest and a step forward. 9.775
Roberts (LSU): Not her collegiate vault debut but thanks. FHS pike half, nice straight arms on the block, bit of a low chest on the landing but gets the stick. 9.875, career high.
Boyd (AUB): Maloney with some leg separation to Pak salto, much better on the form there. Hits her final handstand, stalder to double tuck with a step. 9.850
Blackson (LSU): Y 1.5, did not get the block well off the table, she had a lot of bent elbows. Lot of knee bend in the air, deep squat to keep her from falling. 9.625
Booth (AUB): Maloney to Pak salto, some leg separation between skills, Van Leeuwen was clean, short on that last handstand, double layout with a hop. 9.750
Lincoln (LSU): Y 1.5, beautiful in the air, lots of height and distance, some elbow bend on the block with a tiny hop backwards. 9.950, PMAC scoring be PMAC’ing.
Jong (AUB): Stalder to Maloney was clean, Pak salto was good, she had a lot of leg separations throughout, FTDT with two steps. 9.725
Drayton (LSU): Y 1.5, nice straight block off the table, hop forward on the landing. That was the only real deduction, everything else looked clean. 9.900
O. Greaves (AUB): Church to Pak, flexed feet on the Church, short on the handstand after the Pak, another short handstand before the dismount, hop on the landing. 9.775
Chio (LSU): Y 1.5, just as good as she’s done it all season. Beautiful block and height with yet another stick. I saw some flexed feet in the air, but we’ll see if the judges take that in real time. 9.975
Irvine (AUB): Blind to piked Jaeger to immediate overshoot, nicely connected. First handstand I’ve seen Auburn hit right at 180, FTDT with a stick. Good ending for Auburn! 9.850
AFTER ONE: LSU 49.550, Auburn 48.950
I don’t know what else Kailin Chio has to do to get a 10 on vault this season as she leads LSU to a season-high on vault and the lead after one. Victoria Roberts hits a career high with her vault, while Drayton and Kaliya Lincoln hit 9.900 plus. Bars continues to be Auburn’s Achilles heel as it fails to score above a 9.900 on the event. Irvine and Boyd were bright spots, hitting 9.850s but you have to wonder what else Auburn can do to improve on this event.
Rotation 2: Auburn VT, LSU UB
Woolsey (AUB): Y full, came in right as she hit the table. Some loose knees in the air, but had good height and distance. Not bad for a collegiate debut. 9.800
Zeiss (LSU): Maloney to Pak, nice straight arms on the catch, back up to the high bar, maybe a tiny bit short on the last handstand? FTDT with a step back. 9.875
O. Greaves (AUB): Y full, didn’t get a ton of height on the block, bit of a pike down on the landing, hop back plus some additional steps. 9.675
Cowan (LSU): Ray to overshoot combination, hits it well. Rushes through that final handstand, DLO dismount with a step back and low chest position. 9.875
Leverton (AUB): Y 1.5, bent elbows on the block, nice height and distance though, step forward on the landing. 9.875
Ulrich (LSU): Gorgeous first handstand, Maloney to Pak, zero leg separation. Quick pirouette on the low bar, hits the final handstand at 180. Double layout with a tiny scoot back on the landing. 9.900
Neal (AUB): Y 1.5, really nice block off the table with bent elbows, most controlled landing Auburn has had on the event with a tiny hop forward. 9.875
Chio (LSU): Maloney to bail to handstand, nice tight position in the handstand. Blind to Khorkina, caught it really close but avoids disaster, FTDT with another stick. 9.925
Huff (AUB): Y 1.5, big height and distance in the air. Little underrotated and has to take the step back, but that was the only major deduction. 9.875 with a 9.95/9.80 split initially, judges conference brings it down to a 9.850.
Ballou (LSU): Blind to piked Jaeger, nice straight arms on the catch. Bail to handstand, nice and tight on the low bar, double layout with an arm circle and a stick. She looked close to the bar, but a solid routine for her first one on bars. 9.900
Zancan (AUB): FHS front pike off the board, lots of power and overrotates and takes a significant step forward. Some leg separation in preflight and lacked some height on the block.
McClain (LSU): Pretty first handstand, connects her Church to the Pak today solidly, beautiful catches, hits that final handstand, FTDT with a stick. Apparently dealing with a wrist issue, but you couldn’t tell. 9.975.
AFTER TWO: LSU 99.125, Auburn 98.175
Another 49.500 plus rotation sees LSU with almost a full point lead over Auburn at the halfway point. Good news is that Auburn began to dial in on landings on vault with four scores over 9.800, including a collegiate debut from Woolsey. LSU drops a 9.875 on bars from Cowan and ends the rotation with four straight 9.900 plus scores including another 9.975, this time from Konnor McClain.
Rotation 3: LSU BB, Auburn FX
Zeiss (LSU): Side aerial with a tiny balance check on the landing. Front aerial to BHS, maybe a tiny pause between skills, so we’ll see what the judges do there. Switch leap, split jump, solid. Double wolf turn looked good, tucked gainer full off the end with a stick. Only questionable bit was the series. 9.850
Bartman (AUB): Back 1.5 to front full to open, some leg separation throughout. Nice overextension on the straddle leaps. Hits her double wolf turn, she’s been inconsistent in the past on that. Double pike with a slide back, looked like she had some chest forward issues on the landing. 9.800
Innes (LSU): First appearance on beam this season! Front aerial to BHS, solid. Cat leap to side aerial, really pretty. Switch leap to straddle quarter, lacked a little split on the switch from this angle, but wow she exudes confidence on this event. RO 1.5, overrotates and has to hop forward. 9.825, and I think that’s low.
Irvine (AUB): FHS Rudi to stag jump was solid, little out of control on the stag. Lacked some rotation on her leap series, combination pass was short, really had to fight to get it around. Love seeing her in something other than bars and beam, here’s hoping she gets her shot on vault on Sunday. 9.800
Drayton (LSU): Switch half, solid. BHS LOSO, balance check on the landing. Switch leap split jump, well over 180 on the split. RO double twist dismount, adjusts her foot on the landing but another solid routine! 9.900…….where are we
Ahern (AUB): Solid double wolf turn to open. FHS Rudi to layout stepout, has had some issues with that pass in the past, but not today. Back 1.5 to front layout, didn’t get a ton of rise out of the 1.5 but gets it around. 9.750
Lincoln (LSU): Front aerial to BHS, nicely done. Switch half to beat jump, over 180 on the switch. Tiny balance check after the full turn. Switch leap split jump, nicely done. BHS 1.5 with a small hop forward. 9.875
Huff (AUB): Tucked full-in, solid control and nice high chest on the landing. Switch ring tour jete half, nice position in the air. Front layout, front full, punch front, Barely stays in bounds, but it’s a hit.
McClain (LSU): Switch leap, lifts her leg after the leap. Switch half, another lean. Casually does a front aerial to BHS, adds a layout step out afterwards to get her SV back. Gets back on track nicely, side gainer full with a stick. Improv at its finest. 9.675 with a 9.8 SV?
Neal (AUB): Solid double pike first pass, slide back on the landing. Switch ring to switch half to wolf full, lacked extension in the ring position. Front tuck through to double tuck, low chest on the landing but finishes it nicely. 9.850
Chio (LSU): Needing to drop the 9.675. BHS LOSO was solid, maybe a tiny overrotation on the full turn. Front aerial to split jump, solid. Switch leap split jump, well over 180. BHS 1.5 with a stick. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s a 9.975 if the pattern holds. Hey, I’m right!
O. Greaves (AUB): I forgot how much I loved this much. Front tuck through to double tuck, nice rise on the double tuck. Bit out of control on the leap, but comes back strong with a double pike to close it out. 9.925
AFTER THREE: LSU 148.550, Auburn 147.425
I would not be surprised if Clark asks the judges to have another look at McClain’s SV because I thought she got it back to a 10. It won’t matter though because LSU has over a point lead heading to one of its best events. Auburn came back strongly on floor, highlighted by the 9.925 by Olivia Greaves.
Rotation 4: Auburn BB, LSU FX
Ahern (AUB): Little wobbly on the double wolf turn, but stays on. BHS LOSO, saves a major balance check with a small leg lift. Nice extension on the leap series. RO 1.5 with a hop back on the landing with a squat.
Innes (LSU): FHS front double full, really nicely done with a controlled step forward. Comes right back with a back 1.5 to front layout, nice rise on the layout. Okay, JT, I see you. Lacked a little extension on her leap series. FHS Rudi to double stag jump, nicely controlled. Solid leadoff routine! I miss the power tumbling in the leadoff spot, but Innes is so consistent here so it works. 9.925
Wehry (AUB): In the lineup after exhibitioning last week. BHS LOSO, tiny lean but stays solid. Barani was solid, she’s fallen on that in the past. Beat jump split jump straddle half, way above 180. Overrotates her full turn. Front gainer full with a stick. Feels like she’s earned a couple more looks in this lineup. 9.850
Ballou (LSU): Double layout to open, replay shows she piked it down and had a low chest position. Switch side to wolf full, nice rotation on the series. “Choreographied” is my new favorite word. FLO to Rudi second pass, legs are glued together with a solid landing. Freshman floor queen is having herself a time today. 9.925 because why not.
Huff (AUB): Side aerial layout step out, tiny balance check. Nice full turn. Leaps well over 180 on the position. BHS gainer full with a step back on the landing. Bars may be a trouble event, but beam seems pretty solid. 9.875
Coen (LSU): FHS front double full, nice control on the step forward. Round off layout step out to get her backwards tumbling requirement. Front layout to front full, nice rise on the front full. Lost a little extension on the third leap of her series, but gets them rotated around beautifully. Definitely one of her best floor routines.
Hagle (AUB): Really pretty full turn. Front aerial to BHS series was solid. That was a fun little connection on the beam that ends with the BHS swingdown. Ends it quickly with a gainer pike dismount with a stick. 9.875
Drayton (LSU): Double layout to open, really close to out of bounds, bit of a pike down. Switch ring to switch half, nice extension. Front tuck through to double tuck, wanted to stick it but takes the lunge backwards. Glad to see her getting back to form after some struggles to start the season. 9.950. We’re in chaos mode now, it seems.
Irvine (AUB): Front toss to BHS, nicely done. Slight balance check on the full turn. Switch leap to one-armed BHS, insane. Beautiful jump, sticks her dismount. I love love LOVE that she has become a beamer. 9.900
Chio (LSU): Tucked full-in to open, nails the landing. Switch ring to tour jete half, nice overextension on her splits. RO 2.5 twist, some leg separation in the twist, to punch front, sticks. The crowd is going to RIOT if they don’t see a 10 here…even though they likely won’t. Judge apparently holds up the wrong score, they call out a 9.975, the crowd boos and then they change it back to a 10????? I’m confused.
Neal (AUB): BHS LO LOSO series while the PMAC has gone insane over Chio’s score. Beautiful control throughout the rest of the routine, underrotates her dismount with a hop.
Lincoln (LSU): Double layout, SO MUCH HEIGHT, controlled step back on the landing. Bit out of control on her leap series, finishes it with a front layout to front full with a stick. Tonight has been absolutely chaotic so I won’t even try to predict the score here. 9.975.
FINAL: LSU 198.325, Auburn 196.825
VT: Chio (LSU) – 9.975
UB: McClain (LSU) – 9.925
BB: Chio (LSU) – 9.975
FX: Chio (LSU) – 10.000 (we think, no one really knows anymore)
AA: Chio (LSU) – 39.875
So much just happened. LSU goes out on floor, drops a 9.925, unofficially matches its program record on that event, and Chio gets a 10, then doesn’t get a 10, then gets a 10. I cannot wait to see Clark’s reaction to that in post meet press. Shout out to Auburn for dropping a season-high 49.400 on beam, capped off by back to back 9.900s from Irvine and Neal. That should give it some confidence as it heads to Metroplex on Sunday.
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Live blog by Savanna Wellman
