Rutgers travels to Ann Arbor for a Big Ten dual against Michigan, with both teams looking to build momentum and strengthen their postseason positioning.
Michigan has emerged as a nationals contender this season, anchored by a rock-solid beam lineup that ranks fourth in the country. In last week’s road meet at UCLA, however, inconsistent vault landings led to a season-low 48.925 on the event—an issue the Wolverines will look to correct tonight. Elsewhere, sophomore Sophie Parenti delivered a breakout performance, highlighted by a career-high 9.950 on bars that earned her a share of the Big Ten Co-Specialist of the Week honor. Another strong showing from Parenti could help push Michigan past the 197 mark.
Rutgers recorded season highs on vault, bars, and floor in last week’s home meet against Iowa, but beam proved costly. Two counting scores below 9.600 derailed the team’s chances of matching its Week 7 total of 196.175. Consistency across all four events will be critical as Rutgers looks to improve its NQS and remain firmly in the regionals conversation. After posting career highs on bars and floor last week, Gabrielle Dildy has emerged as a cornerstone of the lineup and will be a key contributor again tonight.
The meet will be streamed on B1G+, and scores can be found on Virtius. Not a B1G+ subscriber? Sign up today for the monthly pass with the code COLLEGEGYM3 for just $10.99/month (regularly $12.99/month).
Rotation 1: Michigan VT, Rutgers UB
Davis (Michigan): Her vault was not shown. 9.800
Uhlenberg (Rutgers): Blind change to Jaeger, clean in the air. Pak with a very large leg separation. Good handstand before her double layout dismount with a slide back. 9.725
Guggino (Michigan): Yurchenko 1.5 with some leg separation on the table and bent knees in the air, but lands really solidly and sticks. 9.925
Earley (Rutgers): Starts with a lovely, high Gienger to overshoot. Slightly late blind full to double tuck, stuck with a squat. 9.700
Boozer (Michigan): Great height and distance on her Yurchenko full, nice clean line in the air and lands with a small hop. 9.850
Goldsmith (Rutgers): Hindorff to overshoot is a unique combination and she does it well, with some flexed feet throughout. Finishes with a clean double layout with a hop. 9.625
Jordan (Michigan): Another dynamic and clean Yurchenko full with just a bounce in place. 9.900
Adrian (Rutgers): Opens with a clean Tkatchev to Pak salto, legs glued together. Slightly muscled blind full before her double duck dismount with a step back. 9.650
Diaz (Michigan): Michigan has some good momentum going on vault, and Diaz can certainly add to that. Yurchenko 1.5, doesn’t quite get her usual block and lands a little short, has to take a step back. 9.775
Dildy (Rutgers): She’s coming off a career high on this event last week. Maloney to Pak, good form. Great handstand on the high bar. Full in dismount gets good height, lands with a “college stick” and has to step out of it. 9.750
Ranger (Michgan): Nice block for her 1.5, gets good height and lands with a step forward. 9.850
Schenkel (Rutgers): Blind change to piked Jaeger caught close with bent arms to clean overshoot. Solid handstand before toe on front pike half dismount with a stick. 9.800
Ex – Clapper (Michigan): Yurchenko full with good body position, gets a lot of distance and takes a lunge back. 9.725
Ex – Rains (Rutgers): Big, clean Jaeger to overshoot, really nice lines there. Muscles through a handstand before a stuck double tuck dismount. 9.750
Ex – DiNovi (Rutgers): Toe on, Maloney, Pak – pretty big leg separations throughout. Great handstand on a blind full to double tuck with a step forward. 9.625
AFTER ONE: Michigan 49.325, Rutgers 48.625
Michigan matches its season high with dynamic vaults and well-controlled landings. It’s a great way to start off a home meet, and the Wolverines will hope to carry this positive momentum into the rest of the night. Rutgers trails behind after a bars rotation that had no major mistakes, but execution errors proved to be costly. The judges are paying close attention over there. Vault has been a consistent event for the Scarlet Knights this season with some solid 10.0 starts, and they’ll look to close the gap in the next rotation.
Rotation 2: Rutgers VT, Michigan UB
Chevaire (Rutgers): High Yurchenko full, lands with chest down and a hop back. 9.725
Jordan (Michigan): Blind change to Jaeger, catches close with bent arms. Bail to arched handstand. Late handstand on a blind full to double tuck with a hop in place. 9.800
Larsen (Rutgers): This vault was also not shown. B1G+ is everything okay? 9.775
Clapper (Michigan): Blind change to piked Jaeger, caught very close. Good bail. High, clean double layout with a stick. Her swing is so fast, the speed she gets on her giants is crazy. 9.800
Schenkel (Rutgers): Tsuk tucked 1.5 with a solid block and just a small hop in place. Her vault debut this year has been excellent. 9.850
Diaz (Michigan): Toe on, Maloney, Bail – great body position throughout. Really nice handstand on the high bar. Double layout dismount stuck with an arm swing. 9.825
Riley (Rutgers): Yurchenko 1.5, a little loose on the table and not super high but lands well with a small step forward. 9.800
Lew (Michigan): Toe on blind change to piked Jaeger – much better on the catch than the previous ones. Clean Pak salto. Double layout, lands with knees locked and bounces back. It looks like she let go early and pinged off. Really clean bar work before the dismount, though – her toe point is excellent. 9.700
Dildy (Rutgers): Early twist on the table but still gets great rise on her Yurchenko full, clean in the air and a small hop on landing. 9.875
Bauman (Michigan): Toe on blind change to huge Jaeger to over shoot – so dynamic, clean, and tight throughout the series. Blind change to double front dismount with a tiny hop. The highlight of the rotation for sure – and that’s no surprise from a veteran like Bauman! 9.900
Leese (Rutgers): She can put up a big score here. Yurchenko 1.5, doesn’t quite get her usual block and lands a underrotated with a step back, but it was a very clean vault in the air. 9.725
Parenti (Michigan): Toe on to Ray is super high and clean, overshoot and gets too much power and swings completely off the low bar. Finishes with a double layout with a small step. Such a weird fall from her there, she really overpowered that transition. 9.325
Ex – Toscanini (Rutgers): Yurchenko full with a pike down and a hop. 9.750
Ex – Gauger (Michigan): Toe on to Tkatchev to overshoot with some loose form throughout. Stuck double layout dismount! 9.775
Ex – Sanger (Michigan): Late bling change to piked Jaeger, caught very close. Nice Pak salto. Great double layout with another stick. 9.700
AFTER TWO: Michigan 98.350, Rutgers 97.700
The bars judges showed in the first rotation that they were not going to let form mistakes slide, and they kept that energy for Michigan, leading to a season-low 49.025. I appreciate Michigan’s commitment to showing some difficulty with all those piked Jaegers, but I’m not sure the big releases are worth it if they’re going to lack height and be caught with bent arms. The details become the difference-makers as we head towards the postseason. Rutgers put together a very nice vault rotation, and although a big score from Leese in the anchor position would have helped, it still managed a respectable 49.075. Both teams have had one good rotation and one not-so-good one, so it’ll be interesting to see how they respond in rotation three.
Rotation 3: Michigan BB, Rutgers FX
Parenti (Michigan): BHS LOSO with some soft knees and a small adjustment on landing. Good split positions on the switch leap to split jump. Front aerial to split jump is clean. Round off to 1.5 twist dismount with a hop back. A solid leadoff after a disappointing bar routine for her. 9.775
Chevaire (Rutgers): Overrotates her opening double pike and stumbles out a little. 1.5 to front full, nice and clean. Split leap full to split jump full, split positions looked good. Double tuck, steps forward. 9.675
Walters (Michigan): She’s been an excellent beam worker for the Wolverines in her freshman campaign. Front toss to BHS, a touch slow but very clean and precise. Split leap to switch half, slow to beat jump but very good split positions. Front full dismount with a stick – really nice work. 9.875
Larsen (Rutgers): Double pike, bounces out of it and steps OOB. Rudi to double stag jump, great height but not the most controlled. Switch half to wolf full is good and precise. 1.5 to front layout, clean in the air and solid on landing. 9.600
Bauman (Michigan): BHS LOSO, super solid. Split jump to straddle half to sissone, very nice dance series with good body positions. Side somi with an arm wave. Gainer pike dismount off the end with a stick. 9.875
Adrian (Rutgers): They’ll be looking for a solid score from her here after a rocky start to the rotation. 1.5 to front full, small adjustment on landing. Switch half to wolf 1.5, good body position. Rudi, a little uncontrolled on the landing but covers it up. That should be a better score. 9.800
Ranger (Michigan): BHS LOSO LOSO, some flexed feet and a small lean. Solid through her dance series. Front toss with an adjustment. Round off double tuck dismount, super high and a great stick! 9.925
Goldsmith (Rutgers): Front double twist, underrotates and stumbles out of the landing. Front full to front layout, very clean. Switch side to Popa with good straddle positions. Rudi to back layout with great height and form. Very nice tumbling from her! 9.750
Boozer (Michigan): Switch leap to switch split jump, excellent 180 splits. Front aerial to beat jump, solid. Nails the BHS LOSO. BHS gainer full off the side, deep lean forward to hold the stick. 9.850 – I’d be happy to swap her score with Ranger’s.
Dildy (Rutgers): Front fuck through to double tuck, good height and a controlled landing. Switch side to Popa, good form but a little off on the rotations. Double pike, super high and controlled. A great routine for the Scarlet Knights. 9.900
Davis (Michigan): Her beam debut this season and she’s anchoring, interesting! BHS LOSO with a lean. Cat leap to side aerial with low chest, slow to beat jump connection. Switch leap to pike jump, nice form. BHS gainer full off the side with a step forward. 9.800
Leese (Rutgers): Opens with a sky-high full in with a great landing. Switch half to Popa to Shushunova, very nicely done. Front tuck through to double tuck, great control. Two excellent floor routines to close out that rotation for Rutgers! 9.850
Ex – Diaz (Michigan): Switch leap to split jump, splits looked a touch short. Front toss, wobbles and breaks the series to the BHS. Round off to 1.5 twist dismount, looks like she’s rushing and takes a big step forward. 9.400
Ex – Shiau (Rutgers): I think they just announced her as Jimmy Shiau. Sorry Kimmy. Opens with a clean double pike. 1.5 to front layout, some bent knees and not the most controlled landing. Switch half to Popa, good. Solid double tuck to finish. 9.625
Ex – Guggino (Michigan): BHS LOSO, great height and landing. Side somi, lands too far back and falls. Straddle jump to straddle jump half to beat jump, good. Gainer full off the side with great rise – that’s what it’s supposed to look like! – and a step back. 9.175
Ex – Rains (Rutgers): She uses the same music Jordan Bowers used last year – one of my favorites. Opens with a 2.5 twist, a little uncontrolled on the landing and steps OOB. Switch ring to switch ring half – good splits, but not perfect ring positions. 1.5 to front layout is very nice, clean and controlled. 9.675
AFTER THREE: Michigan 147.675, Rutgers 146.675
49.325 isn’t the monster beam score we know Michigan is capable of, but it was still a solid rotation and an improvement on last week’s score. With a one point lead going into the final rotation, this will be a clear path to a home win, but the Wolverines will still need to put together a clean final rotation to benefit their NQS. Rutgers struggled early in the rotation, but a pair of great performances from Dildy and Leese helped towards a 48.975 total. A 196 may be just out of the Scarlet Knights’ reach tonight, but a solid beam rotation will still allow them to put up a solid team score.
Rotation 4: Rutgers BB, Michigan FX
Adrian (Rutgers): Let’s see how she can lead off this final rotation. BHS LOSO, solid with nice toepoint. Switch leap to switch half is good. Round off to double twist dismount, some leg form but sticks it. Great way to start things off! 9.825
Davis (Michigan): Front layout to Rudi, super tight body position and great control on the landing. Switch half to wolf full to wolf full, travels a bit. Double pike, looks like she’s going to stick it but has to step forward. 9.850
Beaulieu (Rutgers): Cat leap to front toss, deep lean but holds on. BHS LOSO, soft knees but very solid landing. Beat jump to split jump 3/4, good. Round off to double twist dismount, the same as Adrian, with a small bounce in place. 9.775
Walters (Michigan): Front double full, some crossed legs and steps close to OOB but looks like she kept it in. Switch half to Popa to straddle jump, great body position. 1.5 to front full, better twisting position there. 9.875
Larsen (Rutgers): BHS LOSO, super small adjustment. Switch leap to switch half, splits do not quite look 180, balance check on landing. Round off to 1.5 twist dismount, small step. 9.625
Parenti (Michigan): Starts with a solid double pike. Switch half to tuck jump full, good. 1.5 to front full, very clean and controlled, great pass. 9.850
Smith (Rutgers): BHS BHS LOSO, some soft knees but precise landing. Switch leap to switch leap, splits looked tentative. Round off to 1.5 twist dismount, some crossed legs, stuck landing. Rutgers shows a lot of difficulty in its beam routines. 9.750
Diaz (Michigan): Front double twist, soft knees but good control. Well-controlled wolf turn. Rudi to high LOSO, well done. Switch half to wolf full is clean and precise. 9.900
Riley (Rutgers): Rock-solid BHS LOSO to start. Split jump to split jump 3/4, good split positions. Side aerial, solid. She looks super confident up there. BHS to 1.5 twist, clean and controlled with a stick. What a routine! 9.800
Bauman (Michigan): Front double full, definitely the cleanest one we’ve seen so far. Switch half to wolf full to wolf full, good height and body positions. 1.5 to front layout, great rise on the second salto and good control. Excellent floor work from Bauman. 9.900
Dildy (Rutgers): Finishing off a solid all-around day for herself here. Front pike toss to BHS, clean and confident. Cat leap to switch side, solid. Small adjustment on her full turn. Gainer full off the side with a stick, very good. 9.850
Ranger (Michigan): This should be a big routine to close out the meet. Open with a double layout, stuck cold with no lunge! Wow. Switch half to Popa, nice and precise. Front layout through to double tuck, great height and controls the landing well. Awesome way to finish out this meet for the Wolverines. 9.900
Ex – Rains (Rutgers): Her lines are lovely to watch on the other events, but they especially shine on beam. BHS LOSO, leg comes up and she falls. Cat leap to front aerial with a lean. Gainer full off the side with a stick. 9.125
Ex – Sanger (Michigan): Double pike, great height. Switch half to wolf full to wolf full, good. 1.5 to front full, nice and clean. 9.750
Ex – DiNovi (Rutgers): BHS LOSO, tiny lean. Split jump to split 3/4, good. BHS gainer full off the side with a small step. 9.575
Ex – Guggino (Michigan): I believe this is the first time we’re seeing her on floor this season. Double pike, solid. Switch side to Popa, straddle positions looked slightly short. Front layout to Rudi with a foot slide.
FINAL: Michigan 197.100, Rutgers 195.675
Going into the final rotation, I was doubting Michigan’s ability to hit 197 in this meet, but a string of 9.900 routines led to a solid 49.425 floor total. Michigan showed flashes of brilliance tonight, but there are still pieces that need to come together if the Wolverines want to solidify their position as nationals contenders. Rutgers should be pleased with tonight’s performance – it wasn’t perfect, and there are definitely things to work on, but vault and beam were solid rotations with multiple standout performances. Cleaning up those bar routines will be key in pushing towards 196 and challenging for a place at regionals. Dildy continues to be a leader for this team, and her all-around performance tonight was a winning one.
VT: Guggino (Michigan) – 9.925
UB: Bauman (Michigan) – 9.900
BB: Ranger (Michigan) – 9.925
FX: Diaz, Ranger, Bauman (Michigan), Dildy (Rutgers) – 9.900
AA: Dildy (Rutgers) – 39.375
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