This exciting Big 12 matchup has No. 12 Utah headed to Colorado to face No. 21 Denver. Utah is coming in strong after winning its past meet at home while Denver is hoping to bounce back after a tough loss on the road.
Utah’s Avery Neff delivered a standout performance last week, winning the all-around title and scoring a perfect 10.0 on vault- her second consecutive meet with a perfect score. Continuing to stack up these flawless routines, Neff is getting closer and closer to earning a Gym Slam, an accomplishment given to gymnasts who obtain a perfect score on every event. Ana Padurariu has been another necessity for the Utes, providing big scores on bars and beam. Ella Zirbes has been steady on vault, bars, and floor throughout the season, displaying her reliability and confidence under pressure.
Denver will be looking for some redemption after falling short of a 196.000 at last week’s meet at home. The Pioneers looked to be facing nerves throughout the tight competition, ultimately coming up short to the BYU Cougars. Cecilia Cooley, however, was able to be crowned with the all-around win, remaining cool, calm, and collected despite the circumstances. Shyla Bhatia and Maddison Reidenbach also made their mark of floor, as usual, earning impressive 9.900’s. If Denver competes as they train and learn from their last meet, they are capable of accomplishing an upset against the powerful Utah team at home.
This should be a fun one!
The meet will be streamed on Midco Sports Plus ($), and scores can be found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: Denver VT, Utah UB
Hargraves (DU): Y-full, nice pop off the table and gets the stick! 9.875
Smith (UU): HS is nice, pak, VL to high bar, Toe on to toe on pike half off and sticks it! 9.825
Kasparian (DU): Y-full, really nice distance and just a small hop back. 9.825
Raposo (UU): Starting with a Maloney, up to clear hip and bail down, VL back up, nice HS, DLO with small slide back. 9.775
Reidenbach (DU): Y-full, nice body position in air and small hop back. 9.775
Ryssman (UU): HS is nice, blind to piked jaeger, almost over on HS down to pak, over on pirouette and adds another half, sticks her DLO! 9.725
Hewitt (DU): Y-full, nice distance just a little off center. Tiny hop back. 9.800
Zirbes (UU): First HS is great, blind to HIGH straddle jaeger, holds her HS down to pak, ends with a full in and nails that landing! 9.875
Brusch (DU): Y-full, AMAZING body position, opens up at the landing. Just a small hop back. 9.900
Padurariu (UU): Maloney to bail HS is good, final HS is on top, toe on pike half off! 9.900
Bhatia (DU): Y-1.5, shoulder angle of vault and a little under-rotated, steps back. 9.750
Neff (UU): First HS is solid, free hip to piked gienger, bail HS, and sticks her full twisting DLO! This should be a good one! 9.950
Ex. Glynn (UU): Maloney to bail HS, His are good, stalder to double tuck and sticks it! 9.850
AFTER ONE: Utah 49.325, Denver 49.175
Utah takes the lead in rotation one, but Denver is following close behind with an amazing vault rotation! The Red Rocks had amazing, high-flying routines with sticks after sticks. Avery Neff was the highlight of their bars rotation, scoring an impressive 9.950! Denver was able to minimize on their landing deductions and kept great body positions in the air, allowing them to hit a vault team score higher than their average! Both teams look hyped-up going into rotation two!
Rotation 2: Utah VT, Denver UB
Winger (UU): Y-1.5, nice body extension but has a BIG hop forward. 9.800
Kastl (DU): Starts with Maloney to pak, pirouette is right on top, blind full to immediate double tuck, hops forward. 9.775
Zirbes (UU): Y-1.5, keeps body open but under-rotates and steps back. 9.725
Kasparian (DU): Maloney to pak is pretty, pirouette is good, goes over on her HS on high bar and falls. Holds it the second time, blind full to HIGH double tuck, sticks it (?) They will want to drop this one. 9.225
Johnson (UU): Y-1.5, great block off table and height, just a medium hop forward. 9.825
Rorich (DU): Pressure on the rest of the lineup. Blind to straddle jaeger is good, bail HS down, she’s being safe on her HS’s, small slide back with one foot on her DLO. 9.850
Smith (UU): Sticks her Y- half on pike off! Holds her toes in but doesn’t move her feet! 9.925
Bhatia (DU): Maloney to pak, pirouette, good final HS, DLO, lets go a little early but stays on her feet, just a step back. 9.800
Glynn (UU): Y-1.5, BIG vault but also BIG hop forward and extra step to salute. 9.675
Brusch (DU): Maloney to pak, pirouette on top, ends with a DLO, tiniest slide back on landing. 9.800
Neff (UU): HUGE Y-1.5, great shape throughout, small hop forward on landing. 9.875
Cooley (DU): HUGE ray, bail to HS down, good final HS, NAILS her DLO! 9.925!
Ex. Raposo (UU): Y-1.5, twisted on the vault a little bit and takes a medium hop forward. 9.825
AFTER TWO: Utah 98.475, Denver 98.325
Denver is getting closer to shortening the lead that Utah has. With an early fall in the lineup, the Pioneers were able to drop that score and acheive yet another impressive event score of 49.150. Utah was STACKED with 10.0 start value vaults but struggled to find their landings. Makenna Smith highlighted the Utes with a BIG 9.925. Utah leads in the first half of this meet!
Rotation 3: Denver BB, Utah FX
Cooley (DU): Starts with a BHS LOSO LOSO, doesn’t get back foot down but stays on. Switch leap to split jump, check. BHS side a stuck side gainer full! 9.650
Glynn (UU): First pass is a FHS double twist, great control on landing. Switch ring to jump series, nice extension. Last pass is RO 1.5 to front layout, low on front layout and slides OOB, but keeps in on her feet. 9.575
Rutter (DU): Barani to beautiful split jump. Switch leap to split jump, good extension. BHS LOSO, open hips and wobbles, but keeps it on. RO to a stuck 1.5! 9.700
Johnson (UU): Starting with a POWERFUL DLO, hops back and it looks like her heels went OOB. Second pass is a front through to double pike, sticks it cold. Intense music with the worm, I like it. 9.775
Steeley (DU): Exhibiting her flexibility in dance. Front aerial is solid. BHS LOSO, looks good but falls. Full turn. Split jump to split ring, check. BHS to a side gainer full, sticks it! The Pioneers will not want to count this routine. 9.175
Neff (UU): Starting with a controlled front double twist to barani to double stag! I love her high-energy routine! Ends with a RO 1.5 to front full, hops forward and is CLOSE to that line. 9.875
Hargraves (DU): Full turn is good. Front aerial to BHS is smooth. Switch leap to split 3/5, leans back but saves it. Unique front gainer full off on the side and sticks it! 9.725
Zirbes (UU): Starting with a front double twist, nice control there. Switch half to straddle full, good rotation on jumps. Final pass is a RO 1.5 to front full, not a lot of rise but no problems on the landing. 9.950
Gallen (DU): Icing her out while talking about Hargraves’s score. BHS LOSO, floaty and solid. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump, well done. Looking confident. Ends with front gainer pike off, sticks with a low chest. 9.725
Smith (UU): This is going to a fun one to watch. Strong with a front double twist to front tuck, no issues on that landing. Ending with a front rudi to LOSO, and an AMAZING ending to that routine! 9.925
Aamold (DU): I love that she’s doing her beam routine to rap. Side aerial to BHS is clean. Switch leap to split jump is good. Front aerial. Ends with a piked front gainer off, sticks it! Denver needed this one! 9.850
Curtis (UU): Opening with a DLO, nice extension and chest up on landing! Front tuck through to leap combo, maybe a little wonky in connection. Ends with a perfectly controlled front full to front full. 9.925
Ex. Bhatia (DU): Starting with a full turn, small check. BHS LOSO is solid. Leap to switch half. RO 1.5, step forward on landing. 9.700
Ex. Krump (UU): Huge double pike, steps back to lunge. Another fun routine, I’m dancing in my chair. Front layout, front full, front pike, I love how each flip raises!
AFTER THREE: Utah 147.925, Denver 146.975
Both teams had a rough start to this rotation. That was not the beam rotation Denver wanted, only having one score exceeding 9.800. Although they were not forced to count the fall from earlier in the lineup, they appeared to let nerves get in their way with many balance checks in the lineup. Utah, on the other hand, went lights-out on the floor with a huge 49.450 after having a low opening score. Denver is headed to their highest ranked event, floor, while Utah ends on the beam where they are ranked number ten in the country! Let’s see how these teams end this meet!
Rotation 4: Utah BB, Denver FX
Gantner (UU): Floaty BHS LOSO, clean landing. Switch half to straddle jump, so pretty. RO 1.5, small shuffle to the side. 9.775
Gallen (DU): Starts with a double tuck, hops back to lunge. Good extension in her leaps. Teammates are dancing with her! Front layout to front full, great landing there! 9.800
Zirbes (UU): Pretty dance! BHS LOSO, slides front foot back but is square. Hitch kick to switch half. Tick-tock. Sticks her gainer front full off the end! 9.825
Hargraves (DU): Opening front a front layout to rudi, second flip is higher than the first. Switch full to straddle full is controlled. Ending with a RO 1.5 front layout, dances out! 9.800
Ryssman (UU): BHS LOSO is good. Side sumi, solid. Missed the dismount but it looks like Utah liked it! 9.825
Rorich (DU): Starts with front tuck through to double back, clean. Her music stopped but she’s still going, LOVE that the loud crowd helping her out and Utah is cheering her on! Double pike to close it and the crowd is MAKING NOISE! I’m not sure what they’ll do with that but a great routine despite technical difficulties! 9.900
Padurariu (UU): Double wolf turn is graceful. Front aerial to BHS, solid. Split jump to sheep jump, tiniest hop forward. Piked front gainer off, adjusts right foot. 9.875
Bhatia (DU): Beautiful front double twist to ring kick. Such an engaging routine. Capping off with a rudi to back layout to straddle jump and dances out! 9.825
Neff (UU): Side aerial to BHS is solid. Barani, no problems there. Full turn. Cartwheel to side gainer full, gets a really nice lift in her flip and sticks it!! 9.950
Reidenbach (DU): RO to half twist, rudi, unique! Switch 3/4 to straddle jump, controlled. Ending with a HIGH double tuck and keeps that front foot planted! 9.900
Winger (UU): BHS LOSO LOSO, such pretty form. Switch leap to split jump, good extension. Full turn is good. BHS to a HIGH side gainer full, low chest but glues feet down. 9.800
Cooley (DU): She’s set up for something big! Opens with a front layout to rudi to split jump and is OOB. Final pass is a RO 1.5 front layout, floaty and controlled! 9.725
Ex. Smith (UU): BHS LOSO, clean. Cat leap to front aerial, awesome. Switch leap to straddle quarter. Tiny hop back on her piked front gainer. 9.775
FINAL: Utah 197.200, Denver 196.100
Not the best meet from Denver, but even with mistakes the Pioneers were able to come up strong with a very solid 196.100! DU had a tough time on beam, scoring below their average at home. The Red Rocks looked confident and loose out there finishing with a 197.200 on the road, which will increase their NQS! Utah looked particularly decorated on the floor with the last three scores just shy of perfect! Such a fun meet!
VT: Makenna Smith (Utah) 9.925
UB: Avery Neff (Utah) 9.950
BB: Avery Neff (Utah) 9.950
FX: Ella Zirbes (Utah) 9.950
AA: Avery Neff (Utah) 39.650
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Live blog by Jenna Garcia
