The SEC, ACC, and Big 12 come together in a podium meet that will serve as a critical checkpoint before the postseason.
LSU and Alabama are facing off for the second time in three days. The Tigers “grinded for the win” as head coach Jay Clark put it Friday night as there were two falls that they were able to avoid counting but came up just short of the 198 mark. Clark hinted that there may be some shuffling of the lineups today to give some other athletes a chance to compete, so look for that here today. Alabama had an impressive night but according to head coach Ashley Johnston, they are ready for a rematch. We will see how the Crimson Tide respond today.
Besides these two teams, we have the Wildcats from Arizona and the Tar Heels from North Carolina. Arizona was a late addition to this meet due to losing its previously scheduled opponent, but this is an important meet for its NQS, as it has a 193 it would love to drop with a solid performance today. Look for Abigayle Martin to continue her impressive all-around campaign fresh off her second-highest all-around score of the season, and floor queen Emma Strom to be a dark horse for the floor title in this event; she has only scored below a 9.900 twice all season. North Carolina has been on the rise all season and looks to continue that again today behind star freshman Sydney Seabrooks and senior leader Gwen Fink. Both have scored as high as 9.950 on their respective events and would love to replicate that performance as the Tar Heels search for their first 197 of the season.
You cannot, unfortunately, watch this meet online. However, I will be posting as many videos on my X account linked here as I am able!
Checking in from the Raising Canes River Center! Fair warning now that I have little to no view of balance beam so you might not get a lot from that event but everything else should be good to go. Most of my videos will likely come from bars since that’s what I have the best view of.
Rotation 1: LSU VT, Alabama UB, UNC BB, Arizona FX
Zeiss (LSU) – Y 1.5, had a good block off the table, gets a stick on her landing. 9.900
Seabrooks (UNC) – BHS LOSO series, hits it nicely. Front toss beat jump, solid, no major balance breaks, BHS 1.5 dismount with a stick. 9.850
McClain (LSU) – Y full, lots of height, about as much as she had on Friday, with another stick. 9.925
Gladieux (ALA): Blind to straddle, nice catch on the bar. Hits her final handstand, Blind full to double tuck with a stick. 9.875
Roberts (LSU) – FHS pike half, much better height than she had on Friday, takes a hop back on the landing. 9.850
Second up for beam (Stippich) on UNC just fell on her series (9.075), Pawlak on bars for Alabama has a solid routine and takes a step on the dismount. The Alabama faithful hung around after Friday’s meet and are cheering on their team faithfully.
Drayton (LSU) – Y 1.5, got the stick she has been looking for. 9.950.
Another fall for North Carolina on beam, this one from Gwen Fink. 9.075
Chio (LSU) – Y 1.5, lots of height but underrotates it and takes a step back. Her streak of consecutive sticks ends here, but still a solid vault. 9.850
LaCoursiere (ALA) – 9.925! https://x.com/savannaaaxo/status/2028221954793058755?s=20
LaRusso (AZ) – Coming on the end. Hits her back 1.5 to front layout pass in an otherwise solid routine. Carman had a miss on floor, falling on her last tumbling pass, so the Wildcats are also in a pressure situation. 9.825
Ra-Akbar (ALA) – 9.975! https://x.com/savannaaaxo/status/2028219782193967278?s=20
Derr (AZ) – double twist to open, one of many Hamilton routines we will see here today. Gorgeous choreography throughout, hits her second pass nicely. Two more to go to erase Carman’s fall. 9.800
Martin (AZ) – Solid double pike to open things up! Nice rotation on her leap series, maybe a little below 180 but my angle is really weird. Front layout front full second pass, underrotates and almost sits it down but just takes a deep squat instead. Goes for the double tuck final pass and does sit that one down. 8.750
Valahovic (UNC) – BHS LOSO series, super floaty in the air. Switch leap switch half beat jump, little below 180 but moves through it well. RO 1.5 dismount with a stick. Tough beam rotation for the Tar Heels but working through it. 9.900
Strom (AZ) – Rudi to layout step out as she opens with Uptown Girls. Switch leap to switch half, slightly out of control but rotates it well. Back 1.5 to front full as her second and final pass. Nice ending to the WIldcats’ floor lineup! 9.900
AFTER ONE: Alabama 49.500, LSU 49.475, North Carolina 48.375 Arizona 48.300
Alabama caught the stick bug early on bars and never let up, giving them a .025 lead after one. Johnston said they were ready for a rematch and they showed it early. It will be up to the Tigers to make up some ground. Arizona and UNC will look to bounce back from falls as we move through the rest of the meet.
Rotation 2: Arizona VT, LSU UB, Alabama BB, UNC FX
LaRusso (AZ) – Y full, solid in the air, small hop back on the landing.
Naranjo (UNC) – Double pike to open, nice controlled step back on the landing. Front layout front full punch front second pass, switch side straddle full leap series, solid opening routine for the Tar Heels.
Ulrich (LSU) – Maloney to Pak, tiny leg separation but nothing major, hits her final handstand, double layout with a solid stick!
LaCoursiere (ALA) – candle mount was solid. Front aerial, typically connects that to a BHS. Has to repeat the skill and adds the BHS to get credit for her series. Slight wobble out of the full turn. RO 1.5 with a stick. Biggest deduction will be in having to repeat the front aerial. 9.825
Martin (AZ) – Y full, lots of height, piked it down on the landing, takes a small step backwards.
Y’all this meet is moving EXTREMELY fast, I’m doing the best that I can.
Janicke just hit a solid Y full for Arizona, McClain had a solid routine up until the hop on the dismount. Alexis Jeffrey is back in the bars lineup and gets a 9.875
Cawley (ALA) – Hits her turn series early. BHS LOSO solid. Cat leap to switch side, lacked some amplitude and had a tiny wobble afterwards. BHS gainer full dismount, arm swing and has to hop on her landing. 9.775
Forbes (UNC) – Louisiana girl getting a loud welcome here. Tucked full-in to open, nice and controlled on her landings. Front layout front full, takes a step forward out of it. Solid rotation on the leap series! Finishes with a double tuck, opens up a little early and steps forward out of it as well.
Kvamme (ALA) – Switch leap split jump, solid 180 position on those leaps. Front toss, nails it. Alabama quietly having a good beam rotation, front gainer full dismount with a stick. Interested to see if that keeps them in the lead over LSU or not. 9.925
Seabrooks (UNC) – 9.950! https://x.com/savannaaaxo/status/2028227857617486181?s=20
Rueda (UNC) – Lots of height on her double tuck to open, WOW. Lacked some split in her leap series, will likely get a deduction off of that. Back 1.5 to front layout, nice rise between skills. Switch side straddle half, another issue with her position in the air, but should give UNC a nice boost heading to vault. 9.875
AFTER TWO: LSU 99.025, Alabama 98.675, North Carolina 97.625, Arizona 97.075
LSU comes back with a hit bars rotation to take the lead from Alabama. Admittedly, I cannot see much of beam so I’m really not sure of what all went on but I’ll get you scores ASAP. Arizona had clean vaults but struggled to find landings while North Carolina shined on the floor early on, capped off with Seabrooks’ 9.950 with one judge going 10.
Rotation 3: UNC VT, Arizona UB, LSU BB, Alabama FX
Prejean (UNC) – Y full, good block off the table, maybe piked down ever so slightly but got a stick!
Puleo (AZ) – Blind to piked Jaeger, catches the high bar with some bent elbows, bail to handstand was clean, short on her final handstand, hop on the dismount.
King (UNC) – Y full, clean in the air, takes a tiny step back on the landing.
Innes (LSU) – Front aerial to BHS series, stumbles out of it and tries to turn to cover it up. Side aerial was much cleaner. Nice amplitude on her leap series, RO 1.5 dismount tiny hop on the landing.
Cawley (ALA) – nails the tucked full-in! Switch half wolf full wolf full series was good, maybe cheated her rotation ever so slightly. Back 1.5 to front layout, had really nice amplitude between skills. Nicely done for the freshman!
Seabrooks (UNC) – hits a solid Y full. Tar Heels have a good rotation going on vault! 9.825
Valahovic (UNC) – Unfortunately falls on her Y 1.5, looks like she didn’t have quite enough rotation to get it all the way around.
Matters (ALA) – Front through to double tuck, hits it nicely. Beautiful height and rotation on her leap series, nails her double salto final pass. 9.900
Lincoln (LSU) – Front aerial to BHS, some bent knees in the aerial, Switch half beat jump, nice and clean. Hits her additional leap series nicely, BHS 1.5 dismount with a small hop forward.
Forbes (UNC) – Y full with a stick! She is MONEY on vault and today was no exception. 9.900
Ra-Akbar (ALA) – front through to 2.5 twist, absolutely gorgeous, switch ring to switch half, rotation and height are spot on. Back 1.5 to front layout was nicely done. 9.925
Martin (AZ) – 9.775 https://x.com/savannaaaxo/status/2028237160911098296?s=20
McClain (LSU) – Side aerial is clean, hitting all her elements on releve, sticks her side gainer full. Couldn’t see a ton, but what I saw was just as good as Friday when she got a 9.975
Chio (LSU) – hits her opening mount, BHS LOSO spot on. Front aerial to split jump right at 180 degrees. Switch leap split jump nicely done. BHS 1.5 twist with a stick. Will it be her third straight 10 on beam? And it is! Her third straight 10 on beam, sixth of the season. Goodness.
Sears (ALA) – double layout to open, some looseness in the air, step on the landing. Hits her second pass and gets the attention of the crowd with her performance. She loves it, her team loves it! 9.925
Gladieux (ALA) – solid on her opening pass. Nice rise on her leap series, front layout to Rudi to split jump, better control than I’ve seen from her previously. Finishes it strong, interested to see where the judges go for that one! 9.950, one judge went 10
AFTER THREE: LSU 148.650, Alabama 148.275, North Carolina 146.825, Arizona 146.025
Rotation 4: Alabama VT, UNC UB, Arizona BB, LSU FX
Marshall (ALA) – in the leadoff spot and hits her FHS pike half!
Innes (LSU) – FHS front double full, nice controlled step out of it. Comes right back with a back 1.5 to front layout, lacked a little bit of rise, nice rotation on her leap series. FHS rudi double stag jump to close it out. LSU has the lead and hopes to keep it with Alabama starting to get sticky on vault.
Seabrooks (UNC) – video coming!
Matters (ALA) – Coming off Paradise’s 9.925 and Marshall’s 9.875. FHS pike half, lots of height off the table, tiniest hop back on the landing. 9.825
Ballou (LSU) – Double layout to open, maybe a deeper landing than we’re used to seeing but not awful. FLO rudi pass is solid. Coming off Innes’ 9.900, should stay around that mark.
Mead (AZ) – Pretty choreography sequence to open! BHS LOSO to open, nicely done. Front toss, nails that as well. Split jump straddle half, lacked a little split on the split. Switch leap right into side gainer full dismount with a hop back.
Ra-Akbar (ALA) – Y 1.5, deep squat on the landing, but keeps her feet still.
Kvamme (ALA) – Y 1.5, had the height and the distance, underrotates and has to take a step back. Likely will not hit that 198 today, but a solid meet for the Tide nonetheless.
Kylie Coen just hit a career high 9.975 on floor for LSU. Insane.
Drayton (LSU) – hits her double layout to open, switch ring to switch half, front tuck through to double tuck, bounces out of it ever so slightly but it’s another hit for the Tigers. 9.900
Wise (AZ) – BHS BHS LOSO, lifts her leg after the layout but stays on the beam. Straddle half was solid, pretty full turn. RO 1.5 dismount with a hop forward. 9.775
Ulrich (LSU) – In here for Chio. Hits her double layout to open, having fun with this routine. Back 1.5 to front layout, beautiful rise between skills. Loving she got a chance on this podium floor here today.
Martin (AZ) – Finishing out the Wildcats’ day on beam. Switch leap stag jump, nicely done. BHS LOSO, straight down the middle of the beam. Front aerial is clean, nicely done out of the full turn. Side gainer full dismount with a stick. She had a tough day but overall came back nicely.
FINAL: LSU 198.200, Alabama 197.650, North Carolina 195.950, Arizona 195.000
VT: Drayton (LSU) – 9.950
UB: Ra-Akbar (ALA) – 9.975
BB: Chio (LSU) – 10.000
FX: Coen (LSU) – 9.975
AA: Gladieux (ALA) – 39.575
Alabama gets a half a point higher than it did at LSU on Friday, but it’s all Tigers here today as they soar to another 198 and get the team title here. North Carolina goes below 196 for the first time this season while Arizona reaches its goal of dropping the 193 and has a better score for its NQS. Thanks for hanging out with me during this chaotic experience! Gym fans rock, don’t ever change.
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Live blog by Savanna Wellman
