Is it crazy to say this feels like a bigger matchup than LSU at Oklahoma? Maybe it’s because these teams have been SEC rivals for so much longer, and the result seems like a genuine toss-up almost every year. Each team has just one gymnast who has scored a 10.000 this season—LSU’s Kailin Chio, who has racked up several—but it’s Senior Night in Gainesville, so don’t be surprised if that changes at the hands of Selena Harris-Miranda.
Thursday also brought unfortunate news for Florida: Floor lineup mainstay Taylor Clark ruptured her Achilles and will miss the remainder of the season. Clark had also spoken about working toward the vault lineup later in the year, which would have been welcome after the Gators’ vault struggles last week at Texas Woman’s. It will be interesting to see how Florida adjusts on the leg events in her absence.
The meet will be streamed on the SEC Network, and scores can be found here.
Here, all! I can’t help but feel like we’re in for a scoring boogaloo…but time will tell. There is definitely a big American Twisters section in the O’Dome cheering for Nina Ballou.
Rotation 1: Florida VT, LSU UB
Draser VT: Drilled it in the warmup, let’s see how it goes here. Looked like a small hop forward but there are so many people standing in front. Some bent legs in the air on the replay. 9.850
Zeiss UB: almost went over on the handstand before Maloney so has to recast, back to the high bar and the Pak is fine, double back very low chest and hops forward. 9.700
Frazier VT: Overcooks the DTY, decent-sized hop back and has to catch herself on another small bounce. 9.800
Cowan UB: Comes off on her Ray and has to somersault out of the fall, but I don’t think she hit her head. She’s up. Counting at least the 9.700 now. Some nerves in this lineup to start out. Ray again and catches right to the bail, DLO stuck with chest up. 9.300
DiCello VT: That got cheers like it was a stick but you see a very slight movement I believe on the replay, I wonder if judges caught. 9.950, I guess they did.
Ulrich UB: Maloney to Pak was fine with legs together, floaty DLO chest slightly down but a stick…if pressure was a person! 9.900
Ferris VT: Good height on the y1.5, has to step back. Best leg form in the air thus far. Feeling On My Body in the background is so right for her energy. 9.800, surprises me it went that low.
Chio UB: Maloney to bail no issues, handstands looking crisp, Markelov looked a bit close over the bar but caught it, drills FTDLO just like warmup. 9.900
Blakely VT: Sizeable hop back and legs apart off the table but otherwise clean in the air on the half-on vault. 9.825
Blackson UB: Perfectly crisp first handstand but bail goes ever so slightly over, great height on the Markelov, DLO a little pikey but stuck. Love her lines on the event. 9.900 is the score of the rotation, the Tigers will take it after the first two.
Harris-Miranda VT: The roof may be about to blow off this place. We’re still waiting on Skye’s score though. Yep…that’s a stick. Some bent legs but we know what’s coming. 9.950 boos abound during Konnor’s bars.
McClain UB: Piked Tkatchev to Pak ever so slight leg separation, stuck FTDB to end. 9.975 wow…
AFTER ONE: Florida 49.375, LSU 49.375
LSU understood the assignment after those first two breaks and delivered hit after hit to follow up. Vault for Florida was obviously an improvement from last week but overall about where it’s been for most of the season otherwise, bounces on landings other than SHM saving the day at the end. I am a little surprised we wound up with a tie after that, but I guess I shouldn’t be.
Rotation 2: LSU VT, Florida UB
Zeiss VT: Like Draser leading off for UF, she stuck it cold in warmups. She did the same here, better actually! It went 9.825..
Frazier UB: Maloney to Pak a bit whippy and some leg separation on the latter skill, DLO stuck a little piked down. 9.925
McClain VT: Stuck as well on the yfull, maybe a bit of pike down there as well. 9.925
Pilgrim UB: Some of my favorite lines on this event, Tkatchev looked a little labored but got around with toe point, Maloney legs together, stuck the dismount. Two for two. 9.875
Roberts VT: Hop back on her pike half, more noticeably piked down there. 9.850
Blakely UB: Releases look beautiful with toe point and lines. Double front half that’s a stick as well. The best of the three thus far. 9.975 I am #noticing the “woah” from the media member next to me…
Lincoln VT: Stuck y1.5 great distance from the table, not much to take from that…9.975 as well
DiCello UB: Big air on Piked Tkatchev to Pak legs glued, tiny bit of separation on the VL, just a step back on FTDB. 9.900
Drayton VT: Stuck y1.5 as well, a bit less distance and amplitude than Kaliya’s but similar form in the air. This is a fire emojis rotation for sure. 9.975
Harris-Miranda UB: Clears the bar with room to spare on Tkatchev, bail is fine, holds last handstand decisively and a stuck DLO chest just down a bit. Her and then club teammate Chio about to anchor oh my…Alexa play “let’s get loud.” 9.950
Chio VT: Of course drilled the y1.5, do we get a perfect score here after her two predecessors? Nope, 9.975
McCusker UB: Last routine in the O’Dome, Maloney to Pak usual crisp form, best VL of the lineup, hop back on the double back. 9.875
AFTER TWO: LSU 99.075, Florida 99.000
Well, LSU heard the doubts after the first rotation and left absolutely zero after vault. Florida also elevated quite a bit in that bars rotation, with sticks abound and overall very clean execution especially in the back half. This is going to be a battle.
Rotation 3: Florida BB, LSU FX
Draser BB: BHS LOSO smooth across the beam, no checks, leaps perhaps a little below 180 but precise as well, back 1.5 chest down and has to hop forward. 9.825
Innes FX: Such a different floor vibe than LSU’s usual with the strings but love it. Front double full a little good in the air, but more control on the back 1.5 to front lay. Amplitude on leaps perhaps a bit under 280, Rudi to Stag great form and height on the jump. The arena is weirdly so quiet or the music is just not loud. 9.850
Arana BB: BHS LOSO very clean, front aerial taking her time on the routine. Switch leaps are solid, stuck gainer off the side, getting the ten hands.
Ballou FX: DLO controlled step back, yeah I think it’s that LSU’s music feels a bit quiet, even EoO by Bad Bunny which is not a quiet song. Switch side to wolf full to pike full is tidy and well-executed, front lay to Rudi chest up. 9.875
Blakely BB: Wolf triple felt a little fast but no hesitation, front aerial BHS, switch leap combo with the amplitude, slight check on the wolf jump, stuck gainer off the side. 9.925
Coen FX: Front lay front double full solid, this went 9.975 last week, love mid-routine acro on the side, nice front lay to front full. tour jete half to Popa jumps look great. 9.925
Frazier BB: Front aerial to BHS, she just looks strong in her beam work. Switch to ring jump are 180. Stuck back 1.5 off the side. 9.950
Drayton FX: DLO maybe a bit of front foot movement, great position on her switch ring, front tuck through to big double back and that one a bit less secure on the landing, steps to the side a bit.
DiCello BB: Wolf turns get around securely, switch leaps are dynamic and hit 180, BHS LOSO clean, maybe the slightest check on her front aerial but it’s really small, gainer full off the side. 9.950
Chio FX: Full-in secure front foot doesn’t move, switch ring to tour jete half keeps toe point, back 2.5 front tuck is stuck in place.
Harris-Miranda BB: Triple series is her usual secure, straddle half hits 180, back 1.5 stuck. 9.950 for this one too, or do the judges finally go for it…yep, 10.000
Lincoln FX: DLO is good amidst the screaming for Selena’s 10.000, again this music is so quiet, hits her switch to tour jete full, front lay to front full controlled step forward. Goes 9.975
AFTER THREE: Florida 148.700, LSU 148.675
Beam was definitely the story of that rotation, with LSU doing its usual on floor but Florida feeling especially crisp to get the edge on the rotation. With home floor coming up, I expect the Gators will get the edge, but there’ve been more surprising routines in this meet so far.
Rotation 4: LSU BB, Florida FX
Coen BB: Front aerial to beat was secure, small check on BHS LOSO, switch leap to split jump was 180, back full has to step back. 9.825
G. Disidore FX: Front lay to Rudi to stag, stag got sooo high off the ground. Straddle leaps are about 180, lol at everyone doing the gator chomp right before her…last front pass a little uncontrolled with the back leg up to save. 9.900
Zeiss BB: Side aerial to open is strong, front aerial to BHS keeps it connected, switch to split leap combo is 180, a little scary on the wolf turn but saves it, stuck tucked gainer full to end. 9.875
Ferris FX: Even this floor music feels quiet, full-in very secure. Usual straddle leap position. Back 1.5 to front lay onto her feet, solid with not too much to take. 9.925 is going to be a wild rotation.
Drayton BB: Switch half confident to start, same on BHS LOSO, very quick on her next leap combo, back full looked like a small hop in place. 9.950
Frazier FX: This crowd has LOVED eMjae’s routine this season. DLO controlled lunge, ring jump and straddle are positioned well, leap in the middle of the combo may have been just under 280. Front tuck through to double back controlled lunge as well. 9.975 for that
Lincoln BB: Fighting through 9.975 boos and Sweet Caroline singing along, not a lot of deductions on it and holds stick on back full. 9.950
DiCello FX: Full-in opens up and controlled, back 1.5 front lay didn’t see any movement with that. 9.925
McClain BB: Switch to switch half to beat is fluid and good positions, front aerial to BHS with the Konnor toepoint throughout, side aerial is good, almost sticks gainer full off the side but steps after a moment…9.900
Blakely FX: Double front and usual dance out of the stag, back 1.5 to front lay controlled step out. 9.975 as well
Chio BB: No issues on the mount, BHS LOSO I noted a very very slight check on that…front aerial to split jump, I thought the crowd would be singing “Closing Time” along with the music but they’re chanting something else after the 9.975, gets through the next leap combo and ends on back 1.5 with a stick. 9.975
Harris-Miranda FX: One last time. This music sounds a lot louder than the rest. I think she slides a bit out of full-in, straddles to Shushnova are 180, back 1.5 to half to stag gets the standing O to close out.
FINAL: Florida 198.450, LSU 198.325
Welp, we knew those would be some big scores. Florida with the highest score in the nation thus far, with LSU not far behind; I’d say the Tigers’ was especially impressive with counting a 9.700 among that. While scores may be a little tempered on the real postseason stage, these look like two nationals contenders if all goes well.
VT: Chio, Drayton & Lincoln 9.975
UB: Blakely & McClain 9.975
BB: Harris-Miranda 10.000
FX: Blakely, Frazier & Lincoln 9.975
AA: Harris-Miranda 39.850
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Live blog by Katherine Weaver
I was at the TWU meet and how great to see back-to-back lights out beam rotations for Florida, one away and one at home. Really exciting if they can keep that up into the post season!