No. 3 Alabama heads to Champaign to face No. 41 Illinois.
The Tide have scored 197-plus in every meet this season but are still searching for their first 198. They have shown unparalleled depth, with a different gymnast ranked in the top 10 on each event. On bars, No. 1 Chloe LaCoursiere has yet to score below 9.925, while No. 2 Azaraya Ra-Akbar has twice earned near-perfect 9.975s. On floor, No. 3 Gabby Gladieux has reached 9.900 eight times, including two 9.975s, and also ranks No. 6 in the all-around. Alabama is wrapping up its second straight two-meet weekend.
Illinois is coming off a fourth-place finish at Big Fours. The Illini remain on the postseason bubble but have shown improvement with three straight 195-plus scores. With just three meets remaining, however, they are still searching for the elusive 196. Chloe Cho has been the team’s standout, scoring 9.900 on bars seven times to rank No. 3 nationally and surpassing 39.500 in the all-around five times, good for No. 7. Beyond Cho, depth has been harder to find. Summer Clancy is coming off a career-high 9.900 on beam, and Illinois will need stronger contributions throughout the lineup to stay in the regionals hunt.
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Rotation 1: Illinois VT, Alabama UB
Coppola (ILL): Y. Full, nice block, a little leg separation, and a stick with an arm swing. 9.725.
Gladieux (ALA): Straddled Jaeger to overshoot is done well and catches above the bar. Double tuck stuck! 9.9!
Kauffman (ILL): Y. Full, good amplitude and a small hop back. 9.725.
Paradise (ALA): Double layout with a hop back. 9.775.
Clancy (ILL): Y. 1.5, high block and a small hop forward. 9.75.
Pawlak (ALA): Maloney to overshoot, a little leg separation. Double layout with a stick! 9.95.
Byrne (ILL): Y. Full, a little bent arms off the table, legs glued together and a small hop back. 9.825.
Fuller (ALA): Pak with good height. Van Leeuwen is solid. Double layout with a small hop. 9.875.
Goldstein (ILL): Y. Full, good pop off the table and form in the air with a hop back. 9.700
LaCoursiere (ALA): Maloney to Pak, legs are glued together. Van Leeuwen is beautiful. Full in to a stick! 9.975.
Cho (ILL): Y. Full, legs are together in the air with great amplitude and a hop back. 9.775.
Ra-Akbar (ALA): Pak, very high in the air. Van Leeuwen and her legs are perfectly together. Stalder double tuck to a stuck landing! She gets a 10.000!
AFTER ONE: Alabama (49.700), Illinois (48.800)
What a start for Alabama with a massive season-high 49.700 led by Ra-Akbar’s first career 10.000! Illinois had hops on almost all of its landings and managed to get just one score of a 9.800 or higher.
Rotation 2: Alabama VT, Illinois UB
Cawley (ALA): Y. 1.5, nice block but a little off center with a hop at the end. 9.875.
Brown (ILL): Gienger to overshoot, a little close to the bar and leg separation. Underrotated double layout to finish. 9.650.
Kvamme (ALA): Y. 1.5, good pop off the table but trying too hard to stick and steps back for underrotation. 9.750.
Denning (ILL): Maloney to overshoot, a little leg separation. Double layout, flairs it out and a slight foot movement. 9.800.
Matters (ALA): FHS Front Pike, very high off the table and a step back. 9.800.
Dixon (ILL): Maloney to overshoot a slight pause and leg separation. Double layout, fought for the stick with arm circles. 9.675.
Gladieux (ALA): Y. 1.5, great form off the table and gets the stick. 9.925.
Cho (ILL): Maloney to Pak, right on top of the bar. Van Leeuwen is great and a small hop on the double layout. 9.850.
Paradise (ALA): Y. 1.5, great block and height. Big hop forward on the landing. 9.800.
Saltness (ILL): Tkatchev is way above the bar. Pirouette is on top of the bar and hits every handstand. Stuck double tuck! 9.925.
Ra-Akbar (ALA): Y. 1.5, high off the table but lands to the side with a hop. 9.875.
Gow (ILL): Maloney to overshoot has her legs glued together and hits the handstand. Toe on front half with a stick! 9.825.
AFTER TWO: Alabama (98.900), Illinois (97.875)
The Illini had a strong rotation with a 49.075 led by Saltness. Gladieux helps the Tide to extend their lead with her second 9.9+ event.
Rotation 3: Illinois BB, Alabama FX
Kauffman (ILL): Front Aerial with a tiny bobble. Gets the series connection the second time. Pretty flexibility. BHS 1.5 dismount with a small movement. 9.725.
LaCoursiere (ALA): Double tuck to open with lots of power. Leaps are over 180. Front layout to Rudi to stag is high and keeps her legs fully extended. 9.850.
Saltness (ILL): BHS LOSO is solid. Cat leap to switch side and hits the split position. Aerial to split jump keeps it moving to land it well. Front Gainer off the side to a stick! 9.900.
Rybicki (ALA): Double tuck with a controlled landing. Straddle full is above 180. RO 1.5 to front full with a squat and fights to keep it on her feet. 9.825.
Byrne (ILL): BHS LOSO is beautiful and keeps her legs fully straight in the air. Beat jump to sheep jump, feet touch her head and a little bobble. RO double full with a small hop back. 9.850.
Matters (ALA): Front through to double tuck is high and lands it right to the lunge. Switch side to straddle full has lots of height. Double pike keeps her chest up and nails the landing! 9.900.
Coppola (ILL): Aerial to roundoff and steadies the swing-through to nail it. Barani with a slight bobble. RO 1.5, a little underrotated with a small step back. 9.750.
Ra-Akbar (ALA): Front through to 2.5 twist and legs are locked together. RO 1.5 to front layout, keeps rising and lands it to the lunge. 9.875.
Clancy (ILL): Aerial, a little unsure with a small balance check. BHS LOSO, gets right to the finish and nails it. RO 1.5 with a stick! 9.800.
Sears (ALA): Big double layout, with lots of height to start. Overextension on her leaps. Front through to double tuck is controlled and gets right to the landing! Ends with a crown. 9.925.
Cho (ILL): BHS LOSO, a small balance check on the landing. Switch side to switch half is right over the beam. RO 1.5, tries for the stick but underotates it with a tiny hop back. 9.850.
Gladieux (ALA): FTDT has so much power with a controlled lunge. Front layout to Rudi with an above 180 split. 9.900.
AFTER THREE: Alabama (148.350), Illinois (147.025)
Alabama, second in the nation on floor, put up three 9.900’s. Illinois’s strongest events are bars and beam and that held true again today. After three, they have a chance for their first 196.
Rotation 4: Alabama BB, Illinois FX
Birt (ALA): Wolf turn to start is solid. Front aerial to split jump is clean. BHS LOSO is done well and extends her arms to land it. Gainer full with a large squat and put her hands down. Will judges consider that a fall? 9.500.
Joelson (ILL): Front through to a double tuck with a little soft knees in the air. Double pike a little squat down but saves the landing. 9.725.
Fuller (ALA): Front aerial to split jump, is well above 180. BHS LOSO keeps her legs straight throughout. Little hip bend on the split jump. RO 1.5, to a stick. 9.800.
Brown (ILL): Using Star Wars music. RO whip to double tuck with a little low chest on the landing. FHS front full to front layout and lands it with a controlled lunge. 9.750.
Cawley (ALA): Double wolf turn with some wobbles and fights to save it. BHS LOSO keeps it on with a tiny bobble. Cat leap to switch side is a little short of 180. BHS Gainer Full to a stick. 9.600.
Banks (ILL): Front double full is high and a little off center on the landing to stay in bounds. Nice leap series. RO 1.5 to front layout, keeps rising and controls her lunge. 9.850.
Gladieux (ALA): BHS back layout to two feet with a large wobble, has to fight to stay on. Front aerial to beat jump is controlled. RO Double full to a stick. 9.825.
Gow (ILL): FHS Rudi to floaty LOSO. Great leap pass and above the 180 mark. FHS front double full, a little short of rotation but keeps it moving. 9.800.
LaCoursiere (ALA): Split jump to double stag and lifts her head back well. Front aerial to BHS is clean and beautiful. RO 1.5, a little lean forward to find the stick. 9.875.
King (ILL): Double back is high and has lots of power. Good precision on her leaps. RO front layout to front full her legs are glued together and controls her landing. 9.900.
Kvamme (ALA): Front aerial to BHS to LOSO and really grips her feet on the side to the save the series. Split jumps are perfectly straight. Front Gainer off the side and sticks it. 9.675.
Cho (ILL): Full in, very high and a little foot shuffle back. Front through to double back is a bit underotated and steps forward. 9.850.
FINAL: Alabama (197.125) Illinois (196.175)
VT: Gladieux (9.925)
UB: Ra-Akbar (10.000)
BB: Saltness (9.900)
FX: Sears (9.925)
AA: Gladieux (39.550)
Alabama on Friday had to count a fall on beam and those issues continued today as it had to count two scores under 9.700. This is the second straight meet for the Tide with a sub 49 on beam and their lowest overall score of the season. Illinois had a great meet for senior night achieving its first 196. The Illini are finding momentum just at a time when they need it with one more regular season meet before hosting Big Ten Championships.
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Live blog by Sara Finkelstein
