A former Pac-12 rivalry is heating up as No. 12 Utah visits No. 5 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Both teams had undefeated seasons for their conference meets, each winning regular season titles for the second straight year. This meet will feature five different Top 10 gymnasts.
UCLA is coming off its second-highest score of the season in a win at Stanford. The Bruins posted a season high 49.575 on bars led by No. 3 Jordan Chiles’ perfect 10.0 and Nola Matthews’ career-high 9.950. On beam, No. 4 Ciena Alipio and freshman phenom Tiana Sumanasekera shared the event title with a 9.950. The Bruins have won eight straight meets, having eclipsed 197.500 in five of their last six, and rank in the Top 10 in all four events.
Utah is coming off a 197.650 senior day win against BYU and West Virginia, achieving a 49.500 in all events except beam. Ella Zirbes won the all-around with a career-high 39.450, with teammate No. 4 Avery Neff just a quarter-tenth behind. Makenna Smith (floor) and Ana Padurariu (bars) both posted near-perfect 9.975 career-highs. The Red Rocks, after a slow start to the season, have won nine meets in a row, achieving five straight 197+ scores.
The meet will be streamed on BTN, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: UCLA VT, Utah UB
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Y Full, high off the table. Really tries to stick it. 9.750.
Smith (UTAH): Pak, above the bar, Van Leeuwen is clean. Toe on front pike half with a stick! 9.850.
Anyimi (UCLA): Y Full, lots of amplitude with a large step back. 9.750.
Glynn (UTAH): Maloney to Bail, leg separation on the Maloney. Stalder double tuck with a little underrrotation on the landing. 9.750.
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Y 1.5, great block off the table and rises in the air. Tiny hop in place. 9.900.
Roposo (UTAH): Maloney, uprise is strong. Flairs the double layout for a stuck landing. 9.850.
Jenkins (UCLA): Y 1.5, a little leg separation in the air but sticks it! 9.900.
Zirbes (UTAH): Straddled Jaegar to overshoot, lots of height and above the bar. FTDT with a tiny step on the landing. 9.900.
Sullivan (UCLA): Y 1.5, high off the table, really rises, and gets another stick for the Bruins! 9.975!
Padurariu (UTAH): Maloney to overshoot, really glues her legs together. Hits the last handstand and fights for the toe on front pike half. 9.850.
Chiles (UCLA): DTY, bent arms on the table and a tiny foot movement on the landing. 9.950.
Neff (UTAH): Gienger to overshoot, legs are glued together and gets amazing height. Full Twisting Double Layout with a stick! 9.975.
AFTER ONE: UCLA (49.475), UTAH (49.425)
The Bruins had a slow start on the first two vaults before Webster-Longin got them going, and they ended the rotation with four straight 9.9+ scores and a vault season high. Avery Neff anchored a solid bars rotation for the Red Rocks and they trail by just a half tenth after one.
Rotation 2: Utah VT, UCLA UB
Winger (UTAH): Y 1.5, great block off the table, legs are glued together and sticks it with her chest forward. 9.900
Alipio (UCLA): Maloney to overshoot, leg separation on the backswing. Hits the last handstand and sticks the toe on front tucked half. 9.850.
Zirbes (UTAH): Y 1.5, huge amplitude and flairs the vault out to stick it! 9.925.
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Maloney to Pak, with a small leg separation. Full in back out with a small movement back. 9.875.
Raposo (UTAH): Y 1.5, arms bend off the table and lands with her shoukders behind her knees. Steps way off to the side. 9.575.
Matthews (UCLA): Nice first handstand to a Pak on top of the bar. Hits the Van Leeuwen. Double layout with a step back. 9.850.
Smith (UTAH): Omelianchik, great block off the table opens up at the right time to find the stuck landing. 9.875.
Barros (UCLA): High Pak to start. Van Leeuwen a little off center but handles it well. Double layout to a stick. 9.850.
Glynn (UTAH): Y 1.5, a little soft knees in the air off the block and hops forward. 9.825.
Sullivan (UCLA): Straddled Jaegar to Pak is right on top of the bar. Hits all her handstands and ends with a double layout to a stick! 9.900.
Neff (UTAH): Y 1.5, flairs the vault out, spots the mat near the end and sticks the landing! 9.925.
Chiles (UCLA): Piked Tkatchev to Pak, way above the bar and almost pauses in the air before catching. Double layout, lands with her chest a bit down to stick it. 9.950.
AFTER TWO: UCLA (98.900), UTAH (98.875)
The lead has been cut in half and is now a quarter tenth. The Red Rocks put up six 10.0 start values, stuck three of them, and were able to drop their sub 9.6 score. In the all-around, Chiles and Neff are tied halfway through.
Rotation 3: UCLA BB, Utah FX
Barros (UCLA): Switch leap to straddle side and hits the 180 to start. Aerial to BHS is solid with a little bent knees. BHS Gainer Full to a stick! 9.825.
Krump (UTAH): High double pike and is little overrotated. Front layout to front full to front pike, rises on the first two skills. 9.725.
Clay (UCLA): Switch leap to standing switch. BHS LOSO with a bit of soft knees but and nails the landing. Beat jump to front aerial and has a bit of a wobble but dances out of it. BHS 1.5, to a stick. 9.775.
Glynn (UTAH): FHS Front double full is high and controlled. Leap combination is above 180. 1.5 to front layout to end. 9.850.
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Very impressive press handstand mount! BHS BHS LOSO, leans her shoulders to the side but saves it. RO 1.5, leans a bit back with an arm swing but keeps the stick. 9.800.
Neff (UTAH): Double twist front half, a little low on the punch but saves it to get right into the stag jump. Back 1.5 front full with a controlled lunge forward. 9.875.
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Switch leap to split jump, great position in the air. BHS LOSO, slightly off in the air but nails the landing. BHS back tucked 1.5 to a stick! 9.900.
Zirbes (UTAH): Front double twist, tiny hop to the side. Straddle full and dances straight into the choreography. Back 1.5 to a front full, keeps her legs glued together and rises in the second salto skill. 9.900.
Chiles (UCLA): BHS LOSO and nails it. Cat leap to switch side is solid and above 180. Nails the aerial. RO double twist to a STICK! 9.950.
Smith (UTAH): Front double twist to a front tuck rises at the top. Rudi to LOSO and is high and flawless in the air. 9.900.
Alipio (UCLA): Goregous full turn to open. BHS BHS LOSO and lands it effortlessly. Gainer tucked full off the end to a STUCK landing! 9.925.
Roposo (UTAH): Open double tuck and rebounds out of the landing, almost out of bounds. Tries to go for the last pass but falls and cannot get up. Gets helped off by the training staff.
AFTER THREE: UCLA (148.300), UTAH (148.125)
UCLA extends its lead with the help of the back half of the lineup. Jordan Chiles didn’t get her gym slam but it was tough to see where there were any deductions. Utah ends the rotation with a worrisome injury to Roposo. The Red Rocks are still less than two tenths behind.
Rotation 4: Utah BB, UCLA FX
Gantner (UTAH): BHS LOSO is solid to start. Switch leap is a little low on her back leg. RO 1.5 with a tiny bit of leg separation and a step forward. 9.850.
Alipio (UCLA): Double pike is controlled to open. Switch leap to wolf full hits above 180. RO back 1.5 to front layout with a little stutter step. 9.800
Zirbes (UTAH): BHS LOSO, a little unsure on the landing and steps back. Switch leap switch half and hits the split position. Gainer tucked full off the end to a stuck landing. 9.825.
Webster-Longin (UCLA): FHS front double full is high and controls her lunge forward. RO back 1.5 to front layout, rises on the second salto. Rudi is executed well and nails the pass. Impressive three pass floor routine! 9.875.
Smith (UTAH): BHS LOSO moves her foot back and has lots of arm movements and wobbles, fights to stay on. Switch side is above 180. Gainer Pike and takes a step. 9.550.
Barros (UCLA): RO 1.5, front layout a little bent knees in the air. Front through to double tuck and controls her lunge. 9.900.
Padurariu (UTAH): Clean double wolf turn. Front aerial to BHS and keeps it moving to get the connection. Split jump to sheep jump and nails it. Gainer Pike and takes some steps back. 9.825.
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Double layout is high to open. RO 1.5 to front layout and glues her legs together in the air to keep both skills rising before landing. 9.925.
Neff (UTAH): Aerial to BHS is pretty. Barani, hits the skill. Straddle shushunova is elegant. Cartwheel to Gainer full to a stick! 9.900.
Sullivan (UCLA): Double layout, straight body position throughout and hits the lunge. Front through to a double tuck, a little bit of a deep step back but finesses it. 9.900.
Winger (UTAH): BHS BHS LOSO, almost a stutter in the two layouts but lands it really well. BHS Gainer full, pikes a little and goes high on her toes to stick it. 9.875.
Chiles (UCLA): She’s doing her sophomore year floor routine. Double layout and nails it right to the lunge position. Beautiful leap combination. Front through to double tuck with a miniscule foot movement. Amazing last routine for her in Pauley Pavilion and huge standing ovation from the crowd, teammates, and the Red Rocks! 9.950.
FINAL: UCLA (197.850), UTAH (197.400)
VT: Sullivan (9.975)
UB: Neff (9.975)
BB: Chiles (9.950)
FX: Chiles (9.950)
AA: Chiles (39.800)
High emotion at Pauley on senior night as the Bruins come through with their second highest score of the season. The Red Rocks showed their depth dropping sub 9.6 scores in three of four events. This was a great meet as both teams helped their NQS.
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Live blog by Sara Finkelstein
