Arizona State enters as the higher-ranked team but won’t necessarily be the favorite in this matchup. These in-state rivals met earlier this season in Arizona, where the Wildcats came out on top. Arizona also held the rankings edge heading into the conference championship, but a disastrous bars rotation dropped its NQS below that of Arizona State. Now, the Wildcats will look to rebound from their worst meet of the season and eliminate the home team early.
Bars had been a strength for Arizona prior to that conference meet, so a bounce-back there will be critical. Abigayle Martin, typically a reliable all-arounder, was among those who fell and will be key to a recovery effort.
Arizona State faces its own challenge after losing top all-arounder Kimberly Smith to a season-ending Achilles injury. Replacing her scores will be a team effort, and the Sun Devils will need multiple athletes to step up if they want to keep pace and advance.
The meet will be streamed on ESPN+, with live scores found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: Arizona State vault, Arizona bars
Kelly (ASU): Closed shoulders on the block on that Yfull and had a small hop back. Was leaning forward after the hop and stutter stepped forward. 9.625
Puleo (UA): Short first cast. Feet on the piked jaeger. Hit the bail. Rushed the last cast, but finished the giant full well before the double tuck and took a large hop back. 9.675
Bromley (ASU): Flaired out of that Yfull and took a large step back. Leg separation at the end. 9.75
Smith (UA): Leg separation on the cast half befor e the piked jaeger. Hit the bail. Arch on the last cast. Small hop back on the double layout dismount. 9.7
Braaflat (ASU): Shoulder angle on the Yfull but large vault than the last two. Small pike down and hop back. 9.8
Mead (UA): Short first cast. Had the most height on her piked jaeger in the group. Clean pak. Short on the cast half. Stuck the FTST. Kept her legs glued on the dismount. 9.775
Gregoire (ASU): Hop forward on the Y1.5. Kept legs glued and mostly straight knees. Ok distance. 9.85
Martin (UA): Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. Short on the cast half and last cast. Floaty double layout and held onto the stick on her toes. 9.775
El Mammann (ASU): Good height on the Yfull and good open hips. Small hop back. 9.8
Derr (UA): Great height and toe point on the jaeger. Floated the pak salto. Best cast half finish of the lineup. Stuck the FTDT with a feet stagger. 9.875
Purler (ASU): Sticks the Omelianchik. Great pike position in the air with only a slight knee bend. 9.85
Krohnfeldt (UA): Leg separation on the Maloney and hit the bail. Small hop back on the double layout. 9.875
AFTER ONE: Arizona State 49.050, Arizona 49.000
Arizona as able to bounce back from it’s disastrous bars rotation at the Big 12 Championships. The Wildcats would have liked to hit some more handstands and stick some more landings, but the job was accomplished. Arizona State was able to take the lead on vault thanks to a stuck vault from Purler in the anchor spot. It is anyone’s meet after one.
Rotation 2: Arizona vault, Arizona State bars
LaRusso (UA): Small hop back on the Yfull. Not the most height or distance. 9.8
Grolla (ASU): Leg separation on the Maloney but legs glued on the pak. Held the cast half on top of the bar. Finished late on the giant full and took a hop forward on the double tuck dismount. Feet on the dismount. 9.75
Carman (UA): A little high on the table for that Yfull, had similar height, a large pike down, and a tiny hop. 9.75
Kelly (ASU): Great toe point but close catch on the jaeger. Able to connect to the overshoot but it lacked amplitude. Good giant full finish and had a hop back on the double tuck landing. 9.6
Martin (UA): Best height on the lineup so far on that Yfull. Some pike down and feet with a small hop back. 9.8
Ossi (ASU): Leg separations on the Maloney to pak combo. OVer on the cast half. Sticks the double layout dismount. 9.65
Derr (UA): Some piking in her hips throughout that Yfull. Small hop back. 9.775
Kowan (ASU): Leg separations on both the Maloney and the bail. Feet also came a part on the giant full before the double tuck. Took a couple steps back on that landing. 9.45
Greever (UA): Good open hips and distance on that Yfull. Small hop back plus an extra tiny step. 9.775
Bromley (ASU): Leg separations on both the Maloney and pak. Good cast half and final cast. Small hop back on the toe front pike half. 9.8
Janicke (UA): Large step back on that Yfull. Good height but a slight pike down. 9.8
Gregoire (ASU): Legs glued on the gainer. Not a lot of height though. Slightly short on the bail. Legs glued on the double layout dismount and had a tiny hop back. 9.75
AFTER TWO: Arizona 97.950, Arizona State 97.600
Arizona State had a bunch of smaller errors on bars that added up and resulted in the Sun Devils giving up the lead to Arizona. Arizona put together a vault rotation with several clean Yurchenko fulls which was all that the Wildcats needed to be on track to move on after the second rotation.
Rotation 3: Arizona State beam, Arizona floor
Grolla (ASU): Great press handstand to mount the beam. Small step and lean out of the handstand to bhs loso. Smooth double wolf turn. Hit the switch to split leap. Solid cat leap to side aerial. Stuck the cartwheel gainer full. 9.8
LaRusso (UA): Legs crossed on the front double full. Over rotated the switch side before the two Popas. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.75
Bromley (ASU): Hit the full turn. Slight slide on the beat to sheep jump. Solid bhs bhs loso. Large leg up wobble and grabbed the beam on the front aerial. Clean sissone. Stuck the bhs back 1.5. 9.5
Carman (UA): A large lunge on the double pike, but kept the front foot down. Alomst got the switch half around. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. Good rotation on the switch half to wolf full to wolf full. 9.75
Kowan (ASU): Slow and controlled press handstand mount. Smooth front aerial to bhs. Clean full turn. Very solid on the front toss to beat. Feet on the front toss. Hit the split on the switch to switch to split jump. Pike down and step on the gainer full. 9.75
Derr (UA): Large bounding step out of the front double full. Off on the rotation in the triple leap combo. Overrotated the switch half. Controlled the front layout front full.
El Mammann (ASU): A little over on the full turn. Solid side aerial loso. Clean split to straddle quarter. Hit the split position. Knees on the back 1.5 dismount, but stuck it. 9.825
Martin (UA): Slid the front foot back on the double pike. Clean positions on the switch ring to tour jete full. Controlled the front layout front full. Landed with her chest forward on the double tuck, but was able to step back into a lunge. 9.825
Lichtman (ASU): Shoulder dip on the bhs loso. Clean switch to straddle quarter. Smooth front aerial to beat jump. Legs crossed on the back 1.5 and a hop forward. 9.725
Strom (UA): Very floaty Rudi to loso. Short of ring position on the switch ring half. Controlled the back 1.5 to front full. 9.85
Lee (ASU): Smooth sissine and full turn. Good amplitude on the loso after the two bhs. Lean at the end. Lean on the beat to sheep jump. Small step forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.825
Wise (UA): Stepped out of bounded on the front double full. Short on split on the leaps. Lacked amplitude onthe loso out of the Rudi. 9.615
AFTER THREE: Arizona 146.900, Arizona State 146.525
After a beam grab in the second routine, Arizona was able to come back and post four more solid routines to keep the Sun Devils alive heading into the final rotation. There were a couple of funky landings for Arizona, but the Wildcats will be happy to have a lead heading into beam. Strom being able to compete on floor was huge.
Rotation 4: Arizona beam, Arizona State floor
Lenczner (UA): Held on to the wolf turn. Floaty bhs loso. Not much head back in the stag jump. Solid side aerial. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount. 9.8
Lee (ASU): Stumbled a little out of the front double full. Great ring position in the switch ring. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. Almost lost balance on part of her dance. Piked down the Rudi. 9.8
Krohnfeldt (UA): Solid bhs loso series. Good positions in the split jump to stag ring. Falls on the front toss. Overcooked the full turn. Small hop on the bhs back 1.5 dismount. 9.225
Purler (ASU): A little out of control on the stag jump after to Rudi. Hopped into the lunge on the double pike. Great positions on the switch ring to wolf full combo. Controlled the front layout to front full. 9.8
Janicke (UA): Knees and a lean on the bhs loso. Kicked out of the full turn. Lean on the fron toss. Falls on the split half. Leg separation on the gainer full dismount. Hop back. 8.925
Braaflat (ASU): Falls on the front tuck through to double tuck. Just sits it down. Good straddle position on the jumps. Great leg form in the front layout to front full. 8.975
Derr (UA): Hit the candle. Great amplitude on the bhs loso with a lean at the end. Clean switch to straddle quarter. Bend at the waist on the punch front. Overcooked the full turn. Small hop on the gainer pike. 9.55
Bromley (ASU): Big step back on the double pike. Controlled the front full front layout. Leg separation on that. Hit the switch half to wolf full. Controlled the double tuck. 9.825
Wise (UA): Arm wave on the bhs bhs loso. Soft knees on that. Bend at the waist on the split half. Short of 180 on the switch to switch. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.55
Gregoire (ASU): Around on the wolf full. Almost out of bounds on the front through to double tuck but keeps it in. Slides the front foot back. Off on the leap rotation. Great amplitude on the loso out of the Rudi. 9.85
Martin (UA): Clean switch to stage ring. Solid bhs loso series. Smooth front aerial. A little over rotated on the full turn. Hop back on the gainer full. 9.875
Kelly (ASU): Launches forward on the front tuck out of the front double full and goes out of bounds. A little short of rotation on the back 2.5 and took a large step forward. Off on the leap rotation. 9.625
FINAL: Arizona State 195.424, Arizona 194.900
After a collapse on bars at the Big 12 Championships, Arizona collapsed on beam in the play in round. After the fall in the second spot, each routine for the Wildcats had other balance errors. Arizona State made it interesting for a moment with the fall from its third gymnast, but the rest of the lineup was able to put together hit routines and qualify to the second round tomorrow.
VT: Gregoire, Purler 9.85
UB: Derr, Krohnfeldt 9.875
BB: Martin 9.875
FX: Strom, Gregoire 9.85
AA: Martin 39.275
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
