Hello, happy Thursday, and welcome to the first round here in Oregon!
This afternoon we have No. 29 San Jose State up against No. 35 Washington. On the line is a spot in the round two, in the session taking place on Friday night. It’s a toss-up between these two teams, and to be fully transparent, the last time I covered Washington in person during a play-in round, it wound up in the 2022 Seattle regional final with Jen Llewellyn at the helm. This time around for me, Jessa Hansen Parker will be on the floor with the familiar face of Jeffrey Langenstein. If Washington takes the win today, the team will be facing off against Iowa, where Llewellyn is the current head coach.
Going into this session, San Jose just might have a lead over Washington. The Spartans, in their 10th regional appearance, are in the top 25 best vaulting teams in the country. The Huskies just don’t have the same momentum. Otherwise, the teams are fairly equally matched across the board, with Washington bringing a slightly stronger floor program. Something that could sway the Huskies and their confidence is knowing two of their highest scores this season top the best score the Spartans have put up.
In terms of data, our simulation has Washington actually advancing over San Jose State 51.2% of the time. So while the margins are close, the Huskies have the slight edge.
The meet, as all regionals sessions, will be streamed on ESPN+, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Right off the bat, vault landings are hidden behind the beam corral and the same goes for bars being behind the floor corral.
My view of beam, however? Absolute chefs kiss.
Warm-ups are underway.
Rotation 1:
Valuch (SJS): Y full, chest a little down, steps back. Form was fine in the air. 9.725
Macasu (SJS): Y full, some leg form in the air, steps back and to the side, block was fine. 9.650
Johhnson (SJS): Y full, best block of the rotation, chest still down, steps back. These vaults are all good, but they need to be great today. 9.700
Jurries (SJS): Y full, flairs, small hop, this is what San Jose needs! 9.800
Patterson (SJS): Y full, good chest, flairs, tiny, controlled step. 9.750
Pitts (SJS): FHS front pike half, steps back, she could build a house with those blocks of hers. 9.800
Oppegard (UW): Good first hs. Half to jaeger, good, maybe caught a touch close. Bail to hs was flawless. Shy last hs. Double lay, has to take the step forward. 9.700
DeYoung (UW): Shy first hs. MAloney to pak, good. Fights through the cast on that half turn on low but gets it over and done. Shy last hs. Double lay, the screams say it was stuck. 9.825
Lin (UW): Good hs. Free hip to gienger to shootover connection, no notes. SHy last hs. FTDB, doesn’t full rotate and takes a step forward with her chest down, but clean otherwise. 9.725
Moody (UW): Maloney to pak, okay. Half turn. Good last hs. FTDB, hops back, but good chest position on the landing. 9.800
Tubbs (UW): Shy first hs. MAloney to bail to hs, good! SHy last hs. Double lay, hops in place. Good. 9.900
McDonough (UW): Shy first hs. Half to jaewger to shoot over, great extension before catching on the high. SHy last hs. Full to double back, sticks! 9.900
AFTER ONE: Washington 49.150, San Jose State 48.775
San Jose gave away precious tenths on vault, each vaulter had solid form in the air overall, but landings were the biggest sticking point for this squad today. Washington had the same issue with some shy handstands that really stand out, but otherwise kept things flowing, clean, and found a few sticks along the way.
Rotation 2:
Navarro (UW): Y full, soft knees, chest a bit down, hops in place. 9.725
Schaffer (UW): Y full, small step, good in the air, happy salute follows. 9.750
Lin (UW): Y full, good distance, hops, soft knees. Like San Jose, they’re giving away little things here and there. 9.675
Tubbs (UW): Y full, great block, hops it back. 9.775
McDonough (UW): Y full, good height and distance, hops, chest a whisper down. 9.750
Bolden (UW): Y full, strong block, hops back, could’ve been a little cleaner in the air. 9.675
Patterson (SJS): Good first hs. Naloney to pak, some soft knees. Good half on low. Shy last hs, but finishes the full nicely to double tuck. Possibly took a step. 9.750
Valuch (SJS): Jaeger to shootover. Shy last hs. Double lay, small hop. Good routine, not a ton of oomph. 9.775
PeBenito (SJS): Maloney to pak to half turn. Shy last hs. Double lay, small hop-step. I only caught the end of the Maloney so there’s a chance that was a Shaposh. 9.800
Kisch (SJS): Maloney to bail to hs, good! Double lay, chest down, steps forward, good otherwise. 9.800
Jurries (SJS): Free hip to gienger to shootover, good! Gorgeous handstands. Double lay, steps. 9.800
Macasu (SJS): Maloney to bail hs, soft feet on the Maloney. FTDB, looks like she fought for the stuck and got it from this angle — if not, a small step forward. 9.850
AFTER TWO: Washington 97.875, San Jose 97.775
The Huskies held onto their lead by the skin of their teeth this rotation, vaults may not have been the cleanest but they used that bar rotation to create a pretty solid buffer. The Spartans, likewise, looked good on bars, with strong handstands, but some soft form caused some dings.
Rotation 3:
Ashton (SJS): BHS LOSO, good. Swithc leap, errs, walks it back, swtich leap to switch half. BHS to gainer lay full, stuck! Good start! 9.675
Macasu (SJS): BHS LOSO, could’ve had a balance check but drilled her back foot into the beam. Switch leap to swithc half. Sissone to split jump, good extension. RO lay 1.5, steps to the front and side. 9.700
Valuch (SJS): Tiny shoulder check on the full turn. BHS LOSO, no issues. Punch front, beautiful. I love that skill. Leaps hit 180. RO 1.5, small, controlled step forward. 9.725
Patterson (SJS): Switch to straddle jump, straddle seemed a little shy. BHS loso, loso, good. BHS lay 1.5, steps forward. 9.725
PeBenito (SJS): BHS LOSO, small front foot adjusment. Switch leap, switch leap. Love that connection. Transverse split jump half. RO lay 1.5, great pop on that, small step forward. 9.775
Reardon (SJS): LOSO LOSO, soft knees, doesn’t square it up, comes off. Switch to straddle quarter, her toe point is fab. Switch to gainer lay full off the side. 9.025
Hallinan (UW): Front lay to front full to front pike, floaty. Love the snappy floor music. Double tuck. It’s a party for Washington already. Switch to ring half, head drop looked good from this angle. 9.800
Schaffer (UW): Front double full, good. Leap to wolf full, good position throughout. RO 2.5, floaty, soft knees. RO 1.5 to front lay, close to the line from my angle but looks like that stayed in. (On a replay in the arena, she went OOB in her first pass 9.775
Lin (UW): FHS front double full, I coiuldn’t see the landing position from this angle. (See above). RO 1.5 to front lay, no major rise in the lay. Switch half makes the heart swoon. This techno Phantom of the Opera music is amazing. FHS to rudi, chest position was good. 9.850
McWilliams (UW): Rudi to loso, good! Switch side half to straddle or switch side to straddle half, i was too blown away by the extension and height. Double pike to end, picks the chest up super super quick. 9.825
Bolden (UW): Full in, good! Switch half to wolf full, fine. RO 1.5 to front full, doesn’t fully rotate, takes a few quick steps backward.
McDonough (UW): High double tuck to kick it off. Switch side to straddle half, extension looked flawless from this seat. RO 1.5 to front lay, front leg pops up as she moves into the lunge. Dynamics and height on the leap series before the ending pose didn’t have the same oomph but still looked lovely. 9.850
AFTER THREE: Washington 147.00, San Jose State 146.450
Washington has a comfortable enough lead heading into this last rotation, but San Jose State will be closing things out on floor while the Huskies will need to keep themselves in check on beam, and not let nerves get the best of them. Bottom line, Washington can’t leave anything on the floor if it wants to fight again on Friday.
Rotation 4:
Lin (UW): BHS LOSO, small check with a shoulder drop. Switch to Switch half, a little shy on that second leap but good. RO 1.5, hops forward. Great start for Washington. 9.700
Navarro (UW): BHS BHS LOSO, leg comes up, keeps it on. Flutter to switch side, good. Couple steps forward after the full turn. Small step forward on the dismount. 9.575
Oppegard (UW): Washington will want to go lights out from here on to drop the 9.575. BHS LOSO, comes off. Washington will be counting that 9.575. Switch to Switch half to beat, flexed front foot in that second leap. Side aerial, small adjustments. Gainer lay full off the side, steps.
Moody (UW): BHS LOSO is SOLID. Switch to split jump, no notes. Side aerial to split jump with the tiniest of hestitation pause between while swinging her arms. RO 1.5, STUCK! 9.875
Hallinan (UW): Front toss to back tuck, solid. Switch to split jump, back leg a little low, seemed like she was fighting to stay square but did that well. Front aerial, effortless. RO 1.5 lay, wanted the stick, took a tiny tiny step.
Based on some shuffling, seems as least a couple of judges didn’t have her as stating out of a ten. Not what Washington needs right now. Judges are chatting. She goes 9.500
Tubbs (UW): No pressure here. Frotn aerial to bhs loso, tiny arm adjustment. Split 3/4 is lovely. Small smile after the full turn. STicks the piked gainer off the end!!
Ashton (SJS): Front lay to rudi, chest position looked good. Front lay to front full, looks like feet slipped a touch, but she shuffled and stayed standing. Swithc half to popa, okay. 9.600
Patterson (SJS): Double pike, strong chest position. Front lay to front full, good. Gorgeous height on her leaps, her popa is textbook. Double tuck looked good, some flexed feet but great height. 9.850
Jurries (SJS): Front through to doubel tuck, bounces forward on that, very low chest. Leaps followed quickly and behind the camera man, looked good from what I did see. Front full to front lay in her second pass was clean. San Jose working hard to cover some ground. 9.500
PeBenito (SJS): Floats in her opening pass. Okay position in her ring. She’s giving absolutely nothing away otherwise. Her leaps are 180, she finds her landings with ease. Should score well. 9.825
Larson (SJS): High double pike, great form, good chest position, that’s what a double tuck should look like. Front full front full, good! Switch side looked fine from this angle. Not much by way of deductions there. 9.850
Johnson (SJS): Front double full, great height on that. Floats the loso in the second pass. Switch half to popa, good. 9.875
FINAL: Washington 195.550, San Jose 195.450
Huskies brought that home with some ice in their veins on beam today. San Jose showed up and showed out, but Huskies just had that extra something. Perhaps the inflatable Husky that rotated with them provided that extra spark needed for them to advance today.
VT: Jurries, Pitts (SJS) 9.800
UB: McDonough, Tubbs (UW) 9.900
BB: Tubbs (UW) 9.900
FX: Johnson (SJS) 9.875
AA: Patterson (SJS) 39.050
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Live blog by Allison Freeman
