Round two in Kentucky gets underway this afternoon as No. 8 Missouri, No. 9 Arkansas, No. 21 N.C. State, and No. 27 Maryland—along with a host of individual qualifiers—battle for a chance to extend their seasons. The SEC duo enter as favorites, but the Big Ten and ACC challengers have the potential to shake things up and factor into both team advancement and individual qualification to Fort Worth.
Top-seeded Missouri has reached every regional final this decade and is coming off a third-place finish at last year’s national championships. This season, however, the Tigers enter with a slightly lower NQS and without a top-four SEC finish, meaning a strong start is essential. Missouri’s strength lies in its balance, ranking 11th or better on every event. Hannah Horton leads the way with 9.9-plus NQS marks everywhere but beam, while beam specialist Addison Lawrence—seemingly automatic for 9.95s this year—adds scoring punch on that event.
Arkansas sits just eight thousandths behind Missouri in NQS and will be eyeing a statement performance to set up a potential regional final upset. With world champion Joscelyn Roberson gaining collegiate experience and a highly touted freshman class in tow, expectations were high—and a nationals berth remains within reach. Morgan Price has been the Razorbacks’ headliner and is a strong individual contender if needed, while Lauren Williams has made a major impact on vault and floor in her return from injury.
Maryland, the lowest seed in the session, will likely need its best meet of the season to contend, with a season high several tenths shy of the SEC leaders’ NQS marks. Still, a “nothing to lose” approach can be dangerous. The Terrapins have built their season on consistency, with Madeline Komoroski and Josephine Kogler each contributing multiple 9.8-plus routines. Aine Reade stands out on floor, boasting a 9.975 season high and the potential to sneak into nationals with a standout performance.
N.C. State also faces an uphill climb, with a season high below the top seeds’ NQS totals, but an upset isn’t out of the question with a hit meet. Even if team advancement proves elusive, several Wolfpack athletes are firmly in the mix for individual spots. Synia Thomas has been a key three-event contributor and could contend on floor, while Elle Hadrick’s 9.9 NQS on bars makes her a serious threat there.
Among the individual qualifiers, keep an eye on Southern Connecticut’s Abby Royer on floor in the second rotation. The program’s first regional qualifier since the 1990s, Royer has posted multiple 9.95s this season and enters as a dark horse for a nationals berth.
Follow along with video and live scores!
Rotation 1: N.C. State Vault, Missouri Bars, Maryland Beam, Arkansas Floor
Wright (NCST): Yfull. Good block and body position throughout the flight, small hop back. 9.800
Green (MIZ): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, solid half pirouette, dismounts double layout, big step back. 9.775
Bingham (MD): Full turn to open, BHS LOSO, gets her chest up quick, cat leap to side aerial, smooth, beat jump to split 3/4, dismounts RO 1.5, nails the stick. 9.825
Fisk (NCST): Yfull. Shoulder angle on the block, fast twister, hops on the landing. 9.650
MacPherson (MIZ): Mounts to the high bar, Tkatchev, good amplitude, toe on to bail, hits the handstand and final one, dismounts FTDT. 9.775
Cucci (ARK): Opens with a double layout, chest slightly low but well controlled, switch side Popa, slightly off balance, front tuck to double tuck, chest lower than the last pass. 9.825
Rardin (NCST): Front pike half. Excellent height, hop on the landing. 9.825
Kelly (MIZ): Good opening handstand, toe on to Church to overshoot, tad bit of bent arms, toe on to stalder to double tuck dismount, step back. 9.800
Smith (ARK): Begins with a front tuck to double tuck, close to OOB but I didn’t see a flag, switch 3/4 to staddle jump, possibly short of rotation there, closes with a double pike, kicks out nice and high. 9.850
DeFrees (MD): Starts off with her series, BHS LOSO, soft knees and falls, side aerial, lean to the side, cat leap to switch side, arm waves to sturdy herself, full turn, dismounts RO double full, messy feet, hop. 9.050
M. Price (ARK): Huge double pike to open, RO BHS 2.5 twist, well controlled, switch half to wolf jump full x2, no issues, closes with front layout front full, easy. 9.900
Horton (MIZ): Great first handstand, cleap hip Shaposh to Pak, half pirouette, hits last handstand, dismounts double layout, legs glued together, stuck. 9.925
Thomas (NCST): Yfull. Clean throughout, big hop in place. 9.875
F. Price (ARK): Mounts with a double layout, switch side to Popa x2, cheated the last two rotations a bit, closes with front full front layout, bouncy front foot in the lunge. 9.875
Echols (MIZ): Bail, archy handstand but stays composed, nice handstands, blind to Khorkina, great, dismounts double layout, hop back. 9.800
Komoroski (MD): BHS LOSO, fluid, front aerial, slight lean, switch leap to split jump, great lines, full turn, RO 1.5 dismount, tiny hop. 9.875
Roberson (ARK): Great double layout to start, lots of energy, switch side to Popa, holds the stick, finishes up with front layout to double tuck, small hop forward instead of a lunge. 9.925
Dewar (Brown): Floor. Good front layout front full, tour jete half to Popa, lots of height, double tuck, chest a bit low but controls the lunge, tour jete full, off balance a tad but dances right out to cover.
Totals: N.C. State – 48.950, Missouri – 49.200, Maryland 48.925, Arkansas – 49.400
All chalk in the first rotation, as the two teams expected to advance have already build themselves a bit of a lead. Arkansas capitalized on one of its strong events to take the lead after the first rotation, while the Tigers offset a slow start with a great back-half of the lineup to put some distance between second and third place already. An early fall put the Terrapins in a precarious spot, but were able to rebound well, while the Wolfpack had an average outing on vault, needing to break into the 9.9s moving forward to contend.
Rotation 2: Arkansas Vault, N.C. State Bars, Missouri Beam, Maryland Floor
Myers (NCST): Toe on to Maloney to bail, excellent lines and leg form, hit the last handstand, giant full to stuck double tuck. 9.750
Delayed start on vault, looks like possible lineup changes. Saw quite a few sat Y1.5’s in the one-touch warmup.
Smith (ARK): Yfull. Good height, pops up high off the table, sticks it. 9.900
Jackson (MIZ): Low beam work to start, front aerial BHS, a bit off balance but worked through it smoothly, didn’t break connection, switch leap to switch half to beat jump, full turn, gainer pike dismount, leans forward for the stick. 9.850
Roberson (ARK): Mustafina (Yurchenko half-on, front layout full). Nice block, good distance, committed to the layout, hop forward. 9.700
Kogler (MD): Gets underway with a double tuck, cross-step forward, tour jete half to wolf jump full (I think, questionable feet on the landings), RO 1.5 front layout, gorgeous form but steps OOB. 9.675
Wier (MIZ): Front aerial BHS BHS, a bit slow, split jump, didn’t hit 180, split jump to split jump half, cartwheel gainer full, leans for the stick. 9.725
Klein (ARK): Y1.5. Solid form, comes in a bit short, step back. 9.800
Volk (NCST): Good opening handstand, toe on to Ray, falls, too much distance, toe on to Ray to overshoot, good this time, dismounts double layout, small hop in place, great distance from the bar. 9.225
Williams (ARK): Y1.5. Clean, more distance than height, hops. 9.775
Komoroski (MD): Mounts with FHS Rudi, controlled well, switch ring to tour jete ring half, a bit off balance, RO 1.5 layout half, no issues. 9.800
M. Price (ARK): Y1.5. Huge height, squats but sticks. 9.950
MacPherson (MIZ): Starts off with switch leap to split jump, drops her left shoulder a smidge, BHS BHS LOSO, secure, full turn, confident, standing LOSO, leg up check, dismounts RO 1.5, steps back after arm waves to hold on. 9.750
Cucci (ARK): Y1.5. Not much distance, some leg form issues in the air but sticks it with an arm circle. 9.825
Lawrence (MIZ): Full turn, side aerial BHS, comes off, remounts, split jump to split 3/4, problem-free, RO 1.5 dismount, step forward. 9.150
Reade (MD): Starts off with RO double layout, well short, lunges forward, switch half to wolf jump 1.5, gets them around, front layout front full, easy. 9.775
Middleton (Ball St): Beam. Switch leap x2 to split jump, BHS LOSO, moving quickly, good pace, leap into side aerial, full turn, tiny adjustment, front tucked full, hop in place. 9.850
Royer (Southern Conn. St): Mounts with a FHS front full front layout, good body shape, switch 3/4 to straddle jump, bouncy in a good way, RO LOSO, clearly enjoying herself, Rudi to split jump to close. 9.850
Rotation Totals: Arkansas – 49.250, N.C. State – 48.925, Missouri – 48.950, Maryland – 49.025
Totals: Arkansas – 98.650, Missouri – 98.150, Maryland – 97.950, N.C. State – 97.875
While Arkansas put forth a solid vault rotation to continue to lead, and stretch it, Missouri kept the door open on beam, with a fall and some wobbles keeping things close. Maryland isn’t even having it’s best meet, but it rising to the occasion and sits well within striking distance of the Tigers should they not tighten up in the back-half of this meet. N.C. State is right there, too, meaning this session’s qualifiers are far from determined halfway through. Missouri has the advantage, with its best event, floor, still to come, and will need to have an above-average outing to take pressure off of its final rotation.
Rotation 3: Maryland Vault, Arkansas Bars, N.C. State Beam, Missouri Floor
Kogler (MD): Yfull. Great form, not a ton of distance but gets the stick. 9.825
Roberson (ARK): Clear hip to Maloney to Pak, half pirouette, hit all her handstands, dismounts double layout, slight form break but sticks it. 9.850
Jackson (MIZ): Mounts with a double pike, so clean, switch ring to switch half to wolf jump full, no issues, closes with front tuck to double tuck, bounds back into the lunge, stays in bounds. 9.850
Engelmayer (MD): Yfull. Clean in the air, good distance, tiny hop in place. 9.750
Volk (NCST): Full turn, BHS BHS LOSO, slightly bent knees, switch leap to tuck jump 3/4, could commit more to the tuck position, front toss, secure, gainer full with a hop forward. 9.725
Reade (MD): Yfull. Twists early, pikes it down, big step and lunge back. 9.575
Smith (ARK): Toe on to Maloney to bail, hit handstands, stuck double layout. 9.875
Acevedo (MIZ): Gets going with a double pike, chest way up, booming, RO 1.5 front layout, stuck cold before stepping into the lunge, switch half to wolf jump full, precise, finishes with a double tuck, kicks out too early, hops forward. 9.825
Rech (MD): Yfull. Clean, stuck, could use more distance. 9.775
Hall (NCST): Opens with BHS LOSO, no issues, full turn, confident leg kick out of it, cat leap to switch half, short on the half, front aerial to beat jump, solid, gainer full dismount, pikes it down, college salute. 9.750
Buckmon (MD): Yfull. Good block, best distance of the Terrapins, shuffled her feet a bit on the landing. 9.800
Cucci (ARK): Toe on to Pak, slight leg separation in the Maloney half, big lean and brings the chest down for the stick on the double layout. 9.800
Griffin (MIZ): Giant double pike, bounds back a bit, front tuck to double tuck, easy, tour jete half to Popa x2 right into her ending pose. 9.900
M. Price (ARK): Toe one to Maloney to bail, good handstands, dismounts FTDT, stuck. 9.925
Horton (MIZ): Massive double layout, never seen one so high and executed well, wolf jump full to switch side half, front tuck to double tuck, kicks out early and aggressively for the controlled lunge. 9.925
Staruk (Bridgeport): Vault. Tsuk full. Nearly gets the stick but ultimately steps back, nice layout position throughout. 9.800
Rotation Totals: Maryland – 49.000, Arkansas – 49.375, N.C. State – 48.700, Missouri – 49.350
Totals: Arkansas – 148.025, Missouri – 147.600, Maryland – 146.950, N.C. State – 146.575
Arkansas keeps on keeping on, hitting throughout its lineup and building momentum towards Sunday’s finals. If the Razorbacks can finish up on beam and end tonight with the lead, they take over a the favorite to snag a spot to Fort Worth over the Tigers, who, as expected, got things together on its signature event. If Missouri can hit five vaults in average fashion, it should be through. Still, Maryland is having a great day, and even though making the Regional Final is slipping away, it’s still in position to finish with an upset of N.C. State and notch an impressive final ranking. The Wolfpack aren’t completely out of the race with a strong event to finish on, but will need to be at their best to make some noise in the final rotation.
Rotation 4: Missouri Vault, Maryland Bars, Arkansas Beam, N.C. State Floor
Tanskanen (MIZ): Front pike half. Good shape and distance, chest forward with a step in the same direction. 9.700
Saville (MD): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, some leg separation throughout, half pirouette, short final handstand, dismounts with a stuck double layout. 9.775
Park (ARK): Back dive mount, full turn, small arm flutter, BHS LOSO, switch leap x2, small adjustment at the end, dismounts aider aerial 1.5, stuck, slight knee bend in the air. 9.850
Jackson (MIZ): Y1.5. Great form, just a small hop forward. 9.850
Bingham (MD): Toe on to Tkatchev, could use more counter rotation, bail, dismounts double layout, hop in place. 9.750
Myers (NCST): Begins her set with a double tuck, plenty of height to spare, wolf jump full to tuck jump full, questionable rotation, switch half to Popa, much cleaner, ends with front layout to Rudi. 9.800
Jackson (MIZ): Yfull. Booming off the table, flares for the landing, small hop. 9.800
Weaver (ARK): BHS LOSO, tiny lean to her right, side aerial, very clean, straddle jump, check, repeats straddle jump to double stag, hesitant, dismounts RO 1.5, short and off to the side, hop back. 9.650
Horton (MIZ): Y1.5. Beautiful in the air, legs stuck together, opens early, small hop forward. 9.900
Cucci (ARK): Full turn to start, high leg kick out of it, BHS LOSO, lean to her left, front aerial, switch leap to split jump half, solid, RO 1.5 dismount, hop forward. 9.750
Echols (MIZ): Yfull. So floaty, drops down for the stick but miniscule hop in place, needs to add a half. 9.900
Dennis (MD): Blind to piked Jaeger to overshoot, didn’t get enough rotation on the Jaeger but works through it, small hop on the toe on pike half dismount. 9.725
M. Price (ARK): Full turn, BHS LOSO, elegant, great knee form and pointed toes, cat leap to front aerial, switch leap to split jump, good height, RO double full, chest low, steps forward. 9.900
Tisler (MIZ): Yfull. Nice height and straight body position, just a hop back. 9.825
Roberson (ARK): Quick pace from the get-go, pike jump, straddle half to back tuck, secure, full turn, aide aerial LOSO, nailed it, dismounts punch front layout full, stuck. 9.950
Thomas (NCST): Big double pike, switch side to Popa, cheated a bit, front layout to Rudi, great, ends with a RO 1.5 front layout, well controlled.
Rotation Totals: Missouri – 49.275, Maryland – 48.825, Arkansas – 49.150, N.C. State – 49.125
Final: Arkansas – 197.175, Missouri – 196.875, Maryland – 195.775, N.C. State – 195.700
The Razorbacks made a statement today by taking down higher-seeded Missouri, practicing a win that will likely be essential on Sunday to advance to nationals. The Tigers didn’t have an off meet by any means, but certainly left tenths on the table and will need to clean up before finals. The Terrapins and Wolfpack finished on a high note! With Maryland staying ahead and putting itself in contention for a great final ranking, the same with N.C. State, who rallied in the fourth rotation to close much of the gap.
Leaders After Session One
All-Around: Morgan Price (Arkansas) 39.575
Vault: M. Price (Arkansas) 9.950
Bars: M. Price (Arkansas), Horton (Missouri) 9.925
Beam: Roberson (Arkansas) 9.950
Floor: Horton (Missouri), Roberson (Arkansas) 9.925
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Live blog by Brandis Heffner
