Welcome back to the 2024 season! Illinois State’s Redbirds open their season on the road against Bowling Green’s falcons in what I’m dubbing the unofficial Great Lakes Battle of the Birds. Both teams will look towards their standout upperclassmen to transition stacked freshman classes into the college gym season. MIC Conference champions Illinois State brings traditionally strong vault and floor depth to the matchup, highlighted by all-arounders Angelica Labat, Nirel Bart-Williams, and specialist Jaye Mack. Bowling Green will do their best to fend off the Redbirds with their revamped bars and beam depth – plus a pair of key English recruits in Keira Thornton and Teegan Milligan. Bars will likely be the deciding factor in the first half, so we can expect a showdown with one team attempting to run away with a lead while the other fights to maintain tenths as they head to beam and floor.
Scoring is available through Virtius here, with video available both at the top of the Virtius interface as well as on YouTube here.
Rotation 1: Bowling Green VT, Illinois State UB
Virtius is showing the meet about to begin, and I’m glued to the livestream waiting for the feed to begin. Hoping for video shortly! A few minutes later and we’re rolling, live from the Stroh center, which will be the Falcons’ home arena for the full season. Both teams are looking to show an exhibition on each event today, so get ready for lots of bonus gymnastics.
Bingham (BGSU): Strong Y full, with a small pike down to a controlled landing and a BIG celebration, and what I’m imagining is a pumpkin pie squishmallow. 9.750.
Kipp (ISU): The feed picked up only the tail end of a stuck dismount, but the celebration is a big one too. 9.775.
Thornton (BGSU): Let the British Invasion begin! Another Y full for the Falcons, travels to the side with a small hop. 9.575.
Grolla (ISU): Toe handstand to Maloney and Pak, hitting handstands confidently in her freshman debut. Blind full to a stuck double tuck! The stick crown is for her 9.750.
Coburn (BGSU): Takes her Y full to her knees, great twisting speed but not enough rotation. 9.025.
Heiner (ISU): starts with a big toe handstand – Ray – bail combo, and makes quick work getting back to the high bar for a nearly stuck double layout. 9.800
Brown (BGSU): Stuck y full! 9.800.
Bart-Williams (ISU): Feed cuts to her bars again just in time for a dismount — and it’s a SKY HIGH double front that almost hangs on for the stick. 9.600.
Akpan (BGSU): Floaty Y full, with enough energy for a small rebound out of it. 9.675.
Wabi (ISU): showing off her handstands in a blind half to Jaeger, and then unfortunately goes over on her bail handstand. Back on the high bar like it’s nothing for a textbook blind full to stuck double tuck. Watch out for a redemption routine next week. 9.250.
Weilbacher (BGSU): Cleanest in-air form for the Falcons’ Y full brigade, with a flare and a small hop back. 9.800.
Labat (ISU): toe handstand to a massive Ray and bail, back on the high bar before I can blink. BIG FTDT with lots of distance, but will take on flexed feet. 9.800.
Bannister (BGSU): The first of eight exhibitions today! Plenty of distance on her Y full but has to pike it down to stay on her feet. 9.575.
Robinson (ISU): The third “we only saw the dismount” of Illinois State’s bars squad today, in the exhibition spot. Great positioning and height on her toe front pike half dismount, and rotates it fast enough to land with her chest up. This will be a tough lineup to crack, but I hope we see it more often! 9.525.
After 1: Illinois State 48.725, Bowling Green 48.600
Bowling Green is right on Illinois State’s tail, going almost toe to toe on from their execution with a full 9.950 vault lineup. The redbirds have a strong foundation to head to vault with, but will need to dial in landings to maintain their slim lead.
Rotation 2: Illinois State VT, Bowling Green UB
Vault ankle injury during warmups for leadoff DeCroo, and the lineup has shifted about four times since I’ve started typing the update. This is out first look at how Virtius handles lineup changes in real time, so apologies for all the changes! Mya Robinson looks to have moved from exhibitioning to the leadoff space.
Robinson (ISU): They’ll take that Y full!! Small hop back, no major form issues in the air. 9.775.
Bingham (BGSU): Clear hip to Tkatchev and bail for the interior of her routine, and finishes with a stuck double layout she held onto for dear life. She’s growing into a strong leadoff gymnast for the Falcons! 9.625.
Donovan (ISU): Chest down to get the salto around on her Y full, but otherwise great form in-air. 9.600.
Akpan (BGSU): Best double layout form I’ve seen all weekend! 9.725.
Bart-Williams (ISU): Y1.5 with energy to spare! Takes a step forward and a low chest deduction, but not a bad vault for week one at all. 9.800.
A not for everyone seeing scores: They’re all bumped by one athlete for ISU’s vaults. Robinson is showing at the bottom of the lineup but went first, so I’m matching the scores to the athlete in real time instead of by their current interface.
Weilbacher (BGSU): Blind half to a big straddle Jaeger, then takes a leg separation deduction on her Pak. Makes light work getting back up to the high bar, and sends her toe handstand to FTDT into the rafters. 9.750.
Laster (ISU): Deep squat on her Y1.5, but clean otherwise in the air.
Thornton (BGSU): Maloney to Pak, swinging very easily. Cleanest FTDT so far as well. 9.650.
Mack (ISU): Dare I say nearly perfect Y full?? The stick crown is out, and even as a judge I saw nothing wrong in the air. 9.875 (a girl can dream)
Brown (BGSU): clear hip to a truly LAUNCHED Tkatchev, with an unfortunate ping off. Paying it no mind and she’s rocked her bail and nearly stuck FTDT. Watch out for next week, if she can hang onto that Tkatchev the crowd will go nuts. 8.700.
Labat (ISU): Giving us a master class on vault amplitude with her Y1.5, with a small step. 9.875.
Rivelli (BGSU): Fluid Tkatchev to bail, and very calm handstands. Cranks her double layout and only needs a small shuffle back to balance. 9.825.
Brzoska (BGSU): Exhibition spot today. Dowels on the wrong side of the bar to catch her otherwise very clean Geinger. Clear hip to Pak is exceptional, taking her to a blind full and rushed double tuck. 8.6750.
After 2: Illinois State 97.750, Bowling Green 97.175.
The bars bug might be harder to shake for Bowling Green than they thought, but all signs are pointing to progress compared to 2023. Meanwhile at vault, the back half of the lineup capitalized on some 10.0 starts and have enhanced their lead. Both teams will head to what’s poised to be a strong event, so I’m not paying much mind to the score gap until after the third rotation. Get ready for a floor clinic from the Redbirds (including lots of Nirel Bart-Wililams’ choreography), and a revamped Falcon beam lineup. While I can only hear the arena music, I can also only imagine that both sets of coaches are giving some amazing pep talks right now.
DeCroo on crutches with a boot.
Rotation 3: Bowling Green BB, Illinois State FX
Castiglia (BGSU): Has all the confidence a leadoff should, working quickly through her front toss to bhs, and her piked front toss. Easily through her switch, beat jump, and straddle 3/4, then absolutely nails her punch front full dismount. Way to start the beam rotation! 9.650.
Robinson (ISU): Low double tuck to start off, and the whole team is dancing along. Recovered well with sky high jumps, and by the time she’s in her 2nd corner all is back to normal. Fhs front full front half, and looks very comfortable in her dance into the fhs rudi. 9.600.
Brzoska (BGSU): Looking very in her element. Rock solid on her bhs loso loso series, and switch to straddle 1/4. Nearly sticks her 1.5 dismount too – carrying the energy that Emily Castiglia laid out to keep the rotation running smoothly. 9.725.
Wabi (ISU): A bit of a wait before she gets the green flag, but doesn’t look phased. Casual fhs front double twist to open, and moves quickly into her switch to split full. She transitions from powerful quick sections to slow floorwork easily, makes it really fun to watch! Low rudi loso – hangs in the air too long without rotating and has to shuffle forward. 9.675.
Parente (BGSU): bhs loso series like it’s on the floor, then a switch half that’ll take an angle deduction and an aerial with a check. Finishes with a 1.5, stuck but not without a deep squat. Halfway through beam, and I’m still confidently saying it’s going to be the Falcons’ surprise best event this season. 9.550, with potential to go high without the checks.
Donovan (ISU): Big double tuck to open, tumbling with the same energy she puts into selling her dance. Switch half just missed split, so we can expect a small deduction in her leap series. Seeing the whole team dance on the side never gets old! Drills her punch layout to rudi to finish. 9.825.
Akpan (BGSU): If you’ve ever wondered what beam would look like if it had rod floor springs, this is for you. Massive switch split, but a bit too much power and takes a fall on her bhs loso series AND aerial roundoff. Finishes strong though, nailing her roundoff 1.5. 8.400.
Labat (ISU): Very controlled front double twist to open, and then gets great extension on her switch half to split full moments later. Roundoff 1.5 to lay with a controlled step out, and then a clean rudi to end it off. The rudi was low compared to her double, so there may be a dynamics deduction for it — but formwise lovely. 9.800.
Bingham (BGSU): Saves her bhs loso with a quick check, and then completely calm again for her side aerial. Transverse split 1/2 and roundoff 1.5 are completely dialed in and stuck. 9.750.
Bart-Williams (ISU): She’s having fun, and I’m so into it that all i caught was her loso at the end of the first pass. Donovan in her corner before the second pass, and it’s a super dynamic double pike to controlled lunge. I’m on the lookout for a big number there! 9.825.
Weilbacher (BGSU): Reminding everyone why she’s anchoring beam with her rock solid bhs loso and switch split. Her routine is jam packed, and each skill gets noticable height (even her front toss, which are SO hard to send upwards). Clean tuck full gainer off the end to close it out. 9.800.
Mack (ISU): HUGE full in pike to open up, and keeps it in bounds. Switch side to Popa hangs in the air, and then smoothly into her own dance party before the second corner. Finishes out her day with a just-as-clean front tuck through to double pike! 9.900, our first of the day.
Ross (BGSU): Exhibition spot, with a floaty bhs loso. Breaks connection on her cat leap to front aerial, so there’s an extra sissone after it. Nearly sticks her gainer full from the side – just looked ike she was ready for the stick before she was at the floor. 9.575.
Davis (ISU): Exhibition for the Redbirds, big double tuck but lands chest down. She gets big height in her switch half to wolf full, but looks to get tangled in the twisting. Sits her second pass, and then goes into her third like it never happened closing it out with a fhs front full front pike.
After 3: Illinois State: 146.775, Bowling Green 145.650
Both teams have picked up their respective third events close to where they left off in 2023, which is very important in the first half of season where rankings go by average. Bowling Green showed they know how to nail blind beam dismounts, and Illinois State’s vocabulary doesn’t include artistry deduction anywhere. The Redbirds have a sizable lead now, but I’d be remissed to not include that just like hockey, it ain’t over ’til it’s over. I’ll be on the lookout for big scores from freshmen Keira Thornton and Reese Grolla on floor and beam respectively.
Rotation 4: Illinois State BB, Bowling Green FX
Robinson (BB): Lovely extension in her bodyline on her bhs loso and switch half, keeping them both squarerd to the beam (shoutout to the beam camera from the end). Works through her side aerial easily, and then drills her gainer full to lead off the Redbirds’ final event. 9.850.
Brzoska (BGSU): Roundoff 1.5 to front full with good height in her bounding! Takes a bit of a hit on height in her wolf full, but gets it back for her leap series afterwards. Cowboys her double tuck and has to put her hands down. 9.050.
Davis (ISU): Another bhs loso without a hitch! Switch to switch half both with great flexibility (and parallel to the beam!). A tad low on her front toss, but that’s the only issue I clocked with the interior of her routine. Chest a tad forward to hold onto the stick for her roundoff 1.5. 9.850.
Castiglia (BGSU): Waiting longer than usual, possible conference on Brzoska’s start. BIG double pike, questionably if it stayed in bounds from our view. Rocks her two Popas, and then opens her double tuck too early and has to put her hands down. Takes a bit of a pause to focus, and then drills her front full to front pike. 9.250.
Kipp (ISU): Small check on her bhs loso, but stays totally calm. Rocks her switch to switch half right after, and has some fun low to the beam choreo. Another redbird stick on the 1.5! She’s got the biggest smile of the day, and a stick crown to celebrate with. 9.775.
Coburn (BGSU): Another long wait time before she can start. Front tuck through to double tuck, low chest but keeps it on her feet. Switch side to two Popas, so we can guess it’s going to be a two pass routine. Low double pike, but again keeps it to her feet. 9.575.
Grolla (ISU): Looking very at home on the beam, moving smoothly through her handstand to bhs loso, and double wolf turn. Switch to split get tons of height, and carries it into a cat leap to aerial. NAILS her cartwheel to gainer 1.5 dismount off the end, and is poised to be the first 9.900+ we see on beam today. A great debut for my fellow Canadian! 9.800, I’ll eat my prediction for now but will yell “I told you so” when she hits that mark.
Akpan (BGSU): Comfortably landed double pike, and has time to engage her home crowd before her punch layout to full. Jump series through to the rafters! Double pike was low but she keeps it up – looked surprised with the landing. 9.575.
Bart-Williams (ISU): speedy bhs loso, equally speedy interior, and seemingly only stops to breathe before her stuck cartwheel gainer full dismount. 9.900.
Thornton (BGSU): Sits her fhs front double full. Another low landing on her double tuck. 8.900.
Labat (ISU): Check on her front aerial, and then overpowers her bhs loso and comes off. Back on the beam and locked in for her switch to switch half. Small pause, then into her stuck bhs 1.5 dismount. 9.200.
Weilbacher (BGSU): Front tuck through to double tuck, first landing without a sting mat or a low chest. Having fun with the crowd, and then launches her switch half to Popas. Slightly overcooks a double pike, and finishes with a smile and line of high fives from her teammates. 9.875, but too little too late for the team picture.
Lau (ISU): Making very light work of her beam, with no checks and no pauses. Speedy and efficient set, with a bhs bhs loso, and gainer full dismount.
Bannister (BGSU): Cleanly through her punch layout to full, and then a surprise back tuck to prone! High switch side to Popa, but the Popa gets an extra quarter rotation. Fights to keep her double tuck in bounds, and it looks like she won that fight. This should see lineup time soon, with no short landings or amplitude issues.
FINAL: Illinois State 195.950, Bowling Green 192.975.
Floor cardio was the final nail in the coffin for the Falcons today, in an otherwise very successful season opener with plenty of new routines. For the visiting Redbirds, a near-196 is a road score they’ll gladly take – with no “weak” event and three of four going over 49. Bowling Green will host Northern Illinois this upcoming Saturday for their first taste of in-conference play, while Illinois State will host a quad meet including Central Michigan, Greenville, and Texas Woman’s for their home opener on Friday.
VT: Mack, Labat (9.875)
UB: Rivelli (9.825)
BB: Bart-Williams (9.900)
FX: Mack (9.900)
AA: Weilbacher (39.225)
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Live blog by Peri Goodman
