Happy Friday night gymnastics time!
It’s a short turnaround for Southern Utah and Utah State, both of which competed on Monday at the Best of Utah meet. That may be for the best, as both teams put up forgettable performances.
Southern Utah couldn’t overcome falls on beam and floor, notching a 194.000 after breaking 196 at the Super 16 meet. The Thunderbirds have a lot of new faces in their lineups thanks to the graduation of one of their best classes in recent memory, but with a large roster yet again, plenty of options are there. Freshman and former four-star recruit Niya Randolph immediately slotted into the all around and has largely been impressive. Don’t miss the Thunderbirds on bars—they’ve posted two straight totals over 49.3 and are ranked in the top 10 nationally.
Utah State has posted two 193s to start the season, but Monday was a slight improvement over week 1. The Aggies look to continue that upward trajectory tonight. We’ve seen relatively few freshmen in the lineups, though we have seen the notable absences, Mya Witte and Sydney Jelen, in exhibition. Hopefully they’re just easing them in, as those two should be pushing for lineups over some of the existing options. It’s also a fun crossover for the Aggies tonight, as head coach Kristin White came by way of Arizona State and snagged former Sun Devil Juliette Boyer as a graduate transfer.
Arizona State improved from its season opener with a nice performance and its first 196 of the season at Denver. The routines are there for the Sun Devils—it’s a matter of finding consistency and cleaning up landings as the season progresses. The Sun Devils especially shine on beam with gorgeous sets from the likes of Sarah Clark, Emily White, and Hannah Scharf, to name a few. Plus, Kayla Lee led off with a 9.925 at Denver with a nice set of her own.
OK, let’s get to the gymnastics!
Rotation 1: SUU VT, USU UB, ASU FX
Cacciola (SUU): apparently stuck her full, but we saw the runway instead of the actual vault… 9.825
Bibbey (USU): starting strong. hits bail to hs. slightly short final hs. dlo, step back. 9.725
Lee (ASU): iffy landing on her 2.5. Back 1.5 to lay, better landing. closes with a rudi, step forward. 9.75
Randolph (SUU): Nice full, looked like a hop in place. 9.8
Kirstine (USU): nice first hs. Maloney to bail, the tiniest bit of leg form. Short on her blind full. 9.75
Gregoire (ASU): Hits her first pass. Switch side popa, short on the straddle position. Her first lineup routine after exhibitioning last week. Pulls the rudi loso around. 9.85
Goodman (SUU): Another good full from the Thunderbirds. 9.7
Aragon (USU): Good straddle tkatchev. Bail, hit. ftdt, hop back then a couple small steps. That’ll be the biggest deduction. 9.6
K. Smith (ASU): double pike, clean and controlled. middle combo pass, solid. leap combo slightly underrotated. double tuck with chest a tad low. 9.85
Gull (SUU): y full on tuck off, steps back. 9.725
White (ASU): nice front double full to open. Rocking that Lady Gaga music. back 1.5 to front full, good landing. switch ring switch half, lovely. 9.9
Hearing that Kennedi McClain also had a nice yfull. Didn’t see it, though. 9.825 for her
Brooks (USU): lovely straddled tkatchev. DLO, some leg form but stuck. Think we may have missed part of the routine. 9.85
Seems like USU switched its lineup around, apologies for any missed IDs. Scores are also veryyyyy slow.
Mangahas (ASU): ftdt, good landing. from tuck through to double tuck, nice. switch half wolf full wolf full, good positions. ASU’s landings are much better than they’ve been the past 2 weeks so far. 9.875
Scharf (ASU): front tuck through to double tuck, slight scootch in the lunge. fhs front full front tuck with pristine control. switch half wolf full, good. Double pike, solid. 9.825
After 1: ASU 49.300, SUU 49.025, USU 48.775
Scores are still tricking in, but seemed like a solid start all-around. ASU in particular was much improved from the first two meets on floor.
Rotation 2: ASU VT, SUU UB, USU BB
I think we missed every first routine, lol.
Gregoire (ASU): throws the y1.5 for the second meet in a row after going with he full week 1. Gets the stick this time! 9.925
Schwartze (SUU): misses her jaeger. Rest of the routine is solid, shame about the fall.
Aragon (USU): switch leap split jump, low back leg on the switch. bhs loso, small check. front toss good. bhs gainer full, stuck. Good fight to stay on the beam. 9.8
Reeves (ASU): tucked y1.5, think she had a step forward but coach was blocking my view. 9.9
Routsis (SUU): just caught her dismount, a dlo with a tiny bit of movement. 9.875
Eagles (USU): bhs loso with knees and she’s off the beam. Solid otherwise and dismounts with a back 1.5.
Scharf (ASU): Full, clean with a tiny step. 9.9
Goodman (SUU): Caught a fall in the corner of my screen. SUU will be counting a fall. We rejoin the routine to see her stick her double tuck. 9.325
Kirstine (USU): bhs loso, tiniest check. side aerial, rock solid. call leap side somi, hit. switch straddle 1/4, would like better positions. gainer full off the end of the beam solid. 9.775
Randolph (SUU): Maloney to bail nice. hits final his. dlo, fights for the stick but hops forward. 9.75
Brooks (USU): front aerial to 1 arm bhs, slow connection. Covers up a check on her leaps with some dance. Gainer full, stuck. 9.75
A. Smith (ASU): y1.5, steps back. Can’t quite get the stick this week. 9.625
Neff (SUU): catching just the dismount again, stuck her dlo. 9.875
Witte (USU): believe this is her first counting routine! Last minute sub for Vater. bhs bhs loso, lovely. dances out of her full turn but looked like a check and overturn. front aerial small adjustment to beat jump. switch leap split jump, nice. gainer full, tiny foot movement. That’s what they needed, fall be gone! 9.675
After 2: ASU 98.775, SUU XX, USU 97.525
A very good vault rotation for ASU, despite some mistakes. Apparently I jinxed SUU on bars—that definitely wasn’t an ideal performance. USU with a lineup of resilient routines and it paid off as the Aggies avoid counting a fall.
Rotation 3: ASU UB, SUU BB, USU FX
McClain (SUU): front toss bhs, solid. straddle straddle 1/4, great positions and landing. cat leap front toss, big check with hip bend but stays on. gainer full, hop back. It’s a leadoff hit.
Eagles (USU): Coming in mid-routine. Double tuck with a large lunge. switch side popa solid. 9.8
Barbanente (ASU): blind change piked jaeger straight to bail, close catch but works through it. Didn’t catch the landing but a nice DLO. 9.7
Randolph (SUU): coming in mid-routine but told she fell on her series. She’s hitting everything else nice and closes with a back 1.5 with a step. 9.1
Vater (USU): front double full, solid. triple leap combo with good positions. good combo pass to close. 9.725
Samiley (ASU): floaty straddled jaeger to bail, nice; hit final hs; dlo with great form. 9.775
Fernandez (SUU): came in towards the end of the routine. Side aerial to 1.5 with a step too close. 9.825
Morabito (USU): Her first floor routine of her career! We cut to bars, not sure if we missed anything. front full front full good. Cartwheel loso for the back requirement. Solid leaps. Double tuck short with chest down and a hop forward. 9.675
Seeing Schwartze really fight to stay on the beam in the corner box. 9.6
Evans (USU): fhs front full rudi, solid. switch ring tour jete half solid. roundoff double tuck, hit. 9.775
White (ASU): beautiful van Leeuwen. short high bar hs. Solid bail. Nice dlo with a step. 9.85
Cacciola (SUU): switch split loso beat jump combo, that’s new this season and she nailed it. bhs loso, solid. Dismounts with a tiny step. 9.925
Ostendorf (USU): wasn’t totally focusing on her, but from the corner of my eye it looked solid. 9.85
Clark (ASU): Good straddled jaeger. Pak with a tiny bit of leg sep, doubt the judges would see from their angle. dlo, lands on her heels and shifts a tiny bit back. 9.85
Coutu (SUU): bhs loso, small check. split jump sheep jump, hit. cat leap side somi, solid. gainer full, small hop back. SUU will avoid counting a fall. 9.675
Peterson (USU): front lay rudi to an arch jump, solid. switch side popa, slightly underrotated. Double tuck, controlled landing but chest a little low.
After 3: ASU 147.875, USU 146.475, SUU 146.200
It wasn’t SUU’s best beam rotation, but the Thunderbirds fought to stay on the beam. Ultimately, it’s an improvement from Monday as they avoid counting a fall. ASU hit 6 routines on bars, and the foundations of a good lineup are evident. USU narrowly misses the 49 mark on floor, but the Aggies should be happy with that rotation as a springboard for future meets.
Rotation 4: USU VT, ASU BB, SUU FX
Lee (ASU): leap to turn connection nice. Hit her triple series. Beat jump sheep jump, small check. back 1.5, step forward. Probably won’t be the 9.925 she got last week, but should be a solid score. 9.825
Gull (SUU): caught an iffy landing out of the corner of my eye. big lunge and slide on her double tuck. 9.675
Brooks (USU): yfull, slight pike down but clean otherwise and a hop back. 9.7
Reeves (ASU): bhs bhs loso, solid. switch leap split jump, hit. full turn a tad overturned. front aerial, nice. back tucked 1.5, tiny foot movement. 9.85
Fernandez (SUU): double tuck, hit. switch half wolf full wolf full, solid. back 1.5 to lay, looked like she was short of rotation but pulled it out, albeit an archy layout. Rudi, hops into the lunge. 9.8
Boyer (USU): solid yfull. 9.75
Mangahas (ASU): Front aerial bhs nice. big balance check on her leap series, legs up and all. Impressed she stayed on. Gainer pike nearly stuck. 9.575
Cacciola (SUU): nice double tuck to open. Front full front lay, a little unsure of herself on the landing. Hits her leaps. rudi, lands with chest down and a step forward. 9.725
Morabito (USU): didn’t catch it all but looked like a nice yfull. 9.85
Clark (ASU): bhs bhs loso, leg up but can’t save it like her teammate. Leap combo with a nice double stag jump, hit. front aerial, tiny check. gainer front full, shifts back on her heels but holds the tick. 9.175
Schwartze (SUU): fhs double full, solid. switch leap wolf full wolf full nice. fhs rudi misses the punch and falls on what I think was supposed to be a loso but was more of a bhs to her knees. 8.7
Ostendorf (USU): yfull with lots of distance, just a hop back. 9.775
Scharf (ASU): oh no, she’s off the beam too. She’s usually so good on beam too! switch leap split jump good. back 1.5 with a step to close. 9.225
Randolph (SUU): dynamic double layout to open. switch side popa straddle jump, hit. front tuck through to double tuck, great landing. The team mobs her in excitement! 9.875
Southam (USU): yhalf, hop forward. 9.75
White (ASU): bhs loso, secure. front aerial to beat jump, nice. split jump double stag jump, good. bhs back 1.5 step forward. Ends the night on a high note for ASU. 9.85
Christensen (SUU): double tuck, controlled landing. back 1.5 to lay, a little bit of a large step. switch half wolf full wolf full, leg a little low on the wolfs but rotated well. Rudi to close, solid. 9.825
FINAL: ASU 196.200, USU 195.375, SUU 195.075
That’s Utah State’s best meet of the season by a long shot. Definitely one to keep building on, and it’s encouraging to see more freshmen easing their way into lineups. Lots of good for ASU to take out of this meet, though it wasn’t a perfect meet. The Sun Devils were much improved on floor, but couldn’t stay on the beam (apparently I also jinxed them…). SUU rebounded from its Best of Utah performance to put up a 195 despite struggling on bars, typically its best event.
VT: Halle Gregoire (ASU) 9.925
UB: Alex Routsis, Isabella Neff (SUU) 9.875
BB: Ellie Cacciola (SUU) 9.925
FX: Emily White (ASU) 9.900
AA: Jada Mangahas (ASU) 39.200
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Live blog by Tara Graeve
