Happy meet day and happy Super Bowl Sunday! Before the Super Bowl festivities begin, I’m here in Magness Arena at Denver’s tri meet against Iowa State and SEMO.
Denver scored only its second 198 in program history last week against Towson, and the Pioneers are looking for another big number today. Bars was an especially big event for Denver last week, with 9.975s from Kiley Rorich, Mia Hebinck, and Jessica Hutchinson, leading to a record-shattering event total of 49.750. The Pioneers were also able to overcome their beam jitters last week, and now that they know what they’re capable of on that event, watch out for bigger scores!
2024 has been a good year for Iowa State so far. After five weeks of competition the Cyclones are ranked 22nd in the country, but last week they showed a bit of weakness on the beam. After being forced to count an 8.975 from Madelyn Manternach, Iowa State had its lowest total score of the season at a 195.550. But if the beam lineup can hit to its full potential, the Cyclones should be back to their usual scores in the 196 range. Keep your eye on reigning Big 12 newcomer of the week Noelle Adams. She scored a 9.900 on both beam and floor last week, and she has the potential to go even higher.
Finally, we have SEMO. While the Redhawks have little to no chance at winning this tri meet, today is still important for them to find some consistency to who they are as a team, as it’s been a rollercoaster of a year for SEMO! After starting the year off with two 192s, it scored a 197.050 at the Tennessee Classic. Last week against Illinois State, the Redhawks scored a 194.475, and that included some lower scores on beam. So, similar to Iowa State, if SEMO can improve on beam, another near-195 may be in its future.
Rotation 1: Denver VT, Iowa State UB, SEMO BB
Brusch (DU): Nice high Yurchenko full, she flared it out and I think she stuck it! 9.85
Chodon (SEMO): Switch leap to split quarter was nice, nice flexibility. Front aerial to back tuck series was very solid, no wobbles there. Little wobble on the full turn. Cat leap to front toss was nice as well, a bit of a lower landing. Finishes with a front full with a step on the landing. 9.7
Basuel (ISU): Mounts over the low bar and to the high bar and hits that first handstand. Blind into a Jaeger was gorgeous. Beautiful shootover down to low. Hits the last handstand and takes a step back on the blind full to sky-high double tuck. 9.775
Ulrich (DU): Front pike half with just a shuffle on the landing! Nice vault for Denver. 9.85
Fall from Madison Greene (SEMO) on beam
Wills (ISU): Starts on the low bar with a Maloney to Pak combination, some leg separation but great height. Nails her last handstand and takes a hop back on the double layout.
Napolitano (SEMO): Switch leap to split three quarter, some bent legs throughout. Nice flic lay, very solid landing. Cat leap to side aerial, her chest was low on the landing and she took a step back but she saved it. Finishes with a side gainer full and she sticks it! Great rebound after a fall! 9.575
Hutchinson (DU): A stuck Yurchenko 1.5! She had great form in the air and the crowd is erupting! The team is calling for a 10, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it was. 9.975
Loyim (ISU): Mounts on the high bar and gets the handstand. Blind to a piked Jaeger, nice form. A bit archy on her handstand before the low bar. Leg separation on the Pak and struggled on the pirouette. Takes a hop on the double layout. 9.6
Webb (SEMO): Front toss to one foot was absolutely gorgeous, textbook! Switch leap to split quarter was solid as well. Cat leap to front aerial to back handspring swing down, she just has beautiful form on everything. Finishes with a stuck back handspring side gainer full! I really enjoyed watching that routine, it was very clean! 9.85
Speller (SEMO): Beautiful full turn to start out, she kicked out of it with confidence. Front toss to back handspring series, maybe a bit of a wobble in between. Switch leap to switch half, small wobble there too. Front toss to one foot, clean but a tiny wobble again. Finishes with a front full and takes a small hop.
After 1: Denver 49.350, Iowa State 48.650, SEMO 48.625
The first rotation is in the books, and it was a good start for each team! Denver put up a 49.350 on vault, including a huge 9.975 from Jessica Hutchinson. Iowa State showed off some high-flying release moves and gorgeous form, but gave away some tenths on landings. SEMO had a fall on beam, but the rest of the lineup came through and the Redhawks finished with a 48.625 and is just behind the Cyclones!
Rotation 2: Denver UB, Iowa State BB, SEMO FX
Hamilton (SEMO): Starts with a really nice 2.5, good control on the landing. Switch full is next, that’s good too. Next pass is a front layout front full, very clean in the air. Her last pass is a back 1.5 to front layout, that was a good routine to start off!
Rorich (DU): Starts on the high bar with a great handstand. Really nice blind to Jaeger. Good shootover down to low. Nails the last handstand and takes a hop back on the double layout.
Napolitano (SEMO): First pass is a 2.5 to front tuck, the front tuck looked a little low and I couldn’t see the landing. Nice tour jete half to wolf full. Next is a super high double tuck, great form throughout! Nice switch leap to finish off the routine.
Adams (ISU): Beautiful flic lay to start the routine, maybe the tiniest wobble at the end. Gorgeous switch leap switch leap, very nice flexibility. Side aerial, she takes a step back but stays on. Cat leap to front aerial, another wobble there. Finishes with a side gainer full and she sticks it!
Mia Hebinck (DU) just had a gorgeous bar routine and the crowd and team are calling for a 10
Crouch (SEMO): Starts with a Rudi to a double stag jump, the jump traveled backwards. Switch side to wolf full, really lacking height and flexibility on that. Back 1.5 to front full is next, she took a big step sideways on the landing.
Jessica Hutchinson (DU) nailed all of her handstands and had gorgeous execution as usual, she stuck the landing too!
Mundell (DU): Hits the first handstand on the high bar and does a beautiful Tkatchev. Gorgeous shootover down to the low bar. Nails the last handstand and sticks the double layout! The crowd and team are excited about that one!
Ingle (SEMO): Starts with a back 2.5 to front tuck, the front tuck was pretty long and she hopped forward. Next is a front layout to Rudi, some crossed feet in the air and a bouncy landing. Switch half to Popa was really nice, great split and straddle positions there.
Wilke (ISU): Cat leap to front toss to back tuck to start, she had a really big wobble at the end of that but she held on. Cat leap to switch side, maybe a bit short of 180. Finishes with a roundoff 1.5 and hops forward on the landing.
Webb (SEMO): First pass is a 2.5, very nice form throughout and great control on the landing. Switch ring to tour jete half was nice, she shows off some great flexibility. Next is a Rudi to split jump, great form and great height on that split jump. Her last pass is a back 1.5 to front layout, a bit archy on that layout, but that was a great routine!
Greene (SEMO): Starts out with a front layout to Rudi, and she bounced out of the landing from what I could tell. Next is a super high double tuck with a textbook controlled lunge. Tour jete half wolf full. Great routine!
After 2: Denver 98.825, SEMO 97.575, Iowa State 97.350
Another good rotation all around! While Denver didn’t have huge bar scores like last week, it still scored a 49.475 and showed off some consistency in its handstands and landings. Iowa State looked nervous over on the beam, but was much improved from last week and didn’t have to count a fall. SEMO showed out on floor! Some really strong tumbling from Lydia Webb and Madison Greene brought the Redhawks into second place over Iowa State.
Rotation 3: SEMO VT, Denver BB, Iowa State FX
Ingle (SEMO): From what I saw it was a Yurchenko full with a lot of distance!
Thompson (DU): Side aerial to back handspring series, she looked crooked but only had a very small wobble. Nice switch leap switch leap. Small wobble on her full turn. Finishes with a side aerial to back 1.5 with a small step back. 9.775
Iwai (DU): Switch leap to straddle quarter, very nice flexibility there. Nice flic lay lay, some bent knees but nothing too bad. Finishes with a cartwheel to side gainer full and she gets the stick!
Casali (DU): Flic lay lay series, she stepped back but it looked controlled. Switch leap switch leap, a bit shy of 180 on both. Cartwheel to a super high side gainer full and she stuck it!
Schell (ISU): Rudi to what was supposed to be a double stag jump to start but she must’ve mispunched because that stag barely got off the ground. Switch side to straddle half was good, some flexed feet. Back 1.5 to front layout and she sticks that cold.
Greene (SEMO): Yurchenko full, very straight body in the air, just the smallest pike down, and she sticks it!
Hutchinson (DU): Starts with a front toss to back handspring series, beautiful and solid as usual. Gorgeous switch leap to split jump. Very solid piked front toss, no wobbles at all. Slight wobble on the full turn. Finishes with a cartwheel to side gainer full, she holds onto the landing and sticks it.
B. Mabanta (DU): Slight wobble on her full turn to start. Gorgeous flic lay but she wobbles on the landing. Split leap to switch half was nice, great split positions. Switch leap, she stumbles on the landing and falls off. She redoes it and it’s a switch leap to split jump. Finishes up with a stuck gainer pike.
Loyim (ISU): Starts off with a really nice high double layout with a great controlled landing! Next is a back 1.5 to front layout, and that layout was very floaty, it was much higher than the first element. Switch side Popa wolf full was good, the Popa was a bit shy of 180. Great routine for the Cyclones!
The Pioneer fans have started the wave in the crowd, and we have the Denver rugby team in the crowed providing some energy as well! Love to see it!
Adams (ISU): Her first pass is a super floaty front layout to a nice controlled Rudi. Beautiful tour jete half to a Popa, she gets really high in those leaps and jumps, just needs a bit more straddle on the Popa. Finishes up with a super high double tuck and a great landing!
Wilke (ISU): Starts with a back 1.5 to front layout, the front layout was low compared to some of her teammates before her, but it wasn’t bad. Switch side to Popa, lacking some flexibility on that Popa. Next is a double pike, it was very high but she stumbled a bit out of that landing.
After 3: Denver 148.225, Iowa State 146.575, SEMO 146.425
One more rotation to go! Rotation 3 was a solid one. SEMO showed some great height on its vaults and even got a stick from Madison Greene to close out the event. Denver was a bit shaky on beam and had a fall from Bella Mabanta, but the rest of the team before her was great and was able to tally a 49.400. Iowa State had some nice floor routines, most notably a 9.900 from Noelle Adams and a 9.850 from Rachel Wilke after going in for Paige Wills who tweaked her foot in warm up.
Rotation 4: Iowa State VT, SEMO UB, Denver FX
Johnston (SEMO): Starts on the low bar with a Maloney to Pak combination, some leg separation on the Pak. Short on the last handstand and sticks the blind full to double tuck.
Loyim (ISU): Yurchenko full, a bit pikey in the air but she got a lot of distance and took a small hop back on the landing.
Rorich (DU): Starts with a front tuck through to a double tuck, her chest was a bit low on that landing. Great switch side Popa Popa, very nice flexibility on each element. Next is a double pike, her toes are pointed the whole time and her landing was very controlled.
Bergstrom (ISU): Really high Yurchenko full! Good form in the air and she stuck it! The Cyclones are very excited about that one!
Hamilton (SEMO): Jumps over the low bar and hits her first handstand. Toe on to a beautiful Geinger to bail combination, no form breaks on that Geinger. Super high full in dismount and she sticks it! What a great routine!
Iwai (DU): Starts with a back 1.5 to front layout to stag jump, very clean. Nice switch full, good height on that. Next is a nice high double tuck, just has a bouncier landing. Nice switch half to Popa to finish up.
Webb (SEMO): Mounts on the high bar and hits her handstand. Nice toe on to blind to a SUPER HIGH Jaeger to bail combination. Gorgeous blind full to a double tuck and she took a small step back. Wow I cannot get over how high that Jaeger was, it was beautiful. Great routine! 9.75?? I’m a little confused about that one.
Reidenbach (DU): Whip half to Rudi to start out, could use some height but her form was nice. Switch half to wolf full was good. Nice double tuck, she was quick to her lunge but she kept that front foot down.
Casali (DU): Really nice Rudi to back layout, great height and control on the landing. Switch half wolf full wolf full was good too. Finishes up with a 2.5 to front tuck, the front tuck looked a bit crooked from my angle but the height and landing were good!
Sydney Crouch (SEMO) with another good routine, she missed her last handstand and had a low chest on her dismount but her releases were nice.
Ulrich (DU): Starts with a really high open double tuck and she nails the landing this week! Switch side to Popa was nice and high, the Popa may have been a tad short of 180. Next is a back 1.5 to front layout, that layout was super floaty, and I love how she dances out of her landing in a controlled way. Last pass is a double pike, great form and another solid landing! The crowd is very excited and the rugby team is calling for a 10!
Hutchinson (DU): First pass is a front double full, great form in the air and a very controlled landing. Switch half to split full was beautiful like it always is. Back 1.5 to front layout, good form throughout and another great landing. Her last pass is a Rudi to straddle jump and she nailed it! Great routine from Hutchinson as always! The crowed and team are chanting for a 10 again. And she got it! Another well-deserved 10 for Jessica Hutchinson!
The Iowa State team is over cheering for the exhibition floor routine, you love to see that!
Final: Denver 197.775, Iowa State 195.800, SEMO 194.675
Another great meet for every team! Denver was tenths away from its highest score of the season, and Jessica Hutchinson got another perfect 10 on floor. Iowa State improved on its score from last week, but still has some more improving to do if it wants to get back up to the 196 range. SEMO had a shaky final rotation on bars, but showed off some great routines on all the other events.
Event Winners:
Vault: Hutchinson, 9.975
Bars: Hebinck, 9.925
Beam: Hutchinson, 9.950
Floor: Hutchinson, 10.000
All Around: Hutchinson, 39.825
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Live Blog by Emily Lockard
