Southern Utah is coming off a huge season-high team score of 196.800 against their rivals Utah State. After showing some inconsistency at the beginning of the season, especially on beam, the Thunderbirds finally put all four events together, scoring above a 49.000 on each event for the first time this season. Despite being the lower-ranked team in this matchup, Southern Utah holds a higher season-high score than Boise State, proving that the Thunderbirds can be a top team in the MPSF.
Boise State is also coming off a season-high team score, just under three-tenths of Southern Utah’s. Boise State has shown a bit more consistency than Southern Utah this season, scoring high 195’s to mid 196’s. Floor has been a strong suit for the Broncos this season, holding a season-high of a very respectable 49.4250. The Broncos are led by senior Courtney Blackson, who has scored at least a 9.900 on vault, bars, and floor this season. The NCAA All-American also competes a huge Yurchenko 1.5, a vault that earned her a ticket to the national championships last year.
Despite Boise State holding a higher ranking, it’s not safe to say that they are heading into the meet as the favorites. These teams are currently toe-to-toe with each other, and it’s either team’s meet to win.
Rotation 1: Southern Utah VT, Boise State UB
Cacciola (SUU): Really solid Yurchenko full! Clean throughout the air and takes just a hop on the landing. 9.875.
Werline (BSU): Nice Maloney to Pak to start the routine. Double back dismount, takes a hop back. 9.825.
Randolph (SUU): Another big Yurchenko full with a large hop back. 9.750.
Buell (BSU): Nice Maloney to start, a bit of a leg separation. Short on the handstand in the Bail. Really clean double layout dismount and takes a hop back. 9.725.
McClain (SUU): Yurchenko full, clean form in the air and takes a hop back. Good looking vaults for the Thunderbirds! 9.775.
McGovern (BSU): Nice Geinger to shootover, a little foot separation after the first release. Dismounts with a huge full-twisting double back! 9.775.
Kelly (SUU): Full on, pike off. Lacks some amplitude and takes a step back. 9.750.
Hamby (BSU): Starts off with a Ray, but completely misses the bar. Remounts the bar and does a nice shootover. Double layout dismount, just a small hop back.
Purdue (SUU): Big Yurchenko 1.5, but has some loose form in the air. 9.800.
Blackson (BSU): Starts with a nice Bail. Huge Markelov! Double layout dismount and a stuck landing! Great routine! 9.925.
Gull (SUU): Full on, tuck off. Big step on the landing. 9.725.
Lopez (BSU): Starts with a nice piked Jeager, really nicely done. Hits the Bail to handstand. Gorgeous double layout, and sticks the landing! That was clean! 9.950.
After 1: Boise State 49.200, Southern Utah 48.950
Courtney Blackson and Emily Lopez topped off the Bronco’s bar rotation with two clean routines, both scoring above a 9.900. Bars has been a bit inconsistent for the Broncos, but they put it all together today.
Southern Utah scored just about what they have been scoring all season with a 48.950. They didn’t stick any of their landings, but the first half of the lineup has some huge Yurchenko fulls that will notch those bigger scores once they find the landings.
Rotation 2: Boise State VT, Southern Utah UB
Kho (BSU): Big Yurchenko full with a big hop back. 9.725.
Christensen (SUU): Nice piked Jaegar to start. Follows with a Bail and is very short on the handstand. Misses the high bar handstand. Double layout dismount, big height but takes a step back. 9.750.
McGovern (BSU): Yurchenko full, a bit of a pike down and takes a big hop on the landing. 9.725.
Routsis (SUU): Nice Maloney to Bail, nice control on the handstand. Hits the high bar handstand. Dismounts with a double layout, hop forward. 9.700.
Popp (BSU): Big front pike half, but was really short on the landing and took a big step forward. 9.500.
Randolph (SUU): Nice Shaposhnikova, followed by a Bail. Hits the high bar handstand. Clear hip to double layout dismount, just a hop back. Love the originality of that routine! 9.850.
Vulaj (BSU): Full on, pike off. A little low, but finds the landing. Just a small, controlled hop back. 9.700.
Neff (SUU): Nice Maloney to Bail to start, just a bit shy of the handstand. Really clean double layout dismount, just step forward. 9.825.
Lopez (BSU): Big power on a Yurchenko full. Clean form in the air but takes a big hop back. 9.775.
Goodman (SUU): Starts off with a nice piked Jaegar! Follows with a nice Pak. Misses the pirouette on the first attempt, but hits on the second. Shouldn’t be a huge deduction. Giant full to double back dismount, hop back.
Blackson (BSU): Huge STUCK Yurchenko 1.5! That was fabulous, that could be a ten! The judges don’t give it to her tonight. 9.950.
Schwartze (SUU): Another solid piked Jaeger. A bit shy of handstand on the bail. Over-casts on the handstand on the high bar and comes off. Front 1.5 dismount, super unique dismount!
After 2: Boise State 98.075, Southern Utah 97.825
The Broncos are maintaining the lead they established in the first rotation, leading by 0.250. Courtney Blackson hit another solid routine, highlighted by a stuck landing on her Yurchenko 1.5. Southern Utah showed some unique skills in their routines, but have some built-in deduction in some of their skills, preventing them from getting those big scores.
Rotation 3: Southern Utah BB, Boise State FX
Fernandez (SUU): Nice side aerial to BHS. Follows with solid front toss. Beat jump to split 3/4, nicely controlled. Aerial to back 1.5 dismount, and sticks the landing! That was a great leadoff routine! 9.825.
Vulaj (BSU): First pass is a back 1.5 to front full, nicely landed. Goes for a tour jete full, but does not make it all the way around. Judges will likely give it credit, though. Double back dismount, nice controlled landing. 9.800.
McClain (SUU): Nice front toss to BHS. Straddle jump to straddle quarter, slight hesitation on the landing. Sticks the piked front toss! Good full turn. Gainer full off the side, and another stuck landing. Two hit routines to start! 9.875.
Leitch (BSU): First pass is a nicely landed double piked. The second pass is a front lay to front full, nice height and has a nice landing. Dismounts with a double tuck, couldn’t find the balance on the landing, and takes an awkward step. 9.750.
Caccialo (SUU): Confident on the full turn. Switch leap + split jump + LOSO + beat jump, wow!! That was great! BHS + LOSO. The toe point and flexibility stands out! Back 1.5 dismount, just a step. That was good! 9.875.
Pascal (BSU): Double back to start, finds the controlled landing. Switch ring to tour jete full, nicely done. Big height on the back 1.5 + front layout, another controlled step. Rudi to stag jump, a little short on the Rudi, causing her to travel forward on the stag. 9.750.
Randolph (SUU): BHS + layout, slight wobble but nice difficulty. Straddle jump to straddle quarter, slight wobble but hits the connection. Front toss to beat jump, solid. Back 1.5 dismount and sticks the landing. 9.825.
Southern Utah is killing it on beam.
Loyim (BSU): Whip to double back, nicely done! Switch straddle to Popa, nice height. Dismounts with a big double pike, nice amplitude but slides her feet on the landing. 9.850.
Contu (SUU): BHS + LOSO, slight balance check. Split jump to sheep jump, a little lack of flexibility. Confident full turn. Unique cat leap to side somi. Gainer full off the side, and gets another stick for the Thunderbirds. 9.825.
McGovern (BSU): Rudi to LOSO, nicely done. Switch half to Popa, nice height. Double back dismount with a controlled landing. 9.875.
Hartley (SUU): BHS + LOSO, slight balance check. Split jump to straddle half, slight hesitation on the landing. Side somi, another hesitation. Slight hop on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.825.
Blackson (BSU): Front double full to punch front tuck, takes just a small hop forward. Tour jete half to split jump full, nicely done. Dismounts with a back 2.5 and takes a nice controlled step forward. 9.875.
After 3: Boise State 147.100, Southern Utah 147.050
Southern Utah just had one of the best beam rotations of the year, scoring just below their season-high total from last week. Boise State typically scores a bit higher on floor, scoring just a 49.150 today. Right now, the meet is separated by less than a tenth, and it’s likely going to come down to the last routine.
Rotation 4: Boise State BB, Southern Utah FX
Vulaj (BSU): Gainer BHS + LOSO, slight wobble. Switch leap to another gainer LOSO. Nice full turn. Solid front toss. Back 1.5 dismount with a hop forward. 9.800.
Fernandez (SUU): First pass is a nice double back with a controlled step. Switch half + wolf full + wolf full, nicely done. Back 1.5 to front layout, a little lack of amplitude on the second salto. Dismounts with a Rudi, nicely landed. 9.800.
Kho (BSU): Back extension hold mount, goes completely over on it. BHS + back pike, nicely done. Wobbles on the full turn. Sissone to switch half, solid. Dismounts with back 1.5, hop forward. 9.625.
Pardue (SUU): First pass is a round off to double tuck, nicely done. Front layout to front full, nicely choreographed landing. Switch straddle to Popa, nice flexibility and height! Dismounts with a round off to double pike, sits down on the landing. 9.125.
Loyim (BSU): BHS + LOSO + LOSO, nicely done and remains patient on the landing. Solid full turn. Side aerial with a balance check. Switch leap + switch leap + gainer full off the side. Really nice difficulty in that routine! 9.725.
Cacciola (SUU): Mounts with a nice double tuck, controls the landing. Follows with a front full to front layout, nicely done. Lacks some flexibility in the leap pass. Dismounts with a Rudi, hops out of the landing a bit. 9.825.
Lopez (BSU): BHS + LOSO, very clean. Confident on the full turn. Split quarter from the side to straddle half, nicely done. Cat leap to front toss, stuck. Gainer full off the side to dismount and sticks the landing. 9.875.
Gull (SUU): Huge double pike to start, a bit of big step on the landing. Back 1.5 + front half + split jump, nicely done! Split leap full to wolf full, some foot form issues. Dismounts with a huge double back, nice routine! 9.875.
Popp (BSU): Front aerial, slight wobble. Follows with a nice full turn. BHS + BHS + back layout, HUGE difficulty! Gainer full off the side, just a small hop back. 9.775.
Christensen (SUU): Mounts with a nicely landed double tuck. Second pass is a back 1.5 to front layout and shows off some nice amplitude in that second salto! Switch half + wolf full + wolf full, nicely done. Big Rudi dismount, takes a controlled step back. 9.825.
Leitch (BSU): Solid full turn to start things off. BHS + layout, another difficult acro series for the Broncos! Lacks some flexibility on the switch leap. Solid front toss to beat jump. Switch leap to gainer pike dismount, hop back. 9.750.
Randolph (SUU): Just a normal double layout today, but is extremely well done! Switch half to Popa, nicely done. Front tuck through to double back, nicely landed! That might have clinched it! 9.900.
FINAL: Southern Utah 196.275, Boise State 196.150
That was a close meet! The Broncos held the lead for the first three rotations, but a strong floor rotation edged out Boise State. Boise State had a bit of trouble on beam, but showed nice difficulty throughout all of their routines. Despite being the lower-ranked team, the Thunderbirds came out on top.
VT: Courtney Blackson 9.950
UB: Emily Lopez 9.950
BB: Ellie Cacciola and Emily Lopez 9.875
FX: Niya Randolph 9.900
AA: Niya Randolph 39.325
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Live blog by Aaron Doyle
