An in-state rivalry meet? Between two teams just three places apart in the rankings? Um, yes please!
Both Arizona and Arizona State are coming in hot, having steadily improved since the beginning of the season. Last week, Arizona came within striking distance of No. 2 California, while Arizona State took the win over Stanford with a 196.975. And although Arizona is ranked above Arizona State, the Sun Devils so far hold the highest score between the two teams, a 197.250.
A meet as close as this is likely to be decided by details, especially landings. Both teams have given away some tenths due to not finding sticks, and will be looking to hang on to every tenth possible in order to come away with the victory.
We are also set for a great showing in the all-around tonight! Both teams have two consistent all-arounders, and all four will be looking for an all-around victory. Arizona State is led by Hannah Scharf and Jada Mangahas, while Arizona is led by Alysen Fears and Malia Hargrove.
Rotation 1: Arizona VT, Arizona State UB
Fears (UA): Yfull with a bounce back. 9.775
Barbanente (ASU): Piked jaegar to bail/shootover, bit of a vague position. Double lay with a step forward. 9.725
Greever (UA): Yfull, a little flare, bounces in place on landing. 9.775
Samiley (ASU): High straddle jaeger to shootover. Double lay, gorgeous form with a small hop back. 9.775
Strom (UA): Broadcast didn’t show her vault live. Yfull with some soft knees and pike down with a tiny hop forward. 9.725
Scharf (ASU): Maloney, pak, leg separation on both but probably won’t be deducted. Full turn a bit late to a stuck double tuck. 9.8
Martin (UA): High Yfull with a medium hop back. 9.75
Managas (ASU): Pike jaeger to shootover, nice. Full twisting double back with a shuffle-hop back. 9.8
Hargrove (UA): Y1.5 with a big hop forward and then a small step. 9.75
White (ASU): Van Leuwen is gorgeous. Doesn’t quite hit the handstand on her bail, but all the other handstands are gorgeous. Double lay, knees buckle a tiny bit and she steps forward. 9.75
Castles (UA): Yfull, very similar to Fears with a bounce back. 9.775
Clark (ASU): Piked jaeger, pak with a lot of leg separation. Double lay, stuck! Great to end the rotation with a stick. 9.85
After 1: Arizona 48.825, Arizona State 49.00
Neither team hit to the best of their ability during that rotation, but neither team had any missed routines. Arizona will be frustrated to have not found more landings on vault, and Arizona State dealt with similar hoppy landings on floor. This meet is still anyone’s game!
Rotation 2: Arizona UB, Arizona State VT
Mangahas (ASU): Y full, flares it out, small hop on landing. 9.825
Mueller (UA): Straddle tkatchev, slightly low on the next handstand, bail is good. Double lay with a small hop. 9.775
Gregoire (ASU): Y1.5 with a big step forward. 9.85
Hargrove (UA): Straddle tkatchev to bail, identical routine construction to Mueller. Full twisting double back, tries to hold onto the stick but takes a step back. 9.75
Reeves (ASU): Y tucked 1.5, bit of leg separation on the table, and a micro hop. 9.875
Martin (UA): Maloney, pak, good form. Slightly low on the last handstand. Double lay, chest down but stuck! 9.7 feels low
Scharf (ASU): Yfull, crunched on the table and lands a little short with a step across. 9.6
Deets (UA): Blind change to Tkatchev, lovely. Good bail, then has to reswing before transitioning to the high bar. Double lay with a step forward. 9.775
Thedorou (ASU): Half on front tuck half, lots of distance and a small hop back. 9.9
Derr (UA): Ray, pak, great form throughout. Full twisting double back, stuck! Great routine. 9.875
A. Smith (ASU): Y1.5, great height and form in the air, step forward on landing. 9.9
Fears (UA): Tkatchev, way too far and can’t even reach the bar, lands on her feet. Bail is good. Double lay with a small hop back.
After 2: Arizona State 98.350, Arizona 97.770
Some high flying vaults allowed Arizona State to extend their lead. Arizona started to find their landings on bars, but Fears’ fall held them back score-wise. So far, Derr’s 9.875 is the only 9.8+ score Arizona has recorded in this meet.
Rotation 3: Arizona BB, Arizona State FX
Fears (UA): Needs to bounce back after a miss on bars. BHS LOSO, small check. Full turn solid. Side aerial with a medium check. Split leap to double stag, nice and secure. RO 1.5 twist with a step. Good comeback! 9.75
Lee (ASU): Front double full, slight slide on the lunge. Back 1.5 to front lay, good. Switch ring, switch half, very quick with her leaps. Front 1.5, a lot of juice but doesn’t move her front foot on the lunge. 9.775
Herry (UA): Steady full turn. BHS LOSO, very confident. Side somi, no issues, she has a really aggressive, strong quality on beam. Straddle jump, straddle quarter, a little wobbly. BHS 1.5 twist with a small hop forward. 9.825
Gregoire (ASU): Full twisting double back with a bit of a step back. Switch side to Popa. Really powerful music and choreo. Front 1.5 to layout step out. Forks up to end. 9.85
Mueller (UA): Side aerial to LOSO, little off but covers well. Quick and secure full turn. Switch leap, straddle jump, no problems. RO 1.5, stuck! Great from her. 9.9!
K. Smith (ASU): Clean double pike to open. Front full, front lay. Some interesting flooreo happening in the middle of the routine. Tour jete, half popa, nice height. High double tuck to close. 9.85
Martin (UA): Split jump, double stag, nice combo! BHS LOSO, super solid. Front aerial with the smallest of hip checks. I’m really liking Arizona’s country beam music. Full turn good. RO 1.5 twist with a sizable hop forward. 9.825 matches her career high.
White (ASU): I’m already a huge fan of the Lady Gaga music. Front double twist, so clean. Nice little dip in the middle of the routine. Front 1.5, front full, great! Switch ring, switch half, hits both positions. What a fun routine! 9.9
Castles (UA): Really cool, controlled walk over to start. BHS LOSO, a little off but hides it well. Split leap, leap, foot slip but she pulls it back. Front aerial to split leap. Ah yes, let’s just show her upper body and nothing else on the double wolf turn. Looks like it was clean. RO 1.5 twist dismount, stuck. 9.8
Mangahas (ASU): Full in, chest down but controls the landing. Punch front through to double tuck, nice and high. Gets good height on her leaps as well. 9.8
Deets (UA): BHS LOSO, snaps her arms back to avoid a check. Gorgeous full turn, her quality on beam is really flowy yet confident. A leap I couldn’t identify due to camera angle followed by a straddle quarter. Cat leap, front toss, very nice. Switch leap, gainer full, stuck! 9.875
Scharf (ASU): Punch front to double tuck, chest down a bit on landing. Front full to punch front. Great extension on her leaps. Closes with a clean double pike. 9.9
After 3: Arizona State 147.625, Arizona 146.925
There was so much great gymnastics happening in that rotation it’s hard to choose a highlight! After counting just one score above a 9.8 in the first half of the meet, Arizona went and posted a season high beam score, counting five 9.8+ scores. Arizona State’s floor routine is such a treat, with tons of personality and huge tumbling to match.
Rotation 4: Arizona FX, Arizona State BB
Lee (ASU): Leap to full turn, very smooth. BHS LOSO LOSO, clean. Beat jump to sheep jump, cool combination! RO 1.5 twist, stuck. Great redemption set from her! 9.875
Deets (UA): Front lay to front full, dances right out of it. Couldn’t see the position on her splits because the camera decided to zoom in on her feet. Double tuck, a bit too much power but stays in bounds. 9.85
Reeves (ASU): BHS BHS LOSO, no problems. Switch leap, split leap, back leg is a little low and a small check. Full turn with another small check. Front aerial, rock solid. RO tucked 1.5 with a step forward. Some wobbles but a hit nonetheless. 9.725
Fears (UA): Seven Nation Army as floor music! Double tuck with an additional step back. Very floaty punch front 1.5. Back 1.5 to front full, no problems there. 9.725
Mangahas (ASU): Secure full turn. Front aerial, BHS with some bent knees. Switch leap, split half, doesn’t quite hit split position on the second leap. Front toss, very aggressive. Gainer pike dismount, stuck. She’s happy with it! 9.8
Strom (UA): Punch front 1.5 to a back layout step out. Gets good height on her leap series. Back 1.5 to front full to close. 9.85
Clark (ASU): Calmly through the full turn. BHS BHS LOSO, very solid. Split leap, double stag, small shoulder check. Front aerial with a tiny wobble. Gainer front full off the end of the beam, stuck! 9.85
Mueller (UA): Big double pike to open. Great oversplit in her straddle leaps. Back 1.5 to front lay. So much personality in her dance! Closes with a strong double tuck. 9.85
Scharf (ASU): Double wolf turn, she somehow manages to make that skill look elegant. BHS LOSO, very confident. Side somi is good. Switch leap, split leap, clean. RO 1.5 with a small step forward. 9.825
Herry (UA): Floaty double tuck to start the routine. Nice height on the leaps. Back 1.5 to front lay is good. Double pike to close, lunges forward. 9.9
White (ASU): BHS LOSO, smooth and controlled. Quick full turn. She has a really light elegant style on beam. Front aerial, beat jump, solid. Split leap, double stag jump, gets a ton of height. BHS 1.5 twist with a step back. 9.875
Hargrove (UA): Big full twisting double back with a perfectly controlled lunge. Unique choreography style. Whip half to front full is clean. Switch ring to tour jete, great. Awesome headstand choreo. Finishes with a sky high double tuck. Great routine to close the meet! 9.875
FINAL: Arizona State 196.850, Arizona 196.250
Arizona State take the victory in this rivalry meet! The Sun Devils didn’t miss a single routine and are coming away with a solid road score. Arizona let landings get away from it in the first half of the meet, which is a shame, because its beam and floor were great. Overall, a really fun Thursday night of gymnastics!
VT: A. Smith, Theodorou (9.900)
UB: Derr (9.875)
BB: Mueller (9.900)
FX: Herry, Scharf, White (9.900)
AA: Mangahas (39.225)
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Live blog by Naomi Stephenson
