Opening up the season of live blogging on this Friday night, we get the first look at three of the five Michigan teams in a tri-meet hosted by the Wolverines!
Over the past few seasons, Michigan has always opened its season very well, but has struggled in some areas with depth and resting its veterans; but, with Michigan having the top-ranked incoming freshman class this year, tonight’s showing could be the start of something big to get the team climbing in the rankings once again.
Joining this meet are Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. Western Michigan is the reigning MAC champions and will have to prioritize showing its depth across all events with the loss of major, consistent contributors graduating from its previous lineups. Eastern Michigan has also seen the loss of nine of its former athletes but has the capability to get back to its higher rankings of previous seasons with the addition of six talented freshman as well as the return of fifth year senior Raisa Boris.
With a full month until the start of season, the focal point tonight for all three teams will be to show depth across all events. In the first week of December, having options is crucial because if we have truly learned anything over the past year, literally anything can happen.
Rotation 1: Michigan Vault, CMU Bars, EMU Beam
Davis (UM): Starting off her debut in Crisler, Davis opens with a big Yurchenko full, small step back. Good first vault up! 9.775.
Lowe (EMU): Came in half way and does her side aerial but misses the beam and is off. Ends with a nice 1.5 dismount. 8.975
Jordan (UM): Yurchenko full, nice landing but outside the left line. Otherwise nice form and amplitude. 9.750
Garvey (WMU): Huge Tkachev to start and a fun straddle back a little loose on the handstand, but ends with a nice double layout, small hop forward. 9.65
Guggino (UM): Yurchenko 1.5, slightly understated but stays on her feet. 9.775
Kohler (EMU): BHS tuck series, lifts leg all the way up on a wobble but saves it. Slight wobble on leap series and turn but ends with a nice BHS 1.5 dismount and a step forward. 9.525
Ranger (UM): Yurchenko 1.5 HUGE and a small step forward. 9.875
Mulligan (UM): Yurchenko 1.5, steps forward outside the lines but a big vault in this fifth spot! 9.800
Childress (EMU): Front tuck mount, almost off but saves it, BHS LOSO again big wobble but brings it back. Split 3/4 lands feet apart, but ends with stuck 1.5 dismount. 9.150
Diaz (UM): Freshman in the anchor spot! BIG Yurchenko 1.5, medium hop forward but a really nice way to close this out for the Wolverines! 9.875
Fisher (EMU): Coming in half way on this- Side aerial, nice, little adjustment. Split to split full, not fully all the way around. Cartwheel to Gainer full dismount stuck to finish it off. 9.650
King (WMU): Nice straddle Jaeger to start, shoot over, loose, and misses the handstand, but a beautiful double layout dismount to close! 9.750
Boris (EMU): BHS BHS LOSO solid to open. Good full turn no wobbles, looks very confident so far. Beat jump to split 3/4, little check and ends with a fought for but stuck 1.5 dismount! 9.875
Bar exhibition (not sure off her name), but does a nice Maloney half to shoot over, a little loose, gets a little help on double layout dismount but gets it around!
*Exhibition Brushwood (EMU): EMU is showing a great deal of depth on beam with several exhibitions! Brushwood is up and has done a solid routine thus far with a nice series, side aerial connection, and ends with a front full dismount with a small hop forward. Definitely a routine to consider as EMU moves forward into season in a few weeks!
After 1: Michigan 49.100, WMU 48.525, EMU 48.000
A good start for Michigan on vault with four 10.0 start values and fulls that have the potential to be those 9.9- 9.95 vaults in the opening spots of the rotation. The power Michigan vaults has is great this early in the season and the landings will come (but always better to over rotate this early than try too hard for that stick right now! ) WMU and EMU both looked a little nervous on bars and beam,. but again, this is just the beginning! WMU was stuck mostly in the 9.7 range, but not a bad place to start. EMU had a little more jitters, but it is be am in your first competition in a huge arena, so this exposure is great for them! Boris and Chemotti and these last two spots showed why they are in the position they are, coming in clutch with those bigger 9.8+ scores, and showing confidence throughout. Onto rotation two!
Rotation 2: Michigan Bars, CMU Beam, EMU Floor
Parenti (UM): Freshman debut on bars! Opens with a nice Maloney up, directly to a Pak, dismounts with a double layout, small hop forward, but way to go first (almost) NCAA routine! 9.650
Brushwood (EMU): Coming in halfway on this routine, but does a last pass and ends with a nice double tuck. 9.775
Zabrowski (UM): Straddle Jaeger to start, a little close, down to a nice Pak to switch kip and ends with a (pretty much stuck) double layout! 9.600
Chemotti (EMU): Also coming in halfway, does a 1.5 to front layout combo pass, moves out of it nice to end her routine. 9.750
Sanger (UM): Nice piked Jaeger to open, but is off on her Pak. Remounts with her pirouette and a nice double layout dismount with a hop back. 9.125
Vore (UM): Nice double layout dismount to end, (that was alll I caught) for Vore. 9.700
Garvey (WMU): coming in late but ends her routine with a nice double twisting dismount and fights for the landing. 9.700
Bauman (UM): HUGE straddle Jaeger to shoot over, beautiful. Ends with a blind to double front dismount and the tiniest step forward, but a gorgeous routine in the anchor spot. 9.850
*exhibition* Jordan (UM): Nice straddle Jaeger to start to shoot over, handstand right up. Blind full, ends in the handstand to double tuck dismount with a big step back, but a solid routine! 9.650
*exhibition* Farrell (UM): Beautiful Maloney to Pak legs seriously so glued. Ends with blind full double tuck and a hop forward, but a nice Michigan debut for the Brown transfer!
*exhibition Lipetz* (UM): Ray caught a little close, down to a Pak and doesn’t make over the first pirouette. Gets to the high bar and jumps off. Currently grabbing her shoulder- will come back to check on that.
*exhibition* King (WMU): Nice front aerial to beat jump to start. Sets up for a nice BHS LOSO, small adjustment but pulls it back on. Straddle jump to straddle 3/4, another small check, but nothing major and ends with a nice Gainer full off the side with a stick!
Lowe (EMU): Opens with a nice front Rudi to LOSO, a little leg form but good first pass. Good leaps and fun routine for her! Love the energy and personality already!! Second pass double pike a little low chest, but a solid routine and a fun ending! 9.775
Boris (EMU): First pass a huge double pike and slide back, but LOTS of power. Second pass a 1.5 to front layout, really nice and controlled on that. Love her confidence on these two events so far! Switch half to split full, good. Ends with a double tuck, a little low chest, but a big routine for EMU!
*exhibition Antonio (EMU): Front layout front full to start, nice landing. Torjete half to split full, little out of control landing. Front Rudi to straddle jump as the last pass and a good routine for her overall!
After 2: Michigan 48.575 (97.675) , WMU 48.150 (96.675), EMU 48.700 (96.700)
Michigan had a strong showing on bars, but definitely not the high scoring they are used to and are so capable of! Bauman was the highlight of this lineup, showing why she is a strong anchor and definitely one to count on in her fifth year. The exhibition routines also did really well, and could break into the lineup when it comes time for season. WMU and EMU weren’t shown as much, only a couple snippets on each event, but from the scores, WMU has room to grow and will want to to increase this event total, but had the highest score in Schaupp in the anchor spot with a 9.8, and seemingly only had one fall in the lead off spot. As for EMU, it has the slightest lead over WMU and scored the highest event total this rotation, even with a fall and a score under a 9.7 counting. Potentially adding in some of these exhibition routines and making small adjustments with time and experience, this could be a really great event for EMU!
Side note, where is the floor commentators jacket from?! I love the gold energy! It’s truly, officially, sparkle season!!
Rotation 3: EMU Vault, Michigan Beam, CMU Floor
Boozer (UM): Starts off with a solid cat leap to front aerial. Switch leap to straddle 1/4 good. BHS LOSO really nice. LOVING these aggressive, strong finishes for her. Ends with a stuck BHS Gainer full off the side. Making a statement in this lead off spot! 9.825
Lowe (EMU): Yurchenko half, lands low, and big step forward. *Side note, only five up for EMU on vault tonight* 9.600
Guggino (UM): BHS LOSO, really beautiful height but is off. Remounts with a straddle jump to straddle half, good. Solid side semi, good side jumps and ends with a little under rotated BHS 1.5. Looks super strong on this event, just have to get the first one out! 9.200
Fisher (EMU): Really nice Yurchenko full, small hop back together. 9.825
Davis (UM): BHS LOSO, really nice, small check on the landing. Cat leap to side Aerial, good. Sissone to switch half, done beautifully. BHS Gainer full off the side to a stick and big deep breath! You did that! 9.775
Mulligan (UM): Cat leap to front aerial to BHS, really solid connection, down well. Beat jump to straddle half, good. Side aerial, smallest check. Ends with a BHS to tuck 1.5 dismount and a small step back but a nice routine in the fourth spot for Mulligan! 9.775
Ranger (UM): Wobble on the full turn but sets up for a BHS LOSO LOSO, almost off, but is good. Switch leap to beat jump, good. Front toss, really nice. HUGE double tuck dismount to end! Small hop back on the landing but wow! What a big routine! 9.625
Schaupp (WMU): First floor routine shown for WMU, opens with a beautiful Rudi LOSO. That’s all for floor .. but scored a 9.825.
Bauman (UM): Starts off with a nice BHS LOSO, really floaty. Split jump to straddle half to sissone, beautiful combination. Side sumi with straight legs, love. Really solid routine capped with Gainer pike off the end stuck!! 9.900 (highest score of the night so far!)
*exhibition* Parenti (UM): BHS LOSO solid. Switch leap to split jump, good. Front aerial to split jump, good connection. Dismounts with a round off 1.5, small step back. Really nice routine for her!
*exhibition* Sanger (UM): BHS LOSO, drops chest but stays on. Leap connection, solid. Sticks her side aerial to 1.5 dismount! 9.625
*exhibition* Diaz (UM): BHS LOSO, small adjustment. Switch leap switch leap, good. Piked front toss, little wobble but keeps it on and ends with a 1.5 dismount, almost sits it down, but stays up.
After 3: Michigan 48.900 (146.575), WMU 48.775 (145.450), EMU 48.100 (144.800)
With the exception of a few mistakes, this was a good starting point for Michigan on beam. The lineup and the exhibition routines definitely have the makings to get back to the strong Michigan beam we know, but, getting this first routine under their belts is crucial in their home arena. Bauman closed out the rotation with a huge, and certainly deserving 9.9, bookending the event with a strong lead off routine from Boozer. EMU and WMU are not getting that much TV time unfortunately, so going off mainly the scores, five up five count is always a little scary, but hopefully EMU will have more depth on vault they get closer to the beginning of the season. As for WMU on floor, St. Clair scored a big 9.9 in the fourth spot with two others scoring 9.8s in the rotation. Floor is one of the last to come together taking into account endurance and hard landings especially, but, this lineup definitely has the potential.
Going into the last rotation of the night! (Truly forgot how fast this flies)
Rotation 4: CMU Vault, EMU Bars, Michigan Floor
Parenti (UM): Yay floor! Starts with a nice double pike, a little over rotated. Second pass solid back 1.5 to front full. Definitely the makings to be a strong lead off routine this year! 9.825
Milton (WMU): Yurchenko full, small hop in place but a nice vault!
Boozer (UM): Gorgeous split ring full jump. Front tuck step out to double tuck first pass. Switch ring leap pass, done really well. Loving the ‘Toxic’ violin music also. Back 1.5 to front layout. Another really nice routine for Michigan. This is the strongest the team has looked, they look comfortable and confident here! 9.900
Gelesko (WMU): Front on front tuck half, really big vault! 9.700
Davis (UM): Really solid double pike to start. Switch half to wolf full, wolf full, really nice. Second pass, front layout to front Rudi, a little out of control on that landing and goes out of bounds. 9.800
Faulkner (WMU): Yurchenko full, nice and lands good with chest up. 9.800.
Diaz (UM): Fun routine already yay! Starts with a big 2.5 but over rotates, little too much power. Second pass Rudi to LOSO, under rotates this one but makes it around. 9.625
Guggino (UM): Front layout step out to really nice double pike for a first pass. Second pass front layout to front Rudi, lots of power out of that, but I love this energy and this dance for her! A good way to end the night strong on her three events! 9.875
Bauman (UM): In her third anchor spot of the night, Bauman opens with a solid front double full. Switch half to wolf full, done really well. Last pass ends with a back 1.5 to front full but under rotates and is down on that pass. 9.050
*exhibition* Sanger (UM): Okay opening pose! Really nice double pike to start. Back 1.5 to front full but is down on this pass.
FINAL: Michigan 195.600, WMU 194.175, EMU 191.700
Room for growth for all three teams, but this is by no means a bad starting point! For Michigan, this year is going to be about experience for this large incoming group, but, they showed tonight they have depth which is so important for this team.
WMU had a good showing to start off their season, but unfortunately, relying on mostly the scores and little video, only assumptions can be made of what they looked like. WMU didn’t break that 49, but has the capability to on all four events; with a couple more weeks of practice left and taking this experience in a big environment, these are changes that can easily be made.
Same for EMU, not too much video evidence as to how they looked, but from the scores, they have room to improve overall. Hopefully EMU gains more depth on vault rather than relying on five up five count, but again, this will come with time and experience. Floor was the strongest tonight for EMU, scoring a 48.700, while bars was a little bit of a struggle in these opening spots.
Nothing should be perfect, its only the first week of December! However, this was a great experience for every athlete and will hopefully give them the confidence they need going into their first real competitions in just a few short weeks.
Big YAY for NCAA gymnastics being back!
Live blog by Julianna Roland
Are all of Michigan’s floor routines just two passes?!?! Please tell me no.