In an unusual twist, Oregon State and Alaska will compete in their second tri-meet together in the span of one weekend. As with the previous meet, Oregon State is the heavy favorite. The Beavers have had an outstanding start to their season, led by senior all-arounder and Olympian Jade Carey. Beam has been their standout event, with more than half the lineup consistently scoring 9.9 or higher. The Beavers scored a solid 197.175 on Friday, and the key question is whether they can maintain their momentum in this back-to-back home meet stretch.
Alaska, familiar with double meet weekends, will also be focused on avoiding fatigue and putting up a solid score. Keep an eye on Montana Fairbairn, who excels on the leg events, and freshman all-arounder Hannah Boyd. After a bye week, this is a crucial opportunity for the Seawolves to record strong away scores, and they will want to better Friday’s 191.825.
Washington, like its rivals, is also competing for the second time this week. The Huskies have had a rocky start to the season, but breaking the 195 mark last week and the 196 mark on Friday could signal an upward trend. Depth remains a concern, but Washington is capable of delivering strong performances. Floor standout Emily Innes, who boasts a season high of 9.925, will be one to watch. The biggest challenge for all three teams will be managing the exhaustion that comes with competing twice in one weekend.
Rotation 1: OSU VT, UB UB, UA FX
Apparently we’ll mostly be seeing Oregon State and will get occasional routines from Washington and Alaska. Yay…
If you have split screen technology why are you not using it the whole time?
Briones (OSU): Yfull, a bit of pike down and a small hop. 9.8
Esposito (OSU): Yfull, not the biggest but pretty clean in the air and a small hop back. 9.775
Garcia (OSU): Y1.5, some leg separation and the tiniest foot adjustment on landing. 9.9!
Chavez (OSU): Tucked Y1.5, really off on the landing and crumples. She’s not getting up, oh no. Looks like a left knee injury.
Thompson (OSU): Yfull, some leg separation and bent knees, but lots of height and distance. Medium hop back. 9.775
Carey (OSU): Y1.5, great in the air with a tiny hop forward. 9.875
Buckner (OSU ex): Y1.5, sits it down. 9.0
McWilliams (UW): Big straddle jaeger, slightly low final handstand, and we cut away before I get to see the dismount. 9.675
Bolden (UW): 9.825
Lin (UW): Gienger, shootover, nice. Lovely final handstand and we cut away before the dismount again. On replay we get to see her stuck full in. 9.875
McDonough (UW): 9.825
Oppegard (UW): Big straddle jaeger to a nice bail. A little short on the last handstand. Double layout with leg separation but stuck. 9.775
Russon (UW): Huge straddle jaeger to a slightly lopsided overshoot. Double lay with a step back. 9.825
Grindol (UA): 9.7
Spain (UA): 9.65
Costello (UA): 9.7
Boyd (UA): 9.7
DeSouza (UA): Opens with a big front double full. Switch half to wolf full, a little crunched on both. Back 1.5 to front full, nice control. 9.8
Fairbairn (UA): The little dance she does before starting her routine is so cute. Loving the ABBA music. Front lay to rudi, good control in her lunge. Random back tuck in the choreo to get the back tumbling requirement. Switch full to straddle, a little wild but nice split positions. And the worm, because why not? Front lay to front full is good. 9.725
Gomez (UA ex): Rudi to stag jump. Apparently that leap was a ring full, I honestly couldn’t tell if the bent legs were deliberate. Back 1.5 and has to tuck her legs, front lay goes OOB. 9.275
After 1: OSU 49.125, UW 49.125, UA 48.625
Oregon State and Washington are tied after one rotation! Chavez’s knee injury is a big blow to the Beavers, and the team will need to rally for the rest of the meet. Breaking 49 on bars is huge for Washington, and the Huskies will be trying to keep that momentum going for the rest of the meet. Meanwhile, Alaska casually recorded a season high on floor, as one does at Gill Coliseum.
Rotation 2: OSU UB, UW BB, UA VT
Miller (OSU): Maloney, pak with leg separation, slightly wonky half pirouette. A bit low on the last handstand, nice double layout with a scoot back. 9.775
Briones (OSU): Maloney, pak, a bit of leg separation. Almost loses the half pirouette but pulls it back. Double layout, lands with chest down and takes a hop forward. 9.775
Caso (OSU): Pretty opening handstand. Maloney, pak, van Leeuwen, all good. Blind full to an open double tuck with a step back. 9.875
McMillan (OSU): Maloney, bail, nice lines. Doule lay, takes a small hop in place but holds onto the mat with her toes and doesn’t take another step.
Thompson (OSU): Maloney, pak, great form. Low last handstand, double lay with a tiny bounce back. 9.925
Carey (OSU): Pak, legs glued together, van Leeuwen, again great form. Handstands are just a smidge low but probably in the margin for error. Double layout with a foot shuffle. 9.9
DeVries (OSU ex.): Maloney, archy pak. Double lay, lets go early and lands with a big bend in the knees with a hop forward. 9.8
Beeman (OSU ex.): Pretty first handstand. Maloney, pak with flexed feet. Stalder to double tuck with a hop back and then a step back. 9.725
Innes (UW): Clean full turn. Front aerial, bhs, really quick through the connection. Cat leap, side aerial, a little off but hides it by snapping her arms down. Switch leap, straddle jump, a little short of split on both. RO 1.5 twist, stuck. 9.75
Oppegard (UW): 9.175
Russon (UW): Beautiful triple series. Switch leap, ring leap with a very low front leg. Quick full turn. RO 1.5 twist, tries to hold the stick but has to take a hop forward. 9.775
McDonough (UW): Just saw the dismount, beautiful stuck RO double full. 9.725
Hallinan (UW): Front toss, back tuck, very aggressive but a bit of a pause in the connection. Switch leap, split jump, rock solid. I love the way she attacks the beam. Full turn good. Front aerial to a surprisingly floaty beat jump. RO 1.5 twist with a step and a shuffle. 9.725
Lin (UW): Needs to hit to drop Oppegard’s fall. Quick full turn. Bhs loso, huge leg up check but stays on the beam. Switch leap, switch half a little low. Breaks the connection into the beat jump. RO 1.5 twist, lands a bit short and takes a step back. Not the best routine, but not a fall either. 9.575
Albert (UA): 9.575
Lessig (UA): 9.375
Costello (UA): 9.625
Wong (UA): 9.625
Boyd (UA): Yfull, lands very short and takes a big step forward. 9.525
Fairbairn (UA): 9.7
After 2: OSU 98.450, UW 97.675 UA 96.700
Oregon State has a healthy lead at the halfway point of the meet. There are some form issues that could be cleaned up on bars, but the 1-2 punch of Thompson and Carey at the end of the lineup is always a highlight. Washington had some beam struggles and had to count a 9.575, and will need to be lights out on floor and vault to break 196 again. I only saw one vault from Alaska, but looking at scores it looks like things were around their average.
Rotation 3: OSU BB, UW FX, UA UB
Esposito (OSU): Switch leap, switch jump, loso, unique combination and so well executed. Bhs loso, solid. Clean full turn. RO double twist, stuck. Great leadoff! 9.875
Buckner (OSU): Full turn solid. BHS loso, gorgeous control. Missed her leap series due to ads, but per the commentary it was fine. Sticks the bhs 1.5 twist dismount! 9.825
Letzsch (OSU): Front aerial to back tuck, beautiful. Split jump, ring leap, beat jump, no wobbles. Calm full turn. Front gainer full, stuck. 9.85
McMillan (OSU): Front toss to bhs swing down, nice and smooth. Quick full turn. Switch leap, nice height. Split jump, stag jump, small adjustment. Back gainer full, stuck. 9.875
Gonzales (OSU): Front aerial to back tuck, nice and aggressive. Clean full turn. Cat leap to side aerial with a bit of a shoulder dip. Switch leap, split jump, not the most extension. Front gainer full with a small hop. 9.75
Carey (OSU): Full turn is solid. Front aerial to bhs loso, tiniest foot adjustment. Switch leap, split leap, no problem. Gainer full with a slide back. 9.9
Heather (OSU ex.): Front toss to back handspring swing down, nice combination! Full turn with great toe point. Sticks her gainer pike dismount. 9.775
Kaloudis (OSU ex.): Switch leap, switch leap, second one is a bit low. Bhs loso, bent legs and a wobble. Full turn is good. Side aerial and she’s off. Nowhere near 180 on split half. RO 1.5, a little underrotated.
McWilliams (UW): Nice double pike to close, wish we could have seen more of this routine. 9.85
Oppegard (UW): Came into her routine just to see some very crunched leap positions, including a very suspicious switch ring half. 9.75
Russon (UW): 9.8
Bolden (UW): 9.7
McDonough (UW): 9.875
Innes (UW): Front double full to punch front pike, so much height. Great extension through her leaps. Back 1.5 to front lay, beautiful. Rudi to stretch jump to close. 9.925
Tillmanns (UA): 9.675
Niles (UA): 9.7
Lessig (UA): 9.625
Boyd (UA): 8.825
Duffus (UA): Falls on her piked jaeger, tough for her. Alaska will have to count a fall. Overshoot is good. Blind full is nice, double tuck and sort of stumbles out of it. 8.4
Manley (UA): Pirouette to inbar straddle tkatchev, nice. Pretty double pike dismount to finish. 9.5
Gomez (UA ex.): 9.575
After 3: UA 147.775, UW 146.925, UA 144.025
As usual, Oregon State’s beam was lovely. Washington had a season high floor rotation, highlighted by a 9.925 from Innes. Counting a fall on bars certainly isn’t what Alaska wanted, and the Seawolves will be looking to end on a high note on beam. Oregon State can enjoy its home floor party with almost a nine tenths lead, while Washington will need the vault rotation of its life if it wants to reach 196.
Rotation 4: OSU FX, UW VT, UA BB
Miller (OSU): Big double pike to open. Good in her leap series. Back 1.5 to front lay, gets nice lift in the front lay. Double tuck to close, big lunge but her front foot doesn’t move. 9.9
DeVries (OSU): In for Chavez. Back 1.5 to front full, a little crooked and steps OOB. Rudi, a bit of chest down but controls the landing. Switch half to wolf full. Closes with a 2.5 twist, has to really bend her knees to keep it in bounds. 9.6, that’s the score OSU will be looking. todrop.
Thompson (OSU): Back 1.5 to front lay, good control in her lunge. Great oversplit in her leaps. Double pike, just beautiful. 9.9
Esposito (OSU): Punch front to double pike, great. Good leap series. Front lay to rudi, good landing. 9.95, she is thrilled!
Garcia (OSU): Back 1.5 to front full, big lunge out of it. Bit bouncy in her straddle jump. Double tuck, lots of height and controls the lunge. 9.9
Carey (OSU): Huge double double, a little too much power and slides back in the lunge, but keeps it in bounds. Front lay to front full to scissone, much. more controlled. Switch half to Popa, so much height. Sky high double tuck, little adjustment in the lunge. Even in an “off” routine, Carey is just magic on the floor. 9.9
McWilliams (UW): 9.7
Lin (UW): Yfull, pikes down but a stick. 9.775
Innes (UW): Yfull with a hop back.
Mouyenga (UW): 9.6
Bolden (UW): 9.675
McDonough (UW): Yfull, great height and position in the air, hop back. 9.85
Fairbairn (UA): 9.625
Spain (UA): 9.85
Wong (UA): 9.175
DeSouza (UA): 8.050
Boyd (UA): 9.45
Costello (UA): 9.65
Tillmanns (UA ex.): Big bobble on her full turn with a straight leg. Side aerial, side somi, slow connection and another check. Beat jump, straddle 3/4, drops her chest. Gainer off the end of the beam and a step forward.
Lessig (UA ex.): Switch leap, tuck full, rock solid. Quick full turn. Handstand into gainer full with a hop back.
FINAL: OSU 197.325, UW 195.700, UA 190.775
Oregon State closed the meet with a monstrous 49.550 on floor, counting no scores under 9.900. The question moving forward is whether they can recreate those scores on the road. Chavez’s left knee injury status remains unknown, but she will almost certainly be out for the forseeable future. Washington didn’t have the meet they had on Friday, but a 195.700 is nothing to sneer at. The broadcast didn’t show much of Alaska, but counting misses on bars and beam held their score back after a promising start on floor.
VT: Garcia (OSU) – 9.900
UB: Thompson (OSU) – 9.925
BB: Carey (OSU) – 9.900
FX: Esposito (OSU) – 9.950
AA: Carey (OSU) – 39.575
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Live blog by Naomi Stephenson
