Iowa and Illinois both competed in the Zou in the Lou meet on Friday against Alabama and Missouri. Having a second meet this weekend provides a valuable chance to add another score before NQS calculations come into play. With the quick turnaround, we may see some lineup changes to rest key contributors and give depth athletes more experience.
Iowa has struggled with consistency on beam this season, but the return of Adeline Kenlin has already provided stability to the lineup. Karina Muñoz posted the team’s highest beam score last week and clinched the all-around title, making her a critical contributor again in this meet. Illinois, coming off a season-high team score last week, will aim to build on that momentum, especially after a standout floor rotation. Chloe Cho was exceptional on floor and will look to replicate her strong performance against Iowa.
Rotation 1: Iowa vault, Illinois bars
Karenbauer (IA): Big step back and to the side on the Yfull. Some piking at the end. Good square block. 9.7
Brown (ILL): Leg separations on the geiner to overshoot combination. Big bounce back on the double layout dismount. 9.45
Chambers (IA): Blocked off of the back of the table on her full but sticks the landing with a lean. 9.825
Ward (ILL): Feet on the jaeger. Hit the handstand well on the bail. Slightly short last cast. Small step back on the FTDT. Had a slow rhythm throughout. 9.675
Tran (IA): Small step back on the Yfull. Slightly closed shoulders on the block and looked to have piked it down a little. Hard to tell dynamics from this angle. 9.75
Denning (ILL): Small leg separations on both the Maloney and bail. A little short on the last cast and a step back on the double layout. 9.675
Castillo (IA): Good amplitude and distance on the Y full but some piking throughout and a small hop back. 9.825
Cho (ILL): Held the first cast. Floaty Maloney to pak. Vit the VL. Not the most height on the double layout and had both a big hop and a small hop back. 9.725
Muñoz (IA): Twists slowly in the air in that Yfull. Small hop back. Center of the mat on the landing. Flairs out the arms in the air. 9.85
Knight (ILL): Legs glued on the Maloney to bail. Small hop back and a step on the double layout. More height on hers. 9.675
Wilson (IA): Big pike down on that Yfull but had good height in the air so she had a good size hop back. 9.775
Green (ILL): Held the first handstand. Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. Sticks the double layout. That was the best double layout of the bunch in the air. 9.825
After 1: Iowa 49.025, Illinois 48.575
That was a solid vault rotation for Iowa with some strong landings sprinkled in. The real story of the first rotation was the tight scoring on bars. I am normally really picky about deductions and was suprised by the scores Illinois received on that event. There were deductions to take, but it was quite strict. Stict is fine, as long as it is consistant so we will see if that continues for Iowa in the next rotation. Adeline Kenlin is set to make her bars debut in the next rotation as well.
Rotation 2: Illinois vault, Iowa bars
Coppola (ILL): Small hop back on her Yfull. Leg separation on the block and a pike down. 9.825
Juk (IA): Leg separation on the Maloney to pak. Good giant full finish before the double tuck that was landed with a lower chest and a step forward. 9.65
Cho (ILL): Shoulder angle on the block of the Yfull and slightly shifts her right foot on the landing, but it was close to a stick. 9.9
Vanney (IA): Clean Maloney to pak. Short last cast. Large step back on the double layout. 9.65
Gordon (ILL): Hand slid on the front hs vault and has to tuck the vault around and lands it really low. 9.225
Muñoz (IA): Good jaeger. Slight leg separation on the pak. Does not get the height or distance on the double layout straight out of the handstand but sticks the landing. The dismount was a little whippy too. 9.775
Esteves (ILL): Bent elbows on the table and pikes down the Yfull with a hop. A little off to the side. 9.675
Tran (IA): Clean Maloney to pak. LEgs glued on the VL. Much better double layout dismount dynamics with a small hop back. 9.825
Brown (ILL): Large hop back on the Yfull. Couldn’t see how piked it was or the distance due to the angle. 9.775
Kenlin (IA): Floaty Maloney to pak. Good finish to the toe full and didn’t bend her knees on the double tuck landing. Step forward on that and feet throughout. 9.725
Ward (ILL): Comes in short and stumbles back and sits it down. 9.275
After 2: Iowa 97.650, Illinois 97.025
If you saw some wrong names and orders, no you didn’t (blame to initial lineup each team posted actually). The tight scoring remained consistant on bars which was good to see. The score would be much closer at the halfway point if not for the falls on vault for Illinois. It will be interested to see how the rest of this meet is scored, but it will likely not be a good counting score for either team.
Rotation 3: Iowa beam, Illinois floor
Lee (IA): Feet on the side aerial loso. Solid beat to straddle 3/4s. Smooth double wolf turn. Small hop forward on the piked gainer off the end. 9.8
Joelson (ILL): Great pointed toes on the front tuck that she does through to the double tuck (that does have flexed feet). Hops into the lunge on that. Good rotation on the switch side half to wolf full. Steps forward with the chest down on the double pike. 9.775
Juk (IA): Hits the bhs bhs loso. Moved right through the switch to beat. Right on for the bhs 1/1. Holds the landing on that. A lot of distance on that cartwheel to gainer full and has a small hop back. 9.75
Ward (ILL): Great chest up on the double tuck landing. Feet on that. Good rotation on the switch half to wolf 1.5. Stutters on the back 1.5 to front layout and crosses her legs and falls. 9.05
Tyson (IA): Quick full turn. Good pointed toes on the bhs bhs loso and has a lean at the end. Clean split to straddle half. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.85
Brown (ILL): Low chest on the front tuck through to double tuck. Hit the switch side half to straddle. Not the most amplitude on the front full to front layout. 9.725
Muñoz (IA): Great split position on the switch to switch half. Love a camera cut during the full turn. Lean on the bhs loso. Great amplitude on the gainer full and sticks it with staggered legs. 9.8
Esteves (ILL): Crosses the legs in the front double full and has to finish the twist as she steps out of it. Little iffy on the rotations of the jump combo. Bounces back on the Rudi to back tuck. 9.925
Tran (IA): Slow connection in the front aerial to bhs. Slow connection again on the switch to switch half and leans before the beat jump. Clean full turn. Sticks the gainer pike with a lean. 9.875
Nock (ILL): Slight bounce on the double pike landing, but great position in the air. Almost got the standing wolf 1.5 around. Clean tour jete half to split full. Floaty front layout to Rudi, but a large lunge and slides the front foot back.
Kenlin (IA): Clean switch to split ring. Solid loso series. Did a Sophia Growth smile after that. Clean full turn. Hit the cat leap to side aerial. Slight foot shift on the gainer full. 9.85
Cho (ILL): Great hegiht on the open FTDT and slides the front foot as she steps back. Controls the front throught to double tuck. Good rotation on the switch to switch half to wolf full. 9.925
After 3: Iowa 146.825, Illinois 146.250
Beam has been hit or miss so far this season for the Hawkeyes and this rotation was very much a hit with solid routines down the whole lineup. Illinois had a fall on floor from Ward early, but came back and ended the rotation strong. Iowa should be able to hold on the the win here after getting through beam.
Rotation 4: Illinois beam, Iowa floor
Sapp (ILL): Feet and soft knees on the loso series. Feet on the cartwheel. Short of split on the switch half after the switch. Pikes the gainer full and has a small step back and an arm swing. 9.775
Tran (IA): Floaty loso out of the Rudi. Controlled the landing. Great positions in the switch ring and tour jete half. Hits the ring position in the switch ring half. Clean front layout front full. 9.9
Knight (ILL): Hit the candle. Good connection on the switch leap combo. Great control on the side aerial bhs. Feet on the side somi. Arm wave on the full turn. Slid the heels together on the gainer full. 9.875
Tyson (IA): Very similar to Tran’s Rudi to loso. Floaty and controlled. Legs crossed on the front double full and lands a little twisted and hops sideways. Great amplitude on the jump combo. 9.625
Nataraj (ILL): Wobble on the bhs bhs loso. Lean between the swtch and straddle quarter. Wobble on the full turn. Step back on the back 1.5. Legs a little crossed in that. 9.45
Muñoz (IA): Bounce back on the double pike. Good height on that. Great amplitude on the switch half to wolf full wolf full. Sticks the front tuck through to double tuck and looks right at the judges after landing that. 9.925
Castillo (IA): Slide back on the front tuck through to double pike. Hits the switch side half to straddle to straddled Shushonova. Feet on the double tuck and slide the front foot slightly. 9.95
Coppolo (ILL): Hit the full turn. Feet on the side aerial to round off. Clean switch to split to beat. Feet on aerial round off and a lean. Slight step back on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.85
Erb (IA): Great control on the double pike. Good position on the switch side half to straddle. Great amplidue and control on the back 1.5 to front full. Slight leg crossing. 9.975
Cho (ILL): Great toe point on the loso series. Slightly short of split on the switch half after the switch leap but well controlled. Solid side aerial. Small hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.825
Saltness (ILL): Clean full turn. Good height on the cat leap to switch side. Fall on the front aerial. Repeats it and connects it to the bhs. Large wobble on the next jump. Holds the stick with a lean on the front gainer full.
FINAL: Iowa 196.200, Illinois 195.025
Iowa ended the meet strong with a great floor rotation capped off with the near perfect score from Emily Erb. That 49.375 floor rotation brought the team score over 196. Illinois had a couple of wobbly routines in what was an otherwise solid rotation. The score will not be one that Illinois plans to keep around in its NQS.
VT: Cho 9.95
UB: Tran, Green 9.825
BB: Tran, Knight 9.875
FX: Erb 9.975
AA: Cho 39.375
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
