Both squads enter Friday’s matchup with one last shot to close out regular season conference play on a high note. Iowa holds a slight edge, coming off a 196.200 victory against Illinois. Freshman Olympian Aurelie Tran has been a cornerstone for the Hawkeyes, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors twice this season. Junior Emily Erb is also riding a high after a breakout meet, scoring a career-best 9.975 on floor. The one-eventer was later named a Big Ten co-Specialist of the Week after winning the floor title against Illinois.
Maryland, meanwhile, is still chasing its first 196+ score of the season but came close with a 195.950 against Nebraska in late January. The Terrapins have a star of their own in sophomore Natalie Martin, whose powerful Yurchenko 1.5 earned a team-high 9.925 last week. She’s also a key contributor on beam and floor, with career-highs of 9.875 on both events. Graduate student Alexa Rothenbuescher continues to be a steady all-arounder, recently posting a season-high 39.150 against Washington.
While Iowa may have the edge on paper, Maryland’s home advantage could be the difference-maker in pulling off an upset.
Rotation 1: Maryland VT, Iowa UB
Buckmon (UM): Nice height and distance on a Yurchenko full. Pikes down on the landing and takes a step back. 9.725
Juk (IOWA): Nice Maloney to Pak to start the routine. Giant full + double tuck dismount and takes a hop back. Clean form in that routine. 9.725
Engelmayer (UM): Really nice body shape in the Yurchenko full but takes a big hop back. 9.725
Vanney (IOWA): Nice first two handstands, but has some leg seps on the Maloney + Pak connection. Arched the handstand on the low bar and short on the one on the high bar. Hop on the landing. 9.700.
Rothebuscher (UM): Tsukahara full, some form issues there and was short on rotation, causing her to take a step forward. 9.625.
Masella (IOWA): Nice jaegar to overshoot. Hitting all of her handstands so far. Clean double layout dismount but takes a hop backward.
Rech (UM): Stuck Yurchenko full! You can really tell she has great air awareness on the vault and opened up at the perfect time. 9.850
Muñoz (IOWA): Starts with a piked jaegar and has a leg separation on the catch. Another leg sep on the Pak. Solid final cast to handstand and immediately goes into her double layout dismount. Hop back on the landing. 9.800
LeBlanc (UM): Huge distance on a Yurchenko full and takes just a small hop back. Really clean vault. 9.850
Tran (IOWA): Gorgeous lines on the Maloney + Pak, beautiful! Nice Maloney half to get back to the high bar. Double layout dismount, a bit whippy and takes a big hop back. 9.850
Martin (UM): Stuck Yurchenko 1.5! Was really patient on the landing and held the landing perfectly.
Kenlin (IOWA): Clean Maloney to Pak combination. A bit short on the cast to handstand, but hits the correct position on the giant full and immediately connects to a double tuck dismount. Hop back on the landing. 9.700
Murphy (UM): Exhibition vault. Yurchenko full with a big hop back. Looks pretty similar to the vault Maryland put up in the first half of the lineup so she’s a good option in case anyone needs to rest. 9.650
After 1: Maryland 49.075, Iowa 48.775
Maryland has a solid rotation on vault and Martin’s stuck Yurchenko 1.5 was the highlight. Her 9.925 matched her career high and matched her score from last week.
Iowa is capable of scoring a 49+ total on bars but continued its slump to 5 weeks with tonight’s 48.775. The rotation wasn’t a disaster, but the Hawkeyes couldn’t find their landings.
Rotation 2: Iowa VT, Maryland UB
Karenbauer (IOWA): Big block on the Yurchenko full, but piked down the landing and took a hop back. 9.725
Gatzendor (UM): Goes over the toe circle to handstand. Maloney + Pak, leg sep on the second skill. Stalder to double tuck dismount and takes a hop back. 9.650
Volpe (IOWA): Another Yurchenko full with less height this time, but another hop back. 9.725
Saville (UM): Nice first two handstands. Maloney to Pak, some leg seps on the first skill. Fought for that handstand on the low bar half pirouette. Double layout dismount with a hop back. 9.775
Chambers (IOWA): Blocks pretty far back on the table but makes it look good. Nice height and distance but takes a hop backward on the landing. 9.725
Brozowski (UM): Nice straddled jaegar. Pretty short on the Bail to handstand, almost looked like an overshoot. Solid form on the double layout but takes a small hop back. 9.675
Tran (IOWA): Gorgeous shape on the Yurchenko full and flares it out at the very end. Small hop back. 9.800
Merchant (UM): Short on the first handstand, but follows up with a huge Ray + overshoot. Big height on the full twisting double layout dismount and takes just a small hop backward. 9.800
Muñoz (IOWA): Gets a lot of air time on her Yurchenko full and flares it out a tad at the end. Small hop back. 9.875
Rothenbuescher (UM): Nice first handstand. Really nice straddled jaegar + overshoot. Full twisting double back dismount and steps a step back. 9.725
Masella (IOWA): Yurchenko full and doesn’t get the greatest block, causing a lack of rotation and some steps forward. 9.300
LeBlanc (UM): Nice straddled jaegar, maybe some flex feet. A tad short on the Bail to handstand. Nice shape on the double layout dismount but takes a small step backward on the landing.
Wilson (Iowa): Exhibition vault here. Yurchenko full and has to pike down a lot of make it around. Lands it safely but takes a hop back.
After 2: Maryland 97.825, Iowa 97.675
Maryland still leads at the halfway point, but Iowa cut the lead down to less than two tenths. The Hawkeyes put up six 9.95 start value routines and put up their third vault total below a 49.000 this year. Karina Muñoz’s flare and style on her vault was a highlight. The Terrapins put up their second lowest bar score of the year but didn’t have any falls.
Rotation 3: Maryland BB, Iowa FX
Brendlinger (UM): Starts off with a clean BHS + LOSO. Cat leap + switch leap with a slight balance check. Nice front piked toss. Dismounts with a back 1.5 and takes a small step forward. Really efficient composition here. 9.725
Tran (IOWA): Starts off with a Rudi + LOSO and really works to make that around, but maintains clean form. Switch ring to tour jete half – that was nice. Switch ring half and its well done. Front layout + front full and dances right out of it. Clean routine. 9.775
Engelmayer (UM): Really clean switch leap + split jump. BHS + LOSO and its way off but fights to stay on! Nice patience and fight there. Nice full turn. Beat jump + side aerial and its clean. Side aerial + back 1.5 and takes a small hop forward. She has a clean, slow rhythm and its pretty. 9.540
Tyson (IOWA): Really dramatic floor music so far. First pass is a Rudi + LOSO and its well done. Isolated straddle jump before her second pass. Second pass is a Rudi, looks like she was going for a front double full there. That might affect the start value. 9.325 with a 9.6 start value.
Rothenbuescher (UM): Front toss but misses her BHS connection. Goes for it again, this time connects it well. Switch leap + switch half, solid. Nice kick out of the full turn. Double full dismount, wonky landing and forward with her chest down. 9.600
Looks like there is a judging conference on floor after Haley Tyson’s floor routine. Likely a start value issue there.
Muñoz (IOWA): Stayed cool, calm, and collected despite the delay. Really pretty double pike to start. Solid leap pass. Front tuck through to double back, she pulls in really hard to make it around and takes a uncontrolled step back. 9.775.
Gatzendor (UM): BHS + BHS + LOSO and has a slight balance check. Switch leap + straddle 1/4 and waves her arms backward. Solid full turn. Switch leap + split jump. Gainer pike dismount and takes a small hop back on the landing. 9.750.
Castillo (IOWA): Slightly over turns the starting double wolf turn. Front tuck through to double pike and takes a step back, moves that back foot a bit. Switch straddle half + straddle jump, nicely done. Lands the double back dismount well. 9.800
Martin (UM): Solid BHS + LOSO. Cat leap + side aerial, nicely done. Gorgeous switch leap + switch leap. Back 1.5 dismount and takes a small step backward. 9.800
Erb (IOWA): Really clean double pike to start. Switch straddle 1/2 + straddle jump, nice height but lacks precision. Back 1.5 + front full and hops back and to the side.
Komoroski (UM): One armed BHS + LOSO and its really well done! Front aerial with a balance check, but the form is perfect. Switch leap + split jump. Another hesitation on the full turn. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.900
Masella (IOWA): Double pike first pass and takes a slightly uncontrolled step back. Double back second pass and is short on rotation, takes a hop forward with a low chest position. Switch half + wolf full + wolf full, a bit messy there. Front layout + front full and sits it down.
After 3: Maryland 146.600, Iowa
Iowa had a rough floor rotation with a start value hiccup from Hailey Tyson and a fall from Gianna Masella in the anchor spot. The 48.400 is still higher than the team-low 48.200 the Hawkeyes posted at their season-opener. Maryland managed to stay on the beam and ended on a high note with Komoroski’s 9.900.
Rotation 4: Iowa BB, Maryland FX
Lee (IOWA): Side ariael + LOSO and has to lift her leg up in the air to stay on. Good fight. Chest a big forward on the straddle half to the side. Solid double wolf turn. Gainer pike off the end with a hop forward. 9.500
Rech (UM): Front douvle full with a controlled step forward. Nice height on the double back second pass and lands it well. Clean tour jete half + wolf full. Back 1.5 + front layout and takes a controlled step forward. 9.850
Juk (IOWA): BHS mount on the beam. BHS + BHS + LOSO and its well done. Really displays confidence on all her skills. Full twisting back handspring, really unique and well done. Gainer full off the side and fights for the stick. 9.800
Brendlinger (UM): First pass is a full twisting double tuck and takes a controlled step back. Switch half + wolf full + wolf full, lacking some amplitude on those leaps. Front full + front layout, misses her punch for the second flip but drives her heels to make the flip around. 9.775
Tyson (IOWA) BHS + BHS + LOSO and has no problem there. Split jump + straddle 1/4 and fights to stay on. Sticks her back 1.5 dismount. 9.550
LeBlanc (UM): Really well controlled front double full to start. Unique RO + BHS + back 1.5 + front layout – most skip out on the BHS. Dismounts with a well landed Rudi. 9.900
Muñoz (IOWA): Nicely done switch leap + switch half. Solid full turn. BHS + LOSO and controls it well. Big height on the gainer full dismount, but has to lean her chest forward to get the stick. 9.875
Komoroski (UM): Really clean Rudi to start. Swing ring + split ring full, well done. Second pass is a back 1.5 + front layout and takes a controlled step forward. 9.875
Tran (IOWA): Front aerial and leans her chest way forward in order so stay on. BHS + LOSO and is completely off the beam. Switch leap + switch half and almost loses it, but stay on. Solid full turn. Gainer pike with a step back. An off routine for Tran. 8.675
Rothenbuescher (UM): Really well landed whip + double tuck. Isolated front tuck. Switch straddle + Popa + wolf jump full for her leap series. Double pike and under rotates the landing, forcing her to take a step forward. 9.750
Kenlin (IOWA) Switch leap + ring jump, nicely done. BHS + LOSO and its solid. Full turn and dances out of it with control. Cat leap + side aerial. Sticks the gainer full dismount. 9.875
Martin (UM): Lands really short on the full twisting double back and puts her knees down. Might have stung her ankles a bit. Back 1.5 + front layout + stag jump and its perfectly landed. Good recovery after the first pass.
FINAL: Maryland 195.750, Iowa 194.725
While Maryland didn’t get the 196+ team it they might have wanted, the squad is demonstrating consistency with its fourth score in the 195s this season. The Terrapins took home event titles on vault, beam, and floor, with Natalie Martin’s vault owning the meet’s sole score above a 9.900.
Iowa trailed the entire meet, but an unfortunate beam rotation sealed the deal for Maryland. The Hawkeyes were able to drop Tran’s fall but were forced to count other routines with major balance checks.
VT: Natalie Martin (Maryland) 9.925
UB: Aurelie Tran (Iowa) 9.850
BB: Madeline Komoroski (Maryland) 9.900
FX: Rhea LeBlanc (Maryland) 9.900
AA: Karina Muñoz (Iowa) 39.325
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Live blog by Aaron Doyle
