Denver hosts its final conference opponent of the season on a senior day that bids farewell to one of the most influential classes in Pioneer history. With postseason looming, the Pioneers will look to capitalize on their home advantage to strengthen their NQS.
Arizona State is battling for a spot in the evening session of the Big 12 championship, with four road meets left to improve its standing. The Sun Devils are currently counting a 195.675 in their NQS, so any score above that will provide a much-needed boost. Jada Mangahas could play a key role in that effort—she delivered a solid exhibition routine on floor at BYU last weekend and has been steadily improving her vault and bars scores since her return.
Denver’s early-season beam struggles appear to be a thing of the past, as the Pioneers have now posted four straight meets above 49.000 after only reaching that mark twice in their first five competitions. While the seniors and fifth-years have been leading the charge, sophomore Madison Ulrich has emerged as a quiet but crucial contributor. She currently leads the team in NQS on beam and floor and has been a steady all-around presence. With Denver set to lose a significant number of routines at the end of the season, Ulrich’s consistency is a promising sign for the future.
A score above 196.575 would improve Denver’s NQS, and with a hit meet at home, that goal is well within reach.
Now that I am back from the dead (this sickness that isn’t the flu but acts like the flu SUCKS), let’s have some Sunday fun, shall we?
Rotation 1: DU vault, ASU bars
Brusch (DU): Y full, nice straight arms on the block, giving her lots of amplitude, flares out to find the landing, small slide of the feet on the landing. 9.800
Platkin (ASU): blind to Jaeger, bit of an arm bend on the catch, Pak salto to switch kip, little short on the handstands throughout, full twisting double tuck with a nice landing. Was originally scheduled to be an exhibition, so nice to see her get moved up. 9.800
Mabanta (DU): Y full, lots of height and distance, piked down in the air, hop back on the landing. 9.775
Gregoire (ASU): short on the opening handstand, half pirouette to Geinger, another short handstand. Good transition to low bar, double layout with some foot movement. The handstands are going to be her biggest deduction. 9.825
Ulrich (DU): Front pike half, good form in the air, small hop back on the landing. Not her best, but should be higher than Mabanta’s. 9.800
K. Smith (ASU): blind to straddle Jaeger, good distance, but bit of a bend in the elbows on the catch. Pretty final handstand, double layout dismount with a tiny slide back of the feet. 9.925
Reidenbach (DU): Y 1.5, landed off center based on the lines on the mat. Took a step back on the landing, not the cleanest vault we’ve seen from her this season, but still a good one. 9.850
Mangahas (ASU): blind to Jaeger to immediate overshoot, really nice flow between the skills. Beautiful final handstand, full twisting double tuck, low on the landing and had to take a step forward. Up until that dismount, that was a GORGEOUS routine from the fifth year. 9.700
Casali (DU): Y 1.5, lot of height and distance, hop forward on the landing. 9.875
White (ASU): Van Leeuwen to open, interesting opening skill that you usually see at the end. Half pirouette to bail to handstand, good position on the low bar, DLO dismount with a step backwards on the landing. 9.875
Hargraves (DU): Y full, lot of height off the table, some looseness in the air, NAILED the landing. Should drop the 9.775 from Mabanta. 9.850
Clark (ASU): blind to straddle Jaeger, missed the dowel on the catch. Didn’t fall, but will be a sizeable deduction. Recovers well to get the DLO dismount with a small hop. Very likely the drop score for the Sun Devils. 9.500
After 1: Denver 49.175, Arizona State 49.125
The Sun Devils were in position to take the lead after one, but a couple missed opportunities at the end of the rotation have Denver up by half a tenth heading to rotation 2. Vault was not Denver’s cleanest as no one really found a stuck landing until Hargraves did at the end of the rotation. Vault is Arizona State’s lowest ranking event, while bars is Denver’s best event. The Sun Devils will need to find the sticks and Denver needs to be its normal on bars.
Rotation 2: ASU vault, DU bars
Oh goodness, someone from ASU just got injured during touch warmup. I’ll update once we find out who it is. Looks like it might’ve been Isabella Kowan, she was slated for the exhibition spot and just got pulled.
Lichtman (ASU): Y full, some loose knees in the air, nice chest position, hop back on the landing. 9.825
Casali (DU): Maloney to bail to handstand right on top of the bar, double layout dismount with a stick. The bars judges have felt a little generous today, so we’ll see how that translates here. 9.875
Braaflat (ASU): Y full, lots of distance off the table, some leg separation on the preflight, small hop back on the landing. 9.725
Ulrich (DU): Maloney to Pak combination, little short on the half pirouette, gets the final handstand on top of the bar, double layout dismount with a hop back. 9.925
Gregoire (ASU): Y 1.5, first 10.0 start value for the Sun Devils today. Some angle in the shoulders off of the table, landed with a step back. 9.775
Rorich (DU): pretty first handstand, blind to straddle Jaeger with a fall. I could tell she was too far away from the bar as soon as she let go. Remounts and continues the routine, double layout dismount with a stick. Unfortunate. 9.075
White (ASU): Y full, good form and position in the air, slight hop back on the landing. Cleanest vault so far! 9.775
Cooley (DU): Ray release, caught it really close but stayed on. Pretty handstand on the low bar, double layout, also close to the bar with a step back on the landing. 9.775
Purler (ASU): RO half of front tuck off, pretty position in the air, took the tiniest step forward. ASU coming back well after watching a teammate go down in warmups. 9.675
Hebinck (DU): Ricna to Pak combination, beautiful. Pretty final handstand, double layout with the tiniest hop back on the landing. 9.925
Mangahas (ASU): Y full, great height and distance, kept her feet still, but a low chest on the landing will be the biggest deduction. 9.850
Mundell (DU): Need a hit to drop Rorich’s fall. Tkatchev on the high bar, really pretty handstand afterwards. Bail to handstand, bent on top of the bar, double layout dismount with a stick. 9.900
After 2: Denver 98.575, Arizona 98.075
Denver moves ahead by half a point after a solid bars rotation. It was able to drop Rorich’s fall with two 9.9 plus scores at the end of the lineup, while Arizona State had some good landings, but lack of difficulty has put them in a bit of a hole halfway through.
Rotation 3: DU beam, ASU floor
Cooley (DU): BHS LOSO to open, arm swing after the series to correct her balance. Switch leap switch half, loses her balance and falls. Not how Denver wanted to start this rotation. BHS gainer full dismount with a hop back. 8.925
Clark (ASU): Double tuck to open, nice high chest position with a controlled step back. Second pass is a back 1.5 front layout, lacked a bit of rotation in her leap series. Double pike to close, lower chest with a step forward. Good opening routine, the Sun Devils will need to capitalize on Denver’s early fall if they want to get back into this meet. 9.800
Iwai (DU): Switch leap straddle quarter, good 180 position in the switch. BHS LO LOSO, slight balance check but keeps it on the beam. Cartwheel gainer full dismount, solid routine after a fall in the first spot. 9.750
Braaflat (ASU): Tucked full-in to open, held on for too long and landed both feet out of bounds. Back 1.5 front layout, underrotated and I’m honestly shocked she kept that on her feet. Will want to drop that score. 9.500
Mabanta (DU): Not accepting that this is her last routine. BHS LOSO, nailed it. Sissone switch leap, leg lift balance check but stays on the beam. Tucked gainer full off the end, unfortunately this score will count because of Cooley’s fall. 9.650
Purler (ASU): Pretty double pike to open, controlled the landing and kept her front foot still. Front 1.5 to stag jump, bit out of control on that landing. Switch ring L hop full, pretty combination, looked to get it around. Front layout front full, kept it in bounds but lacked a little control at the end of it.
Thompson (DU): Another final senior routine incoming. Side aerial BHS, really pretty. Switch leap side somi, right down the center. Slightly overrotated the full turn, but a really nice routine so far. Beat jump, gainer pike off the end, slight step forward. Much needed reset routine. 9.800
Mangahas (ASU): Full-in to open, nice chest position on the landing. Arizona State has a lot of difficulty in these floor passes, just not hitting it today. Front tuck through to double tuck, nice control on that final landing. 9.850
Mundell (DU): BHS LOSO, good job. Pretty full turn. Beat jump switch half, had it then second guessed with a balance check. Beat jump split 3/4 looked good. Gainer pike off end with a hop back. 9.700
K. Smith (ASU): Double pike, nicely done! Front full front layout, I would’ve like to see a bit more rise between those skills, small hop forward on the landing. Leaps looked like they were a bit short of 180. Double tuck, lots of power and heads out of bounds with both feet. 9.575
Ulrich (DU): Pretty leap to open. BHS LOSO, nice and controlled. Hitch kick switch side, nice and floaty above the beam. Front aerial beat jump looked good, gainer pike off the end with a solid landing. Will drop Cooley’s fall in the first spot. 9.825
White (ASU): front double full to stag jump to open, traveled forward just a bit out of that stag. Switch ring switch half, pretty position in the ring. Back 1.5 front layout, pretty rise between those skills. 9.900
After 3: Denver 147.300, Arizona State 146.825
Arizona State had an opportunity to capitalize on some mistakes that Denver made, but three scores 9.6 and lower were not the way to do it. Denver dropped a fall, but only counted two scores 9.800 or higher; as we head to the final rotation, Denver needs higher than a 49.025 on floor to improve its NQS, while Arizona State needs higher than a 48.850 to improve theirs. Both numbers feel likely to happen, but never say never.
Rotation 4: ASU beam, DU floor
Lee (ASU): Sissone into immediate full turn, balance check after the turn. Triple series, another tiny balance check. Beat jump sheep jump, nice landing after that blind jump. RO 1.5 dismount with a step forward on the landing. 9.700
Rorich (DU): Front tuck through to double tuck, great contol and nice high chest on the landing. Switch side straddle full, pretty extension in the straddle. Double pike to close, lots of control. Good comeback after her fall on bars. 9.900
Mangahas (ASU): Originally the exhibition, she takes Kowan’s spot in the lineup after her injury on vault. Pretty full turn, goes for the series, hesitates after the front aerial. Goes for it again, front aerial to back tuck and comes off. Switch half split jump, nice 180 position throughout. Gainer pike off end, need to drop this score. 8.950
Brusch (DU): Double pike to open, overrotates it and takes one foot out of bounds. Pretty extension in her leaps, maybe lacked some rotation. Front through to double tuck, overrotated it as well, but keeps it in bounds this time. 9.625
Lichtman (ASU): BHS LOSO, solid. Pretty full turn. Switch leap straddle quarter, nice rise and split position! Front aerial beat jump, really pretty routine so far. RO 1.5 dismount, hop forward on the landing. Good comeback following a fall. 9.725
Reidenbach (DU): Whip half 1.5 to open, really pretty! Nice toe point and extension in her leap series, final pass is a double tuck, underrotated and had to take a hop forward. She was a late sub in, so very nicely done for going in last minute. 9.825
K. Smith (ASU): Split half from the side into her full turn. BHS LOSO, moves through it quickly. Standing layout to beat jump, really nice difficulty in this routine so far! Switch leap straddle quarter, chest was forward so will be some deduction. RO 1.5, hopped off to the side. 9.650
Iwai (DU): In for Cooley here. Back 1.5 front layout into a jump, really nicely connected. Switch full, very nicely done! Double tuck to close, what a way to end your career in Magness. 9.825
Clark (ASU): Pretty mount to show off her flexibility. BHS BHS LOSO, had to make a minor correction in the air. Split jump straddle quarter, nice extension. Front aerial beat jump, really pretty in the air. Front gainer full off the side, small adjustment of the feet on the landing. 9.800
Mabanta (DU): Another final senior routine incoming. Front layout 1.5 twist, smallest slide of the front foot on the landing. Switch ring half to split jump, she had a lot of height on that leap series! Back 1.5 front layout, really nice rise on that layout! 9.925
White (ASU): A hit will drop Mangahas’s 8.950. BHS LOSO, spot on. Pretty full turn. Front aerial, was supposed to connect it, but hesitated. Split jump stag jump, slight lean after the stag jump. BHS 1.5 twist, stuck. I’m interested to see what her SV ends up being after missing the connection out of the front aerial. 9.875 with a 10.0 SV.
Ulrich (DU): Double layout to open, stuck it but had a lower chest than I’d like to see. Switch side straddle full, dances right out of it. Back 1.5 front layout, floaty and very controlled on her landings. Double pike, slide of the front foot on the landing. A great way to close out floor for the Pioneers! 9.925
FINAL: Denver 196.700, Arizona State 195.575
Denver will improve its NQS after hitting 49.400 on floor, while Arizona State has an early fall on beam and could only get two scores above a 9.800 and will not improve its NQS. With other teams in the Big 12 beginning to surge, the Sun Devils will need to keep pace if they want to maintain their current position in the evening session of conference championships.
VT: Casali (DU) – 9.875
UB: Hebinck (DU), Ulrich (DU), K. Smith (ASU) – 9.925
BB: E. White (ASU) – 9.875
FX: B. Mabanta (DU), Ulrich (DU) – 9.925
AA: Ulrich (DU) – 39.475
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Breaking Down February’s Perfect 10s
Live blog by Savanna Wellman
