Minnesota had what would be considered a fine opening meet. The most memorable part of the Gophers opener was the return of Gianna Gerdes to the all-around and the collegiate debut of Arianna Ostrum, Lacie Saltzmann, and Emma Slevin. Minnesota will be looking to take another step forward in its home opener. Arkansas will be opening its season in Minnesota. Arkansas finished last season in 12th and will be looking to improve on that ranking, which starts today.
While we have seen the Minnesota freshmen, this is the first look gymnastics fans will get to see the star-studded freshman class from Arkansas. Former third overall recruit Allison Cucci competed in the all-around in the last intrasquad and will have all of the eyes on Saturday. While Cucci might be the star, don’t overlook the potential contributions from Avalon Campbell and Avery King, who are also former five-star recruits and competed several events at the preview meet.
The meet will be streamed on B1G+, and scores can be found on Virtius. Not a B1G+ subscriber? Sign up today for the monthly pass with the code COLLEGEGYM3 for just $10.99/month (regularly $12.99/month).
Rotation 1: Minnesota vault, Arkansas bars
Ostrum (MIN): Very square block on the table on her Yfull. A large step back on the landings. Good distance. 9.7
Roberson (ARK): Hit the clear hip to Maloney to pak. Bent arms on the pak that lead to a short cast half. Step forward on the double layout dismount. 9.775
Stewart (MIN): Good pop off the table on her Y1.5. Large step forward. Square block. 9.825
Klein (ARK): Bent arms on the Ray but connected it to the overshoot. Short last cast. Leg separation on the double layout with a small hop. 9.775
Slevin (MIN): Very high Yfull with nice open hips and a small hop. Great leg position on that. 9.85
Smith (ARK): Bent elbows on the toe hand but clean Maloney to pak. Leg separation on the double layout, but good amplitude and a stuck landing. 9.875
Crump (MIN): Almost stuck her Y1.5. Had to take a small step forward after raising onto her toes to try and stick it. Landed with one foot over the line and had some soft knees. 9.8
Swaney (ARK): Loose body position on the toe hand to Maloney to pak. Short on the cast half and cast on the high bar. Leg separation on the double layout and stuck it. 9.775
Moraw (MIN): High on the table on her Yfull and took a large hop back. Good height on that. 9.75
Cucci (ARK): High and floaty pak. VL was clean. Nice cast handstands in this routine. High double layout with leg separation and a stuck landing. 9.825
Gerdes (MIN): Looked to maybe twist a little early off the table , but got good height and distance on her Y1.5 and took a step forward. 9.85
Price (ARK): Legs glued on the Maloney to bail. Legs glued on the FTDT as well. Landed it a little low but stuck the landing. 9.85
AFTER ONE: Arkansas 49.100, Minnesota 49.075
This matchup is super close after the first rotation. Smith stuck her bars dismount for Arkansas and then each gymnast in the lineup after her also stuck which is eactly what the Razorbacks were looking for. Minnestota did not have the same sticks, but the vaults had good power which is more important for early in the season.
Rotation 2: Arkansas vault, Minnesota bars
Lang (ARK): Bent arms on the table on her Yfull. Slight shift back of the feet. Landed with her feet quite far a part as well. Good height. 9.8
Gerdes (MIN): Arch on the first cast and on the bail out of the Maloney. Short last cast, but sticks the FTDT dismount. 9.8
Smith (ARK): Great height, but less distance on that Yfull. Large hop back. This camera angle is bad for telling hip angles. 9.775
Crump (MIN): Legs glued on the floaty Maloney to pak. Short on the cast half. Leg separation on the double layout dismount and a small step back. 9.775
Cucci (ARK): Sticks her Y1.5. Not the most height or distance on that vault and some soft knees. 9.9
Ostrum (MIN): Short on the cast half and close on the piked jaeger. Close on the pak as well and pause on the cast half. Legs glued on the double layout dismount and sticks it. 9.6
Klein (ARK): Square block and a lot of distance on her Y1.5, but didn’t get the rotation and took a large step back. 9.725
Slevin (MIN): Slight leg separation on the backswing of the Maloney but othewise kept her legs glued on the Maloney to pak combo as well as the VL. Step back on the double layout dismount. 9.775
Williams (ARK): Soft knees on her Y1.5 and a small hop. The biggest of the vaults so far with the most distance. 9.9
Saltzmann (MIN): Over on the toe half but nice jaeger. Hit the bail. Great last cast and kept her legs together on the double layout which was stuck. 9.825
Price (ARK): Great block off the table on that Y1.5. Landed a little on the side of the mat and took a large step forward. Huge vault though. 9.875
Lyden (MIN): Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. Floaty double layout dismount, but a little too floaty as she didn’t get the rotation, came up short, and took a large step forward. 9.85
AFTER TWO: Arkansas 98.350, Minnesota 98.100
This meet stayed close through two rotations.
One of the comments made after the first bars routine was that Arkansas left some stick magic on the bars and there was some of that, but there were some steps and hops to be cleaned up. Ostrum faught through her bars routine, and luckily it will be dropped, but that was good to see her fight through the routine and get the stuck dismount. Arkansas built its lineup well in turns of amplitude growing. Those last few vaults were huge and had a lot of power even it there were some hops and steps.
Rotation 3: Minnesota beam, Arkansas floor
Ostrum (MIN): Very solid loso series. Finished the full turn on releve. Sharp split positions on the switch to split quarter. Hit the side aerial. Good amplitude on the bhs gainer full dismount and stuck it. 9.85
Klein (ARK): Good leg positions on the front tuck through to double tuck. Tight tuck position. Nice straddle positions in the switch side half to straddle to straddle shushonova. Good height on the front layout to front full. Controlled landings throughout. 9.825
Gerdes (MIN): I would fall off the beam if I did her mount. She like jumps and sits on the beam. Solid front aerial. Hit the loso series and full turn. Tight position in the stag after the split jump. Not as high of a gainer full as Ostrum’s but did stick it as well. 9.925
Weaver (ARK): Shifted the front foot on the landing of the front tuck through to double tuck. Off on the rotation on the leaps. Looks like she was going for a switch side half but she didn’t get the half turn all the way around. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.8
Moraw (MIN): Great releve finish on the full turn. Some feet on the loso series, but solid. Slow cat leap to side aerial connection. Hit the beat to split 3/4s. Arm wave on the bhs gainer full dismount. Didn’t move her feet. 9.9
Smith (ARK): Flexed feet and small hop forward on the front layout through to double tuck. Would have gone out of bounds if she lunged. Similar leap issue to Weaver on the same attempted Switch side half to straddle, the half didn’t get around. A little low chest on the double pike with her back heal on the lunge being really close to oob. 9.85
Rowray (MIN): Solid loso series. great switch to split half. The wolf jump out of the front aerial had great height on the front leg. Held the dismount landing on her toes and a little bend at the waist. I liked how she would open up to the side of the beam with her shoulders on the dance. 9.85
Price (ARK): High and controlled double pike. Great amplitude on the front layout to front full. Short on rotation and travelled during the triple leap series. Controlled the back 2.5 twist. 9.875
Pearl (MIN): Some knees and feet on the loso series. Great amplitude on the switch to straddle quarter. Smooth front aerial to beat jump. Knees on the bhs gainer full dismount. Leaned on the landing, but didn’t move her feet. 9.775
Cucci (ARK): Big double layout and controlled landing. Overcooked the switch side before the Popa. Feet on the front tuck through to double tuck. Chest a little down on the landing and shuffled her feet. 9.8
Lyden (MIN): Hit and held the candle. Smooth double wolf. ot the highest loso series, but solid. Great height on the cat leap before the switch side. Great extended legs on the back 1.5 dismount and stuck it. 9.9
Roberson (ARK): Large lunge on the double layout but doesn’t move the front foot. Looked to be a switch side half to straddle half, but the rotation wasn’t clear. Flexed feet on the front tuck through to double tuck. Landed with a low chest and took a small hop forward. 9.825
AFTER THREE: Minnesota 147.525, Arkansas 147.525
AND WE ARE TIED. Minnesota was super solid on beam in that rotation. There were no checks or hesitations in those routines which was super impressive for a week two beam rotation. Arkansas has a lot of power on floor that can be seen in the tumbling, but the deductions are likely coming from the leaps. I couldn’t always tell the intended leap, and when I could, the rotation was frequently off. A lot of those leaps were short of rotation. Arkansas will look to work on that moving forward after hopefully leaving Minnesota with a hit beam rotation like the one Minnesota just had.
Rotation 4: Arkansas beam, Minnesota floor
Gustitus (ARK): Soft knees on the loso series. Slow connections between the switch to switch half to split jump series. Rushed the full turn. Bends knees on the gainer pike and landed with a low chest. Had an arm wave to hold the stick. Landed really close to the beam on that. 9.8
Lyden (MIN): Great amplitude on the back 1.5 to front full. Good control on that. The camera angled changed right in the middle of the leaps so I couldn’t tell what rotation there was supposed to be. Great control on the last pass. 9.85
Klein (ARK): Flexed feet on the loso loso series. Solid switch to straddle quarter. Large step forward on the back 1.5 dismount. Good height on that. 9.75
Saltzmann (MIN): Small hop forward on the double pike. Looked to miss the punch between the front layout front full but landed it just fine. Hit her leap combo. Feet on the double tuck. 9.825
Cucci (ARK): Smooth full turn. Feet on the loso series. Adjustment on the front aerial. Clean switch to split half. Small hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. Good pointed toes on the dismount. 9.825
Swartzmiller (MIN): Sky high straddle jump out of the Rudi. Great amplitude on the switch side half to straddle half. Arches the front layout out of the back 1.5 a little bit. 9.875
Weaver (ARK): Very smooth loso series. Feet on the side aerial. Tight position in the stag jump. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. Not the greatest toe point in that routine. 9.85
Gonsiorowski (MIN): Bounces back on the full in and the heel might have gone out. The mat made it hard to tell. Controlled the front tuck through to double tuck. Some feet on that. Almost made it around on the Popa after the switch side. 9.825
Price (ARK): Low leg on the full turn. Big break at the waist on the loso series. Another lean after the cat leap to front aerial. Hits the switch to split. A little under on the ro double full and took a small step forward. 9.45
Ostrum (MIN): Very high double tuck out of the front tuck. Carried that amplitude into the triple leap combo. Floaty Rudi to loso. Good toe point on that. 9.875
Roberson (ARK): Great position on the beat to pike jump. Low chest on the switch to back tuck. Finished the full turn well. Solid side aerial loso. Sticks the front full dismount. 9.95
Gerdes (MIN): Slide back on the front tuck through to double tuck. Some feet on that too. The rotations got all wonky and the moved laterlly on that three leap combo so I can’t exactly say what she was going for. Short on the double pike and took a big step forward with a low chest. 9.6
FINAL: Minnesota 196.775, Arkansas 196.700
The meet ended very close with each team having one low score in the rotation that had to be dropped. Minnesota pulled through in what was a big bounce back meet after last week in Utah. There were some areas for improvement with landings on most of the events, but beam was really solid. Arkansas will be happy with the road season opening score. There were a lot of great routines in those last few rotations. The main thing I would be looking at working on is the floor leaps for both teams.
VT: Cucci, Williams 9.9
UB: Smith 9.875
BB: Roberson 9.95
FX: Ostrum, Swartzmiller, Price 9.875
AA: Cucci 39.35
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
