It’s a Saturday afternoon top 25 showdown as Denver travels to Corvallis to take on Oregon State for the Beavers’ final regular-season home meet.
Both of these teams look very different than they did a year ago, with each graduating impactful routines, most notably Jade Carey on Oregon State’s side. With a number of fresh faces in lineups, it hasn’t been perfect for either team, but the moments have been there.
Denver has shown a strong base of routines over the course of the season and is focused on peaking at the right moment; the Pioneers notched a season-best 197.075 on Monday despite counting a major wobble on beam and will look to continue the momentum. Former five-star recruit Shyla Bhatia performs a show-stopping floor routine and notched a 9.975 on vault last week, and fellow freshman Megan Aamold has been limited to beam while coming back from an injury in her final level 10 season, but her confident beam work helps stabilize Denver’s beam lineup. Seniors Cecilia Cooley, Kiley Rorich, and Mila Brusch have all stepped up with leadership and added events as well.
Oregon State has been more inconsistent than Denver, but the Corvallis advantage shouldn’t be taken lightly. On top of its graduated routines, Oregon State has faced its fair share of injuries this season. Sophia Esposito is one to watch on floor; she also notched a “perfect” 9.950 on her Yurchenko full in the Beavers’ last home meet. Camryn Richardson has posted solid numbers in her first season at Oregon State, but the transfer has been in and out of lineups. Freshman Katie Rude performs a unique Ilg on vault but has struggled with consistency and has been in and out of the lineup over the course of the season.
With Oregon State not affiliating with a conference this season, it doesn’t have a meet scheduled over conference championship weekend, and this is its final chance to improve its NQS; a season high will get the Beavers a 196.142 final NQS, while a season low will drop it to 195.839.
The meet will be streamed on Youtube, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: Oregon State VT, Denver UB
Crabb (OSU): yfull, some body shaping issues in the air and a low but stuck landing. Gets the stick chainsaw! 9.825
Kastl (DU): toe hand to Maloney direct to pak, super pretty. Gets the half pirouette on the low. Great save on her final hs, just some arch and is able to work through her blind full to a stuck double tuck. 9.725
Marchal (OSU): another yfull, preflight form and a large step to the side with a pike down and crunched landing. 9.575, that’s going to be the one they want to drop.
Reidenbach (DU): change to straddle jaeger good, hits her bail hs. Nice final hs and stuck. That’s the best bar routine I’ve seen her do this year. 9.8
Miller (OSU): my feed just froze, please hold. 9.7
Rorich (DU): ok, I think we’re back, hopefully. Great first hs into a beautiful straddled jaeger. lovely bail hs. NAILS the final hs. Gets the stick on her DLO, just a small chest lean! Very nice routine for the senior. 9.825
Buckner (OSU): y1.5 with a hop to the side and off center. First 10.0 vault of the day. 9.875
Bhatia (DU): toe to Maloney to pak hit. Snappy half turn. Nice final hs. Stuck duo, we’ll see what the judges do. 9.85
Richardson (OSU): Does the 1.5 today, a larger step forward and a back foot slide. 9.85
Brusch (DU): her first year doing beam. Toe Maloney to pak, hit. Good final hs. The smallest adjustment on her landing. Wonderful seeing her improvement on bars this year. 9.8
Esposito (OSU): clean yfull, this angle was so bad to judge landing. 9.9
Cooley (DU): Huge Ray. Hits her bail to hs and gets the final one too. Tiniest adjustment on her landing. 9.875
Rude (OSU, exh): Ilg, squatty landing with a larger step forward.
Kasparian (DU, exh): She’s really a treat to watch on bars and I’m excited to see her grow throughout her time in college. Toe to Maloney to pak, very pretty. Gets the pirouette. Changed her dismount back to a double tuck, she finds the landing today. 9.750
Steeley (DU, exh): Nice toe to Maloney to pak. Step on her DLO, another athlete with potential on bars with experience and consistency! 9.625
AFTER ONE: Oregon State, 49.150, Denver 49.200
Solid starts for both teams and we are tied after one! That was one of Oregon State’s better vault rotations and over a 49 for Denver on bars that could have been higher with the right judges.
And now Reidenbach’s score has been upped to a 9.850, which puts Denver at a 49.200.
Rotation 2: Denver VT, Oregon State UB
Hargraves (DU): yfull, not her best with a low chest and step forward. 9.500, they’ll want this to be the drop.
Miller (OSU): Great first hs into a toe to Maloney to pak, leg sep. Working through this routine well. DLO, small hop in place. 9.85
Kasparian (DU): yfull, great dynamics and a tiny hop on the landing. Great to see her get that vault after struggling on Monday. 9.825
Caso (OSU): toe to maloney to pak. van leeuwen. short final hs. Holds on to the landing but with an arm swing and ends up taking a last minute step back. 9.8
Reidenbach (DU): has only been competing a yfull this season, but nails it. Great form in the air and gets the stick. 9.875
DeVries (OSU): has been battling a shoulder injury this year. toe to Maloney to pak hit. Rushed the pirouette a tad. Gets the stick on her DLO. 9.9
Hewitt (DU): great yfull, love her improvement on the event and seeing her blossom with her hometown team. small hop back. 9.825
Esposito (OSU): great first hs. big ray, maybe caught a little close. Hits her bail. Great final hs. Blind full, deep landing and a hop to the side. 9.85
Brusch (DU): yfull, so dynamic and just a tiny hop back. 9.8
Richardson (OSU): clean piked jaeger. Nice pak. Slightly short on the pirouette. Sticks her ftdt. Great to see her back! 9.875
Bhatia (DU): stuck her 1.5 on Monday, what will she do today? Almost gets it today, just a small step forward. 9.875
Weaver (OSU): Gienger, caught a little close. Arm bend on her bail but she’s nailing the handstands. Low chest on her double tuck with a small scotch. 9.75
Cooley (DU, exh): yfull, a little pikey but works through the landing to minimize deductions as well as she could. 9.675
Cheek (OSU, exh): toe to Maloney to pak, nice. Nice half pirouette. Toe to blind full to double tuck, small hop back. Not every day you see a toe hand into the double tuck combination. 9.775
AFTER TWO: Oregon State 98.425, Denver 98.400
This meet is still incredibly close! Oregon State found more landings on bars and would like to continue the momentum. Denver was able to rebound from Hargraves’ uncharacteristic vault to hit 5 others at or above 9.800. Floor has been Denver’s best event this season and it heads there now.
Rotation 3: Oregon State BB, Denver FX
Heather (OSU): Front toss to swingdown. Arm swing on her wolf turn. Switch half to beat jump good. Stuck gainer pike. Great leadoff for the Beavers! 9.825
Gallen (DU): Her routine is so fun, assistant coach Mary Rice did a great job. Nice opening double tuck. LOVE her straddles and overall leap positions. Front lay to front full, super clean. Great to see her taking this leadoff position with stride! 9.850
Buckner (OSU): Decent-sized lean on her across series. Split to stag with another small check. Side aerial, another bend at the hips check. Hop forward on her 1.5. Fought to stay on the beam. 9.675, generous for that routine.
Hargraves (DU): She’s improved so much over her career on floor. Front lay to rudi, really gets the rise on the rudi. Good positions on her leaps. back 1.5 to lay to close, great routine for her! 9.85
Cheek (OSU): Good control on her bhs loso. Confident full turn. Acro-dance combination completed well. Another leap combo with terrible camera work. gainer full, slight pike down but stuck. Nice rebound routine for Oregon State. 9.900
Rorich (DU): Recently reentered the floor lineup. front tuck through to double tuck, hops into the lunge. Switch side half popa, good positions. double pike, better. 9.825
Weaver (OSU): Double wolf turn, really fought for it. Secure bhs loso. Good leap positions. Big check on her front aerial and drops the chest. Gets the landing on her back 1.5. 9.800, yeah, ok, deductions are optional now.
Bhatia (DU): One of my favorite floor routines of the season, hands-down. Front double full to a ring kick, lovely. Great leap positions, super precise. I’ve seen Mary Rice really working on those details at some of their open practices. FHS rudi to straddle, very nice. That should be Denver’s best score so far. 9.875
Letzsch (OSU): Front aerial with a small lean, believe she usually connects. Repeats it, larger lean this time. Not sure what she’ll do to get her series now. Split to ring jump, nice. Lean on her full turn. Check on her back tuck as well. Front gainer full, I’d guess that will be the drop and they’ll have to count the 9.675, she didn’t have an acro series as far as I can tell. 9.1
Reidenbach (DU): Obsessed with her Big Time Rush/Nickelodeon floor routine. Whip half to rudi, that will never get old. Changed her leap series this year and it’s been a lot more consistent. Closes with a double tuck, super high and a controlled landing. 9.875
Esposito (OSU): Clean front aerial to bhs loso. Small lean between her leaps but kept it moving, we’ll see what the judges do. Crossy legs and a small hop back on her back double twist. 9.875
Cooley (DU): New York City-themed music in honor of her hometown, very lovely. Opening rudi to split, great. Switch ring half to split, nice. There’s the signature “let’s go DU” in her music. The teammates get all the way on the ground during her choreo and I’m obsessed. Back 1.5 to lay to close, very lovely. Great way to close out the floor lineup. 9.925
Miller (OSU, exh): Lean on her bhs loso. Secure leaps, could have more extension. Feels like she’s moving a little tentatively. Back 1.5, hop forward. 9.725
Vargas (OSU, exh): Bhs loso, super crooked but stays on – big wobble. Her leaps are really lovely. Check on her full turn. Ends with a gainer full with a hop back.
AFTER THREE: Denver 147.775, Oregon State 147.500
That’s not the beam Oregon State wanted, but the Beavers still hit 49 overall. Denver had a great floor lineup, capped by Cooley, to take the lead after 3.
Rotation 4: Denver BB, Oregon State FX
Aamold (DU): She’s been super consistent on beam throughout level 10 and so far this year. Side aerial to bhs, she’s usually rock solid on that but comes off today. Good switch to split. Front aerial to beat jump, sometimes misses that connection but gets it today. Step forward on her gainer pike. Pressure is on the rest of the beam lineup. 9.075
DeVries (OSU): Back 2.5 to open. Puts it as her first pass today. I would like to have a word with the camera operator that keeps randomly cutting off leaps. Back 1.5 to lay, finesses the landing. 9.800
Steeley (DU): Back in the lineup this week, the Pioneers have tinkered with the lineup a fair amount. Front aerial, secure. Her lines are lovely. bhs to loso, very secure. The test comes here, a blind landing. Split jump to ring jump, nails it today. BHS gainer full, small hop. Good rebound routine for the Pioneers. 9.825
Buckner (OSU): Rudi to LOSO, looked like her leg bent a tiny bit in the loso? Front full front full, solid. 9.850
Gallen (DU): Opens with her bhs loso, secure landing. Switch to switch half, small lean. She usually connects a beat. Does a side aerial to make up for the lost connection but comes off. The first official fall Denver will count this year. 9.100
Weaver (OSU): Her first time in the floor lineup this season! Double tuck, great control. This music is devolving into something. Good control on her combination pass. Oh, a three pass routine! Those are rare these days. 9.875
Reidenbach (DU): Had a fall on Monday, let’s see how she responds. Side somi to start. Small wobble on her leap combo after starting it over. BHS LOSO, small check. Check on her full turn. Gets the stick on her back 1.5. Not her best, but good fight to stay on. after the fall before her. 9.6 with a 9.5/9.7 split
Marchal (OSU): Opens with a good double tuck. Switch side half to straddle, love the positions. Hits her second leap combo. Back 1.5 to lay is nice. 9.875
Hargraves (DU): Love the control she shows on her full turn, so intentional with the free leg. Front aerial to bhs, really works through that combo to not give anything away. Switch leap into tour jete, Secure. Straddle 3/4, rock solid. Stuck front gainer full, love the unique skills she shows in this routine. 9.800
Miller (OSU): Front tuck through to double tuck, controlled. Good leap positions. Back 1.5 to front lay, controlled but slightly archy. 9.875
Cooley (DU): BHS LOSO LOSO and she’s also off. Denver’s worst beam rotation to date this season. Sticks her gainer full to close.
Esposito (OSU): Punch front through to double pike with good control. Good positions on her leaps. Closes with a front lay to rudi, some crossy legs but a great landing. 9.950
Bhatia (DU, exh): Love her mount. Secure full turn. BHS LOSO great landing. Switch to switch half, moves through the connection. RO 1.5 with a step back. She hasn’t entered the lineup yet, but she’s definitely knocking on the door based on her body of exhibitions. 9.725
Crabb (OSU, exh): Opening front double twist, solid. The camera cut off her leaps again. Back 1.5 to lay, archy but keeps it on her feet and finesses the landing.
Hampp (DU, exh): Front toss, hit. Side aerial to loso, hits it today – that’s usually what she struggles with. Secure full turn. Switch to split, solid. Gainer pike, small hop back. Quite possibly the best routine I’ve seen her do on beam. 9.750
FINAL: Oregon State 196.925, Denver 195.175
That certainly wasn’t the beam rotation Denver wanted, and it leads to a season-low score for the Pioneers. Oregon State ended well on floor but comes up just shy of the coveted 197.
VT: Sophia Esposito (OSU) 9.900
UB: Taylor DeVries (OSU) 9.900
BB: Kaylee Cheek (OSU) 9.900
FX: Sophia Esposito (OSU) 9.900
AA: Sophia Esposito (OSU) 39.575
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Live blog by Tara Graeve
