Today’s the big day in Oregon. Competing tonight for a chance to go on to nationals are the top two teams from round two session one, as well as from round two session two. Between those four teams, whoever finds themselves in first and second after the last routine will punch their tickets to keep on dancing this season. But these teams today are fierce, they have the depth of the Mariana Trench, and getting to Texas won’t be easy.
Tonight, we’ll be watching UCLA, Alabama, Utah, and Minnesota fight it out for the top two spots.
That’s right — only two of the above teams can advance.
There’s only one thing that’s certain: Iowa’s Aurélie Tran will be heading to Nationals as an individual on bars after notching a 10.000 on bars during the evening session on Friday. As for the rest of the individuals? That all depends on what happens right now.
The meet, as all regionals sessions, will be streamed on ESPN+, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Touch is just about underway.
Recap: vault and bar landings are hidden by the beam and floor corrals, respectively. My beam view, however, is a dream. Floor is a bit obscured by photographers and judges, but you know we’re still bringing you all the routines.
Rotation 1:
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Hops on her toes in place, good in the air.
Rosen (UCLA): Y 1.5, bent knees at the, not much movement on the landing otherwise.
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Sits down the 1.5, just not enough rotation and wanting that stick.
Jenkins (UCLA): RO 1.5, steps forward, could’ve been a bit cleaner in the air but UCLA just wants to close out this rotation without any falls.
Sullivan (UCLA): Y 1.5, good distance, hops forward, then plants her feet like cement with a slight lean backwards.
Chiles (UCLA): Y double full. Hops on her toes but doesn’t come of the ground, very controlled, and an excelletn end ot the UCLA vault rotation. At least one judge went ten.
Smith (UU): Pak, shy hs. Van Leeuwan. Toe on front pike half, small hop.
Glynn (UU): Good first hs. MAloney to bail to low. Great last hs. Stalder, double tuck, stuck!
Ryssman (UU): Good hs. Blind half to jaeger. PAk. On top of the bar in the half turn on low. Shy last hs. Double lay, under rotation, big step forward.
Zirbes (UU): Blind half to straddle jaeger, massive height, arms looked okay on the catch. Pak. FTDB, steps forward.
Padurariu (UU): Shy first hs. Maloney to bail. Shy last hs. Toe front pike half, sticks!
Neff (UU): Shy first hs. Gienger to shootover. FTDL, sticks!
LaCoursiere (UA): Candlestick, good. Love the end of beam choreo. Split to ring stag, good. Front aerial to bhs, no hesitation. RO 1.5, stuck!
Gladieux (UA): BHS lay, small rebound, good. Quick full turn. Front aerial to beat. RO lay double full, hops.
Ladanyi (UA): Front aerial to split, good connection. BHS LOSO, half slides, half picks up the frotn foot but settles quickly. Leaps are no issue. BHS gainer lay full, sticks!
Fuller (UA): Front aerial. Overcooked the full turn by a touch but choreos it. BHS LOSO LOSO, feet could’ve been sharper. Switch to beat. RO 1.5 lay, and another stick for Bama.
Kvamme (UA): Front aerial to bhs lay, good. Front toss to split, connection looked fine. Gainer front lay full, stuck!
Ra-Akbar (UA): Wolf turn is gorge. This is a change in the OG line up. Front aerial, pauses, moves back like a bro. Front aerial to bhs. Switch half series looked good. Sticks the tucked front full, clicks her heels together as she salutes.
Saltzmann (Minn): Good chest position on the double pike. Front lay to front full, bouncy. Switch half to popa, extension is on point. Double tuck and jumps casually into the lunge.
Steensland (Minn): FHS front to rudi, chest could’ve been a little better positioned. FHS front to rudi. Switch side looked good.
Swartzmiller (Minn): Caught the end of the first pass, but the straddle jump in the rebound looked nice, didn’t travel. Beautiful extension on the straddle at the end of her leaps. RO 1.5 to front lay, lunge is an afterthought.
Gonsiorowski (Minn): FTDB, slides into the lunge, then picks up her front foot to readjust from the slide. Bounces forward a bit on the double tuck, low chest on the landing. Switch side to popa to straddle, no notes however.
Ostrum (Minn): Front through to an absolute gorgeous and textbook double tuck, outstanding form. LOSO in second pass rises just as it should. Best of Minnesota floor so far!
Lyden (Minn): RO 1.5 to a floaty front full. Capitalizes on the momentum from Ostrum, should score high.
AFTER ONE: Minnesota 49.450, UCLA 49.350, Utah 49.325, Alabama 49.325
Oh, so that’s how this session is going to go, huh? The teams are separated by a whopping 0.150 from top to bottom. Those small steps? Matter. UCLA putting it together to finish vault strong? Critical. Alabama hitting a majority of beam with sticks? Beyond important. Same for Utah on bars, aggressive with handstands and sticks.
If you’re deciding on a time to take an antacid, it’s now.
Since first writing the above 90 seconds ago, Alabama has moved up a touch and is now tied with Utah. Making the spread that much closer. It looks like there was an up to level deduction with Ra-Akbar and a follow-up inquiry that adjusted the score.
Rotation 2:
Stewart (Minn): RO 1.5, small step forward. Good start.
Moraw (Minn): Sticks the Y full.
Crump (Minn): Sticks the Y 1.5! Minn is hot.
Slevin (Minn): Y full, big hop back A touch piked.
Gerdes (Minn): Fights for the stick on the Y 1.5, hops forward on her toes.
Ostrum (Minn): Y 1.5, team chanting for a ten!
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Shy hs. Maloney to pak. Okay half turn. Shy last hs. Sticks the FTDB!
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Goes over on the handstand and comes off. She’s having a tough day today. Maloney to Pak. Free hip to FTDB, small hop.
Matthews (UCLA): Pressure is on for UCLA again. Pak to stalder to van leeuwan, a little shy last hs. Sticks the double lay!
Barros (UCLA): Good hs. Pak, shy hs after. Van leeuwan. Double lay, sticks!
Sullivan (UCLA): Tkatchev to pak, no problems. Snaps that last hs. Double lay, and another stick for UCLA! UCLA fans booing her score.
Chiles (UCLA): Good hs. Pak after the release felt a liiiiittle close. Holds onto the double lay with her toes!
Ganther (UU): BHS LOSO. Switch half to straddle, front leg a touch low on the leap. RO 1.5 lay, may have moved a single foot.
Zirbes (UU): Candlestick mount. Comes off on the BHS LOSO moments after UCLA comes off on bars. Small check on the leap. Every little tenth counts if they need to count this routine. Tucked gainer off the end, plants her feet.
Ryssman (UU): BHS LOSO, hits that no issue. Switch to side somi, she’s locked in. Small step on the dismount, back on track.
Padurariu (UU): Wolf turn. All smiles. Front aerial to bhs. Split to sheep, looked good from here. Sticks the piked gainer.
Neff (UU): Two more routines for Utah to erase this fall. Side aerial to bhs, handles a dropping shoulder with no issue. Barani, good position. Cartwheel to gainer lay full, sticks!
Winger (UU): BHS LOSO LOSO, smallest check with her left shoulder. Switch to split could have a touch more extension but nerves seem to be at play. Arm circles just one arm after the full turn. Just the dismount. BHS gainer lay, wants the stick, lands wide, hops forwad, Utah won’t need to count a fall.
LaCoursiere (UA): Double tuck to open. Switch ring looked good! Front lay to rudi, stag rebound included an arm circle.
Cawley (UA): Hits the opening pass. Switch half to wolf full wolf full. Second line up adjustment Bama has made since the OG lineups went out. RO 1.5 to front lay, not as much rise but a good amount. Very strong routine!
Matters (UA): Front through to double tuck, lunge is for fun. Double pike, plants the back foot, drops a shoulder.
Ra-Akbar (UA): Front through to 2.5, lunge is soft and smooth. RO 1.5 to front lay. Rises a touch in the wolf double turn.
Sears (UA): Double lay, chest looked good. No noticeable leg sep in the air from my spot. Switch side to popa was a little off kilter but still 180. Front through to double tuck.
Gladieux (UA): FTDB to open, leg sep in the air but good height. Beautiful height on the leaps. Textbook. Front through to rudi, immediate rebound into a split jump, no travel. Great last routine.
AFTER TWO: Minnesota 98.825, UCLA 98.750, Alabama 98.765, Utah 98.625
We now have two tenths between the teams, and Minnesota still has beam, its best event to come at the very end of the session. Utah AND UCLA both survived having to count a fall. Alabama would’ve wanted some more floor scores in the 9.900s if the Crimson Tide wanted to sweat things out a little bit less. Utah, currently in fourth, has not missed a nationals. And it’s ONLY halfway.
Rotation 3:
Cawley (UA): STICKS THE Y 1.5. Bama said we’re in this game.
Sears (UA): Sits down the 1.5.
Gladieux (UA): Y 1.5, big hop forward.
Matters (UA): Hits the Y 1.5, looked good in the air from here!
Paradise (UA): Y 1.5, team calling for another ten with the landing!
Ra-Akbar (UA): A hit is needed, a strong stick is preferable for Alabama right now. Y 1.5, good in the air, big hop forward with feet glued together.
Gerdes (Minn): Shy first hs. Bail to low has leg sep. Sticks the FTDB.
Ostrum (Minn): Shy hs. Blind half to jaeger, good. Pak was floaty. Step back on the double lay.
Crump (Minn): Maloney to pak. Half turn looked good. Double lay, takes a step back.
Saltzmann (Minn): Blind half to jaeger, good distance. Bail hs. Shy handstands. Double lay, looked stuck!
Slevin (Minn): Maloney pak. A lot of score flashing in the way. Van leeuwan. Shy handstands. Double lay, small hop back.
Lyden (Minn): Bail to low. Snappy last hs. Anchors her feet on the double lay.
Rosen (UCLA): No issues on split jump series. Lovely onodi. BHS LOSO. Sticks the RO 1.5 lay.
Barros (UCLA): Hits leap series. Side aerial bhs is rock solid. Check after the full turn. BHS gainer lay full, sticks!
Eichman (UCLA): BHS LOSO. Cat leap to side somi. Sissone to switch half to beat, shy of the 180 in the leap. Sticks the gainer dismount!
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Switch to split, floats. BHS LOSO, bends at the waist, keeps it on. Front aerial. BHS tucked 1.5, curtsy step.
Chiles (UCLA): It’s loud in here. Small shoulder check on the BHS LOSO. Cat leap to switch side, arm circle on the balance check. Side aerial. Breathes out. RO double lay full. sticks!
Alipio (UCLA): The volume in here has only grown. Small check on the full turn. BHS BHS LOSO, no movement. Leap series had no issue. Sticks the tucked gainer off the end.
Krump (UU): Sizable lunge out of the double pike but anchors that back foot. Switch side half to straddle jump, a little stumble shuffle after it. I know I’ve already heard it this weekend, but I love the spice girls medley. Front lay front full to front pike.
Johnson (UU): Jumps into the lunge after the double lay. Doesn’t move her feet on the double pike.
Neff (UU): Missed the full opening pass but looked on point out of the corner of my eye. RO 1.5 to front full. Utah chanting 10.
Zirbes (UU): Front double full, great height, good in the air. Switch half series is good. RO 1.6 to front full, tiny tiny lunge to keep that foot in bounds. Good!
Smith (UU): Cat leap to wolf series looked good. Her floor music has the Gill BUMPING. FHS rudi to loso had rise.
Curtis (UU): Double pike, good chest position! Much better from yesterday. Front full to front full, lunges for fun and for show. Good!
AFTER THREE: Utah 148.150, Minnesota 148.100, UCLA 148.100, Alabama 147.800
I think we can agree that we are all collectively clutching our pearls whether these are your teams or you’re just emotionally invested like I am after live blogging these teams the past few days.
I won’t make the stress worse for you, but I WILL say that every single landing, wobble, handstand, and dismount matters now more than ever. Buckle up!
Rotation 4:
Winger (UU): Sits. Down. The. Y. 1.5
Zirbes (UU): Sticks the Y 1.5! Fine in the air, good distance.
Johnson (UU): Y 1.5, steps back and to the side, directionality might be an issue.
Smith (UU): Half on, front pike off, sticks! Fantastic in the air, best vault this rotation.
Glynn (UU): Y 1.5, big step forward, doesn’t pick up her back foot.
Neff (UU): Y 1.5, hops, Utah avoids counting a fall here.
Walker (UA): Good hs. Maloney to pak. Van leeuwan, maybe some feet. Shy last handstand. FTDB, sticks!
Gladieux (UA): Jaeger to shootover, good turnover on the release. Shy handstand. Full to double tukc, stikcs!
Pawlak (UA): Good hs on low. MAloney to bail. Shy last hs. Dobule lay, sticks!
Fuller (UA): Pak, shy hs. Van leeuwan, good. Double lay, sticks!
LaCoursiere (UA): Pak GREAT hs, van leeuwan. OH no, puts her hands down on the FTDB.
Ra-Akbar (UA): Good hs. Toe circle, pak. Beautiful hs again. Van leeuwan. Stalders to dobule tuck, fights for the stick!
Ostrum (Minn): BHS LOSO. Flairs the full turn, drops a shoulder slightly. Switch to straddle quarter, effortless. Cat leap to side aerial, small swing to the side with her arms on top. BHS gainer lay full, sticks!
Stewart (Minn): Candlestick mount. Split jump to ring, good extension on both. Front aerial to bhs swing down. BHS gainer lay full off the side.
Moraw (Minn): BHS LOSO, slight lean to the side as she picks her arms up. Cat leap to side aerial, a little bend at the waist as she stands up. Beat to straddle 3/4 is TEXTBOOK. Sticks the dismount.
Rowray (Minn): BHS LOSO, pivots the front foot to complete the lunge. Switch to straddle half. She’s cool as a cucumber. Sticks the dismount, team chanting for a ten here. One judge went 10.
Pearl (Minn): Switch to split, tiny shoulder drop as she lands the split jump. BHS LOSO, good. Excellent wolf turn, sticks the dismount!
Lyden (Minn): Candlestick mount. Wolf turn, no issues. Hits the series as UCLA lands a pass on floor. Cat to switchside. Unbothered and hydrated. Sticks the RO 1.5!
Alipio (UCLA): Double pike, lunges quickly. Switch ring to switch half to wolf full, good. Wolf turn is steady. RO 1.5 to front lay, doesn’t move her feet.
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Took a break from the line up on beam, back on floor. Frhs double full. RO 1.5 front lay. She’s looking calm out there. Switch ring to switch half. FHS rudi, a semi uncontrolled rebound back and into the lunge
Barros (UCLA): RO 1.5 to front lay, quiet lunge. 180 on the leaps. Front rhoufh to double tuck, lands feet staggered, one in front of the other. Switch half to wolf full is on point.
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Double lay, and doesn’t put her heel down in the lunge like the pro she is. Switch ring to switch half to wolf full. RO 1.5 to front lay. Good!
Sullivan (UCLA): Double lay, good chest position. Excellent dynamics on the leaps. Front through to doubel tuick.
Chiles (UCLA): The only routine left today. It’s locked up that Minnesota is advancing as is UCLA. Double lay! Leaps are on point, Chiles is having fun. Front through to double tuck. Lunges for fun. UCLA fans are throwing confetti (literally).
FINAL: UCLA 197.725, Minnesota 197.625, Utah 197.500, Alabama 197.175
Utah will not advance to nationals. UCLA and Minnesota will be heading to Texas. UCLA sprinted across the floor to hug and celebrate with Minnesota as soon as Jordan’s score was flash — a 10.000.
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Live blog by Allison Freeman
