I haven’t managed to catch a Utah meet yet this season, but I’m really looking forward to getting a chance now. The Utes have been supremely consistent and they’re one of the few teams in the Pac-12 not to be drastically underutilizing their freshmen, which I LOVE. They’re also ranked top in the country on vault, so we should definitely expect fireworks there.
Arizona State is off to a solid start, improving every meet so far and poised to continue growing in the comfort of a home meet. It had a great meet at UCLA last week, and while it did benefit from the scoring there especially on floor, the 9.925 that Justine Callis received on beam to become the Sun Devils’ first conference award winner since 1600 BCE was completely legitimate and I’m really excited to see whether she can put the same set together at home. I’m also bummed that ASU’s freshmen are a nonstarter, but what can you do.
ROTATION 1: ASU VAULT, UU BARS
KUHM – ASU: Yurchenko full, usual slight lack of amplitude and a little deep with a step back.
TESSEN – UU: Jaeger, felt a little close, nice bail. Full in dismount, I saw her spot which I always love, tiny hop in place.
“Bars are Farden’s baby” according to Jim.
BELKOFF – ASU: Twisting right off the table, piked in the air with a little hop in the place but nice and secure.
DULA – UU: Slow on the first handstand, Jaeger caught perfectly, bail is great. Toe point is fantastic, stalder double back deep with a step forward.
GINN – ASU: Twisting onto the table, nice in the air with a hop.
MMG – UU: Toe on to Deltchev, ooh looked like she overrotated it a bit and caught at an angle. Good bail, full in dismount stuck. Great.
K. SZAFRANSKI – ASU: Okay full, twisting a bit early again, big hop back.
REINSTADTLER – UU: Huge Jaeger, miles above the bar, I usually don’t see her fly quite like that. Stick on her ftdb dismount. Probably the best routine I’ve ever seen.
LEONARD-BAKER – ASU: Great on the table, flared and stuck! One leg was a little further forward and she looked like she was protecting a strapped knee but held onto it.
ISA – UU: Tkachev I think, fantastic bail, she’s doing straight body casts and a couple of them are a touch short, full turn to double lay… it’s a little low but hop in place, great.
WILSON – ASU: Elbows very bent on the table, but pops off and it’s pretty big with a skitter back.
SKINNER – UU: Ray, huge, nice bail. Short on a handstand, ftdb stuck with legs slightly staggered.
UTAH 49.500 – ARIZONA STATE 49.050
Great start for both teams! I’d like to see better positions on vault from ASU but having a lineup of all fulls is so new to the Sun Devils that I won’t whine too much. Utah got a little benefit of the doubt there, which is pretty typical for Tempe, but it wasn’t bad.
ROTATION 2: UTAH VAULT, ARIZONA STATE BARS
LEE – UU: Full, beautiful and flared, almost stuck, just hop to salute, Fantastic start.
HART – ASU: Jaeger, good distance, just a touch shy of her handstands… she’s one of the one who looks like she’s there but then pikes when she pulls her feet together. Double lay good with a hop.
ROBERTS – UU: Great full with a little step back. She’s so aggressive this year and the form on all of these is significantly better.
CALLIS – ASU: I’ve seen her do some really sketchy bars in the past but at UCLA last week she was really solid. Her Tkachev is funky, starts it piked and straddles to get over, pikes into her bail, double lay is beautiful with a step back. This event isn’t her jam but she’s reducing the deductions.
BURCH – UU: Looks like she twisted onto the table for me, great landing, tiniest hop back.
KA. SZAFRANSKI – ASU: Always has one flexed foot. Nice Ray, leg sep on her bail, split again on her blind full, tiny hop on double back.
MMG – UU: One and a half, soft knees throughout which isn’t her usual style. Tries to stick it, has to take a baby step forward.
WILSON – ASU: Blind to Jaeger, bit of knees throughout, solid bail, blind full double back with a baby step.
SKINNER – UU: Usual double full, twisting on a touch. Two quick steps back.
KUHM – ASU: Hitting her KCH a little better than usual today, Jaeger not super high, she’s so pretty. Floats her double lay and sticks it.
TESSEN – UU: Just a full today, scrambles back out of it. She’s still training the one and a half and way overpowered the full.
LEONARD-BAKER – ASU: Maloney to bail is great, pike toe shoot… oh she has to tuck it, momentum was a bit off, full in double back. Great.
UTAH 98.775 – ARIZONA STATE 98.15
Really clean meet so far! Impressed by the Sun Devils on bars, they’ve cleaned up a lot. Home is always friendly for them, too.
Same @justinecallis pic.twitter.com/X4QxywNP0S
— Rebecca Scally (@rebeccakscally) January 27, 2019
ROTATION 3: ASU BEAM, UU FLOOR
KUHM – ASU: Front aerial, missed, the connection, tries it again, front aerial bhs… there it is. Her sheep jump is struggling this season. Side aerial back full great.
ROBERTS – UU: Rudi is great, double pike nailed . Switch side wolf full, one and a half front lay, great. Perfect lead off.
WILSON – ASU: BHS LOSO, bit of a check, nice full turn. Lost track, gainer full, really good.
LEE – UU: Back in the lineup after sitting out last week. Two and a half twist great, love this choreo. Switch switch ring 1/2, front lay front full, double twist LOSO. Really good set.
LEONARD-BAKER – ASU: Straddle to LOSO, usual bit of knees, no big deal. Full turn, beat to straddle 3/4 spot on, BHS LOSO great, one and a half twist…. ohhh her weight is back, she really tried to stick it but falls back out of it.
“You see her booty is a little too behind on her heels” LOL thanks Sam.
BURCH – UU: Wasn’t rostered here, exciting to get to see her. Double pike is good, split something to wolf full. Rudi I think? and switch side, the choreography in this one is pretty eccentric, one and a half front layout.
A. SZAFRANSKI – ASU: Front aerial Korbut good. Off on I think a side aerial. Switch split is good. Full turn, oh way short on the Rulfova, barely gets her leg over and has to haul herself back up onto the beam. Gainer full is pretty good.
SOLOSKI – UU: Double lay is great. One of the better choreographed routines I think. Double full is good, has to pull her front foot, requirement front aerial, one and a half front lay is good. Best one so far.
CALLIS – ASU: Love her walkover onto the end of the beam, choreo just gorgeous. Triple series is good, slow and easy. Full turn, lots of smiles, split double stag. Walkover to her knees, bend check… which is a weird thing to happen on that skill but it did, side aerial back full stuck.
MMG – UU: Pike full ins great, sounds like Lindsey Stirling music. Switch ring tj1/2 good, hop out, one and a half front lay punch front. Split her legs in the front lay, looked like she expected to struggle to get it around but the height was fine. Rudi to huge straddle, another hop, beautiful ending. Great.
UDOWITCH – ASU: Front aerial beat, if there’s a pause deduction in this building she should get three of them. BHS LOSO with knees, switch split short of position. Cat leap kickover front with a check. Side aerial back full with a hop.
SKINNER – UU: Lol WHAT is this choreography. I’m so confused. Double double underrotated onto her toes, step forward. Tour jete full nice, one and a half thru double full with another step forward. Punch front for requirements, full in WILDLY short with a big lunge forward.
UTAH 148.100 – ASU 146.600
Not the beam rotation ASU wanted, and UU had some unpredictable landings on floor there too. Apparently Skinner was struggling with fatigue and was pulled from the lineup but fought to stay in. Maybe the coaches were right the first time.
ROTATION 4: UTAH BEAM, ARIZONA STATE FLOOR
MCNATT – UU: Split to stag, front aerial bhs… oh weird, one leg went straight out to the sid but she’s fine. Front attitude turn <3 Gainer full, flies out and lands forward but holds the stick.
CALLIS – ASU: Double pike with a bit of a shuffle, two and a half with Mustafina legs. Switch ring switch half, not much elevation and questionable splits which is unlike her, one and a half front lay great.
BURCH – UU: Seen a lot of her today. Full turn, BHS LOSO and straight off, too much energy on it. Double stag, cat leap front aerial split, split straddle 1/4, gainer full stuck.
UDOWITCH – ASU: In for Lentz I think. Dramatic music, double pike okay, scoot back. Rudi is a little under with a bounce but gets it down. Performance not really living up to the music. Tour jete 1/2 to split full wolf full I think, one and a half with leg form to front pike.
MMG – UU: Switch split, looked like one knee was a little soft, triple series really solid with form deteriorating at the end. Front aerial to straddle, full turn, one and a half stuck. Really solid.
BELKOFF – ASU: Double pike, two steps back but stays in bound. Front double full is great, almost stuck, one and a half front lay beautiful. Nice!
LEE – UU: Cartwheel over the top, full turn really nice, BHS LOSO a little tentative but got it. Side aerial back full with a little scoot back
K. SZAFRANSKI – ASU: Got some of the more creative choreo on the team. It looks like it’s cowboy themed or something but it doesn’t sound like country music so I’m puzzled. Double pike with a scoot back, hoping to have a full in soon, huge leap series, double back, one and a half front lay is beautiful.
RANDALL – UU: Almost looked like she was going over the top on some of her choreo but she’s fine I’m just paranoid, full turn, BHS LOSO with some leg form, sheep jump way short. Switch to split okay, baby check, Rulfova great. Double full looks underrotated, has to step it around.
GINN – ASU: Great presence, front thru double back really clean. Front full front half or something like that, straddle series is massive, double pike super powerful.
SKINNER – UU: BHS LOSO, the usual leg form, side aerial split. Full turn quick and aggressive, switch straddle back tuck, double back with a hop.
LEONARD-BAKER – ASU: Double back great, step forward even though it’s not particularly underrotated. Jim actually calls her CLB which I love and might start doing. One and a half front full is really nice, she’s enjoying the choreo, tj1/2 split full I think? Double pike could have stuck. Great.
FINAL: UTAH 197.375 – ARIZONA STATE 195.825
Great day for both teams, season highs on either side by a couple of tenths! Merrell-Giles probably should have had that AA title, Skinner should have been lower on floor, but apart from that scoring wasn’t wild. A lot to be excited about.
VAULT: Merrell-Giles 9.900
BARS: Reinstadtler, Skinner 9.950
BEAM: Skinner 9.925
FLOOR: Leonard-Baker 9.950
ALL AROUND: Skinner 39.600
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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