UCLA’s home meet lineup isn’t particularly thrilling this year, but today is a great chance to see what Arizona can do on one of the biggest stages in the West: The Wildcats are putting together a sneakily great season, and a 196 is definitely doable today.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are still in the 198 hunt, and if they want to get it done, they need to sort out bars. Putting both Felicia Hano and Savannah Kooyman in the lineup is not a thing that’s going to work. Luckily, we’ve seen Grace Glenn training this week, and while we don’t know exactly why Anna was pulled out last week, we’re optimistic it’s a short-term issue. Vault’s a question mark for UCLA too: 10 Bruins have made a vault lineup so far in 2019, and at least one more could join. They’re working on sorting out which 10.0 start values are reliable, but it’s a process.
WELL UCLA lineups are fascinating. We’ve got Ohashi on vault, Dennis on bars, Frazier in the lead off on floor, and rumor is Ohashi might be doing bars too? Very ambiguous.
ROTATION 1: UCLA VAULT, UA BARS
OHASHI – UCLA: Solid full! Not huge, medium hop back, but decent. 9.775
HENDRICKSON – UA: Blind to Tkachev to overshoot, GORG. Maybe shy on her first handstand. Double lay, maybe a little over, step back. 9.775
HANO – UCLA: One and a half, GREAT, some of the cleaner leg form I’ve seen from her. Tiny hop to salute. 9.9
SWANSON – UA: Shy on first handstand, full turn to Tkachev, little bit languid but okay, Pak good. Double lay, piked down, small hop. 9.75
WRIGHT – UCLA: Beautiful, maybe a touch less distance than Hano’s one and a half but hard to tell from this angle. Weight a little forward and a midsize step. 9.875
KANE – UA: Blind to Jaeger, not huge, blind to straddle back really prett. Shy on a handstand, blind to double front, heavily cowboyed with a step back. 9.775
DENNIS – UCLA: Huge full, weird landing. Lands with her upper body still moving, hop in place and a big arm swing. 9.775
LEYDIN – UA: Shy on first handstand, toe on to Pak to switch kip (I think), her form is so gorgeous, Markelov and the crowd gasp is incredible. Blind full double back with a step. 9.825
ROSS – UCLA: One and a half, pulls her heels together, maybe SLIGHTLY more foot movement than last week but incredible. Much shallower squat too. 10!
SPENCER-BEARHAM – UA: Crowd quieting down for her, which is lovely. Ray, little too much counter and catches it odd with bent elbows but it’s not a big deal. Bail great, nailing these handstands, double lay beautiful in the air with a hop back. Great. 9.8
TRATZ – UCLA: Moment of truth. What’s she doing? Just the full but STUUUUUCK. Maybe a bit deep but what a beauty. 9.875
BERG – UA: This routine can go high. Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, really big. Half in half out also stuck dead. Spectacular. 9.925
UCLA 49.425 – ARIZONA 49.100
Arizona had a really pretty, clean bars rotation to start there. Some easy tenths to pick back up on the landings but off to a good start. UCLA is going to be just fine on vault despite all the agonizing everyone has done. Poston exhibitioned for a 9.7, big step back and to one side.
ROTATION 2: ARIZONA VAULT, UCLA BARS
KANE – UA: Tuck full, chest down a bit with a hop to one side. 9.475
DENNIS – UCLA: Labrum gut check time. Maloney to bail, RIGHT on top and gets a cheer for it, toes over the top on a handstand on HB but hangs on. Double layout STUCK. Ridiculously good. 9.9
PARKS – UA: Twisting on, solid full, maybe a bit pikey and a hop back. 9.825
FRAZIER – UCLA: Maybe shy on first handstand, van Leeuwen is just incredible, so much swing out of it and it’s effortless, beauty of a van Leeuwen, double lay and ANOTHER stick. Absurd. Ten hands from Randy. 9.95
LEUNG – UA: Tiny bit soft on the table and pikey throughout on her full, small hop back, she’s THRILLED. 9.775
HANO – UCLA: Couldn’t have set their “weak” routine up any better here. Ray to overshoot, usual flickers on the feet, blind full double back stuck again. Oh my GOD. 9.875
COWLES – UA: Really pretty full, comes in a touuuuch forward, hop back. Not the most height but she’s so nice to watch. 9.75
FLATLEY – UCLA: Eagle to Jaeger, bail, short on a handstand, double lay STUCK AGAIN. AHHH. There are always a few things to take in the guts of that routine but the landings are just fire today. 9.9
SWANSON – UA: Best full of the lot, big and pretty in the air, small hop straight back.
KOCIAN – UCLA: Chow to Pak, right on top of the half pirouette, making handstands, FTDB with the usual lower leg flicker but basically stuck again, just pulled the heels together. 9.9
LEYDIN – UA: One and a half, comes in short and bounces back to sit. Bummer, it was so fire last week.
ROSS – UCLA: Maloney to bail, yep, shades of Zamarripa in how she holds that last handstand, double lay stuck. MAYBE a question on the first handstand. Yep. 9.975.
Toronjo in the exo for UCLA. Usual close Ray, missed a handstand pretty hard.
UCLA 99.050 – ARIZONA 97.725
WOW. UCLA is stone cold today, I haven’t seen a meet like this since last year. Arizona will be bummed to have to count the lower score from Kane on vault after Leydin fell, but time was they had half a lineup of those (you know, eleven months ago haha) so this is small stuff.
ROTATION 3: UCLA BEAM, ARIZONA FLOOR
G. GLENN – UCLA: BHS LOSO, great. Front aerial to split, switch split beautiful. None of the wobbles we saw last week, she’s back. Full turn to leg up hold. BHS gainer full stuck. NICE.
FREIDIN – UA: Double back to start, little scoot on the front foot. She’s a great dancer, I think she either has a background in contemporary or dabbles in her free time. Tour jete full… YIKES, misses the punch in her Popa, comes in short with one leg dragging, she’s okay though. Front lay front full.
NGUYEN – UCLA: Switch split beat. I feel like we don’t appreciate her movement quality enough, I loooove her upper body work. Front aerial LOSO great, full turn, side aerial back full.
SWANSON – UA: She’s such a powerhouse. Two and a half to open, crossed legs but that’s not a real NCAA deduction, double back really solid. Switch side Popa, maybe a touch short, back double full punch front and landing takes her slightly by surprise but it’s fine. 9.8
KOCIAN – UCLA: BHS LOSO gorgeous. Front aerial split, full turn, switch split. Double full dismount with a hop straight back. 9.8
PARKS – UA: Front lay to Rudi, feels WILD but actually is totally fine. Got her little “lol I promise I can tumble backwards” pass in there. Switch double stag, front lay front full. 9.8
FLATLEY – UCLA: Time to get these scores up. Front aerial LOSO, never gets her back foot on the beam but just presents anyway and moves on. Side aerail, L turn beautiful, switch, leg up and falls. Split to wolf, good thinking. BHS one and a half. 9.25
COWLES – UA: Double back, all right. Comes in a touch short but makes it work. Front lay front full is good. Switch ring tour jete half, I’m always shocked by the amount of tape she fits on her legs, two and a half twist is a beauty. 9.825
ROSS – UCLA: Clearly someone who can pressure. BHS LOSO great, just lifts the heel on the front foot if we’re being INCREDIBLY picky. Front aerial sissone, love a true sissone, arabesque turn. Switch split, side aerial back full stuck. Nice. 9.925
LEYDIN – UA: Front thru double back, switch side split full. Tour jete half Popa. Arizona uses so much dance difficulty and I love it. Double pike to close, scoot back.
OHASHI – UCLA: Full turn, big check on her layout but gets it back. Switch split, moving really quickly, wonder if that shook her a little bit. Front aerial… what, she missed the connection? BHS LOSO back full, back on her heels and steps to salute. Haven’t seen her look nervy on beam in a while.
UCLA 148.275 – ARIZONA 146.950
Flames floor rotation there from the Wildcats, a 49.225 led by 9.9s from Berg and Leydin. They’re looking so good. UCLA was uncharacteristically nervy on beam and likely let its chance at a 198 slip away, but it can still pass Florida.
ROTATION 4: ARIZONA BEAM, UCLA FLOOR
LEYDIN – UA: Wolf turn, good, saw her struggle on that in meet warm up. Switch split, BHS LOSO, hitch kick, not connected to anything, side somi. Pike jump back tuck. I expect she’s got enoug hextra bonus not to need that hitch kick connection. One and a half twist, two quick but large steps forward.9.675
FRAZIER – UCLA: Full in always goes kind of sideways but solid landing, actually sticks her leap series which is so rare. Front thru double back great, the crowd loves this routine SO much. Double pike great. 9.925
LEUNG – UA: BHS LOSO pretty, switch switch with a little check. Cat leap side aerial, one and a half with a little hop forward. Big hug from Taylor Spears, who’s wearing rainbow today.
KRAMER – UCLA: Front double full front pike, fantastic. Performing this even better than usual. One and a half front lay, switch side Popa maaaaaybe a little short? Rudi to arch jump. Just amazing. Going high.
PARKS – UA: Triple series op YIKES. That was really weird, just bounced off. Off again on something else, full turn, one and a half with a hop.
ROSS – UCLA: This routine is my FAVE. Whip double back, one and a half front lay. She’s on the landings. Good chance of a career high in the AA AGAIN this week. Switch half Popa Shush, double pike and scoots a little to one side.
FREIDIN – UA: Sorry I got distracted by Ross’ AA score. She’s really pretty though. Fall on a side aerial, full turn, stuck gainer pike.
DENNIS – UCLA. Pike full in, big step backwards, EPIC battle to avoid going OOB but gets called anyway. Actually stuck the combo pass this time! Leaps stunning as usual, nailed the double back.
COWLES – UA: Gorgeous and such a gamer, I’ve seen her put together great routines following falls again and again. BHS LOSO, leaps are incredible, gainer front full off the end and a little hop.
HANO – UCLA: Nailed the double lay, whatever to Barani running jump. Still think that’s the coolest thing. Gets a cheer for the swim choreo, tour jete half to Popa. HEY LOOK AT MY FOOT! Double pike to close. Great.
UGH the internet kept cutting out so I lost the end to a series of auto refreshes. Hendrickson was wonderful in the anchor and Ohashi had a hop on the first pass but life is fake anyway.
FINAL: UCLA 198.025 – ARIZONA 194.975
Things got a little wild in the last few routines there, but what a meet for UCLA considering the fairly conservative scoring environment of the first 3 3 1/3 rotations. Arizona was set up for a 196, so counting that fall on beam is a huge bummer, but there’s lots of good to take away for the Gymcats.
VAULT: Ross 10.000
BARS: Ross 9.975
BEAM: Ross 9.925
FLOOR: Ohashi 10.000
AA: Ross 39.850
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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