By now, you’ve probably heard of all the reasons this meet is such a big deal. Florida’s undefeated in the SEC, it’s creeping ever closer to the No. 1 ranking and yet somehow it has NEVER beaten Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It would be truly shocking if the Crimson Tide kept that streak alive tonight, but it has a knack for throwing an element of chaos into meets that should have been straightforward. I’m hoping for a bit of drama tonight…and maybe the first 10.0 of the SEC season? I can dream, OK.
Stream here, scores here. It’s a pink meet and the leos are solid!
ROTATION 1: ALABAMA VAULT, FLORIDA BARS
MAHONEY – ALABAMA: Really really pretty name, flared out with a baby hop back. I love her and her aggressively Irish name. 9.825
BOREN – UF: Tkachev, looks like her bail is coming in low but it’s actually great, maybe a handstand a little off? DLO, hop back. 9.825
ARMBRECHT – UA: Lower full than Mahoney, never opens up her upper body, but very close to a stick. Great. 9.875
HUNDLEY – UF: Maloney to Pak, loooove her technique, van Leeuwen, if I’m being picky she had to muscle up the cast after that a touch, half in half out dismount and STUCK with one foot slightly behind the other. 9.875
DESCH – UA: In for Gaskins. Okay full, hop back. To use Kathy’s terms, it didn’t really rise. 9.775
SCHOENHERR – UF: Blind to Jaeger, oh I LOOOOOVE the technique on that, pulls her legs back together before she catches. Arm swing to hold her balance standing on the LB, double front half out, chest down a touch and a cross step back. 9.775
GUERRA – UA: ONE AND A HALF WHAT WHAT. Almost looks like she’s going to stick it, tiiiiiiny hop at the end but holy crap why did she ever do anything else. 9.875
THOMAS – UF: Goes over on a clear hip, ad libs really convincingly, does a half and another half and gets it back, double lay stuck. 9.75
OLSEN – UA: DTY, not massive height but still really pretty. Flung it out a touch far, chest down with a hop back toward the table. 9.825
SKAGGS – UF: Tkachev to Pak, gorgeous, might have had a bit of leg sep there. Double lay with a leg split and a tiiiiny step back. 9.85
GRABER – UA: One and a half, she’s not far enough forward… weight never gets over her feet and sits it. 9.35
CHANT – UF: Lol why are you here. Gowey is out I guess. Tkachev, feet flexed like crazy, solid bail, handstands are not up to standard. Double lay, slow and whippy, stuck ish. 9.85
ALABAMA 49.175 – FLORIDA 49.175
Woohoo it’s tied! Love that.
WHAT. The bars are weighted down with jugs of water and that’s why UF had trouble…?
ROTATION 2: FLORIDA VAULT, ALABAMA BARS
CHENEY – UF: Huge full, huge hop, almost skids off the end of the mat. 9.75
GIANCROCE – UA: Tkachev, a little messy, Pak is okay, apparently her toe shoot is a new upgrade…? Good for you I think. Double lay a little underrotated, fake stick. 9.825
REED – UF: HUUUUGE one and a half, civilized hop forward. Also almost off the mat but that was actually her vault. 9.85
GIVENS – UA: Missed the first skill, good bail, catches it a little archy, double lay, arm swing then a step. 9.85
SCHOENHERR – UF: One and a half, not the biggest I’ve seen her do but fairly controlled, little hop back. 9.85
GUERRA – UA: Blind to Jaeger, solid, good bail, some muscley kips in here, double lay great with a little foot shift. 9.9
BOREN – UF: One and a half, bounds out forward. There’ll be a healthy selection of landing deductions on that. 9.825
MAHONEY – UA: Toe on, serious arch, works through it. Something to low bar, Tkachev really nice, tentative handstands, full in huge and stuck up on her toes. 9.800
THOMAS – UF: One and a half, solid, medium hop forward but pretty. 9.9
DICKSON – UA: Toe on to Tkachev is gorgeous, missed the handstand after, full in a little messy with a step back. 9.8
BAUMANN – UF: One and a half! Block was WILD but good landing, hop forward. Apparently she’s only done that four times onto hard. 9.875
GASKINS – UA: Maloney to Pak, pretty, maybe a leg sep, double lay, almost holds it, hop back eventually. 9.85
FLORIDA 98.475 – ALABAMA 98.350
ROTATION 3: ALABAMA BEAM, FLORIDA FLOOR
KLOPFER – ALABAMA: Front aerial – BHS great, turning leaps really pretty, cat leap side aerial back full stuck. Great start. 9.825
SCHOENHERR – UF: Floor debut for the Gators. Double pike, bounces a little but keeps her toes down. Tour jete half wolf full, one and a half. Rudi, chest down a touch, no big deal. 9.825
DESCH – UA: Front aerial to beat, BHS LOSO beat again, full turn. Switch split with a lean, one and a half twist stuck. 9.8
HUNDLEY – UF: Whip double back, hop to lunge, double pike solid. Always so hard to tell if these are rotated with the hop out and the arms down… which might be by design. Switch side Shush full. One and a half front lay, a bit of momentum forward but dances out okay. 9.9
OLSEN – UA: BHS LOSO good, nice and steady, switch double stag is okay. Front aerial, double pike dismount with a step. Super impressive. 9.85
REED – UF: Double lay, TEXTBOOK landing, lunge is turned out and everything without a noticeable shift. Switch half wolf full, lay Rudi stellar again, one day this is going 10. Double pike with a bigger lunge. 9.925
ARMBRECHT – UA: Front aerial to beat. BHS LOSO… oh weird. Looked like it was in line, just second guessed it, step back and came off. Beat to sheep, double full with a tiny bounce. 9.225
BOREN – UF: Double lay, think she scooted the front foot, one and a half front lay is really pretty. Switch half wolf full looked underrotated, double pike good. 9.975
GASKINS – UA: BHS LOSO and off. Counting a fall now. I forgot to write about the rest but it was solid and pretty. 9.275
THOMAS – UF: Double lay, gorgeous, just barely keeps her toes down. Front full front lay hits the ground quite hard but it’s okay. Switch ring, tour jete full, double pike, same landing as the first with the toes on the front foot just barely staying in contact. 9.975
GRABER – UA: BHS layout, okay, something to straddle 3/4 is gorgeous. Kickover front to scale, gainer full with a tiny hop. Super impressive recovery. 9.925
BAUMANN – UF: Double back, great, one and a half front full and dances out with enough control. Great presentation, feels like she could have a bit more energy but I’m sure it’ll come, I missed the leap series but the positions were spectacular. Double pike nailed. 9.95
FLORIDA 148.200 – ALABAMA 147.025
Well things got interesting at the end there, but the 49.725 for Florida wasn’t THAT high. The Gators will be bummed to have given away their chance at a 198 since clearly we’re in a scoring environment now where that’s possible.
ROTATION 3: FLORIDA BEAM, ALABAMA FLOOR
SKAGGS – UF: Double wolf, switch split gorg. I don’t even know what else happened. I can’t keep up with the incredible fastness of SEC. 9.9
DESCH – UA: Double back, scoots the front foot, one and a half Barani split punch front GREAT. Tour jete half split full, double back, actually fantastic. 9.875
HUNDLEY – UF: Front aerial sissone, she has my heart forever for doing a true sissone. BHS LOSO, misses a foot and splits the beam. OUCH. She’s off, don’t blame her for a second. Switch straddle quarter I think, full turn nice and aggressive, one and a half shuffle in place. 9.175
MAHONEY – UA: Double back, what?, lands back on her heels but jumps to lunge fine, I thought that was going to be bad. Double pike great. Really fun routine to watch, too. Major Dana hug after that. 9.95!!
BOREN – UF: Kickover front, big check. Another one on her acro series, gainer full dismount and pulls her heels together but looks a bit defeated. 9.575
OLSEN – UA: OUCH. Double double, underrotated, forward onto her hands. Front thru double back, hop back, tour jete full. Double pike, under with a bounce. Really nice presentation, though. 9.125
THOMAS – UF: One-hand BHS LOSO. Gorgeous. Front aerial, full turn, double full dismount with a hop back. 9.900
GASKINS – UA: Sweet Home Alabama <3 Double lay with a hop, front thru double back with a hop, double pike with a hop. Her tumbling is gorg but GIRL LEARN TO LUNGE. 9.875 hahaha.
BAUMANN – UF: Great acro series, switch switch half lovely, one and a half stuck!! Really fabulous. 9.875
GRABER – UA: We lost the first seconds to an ad about basketball or something. Front lay front full, double pike, solid landings. 9.95
CLAPPER – UF: In for Gowey, who’s just resting. BHS LOSO LOSO really nice. Switch split, side aerial back full stuck. Really nice, great way to take advantage of this chance. 9.875
GUERRA – UA: Ooh this is so dramatic. Double lay, combo pass great, double pike over with two steps and an OOB. Bummer. 9.8
FINAL: FLORIDA 197.325 – ALABAMA 196.475
That was messy and chaotic and scoring was touch and go, but both teams walked away with acceptable scores. Most of the beam errors seemed fairly flukey, but I’d like to see Florida vault and Alabama bars landings improve.
VAULT: Thomas 9.900
BARS: Guerra 9.900
BEAM: Graber 9.925
FLOOR: Boren, Thomas 9.975
AA: Thomas 39.575
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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