This match-up is much closer than the weekly rankings would indicate: Washington’s home opener on Monday was a significant improvement over its first meet, and the Huskies were lying No. 16 in the daily rankings in the aftermath. That said, Cal was spectacular in its own home opener, looking imperious on bars and floor to produce an amazing mid-197.
If Washington wants to have a chance, it will likely need the Bears to make mistakes, but it will also need to clean up its act on beam. Traditionally its strongest event, it couldn’t quite produce that old certainty through most of 2019 and now the Huskies look outright nervous. That’s not a good sign versus a Cal squad with so much confidence and momentum.
As an aside, Washington head coach Elise Ray-Statz could give birth any day now, so it’ll be interesting to see if she’s on the floor tonight. Chad Wiest seems to be taking on head coach duties on the floor at meets when she’s not available.
We're on vault first. Let's do this.#GymDawgs pic.twitter.com/0eCrZYUHMe
— Washington Gymnastics (@UWGymnastics) January 26, 2020
Tentative lineups for this afternoon's meet.
The #BearsOnBars will start us off! pic.twitter.com/V4r9edmWac
— Cal Gymnastics (@CalWGym) January 26, 2020
Per Washington, live stats are down.
Rotation 1: Washington vault, Cal bars
Hoffa (UW): It’s her birthday! Great FTY, wide stance as she lands and a near stick, tiny step back with one foot. 9.775
DeSouza (Cal): Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, FTDB with chest down and a little hop forward. 9.8
Copiak (UW): Great full, she’s improved her form so much, hop back. You can see a touch of leg sep in the replay. 9.75
George (Cal): Over on a handstand, jumps off. Tkachev, comes off, off a third time on nothing at all. Salutes and peaces out. 6.75
Cunningham (UW): Twisting on a little but pretty full with a smaller hop. 9.8
Kuc (Cal): Maloney to Pak, really good, FTDB with two little steps back. 9.825
Smith (UW): Tuck one and a half, great, hop forward. Her best at UW by far. 9.875
Schank (Cal): Blind to pike Jaeger to overshoot, great, tiniest shift of her heels on the double lay. Lovely. 9.925
Roberson (UW): Good full, step back and scoots the front foot. Money gun for that. 9.825
Watterson (Cal): Pak, toe on to van Leeuwen with a touch of feet, toe blind full double back stuck. Coach Janelle is losing it and she’s not wrong. 9.925
Thompson (UW): Lovely FTY stuck dead. 9.9!!
Bordas (Cal): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, bit of legs on the Jaeger catch, blind full double back chest a bit low but stuck. 9.925
After 1: California 49.400 – Washington 49.175
Shockingly good Washington bars rotation – it’s an event that’s often been a pain spot for the Huskies. Great resilience from Cal to bounce back after the George issue.
Per Liz Crandall-Howell, Kyana George is totally fine, caught her ankle a bit but it’s not an issue.
Rotation 2: California vault, Washington bars
The Howells are running around making lineup changes and we don’t know what the change is, which I love. Oh, Quinn traded for Schank!
Bordas (Cal): Pretty full, huge hop back and an arm swing. Um, hold on, apparently someone walked in front of the judges and she gets a redo at the end?
Nelson (UW): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, a little soft on her overshoot catch. Blind full double back, hop back. 9.725 is mean and trash.
George (Cal): FTY stuck okay guys she’s fine. 9.925
Washington (UW): Clear hip to Gienger to overshoot, pretty. FTDB messy legs but stuck. 9.85
Clausi (Cal): One and a half, a little soft in the air but almost stuck, just a tiny step. 9.875
Brooks (UW): True Shap to clear hip to bail, short on a blind full, double back with a hop back. 9.8
DeSouza (Cal): One and a half, leg form throughout and a big hop forward. 9.8
Thompson (UW): Blind to Jaeger, messy legs on the catch, bail good. FTDB almost stuck, late step back. 9.775
Schank (Cal): Vault debut this year. Pretty FTY, tiny hop back. 9.825
Roberson (UW): Cast over to pike Jaeger to overshoot, lovely, double lay with a hop back. So clean. 9.875
Mastrangelo (Cal): Just a full today, huge hop back. 9.7
Copiak (UW): Literally the exact same routine to Roberson, skill for skill but they’re so technically different. Double lay with a little leg sep but stuck DEAD. 9.925
Bordas (Cal): Redo time! Her elbow is taped too. Similar full to her first, little leg sep, smaller hop back than the first time.
After 2: California 98.575 – Washington 98.400
Washinington could be in this if we get classic Washington beam not junky Washington beam. Lots of weirdness happening for Cal today, but getting through with good scores.
Rotation 3: Washington beam, California floor
Brooks (UW): Kick front BHS quick and confident, switch split. Full turn, tiny check, gainer full stuckish. 9.85! Great start.
DeSouza (Cal): Double pike, little shuffle into the landing, switch side Popa. One and a half front full great, Rudi with a big scoot back. 9.75
Washington (UW): BHS LOSO tentative, side aerial, off on the landing and misses the leap connection. Switch side straddle straddle, that’s her contingency plan if she misses the aerial connection, good full turn. Side aerial tuck back full stuck. 9.825
George (Cal): Front through Rudi, bigger lunge. Switch ring tour jete half, full turn good, FHS front 2/1 with a cross step. 9.875
Ruttan (UW): Side aerial LOSO done, switch split, really secure today. One and a half dismount with a hop forward. 9.775
Quinn (Cal): Rudi with a big scoot back, front lay front full with a rebound disguised successfully as a massive stag leap. Switch tour jete full not rotated properly, one and a half punch layout barani, punch looked a bit messy. 9.825
Vandenkolk (UW): Kick front BHS, very secure landing, switch split quarter a little slow. Beat jump, full turn, Liukin one of her smoother ones. Gainer full with a little hop back. 9.825
Bordas (Cal): Full in, chest low but good lunge. Switch half wolf full not rotated, Rudi and hangs onto the lunge, one and a half front lay. 9.875
Copiak (UW): Full turn great, BHS LOSO great, cat leap switch half beat jump fantastic. One of the few valid switch halfs. Side aerial back full, well done. 9.9
Clausi (Cal): Full in, chest down a touch. Switch side Popa, one and a half front full really good. Double back good. Really good. 9.95
Roberson (UW): Switch standing switch split, good, full turn, LOSO LOSO great. Gainer full off the side just beautiful, her usual, stuck. Lovely. 9.95!!!!! Ties her career high.
Mastrangelo (Cal): Full in, drastically underrotated and falls forward. Looks for a second like she might be hurt but moving on. Two and a half pretty good, switch side Popa very much not rotated. One and a half front lay step back.
After 3: California 147.800 – Washington 147.750
That is the Washington we’ve been waiting for. Ray-Statz looks thrilled. Both have a look at a 197, which would be massive for the Huskies and impressive for Cal after a pretty scattered meet.
Rotation 4: California beam, Washington floor
Jones (Cal): Front aerial BHS BHS, major check leaning back but hangs on. Beat double stag split, slow, side aerial back full with a little step. 9.475
Brooks (UW): Double front, majorly cowboyed but good landing. One and a half front lay, beautiful. Switch ring wolf full, front lay front full good. 9.825
DeSouza (Cal): Straddle sheep, short of position, front aerial, BHS LOSO good. One and a half dismount with a hop in place. 9.875
Ruttan (UW): Two and a half, cross step but all right. One and a half Barani double stag, tour jete full with a bit of a bounce out but fully rotated. Double pike underrotated, step forward. 9.725
Clausi (Cal): Weird little check on dance, kick front beat jump. BHS LOSO, full turn, cat leap switch side, side aerial back full. 9.85
Cunningham (UW): Front through double back, picks the front foot up, overrotated just a touch. Switch half wolf full wolf full, double pike great. Good one. 9.825
George (Cal): Front aerial back tuck, lean check. Double wolf turn is good, Switch split beat, question on splits, gainer full stuck. 9.875
Washington (UW): Double back, great, keeps the front foot down. Front lay front full, dances out well, double pike and kept the front foot down again. WOW. One of her absolute best, great from an athlete prone to overrotating. 9.95! Not mad. The usual errors weren’t there today.
Bordas (Cal): Front aerial to split, BHS LOSO good. Side aerial, gainer full and salutes so hard she moves her foot oopsie.
Roberson (UW): Front double full punch front, travels to the side a bit but landed well, switch ring wolf hop full lovely. Rudi LOSO with unbelievable air and good landing. Clutch. 9.9
Watterson (Cal): Double wolf, Front aerial, arm swing. Switch split, check again. Cat leap, check, side aerial back full with a hop. 9.775
Hoffa (UW): Might get a 197 as a birthday gift. Commentators are saying 9.85 wins it. Full in, such a beauty in the air, great landing. Front lay front full, nailed it, tour jete half wolf full. Double back. It’s done. 9.975
Final: Washington 197.225 – California 197.075
I pretty much wrote my recap on Twitter, so here ya go.
A lot to be proud of for Cal too. A lot of weird fluke things went wrong today and the Bears kept going. A second 197 at this point in the season is very impressive.
— ⛄❄️Rebecca Scally❄️⛄ (@rebeccakscally) January 26, 2020
VT – Kyana George (Cal) 9.925
UB – Nina Schank, Emi Watterson, Maya Bordas (Cal) Madison Copiak (UW) 9.925
BB – Evanni Roberson (UW) 9.950
FX – Kristyn Hoffa (UW) 9.975
AA – Evanni Roberson 39.55
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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