Folks, tonight’s matchup between the No. 8 Minnesota Gophers and No. 15 Nebraska Huskers is a big deal. Not only is this a conference dual between the second- and third-ranked Big Ten teams, it is a rematch after the Gophers defeated the Huskers at home during their last meeting in 2019. Will Minnesota claim victory two years in a row, or will Nebraska take the win?
Minnesota his having a great season; it currently sits second in the Big Ten (only half a tenth behind conference-leader Michigan) and is ranked second on beam. The Gophers have hit mid-197 this season (achieved on a night that the argument could be made that there’s still room left for improvement) but have spent the majority of the season in the mid to high 196 range.
Nebraska, which is the usual conference No. 2, has had more of a rocky season. The Huskers are still hanging onto a couple early season 195s and have also failed to score a mid-197 as of yet. But like the Gophers, they are capable of big numbers if they hit.
These two teams have opposite strengths: The Gophers shine on bars and beam, and the Huskers’ strength is on vault and floor. This meet is primed to become very interesting once we get to the third rotation. There are plenty of things to keep an eye on tonight, but here are the big things I’m watching:
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- Lexy Ramler has hit a bit of a rough patch over the last few weeks, which saw her fall on floor, go out of bounds on floor and fall on beam. She is clearly capable of big scores on all of her events when she hits—will tonight signal a return to her normal?
- Nebraska’s beam rotation. This event has really become a make or break event for the Huskers; if they hit, they are capable of a big score, but some of scores can hang out in the 9.7-range or lower due to mistakes (or falls), limiting that potential.
- Ona Loper. The Minnesota junior has really come into her own this season, winning the all around title three weeks in a row.
Once again, I am coming to you live from Maturi Pavilion but you can also tune in on the Big Ten Network and follow live scores here.
I am here for warmups, and this has nothing to do with anything but I just witnessed Heather Brink doing some cheerleading (with poms) on the floor and my night is complete, regardless of what else happens.
It is VERY LOUD in here tonight. I saw a couple gymnasts covering their ears during floor run-throughs. Plus the marching band is also in attendance, and happens to be sitting directly behind me, so — yeah. It’s going to be a loud night.
We also have cheerleaders tonight, which is a first of the season. All the bells and whistles come out when the meet is televised on Big Ten Network, it seems!
Rotation 1: Minnesota vault, Nebraska bars
Quaglia (MIN): FTY, takes a small hop back. 9.750
Thaler (NEB): Maloney to pak, looked good. Rushed handstand before getting back up to the high bar. Blind full to a double tuck dismount, big step back. 9.625
Sales (MIN): FTY, stuck. 9.800
Colombo (NEB): piked tkatchev, short on the hdandstand to follow. Pak down to the low bar. Great last handstand, blind full to double tuck dismount. 9.800
Williams (MIN): Big FTY, hop back. Normal flare, piked down a little more than usual though it looked like. 9.750
Verceles Carr (NEB): Beautiful first handstand. blind full piked jaeger beautiful. Good transition to low. Big double tuck dismount, hop on the landing. 9.775
Ramler (MIN): Y1.5, hop forward. Usual knees. 9.850
De Jesus (NEB): Held that first handstand for a good long while. Big tkatchev. Sky high DLO and stuck with a lean forward. 9.850
Loper (MIN): Y1.5, decent sized hop forward. 9.875
Houchin (NEB): Giant full tkatchev, lovely. Bail to handstand and she goes over and comes off. Great final handstand. DLO dismount stuck. 9.400
Quarles (MIN): Y1.5, step forward and a little hop around to salute. 9.875
Piringer (NEB): Maloney looked good from this angle. Bail to handstand, looked like some leg separation. Arched final handstand. giant full to double back dismount. 9.675
Sonier (MIN – EXH): FTY, step back.
Roby (NEB – EXH): Hecht mount. Arched handstand, blind change to straddled jaeger to overshoot. Arches way over on her handstand, tries to save it but comes off. DLO dismount really close to the bar.
AFTER ONE: Minnesota 49.150, Nebraska 48.725
Not the opening Nebraska wanted. Only two scores to break above 9.800, and a fall from Houchin. Minnesota had a pretty standard vault rotation— but they need to start breaking into the 9.9s if they want to be competitive with the top teams, which means they need to start getting those hoppy landings under control.
Rotation 2: Minnesota bars, Nebraska vault
Piringer (NEB): FTY, looked like she piked down a bit (hard to tell from my angle though). Hop on the landing. 9.700
Quaglia (MIN): Hecht mount, blind change to piked jaeger to overshoot, good. Good final handstand. Giant full to double back dismount, stuck. 9.875, which is a new career-best for her I believe!
Verceles Carr (NEB): Y1.5, hop forward. 9.800
Willmarth (MIN): Beautiful first handstand. Toe on tkatchev, lovely. Bail to handstand good. A touch short on her final handstand. Stadler to double back, some flexed feet and a hop back.
De Jesus (NEB): Y1.5, big hop forward. 9.850
Loper (MIN): My view is a little obstructed now, but I will do my best. Short first handstand. Maloney to pak, floaty. Blind full double back dismount, tiny hop back. 9.850
Houchin (NEB): Y1.5, BEAUTIFUL. Looked stuck from here but I do not have a good angle to tell for sure. Cannot overstate how pretty that vault is. 9.950
De Jesus just screamed “THAT’S MY SENIOR!!!!” at Houchin, which was fantastic.
Sales (MIN): Bail to handstand looked good. Markelov looked lovely as usual. DLO dismount stuck. 9.800 — updated t
Hassel (NEB): FTY, landed really low and looks like she put her knee down. 9.100
Lu (MIN): Maloney to Pak, the usual again. Beautiful last handstand. DLO, hop back on the landing.
Roby (NEB): FTY, big hop back. 9.750 is a career best for her.
Ramler (MIN): Maloney to pak, floaty and lovely as usual. Van leeuwen looked good. Maybe a touch short on her final handstand. Stuck FTDB dismount. 9.975
Curtis (NEB – EXH): FTY, big step to the side.
Betts also did an exhibition on bars but I was distracted because they showed a 10 for Lexy in the arena, and then I saw it was actually a 9.975.
AFTER TWO: Minnesota 98.650, Nebraska 97.775
Well, that rotation went very well for the Gophers. We thought Ramler got a 10 for a hot second, but alas it was not (yet) meant to be. Gotta happen soon though, right?
Nebraska had a mostly decent vault rotation, but a weird mistake from Hassel and the rest of the scores being kind of all over the place (a range of 9.700 up to 9.950) means there is still probably work to be done there.
UPDATE: there were two scores inquiries, and the scores for Willmarth and Sales were both raised. 9.800 for Willmarth, 9.900 for Sales.
Rotation 3: Minnesota beam, Nebraska floor
Sonier (MIN): I missed the first part of this, was distracted by getting a score update. Beat jump, leap series looked good. Beat jump standing LOSO, nice. BHS one armed LOSO, 1.5 dismount with a hop. 9.850
Curtis (NEB): something weird is happening with the music here. double pike, solid; front full front layout, good. Okay her music was barely playing until near the end here. that was really bizarre. switch ring switch half good; good double tuck to close. 9.800
Kudos to her for a good routine under weird circumstances.
Lu (MIN): bHS LOSO, good. cat leap switch side, good. full turn was lovely. Side somi, controlled. Gainer full dismount stuck. 9.925
De Jesus (NEB): Huge double tuck to start. RO 1.5 to front loso, good; switch side Popa, solid; closes with a nice double pike. 9.825
Loper (MIN): BHS LOSO, totally solid. Front toss to beat jump, good. Leap series looked nice. RO 1.5, tiny hop forward. 9.875
Houchin (NEB): beautiful 2.5 to open. Leap series looked good. 1.5 to front full, great landing. closing double pike, buckles and steps back out of bounds. I don’t think that’s a fall but my view is kind of blocked so it was hard to tell. 9.550
Korlin-Downs (MIN): BHS LOSO, balance check and her leg comes up but she covers.. kind of. Ha. Full turn was good. Side aerial to full dismount stuck. 9.800
Hassel (NEB): nice front double full to open; back 1.5 to lay, good. FHS rudi straddle jump, good, also love her extension on the straddle. Great routine for her. 9.875
Sales (MIN): BHS BHS LOSO, good. Gorgeous leap series, maybe a tiny balance check. Solid full turn. Gainer pike dismount, stuck. 9.875
Piringer (NEB): big dlo to open. 1.5 to front layout, nice. switch side Popa, great positions; double pike – looked in bounds, but can’t tell from this angle. 9.800
Jenny is in deep talks with the beam judges it looks like.
Ramler (MIN): BHS LOSO, solid. Front aerial wolf jump good – this is what she fell on last week. Beat jump ring leap, pretty. Stuck dismount. Normal pretty Lexy Ramler things. 9.975
Johnston (NEB): Opens with a double tuck, looked good from here. Knees down on her double pike. leap combination looked good; final pass 1.5 to front full.
AFTER THREE: Minnesota 148.150, Nebraska 146.625
Minnesota looked solid as ever on beam. Not the Gophers best showing, but since the bar they set for themselves is ridiculously high, I think they’ll be okay with that rotation. Lexy Ramler just missed out on her second 10 of the night.
Nebraska is having a bit of a rough meet tonight. Houchin went OOB on floor and looked very unhappy afterward, and Johnston had a fall. The rest of the lineup was solid, though. But it will take a pretty big disaster from the Gophers at this point for Nebraska to catch them.
Minnesota is on track for a good score here.
Rotation 4: Minnesota floor, Nebraska beam
De Jesus (NEB): beautiful BHS LOSO series. Sheep jump looked good. cat leap side aerial solid. cartwheel double twist dismount, good. Nice lead off. 9.750
Sonier (MIN): Big double pike to open. Leap series looked pretty good, maybe a tad short of 180 on those splits. Front full front layout, good. Great final combo pass. 9.725
Curtis (NEB): Wolf jump to front tuck, slight balance check. BHS LOSO good. Full turn was solid. Switch leap split leap nice. RO 1.5 dismount, hop. 9.75
Sales (MIN): Double pike to open, solid. Leap series looked good. love that middle floor choreography. Wolf 1/1 mostly controlled. Final pass looked good. 9.800
Verceles Carr (NEB): side aerial, little balance check. solid full turn. ; bhs loso, solid. slight bobble on her split split 3/4. ; RO 1.5 almost stuck. 9.700
Remlinger (MIN): Big double pike, controlled step back. Leap series looked good. Combo pass – 1.5 through to front lay, good. Good double tuck to finish, maybe landed a little short but hard to tell from here. 9.850
Roby (NEB): Beeeeautiful mount. front aerial split good. BHS LOSO, totally secure. Good full turn. Leap series was good. side aerial lay full, stuck. Good routine. 9.850
Ramler (MIN): Ring 1/1 good, tiny hop. Front double full to start I think? Looked good. Leap series beautiful as always. Second pass was clean. Final combo pass looked great too. This has been a fantastic night for Lexy. 9.825
Houchin (NEB): BHS LOSO, solid. Front aerial, good. Controlled full turn. Leap series was solid. cat leap side aerial, beautiful. RO double full dismount, stuck. Beautiful routine for her. 9.850
Loper (MIN): Front lay to 1.5, practically stuck. Pretty switch ring, leap series good. RO back 1.5 to front lay as her second pass, looked good. Last pass was beautiful. Great routine for Ona. 9.900
Hassel (NEB): BHS LOSO, great. Front aerial, solid. Split leap stag jump good. RO 1.5 dismount stuck. 9.875
Williams (MIN): Double full to open, controlled step on the landing. So much height on her leaps. She has beautiful extension, too. 1.5 to front lay second pass, good. Front 1.5 to finish, good. 9.875
FINAL: Minnesota 197.400, Nebraska 195.700
All Around: Lexy Ramler, 39.625
Vault: Taylor Houchin, 9.950
Uneven bars: Lexy Ramler 9.975
Beam: Lexy Ramler 9.975
Floor: Ona Loper, 9.900
Live blog by Kalley Leer
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