Hello, happy Saturday, and here’s hoping that this meet looks a little better than last week, hmm?
The Gophers, like many other teams, had a rough go of it in week three. The first half of the meet went about as expected: The vault rotation was clean, with exceptionally strong vaults from Ona Loper and Lexy Ramler. They are still utilizing a layout in that final spot, which is confusing due to the FTYs we know exist (somewhere). Perhaps they are just being cautious and resting people until they are needed. Bars was fine; there is room for improvement on landings and handstand positions, but we expect that to continue to be cleaned up as the season progresses. It was the third rotation when things got weird, with uncharacteristic falls from Ali Sonier and Erin Fortman on floor. There were a lot of rumblings about there being a dead spot on the Crisler Center floor; both teams had issues in similar spots. Beam seemed shaky as well, with a last minute lineup change that saw junior Abbie Nylin in for Sonier (worth noting that she did well—I could see Nylin making more appearances in the lineup), and falls from Lexi Montgomery and Tiarre Sales. All in all it is a meet that the Gophers are undoubtedly eager to put behind them and a score they will want to drop as soon as possible.
Penn State is coming off of a pretty good meet against Nebraska. For the Nittany Lions, I’m watching to see if Jessie Bastardi makes an appearance, as she has been MIA. Redshirt senior Erynne Allen has debuted an impressive double layout on floor this year, and it looks good. Not often you see a new pass, let alone a new E pass, from a fifth-year!
Looks like Halle Remlinger is back in action tonight! Great news. I will be very curious to see if Hooten busts out the 1.5 tonight as well—she hinted at it in her IG story this week.
Rotation 1: Minnesota vault, Penn State bars
Gerdes (MIN): FTY, step back. This is a very wide camera angle for vault… 9.750
Verdeflor (PSU): blind change to straddle jaeger, nice. handstand was great on her vail. blind full to double back. 9.800
Remlinger (MIN): FTY, stuck. Not a ton of amplitude, but super solid vault. This camera angle is better too. 9.875
Johnston (PSU): Maloney good, bail to handstand looked good. Blind full to double back, a little cowboyed but solid. This is not the best angle to judge handstands, just FYI. 9.800
Hooten (MIN): She did the 1.5! Landed a little short with a step back, but love to see that in the lineup. 9.800 – oh this was lowered to 9.750
Cross (PSU): Blind change to straddle jaeger, lots of height. Bail to handstand, lovely. Last handstand looked a little short but hard to tell. Stuck her double back dismount. 9.825
Ramler (MIN): Well the stream didn’t show her 1.5, but it sounds like it was good. We’ll see if we get a replay. 9.875
Showed the end – same knee issue and a tiny hop forward.
Bonsall (PSU): Maloney good, bail to handstand looked a little short. Short on the final handstand, but big stuck DLO to finish. 9.800
Loper (MIN): Big 1.5, hop forward. Such good form in the air. 9.875
Rushlow (announcers said Ayers) (PSU): Blind change tp straddle jaeger to overshoot, nice. Blind full to stuck double back dismount 9.875
Quarles (MIN): Huge 1.5, so much distance. Tiny hop. 9.900
Romagnano (announcers said Rushlow) (PSU): pak salto, loses balance and swings aroun again. Finishes with stalder into double back. 9.700
Albertin (MIN- EX): did not do the vault she was aiming for so she just did a back tuck.
Howell (PSU – EX): I was trying to figure out the back end of that lineup so I missed this
Grotenhuis (MIN – EX): FTY
AFTER ONE: Minnesota 49.275, Penn State 49.100
Well that was a super solid start for both teams. I am very happy to see Remlinger back in the lineup for the Gophers (also very happy to see the layout out of the lineup). I also love that Hooten’s 1.5 finally made its debut, although we’ve seen her do much better ones in practice so there is definite room for growth there. Scoring was tighter here than usual, but felt very in line with where it should be with the hops, steps and some body form things. Penn State also looked great on bars, with so many stuck landings.
Rotation 2: Minnesota bars, Penn State vault
Bladon (PSU): FTY, not enough power and she lands with her hands almost on the mat. Maybe even on the mat. 9.500
Montgomery (MIN): Hecht mount, blind change to jaeger to overshoot. Blind change to double front, almost stuck. Normal form things. 9.800
Howell (PSU): FTY, hop back. Not a lot of amplitude and some leg separation. 9.500
Hooten (MIN): short first handstand. Blind change to piked jaeger to overshoot with some legs, nice recovery there. Blind change to double front, hop forward. 9.725
Johnston (PSU): FTY, lands with chest low but stuck. 9.800
Willmarth (MIN): Beautiful first handstand. Ray was lovely. Bail to handstand good. Blind full to double back, huge and stuck. 9.875
Bonsall (PSU): FTY, piked down. 9.800
Loper (MIN): Maloney to pak, so good. Legs glued together. Oh it looks like her grip got stuck (?) and she’s off. Damn. Finishes strong with blind full double back. 9.375
Cross (PSU): I got kicked off the site and missed this one I’m sorry! 9.825
Sales (MIN): Beautiful bail ot handstand, her handstands are so strong. Fell on her khorkina/markelov (damn! what is going on MN) Finishes with a big DLO. 9.025
Rushlow (PSU): best FTY of the bunch, hop on the landing. But so much more amplitude. 9.875
Ramler (MIN): Maloney to pak, beautiful. Van leeuwen, lovely. Finishes with a FTDT, deep knees on the landing but good routine. 9.925
Astarita (PSU – EX): FTY, some form issues.
Remlinger (MIN – EX): Ray, good. Almost goes over on her handstand, but saves it. Bail to handstand, little loose. Finishes with a FTDT, good.
Allen (PSU) – EX): FTY, chest down.
LeNeave (MIN – EX)
AFTER TWO: Minnesota 97.975, Penn State 97.700
With falls from both Loper and Sales that was not the bar rotation Minnesota was looking for. Both of those falls were uncharacteristic and goofy; not sure what was going on there. Loper looked like her grip might have gotten caught, perhaps? Not sure. Hopefully they will be able to put it behind them and have a solid beam rotation. Penn State made it through their vault rotation without any major errors, although there is a lot of form and amplitude deductions built in that it was still a pretty low-scoring event.
Rotation 3: Minnesota beam, Penn State floor
Sonier (MIN): BHS LOSO, solid. Pretty full turn. Leap series solid, little shy of 180. Big balance check on her side aerial but saves it. BHS one armed BHS to 1.5 dismount, good. 9.700
Ayers (PSU): Starts with a punch front through to double back, looked solid. Switch side popa, good. Double pike, chest low little bouncy lunge back. Finishes with pretty leaps down to a split. 9.700
Nylin (MIN): BHS BHS LOSO, solid- she always takes it right to the end of the beam. Cat leap switch side, lovely. Finishes with RO 1.5 stuck. Wow! 9.850
Bladon (PSU): double pike to start, almost stuck, chest a tiny bit low. Leap series good. Second pass had some form issues, but solid. Finishes with a double back, cowboyed and chest low. 9.600
Loper (MIN): BHS LOSO, balance check but saves it. Front toss to beat jump, great and solidly connected this time. Switch split straddle quarter, good. Finishes with a RO 1.5 hop forward. 9.825
Rushlow (PSU): Wow, her choreography is very ballet, I love it. Starts with a beautiful double tuck (toes pointed, love that). Beautiful leaps. 1.5 to front lay out good. Final pass looked solid. 9.825
Korlin-Downs (MIN): BHS LOSO, solid. Beat jump split jump stag, gorgeous. Love that leap series. Full turn solid. Finishes with a side aerial to a full, stuck. Gorgeous. 9.875
Bonsall (PSU): Starts with a double back, stuck. Really nice. Second pass was good. Finishes with a gorgeous double pike, also stuck. That was really nice. 9.850
Montgomery (MIN): BHS LOSO, solid. Beat jump straddle half tuck jump, solid. Punch front, shuffles foot forward. Finishes with a RO 1.5, step forward. 9.775
Allen (PSU): DLO to start, chest a teeny bit low but solid. I think it’s wild that she added that pass this year. So cool. Beautiful leaps. Punch front through to double back, solid. Great routine. 9.800
Ramler (MIN): they cut over late, BHS LOSO looked good. Front aerial to wolf jump, solid as always. Beat jump ring leap, beautiful. Side aerial to a full dismount, stuck. 9.950
Seems like they are having some issues with floor music. They cut out early in Allens’ routine as well.
Astarita (PSU): Begins with an open double back, gorgeous. One and a half front layout, good. Switch side popa looked good. Finishes with a double pike, lands chest a little low but solid. 9.875
Koch (MIN – EX): BHS LOSO, solid. beat jump leap series was very shy of 180. kick over front to scale, beautiful.
Hooten (MIN – EX): comes off on her series and almost on her leap series. some pretty moments in there though.
AFTER THREE: Minnesota 147.250, Penn State 146.750
The Gophers pulled Sales from the beam lineup following her fall on bars; thinking that that was just precautionary. I love seeing Nylin in this lineup, though—she did fantastic. Super solid. Korlin-Downs was also a highlight here, I would have liked to see that score a little higher.
Penn State was super fun to watch on floor, with especially solid routines from Bonsall, Rushlow, Allen and Astarita. That is a strong FX lineup.
Rotation 4: Minnesota floor, Penn State beam
Romagnano (PSU): BHS BHS LOSO, solid. She has gorgeous extension. Split jump good, didn’t connect so she repeats – split jump stag jump, not great form on the stag. Finishes with a tuck full dismount, lands crooked and takes a step to the side. 9.675
Koch (MIN): Starts with FHS front double full front tuck, nice. Leap series was good. RO full side pass, good. Finishes with FHS to a rudi, good. 9.850
Verdeflor (PSU): Pretty mount to start. Back swing down, pretty. Side aerial, big balance check but saves. Split jump stag jump looked good. Finishes with a side somi to a tuck full—that is something you don’t see very much.
LeNeave (MIN): new to the lineup! Starts with a double pike, nice. Leap series looked good. RO 1.5 to front lay, good. Finishes with a big double back, nice. 9.800
Johnston (PSU): BHS LOSO, huge balance check and almost comes off but saves it. Sheep jump. Side aerial, tiny bobble. Finishes with a RO 1.5 and a big step forward and to the side. 9.500
Ramler (MIN): Ring full, good. Big double pike to start, controlled lunge back. Switch ring, beautiful. 1.5 through to double full, some leg issues in the air but solid. Finishes with a good final pass. 9.925
Cross (PSU): Beautiful mount, wow. Straight into her series, BHS LOSO. WOW LOVE THAT. Split jump to sheep jump – split was gorgeous, sheep was okay. Front toss, lands a little low. Finishes with a RO 1.5, tries to cover up the step on the landing. 9.625
Remlinger (MIN): Starts with a beautiful tucked full-in, love to see htat finally make it into her routine. This music sounds like something you’d hear at OU, and I love it. Second pass is 1.5 to layout, good. Finishes with a huge double back. 9.900
Rushlow (PSU): Pretty leaps. BHS LOSO, nice. Split jumps gorgeous. Side aerial looked good. Finishes with RO 1.5, lands short and sits it down.
Hooten (MIN): NAILS her full-in to start, wow. Leaps are good. Love how much she gets into her choreography in this routine. Second pass FHS front full front pike, nice. Finishes strong with a super high and stuck double tuck. WOW. 9.925
Bladon (PSU): they barely showed this… but the dismount looked good?
Loper (MIN): Front layout to rudi, good, looked like she MIGHT have gone out of bounds but maybe not? 2.5 second pass, form looser in the air than I’m used to seeing, but still good. This choreography works for her, I like it. Finishes with a 1.5 to layout, little short on that landing. 9.825
FINAL: Minnesota 196.675, Penn State 194.925
Worth noting that if the Gophers didn’t have to count a fall, and Loper or Sales had done their normal on bars, they would have gone over 197 again today.
All Around: Ramler 39.675
Vault: Quarles 9.900
Bars: Ramler 9.925
Beam: Ramler 9.950
Floor: Hooten, Ramler 9.925
Live Blog by Kalley Leer
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