The Salt Lake City teams dodged upsets yesterday, with Arizona State barely dodging an ascendant Boise State as the Broncos counted a fall in the second-last routine of the meet and LSU persevering through a tough day for freshman Haleigh Bryant. Utah and Kentucky should both be happy with meet scores that rank among their top performances of the season. Both Utah and LSU can nearly guarantee their qualification to nationals with twenty solid hits but as we learned painfully yesterday, that’s in no way guaranteed. Note that both Utah (vault) and LSU (beam) have to close the meet out on events that weren’t their best yesterday… always makes things more exciting.
Rotation 1: Kentucky VT, Utah UB, Arizona State BB, LSU FX
| VT | UB | BB | FX | |
| Team | Kentucky | Utah | ASU | LSU |
| Event Score Yesterday | 49.350 | 49.375 | 48.750 | 49.350 |
| Event NQS | 49.269 | 49.294 | 49.206 | 49.513 |
Magnelli (UK): FHS pike half nearly stuck WOW.
Worley (UK): One and a half, little hop. Kentucky looks focused. 9.9
Angeny (UK): Huge full, hop back.
Nixon (UK): Another huge full and stuck.
Patterson (UK): Pike half with a hop back.
Sabado (UU): Blind to Jaeger, ever so slightly loose on the catch, toe on to bail. Double layout stuck. It’s full enough in the Maverik that the crowd is a real factor in this one. 9.875
Burch (UU): Little bits of Jaeger form as always, double lay stuck dead.
LeBlanc (UU): Blind to Jaeger, same form as Burch. Another stuck double lay.
O’Keefe (UU): Maloney to Pak, little leg separations. Double Arabian stuck, good. She didn’t yesterday and the world felt off balance. 9.95 gets a substantial audience roar.
Isa (UU): Nailed the first handstand, Ray, bail, blind full double lay slightly low as usual with a hop.
Gutierrez (ASU): BHS LOSO. One ad a half twist, nearly stuck. 9.9
White (ASU): BHS LOSO, good. Beat jump. Split double stag. Missed the dismount. 9.875
Clark (ASU): Full turn, BHS LOSO and off. Switch split. One and a half twist stuck.
Scharf (ASU): Double wolf turn. BHS LOSO, slightly off line, side somi. Slight scoot on the one and a half but the Clark fall is not a problem now.
Shchennikova (LSU): Front double full to pique arabesque. Solid combo. switch ring switch half,
Ballard (LSU): Good control on double lay. Scoots her front foot on the double pike.
Edwards (LSU): Front double full with a bit of bounce.
Bryant (LSU): Double front, slightly long lunge, front lay to Rudi with a touch of leg form. Front double full and fell again.
Johnson (LSU): Nailed the full in. Good double pike too. Better than all of her tens? 9.95
After 1: Utah, LSU 49.475, Arizona State 49.450, Kentucly 49.325
Everyone but LSU came in above their NQS on that event but Arizona State was the biggest deal, with its best beam rotation since 2007. Really feels like all four teams entered this meet focused and with belief that they can pull it off. LSU breaking through on bars is also a huge deal. A big beam rotation could bring 198 into reach for the Utes.
Rotation 2: LSU VT, Kentucky UB, Utah BB, Arizona State FX
| VT | UB | BB | FX | |
| Team | LSU | Kentucky | Utah | ASU |
| Event Score Yesterday | 49.525 | 49.475 | 49.550 | 49.275 |
| Event NQS | 49.600 | 49.275 | 49.588 | 49.375 |
Shchennikova (LSU): One and a half, great, hop forward.9.85
Arenas (LSU): FTY goes sidewards a bit but stuck. 9.875
Edwards (LSU): Slightly undercooked one and a half, step back.
Johnson (LSU): Decent hop back on her DTY.
Bryant (LSU): FHS pike half stuck. She’s only done that once before and you remember what happened. Yeah lol 10.
Davis (UK): Full turn to half to Jaeger, double lay stuck. 9.825
Luksik (UK): Didn’t catch the release, bail slightly short, double lay with a small hop.
Bunn (UK): Good bail. Double lay stuck.
Nixon (UK): Maloney to bail, great, FTDB and I couldn’t quite see the landing because Garrison was in the way but it was at the very least good. 9.9
Angeny (UK): Blind to Jaeger to overshoot, high and clean, slightly shy on the last cast, FTDLO with a hop.
Worley (UK): Got the stick on her FTDB. 9.95
Burch (UU): BHS LOSO, switch double stag with a check, front aerial. Gainer full stuck.9.9
Stanhope (UU): Kochetkova BHS, got it! One and a half with a step forward. 9.85
Isa (UU): Candle mount, I thought she might come off on her choreo for a horrible second, triple series. nailed. Teensy scoot on the gainer full. 9.95
Paulson (UU): Got the series. Full turn, cat leap side aerial back full. The Utes are AMPED. 9.95
Randall (UU): Hit series, beat to sheep. Sissone. Great Rulfova, she’s really cleaned up the legs this meet. One and a half, tried to get the stick but had to step forward to salute. 9.85
O’Keefe (UU): Side aerial LOSO, landed that kind of in front of herself but finessed, switch split good. Stuck dismount, that’s definitely a 10 threat. 9.95
Reeves (ASU): Whip half front full slightly soft knees.
Gutierrez (ASU): Two and a half twist good. Good Rudi, well controlled combo pass. This has been a breakout year for the junior.
Mangahas (ASU): Joining partway for front through double back, very good. Switch half wolf full wolf full. 9.875
Scharf (ASU): Front through double back. Front full front tuckgood, switch half wolf full and lunges out which I just find delightful on leap passes. Great double back. She’s sharp today. 9.9
Leonard-Baker (ASU): One and a half front full, milking it. Tour jete half wolf 3/2. Chest down a little but well controlled landing on the double pike. 9.875
After 2: Utah 99.075, LSU 98.950, Kentucky 98.725, Arizona State 98.700
Another super, super sharp rotation. All four teams produced a rotation that’s not the best of the year but safely among the top-ranking meets
Rotation 3: Arizona State VT, LSU UB, Kentucky BB, Utah FX
| VT | UB | BB | FX | |
| Team | ASU | LSU | Kentucky | Utah |
| Event Score Yesterday | 49.250 | 49.450 | 49.225 | 49.375 |
| Event NQS | 49.269 | 49.456 | 49.281 | 49.500 |
White (ASU): Good FTY, baby hop back. 9.85
Barbanente (ASU) FTY with a bigger hop. 9.85
Scharf (ASU): FTY so straight but bigger hop again. 9.8
Smith (ASU): One and a half, great, little hop back.
Johnson (LSU): Overcooked her final handstand and fell. How many times have we seen that? Good dismount. 9.325
Brock (LSU): Half turn to Tkachev good. Full out with a bigger hop. 9.85
Shchennikova (LSU): Ray with flexed feet, good transitions, whippy DLO with a big step to salute.
Durante (LSU): Aggressive first handstand, Jaeger kinda sideways in the air, leg separation on the Pak. FTDB with a little hop back.
Magnelli (UK): Just saw a hop forward on her one and a half dismount. 9.85
Patterson (UK): Full turn. Watching her vault I always forget how small she is. BHS LOSO, check. Front aerial to split. Got the dismount.
Worley (UK): Hitch kick switch side. Front aerial BHS LOSO. Full turn, one and a half stuck.
Angeny (UK): She can pass LSU here. Destroys the triple series. Front aerial. She’s aggressive. Full turn. Split straddle quarter. Side aerial tuck full, just pulls her heels together.
Paulson (UU): Front lay front full. Two and a half controlled very nicely. One and a half front lay is great.
O’Keefe (UU): I kept looking away during tumbling, I swear I’ll get hers. Great double pike. Front lay front full with a slightly longer step. One and a half front lay, the kind of stick that shows that she was a few degrees away from sitting. 9.95
Soloski (UU): Double lay good, front lay front full.
After 3: Utah 148.700, Kentucky 148.250, LSU 148.225, Arizona State 148.075
Kentucky really, really, really could do this but it won’t be easy.
Rotation 4: Utah VT, Arizona State UB, LSU BB, Kentucky FX
| VT | UB | BB | FX | |
| Team | Utah | ASU | LSU | Kentucky |
| Event Score Yesterday | 49.200 | 49.325 | 48.700 | 49.075 |
| Event NQS | 49.356 | 49.338 | 49.444 | 49.288 |
Isa (UU): FTY very short, chest down and big step forward.
Hall (UU): One and a half with a bit of form, large step forward.
O’Keefe (UU): Slightly pikey FTY with a substantial bounce back.
Stanhope (UU): Deep one and a half with a step back.
Rucker (UU): ONE AND A HALF STUCK. I have never seen her stick that. Dang.
Burch (UU): One and a half twist, even crazier than usual on the table but pulls her heels together.
Boyer (ASU): Toe on to Maloney to Pak, great. Got the dismunt.
White (ASU): Van Leeuwen, half turn to bail to toe on, good.
Scharf (ASU): Maloney to Pak, baby leg separation that doesn’t matter in NCAA. Blind full double back stuck.
Clark (ASU): Blind to Jaeger, high and clean, great Pak. Another stick while the arena was screaming for Rucker. ASU loves bars. ASU really loves bars.
Leonard-Baker (ASU): Maloney to bail to pike hecht, FTDB stuck.
Desiderio (LSU): BHS LOSO good, front aerial with a bend check. Good dismount. 9.9 ummmm no.
Durante (LSU): BHS LOSO aggressive. Front aerial to split. Good dismount.
Shchennikova (LSU): Got the series, hip break on her Onodi, switch to split. Weird fall down to the beam on choreo, second check later on. 9.825 I would like to share some of their drugs please.
Johnson (LSU): Got her series, bend check and off on an aerial. Double full stuck. It’s close enough that having to count the Shchennikova score could be all it takes, I don’t know.
Campbell (LSU): Had to fight for her press handstand. Front aerial to split. Switch switch half. Double full with a hop. I think she’s going to do it. 9.925
Albores (UK): Missed the first pass, front lay front full. Well controlled double pike.
DeGuzman (UK): Deep on the punch layout on her last pass but avoided falling. WHy are those hurting everyone so badly this year?
Haigis (UK): Rudi LOSO good. Missed the rest
Worley (UK): Great control on the full in, that pass is so consistent for her, switch ring switch side. strong double pike to finish. Can’t catch LSU but might be enough to sneak up to around where ASU is.
FINAL: Utah 197.925 and LSU 197.750 will advance to Fort Worth
Unfortunately, it was the Shchennikova score that decided this meet. There are very legitimate reasons for Arizona State and Kentucky (they ended up tied, seriously, though Kentucky would have advanced) to be upset about the way that ended. Weird conclusion to the weekend, for sure.
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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