This Sunday afternoon we’re being treated to an unusual dual meet as Alaska travels to Ames to take on Iowa State. This is Alaska’s first of five straight away meets, and the Seawolves will be looking to build on their season high 193.700 from last weekend. In order to achieve this mark, look for Alaska to hit bars in the first rotation, and watch out for Rachel Decious on beam as well. As for Iowa State, this season has been a bit rough due to injuries to Makayla Maxwell and Marina Gonzalez in the preseason. Currently sitting outside of the regionals picture, the Cyclones have yet to hit 196 this season due to inconsistencies on bars and beam. Maddie Diab has been a bright spot for Iowa State this season averaging a 9.900 on floor. Look for her and Hannah Loyim to be leaders for Iowa State this afternoon.
Rotation 1: Iowa State VT, Alaska UB
Palacios (VT): yfull with a hop, a bit of piking throughout. 9.725
Decious (UB): Blind hop. Jaeger to overshoot, a bit messy on the overshoot, hits her feet on the glide through. Stuck toe on front tuck off, some form issues throughout on the pirouette work. Conference on her score. 9.425
Cooke (VT): Stuck yfull, not the most dynamic or highest vault, but has a nice layout shape until the very end. 9.725
Manley (UB): Good first handstand. Giant full, Tkatchev, some loose body issues on the giant full. Half pirouette, bail, bail is a little short. Double pike with a step back. 9.775
Boychuk (VT): Yfull, nice distance on her vault, hop backwards and a slight pike at the end. 9.700
Walker (UB): Good first handstand. Piked Jaeger, good handstand after. Pak salto, leg separation, some rhythm problems on the switch kip after the Pak. Toe on front tuck off with a step. 9.625
Bergstrom (VT): Really big and dynamic yfull, excellent amplitude. Almost has the stick but has to do some arm waving and lifts her foot. 9.775
Perkins (UB): Nice first handstand. Maloney to Pak. Catches really close and has some rhythm issues. Some form issues on the giant work before the double tuck dismount, lands with her chest down and has to take a step. 9.500
Parker (VT): Yfull, nice distance takes a step backwards. 9.850
Barahona (UB): Nice straddled Jaeger. Pak salto, leg separation and some rhythm issues moving into the switch kip. Giant full is a little over, double tuck with a step. 9.600
Hong (VT): Yfull, nice amplitude, small hop back. 9.800
Gomez (UB): Short opening handstand. Piked Jaeger, flexed feet. Short handstand, bail, messy legs. Another short handstand, and under rotates her double layout to her knees. 9.000
After 1: Iowa State 48.875, Alaska 47.875
That was an okay opening rotation for both teams. Iowa State’s line ups of fulls were solid, but didn’t score as high as possible due to steps and hops on landings. Alaska will be pleased to have hit five solid routines, but there are still some form issues that need to be cleaned up, especially on switch kips after Paks and the giant/pirouette work before dismounts. That said, this was Alaska’s second highest bar score of the season, so that’s exciting!
Rotation 2: Alaska VT, Iowa State UB
Gomez (VT): Tucked yfull, not the highest vault because she bent her elbows on the table. Chest down on the landing, but only takes one step. 9.475
Langkamp (UB): Nice piked Jaeger. Good handstand, bail is a little short of vertical. Double layout with a hop. 9.800
Manley (VT): Tucked yfull, almost sticks the landing but takes a step. Starts twisting off the table early and lands a little bit staggered as a result. Decent amplitude and distance. 9.400
Basuel (UB): A little short on the opening handstand. Love the amplitude of her straddled Jaeger, that was excellent. Short handstand afterward. Bail is fine. Double layout with a step. 9.800
Desouza (VT): Yurchenko layout is stuck, nice amplitude. Some leg separation in the air. 9.475
Thomas (UB): Good first handstand, Catches her Jaeger very close and with bent arms. Short handstand afterward, leg separation on the Pak, struggles on the pirouette but gets it over. Double layout with just a small step. 9.725
Hildebrand (VT): Front handspring front tuck with just a step. Nicely done, good amplitude and control. 9.600
Horowitz (UB): Good first handstand. Catches the Jaeger SUPER close and with bent arms, works through it well though. Nice bail. Good final handstand, double layout with a hop back. 9.675
Fairbairn (VT): Yurchenko full on, pike off. Love to see the difficulty from Alaska, and she has really nice leg form throughout this vault. Lands with her chest low and takes a step back. 9.600
Loyim (UB): Clean first handstand. Piked Jaeger is nice. Pak salto, something went wrong and she kipped through with bent legs, didn’t let it affect her rythmn though. Stuck double layout. 9.650
McClure (VT): Tucked yfull to her knees. She came onto the table really high on her backhandspring and missed her block completely. 8.700
Cooke (UB): Slightly short on the first handstand. Maloney to Pak, great leg form. Short final handstand, double layout with a hop. 9.775
After 2: Iowa State 97.650, Alaska 95.475
Half way through and Iowa State is a bit behind 196 pace. The Cyclones had some bright moments on bars, but their score was lowered by a couple close catches on relases and a lack of stuck dismounts. As for Alaska, it had five solid vaults, but are just lacking some difficulty throughout its lineup. It’s exciting though that the only 10.0 SV vault in this meet was competed by Alaska’s Fairbairn.
Rotation 3: Iowa State BB, Alaska FX
Thomas (BB): Front toos, bhs, hips are a little out of alignment, but she covers well. Nice full turn. Switch leap, straddle quarter, short of split of the straddle quarter. Dismounts with a back 1.5 with a small step, solid. 9.750
Gomez (FX): Opens with a double tuck, nice chest up position, step backwards. Switch half, wolf full, a little short on the switch half, but nice position on the wolf. Rudi to straddle jump, the Rudi was a little messy and the straddle jump lacked some amplitude. Final pass is a back 1.5 to front lay, messy leg form. 9.575
Boychuk (BB): Cat leap, switch half, missing split on the leap. Bhs loso is solid. Side somi with a small balance check. Gainer full is stuck, nice routine. 9.800
Robinson (FX): Really high double tuck to open, great amplitude and good landing control. Switch side 1/2, wolf full, some flexed feet but solid splits. Back 1.5 to front lay, good. 9.700
Bergstrom (BB): Full turn. Cat leap, front toss, big chest down wobble. Was supposed to connect to a bhs, tries bhs loso and falls. Nice flexibility on a split jump. Front full dismount, has some bent legs and takes a hop back. 8.825
Hildebrand (FX): Front tuck through to double pike, really nice pass but steps out of bounds. Switch leap, split jump full, wolf full, the landing positions got a bit indistinct there. Double tuck to finish, not the most amplitude land shorts and with her chest down. 9.375
Horowitz (BB): Front toss, big wobble but stays on. Front toss again, slow connection to the bhs. Nice full turn, split jump. Cat leap, switch half, beat jump, okay split position. Gainer full with her chest down and a hop forwards. 9.650
Desouza (FX): Opens with a really nice front double full, good control as well. Second pass is a Rudi, some bent knees. Switch side, popa, nice positions, some flexed feet. Back 1.5 to front lay, good amplitude but takes it out of bounds. 9.450
Basuel (BB): Switch leap, breaks the connection, redoes, switch leap, switch half, beat jump, solid splits. Bhs, loso, very clean. Switch leap, split jump. Full turn. Cartwheel, gainer full, chest down and took a step forwards. 9.750
Manley (FX): Opens with a nice double pike, good amplitude and control on the landing. Solo punch front in the middle of the floor. Back 1.5 through to back 1.5, very clean and well controlled. Switch side, wolf full, lacking a little bit of control. Solid overall. 9.800
Loyim (BB): Hitch kick, switchside. Bhs loso is clean. Front aerial, beat jump, love how she connects it to low to the beam choreography. Gainer full with a small hop. Nice routine. 9.850
Decious (FX): Front Rudi, a little under rotated and lacking some control. Very pretty on the ground choreography after the first pass. Switch leap, wolf 1.5, okay, a little messy on the wolf jump. Front lay, front full is good. Back 1.5 to front lay is clean excellent control. 9.775
After 3: Iowa State 146.450, Alaska 143.775
Iowa State managed to come back from an early lineup fall and hit five routines to post a 48.800. Its score was kept down by some combinations that had to be redone due to wobbles as well as lots of non stuck dismounts. Loyim’s routine was the highlight of the rotation. Alaska had a solid rotation but had some issues with going out of bounds as well as messy position on leaps and wolf jumps. Manley’s routine was excellent.
Rotation 4: Alaska BB, Iowa State FX
Fairbairn (BB): Switch half, split jump, okay split positions. Nice full turn. Bhs, side aerial, a little off line but works through it well. Front full dismount is stuck, good routine. 9.775
Boychuk (FX): Opens with a big double pike, some flexed feet but good amplitude and control. Back 1.5 to front lay, solid. Leaps are fine. Good double tuck to finish. 9.850
Robinson (BB): Round off, layout to two feet, small balance check. Straddle half, beat jump, short of split on the straddle jump, small arm wave check as well. Dismounts with a back 1.5, stuck. 9.700
Cooke (FX): Front double full, stag jump. Great twisting position on the double full. Back 1.5, front full a little crossover step out of it. Switch half, wolf jump. 9.875
Bonifasi (BB): Side aerial, balance check. Side aerial, round off, well connected. Small check on her full turn, covers well. Split jump, split jump 3/4, short of split on the second. Gainer pike is stuck. 9.725
Loyim (FX): Nice double layout to open, great shape, chest is just a little bit down, but she keeps it in bounds. Switch side, popa, wolf full, good splits on those. Back 1.5 to front lay, misses the punch and has to tuck it over, is able to keep it on her feet. 9.600
Decious (BB): Front aerial, loso, solid. Switch leap, split jump, great extension. Sticks her dismount. 9.825
Maldonado (FX): Front layout, Rudi, split jump great amplitude. Double pike, land short and has to take a step forward. Switch half, wolf full is solid. 9.825
Barahona (BB): Wolf turn, a bit out of control. Bhs, loso, leg up check. Side aerial is good. Switch leap, split jump, great extension. Back 1.5 is stuck. 9.700
Parker (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, over powers it and flies out of bounds. Switch leap, tour jete, a bit short of split. Double pike, stuck, looked a little painful with her chest down. 9.500
Farrell (BB): Wolf turn, wobble. Front aerial, bhs, well connected. Front aerial, beat jump, small check but works out of it well. Split jump, split ring, beat jump, not the most ring position. Dismounts with a gainer pike and a step. 9.700
Diab (FX): Double front full, front lay, amazing. Tour jete half, popa, excellent position on the popa. Front lay, front full, stag jump, love how straight her front layout positions are. Rudi, loso, SO FLOATY on the loso. Excellent! 9.925
FINAL: Iowa State 195.525, Alaska 192.500
VT: Kaia Parker 9.850
UB: Madelyn Langkamp, Loganne Basuel 9.800
BB: Hannah Loyim 9.850
FX: Maddie Diab 9.925
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
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