During a weekend that is filled with some absolutely insane meets, this one might have fallen under your radar, and I can understand that. But when I tell you that I jumped at the opportunity to cover this one, I mean I jumped. I am such a fan of non-conference duals, and these two teams are poised for what could end up being a really interesting meet. Unfortunately for me, I am unable to be there in person tonight, as was the original plan—but I will do my best to keep things entertaining from home.
The Gophers and the Broncos are meeting for the second time this season, with their first matchup resulting in a Gopher win at the Wasatch Classic back in January. On paper Minnesota is the stronger team—it outranks the Boise on every event by a decent margin except for beam—but we have seen what can happen (to Minnesota in particular) when beam doesn’t go well. Which, unfortunately for the Gophers, has happened quite a bit this season.
Minnesota is coming off a complicated showing at Big Fives, with some great performances (like senior Maddie Quarles notching her first perfect 10 on vault) and their most disastrous beam rotation to date, where it had to count two falls. This event is really holding the Gophers back from the scores they are capable of, as they are extremely solid on the other three. The pressure is on as the regular season comes to a close and regionals start inching closer.
Boise, by contrast, has had a stellar season on beam. The Broncos are ranked 21st in the country on this event and will surely be poised to shine here tonight as well. They also have some incredible bar workers—Emily Lopez is ranked 11th overall and has a perfect 10 under her belt already this season—so be sure to keep an eye out for her.
As I said, this meet should go to Minnesota—but Boise is more than capable of capitalizing on any mistakes and it is far from a guaranteed victory.
Oooh, looks like Minnesota is in a new leo tonight:
https://twitter.com/GopherWGym/status/1632098081717067778?s=20
Hold the phone, BTN+ coverage is starting EARLY? I am impressed.
ROTATION 1: Minnesota vault, Boise State bars
Jencks (MIN): FTY, lots of power, some form in the air and big hop back. 9.750
Little (Boise): Maloney to pak, lovely. Good handstand, slightly slow blind full with a tiny form break. Small hop on her double back dismount. 9.750
Moraw (MIN): Beautiful FTY, TONS of height, stuck. Wow. 9.850
Morden (Boise): Blind to piked jaeger, catches too close and she hits her feet on the bar. shy final handstand and a step on her FTDT dismount. 9.550
Remlinger (MIN): Tucked Y1.5, gets tons of distance, small hop forward. Legs were a little far apart on the landing. 9.850
McGovern (Boise): Gienger had lots of height, slight form break to overshoot. Great height on her FTDT dismount. 9.725
Gerdes (MIN): Y1.5, great form in the air but takes a big step forward. 9.825
Hamby (Boise): Shy on the first handstand, ray to shootover looked good. Shy final handstand, DLO dismount went a little straight off the bar vs up, but she holds the landing. 9.850
Quarles (MIN): Y1.5, form looked very clean in the air, tiny shuffle on the landing. 9.950
Blackson (Boise): beautiful first handstand. Another great handstand, look at those toes. Khorkina release was gorgeous. DLO dismount, stuck — didn’t get as much height as I like to see on that but still very clean. 9.875
Hooten (MIN): Y1.5, clean in the air, hop forward. 9.900
Lopez (MIN): Good first handstand. Piked Jaeger, looked a tiny bit close but very sharp. Clean bail, another great handstand, DLO dismount with a tiny hop. 9.900
AFTER ONE: Minnesota 49.375, Boise State 49.100
Gophers should be pleased with that rotation, although they gave up tenths in those landings—something they will want to clean up as they go into the postseason. Boise had a great bar rotation, scoring just shy of their season high.
ROTATION 2: Minnesota bars, Boise State vault
Kho (Boise): FTY, slight hop to the side, right on that line. 9.725
Johnson (MIN): Sharp first handstand. Toe hand Maloney looked good. Another good handstand. Stalder to toe-on front half, small hop. Might be the best I’ve seen her look on this event this season. 9.850
Loyim (Boise): Y half, hop forward. 9.775
Gerdes (MIN): Toe on Maloney, bail to handstand, good form. Gorgeous pointed toes on her FTDT dismount, stuck. 9.900
Vulaj (Boise): Interesting vault – Yurchenko full on, pike off, small hop. 9.825
Jencks (MIN): Off on her ray, gets right back up and continues the routine. bail to handstand, good. stuck DLO dismount. 9.075
Popp (Boise): Another unique vault –front handspring pike half, good height, hop on landing. 9.850
Remlinger (MIN): Shy on her first handstand, Ray was good, another short handstand. Bail to handstand, good. Final handstand a little short as well, stuck FTDT dismount. Seemed like she just wanted to get through that. 9.850
Lopez (Boise): FTY, flared out at the end with a hop back. 9.825
Sales (MIN): Bail to hand, good position. Khorkina release was good. DLO dismount stuck with a lean forward. 9.875
Blackson (Boise): Y1.5, two shuffle hops forward. 9.825
Hooten (MIN): Blind change to huge piked jaeger to overshoot, her usual. Shy on that final handstand, stuck FTDT dismount. 9.900
AFTER TWO: Minnesota 98.750, Boise State 98.200
Well, the Gophers and the Broncos are consistent, that’s for sure: both scored 49.375 and 49.100, respectively, on each event so far. Similar to the first rotation, there were lots of little form breaks and hops on landings for both teams. The true test is coming next, with Minnesota going to beam.
ROTATION 3: Minnesota beam, Boise State floor
Koch (MIN): BHS LOSO, and she’s off. Beat jump to split 3/4 not even close to hitting 180 on that. Front toss to scale, beautiful. RO 1.5, soft knees but stuck. Uncharacteristic fall from her today, not the start MN needs here. 9.125
Vulaj (Boise): Opens with back 1.5 to front full, soft knees and lands a little bit short. Under 180 on her leap combo. This is a fun routine, and she really sells it. Finishes with huge double pike, looks like she might have stepped out of bounds.
Pearl (MIN): BHS LOSO, solid. Crisp full turn. Switch to straddle half, good. Front aerial to beat jump, super controlled. BHS gainer full with a tiny hop. 9.875
Lucas (Boise): Double pike top open, controlled landing. Leap series was good. Back 1.5 to front lay out, nice and controlled with good form. Finishes with double back. 9.825
Moraw (MIN): BHS LOSO, controlled. Side aerial, solid with good form. Split to split 3/4, leg position looked shy of 180 to me. BHS gainer full dismount, stuck with a lean forward. 9.850
Loyim (Boise): RO whip to double back to start. Switch side, popa is solid. Solo punch front. Double pike to finish, shuffle and a huge step back and looks like she may have gone OOB. 9.800
Sales (MIN): BHS BHS LOSO, sharp and controlled. Switch to switch side, great form. Gainer pike dismount, stuck. GORGEOUS routine from Sales. 9.900
McGovern (Boise): Rudi to LOSO, nice. Tour jete half, tuck jump 1.5, looked solic. Finishes with double back with controlled lunge.
Nylin (MIN): Full turn, almost over rotates it. BHS BHS LOSO, she always takes that so close to the end of the beam it makes me nervous, but this was solid. Hitch kick into a switch side, tiny balance check but good. Beat jump to straddle 3/4, didn’t quite hit 180. Gainer pike dismount, deep knee bend and step to the side. 9.700
Blackson (Boise): Front double full front tuck, very clean. Leap series was good, nice leg positioning. Finishes with a back 2.5, she is a very fast twister. 9.925
Gerdes (MIN): Front aerial, leans to the side. BHS LOSO, solid. Split to double stag, another balance check. BHS gainer full dismount, small hop. 9.825
Leitch (Boise): Opens with a double pike, sticks it, and then takes an afterthought step back. Split looked a little shy of 180 on her leap series. Front lay, front full, weird step to the side. Finishes with double back, another weird-trying-to-stick landing with a delayed step.
AFTER THREE: Minnesota 147.900, Boise State 147.400
Minnesota escapes relatively unscathed from beam after a very uncharacteristic fall in their opening spot from Koch. The rest of the lineup delivered, though, keeping mistakes to a minimum and hopefully paving the way to a season high score after floor. Boise also had a solid floor rotation and will be heading to its best event to close out the night.
ROTATION 4: Minnesota floor, Boise State beam
Vulaj (Boise): Gainer BHS LOSO. Switch leap switch leap, good. Gainer LOSO. Loving this routien so far,. Front toss, solid.. She really just keeps moving through this and there are a lot of elements, I am impressed. RO 1.5, soft knees but stuck. 9.950
Jencks (MIN): front double full, some crossed ankles but solid start. Controlled on her leap series. Back 1.5 to front lay, good. Finishes with rudi, lots of height, controlled landing. This is probably the best routine I’ve seen from her. 9.850
Little (Boise): BHS LOSO, slow and controlled. Good leg position on her leaps. Front aerial, covers a balance check through to beat jump. Beautiful Y hold. RO 1.5 with a small hop. 9.800
LeNeave (MIN): Strong double pike to open, good landing. Switch half to wolf full was lovely. RO 1.5 to front lay, good control there. Finishes with a double back, cowboyed at the end but good landing. 9.850
Elkbachi (BB): Clean opening full turn. Bhs loso seemed low amplitude, balance check. Had some stream issues in the middle there. Solid RO 1.5 dismount. 9.750
Johnson (MIN): Standing wolf 1.5, slightly short on that landing and her foot slides. Front 1/1 barani, really nice. She really commands the attention of the crowd. Switch side Popa looked good. Finishes with a RO double back, stuck landing with a step back as an afterthought. 9.900
Lopez (Boise): BHS LOSO BHS, big balance check and leans forward. Split jump straddle half, great leg positioning. Front toss, sharp. Gainer full dismount, stuck. 9.825
Gerdes (MIN): Punch front through to double back to open, beautiful. I think Gerdes is extremely underrated on floor. Switch ring to switch full to split full, middle split position was a little shy of 180 but otherwise beautiful. Gorgeous double pike to finish. I love this routine. 9.950
Loyim (Boise): BHS LOSO LOSO, good. Slight over rotation on the full turn. Side aerial, good. Switch switch combo, beautiful. Gainer full dismount, stuck. 9.900
Remlinger (MIN): Tucked full in to start, flexed feet but great control on the landing and good height. Leap series looked solid, good leg position. RO 1.5 to front lay, looked good. Beautiful double back to finish. 10.000
Popp (Boise): BHS BHS punch LO punch. Again with some stream issues in the middle, my internet hates me today. Gainer full dismount, stuck. She looked very happy, so I have to assume that went well. 9.950
Hooten (MIN): Stuck full in to open, chest was a little low, but we’ll see what the judges do with that after Remlinger’s 10. Second pass was her normal. Finishes with a double back, sky high, shuffles her front foot. Not the cleanest I’ve seen from her but she is following a 10 so we will see. Yep – 10.000 for Hooten.
FINAL: Minnesota 197.600, Boise State 196.825
AA: Gianna Gerdes, 39.500
VT: Maddie Quarles 9.950
UB: Gianna Gerdes, Mya Hooten, Emily Lopez 9.900
BB: Adrianna Popp, Alyssa Vulaj 9.950
FX: Mya Hooten, Halle Remlinger 10.000
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Breaking Down February’s Perfect 10s Part 1
Live blog by Kalley Leer
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