Oh baby, this is going to be fun.
Big, fancy arena? Check. Hype man in town? Check? Extremely close competition? Check! We’ve got it all. Minnesota is the easy favorite in this session, but Nebraska’s season high is close behind the Gophers’, and every other team is tightly clumped in the 196.875-197.100 range, so this could come down to the last routine.
Of the evening session teams, Iowa is the easiest to catch, but remember that the Hawkeyes are at home. Individually, it’ll take a 10—or close to it—to win a title today. Look out especially for Mia Takekawa on beam, Mya Hooten and Halle Remlinger on floor and Maddie Quarles and Ava Piedrahita on vault.
Rotation information can be found via the Big Ten Championship Central. We have two byes (yaaaaay said no one) after vault and beam.
Rotation 1: PSU vault, Minn. bars, UNL beam, UIUC floor
Takekawa (UIUC): Oops we almost got going and there was a music issue so she stepped off. OK resetting, here we go. Rudi to split, traveled back a good bit in the split. Great double pike, lunge was big but clean. Cheated her leap rotation a bit. RO 3/2 front lay, soft knees. 9.85
Vihrova (PSU): FHS pike, medium hop forward. 9.725
Gerdes (Minn.): Maloney, leg sep on backswing, nice bail hand. FTDB, great form, true stick. Great set!
Simpton (UNL): Little check on choreo. Bhs bhs loso, solid. Check on her full turn. Cartwheel for her sideways skill. Split to sheep, little hop and bit short of 180 on the split, stuck but deep chest on her gainer full off the side. 9.85
Johnston (PSU): Yfull, closed shoulders on the table, some leg form. 9.825
Jencks (Minn.): Ray, low caught with slightly bent arms. Clear hip hand to bail hand. Bent arms in final handstand. DLO, low chest and a hop forward. 9.775
Rushlow (PSU): Full, pike down and a hop back. 9.75
Judges are leaving themselves space for the long day ahead. Scores are not super strict but tighter than most of the year.
Mueller (UIUC): Full-in, little deep on the landing. That’s an upgrade! Front lay to front full, very good. Switch half to wolf full, better than a lot of wolf fulls out there. Double tuck, hopped in place a bit on the landing, foot form. 9.85
Remlinger (Minn.): Ray, soft knees and feet. Toe hand bent arms to short bail handstand. FTDB, swung her arms but didn’t move her feet. 9.85
Salcedo (PSU): Omeli, big step forward. 9.675
Colombo (UNL): Front aerial bhs bhs, big chest down adjustment, bent leg in aerial. Split to double stag, small check. RO 3/2, soft knees did she mean to tuck? Hop to the side. 9.525
Nataraj (UIUC): Full-in, low chest and a foot movement. Switch ring to switch half to wolf full, off kilter on the latter two in the air. Front lay arched to front full, good landing. She just seems a little rushed, too much adrenaline maybe. 9.75
Sales (Minn): Bail hand, nice. Blind to a Khorkina, good height. DLO, true stick. Wow! 9.925
Johanson (PSU): Yfull, some hip angle, little hop. 9.85
Hooten (Minn.): Blind to pike Jaeger immediate bail, short on the bail. FTDB, little foot shuffle. 9.9
Spence (UNL): Wolf turn double, bent extended leg in the second turn. Front aerial bhs bhs, small leg bend and check on the aerial. Switch to beat, soft back knee in the leap. RO 3/2 true stick. 9.875
Townes (UIUC): Illinois performance and facials are on point today. This squad came ready to perform. FHS 2/1, great landing, just crossed over in her step forward a bit, could be a directional deduction. RO 3/2 front 1/1, really great body shapes. Shushunova, we love to see it. Strong tour jete half Popa. Really excellent. 9.85
Piedrahita (PSU): Omeli, small hop forward. 9.85, maybe a height deduction, too, it was clean but not her best amplitude-wise.
After 1: Minn. 49.300, UIUC 49.175, UNL 49.125, PSU 49.000
Oh OK we’re starting session one with 49s across the board. That’s impressive! Little things here and there, but very few large errors for all four teams. Minnesota should have been well ahead at this point, the Gophers have to go survive beam, and if they can do that they’ll be in good shape. This was likely Illinois’ best rotation, pending another lights-out beam outing, so now it’s about keeping pace on vault. Nebraska and Penn State head to bye, and we’ll get a look at Rutgers and Maryland!
Rotation 2: UIUC vault, RU bars, Minn. beam, UMD floor
USB was concussed coaching bars this week?! Oh my.
Zieden-Weber (RU): Tkatchev, low. Toe hand bent arms, short bail hand. Short handstand blind full late to stuck double tuck. 9.725
Koch (Min.) Bhs loso, soft knees on both. Beat to split 3/4, very short of 180 which is normal for her. Liukin, done very well. RO 3/2 good landing. 9.9, I’ll never get the scores with that split.
Mueller (UIUC): Yfull, pike down, hop back. 9.75
Adams (RU): Half pirouette, arched, to Tkatchev bail. Short handstand. FTDB, came in low, few steps back but stayed on her feet. 9.55
Waight (UIUC): Yhalf, small hop. 9.775
Pearl (Min.): Bhs loso, soft knees. Switch to straddle 1/4 ooooh those oversplits, lovely. Nice front aerial to beat, good rhythm. Bhs gainer full piked and a hop. 9.9, that one I get
Green (UIUC): Yfull, step back, very close to the directional line. 9.725
Komoroski (UMD): Stuck first landing. Switch ring to tour jete ring half, little low and bobbled landing on the latter, nice rings and head release on both though. RO 3/2 front lay, arched the lay but good landing.
Townes (UIUC): Y1.5, bent arms on the table, small hop. 9.8
Aird (RU): Blind to pike Jaeger, just some foot form. Clear hip hand to bail hand, bit shy. Bent arms in the last handstand. DLO, step forward. 9.725
Nataraj (UIUC): Y1.5, Y1.5, some knees, tried to hold the stick but hopped to the side. 9.825
Nylin (Min.): Overrotated her full turn. Bhs bhs loso, nice, small check in her shoulders. Hitch kick to switch side, little short of 180, the back leg was low. Straddle 3/4, big chest down leg up check. Gainer pike off the end, stepped into the salute. 9.45
Silberman (UMD): Clean first combo pass. Switch side Popa, lacked a little amplitude but good 180s. FHS 2/1, nice in the air, stepped forward to the side a little, just directional. 9.825
Joyner (RU): Blind to Jaeger, BIG! just foot form. Bail hand, leg sep and short. DLO, hop.
Sales (Min.): Check on her triple series. Switch to switch side, nice 180s, small check in shoulders on the first switch. Gainer pike true stick. 9.875
Ward (UIUC): Yfull, step to the side over the line. 9.75
McClure (UMD): HIGH double tuck, slid in the lunge. Front lay rudi, little low on the rudi and her head was out a bit. Tour jete half wolf full, little shy of 180. Front lay front full, there we go, much cleaner. 9.825
Gerdes (Min.): Check on front aerial. Bhs loso, small adjustment in her hips. Split to double stag, adjustment in her shoulders. Bhs gainer full stuck.
After 2: Minn. 98.725, UIUC 98.075, UNL 49.125, UMD 49.075, PSU 49.000, RU 48.500
OK Gophers! Beam was excellent, so Minnesota is poised for a good finish. It’ll head to a bye, as will Illinois. Vault was not great for the Illini, lots of steps and some directional errors. They’ll have a bye to prep for bars and beam. Maryland had a slower floor day than the Terps have become accustomed to, but it wasn’t disastrous. Rutgers won’t be too pressed about that bar score, that’s the Scarlet Knights’ weakest event, so it should be on the way up form here.
Rotation 3: UMD vault, PSU bars, RU beam, UNL floor
Johanson (PSU): Toe hand to low Tkatchev. Pak, some leg sep. Good handstands. DLO, hop forward. 9.8
Kogler (UMD): Nice Yfull, small hop back. 9.825
Aird (RU): Candle mount, bit over the handstand position. Nice bhs loso, really patient. Switch half, short and a check. Split to straddle half, short on both. Front gainer full, deep and a big step back. 9.675, the dismount landing.
Johnston (PSU): Maloney to bail hand, nice. Blind full late to double tuck, big cowboy, stuck. 9.85
Rourke (UNL): Front through double tuck, hopped back in the lunge. Double pike, nice, very good landing. Lost herself in her leaps, really fell out of a wolf full. 9.725
Leese (RU): Front toss bhs, soft knees but steady. Split to straddle 3/4, really nice there. Beat jump. Tucked front full, stuck. Very nice! 9.85
Rech (UMD): Yfull, some pike, big hop and a step back, came in kind of weird on the landing. 9.5
Piringer (UNL): High double tuck, lunged forward. 3/2 front lay, really well executed. Switch side Popa, cheated the rotation. Clean double pike.
Manifold (RU): Switch to split 3/4, short of 180. Front full, Karas says stuck I say college stuck. 9.875
Gallentine (PSU): Toe hand to Maloney, clean! Nice Pak. A+ toe point here. Rushed half pirouette. DLO small scoot. 9.875
McClure (UMD): Yfull, big hop back. 9.75
Comin (UNL): HIHO, good landing. Traveled sidways some on her tour jete half split full wolf full. Low final front lay on her combo pass. 9.825
Ortiz (RU): Check on her full turn. Soft knees and a fall on her triple series, only one foot on the beam. Clean leaps. Gainer full off the side, stuck. 9.05
Piedrahita (PSU): Toe hand to Maloney, leg sep on the release. Nice Pak. Short handstand. Step on her FTDB. 9.8
Weir (UMD): Yfull, small hop.
McClelland (UNL): Punch 2/1, lovely. RO 3/2 front lay, missed the punch and arched down the lay, stumbled back but stayed on her feet. Nice leaps. Strong rudi to double stag. Really good!
Joyner (RU): Lovely on her full turn. No deductions on her bhs loso. Clean leaps. RO 3/2, weight was forward on her toes, she covered with the salute. 9.9
Rushlow (PSU): Blind to Jaeger immediate bail, little off balance in the air on the Jaeger, good catch though. FTDB, small hop back. 9.925
Silberman (UMD): Yfull-on pike, big step back. 9.7
Spence (UNL): Front trough double tuck, slid her foot back a little. Switch ring to switch full was nice. Good double pike to close. 9.85
Rubio (UMD): Yfull, HUGE true stick, some hip angle. 9.825
Zannella (RU): Clean triple series. Side aerial tuck 3/2, good landing. 9.925!
After 3: Minn. 98.725, PSU 98.250, UIUC 98.075, UNL 98.075, UMD 97.975, RU 97.725
Remember when I said this would be really close? Indeed. Rutgers was great on beam, but still has some making up to do from the tough start on bars. Floor will help, but there’s a bye first. Maryland’s vault rotation was lacking some of the clean landings we expect from the Terps, which held the score down a little. They’ll go to the bye prepping for bars, a rotation where they can shine. Nebraska had just some funky floor errors that held that score down a bit. Penn State was excellent on bars. Beam can be an iffy event, so the next rotation will be critical, but the Nittany Lions are in a great position. Minnesota will bust out of the bye onto floor, an event where it is outstanding, so look for it to extend its lead. Illinois has struggled some on bars this year, so this is an important rotation for the Illini, too.
Rotation 4: UNL vault, UIUC bars, PSU beam, Minn. floor
Piedrahita (PSU): Clean bhs loso. Not on releve in her full turn. Cat to side aerial, good save, she stepped forward and just had a little check, could’ve been much worse. Switch to tuck 3/4, nice. RO 3/2 hop forward. Great leadoff! 9.725 hmmmm they took a lot on that check.
Borden (UIUC): Hop change to Jaeger immediate bail, little off kilter in the air. Blind to rudi, true stick. 9.85
McClelland (UNL): Yfull, stuck! phew. Just some hip angle. 9.825
Johanson (PSU): Bhs loso, fall. Check on side aerial. Clean leaps, stuck RO 3/2
LeNeave (Min.): Double pike, big lunge, maybe OOB? Short rotation on her jumps. RO 3/2 front lay, much better landing there. Double tuck, way deep in her landing, a few steps back and she sits down OOB. 8.925
Kuenemann (UNL): Yfull, pike down hop back and to the side. 9.775
Ewald (UIUC): Great handstand. Blind to Jaeger, some soft knees on catch. Little leg sep in Pak. FTDB, hop forward, messy legs. 9.85
Salcedo (PSU): Small check on bhs loso. Standing front, so clean, big grin. Love that. Lovely wolf jump. Split to straddle 3/4, adjusted one foot. Front layout 1/1 stuck. Delightful!
Mizuki (UIUC): Blind to pike Jaeger, caught close. Bail hand little body angel. Blind full double tuck, hop forward.
Hall (UNL): Yfull, rotated early on the table, deep knees, did they touch the mat?
Gibble (PSU): Front aerial back tuck, soft knees in the aerial. Clean leaps. Step forward on the dismount.
Sorry folks we’re seeing so much gymnastics (YAY! good job BTN) I can’t keep up with scores in real time.
Knight (UIUC): Ray to bail nice. Blind full double tuck, hop.
Comin (UNL): Yfull, soft knees and a hop back.
Gerdes (Min.): Front through double tuck, slid back in the lunge. Clean leaps. Clean double pike.
Rushlow (PSU): Beat to split 3/4, really nice. Bhs loso, medium check. Check on side aerial. RO 3/2 hop forward. Just nervy there.
Davis (UNL): Yfull, badly bent knees, stuck.
O’Donnell (UIUC): Blind to Jaeger immediate bail, really clean. Blind full bit late double tuck, held the stick.
Remlinger (Min.): FTDB, good lunge. Clean leaps. Good on her combo pass. Double tuck, lifted her front foot in the lunge.
Johnston (PSU): Small hip adjustment on the bhs loso. Split to sheep, didn’t get the head release. Tried to cover a step back with her salute on the RO 3/2.
Spence (UNL): Y1.5, soft knees, too much forward momentum.
Takekawa (UIUC): Blind to pike Jaeger, good. Bail hand was clean. DLO true stick! Wow!
Hooten (Min.): Ooooh all the other action is done, the queen gets her stage! Slid her foot back in the lunge on her full-in. Cheated rotation on her switch side Popa, but her usual oversplits. FHS front full to HIGH front pike, excellent. No deductions on her double tuck.
After 4: Minn. 148.075, UIUC 147.400, PSU 147.175, UNL 147.000, UMD 97.975, RU 97.725
Oh OK Illinois! The Illini are in a good spot going into beam, where they have been program-best this season. Minnesota had a few bobbles on floor but easily retain the lead with those great late-lineup sets. Penn State had a tougher go on beam but nothing disastrous happened, the Nittany Lions can pull it back on floor after the bye. Nebraska had some iffiness on vault but also no disasters, so the Huskers aren’t out of the picture. They’ll head to bye before ending on bars. Rutgers and Maryland both have a lot of work to do in the next rotation, and both are on events that can be excellent.
Rotation 5: Minn. vault, UMD bars, UIUC beam, RU floor
R. LeBlanc (UMD): Blind to pike Jaeger, foot form on the catch. DLO, hop.
Balser (RU): Double tuck, deep knees. Switch ring switch half Popa, some split issues and low amplitude on the Popa. RO 3/2 missed the punch into her front, sat it. She seems OK but it was a hard fall. Good rudi to close.
Jencks (Min.): Yfull, hop back and some pike.
Gatzendorfer (UMD): Maloney leg sep on backswing to messy legs in her Pak. Stalder bent arms to double tuck, Karas says stuck I think she hopped in place.
Mizuki (UIUC): Little overroatated on her full turn. Clean bhs loso and a big grin. Switch to straddle 1/4, low back leg on the switch. Clean cat to side aerial. True stuck gainer pike. A great one from her!
Jones (RU): Great double pike. Some leg sep in the twist on her front lay to rudi. RO 3/2 front lay, big step forward into the lunge and low on the lay. A good set to follow the fall!
Brozowski (UMD): Blind to Jaeger, knees on the catch. Bail hand. DLO, step forward.
Mueller (UUIC): Bhs loso, soft knees but no movement. Check on her switch switch. Beat to front toss, small shoulder adjustment. Hop forward on dismount.
Kogler (UMD): Blind to Jaeger immediate bail, bit low. DLO step backward.
Moraw (Min.): Yfull, step back.
Wood (RU): FHS 2/1, some knees. oop that’s the last pass!
Townes (UIUC): Clean switch to straddle 1/4, some flexed feet in straddle. Cat to steady front toss. Good bhs loso. RO 3/2, imprecise position, tuck or lay?
Silberman (UMD): Clean Gienger. Bail hand way off balance. DLO leg sep, deep knees and a step forward.
Remlinger (Min.) Y1.5 tucked, step forward.
Tsiknias (UMD): Huge Jaeger. Bail hand, great.
Nataraj (UIUC): Bhs loso, clean. Switch to straddle 1/4, soft back knee in the switch. She’s so quick and sharp. Beat to front aerial, small foot adjustment. Missed releve in the full turn. RO 3/2, off balance tried to hold the stick but stepped to salute.
Gerdes (Min.): Y1.5, big step forward, a little offline.
Joyner (RU): Great double pike. Lovely Split 3/2, huge. FHS front 1/1 front lay, low on the lay. Cheated rotation on her switch side Popa. Clean combo pass to close.
Takekawa (UIUC): Strong on her side aerial bhs, maybe a little arm bend in her bhs. Steady switch to straddle 1/4, really emphasized the landing. Scooted her feet on the dismount. Karas says college stick.
Quarles (Min.): Y1.5, Leg sep on table, step back, landed deep.
Hooten (Min.): Y1.5, closed shoulders on the table and a hop.
Leese (RU): FTDB, landed short and hopped and swung her arms. Clean leaps. Front through double tuck, slid her front foot back.
Knight (UIUC): Really flowy in her choreo. Switch to stagged split leap. Side aerial bhs, soft knees in the bhs. Check on beat to side somi. Landed forward on her toes on the dismount.
After 5: Minn. 197.250, UIUC 196.800, PSU 147.175, UMD 147.075, UNL 147.000, RU 146.275
Minnesota and Illinois are done. Everyone else is really chasing Illinois, the Gophers are uncatchable in first. That number is great but probably won’t threaten the top four in the evening, although anything can happen! Rutgers had a tough go, unfortunately. Illinois was excellent on beam for a strong close, and Maryland did well on bars. The Terps just need a strong beam rotation to close out a great day.
Rotation 6: RU vault, UNL bars, UMD beam, PSU floor
Dean just said the Nebraska fans are “really loud”, can confirm that has been true for years!
Johnston (PSU): Good double pike. Switch ring to switch full split full, little bit of traveling in her two splits. Clean combo pass.
McClelland (RU): Blind to Jaeger, good. Bail hand, little off kilter. DLO, hop back.
Silberman (UMD): Bhs bhs loso, bent arms in both bhs, check and soft knees on the loso. Great switch to straddle 1/4. RO 3/2, step back.
Rushlow (PSU): Double tuck, stumbled a little, lunged far and stepped OOB. Bit off on her leaps. Stuck combo pass.FHS rudi, soft knees, leg sep, missed a punch into her split jump, went to the side.
Pagliaro (RU): Yfull, leg sep and offline but true stick.
Gibson (UNL): Toe hand to Maloney, leg sep. Pak, crunchy toes. DLO, step back.
Jones (RU): Yfull, hip angle and a hop back.
Debarberie (UMD): Clean bhs loso. Switch to tuck 3/4, bit of a pause between, check on the 3/4.
Colombo (UNL): Higgins to pike Jaeger, archy Pak. Short handstand. Higgins to front giant double front half out, true stick.
Dildy (RU): Yfull, hips and sells a stick by saluting.
Piedrahita (PSU): HIGH double pike, hopped in the lunge a bit. Some twisting form in her combo pass. Stuck double tuck.
Spence (UNL): Leg sep on Maloney. Nice van Leeuwen. Blind full double tuck, cowboyed but stuck.
Aird (RU): Yfull, some hips and a hop.
McClure (UMD): Front aerial bhs, had to really slow the connection down to pull it back, kept moving though. Switch to straddle 1/4, low back leg. Cat to front toss beat, good. Rudi, hop.
Johanson (PSU): Clean double pike. RO 3/2 barani straight jump, little low in the barani. Clean double tuck.
Davis (UNL): Leg sep on Maloney. Back uprise to Hindorff, good. Bail hand, little offline. DLO, whipped it in college stick, bent knees on the bottom of both giants.
Joyner (RU): Yfull, hop back.
Vihrova (PSU): FTDB, came in low and crunch but stayed in bounds. Switch ring to tour jete half wolf full, little lack of shape on the wolf. Front lay front full, forward lunge was also to the side a bit.
Simmpton (UNL): Leg sep on Maloney to feet on Pak. Stuck dismount.
Leese (RU): Y1.5, small hop.
Kogler (UMD): Clean leaps. Bhs bhs loso, really steady and great extension. Front walkover with a check. Short split on her jumps. Gainer full, step.
Salcedo (PSU): Pretty switch leap. Double front cowboyed., lunged out. Loso to knee for her backward salto. Front lay front 1/1 to HIGH front pike, good landing.
FINAL: Minn. 197.250, UIUC 196.800, UNL 196.275, PSU 196.200, UMD 195.900, RU 195.125
Phewww that was a fun ride! Minnesota and Illinois really did what they wanted to here, and Nebraska and Penn State were only a touch off of what they likely were aiming at. It was a tougher outing for Maryland and Rutgers. The event leaders all have strong scores and some have the potential to hold up in Session II. We’ll probably see some ties, and we’ll almost certainly see a higher vault and all around number.
Session I Event Leaders:
VT: Hooten 9.925
UB: Takekawa 9.950
BB: Takekawa 9.950
FX: Hooten 9.950
AA: Gerdes 39.475
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